Today we’d like to introduce you to Beck Williams.
Hi Beck, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m an actor, writer, and director who loves to tell universal stories through a marginalized lens.
I started acting at a young age – after I had a meltdown seeing a violent scene in a movie, and when my mom calmed me by explaining it was pretend, all I could think was – you can pretend for a job as an adult? I was hooked! And after showing an interest for a long time, my parents signed me up for acting classes at eight years old and I never stopped.
I come from theater, having worked regionally and internationally, and earned my BA in Drama at UC Irvine. The last several years I’ve been primarily working in film and television. Most recently I wrote, directed, and acted in an award winning short film called PACE, which is currently on the festival circuit, having screened in national and international festivals including the American Pavilion at Cannes, Cleveland International Film Festival, and Dances with Films. I am currently in development on the feature I have written expanding this story.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are always obstacles and challenges in the life of creatives! Entering into a career in the arts, I wish someone would have broken down some insights for me – because all I ever heard was “it’s such a hard business,” but no further context around this. I thought, sure, I can do it, I know how to work hard, I have discipline, grit, passion, etc. But what I would tell my younger self now, is that it’s a *lifestyle* – remember the “life” part. It’s a marathon not a sprint. It was all too easy for me to let dedication turn into obsession, and in this industry and many like it, so much is out of our control. There’s so so much rejection and I took it hard for a long time. I think a lot of folks in my position can attest that it feels like you put years of work in and feel like you get not much back. Many times I didn’t know if I could keep going on this path. I had to learn to balance my life with my career/art, because the work is just one facet, it can’t be everything.
Now I have so much more joy in what I do and the journey, because I’ve learned to balance and prioritize mental health. So to my younger self I’d say – remember the life part, prioritize your relationships, health, other important parts of life and that will make the journey with your art that much more fulfilling.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Being a multi-hyphenate artist has been such a fulfilling experience. There is only so much control we have in creative fields, so being able to dive in, create your own work, keep telling stories, and connecting with other creatives has been a treat! Especially weathering the storms of a challenging last several years. I think the collaboration and camaraderie around filmmaking and theater is one of the most joyful parts.
I’m an actor who also loves to write and produce. I specialize in stories
about complex and flawed people we can’t help but root for.
What sets me apart? I guess just the ways in which my life experiences have influenced my work in their own unique way. I’ve been lucky to experience life through different lenses having transitioned, and it’s expanded my views of the world and other people. At the same time, I’ve been dedicated to martial arts and fitness, having trained and coached both, and that kind of discipline and long term passionate perseverance has truly shaped who I am and taught me to trust myself, to overcome hardship, and to conquer myself.
What’s next?
Currently I am in development for a feature film I wrote, which is an expansion on my short film, PACE, which is making its rounds on the festival circuit. I’m excited to bring this story to life at the scale of a feature! It’s been a joy to share the short with audiences nationally and internationally, and to witness how much it resonates with folks of all different backgrounds.
I also have a couple of upcoming roles I’m truly looking forward to, that I can’t mention specifics on just yet. But it’s refreshing to have things moving after a going through back to back hard times in our industry. But we’re still here, we’re still making art, and it’s imperative that us creatives keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://BeckWilliams.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckwillz_
- Other: https://Pacethefilm.com
