Meet Deion Higginbotham | Screenwriter & Actor & Producer

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

Hi Deion, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking for me was always a scary thing. My thought process was, If I am close to home nothing can really hurt me. I think the first time I ever took my biggest risk was when I moved out of state three years ago. Me taking that risk to leave a familiar place that I was so accustomed to really has made me a better storyteller.

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 think what separates me from other screenwriters is really the longevity of how long I been writing. When I first started back in the sixth grade, I could remember I didn’t know that many black men or women who were writing. I think the stories I’m writing about are personal and they matter to me. Things I’ve been through. It’s my own unique voice.

Something I’m proud of is back in 2019 I placed as a semi-finalist in the Screen-craft Drama Competition. My script called the Yay, which is about my hometown in Oakland CA received really really good reviews, some people even compared it to the show The Wire.

I got where am today by being patient, resilient, consistent and really just being a good person to everyone I’ve come across. It definitely wasn’t easy but that’s a dream if it was easy we wouldn’t try to make it come true. I spent a lot of time working on my craft and just writing. Never stopping no matter what. No matter how many people want to be a screenwriter, I just write because I love it so much.

I want the world to know that I am somebody just like them, I had a dream, I worked my ass off to get it, and I kept dreaming even as I made it so that my path wouldn’t be finished. It amplified when I had my two sons Tyler and Kaiden.

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.
My all Time favorite place to go eat at is the Taco truck in Oakland CA. Seriously the way I eat Mexican food is a problem. Whenever someone would come visit me in my hometown that’s the first place I would take them. Then a nice walk around Lake Merritt so that they can feel the essences of what Oakland really is. Then I would take them through Downtown Oakland on telegraph and Broadway. To some local bars to have drink, like Halftime, Mad Oak, and Somar.

I’ve met some of the most fun, loveable, hardworking people down in Oakland CA. Most of my friends and family still live there. It’s really nothing like it. It’s uniqueness and how passionate the people are and how we really represent OUR city, will make you fall in love.

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?
So many people come to mind, I want to first thank my mother because she sacrificed so much for me. I get my love for Television and Movies from her. Mentors who have guided me along the way, Deonte Staats who saw something in me and considered me for his mentorship where I really was grateful to learn things I didn’t know. Some of my peers Rob Hill, Tamara Hall. The last person I really am blessed to have in my life and who I am so thankful for is my best friend Taylor Johnson. You talk about the love and support from others. Taylor stands the tallest, and she is a pure Angel in my story.

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