Meet Thea Johnson | #GraySlay, Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Thea Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thea, why did you pursue a creative career?
I learned early in life that my career choice(s) would have to be something that I was genuinely passionate about, something that filled my spirit. My initial career as an educator provided the platform for me to use my creative skills and talents in ways that inspired children. Crafting engaging lessons while facilitating the acquisition of knowledge is an art. So once I neared retirement from education I looked for an endeavor that would fuel the same innate passion and I chose acting. Here I can express myself through characters and roles that have an impact on others. I pursued artistic careers because these careers allow me to be authentically who I am; a creative being.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I want women to know that it is never too late to dream a new dream or reload a different life story. Acting is my “retirement career” or my second career. With thoughtful planning, studying and learning the business of acting I have immersed myself in the craft. I have been working in the Southeast region for a little over five years now and each of the projects I have been involved with has taught me and helped develop my skills as an actor. I am always training. As a person who loves learning training is something I thoroughly enjoy. These days I spend a lot of time auditioning, reading books about the craft and training. I am just getting started and there’s so much more I want to do. It has not been “easy” but it hasn’t been “difficult” either; I think its all in the way you view life-one’s perspective of a given situation. I am accustomed to working for what I have and want and this career has been no different. Anything worth having is worth working for. I am represented in the SE Region and welcome representation in Chicago and NYC. Recently, I was a model in the Ralph Lauren-Morehouse College and Spelman College collaboration which was featured in every major/minor news, media and fashion publication. I am most proud of this because I am a Spelman alumna and the work done through this collaboration will benefits current and future students attending these and other HBCU’s. I am known as #GraySlay I named my company that and I chose the name because it represents me in some ways; I have beautiful gray hair and I am a fashionista, hence #GraySlay😊

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hopefully, this friend is a golfer because that’s what I like to do most play golf on the beautiful courses in and around the Metro Atlanta area. The museums in Atlanta are very nice for visitors, we’d visit the Civil Rights Museum, The Coca Cola Museum, The King Center and depending on the weather ride the ferris wheel downtown. We’d also visit a few of the restaurants in town that have unique menus with good food. I’ll name a few here: Breakfast at Barney’s, Ponce City Market, Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours, Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen & Bar, Mr. C’s BBQ Food Truck. We’d also take a road trip to Uncle Nearest Distillery.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my Spelman Sister, Margul Retha Woolfolk, Ph.D. She actually planted the seed that was the catalyst for me pursuing acting as a career. I didn’t act on her words for several years, I just took it as tongue and cheek. However, when a seed is planted on fertile ground, fed and nurtured the result is growth. Thank you for planting the seed.

Website: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/theajohnson

Instagram: @thea_alesiaj

Twitter: @teachmisst

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackbutterfly

Other: https://imdb.me/TheaAJohnson

Image Credits
Dwayne Boyd photo on the Personal Photo page Nadine Ijewere photo from The Washington Post (white dresses)