Welcome to the second (and final) installment of the interview with actress Bev Flowers. Flowers will be star in the TV series adaptation of Kiki Swanson’s “Playing Dirty”. CLICK HERE if you missed PART I of the interview with this rising thespian.
Kreyolicious: And to an aspiring actress, you would say…
To an aspiring actress, I would say “Believe in yourself and you will be unstoppable.” I encourage everyone who has huge aspirations that may seem impossible to have Queen Ambition, just go for it. Never stop believing, never stop working towards your goals. Make sure that even if you have to do other jobs to support yourself and your family. Don’t forget to invest in yourself and your goals. Make sure at least a few hours a day is spent doing something that puts you one step closer to your goals. One of my favorite quotes by Marianne Williamson states: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.” I think that quote sums it all up. Do not let fear rule you! The worst that can happen is that someone tells you, you are not good enough. So what? The way you battle that is to put in the work and prove them wrong.
Kreyolicious: What are some of your favorite books? Why?
That is a wonderful question. I love many of Mitch Albom’s books. Two of his books that I love very much are Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I love books that teach me something or inspire me to live to the fullest, love wholeheartedly, and not be afraid to take a leap of faith for the things I believe in, and Mr. Albom’s books always have such powerful messages about love, forgiveness, mentorship and living life to the fullest. I also love poetry. One of my favorite poems is “Because I Could Not Stop For Death” by Emily Dickinson. The poem is so powerful to me because it brings to light our mortality, and I take that as a lesson to not waste time and to do something meaningful in this world before my time runs out.
Kreyolicious: Is Haiti a place you go to often?
I have been to Haiti twice in the past two years. Before that, I had not been to Haiti in over 12 years. I went to see my mother a year ago and to work on our non-profit Vivehaiti.org, which provides free education, school supplies, and meals to under-privileged children in Hinche, Haiti. I also went to Haiti two months ago to go care for my mother who is now terminally ill. She was doing very bad so I took two months off work and went to nurse her back to health the best I could. I plan to go to Haiti a lot more often for vacation purposes because its a beautiful country, but also to continue to work on the non profit ViveHaiti and to assist my mother.
Kreyolicious: What actress do you look at, and think, “Man, I’d like to have a career like that!”
At the moment, I am so in love with Viola Davis. I admire her so much. I think she has such a powerful presence as an actor, and I truly hope I can grow to be an actor like her. She is never afraid to take on heavy and emotional roles, and she is not afraid to sob and look ugly with snot coming out her nose to create a powerful performance. I think Viola embodies the legacy I want. As an actor, I want to challenge myself to play those roles that pushes me to exceed my range or limit. I want to be able to make people cry or leave them stunned after watching any character I play. I want to be immortalized in people’s minds, even when I am no longer on this earth. I want people to continue to talk about how I made them feel and how I have inspired.
[Main Photo: Galore, MFI Photography]
CLICK HERE to keep up with Bev Flowers.