Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Noel.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Thank you so much for having me. I grew up in Philadelphia. I started dancing and acting at the age of three and then started taking my career more serious when I went to the high school for Creative and Performing Arts, followed by receiving a BFA from the University of the Arts. My parents sacrificed a lot for me to take dance and acting classes, so I’m extremely grateful. My mother has always been my biggest fan and extremely supportive. I always knew that I was an old soul and I always thought outside of the box. Some people may say that I was defiant as a kid, I see it as I always knew exactly what I wanted. I was very determined as a child and was very open-minded. I had a nice balance of still being able to be a kid but most of my time was spent on studying my craft.
I made my mark on Broadway in the acclaimed productions of The Lion King, In The Heights and Fame. As a featured dancer, I toured globally with Madonna and Jennifer Lopez. My acting resume includes numerous commercials, as well as lead roles in the indie films “Life Is Too Short”, “Devatha”, “Salsa Lessons”, “To The New Girl”, “Grand Slammed”, and “My Normal”. On television, I can be seen on All My Children, NCIS, NCIS-LA and Glee; along with many award-winning short films and web series.
I am a Television Academy member, an award-winning actress and producer. I produced the award-winning short film “Shattered Pitch” starring Chad Coleman (The Wire & The Walking Dead) and the award-winning short film “22 Years”, both having multiple distribution deals. I am blessed to be the recipient of The Imagen Awards (Golden Globes for Latinos), Manhattan Film Festival, LA Movie Awards (Best Actress), AM Egypt Film Festival, Philadelphia Independent Film Awards, International New York Film Festival (Best Actress), Charlotte Black Film Festival (Best Actress), Las Vegas Black Film Festival, Viva Latino Film Festival, Sutter Creek International Film Festival (Best Actress), The Women’s International Film Festival (Best Actress) and the San Diego Black Film Festival.
Has it been a smooth road?
As an artist in any field, there will always be ups and downs. I worked my butt off early in life to get to a place of being a professional working dancer where I didn’t have to have any other side job. When I moved to Los Angeles, it was essentially like starting over, a small fish in a big pond. It was a new city, new career into acting and new people to meet. I don’t believe everything in life will always be smooth. We learn from the journey. If life was easy, it would be boring.
One of the struggles was finding a decent agent or manager that would pick up the phone and pitch you to casting directors and producers, had real connections and worked their butt off. People don’t do or are just not capable of doing what they say they are going to do. So I never left my career just in the hands of someone else. I also had to be very proactive.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
There’s a bunch of projects coming out this year.
I was blessed to have a recurring role as Officer Jessica Cole in season 11 of NCIS-LA. The awesome part was that I didn’t even have to audition. My first audition for the show was years ago, and since I have been a cop on the show many times before, they just called me directly.
“The Prom”, a troupe of hilariously self-obsessed theatre stars swarm into a small conservative Indiana town in support of a high school girl who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom. This is a Ryan Murphy Netflix movie and I had the chance to dance and be in a scene with Meryl Streep.
“Penny Dreadful- City of Angels”, when a grisly murder shocks Los Angeles in 1938, Detective Tiago Vega and his partner Lewis Michener become embroiled in an epic story that reflects the rich history of the city. I had so much fun being a Pachuca dancer in three episodes.
I play one of the leads in “SOS”, a horror film. The fun part about this project was I think the ship we filmed on was actually really haunted. I am also one of the producers and was able to get my dog Shaquita to be a part of it. She was a pro and did a great job. She’s a natural star.
“White People Money”, a hilarious comedy about a couple that wins $1 billion and has to figure out creative ways to keep it a secret from their family, friends, coworkers and the hood. I am one of the supporting actors and get to use my comedic chops. It was way too much fun filming with an extremely talented cast. This film is making its rounds in the film festival circuit, will have a limited theatrical release and then go on to streaming platforms.
“To The New Girl”, ten women scorned address their exes’ new wives and lovers during an open mic night in Los Angeles. This project is an all-female cast and crew !! Woo-Hoo !! It’s making its rounds in the film festival circuit. “The Funny Dance Show”, celebrity comics compete in a dance competition for a donation to their favorite charity. I was one of the dancers for all eight episodes that will air on the E! Network. Get ready for some comedy!!
“Devatha”, a saga about the discovery of three individuals on their path towards love while combating the seven deadly sins. I play the lead character “Envy.” This may be one of my favorite films coming out. We filmed in Hawaii, which I’ve been there a few times but I really fell in love with the island being there for three weeks. It’s a sci-fi/martial arts movie with lots of life lessons to walk away with.
I AM MY OWN BUSINESS !! Every day I post on all social media platforms promoting myself and my work. Every day I am doing something to network or email people in the industry. You can pay for a publicist if you can afford it, and I have done that at times, or you can promote yourself.
I am an award-winning successful actor, producer and dancer. What separates me from everyone else is my versatility and work ethic. I have integrity. If I say I’m going to do something, I will.
I love and am committed to bringing diversity to all of my projects. I also believe it is my responsibility to shed light on issues that need to be discussed and incorporate them into my films.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the sunshine, the beach and the mountains. I love how it’s so quiet and I can always escape to nature when needed. Coming from the east coast, I always took public transportation. So I don’t always love driving everywhere.
I also am very scared of earthquakes, paranoid if and when the big one will come. With all of that said, I have made Los Angeles my home, for now, and I wouldn’t trade in my experience for the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dawn-noel.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawnnoelactor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DawnNoelActor/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DawnNoelActor
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnnoelactor/
https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm2135436/about
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