Sydney Mitchell: Rejection And Strategic Preparation Drive Modern Acting Success

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Sydney Mitchell.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Sydney Mitchell grew up with a penchant for performing and has been dancing, singing and modeling since she was a little girl. Her first gig was a print campaign with Talbot’s clothing store at the mere age of 11. Acting in the family business-her big brother is B.J. Mitchell. This fall she co-stars in Black Mafia Family, the highly anticipated new drama series on Starz based on the true story of the Flenory brothers of Detroit and their cocaine business that was tied into Mexican drug cartels. Sydney also co-stars on BET’s First Wives Club.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Atlanta Georgia. My mom is from LA so we always went back and forth between the two which is pretty much how my brother and I got involved in the entertainment world. I had a very supportive, loving family growing up. They’ve always supported my creative dreams and have a big role in where I am today.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I started out hip-hop dancing at a young age. I then transitioned into modeling as I got older. My brother started acting at a young age so I’ve been around the industry and on sets for a long time. The crazy thing is I was never interested in acting growing up. Then as I got older, I wanted to do more than just dance and model. I felt like I kind of knew my way around the acting world from watching my brother for so long. I decided to give it a try and fell in love with it. Once I took my first acting class, I never stopped. It’s crazy how it happened. I’m not sure how my parents ended up with two acting kids (laugh) but they’re proud to say the least.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The most interesting thing that’s happened to me since I’ve began my career is figuring out my life as an actress during a global pandemic. Right before the pandemic started, I picked up everything and moved to LA because I felt like there were more opportunities out there. I moved my clothes, car, literally everything. Two weeks after I got to LA, the pandemic started and the world pretty much shut down. I came back to Atlanta discouraged and not knowing what my next step was. Then, the industry started opening back up and I started auditioning again. Within my first month of auditioning, I booked a role on two huge shows at the same time that was both shooting in Atlanta and my life started to change. I guess it’s true when they say everything happens for a reason. I took a million steps to end up right back in my hometown doing what I love.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The funniest/ most embarrassing mistake I made when first starting was going into auditions thinking I was totally prepared but being intimidated when I got into the room. I’m talking I would walk into the room and every line would leave my brain (laugh). This is terrible to say but there were so many auditions I completely BOMBED. At the time I was horrified, but I can look back now on it and laugh. I think the biggest lesson I learned from that is number one is how important preparation is. A lot of the time we think we’re ready for something and in reality, we’re not. I had to go back to the drawing board, get more training, and move forward from there. This also taught me a lot about not being so worried about the lines when it comes to auditioning. Once I started just being the character instead of thinking about the lines, those nerves went away and my auditions got much better.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I just finished filming for a show called “Tales” where I got to play a dirty cop. This was my first action role and it was SO exciting. I don’t want to give away too much, but there’s a great shootout scene. Getting to see and experience how all of the stunts worked was so much fun and made me want to do more action films and television. I also just finished filming for a show called “Memories” starring Samuel L Jackson. I have a small role, but being a part of a show with such a great cast was an honor.

You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

I always say the best advice I could give to someone pursuing a career in acting is the 3 “P’S”: Patience, persistence, and preparation. Great things take time and I know the feeling of it seeming like you’re in a stagnant place, but you have to continue to believe in yourself and keep the bigger picture in mind. Focusing on the craft and tuning out the outside noise worked best for me. A lot of the time I know we get caught up in managers, agents, and the glamour of the business, but if you really just focus on your talent and being the best you can be, everything else comes together eventually. It’s just so important to be prepared before anything else for when that opportunity finally comes.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

I think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television first for the youth. It’s important that children from all walks of life are able to turn on the TV and see themselves in characters and what they can possibly grow up to be. Seeing lawyers, doctors, superhero’s, etc. in a diverse light is crucial for kids when it comes to their self-esteem and having exposure to other positive influences Secondly, I think diversity is important in television and film because viewers need to witness what other cultures are like. Diversity being presented on a mainstream level helps expose different cultures to each other and helps to bridge the gap through presenting different cultures in different lights. Lastly, I think it’s important to have diversity in television and film because it creates jobs for more actors and actresses. Inclusivity in scripts creates more roles, which creates more opportunities for actors of different races and cultures. Diversity is so important and creates a gateway for exciting and relatable roles which I’m personally so proud to be a part of.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

First, I wish I knew as a creative that everything you do as an actor is OK. There are so many techniques, teachers, and coaches and whether “right” or “wrong” your choices are all valid. I wish I took more risks back then in my auditions, but learning is a part of the process and it’s necessary when becoming rounded as an artist. Next, I wish someone told me how many times I would be told “no”. I took it personally for so long and it wasn’t until about a year ago that I started to realize what’s for me will be for me and rejection is just a part of the process as well. You can only get better with time. Third, I wish someone would have told me to be aware of those you choose to surround yourself with. This is a tough industry and not everyone has your best interest at heart so you have to be extremely careful when it comes to who you surround yourself with on your journey. Trailing off from number three, I wish someone would have told me how important it is to have a great team behind you. You want to be represented by people who believe in you just as much as you believe in yourself. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t have agents, managers, etc. who believe in you as well, it makes things even harder. Last, I wish someone told me to relax because it would all work out in the end. I was so worried about achieving the goal, at times I forgot to enjoy the process. Getting new headshots, auditioning, taking acting classes should be fun and exciting. It shouldn’t be stressful.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

The biggest tip I would give to people in the industry to help them thrive and not “burn out” would be to HAVE FUN. I used to look at auditions as something stressful (remembering lines, hoping I booked the role, etc) and I didn’t start booking until I let go of those worries and made it something I looked forward to. Choosing an audition look, creating characters, studying movies are things that are fun and you won’t burn out once you start to look at it from this perspective.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

If I could inspire a movement that would bring good to the most amount of people, it would be a movement that acknowledges how important mental health is. I know there are upsides to social media, but I feel like it also creates a lot of pressure for people (the youth especially) to have this “perfect life” and as a result makes a lot of people depressed and feel less than. We’re also in the middle of a pandemic where people are struggling, dealing with deaths, and trying to figure out the unknown. Overall there is ALOT of pressure on people in the world right now and I think it’s important to assure people how special they are and that they deserve to be happy.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My mom and brother are the two people I’m most grateful for when it comes to getting where I am. They have both invested so much time, energy, and money into my acting career. My brother actually paid for my headshots and acting classes when I first started out. He said, “It’s an investment but I know it’ll be worth it”. My mom has been so special because she has taped almost EVERY audition for me. Rain, snow, sleet, or shine she’s dropped everything when it’s time for me to audition. They’ve been the best support system I could ask for and I honestly owe them everything.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My favorite life lesson quote is “If you don’t sacrifice for what you want, what you want becomes the sacrifice.” I believe sacrifice and discipline are two of the most important things when it comes to success. There will be so many things you don’t want to do but are necessary. I feel like you can’t have your goal without making some necessary physical, financial, emotional, mental, or social sacrifices, sometimes all. There have been so many steps I’ve taken that maybe didn’t give me momentary pleasure but benefited me in the long run. The more I’ve mastered that, the more success I’ve experienced.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

This is a hard one because I have a couple of idols, but one of the main people who jumped into my head was Rihanna. I admire her work ethic and how she’s turned her talent into an empire. She just became the highest-paid female musician and I love how she seems so driven and ultimately has turned into a businesswoman. Aside from that she also just seems like she has a super chill, laid back, but no-nonsense demeanor and I love that energy.

How can our readers follow you online?

My Instagram and Tik Tok are: @sydneymitchellofficial

My Twitter is : sydmofficial

My Facebook is: Sydney Mitchell

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!