Rising Stars: Meet Shani Ashley Francillon

Shani Ashley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. My parents, both Haitian Immigrants, introduced me to the arts at the age of four when my mother entered me into a pageant. I sang Brittney Spears “Sometimes I Run”, and I remember feeling so confident on that stage. My mother likes to tell me of the time when she asked me if I was afraid to perform and I replied to her “Mommy, all I see is me and the microphone.”, it was then she and my dad knew they had a firecracker on their hands. Not knowing anything about the entertainment industry my parents asked around, my father is very resourceful, he’s an owner of a liquor store in Brooklyn. He asked one of his customers about performing arts schools in NYC. By the age of ten, I was training in dance, singing, and acting at Harbor Conservatory Of The Performing Arts in Harlem. My dad would take me after school and on Saturdays. Singing was my first love, but when I entered my first acting class, it was improv, it was like I opened up the doors to a whole new world. I was already an imaginative kid like many, but this time I got to do it with other kids, and in front of an audience. It was a dream. From there, I focused on acting in areas such as musical theatre to advanced acting classes. After booking my first commercial for Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative at age 11 which led me to introducing him at his conference in front of so much press, it was then my parents who came all the way from Haiti, knew that this could be something. By age 21, I signed with my first acting manager, enrolled in my first adult acting class with Anthony Abeson in Manhattan, NY- who is truly one of the most influential people in my life. Anthony had over 30 years in the industry and read thousands of scripts. One day I performed my own written piece. Anthony asked me what play the scene was from and I responded “I wrote it…” he was shocked and insisted we produce a showcase of all my written work.

Now, I had been writing for a very long time but I never considered myself a writer, I did it as a hobby, as a way to put on paper what I desired to see on TV, and for someone of his intelligence, talent, and experience to admire and want to invest in my writing changed the game. In 2017, we produced my first showcase called Views From the Terminal Hotel. From there I Produced, Directed, Wrote and Starred in my own one-woman show called Naked: An Open Letter To My Ex which was about the way in which I had grown into a woman from my long-term relationship. With three sold-out shows in under 24 hours, this gave me the confidence to bring my writing and producing on camera, leading me to produce short films, poetry shorts, events and more. In 2018, I heard God tell me to move to LA and so I did. My first year, I booked my first TV role on the show Boomerang on BET. I won multiple poetry slams, and somehow during the pandemic, God led me into the Voice Over world giving me the opportunity to be the voice of an international Adidas Commercial. I’ve been the Voice Over for brands such as Dick Sports Goods, Klarna, Bumble, Milk, and more. From in front of the camera to behind, my journey has led me into many rooms and God continues to show me I’m just getting started. Nearing the end of my third year in LA, I am now the Shoot Producer for Savage X Fenty by Rihanna! ”

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There is literally nothing smooth about being a transplant in LA. I was in my early 20s when I moved here…you literally don’t know who you are at that age. My first year, I had a roommate situation that went bad in about four months, had to find my own apartment in under two weeks, which ultimately led me to full independence and getting my own place for the first time, so I’m happy that happened. I’ve been followed and chased home in the so-called “safest city” – Glendale, and the cops did nothing for me. I experienced weird friendships that were rooted in bargaining or “What can you do for me” mentality, I was also extremely vulnerable when I got here so I did encounter some unhappy experiences. I’ve pushed through depression, loneliness, confusion and more. I think when everything is so new and you’re in a city without your family, it’s so easy to go searching for people that you end up with the wrong crowd.

I think that everyone’s first year in LA can be trying, a test, a way to really push you and see if you’re built for this, and fortunately I’m from BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, the concrete jungle and if I could survive and thrive there, I can survive anywhere- or so legend has it. So anything that I’ve been through out here has actually strengthened me in ways I couldn’t even express. And one thing I have that I do not take for granted is my support system. My family is my ROCK. My parents, my sisters, they literally always hold me down, through every great and terrible experience I’ve had I either called them or my friends that really know me and just allowed myself to be vulnerable. There have been times I would go back to NYC and stay weeks at a time just so I can feel the love and support physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I’m so blessed to have a home I can go back to. To me, visiting NYC always gives me the push I need to continue to follow the vision that God has for me in the city of angels…

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Multi-Hyphenate. I’m confident enough to say that I am good at everything I do. I may not be an expert at everything, and there is always room to learn and grow, but I damn sure know that I am talented and gifted. I’m an actor, a poet, a writer, a producer, and I just got my singing voice back after suppressing it for years thanks to my coaches Brittney Crush and Toni Kasza. I’d say I made my mark in LA with poetry out of everything. From winning poetry slams to being paid to perform to using my poetic cadence for voice over roles, many people know me for that. I’d say I specialize in performing, you give me a stage and I shine, I will have no fear, I will completely leave all of me on that stage. Outside of being in front of the camera, many people are now learning that I produce, I’m really good at seeing a vision in my head and making it a reality. You know that saying, “If you can see, you can achieve it.” This has led me and my writing partner Paulina Singer, and I to gain the interest of other producers for our Sketch Comedy Show, “The Stoop” that we produced and shot which later went viral!

We are now in the stages of pitching the show and producing more episodes. On top of that, being the Shoot Producer for Savage X Fenty by Rihanna. I get the chance to collaborate with amazing individuals and amplify the voices of many. I’m excited to be behind the camera more and learn from others, to be a part of changing the conversation and disrupting the status quo. I’m ready to see where else I go professionally, I’m open and ready for all that is for me…

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice to anyone just starting out is to be grounded in something bigger than you, for me that is God. I know I’m not doing any of this alone, I keep in mind God knows what’s best for me.  Many things that have come to me did not come at the date or year that I wanted it or even the way in which I wanted it, but most of the time it came out way better or it taught me a great lesson. Always be yourself, I know it’s cliche but one of the things that help me relate to people in LA is knowing who I am and where I come from. I never try to be like anyone else, you will always get this loud Brooklyn girl in any room at any time.

Also, tap out of social media, and take breaks from it. A lot of the time our thoughts or wants in life do not belong to us, they are put in our subconscious based on what we see and listen to. Sometimes I have to stop listening to certain music based on the season I’m in. And lastly….if you’re in LA to be in entertainment, please understand the entertainment industry is not your friend, it will not coddle you, it will not support you, it is a business. If you are an artist, please learn the industry and the business aspect. Knowing your craft is important and all but if you don’t know what’s happening on the inside then your craft will only get you but so far. Like Jay Z said, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a Business, man.” Oh…and invest in stocks, LADIES… INVEST YO’ MONEY, learn financial literacy, it will change your life.