Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Frederick William Taylor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Frederick William, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from body building, 9yrs ago I weighed 268lbsn and had a lot health issues. Diabetes, high cholesterol etc…I started working out and met my body building coach Mr. Bobby who gave me the blueprint on training and nutrition. The determination and discipline it took to 95lbs came from a strong work ethic and sacrifice. From getting up 4am for cardio to sacrificing going out with my friends. I use this lifestyle not only in life, in acting as well. When you know what it takes to succeed in your craft. Your path becomes more narrow to dodge detours that comes your way. It’s not easy but it’s rewarding.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Frederick Taylor, I am an actor, writer, bodybuilder, trainer and in hopes to become a motivational speaker. My love for acting came from a part of me that always wanted to be heard. I love to step outside of myself and become whoever I wanted to be. I was shy kid born and raised in Dayton, OH my sister took me to see my first movie “Eddie Murphy Raw”. She had diapers in one hand formula in the other. ever since I could talk I imitated people and mimic sounds. I would imitate people such as: Bernie Mac, Martin Lawrence, Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx. My sister could call me from work and have me imitate some one to make her friends laugh. With my mother working long hours and leaving me home alone she would buy me VHS movies from Columbia house and I would watch movies like “White Men Can’t Jump”, “TMNT” and “Pretty Woman” and I would memorize them word for word. I knew at the age of 6 I wanted to be an actor. But listening to friends and family I gravitated to sports (Football, baseball).
In junior high school friends would ask me to mimic the movie “Friday” I knew everyone’s lines including the music.I did anything to get a laugh. Over the years I tried art schools, trade schools and odd jobs but nothing made me whole, til I went back to school a fourth time as a 24yr old freshman majoring in theatre/communications. I definitely had raw talent and great improv skills but not good enough to get cast in the play. After taking classes and I became the only African American theatre actor in Wilmington College until my senior year and the first time hearing my professor calling me an actor. That was when I felt I can do this for film full time. In 2011 I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theatre and communications, and 3yrs later I landed my first role in a feature film “A Christmas Tree Miracle”. Things were looking up til I tore my knee losing any opportunity to act and losing my job as well. So I began writing which became my second love writing 3 screenplays.
10yrs and 4 knee surgeries later, I made it to Atlanta, after being on a 10yr hiatus I took classes and entered in showcases. I remember crying after an acting class, being away from for so long and coming back into it like I never left made me feel like this is what I am born to do. Since then, I’ve been in a short film “Surviving Matters” (Lawrence Terrell), feature film “Cut” (Malik Salaam), and background work “BMF”. I’m definitely blessed by the Journey GOD has put me on, if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have made it this far, and I wouldn’t change my ups and downs for anything.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Resilience: In order to have success and fulfill your dreams, you have to accept your “NOs” and fail big now because when your up you can’t make mistakes.
Discipline:
If you know what you want out of your life, find out what it will take to not only get you there but keep you there. Never give up.
Faith:
The thing about your craft you have to understand is that, it’s an art. If anyone who’s taking an art class started painting and immediately bald it up an threw it in the trash and started over and over and over. Then finally you started drawing and it began to flow and you get focused and lost in it then your finally done and it’s just the way you pictured it. That’s what faith is, believing the impossible starting from the bottom and working hard to get to the top.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I will say patience and my character, out everything I’ve gone through my character and patience has been tested for sure. No matter how hard you work it is always GOD’s time, and everything that happens is for the greater good. No matter how bad things may seem, no matter how many no’s you get. You still have a gift. You didn’t get the audition your still an actor/actress. Being patient has its advantages were in a world where we want things now. Forgetting that there’s power and strength in waiting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/Frederick_W_Taylor
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inthamaking1178
Image Credits
Invade productions Brett Newton productions
