I recently had the opportunity to exclusively interview Alijah Francis to learn five random facts about himself, and what inspired him to be an actor. Check out my interview with Alijah below:
Loryn: What inspired you to become an actor?
Alijah: I like making videos, and wanted to be on tv one day after watching Ravens Home. I saw how much fun everyone else was having and decided it was something that I could see myself doing. I told my mom about it and she immediately began working on how to get me into the industry. Because she is in the industry herself as a stunt woman, she kind of knew the route to take to help me get there. After working with background at Kids Management for about a year, I found my first agent and got SAG qualified working on the Muppet Baby Show. I also was honored to be on Raven's Home as well to name a few.
Loryn: What advice do you have for young kids interested in becoming an actor?
Alijah: Manifest that you WILL be an actor, you WILL be on tv, and you WILL succeed! It's also good that you have a momager, a manager, and an agent. I would be absolutely nothing without either of these kinds of people because they help me get auditions, castings, and meet great people in the industry. Even if you feel like you want to give up- DON'T! Keep pushing yourself to the max. If 100% is not enough, go to 200%. If that's not enough, go as far as you need until you can complete what you have started.
Loryn: Who is an actor or actress you'd like to work with?
Alijah: I would like to work with Kevin Hart because he's funny and I think I would have a great time on set with him. Anybody that can just come in a room and brighten everyone's day is amazing to me. He also seems to have great workmanship and wouldn't make me feel bad if I messed up a line or two :-( I've always been fearful of doing that. Being black in the industry is harder than you think, so when I see successful people like that it builds my confidence and motivation to never give up and keep trying.
Loryn: What lesson have you've learned from being a young actor?
Alijah: It takes time to become famous. Patience is key! It's not an overnight thing that just happens. You actually have to work and sacrifice a lot of your time in order to succeed. I didn't understand that because all I wanted to do was play. My mom instilled in me the importance of separating business from pleasure and how this would help me in a positive way in the long run.
Loryn: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
Alijah: So, my parents were/are military and are combat veterans. Growing up they wanted us to learn a musical skill and a fighting skill. Because of that, my mom who is now retired took up boxing and became an instructor. Now she is teaching me how to box on top of my training as a purple belt in Tae Kwondo. I have 3 more belt levels before I am black belt certified. I can also chop a board with my bare hands and I am about to learn how to play the piano when I return from summer break :-)
Be sure to stay updated with Alijah Francis by following him on Instagram: @im.alijah
This was great