Today we’d like to introduce you to O’Neil Thomas
Hi O’Neil, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My love for acting started in the 3rd grade. It was my first ever stage production and I played one of the 3 Kings for our Christmas Play (I went to a private catholic elementary school haha). I was nervous for every single rehearsal and when I got on stage, the nerves amplified by 10 fold. All I literally had to do was deliver gold and walk off stage. I did just that and felt both a mix of relief and adrenaline. Something about being on stage in that moment fascinated me to a degree my 8-year-old mind couldn’t comprehend yet. Fast forward to the end of the play, it was time for curtain call and all the family, friends, and faculty roared with applause. I had a feeling in my heart at that very moment that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.
Ever since then, I studied acting in any way I could. For me, that was by watching TV shows on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. I loved Sitcoms and how much fun it looked like to be a part of an ensemble cast. I loved shows like The Suite Life of Zach & Cody, Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, and That’s So Raven. I learned comedy from watching those shows as a kid.
Later on in life, I was able to go to a performing Arts High School where I received the BEST Theatre Training I could ask for. Shoutout to my Drama Teachers Tiffany Wilson & Fiona Daubon! Thanks to them I was thrown into intensive acting training from Shakespeare & Meisner to Script Analysis and Improv.
As soon as I turned 18, I was signed to my Talent Agent and Manager who have gotten me in life-changing rooms and breath-taking sets.
While I’m not auditioning or on set, I’m writing, producing, filming & editing my own form of content to post online to social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram & YouTube. Ever since 2020, I’ve been a Full-Time Creative.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been anything but smooth on both mediums of my career. For acting, I think many actors can relate to the waves that occur in our career path. It’s anything but linear. My first Audition that I got from my manager was for a Netflix Series that I booked. Can you imagine my poor naive mind after booking my first speaking role, as a first audition, on a Globally Successful streaming service? My Ego was through the roof until I quickly realized, it’s not as easy to book every audition you get. It was humbling but extremely necessary to go through that because it taught me to always enjoy every set you get to be on. A lot of people fought for the role you have and you’ll never know when you’ll be on the next one.
As for creating content, That process isn’t smooth at all either. It’s something you genuinely have to enjoy because not every video is going to perform well and you have to be okay with that. When I first started creating on TikTok, so many of my videos ‘flopped’ but it never affected me because I genuinely LOVED the videos I was making. If it made me laugh, my job was done. If it made 1 person laugh, my job was done.
Some struggles can definitely be balance in this line of work. It can go from fun to draining very quickly depending on how you consume media. There have been times where I’ve spent hours scrolling for an ounce of inspiration and nothing happens. In times like that, I just disconnect and spend time with my family. Breaks are super necessary when your job is to be creative every day.
Juggling 2 careers has also been a blessing and a curse of a struggle for me. It’s actually a problem I’ve dreamt of having when I was a kid. There have been days when I’m filming a very intricate video that can take hours of filming and editing to do. While in the middle of that I’ve gotten emails from my agents and manager about an audition I was just invited for and it can be due in 48 hours so my mind goes into a frenzy of what to do first and when to do it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a Full-Time Actor & Creator. I’m professionally trained in Film/TV Acting and have a foundation of Theatre training. For Creating Content on social media, I specialize in Comedy and Skit-Based Content! That’s where my love for TV Sitcoms and Acting intertwined with the content I create now.
From my Acting career, I’m most proud of my first Acting Job where I landed my speaking role on Netflix’s The Good Cop. That experience was one of the most rewarding and memorable solely because it was my first with a Dream Studio of mine. Josh Groban was the sweetest soul and Tony Danza was Hilarious on set! I also casually shared a scene with Isiah Whitlock Junior?! No Big Deal (Very Big Deal)
For my Content Creating Career, there’s way too many accomplishments that I’m proud but if I can choose a few it would be, being invited by TikTok to Cannes, France and speak on 7 Panels about my creator journey which was INSANE to say the least. Also being invited by Instagram to attend the Met Gala!!! I still can’t believe it to this day that that happened.
I feel like what sets me apart from others is how I show up. I’m authentically myself and have such a genuine love for human connection. Being a creative, I get to be surrounded by creative people on the business and talent side and it’s the most rewarding feeling to be seen, heard, appreciated and believed in.
What matters most to you? Why?
Impact.
At the end of the day both of my careers are about impacting the daily lives of people. It’s a form of hope and escapism. I want to be able to tell a story either on a TV Screen, a Movie Screen, or a phone screen and let someone feel something. Connecting with people through any form of creativity is what I thrive off of. Seeing so many people reach out to me saying that I saved their life impacts me beyond belief. It means I’m doing something right. I find life to be so beautiful and so sacred. Laughter has saved my life so when I’m able to make someone laugh, anything deep that they’re going through vanishes in that moment.
That’s impact.
That’s what matters most to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@oneilthomas97?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneilthomas/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/oneilthomas97/videos
Image Credits
Photographer: Folajimi Famosaya
Instagram Handle: 69.views
