Tisa Key – Actor. NY

Tisa Key

Tisa Key is officially the first female director that are interviewing. Tisa is also a writer and an actor, and she combines these roles comfortably. This interview presents a close look at her career, her projects and future interest, happy reading

Oladapo: PLEASE GIVE A CONCISE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF YOURSELF
Tisa: Tisa has had an interest since childhood to be an actor. Born and raised in New York City she developed several different talents at a tender young age. She studied dance and was involved in various plays while still in elementary school. Her childhood wasn’t glamorous, by no means at all and that’s when she started to write. It was like therapy for her, to put all her feeling and emotions on paper.

In High School her attention went to playing varsity basketball full time and she had little time to act or write. She was one of the stars of her team as well as the captain. She always displayed some kind of leadership wherever she went. Then one year she was invited to participate in the Wheelchair Basketball Classic, in which as a requirement every player had to visit a hospital, spend time with disabled children and write an essay about their experience. Needless to say Tisa Key won for best essay in Manhattan and from that moment on her writing continued.

While attending college in Florida on a basketball scholarship Tisa always felt something was missing and wasn’t happy. So after two years she returned back to New York City to fulfill her dream of being an actor. She went on to do several independent films, plays, as well as commercials. Her break out commercial was introducing the new NIKE sneaker for WNBA player Cheryl Swoopes and was directed by Spike Lee. Watching the way Spike was and his interactions with all the actors sparked something in Tisa and she knew that was something she could and would do soon.

In 2000 she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream. It wasn’t an easy road for Tisa but she hung in there to fulfill what she had a passion for. After working for Disney a few years and getting minor gigs here and there she decided to take matters into her own hands and started writing screenplays. Although some people didn’t believe in Tisa she never gave up no matter what! She directed and produced a few small videos, while she shopped her scripts and ideas around. After becoming frustrated and disgusted with the countless promises, limited roles for minorities, and the non willingness to give her a chance she came back to New York City to produce a horror film “Evil Has A Face” and to finally get one of her short films off the ground. “Vengeance Is Mine” is a short film written, directed, produced, and starring Tisa Key. This time she was in control of her own destiny.

“Vengeance Is Mine” was Tisa’s directorial debt. From a first time director “Vengeance Is Mine” is both gritty and surreal, with a kinetic force that grabs you from it’s opening scene and carries you on a short roller coaster ride to the shocking finale. The musical score and editing are both flawless. It gave the film a Zen quality seldom experienced in short movies. For a little over eight minutes it packs a wallop. A visceral ride that sees the main character Nemina played by Tisa Key transformed by the need for vengeance. One scene in particular was so realistic while shooting it someone almost called 911. This is a powerful and controversial film that will stir emotions, and leave the viewer with a sense of awe. “Vengeance Is Mine” is the first of many to come from Tisa Key. Currently she has several projects in the works under her production company T Key Filmz LLC. One is an action drama TV pilot for cable titled “ZENOBIA” and a web-series that’s due to come out this spring titled “TRAINED.” Running right now every Thursday via You Tube is her web-series “SATISFACTION.”

Tisa also just wrapped her character “Sanchez” on a feature film titled “HOME,” directed by Jono Oliver (Blue Bloods,) which also stars Joe Morton (Terminator 2, Speed,  & Eureka,) Victor Williams (King Of Queens, & Cop Land,) and James McDaniel (NYPD Blue & Detroit 1-8-7,) just to name a few. Coming up she will also star in the feature film “NOBODY’S PERFECT,” directed by awesome director and stuntman Derrick Simmons (Tower Heist, 30 Rock, & Why Did I Get Married too?) and the feature film “Te Adoro,” directed by Sean Sawyer (writer & director of the acclaimed feature film “WHITE BOY BROWN.”)
Her career is finally taking off in the direction she always wanted. This is only the beginning of what’s to come from this talented young lady. So stay tuned there’s more to see. Her goal is to take her acting and filmmaking to places no one has dared to try to explore and her time is now!

Tisa Key

Oladapo: DID YOU STUDY ACTING
Tisa: I really didn’t study acting in college. In fact my major was Criminal Justice/Pre-Law and my minor was psychology and I was on a basketball scholarship. I used to play semi-pro basketball in Los Angeles. However, acting has always been my passion ever since I played “Peter Pan” in the third grade. I then went on to take classes in NYC and LA to perfect my craft.

Oladapo: WHAT ACTING TECHNIQUE TO YOU USE
Tisa: A lot of times I like to use the method technique. Acting does have many techniques but as an individual you have to learn which one suits you best. It’s not only about a technique, it’s about doing your research and making that character come alive.

Oladapo: DESCRIBE WRONG IMPRESSIONS ACTORS HOLD ABOUT ACTING
Tisa: That it’s easy and all they have do do is memorize lines. Well, they couldn’t be more wrong! You have to do the work! By that I mean it’s a process, you have to do your research, character development, break down the script, and really become the character. Not just say you’re the character, but be THE CHARACTER!

Oladapo: DO YOU TAKE COURSES TO IMPROVE YOUR CRAFT
Tisa: Yes! I’m always taking classes, doing workshops, and private coaching to better my craft. My classes vary from Scene Study – Voice and diction.

Oladapo: WHAT ACTING BOOKS DO YOU READ
Tisa: TRUTH by Susan Batson

Oladapo: HOW DO YOU KEEP FIT AS AN ACTOR: MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY
Tisa: I  meditate, do yoga, bikram yoga, kick-boxing, work-out and play several sports.

Oladapo: WHEN YOU ARE OFFERED A ROLE, WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT
Tisa: After I read the script, I then start my character breakdown.

Oladapo: HOW DO YOU TAKE A CHARACTER IN A SCRIPT TO A HONEST, BELIEVABLE AND BREATHING PERSON
Tisa: Well, I can’t tell you all my secrets. Whodini never told you, how he did his magic tricks. LOL. I will say that I do my research. If my character is a under-cover cop then I operate my daily life as an under-cover cop. I research what they do while on the job. I talk to real cops and I take their lingo and mannerisms and make it my own. If I’m playing a woman who’s confined to a wheel-chair, then I use a wheel-chair in my everyday life to make sure I have an authentic feeling of what my character will go through.

Oladapo: HOW DO YOU STAY FRESH ON A PRODUCTION SET?
Tisa: I’m so focused when I’m on set, that I’m always in character. I arrive in character, I eat in character, and I stay in character, until I leave the set and come home.

Oladapo: EXPLAIN ONE CREATIVE CHOICE YOU TOOK ON SET
Tisa: I’ve come across several directors that will allow you the freedom to improv certain scenes to a certain extent. I love when that happens, because that allows me as a actor to really let my talent and my words shine. Some actors get scared when asked to do this, due to them being so focused on the script and the words, instead of the feeling. If you know the scene and you’re in character, then the words will come!

Oladapo: DESCRIBE A MEMORABLE CHARACTER YOU PLAYED
Tisa: MADAME X in “12 Steps To Recovery,” 2010.

Oladapo: WHAT DO YOU WANT MOST FROM A DIRECTOR
Tisa: To trust me as an Actor with my creative choices that I bring to the character. Also to allow me the freedom to add or take out things from my character to make it authentic and believable.

Tisa Key

Oladapo: WHAT ACTOR DO YOU LONG TO WORK WITH
Tisa: Angelina Jolie

Oladapo: WHY THIS ACTOR
Tisa: I love all the strong female action roles she plays.

Oladapo: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ACTORS AROUND THE WORLD
Tisa: If acting is your dream, your goal, and your passion, NEVER GIVE UP! I don’t care how many times people say you don’t have what it takes, or you don’t have the look, if this is what you want to do deep down in your soul, DO IT and don’t let the “dream killers,” kill your dream!

I have done a lot of films/commercials and 2013 is a big year for me with several films I’m in coming out.  One is the feature film “HOME” where I play SANCHEZ, the voice of reason as one of the staff members in a mental hospital. Then in another feature  “NOBODY’S PERFECT,” I play MORGAN’S MOM, my character is an abusive wife.  I also play SYLVIA REYES a no-nonsene wife/mother with super powers who belongs to a secret group, in a supernatural drama web-series titled “EVOLVE,” then we have the feature film “Te Adoro” where I play WANDA, a manipulative scorned lover.  That’s only to name a few. I have my own production company T Key Filmz LLC and right now I have a urban drama web-series “SATISFACTION,” which can be seen via You Tube. A new episode airs every Thursday, you can go to the You Tube channel at www.youtube.com/user/satisfactionseries and subscribe to keep updated and watch past episodes. Also coming from T Key Filmz LLC is another web-series “TRAINED,” which is due to come out in the spring, we also have two series for cable, as well as several features in development so stay tuned! I also will be making a big announcement soon of a recent position I took with a film channel. So really stay tuned, because there is so much more to come!!!