Meet TEHANA FATIMA WEEKS | Actor, Director, Producer & Community Development Director for We Make Movies

We had the good fortune of connecting with TEHANA FATIMA WEEKS and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi TEHANA FATIMA, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Self care and personal well being are extremely important to me which makes having a healthy work life balance essential. On most days, I am very good about “clocking out” after a certain time and/or after putting in a set amount of hours. I’m not as tied to my phone and other devices as most people, so when I decide I’m finished for the day, usually, I’m able to completely shutdown all aspects of work and focus on my personal life. In addition to setting these boundaries, I do my best to indulge in the things I enjoy. This means watching a bit of television most nights, reading good books, playing tennis, hiking, spending time in nature, nourishing my relationships with friends and family, having a robust social life, etc. To be honest, not all of this is possible all of the time, especially now that I’m doing more in my profession, but I do my best.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Liberian, female actor and filmmaker from Texas, so I am interested in telling the stories of minorities and/or places and things on the margins. My calling is to spotlight the underrepresented because of my journey as a queer, black woman who has faced an uphill battle since childhood navigating white, western spaces. Like most aspiring actors, I moved to Los Angeles and thought I’d be a superstar in five years or less. When that didn’t happen, I started working with peers to create opportunities for myself. The voyage has been arduous and heartbreaking at times, but it has also been full of surprises, inspiring and rewarding. After hitting a wall and experiencing burnout from all the rejection and lack of progress, I had to make the decision to live life more fully. I do what I can to make myself happy while pursuing my goals. I’m just getting to the point where I can look over my list of accomplishments and feel pretty good about it. When I review my body of work, in most cases, I can say, “I made that” or “I made that happen”, and that’s a great feeling. Every now and then I have to remind myself to bask in my accomplishments outside of my craft. A while ago, I chose to change my definition of success. If I create or take advantage of an opportunity to travel, that’s an accomplishment. If I enjoy a nice long stretch of inner peace and contentment, that’s a big win too.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To be honest, I feel that there is way too much to experience and enjoy in the city of angels to frequent the same places over and over again. Whenever I have a friend or a relative in town, I do all I can to go places I’ve never been and try things I’ve never tried. Lately, it has become more important to me to support black owned businesses, so I put the extra effort in and do the research to make that happen. Even so, some folks come to town and they want to dive into the tried and true of L.A. so … On one day we’d start with brunch at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles or Poppy + Rose, then maybe hit up the Nothing But B.L.K Flea Market. We might visit the California African American Museum and have dinner at Wood Spoon. Of course the beach is a must, so we’d go to the Venice boardwalk and/or Malibu then drive the PCH a bit. I’m a fan of hiking, so I’d take my guest on a hike somewhere – maybe Eaton Canyon or Escondido Falls. We might visit The Watts Towers then grab some soul food at Dulan’s. Other go tos would be Huntiongton Gardens, canoeing … Bludso’s Bar & Que, Pips on La Brea, The Living Room and The Parlor.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow, there are so many people who deserve heaps of heartfelt praise for helping me on my journey! First and foremost my mother, Dr. Julia Alexine Aziza Cummings Weeks, is unwavering in her unconditional love and support. My father, Aurelius Benedict Weeks, is also wonderfully supportive and one of my best, most loving champions. My brother, Cecil and my Aunt Chaneta are tremendous as well. There are so many more and I honestly wouldn’t want to pick just one, but if I had to, I’d say my mother is at the tippy top of the list. I would be remiss if I didn’t give a special shout-out to my industry community We Make Movies. Without WMM, now a flourishing global community, film studio and production company, my resume would not be as impressive and I wouldn’t have as many people I consider friends.

Instagram: @fatimatehana or instagram.com/fatimatehana

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/tehanaweeks

Twitter: @Teneha or twitter.com/Teneha

Facebook: Tehana Fatima Weeks or facebook.com/TehanaFatimaWeeks

Youtube: youtube.com/tehanafatimaweeks

Other: IMDb – imdb.me/tehanafatimaweeks