Daily Inspiration: Meet Tyee Tilghman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyee Tilghman.

Hi Tyee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Tyee Tilghman, and I am an actor, educator, and filmmaker.

I became an artist by accident. I was studying marine biology, and when it came time to build my schedule, I took a Drama class, as I thought it would be an “easy A”. Then in that class, discovering the forms of artistic and emotional expression, the questions it brought out of people and the catharsis they experienced when witnessing a well told story that reflected their experience… I was hooked. It became an outlet for me to express the feelings that, up until that point, I didn’t know how to say. That started my journey as an actor, taking me to WVU where I got my BFA in Drama, then after working professionally for a few years, on to MFA training at The American Conservatory Theatre.

One of the major things I learned through my undergrad training at WVU was the appreciation for every section of the craft of storytelling. We took playwrighting classes, built the sets, hung the lights, and made costumes. Knowing every person’s contribution, and what their job entails, made a strong proponent of building ensemble, and showing respect to every person involved in the production, because I know what it takes to do their job.

As an educator, my main focus is to inspire students to find and develop their own unique voice as human beings and artists. I believe each person’s access point is different, and finding what serves them in the creation of character is based in their personal experience. To me, you must get to know the person, and guide them to their process, rather than showing them “the right way.” I am a lover of language. I am inspired by rhetoric, and am all about alliteration. I try to facilitate skills based learning, build confidence, inspire free thought, and cultivate personal artistry for each student I encounter.

This is why I am a storyteller. As an actor I am exploring what makes a human being tick , why they make they choices they make, and as an educator, I am facilitating other artists to explore humanity in the same way. As a filmmaker, I believe I am exploring those same ideas on a macro level. Writing, directing, camera movement and color all help us to tell more rich human stories, to ask questions that inspire our fellow humans to explore themselves, and understand others.

In essence, I am attempting to make art that will help us better understand ourselves, to make our world a better place.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey here wasn’t smooth, because I am the one building the path. When I look back on the road behind me I can see the twists and turns and appreciate the moments where I can see the turns I took because of obstacles in front of me. This craft comes with rejection. Being put on avail so that you are on their final list of actors, and then not being selected is always a difficult space to navigate.

I’ve encountered scheduling delays on set, it’s another thing that comes with the territory. The hardest thing I have confronted is booking a major project, showing up and being paid for showing up, only to have the project not come to fruition for me, due to scheduling delays. Being that close, to be on the set and have the pieces fall apart (even tho I was well paid for those I showed up), almost broke me. I called my best friend to tell her that I was done, that I wasn’t doing this anymore, and she said “Go ahead. Try that.” Because she knew. I love this craft so much that I cannot find my way away from it, even if I tried. Storytelling is what gets me out of bed in the morning.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an actor, for projects that are already on the air, my favorite show I have been on is Blindspotting (STARZ), where I played Marc, a counselor for ex-cons. The show mixes so many of the things I love into one beautiful artistic vision. It’s essentially hip hop culture on film, infusing tv storytelling with the theatricality of poetry and dance. Upcoming is the biopic TV show, The Greatest (Amazon Prime), a story about Muhammed Ali, where I got to play the first black heavyweight champion of the world, Joe Louis. That… is just a magical person to inhabit.

I just wrapped production as Director of Photography on a proof of concept for Unicorn’s Dilemma, a dark, seductive short film about a young woman who enters a polyamorous relationship, only to discover that fantasy can quickly turn toxic. I am also currently working on a documentary called “When You Are Sorrowful…” This piece is incredibly personal, as it deals with my mother’s death. The title comes from The Prophet, by Khalil Gibran, one of my mother’s favorite authors. the full quote is “when you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” The film explores loss, and how grief is connected to the parts of the person we love, that we can no longer encounter.

And I’ve gotta go back to my roots. One of the things I am most proud of are the music videos I made with my cousins when I was like… 11 years old. We staged the entirety of “Parent’s Just Don’t Understand” & “Nightmare on My Street” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. The kid-kreativity is the seed that grew me into the artist I am today.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Truth being told, I do not remember a lot of my childhood. I lost my mother at an early age to violence, and both my sister and I had a difficult time adjusting after this, since we were present when it happened. My sister has been my saving grace, throughout my life. She is the only person that knows what I know, and has seen what I have seen. So she is my favorite childhood memory, as I do not think I would have made it through without her.

Pricing:

• Acting Coaching – $150 (90 min session)
• Camera Op – $350 (half day)/$500 (full day)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.t2the2nd.com
• Instagram: @t2the2nd
• Youtube: @t2the2nd41

Image Credits
Eva Amor
Toccara Cash
Timothy Tilghman
Talulah Shadrick
Julia Belanoff
Elliott Hanson
Jessica Risco
Zoe Farmingdale