Meet Shyanne Benjamin | Actor, Poet, and Community Support Counselor

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

Hi Shyanne, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I went to college for Speech Pathology. Knowing that the only thing I could see myself dedicating my life too was creative work. However, my family really didn’t want me to risk student loans only to not be able to sustain myself. My first step in risk taking was changing my major to Social Work. I knew that I loved helping people and creating/performing in equal measures, and that I could find find fulfillment in both. Now having graduated, and now that I have been working full time in social services for 4+ years, I am leaping again. I am slowly making the switch from social services full time and acting part time, to acting full time and social services part time. All that to say, while you may miss 100% of the shoots you don’t take, for me I realized that without risk taking… I would end up holding a ball I never wanted for myself.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am not sure which one came first for me, writing or acting. It’s like trying to figure out which one came first… the chicken or the egg. But I am both in equal measures.

I can read the room, I think that is what sets me apart from others. Any stage or set I step on, I do my best to give the audience the story in a way they are most receptive too. I also believe a lot in the characteristics of a character, does she tilt her head when lying? Does she have a nervous habit? Does she smile a lot? I believe these choices make characters real to the audience, and allows them to fall in love or in hate, or both.

Right now, I am most excited about Souls On Stage (SOS) debut performance, at the Complex Hollywood! We have put together an amazing anthology of stories about life, and love and all the things in between. Our opening show will be October 2022. I am also excited about some new content I am working on, with my fake twin Taylor Summers on our blog The3BTwins.

I always said that while I am am artist, I refuse to be a starving one. I learned that that can’t be true completely. While I have always remained working in social services, 9-5’s are not conducive to the life am actor just starting out. So, no… this has not been easy. But it has been worth it. I have adapted a non-traditional work schedule, and have sacrificed some rest!

Along the way, I have learned to ask questions. Not everyone will share their recipe, but those who do have been really helpful to me. I have also learned that if you make it into the room, you belong there. It’s a work in progress, for me to stop assuming that I get opportunities because Im the underdog, but I’m getting there.

I am Black, I am a woman, and I am plus size. I want to play roles that will bring my community joy, and impact our culture; like Whitley from A Different World, and Max from Living Single, and Tiffany in Insecure. I want to play the sex symbol without the fat-fobic dialogue. I want to play the one that saves the day, or the dramatic love interest in a period piece- with my skin and my body. I want world to know that there is room for all of to do incredible work!

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?
Jim Dandy Chicken is must when you are in my city. Any Fruit Stand near 108th and Denver will make change your life!
Lemiert Park! Any time of the week will have you dancing, shopping, and eating real good!
Then take you a ride down Fairfax!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents (Mommy, God Mom, God Dad, and my Aunts), while they don’t completely see the vision all the time, they always show up, and show out for me. They have always giving me space to be myself, and express myself.

Siecuna Yeboah the director of SOS (Souls on Stage) and my sister. This woman has been by my side since I was 14 years old. At every turn she pushes me to tell my stories, and to show my face on every stage that will have me (and even some of that ones that wont). She is the remedy to my impostor syndrome, always taking time to tell me when something I have written is a hot mess, or amazing. Or telling me when Im pretending as opposed to acting. She goes above and beyond to encourage me as a woman and as an artist. So much so that she has taken her gifts to now make space for other artists.

Chase Walker, film director, producer and owner of Atlanta Grip Truck and Class Clown Films. Chase, the Class Clown Improve Team and his crew took a chance on me! I never saw myself doing improve, and often shied away from online content because the internet never forgets. But Chase and his team pushed me, and allowed me to stretch a muscle filled with doubt. Watching Chase work, and seeing how he pulls resources, dedicates time and energy all while “making sure everyone eats”, has pushed me to learn the business of performing, and to take risks with my art.

Brittany “Faith” Gilbert, along with her MFA Film Cohort at the University of GA casted me as the lead in her student film LOW SELFiESTEEM. In this project Faith addresses the impact if the industry’s restrictive beauty standards, and how one can shatter societal beauty expectations by doing unexpected. On this set, Faith and her Cohort allowed me to express their vision the way I saw fit. Faith gave me the opportunity to play a beautiful character that depicted some of my personal experiences. Faith not only made me feel seen as an actor, but as a person, and I will be forever grateful.

Melissa Muganzo Murphy, owner and founder of Muganzo Entertainment and creator of The Big Hysto Documentary: A Black Womb Revolution. I met Melissa during my undergraduate years at Sacramento State. She is the definition of duality, and truly showed me how to create the life that I want for myself and not sacrificing my passions along the way!

Instagram: @remembershystory, @The3BTwins, @sosproductionhouse

Linkedin: Shyanne Benjamin

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjP8Zg619G34pgsxS12Fw1w

Image Credits
Photos are identified my outfits Jean Jacket: Shyanne Red Dress: Shyanne Black Robe: Shyanne and Brittany “Faith” Gilbert writer and director of LOW SELFiESTEEM White tank top: Shyanne Benjamin and Taylor Summers The3BTwins Purple set, group photo: Chase Walkers Class Clown Improve Group