Today we’d like to introduce you to Arischa Conner Frierson
Arischa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started performing at a young age as a singer. I sang in a jazz band in college and in various wedding show bands for about 15 years. I loved it, but it was a little hard on my knees. I acted a little bit in college, but the acting bug really bit me later on in life. My first theater performance was at a local theater, Trustus Theater. It was Smokey Joe’s Cafe….and I fell in love with the stage. I joined a theater company, W.O.W. Productions, with African American women CEOs Tangie Beaty and Donna Johnson. Through W.O.W. Productions, in association with Maverick Movies, I was featured on a nationally distributed DVD of the stage play, Yesterday is Still Gone, written by Tangie Beaty. After that, I started researching everything I’d need to do to book more acting jobs. I got some headshots done, created some video clips of different scenes with friends, edited the scenes into an acting reel, and submitted them to some agencies in the Southeast. I booked the very first job I ever auditioned for with my first agency, Coastal Talent. It was on the CBS Saturday Morning Show, Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Hidden Heroes. I started taking classes, working hard at the craft…and the rest is history.
A few years into my acting journey, I met my incredible manager, Natarsha Garcia of AGI Entertainment at an industry bootcamp. She introduced me to my agent, Joy and Jayme Pervis at JPervis Talent in Atlanta and my LA manager, Nick Roses at Artist Collective Entertainment. I love my team! They have put me in position for some amazing opportunities and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road for me. Not at all. It was actually kind of hard. In the beginning, I got a lot of nos. I started to think that maybe I was too old, my time had passed or maybe I didn’t have those Hollywood looks that casting was looking for. There was a time when I was so down on myself I wanted to quit. Also, I was teaching full time and I couldn’t always do my auditions, so that was a struggle. I really had a shift in my mindset when I met one of my acting coaches, Christine Horn. Working with Christine and working toward changing my mindset was a real game-changer for me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Presently, I am a full-time professional working actress and audiobook narrator. I decided I wanted to pursue my dream of acting full-time before I turned 50. So after 20 years in education, I took a leap of faith to pursue my dream full time. I have done national voice over work for Under Armour, Stitch Fix and Clorox. I’ve done commercials for both the Georgia Lottery and Bojangles. Presently, I have had recurring roles on various shows that are presently streaming on Hulu, AppleTV, and Netflix, to name a few. I was a recurring guest star on the Hulu Original Emmy Award Winning show, Dopesick, as Leah Turner alongside Michael Keaton and Will Poulter. I have had the opportunity to work on various shows including Swagger, an AppleTV original created by Reggie Rock Bythewood, The Resident, streaming on Netflix, All American on The CW, and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey streaming on Apple TV alongside my favorite actor, Samuel L. Jackson.
What I’m most proud of is my perseverance. I’m proud of myself for not giving up. I continue to work hard and work on myself. I now realize that I am enough. There’s no one else out in the world like me, and that’s what sets me apart from other people. I hope that every actor realizes that they are enough, and their uniqueness is a gift.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me, is the fulfillment that comes from achieving my personal goals while being surrounded by the unwavering love and support of my family and friends. It’s not just about accomplishments or accolades, but about having those people who you love and support celebrating right alongside you, loving and supporting you.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @arischaisastar
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arischaconner?mibextid=LQQJ4d
