Hilary Ijieh shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Hilary, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: When have you felt most loved—and did you believe you deserved it?
My dad unfortunately passed away 4 years ago in September, which is both my mom’s and my birth month. As a result, my anxieties usually starts to peak mid August. I remember venting to my friends and family that I wasn’t excited to celebrate my birthday or even acknowledge that another year has gone by. If it were up to me, I would’ve spent the entire month in my room and would asked to be woken up when September ends. But my friends wouldn’t let me pull a Green Day on them. My best friend took me out of town for my birthday – we stayed in the same resort where they filmed High School Musical 2 and even stayed in the same room Zac Efron stayed in. I can’t tell you how much I needed to have some child-like fun – we took a dip in the pool and a trip to the spa. She helped make my birthday such a special one, and I I’ll genuinely cherish that time with her. Weeks later, on the 4 year anniversary of my dad’s passing, my friends surprised me with a sleepover. It was literally the last thing I expected, and I felt so grateful to have people that wanted to help lighten the load of life by being there for me. I know if the roles were reversed, I would do the exact same thing which reinforced to me that they love me as much as I love them. It’s been so hard to deal with his passing of a family member from the other side of the world (he lived in South Africa, and I in Los Angeles), but I felt so lucky to have had my chosen family’s support.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a multidisciplinary creative based in Los Angeles and so I wear many hats. First and foremost, I am an actress – I moved to Los Angeles almost 6 years ago to study at the New York Film Academy in Burbank. I graduated from my MFA in Acting for Film in 2022 and have been working as an actress since. I realized very early in my career the importance of creating my own platform in this industry, and so I’ve worked to become a writer, producer and editor. Lastly, I’ve really enjoyed creating content, whether it be for myself or in the form of user-generated content. I’ve always enjoyed story telling and talking with others, and so I create a YouTube channel where I’ve been sharing my journey from South Africa to Los Angeles. I’ve posted everything from travel and on-campus vlogs to tips on how to become an F1 student in the US. There aren’t too many african-born actors living in LA that sharing their story on online, and so I have established an open DM policy with my followers where they can reach out to me and pick my brain regarding studying film in the US, the culture shock, how much things cost, and so on. I didn’t think that my channel would even have a real impact on anyone’s lives, but I’ve since met 5 different followers in real life that reached out to me for advice before making the move.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
Definitely my mom, she taught my the importance of drive and determination, and was a living example of what hard work looks like. I remember tagging along to one of her hair salons when I was maybe 7 or 8 – the first thing she did when she entered her store was greet everyone. She would go to each booth and ask how the customer was, while also checking in with her staff at the same time. I remember seeing the way each persons’ eyes lit up once my mom approached them, and how they would always return her smile. While my moms words always encouraged me to keep going, it was the way she lived that really stuck with me. It has always felt really healthy for me to have my own mother as a role model. That being said, I personally believe she’s empathetic to a fault, but that would’ve been where my dad would come in. My parents always encouraged my brothers and I to take advantage of whatever learning opportunities are presented to us, even if it cost them a pretty penny. Our education and experience was always worth it, and if it weren’t for my mothers support, I don’t think I would’ve had the nerve to move oversees, let alone follow my dreams of becoming an actor.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
That you didn’t die – sorry if that sounds harsh but it really is the truth. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I would never get over something, but then time would pass on and eventually I would just forget about it. After I lost my father, I truly fell into one of the worst depressive episodes I had ever experience in my life. It really just hurt so much, and I couldn’t find a reason as to why it even happened. After some time, I remember getting rejected for something I really wanted and thought was mine, and the only reassuring thought that made sense to me at that time was that I wasn’t dead. The sun still rose that morning, rent was gonna be due in a few days and I still had breath in my lungs. Disappointments and setbacks are inevitable, but so are celebrations and success. I can very easily ruminate in the past (in fact, it was a major challenge for me at some point), but then that distracts present Hilary from paying attention to what’s happening today, which sets future Hilary up for an inevitable failure. Until my last breath, I still have a chance to get every single thing my heart desires. That choice falls away at some point…
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I try very hard to present myself as authentically as I can – within certain confines. For example, I have no reason to curse and throw vulgar expressions around when I’m talking to my mom, but best believe I will jest with my friends. But at every point, I am myself – mostly because I simply cannot be anyone else, and I refuse to water myself down for anyone. It’s easy to lose your sense of self in the entertainment industry. People often throw stats and facts at you about what’s working and how what you’re doing isn’t working, but if you don’t have a strong sense of self or know what your boundaries are, you will simply get swept up in the glitz and glam, And lets remember that not all that glitters is gold, sometimes it’s torn up pieces of tin foil that has been wrapped up with a bow and sold to you for $19.99. I used to find commercials kind of boring, so I started adding a bit of comedy into my scenes – whether it be a well thought-out outfit, or extra little button at the end. Once I started making auditions fun for myself, that’s when I really started booking. In fact, when I got onto the set of my Google Shopping Commercial that I shot with Brandon Blackwood, the director actually took a joke I made from my audition tape and added to the script. I walked into that call-back session and the shoot as no one else but myself, and even though it was my first ever national commercial, I remember feeling like this was just meant for me. If I could be anyone in the world, why wouldn’t I want to be myself. That’s what sets me apart from anyone else.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If immortality were real, what would you build?
Probably a park – the older I get, the more I miss having classes or after-school activities to act as third spaces. I love the little community I’ve made in LA, but it’s getting harder and harder for said community to find a day that works for all of us. Assuming I have an unlimited budget, I would want to invest in a community park that caters to the communities needs. I’m definitely taking inspiration from Plummer Park in West Hollywood, not only do they have a lot of places to sit, a play area for kids, and tennis/pickleball/basketball courts, but they also have a community center where they offer low-cost/free classes, a community garden, and they host farmer markets in the parking lots on Mondays. At some point, the only time I’d see my friends that week would be at that Monday market. I would probably also want to invest in a some sort of theatrical education at the recreational center because I don’t think enough people understand how much my theatrical training has helped me in the adult world. Acting takes you out of your comfort zone and leaves you exposed to being perceived. My acting classes helped me learn how to project my voice, claim my space and speak without fear or judgement as you really cannot be shy if you want to enter the entertainment industry. Additionally, theres no other way to build your confidence and develop thick skin like constantly getting back on that stage again-and-again, whether you bombed the night before or not. Warm-ups became therapeutic to me as it usually includes a lot of somatic healing elements. Even my dance classes that I took in high school helped me feel comfortable with moving my body, helped improved my posture and encouraged me to claim my space.
And so, if I had an unlimited budget, I would build on what Plummer Park already has going on – but invest in a theatrical program that works to improve the talents and confidence of those who attend the class.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hilaryijieh/
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/hilaryijieh
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/HilaryIjieh
- Other: Tiktok: tiktok.com/@hilaryijiehagain
