SSP STAFF WRITER: ENTERTAINMENT ZONE: January 13, 2021
Well, we made it! Hooray for 2021!! To kick of the New Year, we sat down with the lovely and wonderful, Erica Hubbard. You might remember her from the critically acclaimed ABC Family drama Lincoln Heights or Lion’s Gate’s compelling Akeelah and the Bee or the more recent Netflix comedy Fall Girls. For those of you less familiar with Ms. Hubbard, take a read and find out why we think she is so inspiring.
SSP: Erica, please tell our followers a little about yourself.
EH: I am a union actress, producer (E. Hubbard Productions), 501(c)(3) executive director (of The Erica Hubbard Foundation), children’s book author, brand ambassador of www.whatsthegameplan.biz, mom and college graduate (of Columbia College Chicago). I started my modeling career in Chicago (as a FORD Model) when I was 9 years old and shortly after I started doing commercials, voice overs and then television & film productions.
I was booking and landed a McDonald’s Voice Over, Chick-Fil-A Commercial, Clean & Clear Campaign Model and then I was the first African-American who was a Noxzema Girl. Suddenly, my agents told me to start booking TV & Film jobs. Soon after I booked two studio films, Light It Up and Save The Last Dance.
SSP: What attracted you to begin a career as an actor?
EH: Coming out of high school I was a sprinter and high jumper and was offered a track & field scholarship to a university. My dad told me to turn it down and suggested to me that I pursue theater school for college. My dad who I didn’t live with at the time attracted me toward pursing a career in the entertainment field because of his good friend who was in the field.
After graduating from H.S. I went and majored in journalism (which I have a Bachelor’s Degree) and I minored in theater. Working with teachers from Second City, The Goodman Theater, Piven Theater, Improv Olympic and Groundlings, I graduated and carried that experience along with my SAG/AFTRA membership card to California and it was easy to book because I had stage training as an actress. I lived in a extremely small studio apartment until I bought my home in California.
SSP: Was it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
EH: The particular thing I had to conquer and discipline myself was to stay in a mentorship program where I was surrounded by entertainers older & wiser than me who constantly pushed me to keep going and never give up… giving me consistent advice!
SSP: When was your first major role as an actor? And how did you get it?
EH: As soon as I moved to LA the major role I booked in town was A Cinderella Story (REDBOX) starring alongside Hillary Duff and then Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (HBO MAX) alongside Blake Lively and next up was Akeelah and The Bee (HULU) opposite of Keke Palmer and Angela Bassett.
As far as my preference I love both TV & film roles and it’s both such a different flow and energy. I pick projects according to if I prefer to play a certain character when I am offered the project.
SSP: A star of both TV and film, which do you enjoy more? And why?
EH: I love playing a variety of characters so I try my hardest to pick something different every time you see me on the small or big screen. I want to be a multi-faceted actress where I am known for playing comedy and drama roles to please all audiences. I make an effort to book both and that’s how ended up portraying Cassie on the drama, Lincoln Heights (on HULU) & Kita on the comedy, Let’s Stay Together (on BET Plus) opposite of Bert Belasco (rest in peace).
SSP: When digging into a role, what is the biggest challenge to becoming the character?
EH: Digging into a role, my biggest challenge is looking like the character as far as weight, dialect and mannerisms. I have gained and lost weight based on the role and had to study accents a lot as well. It’s also important to know the temperament of the character.
SSP: Many of your movie roles were part of a large ensemble cast, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Perfectly Single. Do you prefer working with a big cast? Why or why not?
EH: I love working with ensemble cast like Fall Girls (NETFLIX) and I don’t really have a preference if it’s a big or small cast. The Other Side (UMC Network) & 72 Hours with Harry Lennix (on UMC) was smaller cast compared to Professor Mack (Urbanflix Network) or Perfectly Single (BET Plus). Although I have acted in over 15 films that had a large ensemble cast, I like to work on any project that has a good plot!
SSP: Have you progressed in your acting career as you have expected?
EH: I feel like I have progressed in my acting career, but there is more work to be done and more to learn! Yes, I feel like I keep elevating in my acting career because I keep portraying roles I haven’t done and trying new characters with all the opportunities given to me. I am very thankful people have me in mind for all their great projects as creatives! I just enjoy being part of productions people enjoy — like the film Black Coffee!
SSP: What was the most important lesson you had to learn that has had a positive effect on your career? How did that lesson happen?
EH: The lesson I learned in the entertainment industry is make sure you have a team around you that is excited about your success and they take your life/career seriously & very personal.
Surround yourself around people who want to see you win continuously. It’s important for me to be around people who smile when I smile 🙂
SSP: What has been your most challenging role thus far and why? What did you learn from that experience?
EH: My most challenging role has yet to be conquered, and I am working toward that goal with my agents and manager. We are reading scripts that are based on true stories for me to portray. I was trained by professional theater instructors at Columbia College and I am yearning to use some more techniques that I embody for a challenging, multi-layered, emotionally vulnerable character in a film. I used a lot of my training skills on Lincoln Heights, but I have more techniques to put to good use.
SSP: How do you seek out roles?
EH: I get a lot of opportunities by seeking out roles on casting services for thespians. My producer friends call and refer me, my agents & my manager send me scripts to audition, or my representation calls me with TV & film offers, but more importantly, prayer helps me along this journey.
SSP: Who are your biggest influences?
EH: Some of thespians who have influenced me are Angela Bassett, Thandie Newton, Sophie Okenedo, Tilda Swinton, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Jaime Foxx, Denzel Washington, Helen Mirren to name a few.
SSP: What are personal attributes that make for a good actor, and what do you do to foster them?
EH: Major attributes to working in this industry is being trained by a theater company (Towne Street Theater) in the early 2000’s. That was a phenomenal experience that also helped hone my skill set and creativity.
I read a lot of acting & self-help books as well, take nothing personally, very punctual, learn the lines and try to stay prepared. Plus, I drink a lot of coffee and that can explain where my energy comes from. LOL! I stay ready at all times and keep my optimism, remain grateful for every opportunity given big or small. I have a great family to make sure I am OK at all times and make sure I am thriving in life!
I believe this is true: “When you center yourself with sincere and genuine people you are destined for much success and you will always stay on the right path when love is surrounding you.”
SSP: When you suffer a setback, how does that emotionally affect you and your work?
EH: There aren’t any setbacks, only lessons to learn from so you can spearhead toward greatness. We must all train our focus on finding the solution and not looking at the problem in order to move forward into a successful destiny. I always try to keep my morale up!
SSP: What has been your greatest accomplishment as an actor?
EH: My biggest accomplishment as a working actor is having children and working at the same time… so I am not working for myself on-camera but for the future generation. The way my children smile when I book a job is extremely motivating for me as an actress! I strive for greatness because I have others expecting it from me as well (all the time).
SSP: Is the film business fair? Why or why not? How do you make the apparatus work for you?
EH: The entertainment industry shows us who is strong, has tenacity, determination, faith and guts. I think there are more opportunities for people of color now with all the super amazing streaming platforms, social media websites cable channels and all our futures are (finally) looking bright! Black Lives Matter!
I was fortunate enough to be on the Image Award-winning Best Drama Series Lincoln Heights, on which I was surrounded by dedicated thespians such as Russell Hornsby as well as playing opposite of Chadwick Boseman (rest in peace).
My biggest accomplishment is being an actress of color who was given the opportunity to work on almost every major TV Network, Earn a NAACP Theater Award nomination, appeared on almost every streaming platform, worked on a comedy & drama that both lasted four seasons and had the opportunity to work on a cartoon called The Replacements (on Disney Plus).
SSP: Of all the movies you have done, which role did you love the most and why?
EH: So far, the comedy role I enjoyed playing the most was Fall Girls (NETFLIX) because the timing of the film release was perfect. People needed to bring laughter into their homes with all the stress of the pandemic! Laughter helps people during hard times with our economy.
My favorite role to date for a movie drama would definitely be Perfectly Single opposite of J. Alphonse Nicholson because I portrayed a doctor and we usually do not see that often in urban films for African-Americans.
The favorite television drama role I portrayed was a top of the show guest star on (NBC’s) Chicago Med. My character was in a car crash in a horrible storm and was wounded… about to lose her newborn baby and needed to be saved.
SSP: Given that you have had a long and successful career, is there still any area in which you would like to improve as an actor?
EH: The area I like to improve on in the near future is to start picking more projects that pertain to biopics. I really need to start seeking more & more stories and reading all the scripts to bring someone’s story to life! There are many lives that need their stories to be heard and I want to bring light to someone’s extraordinary accomplishments on earth!
Another highlight in my career was working with the Academy-Award winner Matthew Cherry as a producer and investing in his very first feature The Last Fall (ABFF & SXSW Film Festival selected film).
SSP: When not on a set, what do you do in your spare time?
EH: When I am not on set I have a non-profit that you can find on Instagram @The_Erica_Hubbard_Foundation that I run which gives scholarships to college students and mentors at-risk youth. Also, I have a company, @LashBeautyGlam on IG in which I sell beauty items and masks for personal care. Lastly, I am a brand ambassador for www.whatsthegameplan.biz clothing store!
SSP: Are you on social media and do you use it in your work? Why or why not?
EH: I love being on Instagram and having talk-backs with my followers/fans/family @1ericahubbard where I can view comments and hear which movie or TV show touched someone’s heart or how they enjoyed the production’s storyline. My Facebook and Twitter is @EricaHubbard on social media.
SSP: What would be a good theme song for your life?
EH: The theme song for my life would be Goapole’s “Closer To My Dream”!
SSP: What would be on the gag reel of your life?
EH: The gag reel of my life is I grew up in the inner city of Chicago, living with drug addict family members, parents were divorced so my grandmother tried to raise me as a latch-key kid, but I moved out of a very hard environment because I wanted to inspire people through my art and made it to Hollywood as a single mother on WIC. I hope nobody ever gives up on their dreams (ever), no matter what circumstances they face! You have to fully believe in yourself when things seem impossible…. Always keep your head up, never feel hopeless and chase that dream continually until you hear someone say “YES” we want you and “Action!”
SSP: If someone was going to make your life into a movie, who would play you?
EH: In the near future I hope my daughter portrays my life story because she knows my persona very well to shed light on my life’s journey.
Thank you Erica for your time today! Have a wonderful and blessed 2021! We are excited to see what you will give us in 2021 to put on our SSP watchlist.
To keep up with Erica, check out her Facebook & Twitter pages @EricaHubbard or follow her on Instagram @1ericahubbard
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Until next time, live your passion and chase your dreams!
SSP
