Meet Zion Mingus | Actor, Comedian, & Videographer

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

Hi Zion, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
What I want people to remember about me first and foremost is the amount of work I put into my craft, as well as myself, to get where I am today. Yeah it’s great to be recognized for what I do on T.V. or from my own local projects but what I want people to really acknowledge is the grind it took to achieve those things. The solid work ethic, the required self-discipline, the necessary sacrifices, decisions, and connections I had to make in order to achieve what my version of success is. Now when we talk about my legacy and what I want to leave behind that’s a whole other life goal. I’m originally from a small town in North Carolina called Hickory. There are not many positive influences, creative opportunities, or REAL leaders for young people and even adults from that area. My main goal is to be able to change that aspect of my hometown for the better by building creative lounges or spaces for any and everyone to just be able to express themselves and find what they’re passionate about. Whether that’s being an actor, a artist, or even just starting a business you’ll be able to figure out there. Kind of like a safe haven for young people and adults to find what their life goals are and have adequate leadership from respected/influential individuals to help them achieve their dreams. Start off with buildings in my hometown and eventually hope to be global. That is the legacy I want to leave behind. All this just show people that there is more to life and success than just what is portrayed to us through the media. Find your passion, set your goals, and never stop striving to achieve them and watch how far your dreams can take you!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What I feel sets my work apart from others is how relatable it is. A lot of work I create on my own I feel is relatable for a majority of people and that’s what is liked most about it. I like to make work that reaches a wide audience instead of just one or two specific groups. Unless, of course, the project is made or aimed for a specific audience or message you know? Like the film “Karen” by Coke Daniels that premiered on BET. Great message and story about modern day racism, police brutality, and judgement. I was glad to be able to be involved in a project that is apart of the culture and label that as a stepping stone in my career. I didn’t have any lines but my characters role and expressions were all necessary and most of all relatable to the audience and real life victims of the same type of discrimination. My first really big job I landed was a music video role for artist Lil Poppa’s song “Been Thru” featuring Quando Rondo. Which at the time of its release was a testament for me to my friends who were going through some legal troubles and the song relates to their situation. It felt really good to be in a video that expressed the thoughts and feelings of someone who has been through a troubling past and overcame the obstacles that stood in front of them. The video currently has 8.8 million views in youtube and will forever be on the soundtrack to my life as well as my friends life. After landing that role, more opportunities began to present themselves and I began to figure out the ways of the industry and how to go about getting more roles. So in a way things were easy but at the same time I still had to put in the work to find the roles and information in order to give myself a chance to be able to get those opportunities. That is probably the most difficult thing I have had to face which is making sure you have the self discipline and drive to work on your craft and invest in yourself everyday. Something that’s worth it will never come easy and the things that come easy are never really worth it. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned along my journey. One thing I want the world to know about me is that everything I do is for a purpose. Everything I’m doing is not just for myself but for my family and the people around me that I want to see succeed. What good is being successful if you can’t help out the people that mean the most to you and helped you along the way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ve only been living in Atlanta for about a year now and I’ve been to quite a few spots. If I wanted to show someone a good time around the city the first place we would have to go is Grindhouse Killer Burger for literally a killer burger. Their food is so amazing I’ve been there at least 20 times, even though my favorite item isn’t a burger. Their grilled brussel sprouts are to die for. I can’t get enough of them. After that I’d take them to Lennox Square so we can shop a little bit and get a outfit for another one of my favorite spots which is Nouveau Bar and Grill. They have 2 locations, one in college park and another in Jonesboro. Either one you go to you are guaranteed a good time. They have great drinks, food, hookah, and all around just a great vibe you can never go wrong with Nouveau. Then lastly, to end the night off on a great note we would have to slide to the Laughing Skull Lounge for some great comedy. They have open mic nights during the week days and some of the best comedians in ATL on the weekend. It’s always great to end your day with some laughs!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to Miss Molly Bass. She is a local playwright from my hometown who really helped me get started on developing in my career as an actor. She was someone who was there from the start of everything and was my mentor when I had questions about anything. She always has the best attitude possible towards anything no matter how good or bad the circumstances are. Always speaking highly of me and putting my name in the right places for the best chance of success all while giving me all the encouragement in the world. If it wasn’t for her I may not even be in the position I am today. Another person I would like to dedicate my shoutout to is my good friend Johnny White. Johnny and I have been friends since elementary and we both had our hopes and dreams of being in the entertainment industry someway somehow one day. As time went on we drifted apart as most friendships do but eventually came back and since then our friendship couldn’t be any stronger. We have been helping, encouraging, and picking each other up though the good times and the bad. Always letting each other know of opportunities we find that may help either one of our careers and just being happy to see the other succeed. We both moved to Atlanta to continue striving for success and without my brother being there beside me along the way who knows how things would be. So yeah shoutout to Miss Molly and my boy Johnny White. Love y’all

Instagram: @zionsofunny

Facebook: Zion Mingus

Other: I just recently started a podcast/livestream show that I do on my Instagram called the VL8 podcast. We go live every Wednesday @7:30 and have some great conversations about interesting topics plus some hilarious topics and jokes as well. If you’re wondering what VL8 means then you just have to come on the live a find out yourself. We have an Instagram @VL8podcast that we will be going live and posting from soon if anyone would like to check us out