Check Out Cree Armstead’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cree Armstead.

Hi Cree, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Seattle, when all the “vintage” fashion trends we’re wearing now originated (yes, single dangle earrings and crop tops with baggy jeans, I’m talking about you). My parents met in Vancouver when my pops was on tour with his band and my mother was modeling in the city, so it was practically inevitable that their kid would be artistically inclined.

Less than a year later, I came onto the scene, a little Afro-Indigenous 80’s baby raised in the 90s. We moved to Orlando, FL when I was six and bounced around the state and surrounding area half a dozen times before we settled back in Pinellas County, where my brothers and I did most of our growing up. I could draw and imitate accents from a young age, and I had a knack for creative writing. When I got more into acting and dance (rhythm be damned), I enjoyed putting on at home performance showcases that I relentlessly forced my family to endure on a regular basis. (Note: I know for a fact this footage will be used to blackmail me in the future and I have accepted that fate. It is what it is.) Despite the penchant for creative art, I possessed a fervent love for animals and still do, so I was sure that I wanted to be a wildlife rescue veterinarian. I was on track to do this until I took a drama class in high school for fun. That is when I realized I could play for a living. It also didn’t require 17 years of schooling, and if I got good enough, I could make people other than my immediate family and neighbors pay to watch me do it. I was sold. I attended the School of Theatre + Dance at the University of Florida (Go Gators) and it was here I honed my skill and had my dedication pushed to its limits.

Despite being a somewhat diverse university, the opportunities for women of color were limited and the competition was real. There was no shortage of talented actresses at SoTD, but there was a shortage of roles for us. Fresh faces were pitted against Masters Program students who had built a rapport with their professors and being minorities, we all had to work twice as hard not to be pigeonholed into stereotypical roles. Words like “urban” and “rough” were thrown around. I remember in one audition, a white professor advised me, “Remember, you are a *Black* woman [*gasp* had I forgotten? Immediately does melanin check, color confirmed.] This character is a *Black* woman, so be a little unpolished, sHe pRoBaBlY DoEsN’t HaVe MuCh oF aN eDuCaTiOn”. There was no evidence of this in the script, so I refused to dumb her down and played the character as I saw her- authoritative and smart. (Needless to say, I didn’t get the role). I was feeling the pressure since I was entering my third year and had yet to be cast in any major roles, and questioning if I had made the right decision.

But that spring, the tide drastically changed. I owe an incredible amount of gratitude to Yanci Bucovec, an esteemed voice teacher and director who encouraged me to audition for and ultimately cast me in my first lead role as Jocasta in Oedipus the King. I know a brown Jocasta came as a surprise to quite a few people, yet Yanci took a chance on me and helped me find my voice and restore that confident fire in my belly. This role was a catalyst and my last four semesters were packed with shows. I took an insane amount of credits in an attempt to finish early and “get out into the world”. The Gators were back-to-back champions at the time, and yet I didn’t see a single basketball game until after I graduated since I was constantly in rehearsal for something. I had the opportunity to perform in Greece (which was amazing), but as with any work of passion, if you are doing it constantly with no rest, you are bound to get burnt out- and that is exactly what happened.

I graduated with a degree in Performing Arts, several dance injuries, and no idea if this was still what I wanted to do. I worked a couple of terrible jobs after graduating (that call center off Newberry can KICK ROCKS) before I tried my hand at teaching. I jumped into the gauntlet known as middle school and at 25, I had my first classroom in a low-income school in Alachua County, riddled with behavioral and administrative issues-but the kids were uncut gems. I fell in love. After going through hell in my classroom, I saw an opportunity to fulfill a need and developed our first-ever after-school co-ed dance program. This sparked the creative flame in me again and I continued teaching for three years with the plan to move to LA by the end of it. My kids knew the plan and supported me. My time with these incredible young people (many of whom are graduating this year!) has had a lasting impact on my life. A lot of them still stay in touch and have been some of my biggest cheerleaders. They are one of the reasons I work as hard as I do to achieve the dream, to show them that it IS possible. These kids are the bound to change the world for the better, and it was an honor to teach them.

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?
I came to Cali for the same reason any other sane person gives up their financial and emotional security- to chase an elusive, risky dream with no guarantees or refunds. I went to Sacramento first and moved in with my folks while I adapted and built up my acting/modeling resume before moving to LA in September 2019. When I first arrived, I had a part-time gig teaching dance lined up, no agent, and a roommate who would end up bailing at the last minute. I knew all of two people here, one of whom is John Holland, creator of Green Bench TV. John and I had been following each other on social media for over a decade, and he’d offered up the guest room as a place I could crash whenever I drove down from NorCal for auditions.

When I finally met John and the rest of the Green Bench gang in person, we hit it off immediately. This was a HUGE blessing because two days after I relocated, I was without a roommate or an apartment. I was that little cartoon dog in the “This is Fine” meme, placidly smiling into my lukewarm coffee in a silent panic while I watched my figurative house burn down around me. Because he is just an incredible human being, John offered up the couch (the guest room was now occupied) and I ended up sharing the same origin story many artists fondly look back on once they’ve made it: waking up early to go to auditions, staying up late to apply for jobs, spending hours in rehearsal and celebrating those few precious days on set, just to go home and crash on the couch in a house full of people.

Six of us, to be exact, and yours truly being the only female of the species. I was on that couch for seven months, living out of a suitcase in John’s closet. We all became family. Our friend group here is a rare, beautiful thing, a hotspot of kindred spirits who all want to see each other win. The outpouring of support and love from these people, along with the encouragement from my fam and my east coast friends has kept me on my feet, even when I was at my lowest point. I moved here with the goal to be in film & TV, music videos and modeling campaigns. However, my auditions, rehearsals and agency meetings ground to a screeching halt back in March, right around my birthday. So now I was on a couch, with dwindling savings, no job and no prospects. I was back in the “This is Fine” meme, except this time, everything was NOT fine. I was on fire, the house was on fire, and if I could have afforded my lukewarm coffee, that would’ve been on fire too.

After an initial period of grappling with the reality of not being able to “hit the pavement” (and I GRAPPLED, Y’ALL) I eventually had to learn to adapt, just like everyone else. I saw that with the industry shutting down, waiting for the opportune moment to create was an exercise in futility. No one is sure of anything, not really. While I waited on the world to open up, I drove DoorDash, threw myself into fitness and was able to get a good gig with a secure living situation through another incredible friend. When it became obvious Corona wasn’t ready to go, I took some much overdue time to attend to my mental health and get myself back on track. Self-care is real and necessary, and therapy, meditation and fitness have been incredibly helpful in my personal journey. By shifting my focus off of what I couldn’t control, I got my head right and gave my other gifts the chance to shine.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
People always tell kids who have many interests to “narrow it down and focus on one”. Sometimes, our brains aren’t meant to do that. After trying and failing to do so, I realized creatives aren’t linear and if you excel in one artistic area, you are likely talented in another. Luckily my parents realized that, too and encouraged my gifts. So, I consider myself an artist overall. I am an actor, dancer, model, and writer. I sing, draw, choreograph and produce artistic concepts in multiple mediums. That is my vision and my work: to be a vessel of storytelling through whatever medium is necessary to get the story told. I found when I stopped trying to force myself into one creative venue, I was able to let the others blossom, which has been extremely helpful during the pandemic. The character of Rose in “Daytime”, a short film by David Doria, holds a special place in my heart since she was the first lead film role I ever landed. It’s available to stream on Prime Video and Youtube.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am officially back dancing and live virtual classes will be coming soon! Follow my IG and Twitter for updates. I’m open for Covid-safe photo and video shoot bookings. Photographers looking to work can contact me on IG. I’m also updating my ActorsAccess profile as we speak and actively seeking representation. I went from guest to regular cast member on the Green Bench Unprofessional Podcast, and you can check us out on Spotify and Podbean. It’s one of my favorite things we do, along with comedy sketches (more coming soon, promise!) Just before I left Sac, I had the pleasure of collaborating with an amazing group of artists. We pulled together a creative team and brought my vision to life in the Molten Gold photos featured in this article. Check out all these incredible people on IG! This artistic lifestyle is a work in progress, and I’m steadily sharing my art in all its forms on social media with prints and pieces becoming available for purchase soon. There are a lot of different, crazy things going on at once because artists are made of a lot of different, crazy things. No matter what, one thing is for sure: whatever I’m doing, I’m going to have fun doing it. And chances are you’ll have fun watching.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/creearmstead
• Instagram: creeativeliberty
• Twitter: @Creetastrophe
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8Zktq0rLNk
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/5iUV4hdfuLTKiaWEU9VnRZ?si=uaigOjYeSE2yOb28FsSEsg

  Image Credits
“Molten Gold” shot by Time Trap Photography, Headpiece and bodysuit @fantasycreationsbynicole,MUA @glamgirlabby, Body Paint: @sfxbynae “Daytime” Movie Poster and freeze frames: Directed by David Doria “Pink Lights” Shot by @madebyglyde Red carpet: shot by @arizoojalali_photography, Gown by @anikofashion, Hair @mrwaataninorris, MUA @gris65