Meet Dee Beasnael | Actor/Voice Over Artist

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

Hi Dee, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
Tchad, central Africa. A place that holds the breezy desert sands of the Sahara in its northern landscape, and lush agricultural lands in the south. Tchad is home to approximately 250 different tribes, or ethnic groups and roughly 140 different dialects to match.

My country gained its independence in August of 1960 from France and continues to balance joy, despite the vast troubles that the many civil wars have plagued the country with.
Tchad is culturally rich in petroleum, cotton, gold, and cattle.  This is a place where you know your neighbors. You protect and help them as much as possible. My experience, has been that of a place where when you enter a room you shake everyone’s hand and are greeted with warm smiles, a cold local drink named Top, (hopefully with my favorite flavor, grapefruit) and fresh fruit or an incredible home cooked meal.
My parents left Tchad due to a civil war in 1979, and moved to Accra, Ghana, the  my birthplace. Their faith in God, their commitment to pursuing a life dedicated to Missionary work and education, and the fact that they dared to dream of a life full of joy for them and their five children, (myself included,) propelled them into paving a way for my siblings and I to live a life where pursuing our dreams could be possible.
One of the many lessons my parents have taught me, is that whatever you have, and how ever you may help others, do so while openly pursuing your dreams and goals and being kind and encouraging to others. They have imbued me with the confidence to dream big, to pray hard, and to believe that whatever vision for myself God has placed in my heart, he has also given to others. Don’t let it pass you by!
I also grew up in Dallas, Texas. The city that fostered many friendships that I hold true and dear to this day. It is the city that introduced me to the many different visual and performance art forms. Dallas is a vast music and performance hub and it has placed some extraordinary teachers in my life. One of them being Thomas Riccio, who opened my eyes to the world of experimental and ritual performance. These worlds have allowed me to abandon my concept of traditional art, and awaken layers that transcend generations and cultures. I am so grateful for the weaving of the feathers that have given me my wings to fly and dive deeper into my artistic world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
With such a diverse and rich upbringing, how could I not be an artist and a storyteller! I’m an actor and a voice over artist. I continue to be blown away by how much joy I find in diving into a script and the world it provides, and seeing where that story takes me!
Another great teacher I have encountered is Leigh Kilton Smith. Leigh reminds each artist to proclaim, “I am just beginning!”
In that spirit, I must say, for my journey that I truly am just beginning. I am beginning to understand myself as an artist, I am understanding that the languages I speak, French, English, Ngambaye, and Spanish, open up a chance for me to discover myself, my craft, but also have conversations with people of different backgrounds.
One of the stories I hold dear, is having the privilege of bringing the story of Nina Simone to life on European stages in a production called “Silence and Fear” directed by David Geselson, just as the Covid pandemic lifted it’s shackles and allowed the world to dance with its winds and borders again.
Embodying this dynamic woman, instilled in me the courage to move through spaces knowing that I stand on the strength of many black women who fought their way into spaces that did not welcome them because of their outward appearance. I also stand on the shoulders of my ancestors, whose names and stories I carry within me every time I share a new story, not forgetting that they support me in my endeavor.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I have the privilege of living in one of the best cities in this world, Brooklyn New York so the possibilities are endless.

Here are some of my favorites in a variety of neighborhoods:

Everyone wants to see Times Square! It’s beautiful at night so I love to grab a drink at The Knickerbocker and then take in the lights.
Harlem: Harlem Biscuit company to start the day! Lunch at Lido, and then get an incredible dinner at The Good Good. I love live music, but I also love to hop around so the night might be a mix of The Shrine for some dancing, room 623 for a quiet evening, or a wonderful surprise at the National Jazz Museum.
Brooklyn: My favorite coffee shop in Flatbush is Ciao Bella coffee, owned by the sweetest couple Marco Mento and Jessica Michel. I always suggest a stroll through Prospect Park to catch up then head over to the Brooklyn Museum. Lunch at Aunts et Uncles, (I could eat here every day! And I mean it!) buuuuut if the weather is nice, Rodgers Garden for the vibes and drinks.
For dinner, a great spot is Mayfield. For something more upscale, it would be Clover Hill in Brooklyn Heights. Let dinner digest with a nightcap at bar LunAtico and listen to some incredible Jazz, then dance the night away at Lovers Rock, Rum bar.
Midtown Manhattan and surrounding:
Brunch in Central Park at the Loeb boathouse, then get some steps in sheep’s meadow. If it’s raining then we would spend some time at the Guggenheim.
We might stroll the highline! There are so many works by outstanding artists featured like Baseera Khan’s “Painful Arc!” (Catch it before it’s gone.)
Next would be a trip through Chelsea market, or grabbing a late lunch at the Tin Building in the historic Seaport.
Dinner would be at Tatiana at Lincoln Center followed by an evening at Smalls Jazz club to hopefully catch the Wayne Tucker Quintet. Can you tell that I like Jazz?
To end the night, we are finding some more great music or going to a comedy club, wherever my friend Jared Waters is performing is where we would go!

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?
Life has gifted me with truly some of the best friends, mentors, and earthly angels that inspire me in so many ways! Some of them I have shouted out throughout this interview, and I truly wish I could write out every name!! It’s rare to have such a strong community, but I’ve got a tribe, an incredible family, a chosen family, I love my people!! First, I must say thank you to the Shoutout LA team for creating space to share my story.

Everything I do is dedicated to my parents, Eunice and Sem Beasnael, who have given so much so that I could flourish and grow and continue to navigate life.

I thank them for their continuous life lessons and the confidence they continue to instill within me.
To my siblings, thanks for being beacons and a continuous support system in all that I do. I appreciate who you all are.
To the dear ones in my life who never hesitate to check in, just to name a few of the many, Joselyne, Sibyl, Pauline, Allie, Shirlyn, Zach and Jana, Nodji, Ann Marie, Kim, Selene, Karolin, Tess, Veronica, J.C. Jr, Valerie, Andrew, the list could truly go on! Even though they are busy beyond measure, I appreciate you! Thanks for being an eye, advocate, and support system day in and day out!

Instagram: @sacrodbea

Image Credits
Isabelle Jouvante, Dimitrios Kambouris, Sibyl Kempson, Travis Emery Hackett, Simon Gosselin, Kevin Yatarola, BKE Productions