Meet Shoshanna Withers | Award Winning Filmmaker/Actress/Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shoshanna Withers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shoshanna, what makes you happy? Why?
What makes me happy is feeling deeply connected to my work, to meaningful people, and to moments that remind me I am truly alive. After more than twenty years in this industry, happiness has become less about chasing milestones and more about living in alignment.

Producing films through my own company has given me a sense of creative ownership I never had before. Building stories from the ground up, nurturing them into something real, and watching audiences connect to them is one of the greatest joys of my life.

And now, with a baby on the way, happiness has taken on an entirely new meaning. It is no longer just about what I am creating creatively. It is about what I am creating in life. Happiness now feels like purpose. It feels like building a life and a legacy at the exact same time.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is centered on emotional truth. Whether I am acting, producing, or developing stories, I am drawn to work that feels intimate, honest, and deeply human. I am fascinated by people, their contradictions, their softness, and their strength. That is what I aim to capture on screen.

Over the last year and a half, I have produced more than ten short films, an animated project, and a feature film through my own production company. One of my proudest projects is my latest feature, Forget Me Not, starring Gbenga Akinnagbe and Curtiss Cook, written and directed by Michael Cooke.

Gbenga is widely known for his work on The Wire and Nurse Jackie, while Curtiss is known for The Chi and House of Cards.

Michael Cooke is known for his Directing work on Across the Tracks and The First Noelle. Michael Cooke is an award-winning director and cinematographer from Atlanta, Georgia, whose visual style is known for its emotional tone and cinematic intimacy.

Set during Halloween in Brooklyn, Forget Me Not follows two former lovers who must revisit the memories of their relationship in order to recover a magical wand that has gone missing. Told across four seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, the story rewinds their love affair and forces them to confront what was lost and what still lingers. It is a magical realist romance about memory, love, and the parts of ourselves we never truly outgrow.

My path in this industry has not been linear. It has been built on years of rejection, reinvention, risk, and choosing to continue when it would have been easier to stop. Founding my own company taught me that no one is coming to hand you permission. If you want momentum, you have to build it yourself.

The biggest lesson I have learned is to stop waiting for approval. You have to trust your voice and create anyway.

What sets me apart is intention. I am not interested in making disposable stories. I want work that leaves a fingerprint on the heart. Stories that stay with people long after the screen goes dark.

As I step into motherhood, that mission feels even more personal. I am not only building a career. I am building something my child will one day see and recognize as honest, brave, and meaningful.

I am also excited to share that I will be producing and starring in another feature film scheduled for Summer 2026, marking a new chapter both personally and professionally.

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.
If my best friend came to Raleigh, I would keep everything heartfelt and relaxed. We would begin the mornings with coffee and breakfast at Jubala, then wander through North Hills or downtown while catching up and people watching.

One day would be all about nature. Sitting quietly at Pullen Park when we wanted to slow down. ( I grew up going to this park with my friends and family)

Dinner would absolutely include The Melting Pot, my all-time favorite, because long conversations over warm food always feel like comfort.

And of course, we would have at least one movie night at Alamo Drafthouse or Regal North Hills. Film will always be my love language.

It would not be about rushing through attractions. It would be about presence. Good food. Long talks. Deep laughter. The kind of week that reminds you how lucky you are to love and be loved.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes to the people who stood beside me in the messy, uncertain, and early chapters of my life. My family, my closest friends, and the fellow creatives who believed in me long before there was proof.

My grandparents were the first ones to pull me toward storytelling. Their love for books, films, and history shaped how I see the world, and that influence still lives in everything I create.

I am also deeply grateful for every director, actor, cinematographer, producer, and crew member who trusted me as a collaborator and challenged me creatively. Every project has taught me something, and every collaboration has shaped the artist I am today.

And now, as I prepare to become a mother, I feel even more connected to the community that helped raise me into the woman and artist I am becoming. I did not build this alone, and I never forget that.

Website: https://www.ShoshannaWithers.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoshanna-withers-3167b416/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShoshannaWithers