Today we’d like to introduce you to Destiny Faith Nelson.
Hi Destiny Faith, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! Thanks so much for having me. My name is Destiny Faith Nelson. (Yes, that is my real name!) I am an actor, writer, producer, and social advocate and I am in love with the creative arts!
At four years old, I was singing and dancing to Motown music for my family and choreographing little numbers with my brothers and sister. We weren’t as cool as the TikTok teens of today but we were having a good time doing our thing! – And great, now I sound old. When I was nine, my family moved to California where I started acting and signed with my first agent. I was auditioning for tv and film at the time and doing some print work here and there. Eventually, some life happened – as it does – and my family moved to Las Vegas, where I pretty much grew up. I eventually went to a performing arts high school where I fell in love with theatre and began to discover that world-building, collaboration, and living a fully human life onstage was where I wanted to be!
Getting back to LA was a challenge through those years, but I fell in love with indie film and explored smaller markets. I unfortunately, didn’t see many opportunities for me, so I began writing and producing my own work.
Writing has always been a part of who I am. When I was a kid, I felt so misunderstood when attempting to express any feelings outside of happiness and contentment. So, I used to write letters to my family members in order to safely and openly express how I was feeling and it seemed as though I was more understood through my writing. I would write poetry, songs, or “thinking out loud” pieces just to think through a problem and solve it. It’s only been within the past few years that I’ve learned to really reconnect with that innate part of myself and lean into the talents that I have outside of my acting career. I had to really change my relationship to this industry and understand my inherent value outside of this work. That has been the best thing I could do for my peace of mind and my love for the art. It has opened me up to receive life as it is and continue my journey of growth and exploration.
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?
This journey has definitely had its bumps but you sure never get bored of life. My family went through quite a few hardships in my teenage years including homelessness for a brief period of time. I started working at about 15/16 to help take care of my family all the way through my young adult years. On top of that, I moved around quite a bit in my childhood and went to about 12 or 13 different schools! I had to adapt to new situations and new people really quickly. That definitely came with its challenges in hindsight. Everyone goes through a journey in life, but some of the toughest storms were in the art of becoming. Some of my personal hardships had shaken my confidence quite a bit and became the foundational parts of who I am. Ultimately, it has forced me to become grounded in who I am outside of the material things and even outside of the things I do. I’ve always been told I have an old soul, but I truly believe it’s because I’ve spent a lot of time observing, experiencing, and reflecting on life. I pay attention and I choose to learn from it all.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I know how to have fun and I appreciate the bottom-line like the next person, but at the end of the day, I like to prioritize work that has an impact. Currently, I’m in two films you can catch in the festival circuit. One is the role of an arrogant, misunderstood, Adelia in the LGBT story, Blunt by Hisonni Mustafa Johnson. It’s a story that deals with tough conversations in a heart-warming way. You can also see me live-out a moment in the life of a Nigerian immigrant mother, Imani, in the film Bienvenidos a Los Angeles which won at the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase in France. It’s a special film created by such a special team of people and that’s what it’s all about for me. In addition, I have a pretty spicy role in the Asian-led, woman-led feature film Take Out Girl on Hulu, also directed by Hisonni Mustafa Johnson.
In addition to acting, I’ve been delving more into my spoken-word artistry having performed at open mics in Los Angeles and at the Shameless Plug Arts Festival in Las Vegas. It’s like a great mix of my writing and stage performance.
I love strategizing and problem-solving so there should be no surprise that I also love producing and directing. I find so much joy in the process of creating worlds and telling underrepresented stories that challenge perspectives. My first film, “The Trap” has gone on to win a Femmy at the Nevada Women’s Film Festival as well as earning a Social Awareness Award at the Culver City Film Fest. In addition, my screenwriting has received recognition in a few writing contests, and I’ve produced and direct some socially conscious music videos, including my own social awareness cover video, “Look What You Made Me Do”, in the wake of the George Floyd and BLM protests in 2020.
What are your plans for the future?
My goal is to create and be a part of work that explores identity and tells universal, untold and underserved stories. I like telling risky, raw, human stories that shine a light on all angles of our humanity. With the writer’s strike and the possibility of an actor’s strike, I am currently using this time to continue working on my craft, fortifying my foundation and taking care of me while working on a few writing projects, including a feature film and a one-woman show. I recently received a scholarship for a writer’s retreat in France to work on a feature film. So I’m looking forward to stretching myself and enjoying that experience. Stay tuned!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.destinyfaith.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/imdestinyfaith
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/imdestinyfaith
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CnNJIm_K8g
Image Credits
Stephanie Girard Photography
