Regina Mckee Redwing – INTERVIEW
Do you prefer Comedy or Drama?
I definitely prefer drama more.
Life imitates Art or Art imitates Life?
Art imitates life.
Which is the best Moment on set?
When you’re in the moment so much, you’re no longer thinking as yourself, you are the character. And the lines and the movements, everything just flow out of you.
Did anyone ever tell you weren’t good enough?
They didn’t have to tell me, I knew it. I was a ballet dancer auditioning for a jazz musical, and I was so out of step it was almost like a slapstick comedy. Kicked one person here, kicked another person there… Grabbed my bag and slinked out of the door. All good.
How can you stay focused on your goal?
Never believe you’re too old, never believe the opportunities will never come to you, believe that you are on the right track and timing is always going to be on your side. If you have to you will reinvent the freaking wheel.
Have you ever had a breakdown because of your Job?
There was a time when I was a production office coordinator working for Disney, on a movie called Dinosaur. We were relocated for 4 weeks to the swamps of Florida in the summer. I went through three pas, and the last one had a car accident while trying to deliver food to the set. Sadly I had to tell her, get the food out of your car first and get it to a set and then go home.
Talent is a blessing or a curse?
For me it’s a blessing. I am blessed to be athletic, and graceful, to have dance ballet, I’ve stunt doubled, I’ve played Storm the superhero and stage managed a special event with Shaq. I’ve worked in radio on Casey’s top 40 and now I’m going to get my script produced as a feature film.
What would you like to improve about yourself as an
actor/director/screenplayer?
For most of my work as a producer for our Black Triumph Productions, I am the first to say that we need to replace someone. I believe I need to be more patient, and allow some actors to progress into a role at their own speed. If we have the time!
What’s the worst critic you have received?
A friend once told me that I’d never be a successful model because my features weren’t streamlined enough. I suddenly felt like I needed to change my face. Whereas I was always proud of my black American Indian heritage. The realistically, we’re all beautiful and everyone is welcome at the table.
If you weren’t an actor/director/screenplayer what would you like to be?
I think I would have happily stayed a ballet dancer. Doing the same thing over and over again and working on total perfection.
If Cinema was a color what would it be?
Electric blue! Or maybe the color of the Northern lights!
A day without a movie is…
Without entertainment. I watch them as much as I can to see what I could do differently, or what works and what doesn’t work.
If someone offered you to play/direct/write in/a movie that you despice but that for sure will make you rich and famous…would you accept the job?
Yes. Unless it was going to be harmful to people or cause harm to any particular group. I would not want to be associated with something that caused pain or inflicted pain on others.
What’s your greatest ambition?
To show that age is just a number. No one needs to know my age, but hopefully they see a strong, confidence, woman of mixed race with silver hair and a winning smile who can play a real badass!
What’s your biggest fear?
I don’t want my friends and I to run out of time and putting up our projects and getting them produced for the masses.
Does music helps you to play/direct, write?
Most definitely! I’ll hear a song and it will help me create a moment for something that I want to write or that I want to see on the screen. Ie. Slipping Into Darkness!
You have the chance to make a Silent movie, what’s your message to the audience?
That no matter how it seems it’s all going to be okay. I hate watching a movie for 2 or 3 hours and find out they killed off the lead person!
Share your speech if you should win an Oscar…
This is for all the people who never had a chance to make it. This is for the people who struggled, and created and stop believing in themselves, or stopped believing in miracles. Your angels all have your back if you let them.