September 25, 2024 • 37 mins
In this episode, TJ welcomes Kendra Holloway, an artist from Kentucky, who shares her journey from a small town to New York City. Kendra discusses her experiences in the arts, the impact of attending an HBCU, and the importance of lived experiences in shaping her career. She reflects on pivotal moments that influenced her decision to pursue acting seriously, the challenges of navigating the acting industry, and the significance of faith and intuition in her journey. Kendra also emphasizes the value of community and mentorship in the arts, particularly for actors of color.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
TJ (00:15):
Hey friends, it's TJ, and you're listening to Tea with TJ,
where our love for tea,conversation and
self-improvement intersect.
So let's take a deeper diveinto my cup and let's have a
chat.
Hey friends, it's TJ.
Welcome back to another episodeof Tea with TJ, and today I
(00:38):
have a very special guest, agood friend of mine, kendra
Holloway.
Go ahead and introduce yourselffor the folks listening and
watching.
Hello folks listening andwatching, my name is Kendra
Holloway.
Go ahead and introduce yourselffor the folks listening and
watching.
Kendra (00:45):
Hello folks listening and watching.
My name is Kendra Holloway.
I am an artist based out of theNew York City area.
I'm originally fromHopkinsville, kentucky, and I
love me some TJ.
TJ (00:59):
Oh, I love you and because I love you so much, I made sure
that we had some masala chai foryou today, made you a little
tea latte.
Love that.
Yes, so I have been doing thisthing with guests for season
three and I mean I already knowyour story, but in an effort to
(01:20):
get people who are listening tothe show and watching on YouTube
, just to get a little bit ofbackground on who the guests
actually are, could you tell?
Kendra (01:27):
me your story up until what point, wherever you want to
stop.
TJ (01:32):
I mean I would say probably the journey to New York.
Kendra (01:35):
Okay, yeah, I was like because there are many, many
parts of the story.
But, um, yeah, I was born in asmall town called Hopkinsville,
kentucky.
That is right outside ofNashville, tennessee.
It's about an hour out.
I grew up an only child, whichwas amazing in my opinion.
(01:55):
Grew up in a pretty tight knit.
You know, simple familybackground.
My mom, my dad God rest hissoul.
My grandmother was across thestreet from me.
I grew up with a lot of cousinsthat became sisters and aunties
that were cousins and you knowhow that is in the black family.
(02:17):
That's exactly what myexperience was.
The church was right across thestreet as well.
So, I had no excuse not to bethere.
Luckily my background wasn't sostrict that I had to be there,
you know, five days out of theweek, but definitely Sundays.
That's where my behind was.
And, yeah, and everything waspretty simple, pretty
(02:41):
straightforward growing up verycountry, very simple people, and
I decided somewhere along theway that I wanted to be an
artist.
I saw Pee Wee Herman as a kidgrowing up and my mother says
that I used to wave to himgoodbye at the end of his show.
So if anybody grew up in the80s and the 90s then you will
(03:02):
remember that Pee Wee Hermanused to wave goodbye to all the
kids at the end of his show.
And because of the area that Igrew up in, it was kind of a
mixed bag of people from a lotof different experiences.
Once again, I grew up in theearly 90s, mid 90s, when crack
cocaine was still a thing, theAIDS epidemic was still a thing,
(03:23):
so I was seeing a lot of thesethings happen.
Really, you know, on my block Iwas seeing it happen to people
that I knew and I loved and Irespected.
So I saw the arts as a way forme to introduce them to a world
outside of their own.
And I made a vow to myself that, you know, I would one day be
on the screen too, I would oneday act out something for them
(03:45):
so that they could dream againand they could love again and
they could find themselves again.
Right, yeah, and so, yeah, I,you know, went to a regular high
school.
Shout out to everybody thatwent to Christian County High
School in Hopkinsville, kentucky, colonels.
Yeah, I went to high school andduring that time I did
(04:05):
different activities that wouldallow me to use my voice.
So I was in like a lot ofdifferent poetry competitions as
a kid.
So I was flying back and forthto DC a lot because I found my
way into poetry and as a way of,you know, public speaking and,
I guess, somewhat gettingintroduced to the acting thing.
And then, when it was time to goto college, I chose to go to an
(04:27):
HBCU because, quite frankly,you know, in my area although it
was, you know, it was prettydiverse.
I would say that the populationis, you know, half and half.
We're like a good Oreo, maybe,um, but I wasn't seeing enough
um, uh, black people excellingthe way that I knew that we were
in the world and I needed to beexposed to that in a
(04:49):
professional way, and so I choseto go to Clark Atlanta
University Shout out to theHBCUs, shout out to Clark
Atlanta, panthers and I studiedtheater there and it was a safe
haven, it was beautiful, it wasa glorious time to just be a
(05:09):
student, to be comfortable inyour skin, to learn the craft as
just a person, without eventhinking about color, because
everybody around you was black,everybody looked exactly like
you.
Around you was black, everybodylooked exactly like you, right.
So there was freedom in that,and I oftentimes talk to my
(05:33):
friends now and I and I have toremind them, like God we were
really blessed and fortunate tobe able to be in a space where
we didn't for four years.
We got a break from just beinga color and we could just live
out whatever we wanted to liveout and it was just.
It was great, right, um.
So I studied theater, startedout studying theater, and then I
switched over to television andfilm production, but I was
(05:55):
still taking theater classes atthe Alliance Theater and um,
doing just different internshipsthere, and then I eventually
started working behind thescenes for Tyler Perry Studios
as an intern.
I worked for the PBS station asan intern and after graduation
I had a great productionproducing assistant job and then
(06:18):
I got laid off.
TJ (06:21):
That's just the life as an artist.
Kendra (06:22):
That is the life of an artist.
But I didn't know it was goingto happen that damn fast.
And when I got laid off, I just, you know, I prayed about it
and it was very simply revealedto me that it was time for me to
move to New York City toactually take acting seriously
if that's what I wanted to do,acting seriously, if that's what
(06:45):
I wanted to do.
So there was a certain kind ofcaliber of artistry that I
needed to follow, a certain kindof because I didn't go to
conservatory for acting and eventhough I was in an acting
program, I did switch that majorover.
I really didn't have thetraditional road that a lot of
theater kids have.
You know, musical theaterwasn't really my bag.
It was just like I want to belike Pee Wee.
TJ (07:07):
I'm still at this.
Kendra (07:09):
HBCU, trying to be like Pee Wee, and they say you got to
study theater, then okay,that's where I am.
Um yeah.
And then I found my way to NewYork City and I met you in the
small the bowels of the palacetheater.
TJ (07:25):
Yeah, uh.
What was it, annie, at the time, I think?
Oh yeah oh my god oh yeah, sucha long time ago, um, and I,
I've, I've, kept you in my lifeever since yeah yeah, that's
amazing I don't think I knew umthe specifics of the year.
We're training at clark atlanta, though like I didn't, didn't
know that you had a thing at theAlliance.
Kendra (07:47):
Yeah, yeah, it was something that I found by chance
.
So the great, the late, greatCarol Mitchell Leon, who, if
anyone looks her up, she was anamazing, amazing actress that
was local to Atlanta.
She was kind of over thetheater department at Clark
(08:08):
Atlanta University and she wasmy advisor when I first got
there.
Lovely, beautiful woman and Iwas so excited to work with her.
But unfortunately, after myfirst semester there, she she
passed away from an illness andyou know, the department really
wasn't the same after she leftbecause she was really the
heartbeat of that department andso that kind of prompted me to
(08:31):
I didn't.
I wasn't uh interested inleaving.
In HBCU I didn't really want totransfer because I had made so
many beautiful connections withmy friends and with professors
there and I was just just closeenough to my actual like
hometown where something wentdown, my family could come down
the highway to come get me right.
So I wasn't willing to givethat up.
(08:54):
So as a result, I just switchedover to the next best thing
rather, and that was televisionand film production.
You know my dad had always hehad a radio show in my hometown
for over um, like 40, 50 yearsand I grew up kind of watching
him do all these things behindthe scenes and there was always
(09:17):
interest there.
But when I, when, when uh MsLeon passed away and I had to
make a decision about staying atClark Atlanta, the next, the
next best thing for me was tojust transfer to a different,
major, and, as my daddy told me,you know, if you love something
, you learn everything that youpossibly can about it.
So that means the behind thescenes as well as in front of.
(09:38):
And so, yeah, and when thathappened, I still wanted to act.
I still wanted to kind of finda way to hone that craft.
And what that looked like forme was showing up to Mr Al
Hammacher's office at theAlliance Theater when I found
out that they were giving thesefree workshops.
And I showed up there for oneday free workshop.
(10:02):
My was, uh, probably the end ofmy freshman year, and I just
took this, this workshop, and Iwas on my way out and I saw this
man that worked there, that wasover the acting department, and
he heard me talking about mylove for acting and how I wanted
to continue it.
And he just found me in a roomand he said, hey, he said, if
(10:25):
you're serious about this, youcan come in, like, let's just
say, eight hours out of the week.
I know you're a student and, um, you know, as your pay, you can
take as many acting classeshere as you want to and um, I
don't know if Mr Al Hammacher isstill around or not, but he
definitely blessed me with theopportunity to be able to take
(10:45):
real acting classes at thattheater that's amazing.
TJ (10:49):
Oh my gosh, come on, black people, you better do it.
Kendra (10:54):
No, I'm saying, I'm talking about ed clark atlanta.
TJ (10:57):
I didn't realize.
What I was saying is that Ididn't realize that clark
atlanta had so many resources ohyeah for program, when I mean I
didn't go to an HBCU, but I'veheard stories of people who have
gone into the arts and there'susually not a lot of funding
around the arts at HBCUs,unfortunately.
So I love that you actually hadthose types of experiences there
(11:19):
.
So when we chatted about havingyou on the show, I gave you a
list of topics and you chose thewhole lived experience section,
um, which, based off of yourbackground and like the brief
conversation that we've had thusfar, I think kind of informs
(11:40):
the direction that we need to goin, because it seems like
you've had a lot of really coolexperiences that have helped
shaped your life and kind oflike helped shaped your
trajectory as an actor, as ablack person, person, um.
(12:01):
So I'm curious to know is therein at current moment, is there
a very specific moment that youcan think of from, I'll say,
from late high school to now,that you think is, if it had not
happened, you'd be in adifferent place?
Kendra (12:14):
oh that's a tough question From late high school
until now.
If that event had not happened,would I have been in a
different place?
Oh my goodness, that's such adeep question.
Where'd you get these questions?
TJ (12:33):
from.
That's what we do.
On Tea with TJ.
I wasn't prepared.
I wasn't prepared, I know.
Kendra (12:38):
Oh, my goodness, that is really throwing me off An event
, had it not happened.
Well, you know, I think mydecision to step out on faith
and leave Atlanta, georgia, thatwas a huge, huge thing for me,
(13:06):
because, and I know everyone hastheir stories about moving to
New York City.
But you know, I think, well,for some people the road is hard
for them, but they have folksand they have situations that
they can kind of lean on and ifthey need to go back, then they
can.
For me, it wasn't that easy,people who I don't want to say
(13:34):
that they were necessarilydependent upon me going to
college and making somethinggreat out of my life, but
certainly it could have helped alot, you know, and having a
straight, narrow, uh path andknowing exactly how I was going
to do what I was going to dowould have been very beneficial.
Um, but me and my wild, youknow, dreamy self, you know, I
(14:01):
said, um, I was like I, I gottaget out of here, and it wasn't
even that I really wanted to.
Once again, I'm really alwaystrying to keep my ear out for
what it is that God wants me todo, what the next move is and
when it was time for me to leaveAtlanta.
It was very clear for me Onceagain.
(14:23):
I got laid off from my job.
I had lost the apartment, thatI well not lost it, but I didn't
.
I wasn't able to renew itbecause I didn't have money.
I had moved in on the couchwith a friend of mine who was
going through some health issuesand I found myself kind of in
this caretaker position and itjust was not what I signed up
(14:45):
for.
Not that I didn't want to helpmy friend, because I did but the
life that existed there wasvery clear to me that if I did
not move, that God was going tomake it very difficult for me to
stay in Atlanta.
And so literally people who knowme, you included, know this
(15:06):
story that when I showed up toNew York city, I had an
unemployment check money becauseI had cash to check.
It was about $50 in my pocketand I got a one-way Greyhound
ticket.
No, actually, no, let me tellyou the truth.
It was, it was a.
It was a two-way because I hadenough money to get back, but I
(15:28):
did get on a Greyhound all theway from Atlanta to New York
because my friend Aaron shoutout to Aaron was graduating from
NYU and he just invited me tocome up to see his final
performance and I was onlysupposed to be in New York for
four days and on that, in thatfour day time frame I had seen
(15:49):
his performance, went to myfirst audition, I had applied
for a job, gotten the job andwas trying to figure out, well,
if I got a job here and ifthey're saying that I can start
on Monday and I'm supposed to beback, how's this going to?
work and you know, somebody hadcalled somebody, that knew
(16:12):
somebody, and the somebody endedup being my now friend valton,
who lived here, um, and he isalso a phenomenal, phenomenal
performer, and he said hey, Ilive in this house.
You don't know me or the peoplethat live in this house, but if
you need a place to stay, likeimmediately, we have a couch and
(16:35):
you are more than welcome tostay here.
It won't cost you a dime yeahyeah, good thing, because I
didn't have none, um.
And so I'm literally walkingdown the street trying to make
up my mind what I'm gonna doopportunities here, no matter
how big or small they are.
Here in new york, nothing isgoing on in atlanta, and you
know this houseless man on thestreet.
(16:56):
He just came up to me.
He didn't ask me for anything,but he just looked at me and he
said you know, whatever you'rethinking about doing, you should
just go ahead and do it, I said.
And then he started telling methe story about how he had lived
his life for so long based offof what other people wanted him
to do, and it had led him down aroad of such great depression
(17:16):
and just not being satisfiedwith where he was in his life.
And he was like do not make thesame mistakes that I have made.
If you were thinking aboutdoing something right now and it
looks like you are you need togo ahead and do it.
Well, and he just walked rightoff and I knew that I was like
okay, that was clearly an angel.
(17:37):
God is clearly talking to me.
I need to stay here, yeah andthat was it, jesus wow, that
that's.
TJ (17:47):
That's that that is amazing, because I feel like they're.
I feel like we've had momentstogether, living in the city and
working together, wherewhatever you want to call it,
god, the universe has shown upand manifested in multiple ways
to help direct you intowhichever direction you might be
(18:09):
leaning towards.
You know this story that when Ifinally decided to leave that
place and take a leap of faith,to go on tour and not stay yeah,
because it wasn't about themoney, it was because I needed
to do it for myself and I neededto prove to myself that I could
do it Right.
(18:29):
But we're not talking about me,we're talking about you.
No, no, but this is good.
Kendra (18:32):
Keep it going.
No, no, but this is good Keepit going.
TJ (18:36):
But yeah, it's interesting how the universe will do that
and will really show up when youleast expect it, but also when
you most need it.
And I also feel like New Yorkspecifically.
(18:58):
I don't know what it is aboutNew York City, but there seems
to be like a crossroads or likea portal or whatever you want to
call it something that is hereenergetically that kind of syncs
you with the universe in thosemoments, because I feel like
thinking about what you justmentioned of like you being on
the street at that particularmoment, in this person who
doesn't know you sensingprobably not even visually,
seeing that you're, you know,thinking about making a decision
(19:20):
, but sensing that off of you ina crowd of thousands, and being
able to clearly articulate thatto you.
I'm like that's, that's magicalyeah that's, that's the
universe, that's god that is.
That is very intentional andthose are the moments that I
really love yeah, absolutely,absolutely.
Kendra (19:42):
It's an entire walk of faith.
And it's funny because I wasjust thinking about that today,
um, during some just likemeditative time, about like what
sacrifice really means and what.
Like you know, you know people,god, the universe, um, you know
(20:05):
what, what's really expectedout of us when we're being asked
to give our last?
But I don't think it's reallythe last that we're being asked
to give.
I think it were.
Sometimes we're being asked togive what we value at that
moment yeah because that is thething that will be tested,
(20:25):
because there's a new valuethat's coming in.
You know what I mean?
Um, and so, yeah, it's.
It's interesting that this is aspace, but I guess you know
there are so many people thatare here, there's so many
energies that are here, andthat's a beautiful thing about
this city Um, I mean about a lotof metropolitan cities is just
the fact that you know what arethe odds that you meet someone
(20:48):
who has possibly gone throughsomething tremendous in their
lives.
Like you will come acrosspeople all the time single day
um, so yeah, it is, it'sincredible.
TJ (20:58):
yeah, I literally had a moment with someone today,
before we met, that I like wentum and hung out with for a
little bit and it wasinteresting because we were
talking about what we do andhe's a dancer and has been on
cruise ships for the past like10 years, um, but has decided to
stop and, ironically, like I'mcurrently working back in the
(21:20):
like midtown area and he told mehe was like, oh yeah, I had a
gig on 45th and 8th or whateverand I was like what time?
Like what time?
And he was like between likesix and ten.
I was like, hmm, we were in thesame space yesterday and it's
so many moments like that whereI'm like you have no clue the
degree of separation or theclose proximity that you might
(21:41):
be to someone, yeah, until youget to know them or have, you
know, an interactive moment likethat.
Kendra (21:48):
Yeah.
TJ (21:49):
And there's so much of that in New York that is.
And it's baffling to me, likehow close things actually are
and how small the city actuallyis.
Kendra (21:57):
Yeah, and the meaning behind all of it.
I mean, I even feel like,honestly, I'll let you go.
Well, I feel like every time,you and I, because we've been
knowing each other for so longand there was a time when we
would hang out all the timebecause first of, all we work
together.
TJ (22:16):
And folks when you work on.
Kendra (22:16):
Broadway you work six, hang out all the time because,
first of all, we work togetherand, folks, when you work on
Broadway you work six days outof the week, it's not five, it's
not four, it's six.
So literally everyone becomesfamily.
But I feel like, since leavingthat part of the industry that
we left working together andthen every time that we met up
(22:36):
since then and reconnected,there's always been I know when,
I know that whenever I see youthat there is a shift, that is
happening with either both of usor one of us, but I know that
the the reason why God hasplaced us in a position together
(23:02):
again is to remind each otherthat it is okay to let whatever
it is that we are thinking aboutletting it go.
Letting it go and move on toanother thing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutelyletting it go and move on to
another thing, yeah, yeah, yeah,absolutely I don't.
TJ (23:20):
I, yes, I've, I have felt all of that and I think the
moment that I am taken back tois when I was at Disney and it's
very vivid in my mind and Idon't know why, like what, why
the circumstances lined up theway that they did.
But I remember I was at Disney,I had just left work and I was
(23:44):
sitting at like a Starbucks notthat far from Animal Kingdom and
I remember us being on thephone and I remember how I was
sitting, I remember what I waslooking at, I remember what I
was drinking and we were havingthis conversation about me
returning to New York and tryingto navigate.
What does it mean to be in theunion?
(24:06):
And, like how, how is lifedifferent?
Like what am what am I walkinginto?
Because I think I came to youfor counsel because you had had
your card at that point for, Ithink for almost like two years
or something.
Kendra (24:18):
It wasn't quite, maybe two, something like that.
I remember where I was whenthis conversation happened.
TJ (24:23):
Yeah, like you, you had had it for a minute and you were
actively doing it and I'd soughtcounseling you and wanted to
just pick your brain and try tofigure out what I should be
doing, um, or like what I shouldbe trying to like, how I should
capitalize on the moment that Iactually had, and then the
fucking pandemic happened and itruined everything.
Kendra (24:39):
Yep.
TJ (24:41):
So that never happened.
Kendra (24:44):
Well, no, you got in the union before it ruined
everything.
TJ (24:48):
But I wasn't able to like actively.
Kendra (24:49):
But you got in the union , yes yes, yes.
Okay.
TJ (24:53):
Touche, you're right.
Kendra (24:55):
What do the kids say now ?
Kids say now a win is a win,you're right.
TJ (24:58):
Sweet Jesus, so I love this.
So do you think there is Anyother like Pivotal moment in
your life that you can recallthat has really kind of like
shifted your perspective on lifeor shifted your trajectory,
since you mentioned?
Every time we've seen eachother has really kind of like
shifted your perspective on lifeor shifted your trajectory,
(25:18):
since you mentioned every timewe've we've seen each other,
we've we've had these shiftsthere's so many things.
Kendra (25:26):
What?
What time frame are you goingto give me now high school until
now?
And you know, I mean everything, everything.
Every time I wake up, there's amoment and I'm like oh, I
changed my mind.
TJ (25:41):
Do you think there is?
Is there a singular moment thatyou can think of that was
pivotal in, maybe, your career?
Let's go there.
Kendra (25:51):
In my career career, you know I feel like all those
seeds were planted so early onand every, every project has
been different and everythinghas been different surrounding
(26:14):
those different projects, soit's hard to say, um, like a
moment in career.
Well.
Well, now you got me thinkingand I'm like what?
TJ (26:20):
is it?
Kendra (26:22):
uh, there have been so many things like I remember not
getting paid a lot as anon-union actor okay, okay and
having to make some seriousdecisions about going back to a
regular nine to five andbalancing a regular nine to five
(26:43):
and also trying to do a show.
And when you are doingnon-union work for anyone who is
not, you know, doesn't knowthis world, or whatever, but
when you're doing a lot ofnon-union work, you know people
feel as though they can ask youto do whatever and you will show
up because it is yourresponsibility to do so, not
taking into consideration that,hey, I still have a job and I'm
(27:09):
not like this job is going to beover with this.
This acting job is going to beover within like the next two
months, and I still got to makerent and I still got to do all
these things and you want me tobe available all kinds of you
know hours of the day, and Ican't just tell my job, no, like
there has to be a balance.
But I remember, um, you know,the last time that I took a
(27:32):
non-union theater job and I toldmyself then I said you know
what this is, this balancing actis not working.
This will be the last non-unionjob that I take.
It.
So if, if, that means that Ihave to wait, wait another year
or two before I take an actingjob in order for me to like
(27:52):
actually get my union card andat least have some rules and
regulations around the hoursthat I will be working, the
hours that I'm available and thebenefits that come with that.
Then I will wait, and that's ahard thing to do when we're
actors.
I mean sure you can stand outon the corner of New York City
and recite Shakespeare, but arepeople going to pay you any
(28:16):
attention?
Exactly my little thing.
Yeah, you know, we're notmusicians in that way.
Yeah, I mean, you're musicallyfine, so yeah.
So I remember making that harddecision that no.
And I guess it's the same waywith also, like you know, indie
(28:38):
films and films that you don'tget paid from, and then having
to set some serious boundariesaround what you will do, what
you won't do, before you getthat sad card, you know.
And I remember having to makesome tough decisions with some
people to say, you know, I'msorry, I can't do any more free
(28:59):
work, or if I do do free work,then it has to come from like
folks that I really, reallytrust and I can really
collaborate with and I believein them as artists and I will do
, you know, I will stand 10 toesdown for them in every
situation, um.
But yeah, like, having to makethose kinds of decisions have
always been.
You know, it's a, it's a partof the story and those are
(29:22):
obviously like pivotal momentsthat like really, you know um
teach you how to place value onyourself and what to expect and
what not to go for.
TJ (29:32):
So I will say I think the the moment that I was
approaching getting this Unioncard, I could feel this shift
and like kind of this, like thisweird frictional vibrational
thing happening, where I knew Iwas like I'm getting close, I'm
getting close, I'm getting close, yeah.
(29:53):
And when it finally happenedand I will say fast forward to
being back in New York and beingable to go to EPAs to just walk
in yeah, jesus Christ, to justbe able to walk in without
having to do the whole non-unionjumping through hoops thing
that we used to do, I have nowrealized that I actually have
(30:15):
value as an actor who looks andsounds like me especially in
musical theater and before that,and I think a lot of non-union
actors probably have thoughtthis way, or at least a lot of
non-union actors of color havethought this way that we're
showing up, yes, to be seen, yes, to potentially book a job, yes
(30:35):
to, you know, meet a castingdirector or whatever.
But we're also tryingdesperately to hold our own in a
room where there's three of us,or one of us, or you're the
only one.
And I remember being anon-union actor and going to
some of those calls, knowingthat I was right for the part
(30:56):
there being maybe like one otherblack guy there, yep, if that.
But then seeing everybody elseand seeing all of them just so
happen to be union, butconveniently it seemed that the
non-union people were the peopleof color, yep.
So there's a little bit ofsatisfaction now when I'm able
(31:17):
to go to calls and show up likethe people who used to show up
when I sat there.
Kendra (31:22):
Yeah.
TJ (31:23):
And just go in and sing and do my thing and I'm like oh,
actually I feel valued in thismoment, because I'm able to show
up and do my thing and knowthat I actually have what it
takes to compete with the peoplewho are both there with
appointments and also the peoplewho are waiting, who are
(31:44):
non-union, who probably are justas good.
But because this standard thatwe have, when it comes to being
in the union.
They're being told that they'renot as good as union members.
Kendra (31:56):
Have you had an opportunity to like mentor
anybody who is non-union?
And when I say mentor I meanlike you know?
Yes, take them up under yourwing.
TJ (32:07):
But even just like have a conversation with someone who
you maybe like see pieces ofyourself in to say, you know, I
have not met anyone like thatyet, because I think so many of
us, so many of us who have gonethrough this journey are now all
on the other side of it andhave our cards.
So we've been in the thick ofit together and now we're all
(32:29):
seeing each other win.
Another guest on the showArnold Harper.
We have been circling eachother at auditions for years and
we finally, like, sat down andmet.
I think it was 2020 when Ifirst came back, but he, he was
a guest on the show as well.
Yeah, and we have a very similartrajectory when it comes to
(32:50):
roles.
He's a baritone ish.
I would say his he has highernotes than I do, but we will get
called in for a lot of the samethings, but we're both doing
the thing and I feel like I wantto say I think he was, I think
(33:11):
he was union when we met, likewhen we met in person, finally,
but we were going to those likeEPA's and sitting outside and
waiting to be seen.
Yeah, yeah, um, that's so cool,yeah but I've not had um anyone
who is non-union that I've metyet.
Most of the people that I seeregularly are in it now thank
(33:33):
you so much for doing this.
I Thank you for having me.
I greatly appreciate it.
You have been somewhat of aninspiration for TUSA, because I
feel like we had conversationslike this all the time.
So thank you.
But before we go, last threequestions.
Kendra (33:49):
Oh Lord, this is a speed round or something.
TJ (33:52):
No, it's not a speed round.
It's what I call the last three.
It is merely just.
You can answer how freely youwant.
They can be one word answers,they can be a full description,
but it's mostly to get a littlenugget of knowledge out to our
listeners.
Blue, no, I'm just kidding.
Go ahead, I'm sorry.
What brings you the most peace?
Kendra (34:20):
These days, knowing that I have a father in heaven who
is looking down on me andwatching out for me.
TJ (34:33):
I love that.
I love that.
Yeah, that's amazing.
Yeah, mm-hmm when love that.
Kendra (34:37):
Yeah.
TJ (34:37):
That's amazing.
Yeah, mm-hmm, where do you findjoy in the world?
Kendra (34:44):
These days running, ah, okay, all right, love that
Running brings me a lot of joy,mm-hmm, I see you running all
the time.
I run all the time.
TJ (34:54):
And then last question when does your heart live?
Kendra (35:04):
I was about to give out my mama's address, but I will
not Because she's still there InKentucky.
TJ (35:12):
There you go In Kentucky with my people.
Kendra (35:15):
I'm still a little kiki from Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
TJ (35:19):
I love it.
Kendra (35:19):
And my heart will always , as much as I try to run away
from it.
TJ (35:23):
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
Kendra (35:26):
Well, as long as my folks are there, my heart will
always be there.
I love that, yeah.
TJ (35:31):
Yay, aw, thank you.
Thank you for having me, ofcourse.
Kendra (35:39):
Where?
Aw, thank you.
Thank you for having me, Ofcourse.
Where can the folks find you?
You can find me on Instagram atKendra, the number two S-H-A-Y.
So that's Kendra Touche.
Don't go to Facebook, because Idon't like that.
Also, I have a podcast and aplatform called the Melanated
Archives.
You can find us on Instagram atthe Melanated Archives.
(35:59):
You can also go to TikTok nowat the Melanated Archives
underscore.
So that's where you can findall the things.
TJ (36:06):
And for listeners of the podcast, can they find you on
all the platforms?
Kendra (36:10):
Yes.
TJ (36:11):
Perfect.
Kendra (36:12):
And if you can't, just let me know.
But we spoke later.
TJ (36:15):
Great, perfect, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you.
This has been a long timecoming.
I love you dearly.
I love you and with that, I willsee you next week.
Peace and that's our show,friends.
Thanks for joining us on Teawith TJ.
(36:36):
Please rate, review showfriends.
Thanks for joining us on teawith tj.
Please rate, review andsubscribe.
And you can find us oninstagram at tea with tj podcast
.
And, as always, stay kind, keepsipping and remember we're here
, so we might as well do it,thank you.
Hey friends, it's TJ, and you're listening to Tea with TJ,
where our love for tea,conversation and
self-improvement intersect.
So let's take a deeper diveinto my cup and let's have a
chat.
Hey friends, it's TJ.
Welcome back to another episodeof Tea with TJ, and today I
(00:38):
have a very special guest, agood friend of mine, kendra
Holloway.
Go ahead and introduce yourselffor the folks listening and
watching.
Hello folks listening andwatching, my name is Kendra
Holloway.
Go ahead and introduce yourselffor the folks listening and
watching.
Kendra (00:45):
Hello folks listening and watching.
My name is Kendra Holloway.
I am an artist based out of theNew York City area.
I'm originally fromHopkinsville, kentucky, and I
love me some TJ.
TJ (00:59):
Oh, I love you and because I love you so much, I made sure
that we had some masala chai foryou today, made you a little
tea latte.
Love that.
Yes, so I have been doing thisthing with guests for season
three and I mean I already knowyour story, but in an effort to
(01:20):
get people who are listening tothe show and watching on YouTube
, just to get a little bit ofbackground on who the guests
actually are, could you tell?
Kendra (01:27):
me your story up until what point, wherever you want to
stop.
TJ (01:32):
I mean I would say probably the journey to New York.
Kendra (01:35):
Okay, yeah, I was like because there are many, many
parts of the story.
But, um, yeah, I was born in asmall town called Hopkinsville,
kentucky.
That is right outside ofNashville, tennessee.
It's about an hour out.
I grew up an only child, whichwas amazing in my opinion.
(01:55):
Grew up in a pretty tight knit.
You know, simple familybackground.
My mom, my dad God rest hissoul.
My grandmother was across thestreet from me.
I grew up with a lot of cousinsthat became sisters and aunties
that were cousins and you knowhow that is in the black family.
(02:17):
That's exactly what myexperience was.
The church was right across thestreet as well.
So, I had no excuse not to bethere.
Luckily my background wasn't sostrict that I had to be there,
you know, five days out of theweek, but definitely Sundays.
That's where my behind was.
And, yeah, and everything waspretty simple, pretty
(02:41):
straightforward growing up verycountry, very simple people, and
I decided somewhere along theway that I wanted to be an
artist.
I saw Pee Wee Herman as a kidgrowing up and my mother says
that I used to wave to himgoodbye at the end of his show.
So if anybody grew up in the80s and the 90s then you will
(03:02):
remember that Pee Wee Hermanused to wave goodbye to all the
kids at the end of his show.
And because of the area that Igrew up in, it was kind of a
mixed bag of people from a lotof different experiences.
Once again, I grew up in theearly 90s, mid 90s, when crack
cocaine was still a thing, theAIDS epidemic was still a thing,
(03:23):
so I was seeing a lot of thesethings happen.
Really, you know, on my block Iwas seeing it happen to people
that I knew and I loved and Irespected.
So I saw the arts as a way forme to introduce them to a world
outside of their own.
And I made a vow to myself that, you know, I would one day be
on the screen too, I would oneday act out something for them
(03:45):
so that they could dream againand they could love again and
they could find themselves again.
Right, yeah, and so, yeah, I,you know, went to a regular high
school.
Shout out to everybody thatwent to Christian County High
School in Hopkinsville, kentucky, colonels.
Yeah, I went to high school andduring that time I did
(04:05):
different activities that wouldallow me to use my voice.
So I was in like a lot ofdifferent poetry competitions as
a kid.
So I was flying back and forthto DC a lot because I found my
way into poetry and as a way of,you know, public speaking and,
I guess, somewhat gettingintroduced to the acting thing.
And then, when it was time to goto college, I chose to go to an
(04:27):
HBCU because, quite frankly,you know, in my area although it
was, you know, it was prettydiverse.
I would say that the populationis, you know, half and half.
We're like a good Oreo, maybe,um, but I wasn't seeing enough
um, uh, black people excellingthe way that I knew that we were
in the world and I needed to beexposed to that in a
(04:49):
professional way, and so I choseto go to Clark Atlanta
University Shout out to theHBCUs, shout out to Clark
Atlanta, panthers and I studiedtheater there and it was a safe
haven, it was beautiful, it wasa glorious time to just be a
(05:09):
student, to be comfortable inyour skin, to learn the craft as
just a person, without eventhinking about color, because
everybody around you was black,everybody looked exactly like
you.
Around you was black, everybodylooked exactly like you, right.
So there was freedom in that,and I oftentimes talk to my
(05:33):
friends now and I and I have toremind them, like God we were
really blessed and fortunate tobe able to be in a space where
we didn't for four years.
We got a break from just beinga color and we could just live
out whatever we wanted to liveout and it was just.
It was great, right, um.
So I studied theater, startedout studying theater, and then I
switched over to television andfilm production, but I was
(05:55):
still taking theater classes atthe Alliance Theater and um,
doing just different internshipsthere, and then I eventually
started working behind thescenes for Tyler Perry Studios
as an intern.
I worked for the PBS station asan intern and after graduation
I had a great productionproducing assistant job and then
(06:18):
I got laid off.
TJ (06:21):
That's just the life as an artist.
Kendra (06:22):
That is the life of an artist.
But I didn't know it was goingto happen that damn fast.
And when I got laid off, I just, you know, I prayed about it
and it was very simply revealedto me that it was time for me to
move to New York City toactually take acting seriously
if that's what I wanted to do,acting seriously, if that's what
(06:45):
I wanted to do.
So there was a certain kind ofcaliber of artistry that I
needed to follow, a certain kindof because I didn't go to
conservatory for acting and eventhough I was in an acting
program, I did switch that majorover.
I really didn't have thetraditional road that a lot of
theater kids have.
You know, musical theaterwasn't really my bag.
It was just like I want to belike Pee Wee.
TJ (07:07):
I'm still at this.
Kendra (07:09):
HBCU, trying to be like Pee Wee, and they say you got to
study theater, then okay,that's where I am.
Um yeah.
And then I found my way to NewYork City and I met you in the
small the bowels of the palacetheater.
TJ (07:25):
Yeah, uh.
What was it, annie, at the time, I think?
Oh yeah oh my god oh yeah, sucha long time ago, um, and I,
I've, I've, kept you in my lifeever since yeah yeah, that's
amazing I don't think I knew umthe specifics of the year.
We're training at clark atlanta, though like I didn't, didn't
know that you had a thing at theAlliance.
Kendra (07:47):
Yeah, yeah, it was something that I found by chance
.
So the great, the late, greatCarol Mitchell Leon, who, if
anyone looks her up, she was anamazing, amazing actress that
was local to Atlanta.
She was kind of over thetheater department at Clark
(08:08):
Atlanta University and she wasmy advisor when I first got
there.
Lovely, beautiful woman and Iwas so excited to work with her.
But unfortunately, after myfirst semester there, she she
passed away from an illness andyou know, the department really
wasn't the same after she leftbecause she was really the
heartbeat of that department andso that kind of prompted me to
(08:31):
I didn't.
I wasn't uh interested inleaving.
In HBCU I didn't really want totransfer because I had made so
many beautiful connections withmy friends and with professors
there and I was just just closeenough to my actual like
hometown where something wentdown, my family could come down
the highway to come get me right.
So I wasn't willing to givethat up.
(08:54):
So as a result, I just switchedover to the next best thing
rather, and that was televisionand film production.
You know my dad had always hehad a radio show in my hometown
for over um, like 40, 50 yearsand I grew up kind of watching
him do all these things behindthe scenes and there was always
(09:17):
interest there.
But when I, when, when uh MsLeon passed away and I had to
make a decision about staying atClark Atlanta, the next, the
next best thing for me was tojust transfer to a different,
major, and, as my daddy told me,you know, if you love something
, you learn everything that youpossibly can about it.
So that means the behind thescenes as well as in front of.
(09:38):
And so, yeah, and when thathappened, I still wanted to act.
I still wanted to kind of finda way to hone that craft.
And what that looked like forme was showing up to Mr Al
Hammacher's office at theAlliance Theater when I found
out that they were giving thesefree workshops.
And I showed up there for oneday free workshop.
(10:02):
My was, uh, probably the end ofmy freshman year, and I just
took this, this workshop, and Iwas on my way out and I saw this
man that worked there, that wasover the acting department, and
he heard me talking about mylove for acting and how I wanted
to continue it.
And he just found me in a roomand he said, hey, he said, if
(10:25):
you're serious about this, youcan come in, like, let's just
say, eight hours out of the week.
I know you're a student and, um, you know, as your pay, you can
take as many acting classeshere as you want to and um, I
don't know if Mr Al Hammacher isstill around or not, but he
definitely blessed me with theopportunity to be able to take
(10:45):
real acting classes at thattheater that's amazing.
TJ (10:49):
Oh my gosh, come on, black people, you better do it.
Kendra (10:54):
No, I'm saying, I'm talking about ed clark atlanta.
TJ (10:57):
I didn't realize.
What I was saying is that Ididn't realize that clark
atlanta had so many resources ohyeah for program, when I mean I
didn't go to an HBCU, but I'veheard stories of people who have
gone into the arts and there'susually not a lot of funding
around the arts at HBCUs,unfortunately.
So I love that you actually hadthose types of experiences there
(11:19):
.
So when we chatted about havingyou on the show, I gave you a
list of topics and you chose thewhole lived experience section,
um, which, based off of yourbackground and like the brief
conversation that we've had thusfar, I think kind of informs
(11:40):
the direction that we need to goin, because it seems like
you've had a lot of really coolexperiences that have helped
shaped your life and kind oflike helped shaped your
trajectory as an actor, as ablack person, person, um.
(12:01):
So I'm curious to know is therein at current moment, is there
a very specific moment that youcan think of from, I'll say,
from late high school to now,that you think is, if it had not
happened, you'd be in adifferent place?
Kendra (12:14):
oh that's a tough question From late high school
until now.
If that event had not happened,would I have been in a
different place?
Oh my goodness, that's such adeep question.
Where'd you get these questions?
TJ (12:33):
from.
That's what we do.
On Tea with TJ.
I wasn't prepared.
I wasn't prepared, I know.
Kendra (12:38):
Oh, my goodness, that is really throwing me off An event
, had it not happened.
Well, you know, I think mydecision to step out on faith
and leave Atlanta, georgia, thatwas a huge, huge thing for me,
(13:06):
because, and I know everyone hastheir stories about moving to
New York City.
But you know, I think, well,for some people the road is hard
for them, but they have folksand they have situations that
they can kind of lean on and ifthey need to go back, then they
can.
For me, it wasn't that easy,people who I don't want to say
(13:34):
that they were necessarilydependent upon me going to
college and making somethinggreat out of my life, but
certainly it could have helped alot, you know, and having a
straight, narrow, uh path andknowing exactly how I was going
to do what I was going to dowould have been very beneficial.
Um, but me and my wild, youknow, dreamy self, you know, I
(14:01):
said, um, I was like I, I gottaget out of here, and it wasn't
even that I really wanted to.
Once again, I'm really alwaystrying to keep my ear out for
what it is that God wants me todo, what the next move is and
when it was time for me to leaveAtlanta.
It was very clear for me Onceagain.
(14:23):
I got laid off from my job.
I had lost the apartment, thatI well not lost it, but I didn't
.
I wasn't able to renew itbecause I didn't have money.
I had moved in on the couchwith a friend of mine who was
going through some health issuesand I found myself kind of in
this caretaker position and itjust was not what I signed up
(14:45):
for.
Not that I didn't want to helpmy friend, because I did but the
life that existed there wasvery clear to me that if I did
not move, that God was going tomake it very difficult for me to
stay in Atlanta.
And so literally people who knowme, you included, know this
(15:06):
story that when I showed up toNew York city, I had an
unemployment check money becauseI had cash to check.
It was about $50 in my pocketand I got a one-way Greyhound
ticket.
No, actually, no, let me tellyou the truth.
It was, it was a.
It was a two-way because I hadenough money to get back, but I
(15:28):
did get on a Greyhound all theway from Atlanta to New York
because my friend Aaron shoutout to Aaron was graduating from
NYU and he just invited me tocome up to see his final
performance and I was onlysupposed to be in New York for
four days and on that, in thatfour day time frame I had seen
(15:49):
his performance, went to myfirst audition, I had applied
for a job, gotten the job andwas trying to figure out, well,
if I got a job here and ifthey're saying that I can start
on Monday and I'm supposed to beback, how's this going to?
work and you know, somebody hadcalled somebody, that knew
(16:12):
somebody, and the somebody endedup being my now friend valton,
who lived here, um, and he isalso a phenomenal, phenomenal
performer, and he said hey, Ilive in this house.
You don't know me or the peoplethat live in this house, but if
you need a place to stay, likeimmediately, we have a couch and
(16:35):
you are more than welcome tostay here.
It won't cost you a dime yeahyeah, good thing, because I
didn't have none, um.
And so I'm literally walkingdown the street trying to make
up my mind what I'm gonna doopportunities here, no matter
how big or small they are.
Here in new york, nothing isgoing on in atlanta, and you
know this houseless man on thestreet.
(16:56):
He just came up to me.
He didn't ask me for anything,but he just looked at me and he
said you know, whatever you'rethinking about doing, you should
just go ahead and do it, I said.
And then he started telling methe story about how he had lived
his life for so long based offof what other people wanted him
to do, and it had led him down aroad of such great depression
(17:16):
and just not being satisfiedwith where he was in his life.
And he was like do not make thesame mistakes that I have made.
If you were thinking aboutdoing something right now and it
looks like you are you need togo ahead and do it.
Well, and he just walked rightoff and I knew that I was like
okay, that was clearly an angel.
(17:37):
God is clearly talking to me.
I need to stay here, yeah andthat was it, jesus wow, that
that's.
TJ (17:47):
That's that that is amazing, because I feel like they're.
I feel like we've had momentstogether, living in the city and
working together, wherewhatever you want to call it,
god, the universe has shown upand manifested in multiple ways
to help direct you intowhichever direction you might be
(18:09):
leaning towards.
You know this story that when Ifinally decided to leave that
place and take a leap of faith,to go on tour and not stay yeah,
because it wasn't about themoney, it was because I needed
to do it for myself and I neededto prove to myself that I could
do it Right.
(18:29):
But we're not talking about me,we're talking about you.
No, no, but this is good.
Kendra (18:32):
Keep it going.
No, no, but this is good Keepit going.
TJ (18:36):
But yeah, it's interesting how the universe will do that
and will really show up when youleast expect it, but also when
you most need it.
And I also feel like New Yorkspecifically.
(18:58):
I don't know what it is aboutNew York City, but there seems
to be like a crossroads or likea portal or whatever you want to
call it something that is hereenergetically that kind of syncs
you with the universe in thosemoments, because I feel like
thinking about what you justmentioned of like you being on
the street at that particularmoment, in this person who
doesn't know you sensingprobably not even visually,
seeing that you're, you know,thinking about making a decision
(19:20):
, but sensing that off of you ina crowd of thousands, and being
able to clearly articulate thatto you.
I'm like that's, that's magicalyeah that's, that's the
universe, that's god that is.
That is very intentional andthose are the moments that I
really love yeah, absolutely,absolutely.
Kendra (19:42):
It's an entire walk of faith.
And it's funny because I wasjust thinking about that today,
um, during some just likemeditative time, about like what
sacrifice really means and what.
Like you know, you know people,god, the universe, um, you know
(20:05):
what, what's really expectedout of us when we're being asked
to give our last?
But I don't think it's reallythe last that we're being asked
to give.
I think it were.
Sometimes we're being asked togive what we value at that
moment yeah because that is thething that will be tested,
(20:25):
because there's a new valuethat's coming in.
You know what I mean?
Um, and so, yeah, it's.
It's interesting that this is aspace, but I guess you know
there are so many people thatare here, there's so many
energies that are here, andthat's a beautiful thing about
this city Um, I mean about a lotof metropolitan cities is just
the fact that you know what arethe odds that you meet someone
(20:48):
who has possibly gone throughsomething tremendous in their
lives.
Like you will come acrosspeople all the time single day
um, so yeah, it is, it'sincredible.
TJ (20:58):
yeah, I literally had a moment with someone today,
before we met, that I like wentum and hung out with for a
little bit and it wasinteresting because we were
talking about what we do andhe's a dancer and has been on
cruise ships for the past like10 years, um, but has decided to
stop and, ironically, like I'mcurrently working back in the
(21:20):
like midtown area and he told mehe was like, oh yeah, I had a
gig on 45th and 8th or whateverand I was like what time?
Like what time?
And he was like between likesix and ten.
I was like, hmm, we were in thesame space yesterday and it's
so many moments like that whereI'm like you have no clue the
degree of separation or theclose proximity that you might
(21:41):
be to someone, yeah, until youget to know them or have, you
know, an interactive moment likethat.
Kendra (21:48):
Yeah.
TJ (21:49):
And there's so much of that in New York that is.
And it's baffling to me, likehow close things actually are
and how small the city actuallyis.
Kendra (21:57):
Yeah, and the meaning behind all of it.
I mean, I even feel like,honestly, I'll let you go.
Well, I feel like every time,you and I, because we've been
knowing each other for so longand there was a time when we
would hang out all the timebecause first of, all we work
together.
TJ (22:16):
And folks when you work on.
Kendra (22:16):
Broadway you work six, hang out all the time because,
first of all, we work togetherand, folks, when you work on
Broadway you work six days outof the week, it's not five, it's
not four, it's six.
So literally everyone becomesfamily.
But I feel like, since leavingthat part of the industry that
we left working together andthen every time that we met up
(22:36):
since then and reconnected,there's always been I know when,
I know that whenever I see youthat there is a shift, that is
happening with either both of usor one of us, but I know that
the the reason why God hasplaced us in a position together
(23:02):
again is to remind each otherthat it is okay to let whatever
it is that we are thinking aboutletting it go.
Letting it go and move on toanother thing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutelyletting it go and move on to
another thing, yeah, yeah, yeah,absolutely I don't.
TJ (23:20):
I, yes, I've, I have felt all of that and I think the
moment that I am taken back tois when I was at Disney and it's
very vivid in my mind and Idon't know why, like what, why
the circumstances lined up theway that they did.
But I remember I was at Disney,I had just left work and I was
(23:44):
sitting at like a Starbucks notthat far from Animal Kingdom and
I remember us being on thephone and I remember how I was
sitting, I remember what I waslooking at, I remember what I
was drinking and we were havingthis conversation about me
returning to New York and tryingto navigate.
What does it mean to be in theunion?
(24:06):
And, like how, how is lifedifferent?
Like what am what am I walkinginto?
Because I think I came to youfor counsel because you had had
your card at that point for, Ithink for almost like two years
or something.
Kendra (24:18):
It wasn't quite, maybe two, something like that.
I remember where I was whenthis conversation happened.
TJ (24:23):
Yeah, like you, you had had it for a minute and you were
actively doing it and I'd soughtcounseling you and wanted to
just pick your brain and try tofigure out what I should be
doing, um, or like what I shouldbe trying to like, how I should
capitalize on the moment that Iactually had, and then the
fucking pandemic happened and itruined everything.
Kendra (24:39):
Yep.
TJ (24:41):
So that never happened.
Kendra (24:44):
Well, no, you got in the union before it ruined
everything.
TJ (24:48):
But I wasn't able to like actively.
Kendra (24:49):
But you got in the union , yes yes, yes.
Okay.
TJ (24:53):
Touche, you're right.
Kendra (24:55):
What do the kids say now ?
Kids say now a win is a win,you're right.
TJ (24:58):
Sweet Jesus, so I love this.
So do you think there is Anyother like Pivotal moment in
your life that you can recallthat has really kind of like
shifted your perspective on lifeor shifted your trajectory,
since you mentioned?
Every time we've seen eachother has really kind of like
shifted your perspective on lifeor shifted your trajectory,
(25:18):
since you mentioned every timewe've we've seen each other,
we've we've had these shiftsthere's so many things.
Kendra (25:26):
What?
What time frame are you goingto give me now high school until
now?
And you know, I mean everything, everything.
Every time I wake up, there's amoment and I'm like oh, I
changed my mind.
TJ (25:41):
Do you think there is?
Is there a singular moment thatyou can think of that was
pivotal in, maybe, your career?
Let's go there.
Kendra (25:51):
In my career career, you know I feel like all those
seeds were planted so early onand every, every project has
been different and everythinghas been different surrounding
(26:14):
those different projects, soit's hard to say, um, like a
moment in career.
Well.
Well, now you got me thinkingand I'm like what?
TJ (26:20):
is it?
Kendra (26:22):
uh, there have been so many things like I remember not
getting paid a lot as anon-union actor okay, okay and
having to make some seriousdecisions about going back to a
regular nine to five andbalancing a regular nine to five
(26:43):
and also trying to do a show.
And when you are doingnon-union work for anyone who is
not, you know, doesn't knowthis world, or whatever, but
when you're doing a lot ofnon-union work, you know people
feel as though they can ask youto do whatever and you will show
up because it is yourresponsibility to do so, not
taking into consideration that,hey, I still have a job and I'm
(27:09):
not like this job is going to beover with this.
This acting job is going to beover within like the next two
months, and I still got to makerent and I still got to do all
these things and you want me tobe available all kinds of you
know hours of the day, and Ican't just tell my job, no, like
there has to be a balance.
But I remember, um, you know,the last time that I took a
(27:32):
non-union theater job and I toldmyself then I said you know
what this is, this balancing actis not working.
This will be the last non-unionjob that I take.
It.
So if, if, that means that Ihave to wait, wait another year
or two before I take an actingjob in order for me to like
(27:52):
actually get my union card andat least have some rules and
regulations around the hoursthat I will be working, the
hours that I'm available and thebenefits that come with that.
Then I will wait, and that's ahard thing to do when we're
actors.
I mean sure you can stand outon the corner of New York City
and recite Shakespeare, but arepeople going to pay you any
(28:16):
attention?
Exactly my little thing.
Yeah, you know, we're notmusicians in that way.
Yeah, I mean, you're musicallyfine, so yeah.
So I remember making that harddecision that no.
And I guess it's the same waywith also, like you know, indie
(28:38):
films and films that you don'tget paid from, and then having
to set some serious boundariesaround what you will do, what
you won't do, before you getthat sad card, you know.
And I remember having to makesome tough decisions with some
people to say, you know, I'msorry, I can't do any more free
(28:59):
work, or if I do do free work,then it has to come from like
folks that I really, reallytrust and I can really
collaborate with and I believein them as artists and I will do
, you know, I will stand 10 toesdown for them in every
situation, um.
But yeah, like, having to makethose kinds of decisions have
always been.
You know, it's a, it's a partof the story and those are
(29:22):
obviously like pivotal momentsthat like really, you know um
teach you how to place value onyourself and what to expect and
what not to go for.
TJ (29:32):
So I will say I think the the moment that I was
approaching getting this Unioncard, I could feel this shift
and like kind of this, like thisweird frictional vibrational
thing happening, where I knew Iwas like I'm getting close, I'm
getting close, I'm getting close, yeah.
(29:53):
And when it finally happenedand I will say fast forward to
being back in New York and beingable to go to EPAs to just walk
in yeah, jesus Christ, to justbe able to walk in without
having to do the whole non-unionjumping through hoops thing
that we used to do, I have nowrealized that I actually have
(30:15):
value as an actor who looks andsounds like me especially in
musical theater and before that,and I think a lot of non-union
actors probably have thoughtthis way, or at least a lot of
non-union actors of color havethought this way that we're
showing up, yes, to be seen, yes, to potentially book a job, yes
(30:35):
to, you know, meet a castingdirector or whatever.
But we're also tryingdesperately to hold our own in a
room where there's three of us,or one of us, or you're the
only one.
And I remember being anon-union actor and going to
some of those calls, knowingthat I was right for the part
(30:56):
there being maybe like one otherblack guy there, yep, if that.
But then seeing everybody elseand seeing all of them just so
happen to be union, butconveniently it seemed that the
non-union people were the peopleof color, yep.
So there's a little bit ofsatisfaction now when I'm able
(31:17):
to go to calls and show up likethe people who used to show up
when I sat there.
Kendra (31:22):
Yeah.
TJ (31:23):
And just go in and sing and do my thing and I'm like oh,
actually I feel valued in thismoment, because I'm able to show
up and do my thing and knowthat I actually have what it
takes to compete with the peoplewho are both there with
appointments and also the peoplewho are waiting, who are
(31:44):
non-union, who probably are justas good.
But because this standard thatwe have, when it comes to being
in the union.
They're being told that they'renot as good as union members.
Kendra (31:56):
Have you had an opportunity to like mentor
anybody who is non-union?
And when I say mentor I meanlike you know?
Yes, take them up under yourwing.
TJ (32:07):
But even just like have a conversation with someone who
you maybe like see pieces ofyourself in to say, you know, I
have not met anyone like thatyet, because I think so many of
us, so many of us who have gonethrough this journey are now all
on the other side of it andhave our cards.
So we've been in the thick ofit together and now we're all
(32:29):
seeing each other win.
Another guest on the showArnold Harper.
We have been circling eachother at auditions for years and
we finally, like, sat down andmet.
I think it was 2020 when Ifirst came back, but he, he was
a guest on the show as well.
Yeah, and we have a very similartrajectory when it comes to
(32:50):
roles.
He's a baritone ish.
I would say his he has highernotes than I do, but we will get
called in for a lot of the samethings, but we're both doing
the thing and I feel like I wantto say I think he was, I think
(33:11):
he was union when we met, likewhen we met in person, finally,
but we were going to those likeEPA's and sitting outside and
waiting to be seen.
Yeah, yeah, um, that's so cool,yeah but I've not had um anyone
who is non-union that I've metyet.
Most of the people that I seeregularly are in it now thank
(33:33):
you so much for doing this.
I Thank you for having me.
I greatly appreciate it.
You have been somewhat of aninspiration for TUSA, because I
feel like we had conversationslike this all the time.
So thank you.
But before we go, last threequestions.
Kendra (33:49):
Oh Lord, this is a speed round or something.
TJ (33:52):
No, it's not a speed round.
It's what I call the last three.
It is merely just.
You can answer how freely youwant.
They can be one word answers,they can be a full description,
but it's mostly to get a littlenugget of knowledge out to our
listeners.
Blue, no, I'm just kidding.
Go ahead, I'm sorry.
What brings you the most peace?
Kendra (34:20):
These days, knowing that I have a father in heaven who
is looking down on me andwatching out for me.
TJ (34:33):
I love that.
I love that.
Yeah, that's amazing.
Yeah, mm-hmm when love that.
Kendra (34:37):
Yeah.
TJ (34:37):
That's amazing.
Yeah, mm-hmm, where do you findjoy in the world?
Kendra (34:44):
These days running, ah, okay, all right, love that
Running brings me a lot of joy,mm-hmm, I see you running all
the time.
I run all the time.
TJ (34:54):
And then last question when does your heart live?
Kendra (35:04):
I was about to give out my mama's address, but I will
not Because she's still there InKentucky.
TJ (35:12):
There you go In Kentucky with my people.
Kendra (35:15):
I'm still a little kiki from Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
TJ (35:19):
I love it.
Kendra (35:19):
And my heart will always , as much as I try to run away
from it.
TJ (35:23):
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
Kendra (35:26):
Well, as long as my folks are there, my heart will
always be there.
I love that, yeah.
TJ (35:31):
Yay, aw, thank you.
Thank you for having me, ofcourse.
Kendra (35:39):
Where?
Aw, thank you.
Thank you for having me, Ofcourse.
Where can the folks find you?
You can find me on Instagram atKendra, the number two S-H-A-Y.
So that's Kendra Touche.
Don't go to Facebook, because Idon't like that.
Also, I have a podcast and aplatform called the Melanated
Archives.
You can find us on Instagram atthe Melanated Archives.
(35:59):
You can also go to TikTok nowat the Melanated Archives
underscore.
So that's where you can findall the things.
TJ (36:06):
And for listeners of the podcast, can they find you on
all the platforms?
Kendra (36:10):
Yes.
TJ (36:11):
Perfect.
Kendra (36:12):
And if you can't, just let me know.
But we spoke later.
TJ (36:15):
Great, perfect, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you.
This has been a long timecoming.
I love you dearly.
I love you and with that, I willsee you next week.
Peace and that's our show,friends.
Thanks for joining us on Teawith TJ.
(36:36):
Please rate, review showfriends.
Thanks for joining us on teawith tj.
Please rate, review andsubscribe.
And you can find us oninstagram at tea with tj podcast
.
And, as always, stay kind, keepsipping and remember we're here
, so we might as well do it,thank you.
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