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

Hi Gabriella, what are you inspired by?
Inspiration seems to blossom from thin air sometimes. I’ll be driving on the highway and there will be something about the way the warmth of the sun is dancing on my skin that makes me want to hum, the hum turns into a freestyle and the freestyle brings out a string of words like “35 and dry” which then turns into the title of the musical sketch I pitch to my improv classmates. More consistent sources of inspiration come from witnessing black women living their best lives, music, stillness, symmetry, wild dreams, bad days, personal trauma, competition, the chemistry that sparks when I’m with my friends, acts of kindness, sunsets and the characters that I meet in my day to day life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m really excited to share my first filmmaking endeavor. With the help of my amazing fellow creative friend Ama Kondau, I was able to wear a producer’s hat. We co-produced and co-starred in a short film called Cyber Stalking. Making this movie was a blast and provided a lesson on the importance of having a great team of people around you. Everyone brought a positive attitude and the process went by pretty smoothly. Shout-out to the director Anthony Wells and the director of photography J.R. “Ruff” Ruffin. I’m looking forward to witnessing all of their creative work and making more movies this year. Maybe a short horror film about a date from hell, based on a true story?

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?
I feel like I am the worst host on earth as I am more of a spontaneous outing type-of-girl instead of a planned itinerary lady. In order to have some structure, if there are no spontaneous outings to be had, I would consider the following: 1. For day time vibes- the culver city stairs, kayaking in Marina del Rey, a short trip to watch the sun setting at Ocean Trails Reserve in Palos Verdes, bonfire/barbecue at Dockweiler Beach, Leimert Park, yoga with Walkgood LA at LA High Memorial Park.
2. For food-the specials at Tacos Los Anaya, paletas at Mateo’s Ice Cream & Fruit Bars, Pizzanista, Bestia, mofungo from the Triple Threat Truck.
3. For the evening- a dinner party at my spot. If things are back to normal then salsa dancing downtown, comedy shows and live music, depending on my guest’s tastes and who’s performing.

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?
I have to give a shout-out to all the dudes that have tried it and tried me during my lifespan. I always thought I wanted to be married and have a family because that’s what TV and society taught me was my purpose. If I hadn’t felt lonely, ignored and heart broken I may have never dug deep into what I actually wanted out of life. I have prospered and built character by dealing with men. They have inspired my creative work and I’ve felt empowered while learning about my ability to take negative circumstances and flip them.

Instagram: @gabbyoo

Other: goloye3@gmail.com

Image Credits
Casie Wendel, Gabriel Ortega , Anson Goode Jr.

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