We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Theodore Taylor III a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Theodore, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
For as long as I can remember I was always a kid who wanted and loved attention. From K-12 I would always be a kid who loved to entertain classmates whether it’s just by me being funny, writing and sharing wacky stories in elementary and high school English class or just wanting to be the center of attention at every school event. I just feel like God gave everyone a gift and a purpose for being on this planet. And for me I genuinely believe that God put me on this planet and put me in a situation to entertain people. I feel like God blessed me with those gifts to be bold and charismatic and to entertain other people. That’s why I pursue acting right now as a 20 year old man. The ability to tell a story and have the audience engaged and “feel” what your portraying is something that’s so fulfilling. I believe my purpose on this planet is to entertain and reach people that I don’t even know. I’ve had enough validation in the callbacks I’ve done in front of big network casting directors and the praise I’ve received from certain colleagues. And who knows, maybe this isn’t the plan God has in store for me but until that’s made clear to me I’m gonna work my ass off to become the best actor that Theodore Taylor III can be.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Currently I go to school at California State University Long Beach as a Performance Theater Major and a Minor in Journalism. I also work for this company called Sportball. Sportball is a company that works with kids from 16 months to 12 years old and teaches them different sports activities. Working there has been a great experience as it allows me to be creative as I usually work with 16 months to 5 years olds. Every week I have to bring different activities and skills for the kids to keep things new. Seeing a kid go from being shy on week 1 to being engaged by week 6 while also developing motor skills has always been something I’ve enjoyed while working there.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Mental toughness would definitely be one. Being an actor is hard because the industry is very very picky and you’re gonna hear a lot of no’s before you hear yes. But you gotta keep your head down and keep grinding if this is what you want to do.
Collaboration and Communication is another one. This is important in all facets of life ranging from career to relationships. There are just something’s that we simply can’t do by ourselves and we need people who can help us through whatever we need help with. Communication also ties in with that because if you’re communicating with people and clear about what you want and need it helps establish what a relationship between the 2 individuals
The last thing ties in with my 2nd reason but I also say my relationships with friends and family are the ones that are impactful. This year has definitely saw a lot of close friends exit my life, but I still have a good amount of people who will go to war for me and got me always. Knowing you have a solid group of people who push me, hold me accountable, and got me is what keeps me going and I’m immensely grateful for those people around me.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
One of the best discoveries I made in 2022 was journaling. When I’m in situations where I’m emotionally overwhelmed by external things, the best thing I’ve done is open my journal and write I how feel. Journaling has made me uncover and unpack the personal trauma in my life and helped me understand the people in my life. It’s helped me navigate through problems as I can write out how I’m feeling and figure what I can do to feel better or solve the problems that I have. Truly something that I recommend everyone do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/official__tt3?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodore-taylor-iii-06b6a9188
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/official_tt3
