Meet Vanessa Nottingham | Actor / Producer / Co-Founder of Divergent House

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

Hi Vanessa, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
My background and upbringing really impacted who I am today as I had the best mirror, my parents. Growing up in South Florida, I had a first hand experience at how hard my parents worked to get to where they are today. My mom is an immigrant from Brazil and my dad was born into a poor family in New York City. Both my parents had to work not only to survive, but to eventually make a name for themselves and find ways to have a positive impact on the lives of others. When I was a little kid, my dad would always tell me, “Whatever you do, be your own boss.”

So, when I started out acting as a child in South Florida, I realized that I needed some control over my life. A way that I, too, could be my own boss and make an impact on the world. A way that I could tell my own stories and the stories of my family and other like us. Thus, my film studio, Divergent House was born.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is a film studio called Divergent House where we do everything from acquire and develop scripts, as well as produce films, shows, cinematic short form content, and documentaries. What we are most proud of is what our company stands for. We strive to make the film industry a safer place and help with the change that needs to come in order to provide equal opportunity to those who currently lack opportunity in the film industry. Our mission is truly to provide more equal opportunity to women, people of color, and people in the queer community with jobs in the film industry, especially in above-the-line positions such as your directors, writers, and cinematographers. The goal is to make sure that if we are showing representation in front of the camera, that needs to be mirrored behind the camera as well. Thus, if we are telling a story about a bi-sexual Latina, we need to ensure that we have that kind of representation especially in the creative roles.

I started to venture into this business of producing because after years of being an actress, I realized there was a lack of opportunity for my friends, as well as myself to take on certain positions in Hollywood. The stories that were being told were also not up to the standard that I felt like they could be and often times, stories about women weren’t being told by women and so therefore they were lacking some truth to them. Once I meet my business partners, who agreed and had similar thoughts as me, we all realized we needed to make a studio in order to really enact change. Thus, Divergent House was born.

Running Divergent House has not been easy since it is a newer business but for some reason, it just flows. Even with some of our hardships, there is always momentum and big strides being made. The most important thing that we have learned as a company and running a business is to always communicate so that we can all keep improving and growing.

I would love for the world to know that Divergent House is here to tell incredible stories! We are just a small part of the movement to help make the film industry more diverse and provide opportunities for everyone. We strive on making our sets safe and respectable, while also telling stories that dive into important matters.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting I would absolutely take them to all my favorite spots. Check out my itinerary:

-Breakfast at the amazing Beachwood Cafe in Hollywood
-Head over to Malibu. Make sure to take the route that takes you through the canyons!
-On the way to Malibu play Malibu by Miley Cyrus
-Tan at El Matador Beach
-Eat lunch at Malibu Farm
-Drive back to Hollywood
-Sunset hike at Griffith Park to the Observatory
-Drinks at Lily’s Bar in Hollywood (inside the Adler Hotel)
-Party at No Vacancy in Hollywood
-2am vegan snack at Doomies in Hollywood

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There have been so many people in my life that have made an impact, however these four people do not receive nearly enough credit and they’ve truly helped shape my life for the better. So, here’s to you Lori Sessions, Tim Altmeyer, Susan Schuld, and Ryan Hope Travis! These four incredible teachers, helped me find myself and free my natural voice. Because of them, I am brave and I am confident.

Website: www. divergenthouse.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessanottingham/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChfk-E–Pim_-aD9d-sep_Q

Other: https://www.instagram.com/divergent_house www.vanessanottingham.com

Image Credits
Kim Chung, Sasha Dylan Bell, Alexia Lue, Miguel S. Romero, Jamie Edmondson