Meet Rodney Damon Collins | Actor, Writer, Producer, Director & Podcast Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rodney Damon Collins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rodney Damon, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
When I think of the word “risk” I have learned that there’s an element of risk in everything we do. When you graduate from college (if you decide to go) there’s the risk that you will not receive work in your chosen field. When a couple decides to marry, there’s the risk that things won’t work out. An athlete assumes a level of risk every time they step on the playing field or court. Even with the so-called stable jobs are showing this generation that there’s a level of risk when the company has received what they need from you, they no longer need you. I am a witness to being a casualty of corporate america deciding it no longer has need of you. As an actor, writer, director, and producer, risk is a part of everything I do. There’s always the risk that when auditioning, I won’t be selected for whatever reason I’m not right for the role. As a creative, there’s the risk that I can’t get financing for projects that I create. I embrace risk. It’s empowering to me because I know the power of taking ownership of my life and not leaving things up to someone else to dictate my path. My faith in God gives me the confidence in knowing that no matter what in the end I win.

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.
My story sets me apart because I’m non-traditional. I initially started to venture out into the world of arts and entertainment in my early twenties, but do to prior commitments that I deemed more important than my dream, I decided to table that dream. I remember during that time I asked God that if it’s meant for me to work in the entertainment industry and become an actor that it would come back to me later in life. Yes, becoming an actor was my dream but I also had received another dream of having a family.

It’s very interesting how I entered the industry. Eight years ago, I was working for a youth development organization in Cleveland, OH. My son and daughter were finishing high school and were preparing to go to college. I saw a breakdown on Backstage to submit for an independent film. It was entitled “Equal Chances.” I submitted and I booked it. There was an issue though. The film was not paying and it was filming in Columbus, OH for back to back weekends. So I had to decide if I was willing to step out and get back into a dream that I thought was dead. I made the decision that I was going to take it. It wound up being an incredible experience and confirmed my desire to continue to pursue this dream. Later that year, I served as an understudy for a play entitled “Soulmate” by a director named Philly Weeden. About a week before the play the person who was playing Doctor Armstrong had to drop out. They approached me about taking on the role. Although, once again I wasn’t paid, it did build more confidence in my acting ability.

Then I received a job offer from a company looking to launch a west coast branch of their youth development program. I decided to take the job after consulting with my wife and family. That’s when the fun began. Upon my arrival to LA, on January 25th, 2016, I reported to the office that I was told to go for work. The company wasn’t expecting me and acted as if they didn’t know what I was talking about. So now, I’m getting very upset to start to feel like I had been played. Then after living in LA for nine days, I’m sitting on the 10 freeway in stop and go traffic when someone smashes into the back of my car totalling it. Let’s just say I was hating the move I made. Not only was my wife and family still in Cleveland because we had to sell our house and she had to pass the state exam to relocate to Los Angeles, but I was also sleeping in the corner of the living room floor of a space I rented. The dream started to look more like Freddy Krueger had designed it. Little did I know it was building my character and testing my resolve. I began to write to help me process what was taking place in my life. I was determined to not be a victim. That’s when I decided since things were going south with my job, maybe I should take a look into the entertainment industry. My thought was “I’m in LA, I might else well test the waters.” I had zero connections in the industry. I started by registering with Central Casting because I needed to learn the LA scene. In addition, I was a part of several Facebook pages for actors and I saw on one of the pages that there was a breakdown for film “Emerson Heights” shooting at a restaurant named Castaways in Burbank. It was no pay and I would be the only background person for the day. I decided I need to meet people so I took the role. I showed up ready to work as if I was a principal actor on the film. I ended up being bumped to a principal, paid, and credited for that day. It was an amazing feeling because that’s not what I was there for. It taught me that if I stay focused on serving the story, the crew, the director, the production, that amazing things can happen and it gave me a sense of expectancy whenever I showed up to set.

Another important instance that I can never forget is I was working background one day and I saw someone working background but they were different. They were writing every second they got. I decided to check in with him. His name was Neko Sparks. He was preparing to pitch a show called Chosen Kin. We ended up building a relationship as colleagues. One day Neko calls me to share that his show had been picked up by Amazon. I told him congrats. He said “I want to offer you a role on the show!” I was like what! In my mind, nobody does this type of stuff. I asked him if he wanted me to audition for the show. He replied “yea if you want to make it harder!” My character ended up being Dr. Watson on a show that’s still streaming on Amazon to this day. These two instances were the start of my career in LA being to take flight. To date I have over (40) TV Film credits, I’ve won (5) awards and I have a production company with my son. I’ve learned that I am capable of so much more when I operate in who I am and how God has made me. No matter what happens I am fully responsible for my response to circumstances. I am not a victim! I know that I’m able to stay in this industry because I am grounded and rooted. Continue to show up at all times, your time will come.

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 love the LA scene. One of my favorite things to do is to hike. I live the scenery and viewing the oceans and city landscapes from the mountains. It’s a place of peace and serenity for me. So we would definitely be going on a hike. We have to schedule some time at the beach and one of my favorite beaches is Manhattan Beach. It’s a nice and chill scene and there are more locals than tourists there. I would take them to 1010 Wine and Events in Inglewood for a great time dancing and relaxing in a grown and sexy environment. I’m a certified archer so we would go shoot some arrows. I would take them to a concert at the historic Hollywood Bowl which has one of the. best venues for a concert. They would have to do a studio tour since I work in the industry. My years in LA have allowed me to investigate the landscape more and connect more with what the locals do and not a lot of tourist attractions.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to start with my wife and my son and daughter. When no one else believed or even knew about me, they believed in the gift and purpose that I have. They have endured the disappointments and celebrated the successes. I want them to receive all the benefits of standing by me and believing in this journey that I’m on.

Website: https://linkfro.de/rodneydamoncollins

Instagram: @rodneydamoncollins

Linkedin: @rodneydamoncollins

Twitter: @rodneydamoncoll

Facebook: @rodneydamoncollins

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwiQA8T8FgpSYAcy3koePKw

Others: Podcast: The Produce Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-produce-podcast/id1503920467

Image Credits
David Ford Jeremy David Creative