Meet Imani Vaughn-Jones | Actress & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Imani Vaughn-Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Imani, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Because I can’t do anything else. I wish I could leave the arts, and believe me, I’ve tried! This is an industry filled with rejection, filled with heartbreak and superficial judgments. It’s rife with nepotism and colorism and all the other -isms, not to mention that it’s expensive! I’m an actress and a writer, so between headshots, submission fees, trying to attend industry events — this stuff adds up. I wish I could pick a less tumultuous career path, but for all the aches and pains that come with the arts, nothing has ever made me feel this fulfilled.

There is something magical about gathering a group of strangers and everyone agrees to put the project first. Everyone checks their ego at the door and we all agree to be servants to this higher purpose, this grand undertaking that is larger than all of us because it requires each of us. It’s beautiful. And then when you bring that project in front of an audience, and you see the ways in which your words or your performance have profoundly impacted other people — I’m yet to experience anything else like it. It really feels like maybe you can change the world.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Last time we sat down, I described myself as an “actress, writer, and editor-in-chief.” While that’s still true, I’ve worn so many different hats lately, I no longer know what to call myself. Writer and actress are the central pillars of my artistic identity, but I’ve also been dabbling in mentorship, graphic design, and now producing. I’m whatever I need to be to fulfill my vision – a playwright, a screenwriter, a poet, an actress, a director, a producer, a photographer, an editor – the list goes on. It’s all been incredibly exciting and nerve-wracking at once.

No matter what I’m doing, Black liberation is at the heart of it. I write to liberate Black people, whether that’s liberation from Hollywood’s stereotypical vision of Blackness via the way I’ve written my characters or liberation from suffering by providing a moment of escapism. Similarly, I’m aware that everything I perform in is instantly made political merely by my being there. I’m always moving with Black folk in mind. My work is for everyone and I believe that everyone can find value in it, but it’s always going to be dedicated to Black people.

I’ve got some really exciting things coming up. I was recently named a Dihvinely Konnecked fellow with Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre; my play ‘Well-Intentioned White People’ has been sweeping up recognition and has another reading this fall with Theatre, Untitled in New York; I’m teaming up with a group of talented individuals to star in a short film about two women who chose to experiment with expanding their relationship; and I’m in the process of setting up my own production company so I can start breathing life into the films I want to see. First up is a short film I wrote called Valencia, about a fraudulent influencer who must confront the facade she’s created when she receives a bomb and a set of instructions while live-streaming herself opening fanmail. The script has already won two awards and several festival placements, so I’m really excited to pull the full project together.

And of course, I’m still writing. I’ve got so many new narratives lined up that I’m bursting at the seams to share. It’s always busy in my neck of the woods.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
You can’t ask me this after I’ve spent a year straight in my house! I don’t know what’s out there anymore!

Let’s see. Eating is one of my favorite pastimes, so I would give them a tour of Atlanta while showing them all of my favorite restaurants. First, we grab a chai latte and a breakfast sandwich from Café Lucia downtown. For lunch, we’d swing up to Chamblee so they can experience the vibrant wonder that is Plaza Fiesta and we can get the best tacos in town at Las Recetas y Antojitos de Abuela. Somewhere in there, we’d have to stop in Buckhead to pick up an order of edamame dumplings from True Food Kitchen. When the sweet tooth kicks in, we’d hit up the beltline and grab some blackberry basil gelato (trust me) from Honeysuckle Gelato in Ponce City Market. For dinner, it’s cucumber mint mojitos and whatever the current special is at Corner Grille in College Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would not be where I am today without the constant support of my husband Daniel. Every audition I’ve ever filmed, he’s been behind the camera. Every day that I’ve been on set, he’s shuttled me there. It’s because of all that he’s poured into me that I have been able to bloom.

Website: imanivaughnjones.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imanivaughnjones/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ItMeansFaith

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imanivaughnjones

Other: New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/49421/imani-vaughn-jones Coverfly: https://writers.coverfly.com/profile/writer-3cdc4f182-126402

Image Credits
Fox Broadcasting Company