Rising Stars: Meet D. Elliot Woods

Today we’d like to introduce you to D. Elliot Woods.

Hi D. Elliot, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
In college and depressed about the cast on my leg due to a basketball injury, I took an ‘Acting’ class from a visiting professor, hoping I could ‘take it easy’ while I had my little pity party. It turns out our visiting professor was renowned, award-winning actress ALFRE WOODARD, and she didn’t do pity parties nor understand ‘taking it easy.’

She was enthusiastic, passionate, and quite knowledgeable about the craft of Acting, and she had a way of communicating that always left you wanting to know even more. Small but mighty, she insisted that I participate in a play she would Direct as a class project I hadn’t realized was a requirement. I did not want to participate, so she cast me as one of the leads in the play. 

Ms. Woodard did not suffer pouting would-be Actors – particularly tall ones with leg injuries – so, even though I hated everything about the process of learning lines, blocking, and endless rehearsals… she drove all of us into being fully committed to the project at hand. 

Of course, on opening night and in front of a packed house, before my entrance on stage, I glanced in her direction, and she met my gaze by adjusting her posture while wordlessly encouraging me. So, I walked out onstage and within minutes I could literally FEEL the audience going on a journey with the entire cast and I realized that, miraculously, this ‘Acting stuff’, like basketball, felt like home… which is how I caught the ‘acting bug.’ 

Not long after the performance, Alfre Woodard told me that I should consider becoming a professional Actor – which I’d never remotely considered a possibility. I was just a kid from Indianapolis, but SHE was the Alfre Woodard, and her taking the time to invest herself in our collective success and self-discovery meant something. I could feel it in my spirit. 

That encouragement led to my taking another acting course with another visiting professor who turned out to be an iconic actor and director, Bill Duke. At the end of that course, he also encouraged me to consider acting as a profession. 

It’s an amazing, transformative thing when people you respect and admire see things in you that you may not see in yourself… YET. When you’re willing to expose yourself to new things, thoughts, and ideas, new possibilities can actually find their way to you. 

So… here I am… over seventy-five TV/Film credits & over 100 TV Commercials into my career as an Actor and Writer. Recently, I added ‘Author’ to my resume as a Creative with my best-selling debut novel, the suspense/thriller “RISE OF THE UNICORN”… and I owe it all to the encouragement and mentorship of 2 of Hollywood’s best… ALFRE WOODARD and BILL DUKE. 

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?
A ‘smooth road?’ I laugh in your general direction! LOL 

Finding your way in unfamiliar endeavors is never smooth or easy without a great deal of luck, commitment, and preparation on your part to receive that ‘luck’  unless, there is a willingness to compromise oneself – at a cost – in pursuit of your dreams.

For me, compromising my morals and/or values has never been on the table. That said, I must admit that I’ve missed several opportunities for ‘luck’ to be of assistance due to a lack of preparation or self-belief. But when wonderful things are destined to happen FOR you, Life has a way of allowing things to happen TO you that may be difficult experiences… but learning from or overcoming those experiences is what prepares you to accept the wonderful things that come toward you later. The lessons learned from difficult times give you the opportunity to expand and do the necessary work on ‘you’ in order to learn, accept, and live the life you eventually come to feel you deserve.

Over time, I’ve become far more discerning when it comes to professional opportunities, friendships, activities, or romantic relationships because my children, my time, and my peace are what’s most important to and for me. Consequently, when anyone or anything disturbs the vibration or intention I have for the important components of my life, it doesn’t take nearly as long to reassess, respond, or remove the source(s) of disturbance. 

My personal motto is, “I don’t do drama unless I’m getting paid for it.” 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a professionally Hyphenated Artist, it has taken quite a while to learn how to balance, organize, and prioritize the requirements of being an Actor/Writer/Director/Author. My career has been quite unique because ‘what I’m best known for’ is often dependent on what the people I come into contact with prefer to do or watch for entertainment. 

I’ve had the good fortune of acting in a lot of children’s programming for Disney and Nickelodeon, and those shows are rerun constantly. But I’ve also done many science fiction projects, such as ‘STAR TREK’ movies and television shows, ‘THE ORVILLE,’ and a few others. I’ve also had the good fortune of doing a ton of notable Sitcoms and popular One-hour Dramas over the years. So, it’s not uncommon to be recognized & approached by a group of people who collectively ‘recognize’ me but individually remember different shows. I also get stopped by people who know my face but don’t know why – often asking if I know a relative of theirs, etc… LOL 

I’d have to say that I’m most proud of finishing an actual novel (“RISE OF THE UNICORN”) and audiobook while juggling life that has been very well received. Even better? I completed the screenplay adaptation from the book and am now taking meetings and working to bring the story to the big screen with an A-list cast. So… Be sure to stay tuned.

Pricing:

• Audiobook $18.99
• Paperback $14.99
• Kindle/E-book $11.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.FlyFreeEnt.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delliotwoods
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnicornsRiseUp
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DElliotWoods
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Rise-of-the-Unicorn/dp/B0CJ9YHZ29/