Honoring God in your Acting Career, with Sharonne Lanier

Jaclyn: 00:00:00

Welcome to the members only portion of the Faith and Family Filmmakers Podcast.

Jaclyn: 00:00:04

I'm Jaclyn Whitt, and today I have

Jaclyn: 00:00:06

Sharonne Lanier.

Jaclyn: 00:00:07

In the previous interview we were talking about, being intentional with your choices in your work in the industry and also the power that the film industry has in the world.

Jaclyn: 00:00:16

And so I want to dig into more of that.

Jaclyn: 00:00:18

Tell me your thoughts.

Sharonne: 00:00:20

Wow.

Sharonne: 00:00:20

Okay, so, if you look around, it is so evident, that Satan has his hand in media.

Jaclyn: 00:00:28

Mm hmm.

Sharonne: 00:00:29

So when Anton, I know you don't like his name, but when Anton, when Anton LaVey made that statement, um, television is the major mainstream infiltration for the new satanic religion.

Sharonne: 00:00:38

That was in the sixties.

Sharonne: 00:00:39

And you, you slowly saw, God coming out of...

Sharonne: 00:00:42

even just decency coming out of, television and TV.

Sharonne: 00:00:45

And so look at from the sixties...

Sharonne: 00:00:47

you watch an episode of something from the sixties to watching an episode now.

Sharonne: 00:00:51

And it's vastly different.

Jaclyn: 00:00:54

Mm hmm.

Sharonne: 00:00:56

...and so influential.

Sharonne: 00:00:57

I remember watching, and this was just a couple of years ago.

Sharonne: 00:01:00

I was such a big fan of, How to Get Away with Murder, which stars Viola Davis.

Sharonne: 00:01:04

I'm a big fan of Viola Davis, right?

Sharonne: 00:01:05

So I was like watching all of her works.

Sharonne: 00:01:07

And so I got hooked on this show.

Sharonne: 00:01:09

And I started to root for all kind a things that like just were not Godly.

Jaclyn: 00:01:11

Wow.

Jaclyn: 00:01:11

Yeah.

Sharonne: 00:01:12

Like, I'm rooting for it.

Sharonne: 00:01:14

And it was like, the Holy spirit gripped me.

Sharonne: 00:01:16

It was like, look at what you are embracing.

Sharonne: 00:01:19

And I was like, Oh my goodness.

Sharonne: 00:01:20

So I stopped, like cold turkey and it was hard.

Sharonne: 00:01:23

But I turned the episode off.

Sharonne: 00:01:24

For the first month, I would call people who watched the show to be like, "What happened?

Sharonne: 00:01:26

Just tell me what happened.

Sharonne: 00:01:27

I'm not watching.

Sharonne: 00:01:28

What happened"?

Sharonne: 00:01:28

And then eventually that desire went away.

Sharonne: 00:01:30

But that kind of stuff, it can really, like, just get into your, your mind.

Sharonne: 00:01:34

And so we, as the body of Christ, have to portray truth.

Sharonne: 00:01:38

We have to put those values out there.

Sharonne: 00:01:40

We have to do things that point people to God and to his light, because television is here, music is here, it's not going anywhere, and so what are we going to do about it?

Sharonne: 00:01:51

Are we just going to stand by and watch it take generation after generation?

Jaclyn: 00:01:55

And getting rid of it wouldn't actually solve anything anyways.

Sharonne: 00:01:59

Mm hmm,

Jaclyn: 00:01:59

But as you're saying, like, um, you notice that you were drawn to having emotions or, you know, you were relating to characters and situations and having like, oh, I hope this happens.

Jaclyn: 00:02:12

What I'm hearing like, as the writer is that they did a very good job with creating and setting these things up.

Jaclyn: 00:02:19

Because that's what I do as a writer.

Jaclyn: 00:02:21

My job is to create a character in a situation that will make the audience want them to want what that character wants.

Sharonne: 00:02:29

Mm

Jaclyn: 00:02:29

hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:02:29

That's part of my job as a writer.

Jaclyn: 00:02:32

My job is to create the scenario, create the character, and to make the audience want what they want.

Jaclyn: 00:02:38

And so I do that by connecting with their emotions.

Jaclyn: 00:02:42

And I can get an audience to sympathize with my character, because there's something that they can relate to.

Jaclyn: 00:02:49

And, and so this is the thing, is that as you're watching this show, there are things that are truly worth loving about the character and truly worth admiring about not just the character, but maybe a situation or a goal or an ambition.

Jaclyn: 00:03:02

There are certain things that you can definitely see that, Oh, that is worthy.

Jaclyn: 00:03:07

But it is mixed in with other things.

Jaclyn: 00:03:11

And so things that you, don't necessarily agree with, there's enough that you do agree with that it kinda, it cancels it out in a way.

Sharonne: 00:03:20

Mm hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:03:21

But here's what the beautiful thing is about it.

Jaclyn: 00:03:24

We can do the same thing on the other side.

Jaclyn: 00:03:27

So people that they're not necessarily believers, but they can watch a show about someone who does have faith or is pursuing it or having questions, or they have some kind of ambition that is Godly.

Jaclyn: 00:03:42

And they can side with that.

Jaclyn: 00:03:44

Like we can do the same thing, but we have to do it well, you know, And this is what I think people are starting to, um, you know, to figure out how to do well, because if it's just about telling the audience, you should think this way, or you should believe this way, or you should want this, then people are going to feel that as propoganda..

Jaclyn: 00:04:06

It's the same way that if we watch a show where people are saying, you should have this lifestyle, which if you watch Canadian television or movies, you're going to pick up on that very quickly.

Jaclyn: 00:04:17

There's so many times I'm watching something.

Jaclyn: 00:04:18

I'm like, I'm pretty sure this was a Canadian production.

Jaclyn: 00:04:21

Cause in Canada, there are some very strong, uh, rules that you have to include certain things.

Jaclyn: 00:04:27

Um, So we'll just leave it at that.

Jaclyn: 00:04:30

Yeah, but the way that it's portrayed, it's not necessarily done in a way that makes sense within the story, that it would naturally evolve that way, it's just there, so then it kind of feels like it's being forced on me, but, like in the show that you were watching, If it's not done where it's forced on you, if it's a natural situation that has authentically evolved into this situation where you've fallen in love with the characters, well, then you end up wanting what they want.

Sharonne: 00:04:58

Yeah, exactly.

Sharonne: 00:05:00

Exactly.

Sharonne: 00:05:01

And it's so subtle, like what you said, like, I've never actually thought about it, like, from the writer's perspective, but wow, like, that's so eye opening.

Sharonne: 00:05:08

You just hit it right on the nail.

Sharonne: 00:05:10

It's the stories.

Sharonne: 00:05:11

It's the stories that suck us in.

Sharonne: 00:05:13

But then you just have all these little things underneath it that's like, "Oh, I'm going to creep in here now".

Jaclyn: 00:05:18

Yes.

Jaclyn: 00:05:18

And that's why you'll find a lot of the time that, stuff like that won't come in until at least the third or fourth episode.

Sharonne: 00:05:26

Yes.

Sharonne: 00:05:26

I actually struggle with that like, as an actress, cause I'm like, wow.

Sharonne: 00:05:29

So I can't remember the last time I auditioned for a series regular, but, a couple of years ago, I think it was like right before the pandemic, like I started getting these auditions for series regulars.

Sharonne: 00:05:38

And I remember thinking to myself, I was like.

Sharonne: 00:05:40

If I get a role for one of these things, will I actually take it because I don't know where they're going to send my character.

Sharonne: 00:05:45

Cause there's so many shows that I would watch, that I would like, and it's all kosher.

Sharonne: 00:05:49

It's all good, and then all of a sudden they just drop these bombs.

Sharonne: 00:05:52

And you're like, Oh...

Sharonne: 00:05:53

And I remember like one of the actors from Scandal, cause that was another show I was into.

Sharonne: 00:05:57

It was How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal at the same time.

Sharonne: 00:06:00

And this guy, um, Cyrus Beans character for whoever watched the show.

Sharonne: 00:06:05

So, he was one of the, he, he helped out in the white house and his character in the beginning was, not homosexual, but they turned it a couple of episodes in, they turned his character to be homosexual.

Sharonne: 00:06:15

And he said in an interview that he didn't know that his character was, going to be homosexual.

Sharonne: 00:06:20

Um, but he was okay with it.

Sharonne: 00:06:21

But like for me, I'm like, Yeah, no, like,

Jaclyn: 00:06:24

that's

Jaclyn: 00:06:25

well, that's not really fair, you know, to spin it like

Jaclyn: 00:06:28

that

Sharonne: 00:06:28

Right, like...

Jaclyn: 00:06:29

...without any kind of, you know, I, I don't know if they even had a conversation first.

Jaclyn: 00:06:33

I think a lot of the time actors are just expected to show up and do what they're told, even though actors are the ones that have to actually go through with it.

Jaclyn: 00:06:41

Like, as a writer, I can write whatever I want on a page.

Jaclyn: 00:06:44

It doesn't affect me, but as a Christian writer, I do think about it, because I think, okay, so I am actually putting people in a position to act this scene out.

Jaclyn: 00:06:54

So I have a responsibility to, do things tastefully if I have gritty situations.

Jaclyn: 00:07:00

I don't want to put my actors in a position where they have to compromise their faith, you know?

Jaclyn: 00:07:07

And I understand that there are some people that have, different lines of boundaries or whatever.

Jaclyn: 00:07:10

And so then I basically, I work within certain boundaries for myself as a writer

Sharonne: 00:07:17

yeah, yeah, it's true, yeah, you are expected to do what's on the page when you take the role, you sign that contract.

Sharonne: 00:07:23

So you can, say like, hey, I'm not comfortable, but, If the producers, the execs, they all get together and say, no, we still want to keep it...

Sharonne: 00:07:31

I mean, the only way you can come out of that is to like break the contract, which could cause damage to your career.

Sharonne: 00:07:37

So it's all stuff to consider before you actually sign that dotted line.

Sharonne: 00:07:40

I'm pretty sure you can put in there, um, won't do you know, certain things or whatever.

Sharonne: 00:07:45

And then the studio can decide if they're going to continue with you or not.

Sharonne: 00:07:49

But yeah, It's deep.

Sharonne: 00:07:50

It's deep.

Sharonne: 00:07:51

Like, they just turn these characters.

Sharonne: 00:07:52

I'm like, oh man, know what you're signing up for.

Sharonne: 00:07:55

and I actually do like film more than I like television for that reason.

Sharonne: 00:07:58

Because at least, like for the television I've done, it's been like recurring roles or whatever, but never a series regular at this point.

Sharonne: 00:08:05

So, I kinda know episodes I'm doing, like what I'm signing up for.

Sharonne: 00:08:09

But like, with film, you know, because you have the whole script.

Sharonne: 00:08:12

Oh, this is the film.

Sharonne: 00:08:13

Okay.

Sharonne: 00:08:14

We're done.

Sharonne: 00:08:15

the TV shows.

Sharonne: 00:08:16

Hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:08:17

Yeah, yeah, because it can start out as one thing, and then when it goes into the next season, they could go a completely different direction, which is normally what happens.

Jaclyn: 00:08:25

Right?

Jaclyn: 00:08:26

Season one of a show is almost like just establishing everybody and certain premises that the world revolves around or how it functions.

Jaclyn: 00:08:35

Like, season one is typically more like that.

Jaclyn: 00:08:37

But then season two, you're going to get deeper into character storylines and things will go a different direction.

Jaclyn: 00:08:43

And, so yeah, like a lot of the time you might get into something thinking it's one thing and then it becomes something entirely different.

Jaclyn: 00:08:50

And you're like, how did we even get here.

Sharonne: 00:08:53

Yeah.

Sharonne: 00:08:53

Yeah.

Sharonne: 00:08:53

Exactly.

Sharonne: 00:08:54

Exactly.

Jaclyn: 00:08:55

Has there ever been a time where you have had to kind of walk away from something that really meant a lot to you because of your faith.

Sharonne: 00:09:05

Yes.

Sharonne: 00:09:07

Um, I've had to walk away from like, some roles, but I've actually kind of had to walk away from acting kind of.

Sharonne: 00:09:14

Um, and so what happened was, and for people who heard the first part of this interview, you'll know that like, I started off, you wanting to honor God.

Sharonne: 00:09:24

That was always like my foundation, but somewhere along the way, the dream became bigger than the dream giver.

Sharonne: 00:09:31

So while God was still a part of my life, I wasn't putting him first.

Sharonne: 00:09:37

It was all about how can I get my career going?

Sharonne: 00:09:40

How can I solidify myself in the business?

Sharonne: 00:09:43

And that's where my energy was going.

Sharonne: 00:09:45

And at some parts I would say it might've even gone like, above the family, like, okay, y'all go do your thing.

Sharonne: 00:09:51

I gotta go, do my thing.

Sharonne: 00:09:52

And I don't know when it even started.

Sharonne: 00:09:54

I can't even trace back to be like when it happened, but I remember knowing that it happened back in 2019.

Sharonne: 00:10:02

or maybe the end of 2018.

Sharonne: 00:10:04

is when I was recognizing.

Sharonne: 00:10:05

So in 2019, I did this word for the year.

Sharonne: 00:10:09

I had never done that before, but basically instead of making a new year's resolution, you just pick a word and you just kind of focus on that word.

Sharonne: 00:10:15

And so my year was rest.

Sharonne: 00:10:18

What that meant to me was, Rest from like fighting for success in the industry and rest in God.

Sharonne: 00:10:26

And so that rest in God took precedence actually over everything, which actually allowed me to rest more within the industry.

Sharonne: 00:10:33

So I stopped.

Sharonne: 00:10:34

I stopped like, actively seeking out opportunities.

Sharonne: 00:10:37

stopped trying to like network.

Sharonne: 00:10:39

That was like a big thing.

Sharonne: 00:10:40

Oh, how can I network?

Sharonne: 00:10:41

I stopped all of that.

Sharonne: 00:10:42

If auditions, cause I still had an agent.

Sharonne: 00:10:44

So if auditions came my way, I was still do the audition.

Sharonne: 00:10:46

But when I would record the audition, I wouldn't sit there and do like 20 takes to make it perfect, because now I'm sacrificing time from God.

Sharonne: 00:10:54

I'm sacrificing time from my family...

Sharonne: 00:10:56

coming downstairs to record...

Jaclyn: 00:10:58

Right.

Jaclyn: 00:10:58

Yes.

Sharonne: 00:10:58

...with all these different takes.

Sharonne: 00:11:00

It's taking up so much time.

Sharonne: 00:11:01

So we're going to knock these takes out, within a couple of takes, one to three takes, and we're gonna call it done.

Sharonne: 00:11:06

So I just wasn't doing much with the industry, but really spending a lot of time with God.

Sharonne: 00:11:10

And it was so refreshing, so renewing.

Sharonne: 00:11:16

And just to like, see him again, like see my first love again, like for who was.

Sharonne: 00:11:21

I don't know if this normally happens or if it would happen for anybody who did it, but it was weird for me.

Sharonne: 00:11:27

So like, I would say a couple of months into that, gigs, roles started coming my way like out of the wazoo, like, like, um, like literally having to turn down gigs, and that had never happened for me in my career ever.

Sharonne: 00:11:40

Um, like where I might've been booking like once every three or four months or something like that.

Sharonne: 00:11:44

It was like, bookings, like every single month, like nonstop,.

Sharonne: 00:11:47

It was crazy.

Sharonne: 00:11:48

It was like, he opened up the floodgates.

Sharonne: 00:11:50

And I was like, well, I don't even want it now, like I did.

Sharonne: 00:11:53

And it was like, it was insane.

Sharonne: 00:11:55

Think he was like intentionally telling me, Just honor me and I'm going to give you what I want to give you.

Sharonne: 00:12:01

And so that has stuck with me ever since.

Sharonne: 00:12:04

And there's very specific moments within that year too like, even of the roles that I've gotten it was supposed to be like, there was this one role that was slated for an A list actor that I got chosen for, which is a whole God story in itself.

Sharonne: 00:12:16

And I wouldn't have known that if the director didn't tell me, but it was like, God was like, " I want you to know this.

Sharonne: 00:12:22

Here, y'all talk".

Sharonne: 00:12:23

And the director like, let me know, It was crazy.

Sharonne: 00:12:27

So, that's how I try to operate now, like just continuously keeping him first.

Sharonne: 00:12:32

Now I don't always get it right.

Sharonne: 00:12:34

But it's at the front of my brain, so at least when I'm off course, I'm not like doop de doo and I'm staying off course forever.

Sharonne: 00:12:41

It's just like, no, let's redirect.

Sharonne: 00:12:43

So, um, that's where we're at now.

Jaclyn: 00:12:47

Oh, that's wonderful.

Jaclyn: 00:12:48

That is so good.

Jaclyn: 00:12:49

And it's encouraging.

Jaclyn: 00:12:50

And I like what you said about how, you know, you're not perfect, but being that that is at the front of your mind, that's your intention, your goal, that you're not off track for very long before you pull yourself back on.

Jaclyn: 00:13:01

Right.

Jaclyn: 00:13:01

And I know that like, that's when the, the devil loves to play with our minds and say, oh, see, you're not very good at this.

Jaclyn: 00:13:08

You're not a very good Christian, or whatever, but like, God already knew that we're not gonna get it perfect, you know?

Jaclyn: 00:13:13

Jesus already took care of that, and so that's not the point anymore.

Jaclyn: 00:13:17

You know, our goal is to continue to grow and to get closer with him, and so.

Jaclyn: 00:13:25

If we come back, that's what matters.

Jaclyn: 00:13:28

We got to come back.

Sharonne: 00:13:29

Amen.

Sharonne: 00:13:30

And it is truly a daily dying to yourself as well.

Sharonne: 00:13:34

Like I'm constantly trying to keep my eyes open, my ears open so that I hear his leading, because even now, like I'll get an audition.

Sharonne: 00:13:41

And I'll be like, Oh, this pays really great.

Sharonne: 00:13:43

And I'm like, Hmm, it only compromises a little bit.

Sharonne: 00:13:46

And I'm like, no!

Sharonne: 00:13:47

Ok God, I hear

Sharonne: 00:13:48

you.

Jaclyn: 00:13:48

Yeah, exactly.

Jaclyn: 00:13:50

Exactly.

Jaclyn: 00:13:50

Yes.

Sharonne: 00:13:51

So it's like, every day, every day, just resurrendering that will because our, our wills are so strong.

Sharonne: 00:13:56

I mean, we live in a fallen earth.

Sharonne: 00:13:57

So it's just...

Jaclyn: 00:13:58

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:13:59

Well, and you know, like you're not the only one that deals with this.

Jaclyn: 00:14:02

Like, I think this is part of why I wanted to do the podcast was to be able to talk with people so that we can see like, I'm not the only one that has thoughts like that, you know, and that I have to, to walk that out as well.

Jaclyn: 00:14:13

And even encouraging each other, like, okay, so here's what I did that works for me.

Jaclyn: 00:14:18

And so somebody else can hear that and be like, yeah, maybe that'll work for me too.

Jaclyn: 00:14:22

And yeah, this is where we can really grow and learn from each other.

Sharonne: 00:14:25

Amen.

Sharonne: 00:14:26

Amen.

Sharonne: 00:14:27

I do love that he wants us to daily depend on him, because it keeps us connected to him.

Sharonne: 00:14:31

Because can you imagine if we just got it right?

Sharonne: 00:14:33

Like, we just, We wouldn't desire him because we'd be like, Oh, I got it.

Jaclyn: 00:14:36

I'm good.

Jaclyn: 00:14:37

I'm

Sharonne: 00:14:37

I got it.

Sharonne: 00:14:37

You know,

Jaclyn: 00:14:37

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:14:39

Yeah.

Sharonne: 00:14:39

Um, yeah.

Sharonne: 00:14:41

So for anybody out there who like...

Sharonne: 00:14:43

the dream is real, right?

Sharonne: 00:14:44

If he's called you into this, industry, like, you know, when you've been called, like, you know, you just know.

Sharonne: 00:14:49

Case in point.

Sharonne: 00:14:50

So like I was a nurse, and I did that, for like five years.

Sharonne: 00:14:53

I actually just quit at the top of 2021.

Sharonne: 00:14:55

I was kind of double careering.

Sharonne: 00:14:56

So I started off as an actress, We had kids, uh, we kind of needed to get some things in financial order.

Sharonne: 00:15:02

So I was like, Oh, I'll do a second career.

Sharonne: 00:15:04

I did nursing.

Sharonne: 00:15:04

And so like, I loved nursing to a certain extent, but I knew that it wasn't like my ultimate calling.

Sharonne: 00:15:11

It is so weird.

Sharonne: 00:15:12

I just knew, I knew.

Sharonne: 00:15:13

Like, I would go there...

Sharonne: 00:15:15

and nursing is hard, but I still, like, enjoy certain aspects.

Sharonne: 00:15:18

But it was nothing compared to like, stepping on a set or on a stage.

Sharonne: 00:15:23

It's just something about it where it's like, this is home.

Sharonne: 00:15:26

So, for those of us who know that our calling is what it is, and you know God's called you to that, the dream is real.

Sharonne: 00:15:34

But just remember to not let it overtake God.

Sharonne: 00:15:40

Like, just keep putting Him first no matter what.

Sharonne: 00:15:43

No matter what.

Jaclyn: 00:15:46

Amen.

Jaclyn: 00:15:47

Amen.

Jaclyn: 00:15:48

Thank you so much.

Jaclyn: 00:15:49

That's like a perfect word to end on.

Jaclyn: 00:15:51

Thank you so much for this interview and for sharing and it's been wonderful to get to know you more and uh, and I look forward to meeting you in person someday.

Sharonne: 00:16:00

Yes!

Sharonne: 00:16:00

Me too, me too.

Jaclyn: 00:16:03

All right, thank you so much.

Jaclyn: 00:16:04

God

Jaclyn: 00:16:05

bless.

Sharonne: 00:16:05

you.

Sharonne: 00:16:05

God bless you.