Meet Britni Mcneill | Actress, Cosplayer, Content Creator.

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

Hi Britni, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve always had an affinity and love for the arts. I have drawn, painted, sung, acted, and cosplayed for most of my life, I think it just became something that I knew I wanted to pursue, and would do anything to achieve it! Being creative is always such a nice outlet for life in general, whether it just be a hobby, or getting to be lucky enough to do it as a job! I have been fortunate to do both, and I don’t think I would do it any other way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I like to think of myself as just a “creative” in a general sense, haha. I love to have a hand in anything artistic. My dreams lie in acting. I attended the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, NC, and got my BA in Theatre. It’s always been my overarching dream to be able to have steady gigs in acting someday.
My “hobby” which also becomes my job at times, is cosplaying. I have cosplayed for over twelve years now (I feel older every time I say it) and it has recently become one of my main creative outlets as a content creator! I think one thing that sets me apart is that I spend a lot of time using my acting skills, and sometimes public speaking skills, to make the characters I cosplay come to life!
This skill has allowed me to be asked to host a lot of cosplay contests! I love being able to, in a way, perform onstage and entertain the audience watching. I’ve also used these skills in content creation to promote events, a social media version of commercials if you will.
All of this has taken many years, some college courses, and finding my place in what I do. Nothing happens overnight, it takes motivation to keep trying and keep doing what you love to hope to achieve what you want in life! I have some younger cosplayers who have come and asked me how I was able to get the “cosplay appearances” or the relationships with businesses that I do. I always try to come up with the most encouraging way to explain the process, but at the end of the day, it’s just a lot of time and a ton of drive. Believing in yourself and the things that set you apart and make you unique to make yourself marketable. Always know there’s more to learn in whatever craft you set out to do, collaborate more than you seek out competition with your peers. It’s always hard to feel like someone is getting more than you, or getting to the finish line faster, but if you are open to working together you can help each other cross that finish line! (And other motivational metaphors, haha).

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?
Oh wow, this is an interesting question! North Carolina has grown a TON in the past few years, I think there’s potential for a lot of things to do, but my answer might be a way more touristy copout, haha. The easiest answer would be to take a week and go to one of the many awesome beaches and beach towns in NC. I went to college and lived in Wilmington, so I am a huge fan of that area. New Bern, NC is also so much fun and has a quaint downtown feel! I could easily spend a week just relaxing on a beach!
Alternatively, I could also take a week’s trip to the mountains in the cooler months like fall. There’s nothing more magical than the Smoky Mountains in the fall! Hiking, camping, sightseeing, small mountain towns to walk and shop. Super cozy! There’s much more to do in NC, but I always think of either beach or mountains when it comes to things I’d like to do for a week!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As always, I thank my family, fiancé, and my friends for never failing to support and motivate me to keep reaching for my dreams no matter how far they feel! Without that unconditional support for every tiny win, I would not keep fighting for what I aspire to be! Also my best friend, Sara Robinson. She’s stuck with me for many years, and our friendship has been a shining example of building each other up and shooting for success together, and I’m so grateful for that.

I would also like to thank Alan Gill, Katie Gill, and Alan’s business Ultimate Comics for all of the above! For many years I have built a rapport with him as a cosplayer at his store events. Now I work for him and have been able to have many opportunities to do what I love and enjoy doing it as a profession thanks to him and the Ultimate Comics crew. Mentorship, encouragement, support, friendship, and just simply believing in my capabilities have been a driving force in allowing me to achieve a lot of my goals lately. They are a powerhouse business in the North Carolina area, and I have tons of respect and gratitude for all of them!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/britnithecat

Image Credits
Rogue image by MoonlitRivers Photography
Feature photo by MadHeiress Photography