Today we’d like to introduce you to Toneata Morgan.
Toneata, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My life path has been setting goals, working hard, and dreaming big. I started my career in the entertainment industry at age 15. A casting director for Miss USA suggested that I enter the Miss California Teen USA competition. I did — and was Second Runner-Up. For the next seven years, I competed in California Miss USA Teen and Miss preliminary and state competitions, winning Miss Malibu Teen USA 2014, then being crowned Miss Oregon USA 2018 and placing in the Top 15 in Miss USA 2018. I was the first Miss Oregon USA to be a finalist in the Miss USA competition since 2004.
I also attended college during those years, graduating just days before the Miss USA 2018 competition with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a Minor in Film, Media and TV Studies from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
The training and experience gained in these competitions and college gave me useful tools to succeed in my chosen career: film and television acting. Since 2017, I have received 18 Best Actress awards and five nominations at recognized independent film festivals, including my lead roles in Anna Nicole (bio – 2019), Lost in Space (drama – 2019); Forever Four (bio – 2019); and The aliens (sci-fi – 2019).
As a teen, I starred in several popular reality TV series, including Beauty and the Geek Australia, Master P’s Family Empire, and Growing Up Hip Hop. I was also in the cast of several live events and episodes of Nick Cannon’s Wild N Out on MTV, and, more recently, I starred as a Single in USA Network’s TV series, Temptation Island, Season 2 (2019).
In addition to pursuing acting, I am a businesswoman and philanthropist. My online store, AllLegsShop.net, specializes in high quality, limited edition activewear, and donates a portion of every sale to charities supporting women’s causes. Plus, I offer image consulting at www.PerfectPersonaPrep.com.
I am also working in film production with my company, Toneata Entertainment, LLC while continuing to act. Through entertainment content and kindness, I aim to inspire my fellow millennials to move towards an inclusive, more caring, and connected community nationwide.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been smooth – which has benefited me long term. It has been said that challenges build character, and I think that is right.
My dad, a Purple Heart Veteran, died when I was one. To better raise me, my mom quit practicing law and started a real estate investment company in Northern California. For years, I went everywhere with her while she ran that business. I learned from an early age the hard work involved in running a business. It was only natural, then, that I dreamed of having my own business someday after going to college.
When the economy crashed in 2008, our family real estate business began a downhill slide. We moved to the Los Angeles area for work. It was a huge adjustment for me, leaving my childhood friends and rural mountain home behind.
To make matters worse, I developed a painful digestive disorder in my freshman and sophomore years, which impeded my schoolwork and activities. I was home-schooled during my recovery, and, once my health was restored, I proactively began pursuing my dream of succeeding in entertainment and acting.
With acting and pageants, there are plenty of losses and rejections. I decided to learn from those disappointments and keep trying.
In sum, I emerged from the crucible of hardship, illness, and tough competition with a strong resolve to succeed. My trials have taught me to face challenges head-on, and I do.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I think my discipline and drive to succeed set me apart from many others. Besides working toward my goals, I try to maintain balance and good health. It is important to be focused, but also to be happy.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Besides drive and discipline, my ability to adapt has been key to my success. In my industry, change is ever-present. I determine how best to adjust to changes and try to make the evolving situation a win-win for those involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.toneatamorgan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toneatam/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toneatam/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Toneatam
- Other: https://www.imdb.me/toneatamorgan
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