Today we’d like to introduce you to B.J. Minor.
Hi B.J., thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
What’s poppin’, world? My name is B.J. Minor and I’m a non-binary (they/them/theirs), queer artist based in Los Angeles, CA. I write, act, direct, and sing, and after a few cocktails you can consider me a dancer too, but that’s only after at least the third drink. I’m originally from a small, country town in Virginia called Culpeper. I come from a huge, supportive family; three older brothers, three older sisters, and I’m the youngest who’s a unicorn. I’m so blessed to have them as well as my dope parents who are both still alive and well; I love my people. In Virginia, I graduated with a B.A. in Political Science which I never used because I became a preschool teacher and an After-School-Care worker. Those jobs were good for me then because they allowed me to save up money for my eventual move to Los Angeles. I moved to LA to pursue a career in acting which has now expanded to behind the lens as well with directing. I’ve been in LA for five years now and I’m really proud of the growth I’ve made as a person and a performer.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s been a lot of hard work. Especially not always fitting within the gender binary of masculine or feminine, castings aren’t always comfortable for me. But I honestly do consider every opportunity I get at booking a job a blessing. I think “knowing yourself” is the most key superpower a creative can have, and I know who I am. At the top of every slate (an actor’s introduction of themselves in an audition) I proudly say my pronouns. I tackle every audition with contention that anyone can tell the story casting is attempting to cast…and in some cases it’s worked. Me, the non-binary person, got cast.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So I definitely want to begin with things I have brewing now before I tell you what you can stream right after you read this interview. I have a feature film that’s currently in post-production called “00:08:46.” It’s a civil rights protest film that was birthed by the social unrest we experienced in 2020 due to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. It’s an anthology film, meaning it’s a series of Black stories told by a group of Black filmmakers. A saint of a filmmaker named Denton Adams is the creator of this project. Denton chose what he calls five kings (male directors) and five queens (female directors) to write and direct their own short film discussing the Black experience through this trying time which would all be compiled together to create “00:08:46.” Not only did he pick me, he also chose me as one of the queens which is the progression and acceptance we need in the Black community. Black lives can’t matter until all black lives matter. My particular piece is called “United” which focuses on the struggles of relationship and race. “United” stars Danielle Johnson and Bri Giger who portray a Black, lesbian couple who are at odds over their adoption of a White child. This was my directorial debut for film and it just means so much to me that I’m getting to tell queer stories and create opportunities for other queer creatives. Moreover, I’m really excited to see words I wrote and directed come to life. So definitely be on the lookout for the release of this project; it’s gonna be dope. I’ve also written my own thirty minute, episodic pilot and a feature length horror I’m in the process of getting investors and crew on.
This year I’ve acted quite a bit (BLESSING!). I have some projects that have yet to be released because they’re either in post-production or are going to be going through the film festival circuit first, but those projects include four films and two television pilots. One movie is called “Super/Man” where I play a junkie named “Steve” who works in a sex club. I’m in a film called “After Laughter” where I portray a guy named Malik and we get to see his experience as a black queer person in the 1970’s through the 1980’s. In April I shot a project called “Color Theory” where I’ll portray Mr. Black, and in May I filmed a project called “Odd Jobs” where I played a Drag Queen named Reggie. The pilot I worked on is called “Good Kid From Brooklyn” where I play a queer person named Kingston, and I’m currently shooting a pilot called “The Nest” where I play a nosey neighbor named Quincy. I had an absolute blast filming all of those projects. I truly love being on set. I’m excited to see where these projects end up.
Things you can stream now!!! I’m in a movie called “I Got The Hookup 2” that was released in theaters the summer of 2019. My character is named “Blow Pop” and they were a lot of fun to play. It was also really cool to go to the AMC theatre at Universal and see myself on the big screen. “I Got The Hookup 2” is available on video on demand if you wanna check me out. I also have three projects you can watch of me on Amazon Prime. One is called “Acrylic” which is a feature-length comedy about two dueling nail salons; my character’s name is “Ben” in “Acrylic.” My other project you can peep on Amazon Prime is an lgbtq series called “Queerious” where I portray a bisexual man named “Bryson” who is in a relationship with a man but is expecting a baby on the way from a one-night stand. Last but definitely not least is a show called “Casting The Net.” I play a casting assistant named Gabby in that.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think the biggest thing is to just be open and authentically you wherever you go concerning networking. I think it’s also important for us to surround ourselves with people who love and accept us for being %100 authentically ourselves. I have so many people to thank in this industry for allowing me to be me…my parents and family, all of my loving friends, amazing Casting Directors like the great Phaedra Harris who is also my acting coach. I’ve just been so filled with love and acceptance and that is a gift I truly appreciate. Anyone who has ever poured their energy and love into me and my dreams I hope I continue to make you proud and have poured back into you. I hope people who represent marginalized groups continue to make art because that’s the quickest way to see ourselves represented. Make the art you want to see in the world.
Pricing:
- To subscribe to Urbanflix TV it’s $3.99 a month or $39.99 for the year. There you can check out my show “Casting The Net.” https://www.urbanflixtv.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase
Contact Info:
- Website: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm9504367/
- Instagram: @b.j.minor
