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Meet Rhym Guissé

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhym Guissé.

Rhym, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My life and career has had many twists and turns that have led me to where I am today, working as an actress and producer in Los Angeles and developing my first feature film. I was born in the North African country of Algeria, and growing up I moved to Mali, the Ivory Coast and Paris before immigrating to Louisiana. It was there in Baton Rouge that I first discovered my love for performing when I took ballet and played the clarinet in high school. After graduating, I followed my father, a mathematics professor at my alma mater, Kutztown University, where I graduated with a degree in writing.

My first opportunity after college was a dream come true for me, an apprenticeship at United Nations. I spent a year there, working for the Bangladeshi Mission to the UN. This opened my eyes to the world of diplomacy, and also made me realize that this wasn’t where my heart truly was. I then followed my passion for journalism to the Philadelphia Tribune, America’s oldest African-American newspaper. I enjoyed working here and could’ve seen myself continuing a career in journalism if chance hadn’t taken me in another direction. A coworker was interested in acting, and asked me to take a class with her at Temple University. After my first class I was in love with acting and storytelling, and decided to change my career path.

After taking a few more classes, training, and some auditions, I decided to start working as a Casting Assistant in Philly to gain more knowledge of the industry. I stayed at the casting office until I was working as a full-time actor, traveling between NYC and Philadelphia for independent film, commercials and theater gigs.

My acting work has included, How to Get Away with Murder (2015), several national commercials, and theatrical roles including performing the lead in the Pulitzer-prize winning play ‘Ruined.’ Constantly wanting to grow and learn, I also stepped into the commercial production world in 2013 and have worked my way up to ladder. I now also work as a freelance producer, and have worked for high-profile companies such as Spotify, Apple, NFL, Google, and Visa.

My life has given me amazing opportunities and experiences. Acting and producing has allowed me to do things I’ve never dreamed of, and has given me great friendships with people from all different walks of life. I think all the changes in my life have gotten me to point where I have a unique viewpoint, and allows me to be a comprehensive filmmaker.

The next step I’m embarking on, which is even more uncharted territory, is making a film that shows Africa as I know it. The film partly expresses my life story and is a culmination of everything I’ve gone through so far. It celebrates life in Africa through one woman’s story, and I’ve never been more proud of anything I’ve ever worked on.

Between all these shifting careers, countries, and friends I feel like I’ve lived several different lives in my short time on earth. Even so, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, and I’m grateful for the ride!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
At the beginning of my acting career, the most difficult challenge was figuring out how to “break into” the film world without having any connections or background. Fortunately this was something I’ve been doing my whole life, through my childhood and work career. By being resourceful and honest about who I was, and being open to different opinions and ways of doing things, I eventually found my way into the film industry as well.

Another large obstacle was convincing my family that acting was a worthwhile profession. I suspect telling your parents you want to be an actor is never easy, but it was especially hard for me, as both of my parents are immigrants and professors. They wanted me to have a stable and straightforward career, and were afraid of me becoming a starving artist after they had worked so hard to provide a life for me. It’s taken a while, but they’ve started to understand that the film industry is an industry like any other, and that with hard work and perseverance you can succeed.

It has also been difficult navigating the acting world as an African woman and avoiding stereotypes and sexualization. I can’t even tell you how many filmmakers and casting directors have asked me to audition for one dimensional roles, where I would be walking around in a bikini the whole time. This is especially difficult as I am also a Muslim and I want some roles to reflect my identity and proud multicultural values; or at the very least, the many multidimensional black women I know.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As an Afro-Arab filmmaker and storyteller, I offer a unique global perspective to any project. Currently, I’m most proud of an Action-Adventure film project I’ve been developing set in my homeland, Mali. You’re going to see North Africans (Arabs) and West Africans (Malians and more) through our own eyes, and beyond poverty, charity and terrorism. I want to show Pan-Africanism in a vibrant and electrifying way, where a female African protagonist is kicking-ass and taking names.

Trying to make a film in Hollywood has been a really challenging and eye-opening process, but also has been rewarding. As a producer and actor I’ve always loved the collaborative process, but in writing this story there were moments of vulnerability I wasn’t prepared for. Trying to capture so much in a screenplay has created stages of growth that has been incredibly humbling and invaluable. I’m learning so much about pitching, and about how to make my story remain true to me and my cultures, especially as I’ll be playing the lead character. I think I can now relate to Sylvester Stallone’s personal journey to making Rocky! There are so many variables in selling a story idea that it’s crucial to do what you can to keep your voice and balance it with what ‘sells.’ I’m also learning to be more courageous and to appreciate the process, it feels surreal and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I know I wouldn’t have made it to where I am without a few lucky breaks along the way. I may have been lucky that my parents decided to immigrate here, and that my coworker convinced me into taking an acting class after work.

However, I view luck as something you create at the intersection of preparedness and opportunity. As Louis Pasteur said, “chance favors the prepared mind.”

If I’m being real the recipe for my success is: compassion, a growth-mindset, honesty, staying grounded, and surrounding myself with friends who champion me as much as I celebrate them.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:

Frank Apollonio, Aisha Ude, Stanley Morgan

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