Meet Nia Renée | Actor & Traveler

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

Hi Nia, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking has played a part in every aspect of my life. I’m not one to play it safe, you could say haha. Everything from being an actor in this industry to spontaneously booking a trip out of the country; I’m a person who will always do what genuinely feels right in my life. Whether or not it seems a little crazy to others haha. My friends especially know how my life can be fairly fast paced. In the sense that a lot can change in a short period of time because I always follow my intuition which may lead to a new path. When I was nineteen, I was a nomad traveling around the U.S. for a year and in the midst of all those adventures, I got into the acting industry. Risk is what keeps my life alive; I will always take a chance at a happening I feel strongly drawn towards.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
It’s always a lot of hard work haha. At the beginning, I didn’t know anything about the industry; didn’t have any connections. I just knew from a young age that acting is what I wanted to do and I dove head first into it. I started taking so many classes, networking & making friends through events, reading books, attending interviews, and submitting myself on acting sites. I was still nomading for a few months during that time too. I was traveling throughout the west coast and then, South Carolina. At first, most of my experience was online: zoom plays, zoom films, etc. besides some acting classes I took a while back in high school.

Once I moved to southern California, it took a few months to settle in but then I started producing the series, The Passion Project: Volume 1. Which was the hardest job I ever had. I really have Clifford Jones, Sean Roberts, & Kasey N. Summers to thank for the start of it because at the time, I had no idea what I was doing and they supported me through it all. I mean, we were filming for six months and had to take a couple weeks break here and there. It was extremely hard to finish and there were so many amazing crew + cast members involved. Grace Mullen is another person to thank because this wouldn’t have wrapped without her and her amazing director skills. Additionally, the sponsors we had: Brandy Mars Designs, Grey Archer clothing, Bennett’s Buttons, and Your Weekly Dose podcast.
I made some incredible friends through filming that series and it will always hold a special place in my heart. My only regret, is I wish I enjoyed the process more. Don’t let your anxiety get to you.

For producing, I had a several page list of multiple people I knew for any position I would ever need on set. Keep in mind, I started knowing nothing and nobody haha. I became really good at problem solving really fast, being really resourceful, and additionally, I was really stressed out most of the time haha.
Throughout the time The Passion Project: Volume 1 was filming, I filled up my resume aplenty with so many acting & crew jobs. By the time the series wrapped, I was working only acting and film industry jobs. It stayed that way for a while which I was really grateful for.

An additional career highlight was being invited into the Career Coaching program by Gary W. Goldstein, one of the producers of Pretty Women, Under Seige, & more, he is an amazing mentor and a person I look up to!

Then, just two years into the industry, I had signed with my manager. The strike just started so the industry was slow for a while, as everyone knows haha. But I was still working really hard; just behind the scenes basically. My manager and I were having lots of meetings and making lots of deadlines for getting everything together; new branding and all. I was taking classes, getting new headshots, redoing my resume, auditioning, reading books, and everything. Even when I moved back to my hometown for a couple months, I’d still travel out to L.A. to continue class, taking workshops, etc. It’s been a lot of hard work.

Now, 3 years in, I’m looking forward to a role that I’ve wanted to book forever! The book Itchikan by Bin Userkaf is being adapted into a series. I’m cast as the lead villian, Queen Jakura, in this dystopian world and I’m so beyond excited to fly out for filming this summer! As someone who’s loved dystopian books and having my acting inspiration sparked when I watched Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games, this is a role I’m so happy to dive into!!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh my gosh- I’m actually so fortunate to have my childhood best friend live in LA as well haha but I know what you mean, here are my favorite spots:

This is a general tip haha but no matter what area of LA I’ve lived in, I’ve loved to explore locally owned cafes or stores nearby! I always love making friends!

In Hollywood, I’d go to The Vine Street Deli and the owners are so kind & funny! It’s owned by a Mom and her son, I would always talk and catch up with them whenever I was in the area!

Whenever I had a bad day, I’d go for a night drive around the Broadway District in DTLA because for a few minutes, I’d look up and it felt I was somewhere completely different. I loved taking in all the detailings of the architecture and the sparkling of the skyscrapers.

I love the food in Ktown, so many good resturants!
In Little Tokyo, Suehiro Cafe is a cute spot!
Vui Ve is a great place for Vietnamese food!

Larchmont Village is a super cute area of LA! I love walking around there! Erin McKenna’s Bakery LA is great & allergy-friendly! Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, they have diary free options too! For pastries, Le Pain Quotidien is soo good! My French friend gave me the recommendation so you know it’s amazing haha.

In WeHo, Bar Lubitsch is such a cool spot and has such a great vibe! They have live music sometimes & it’s a really intimate place!
Good Times at Davey Wayne’s is a great retro bar, there’s dancing & live music! I love it there!

In the valley, Woodley Park is so pretty! It’s huge and there’s so many different areas! They even have a Japanese Garden!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Jackie Tran: I can never appreciate you enough for how incredibly loving, caring, & supportive you are. From the moment we met, we connected instantly. I love you so much, my friend.

Anakaren Andrade, Carlos Figueroa, Juliette Cecile, Tyler Jaques, Andrew Wood, & Alexandro Zatarian: A few of my friends that have been there for me through tough times in LA, I’ll always appreciate them for that. It’s so refreshing to have people in your life who are in the same boat as you in a way. We’re all artists out here haha.

Don Bloomfield: my Acting teacher, he has always believed in me, even when I doubted myself. I have learned more from his class than anywhere else. He said if I stick this out and continue doing what I’m doing, I will be winning an Academy Award one day and now, I believe him. Couldn’t thank him enough for the amount of confidence he’s installed in my acting abilities.

Ryan M. Luévano: Thank you so much for being my first manager, believing in me, and helping me start my career! I appreciate all your hard work & always wish you the best!

Manny De Santiago: One of my closest friends from the acting industry, so extremely supportive & reliable. I appreciate his honesty, always haha. He’s like a brother to me.

IvyAnna Harris: A friendship I cherish so much, the intimacy & love we share and connection we have is held so dear! I’m so grateful we were cast as best friends on screen. Thank you for being a wonderful human!

Grace Mullen: We have been through it all together haha. From the chaos of The Passion Project series to being like my sister off & on screen, I will always appreciate our friendship through everything.

Kasey N. Summers & Sean Roberts: From the start, they’ve always supported & helped me in any way they’re able to. I will always be thankful of that. Love our podcast family!

Erman Baradi: one of the first friends I made in the industry! He’s been an amazing supporter and it’s been great working with him the past few years on different events, films, etc!

David Davini: My childhood best friend! He has stayed through the chaos and mess of our teens & twenties. I will always appreciate him like no other. It’s amazing to have a friendship that grows with you in life.

My family back in my hometown: Who were surprisingly supportive of me entering this crazy career journey. But, of course, my sister still teases me about my career. Still love the little goofball.

Website: linktr.ee/niareneeofficial

Instagram: @niareneeofficial @nias.travels

Image Credits
Headshot: Diana Khachatryan (@dianakphotos on instagram) Jon Kopaloff