Introducing Tiana Walsh, a 24 year old actress who stars in "To The Girl That Looks Like Me", an Oscar nominated movie celebrating Black women.
Actress Tiana Walsh is 24 years old and from Ocho Rios in Jamaica. In 2020, she starred in the Oscar-nominated film "To the girl that looks like me" directed by Ewurakua Dawson Amoah, a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, who is paving the way for BIPOC actors and filmmakers through her company, Melacast Network.
This acclaimed experimental poem celebrates the ways that women of color have been able to thrive in systems that weren't designed for them. The rising director knew that she would be the most fitting actress to play such a crucial part, and personally selected her for it. To convince her to accept the part, Ewurakua emailed her about Nimdee, the lead role in the movie.
Photo By David Garcia
“We emailed back and forth for weeks about what role I would play. We also had a phone call discussing it all. The character really inspired me and I really wanted to play the part.”
She was inspired by the message of the film, and was thrilled to be cast in a film with such a strong message for her first acting role.
“Ewurakua's passion for the film is what made me want to do it, along with the message of the film. After speaking to her I could tell this film was going to touch the hearts of a lot of people. The message for the film was about celebrating black women and I wanted to be a part of something like this. As an artist, to be a part of something so powerful is an absolute dream.”
Tiana flew to New York to shoot the film and the rest of the story. As well as being nominated for an Oscar, the movie was selected for the Raindance Film Festival, Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival, and Toronto Black Film Festival.
In addition to making a statement about the projects she wants to defend, she created souvenirs she will cherish forever:
“It was one of my most memorable experiences. Ewurakua and her team were so professional and welcoming on set. I felt very comfortable and I was surrounded by people who were all supportive and knew they were there for a common goal which was creating a beauty story”.
Tiana's greatest accomplishment is being part of a movement that helps Black people to change the way the industry treats them.
“I personally feel like the film has created a lot of doors for black creatives to express how they feel and opens doors for black stories to be seen and heard. The words being expressed in this piece are very powerful. My lines were "stop letting them tell you, you sound white when you speak in full sentences" those are very powerful words and I feel like that could really touch the heart of so many people”
Eventually, Ewurakua and Tiana built a beautiful relationship, and they worked on another film soon after. The two collaborated on "Gold Token", a film about black ancestry.
Her first powerful experiences have inspired Tiana to dream of making her directorial debut, following in the footsteps of her mentor and friend, Ewurakua Dawson Amoah.
“I'm currently working on directing and acting in my own short film. I have educational experience in directing and acting, so I thought it would be great to combine both of my talents and showcase my work. I believe I am multifaceted and this is my opportunity to show the world and create a great story through film.”
Future looks bright for Tiana Walsh, and we'll be here to watch her skills bloom.
