We had the good fortune of connecting with Gail Everett Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gail, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Acting is work! Of course if it’s your true passion, although it’s incredibly hard work and extremely time consuming, you won’t hesitate to jump right in. When you are watching a tv show or movie it’s easy to say I could do that. How hard could it be?! I don’t want to discourage people from entering the world of entertainment but the reality is that it’s hard work and requires a huge commitment of your life. Getting auditions for those prominent shows isn’t easy but even if you get a great audition for a speaking role…you have to learn the lines, prepare a great audition, filming and editing the results. You do a great audition then it’s crickets, no word about your chances unless you manage to get the job. There’s constant training throughout your entire career and we won’t begin to discuss the financial commitments required to prepare for the career. It’s a lot of time, energy, financial commitment and emotional turmoil. I don’t want to discourage anyone only make them aware of the behind the scenes job requirements. Because it is a job just like any other highly skilled job. What I am saying is that it’s not as easy as it appears when sitting on the couch watching and dreaming. If you love it you won’t mind the commitment needed to be successful. It’s not meant to be a relaxing hobby.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I began acting professionally in 1988. But I have been in entertainment of various types since the age of 9 years old. My mother believed in being creative and productive and enrolled me and my siblings into every creative art form possible. Dance competitions, pageants , sports and a professional gospel singing group. And much much more.. As a child it was extremely difficult to study private music lessons when your friends are out playing. But I am grateful that my mother had the foresight. It hasn’t been easy. Relationships may suffer because of the amount of time spent away from family so it’s extremely important that we actively carve out time for relaxation, family and self care. I had many challenges over the years but my greatest challenge was when I was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in 2015. I had a large part of my tongue removed and then reconstructed over 3 surgeries. But I am thankful to report that I have been cancer free since the surgery. Thankful that I did not require chemo or radiation treatment. I was sure that my career was over but God had another plan. My career boomed after cancer. And the partial tongue removable and reconstruction has never hindered my career at all! The greatest lesson I learned is to not prejudge, people or situations. Tie a knot in issues and just hang on. But never quit!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am fortunate to have formed an outstanding team of agents and manager. I have had several wonderful agents throughout my career. But as my career grew and changed I was required to change my team. Not over being disgruntled but because my career growth changed. My shoutout goes out to my current team of agents and manager. Houghton Talent in the Southeast are outstanding and I Am represented in LA/NY/NM/Chicago by Exclusive Artists Agency. My manager Brandon Cohen of BAC Talent has truly been amazing. They work very hard on my behalf. But the true champions in my story are all my amazing friends and students that take the time from their own busy lives to be there for me helping as readers for my auditions. And I get a lot of auditions. They are the Rock Stars in my story and I am truly blessed to have a phenomenal team of supporters.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaileverettsmith/profilecard/?igsh=d3U0MXpleWVlODNs

Other: You can google my name, Wikipedia and IMDB for the most up to date information

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