Today we’d like to introduce you to April Nicole Hobson.
Hi April Nicole, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up in Tennessee, there were two key moments in my youth that sparked the “acting bug”. I saw a live play and I sat in a movie theater to watch people who looked like me and my age in “Sister Act 2”. I remember there was an audition in my city at the time for that movie. So, as the credits rolled I sat there and thought to myself what if I had gone to that audition, could that have been me? I told my mom on the way home that I knew what I wanted to be. I told her I wanted to be an actress. I shared with her that I was going to move to Hollywood and be an actress. My parents have always been supportive. When I got to high school, I fell in love with my drama classes. That was the only class I was always excited to go to. I made it very clear to my parents that after high school, I was moving to California. I wasn’t interested in attending college.
Although my mom was supportive, she was terrified at the thought of her babygirl moving across the country fresh out of high school. So, she presented me with a list of many actors and actresses who went to college and got a degree in Drama/Theatre. Let’s just say it worked, but I told my parents that I’d go to Hollywood afterwards. So, I enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University and graduated with my Bachelor’s in Speech and Theatre. I wouldn’t make it to California til five years after I graduated. Once I got here, I felt pretty confident and was thinking it would be simple. Someone would see how amazing of an actress I was and I’d be making movies and tv shows in no time. NOT! I did background when I first got there and actually loved being on the sets. It was so much to take in. I linked up with a friend of a friend who was a working actor who gave me some of the best advice ever. He told me to get a job and enroll in some acting classes. He said that my competition is already on TV and I should just focus on training right now. I followed what he said and got in an amazing Meisner Technique program.
That program would change my life, as far as really understanding the acting process and I also made some great friends that I am still in contact with. Some of the finest actors I know. I made the decision to focus mainly on commercials I went on to get some headshots, hunt down some representation and start the audition process. There were way more no’s than I was prepared for. I took all the rejection very personal and started to compare myself to others. I remember going to an acting workshop and hearing a commercial casting director explain how the casting process works. When I understood that not getting the job did not necessarily mean I sucked in the audition room, it could’ve been a number of things. Knowing that it relieved so much pressure for me. I can now go into a commercial audition relaxed, calm and open to having fun in the room. It has certainly made what I do way more fun. I’m having a blast. I’m currently expanding my training to be more comfortable with theatrical auditions. I can recall many years ago going to an audition for the ABC Diversity Showcase and crying like a baby in my car afterwards. That’s how bad it was. That was the moment I decided to only focus on commercials. Listen, I love commercials! Anyone who knows me knows I’m trying to be the next Flo! So thankful for my commercial agency KMR, they are the best. I’ve had some friends say to me that I could and should be going out for tv shows. I believed that I could do what was necessary once on a set. I just didn’t have the confidence in the audition process which is what gets you on set. Until now…. with this new training I’ve started with Lesly Kahn & Co., it has tremendously boosted my confidence. I’ve also gained some great relationships from this experience. Knowing that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way about auditioning was a big relief. And I recently added content creator to my resume. I am happy to say that started a couple of YouTube channels. One for kids and the other talking about my vegan lifestyle.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has had some bumps. Especially when I first moved to California. I’ve had some housing issues, from crazy roommates to staying in motels. Second-guessing myself and my decision to move here and pursue acting. The rejection of this business was a tough pill to swallow for a while. And it was crazy expensive to live here. I am in a good place right now, but it was crazy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an actress and creator. I create online content with my YouTube channel about my vegan lifestyle called “Single Black Vegan” that is going to be a web series. I am proud that I started my channel and that I am able to make and edit my videos myself. I was so scared to start it because I was so focused on that it had to be perfect. What sets me apart from others, I feel that I don’t need anyone else to believe in my talents or gifts to make me feel awesome. I know who I am and believe in me.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define it as being happy with yourself without needing outside sources to be happy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @iaprilnicole also @singleblackvegan
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoHZe8oIrkOAa3zmth27HJQ
- IMDb: imdb.me/aprilnicolehobson
Image Credits:
Tye Martin(red shirt headshot) Rob Flate (teal and black shirt headshot)
