Najarra Townsend
Najarra Townsend is an actress on the rise who has already accrued a resume of diverse characters. She's been steadily working for more than seven years, and she's even busier these days. She talked with us enthusiastically about her upcoming movie, Tru Loved, as well as her many other projects. Look for Najarra in Strange Angel, Dawning, and Presidents Hotel in 2007, and Tru Loved, Dreams Awake, and Darkness Visible in 2008.
The Star Scoop:
You've been so busy lately. Tell us about the projects you're working on.
Najarra Townsend:
Tru Loved is one of my most recent projects. It's one of my favorite projects, too. It's directed, written by Stewart Wade, and I play the character of Tru. Tru is a sixteen year-old girl who moves from San Francisco with her two moms to a conservative suburbian town. It's really just her story, dealing with the prejudice. She starts an alliance at her school. It's a really good film. It's dealing with some really, really important issues that I strongly believe in. We're working with great organizations that I really believe in. I'm really excited for this film.
The Star Scoop:
Do you feel like you've learned anything from the role?
Townsend:
I took so much away from that project. I learned that you can make a difference so easily if you just focus on something and put your heart into it. My character starts a gay-straight alliance at her school and the response she gets...there's so much hated, but the good responses that she gets, that alone makes such a difference. If you believe in something, you definitely should fight for it.
The Star Scoop:
What is Dreams Awake about?
Townsend:
Dreams Awake is a family drama. I filmed it over the month of August. It's a great little spiritual film. I'm excited for that one, too.
The Star Scoop:
Darkness Visible sounds so interesting. What can you tell us about this film?
Townsend:
I just completed that. That's a ghost story. It's a really, really good script. It's with Sean Young. I don't know what they're planning on doing with that. I think that's going to go straight to DVD.
The Star Scoop:
Do you have anything else coming up?
Townsend:
I just finished two independent features in the past month. One was shot here in L.A. It should be a really, really cute, fun film. It's kind of like your high school film. We have all our fashion and music and it should be really, really fun to see. I also just wrapped a thriller, like a family drama/ghost story thriller called Dawning. I shot that in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It was amazing. I loved it so much. I just booked another independent feature.
The Star Scoop:
What kinds of characters are you drawn to?
Townsend:
I love dramas. I love films that deal with issues that I believe in or that I want to even experience in a way. Each character I do, I'm putting myself in their shoes and I'm experiencing the situation. It's awesome playing characters that go through experiences that I wouldn't normally go through because I get to kind of experience them. I love physical roles. I love roles that have a lot of emotion to them, a lot of depth.
The Star Scoop:
You've been working a lot lately. What has your life been like with all this work?
Townsend:
Busy [laughs]. Very busy. It's awesome. I love it. I work constantly. I feel really blessed to be working so much. It can be hectic, but I love it. Work is like my therapy in a way. It's my way to just express emotion and release things. I adore it. I wouldn't change it for the world. But, it's been very busy.
The Star Scoop:
What do you think has been the key to staying so busy?
Townsend:
I don't even know how I get the things I get. I guess I'm just lucky with landing auditions. I don't know. I'm really not sure, actually thinking about it. Maybe it's the way I go into auditions. I think of each audition as my job. I'm gonna go in and give them my performance and that's what they get. If they want more of me, then awesome, I get to have more fun. I don't ever think of getting rejected. I just wasn't right for it.
The Star Scoop:
What do you do when you're not acting?
Townsend:
I also sing and song write, dance. I'm recording right now, so I do that when I'm not acting. I'm in the recording studio; I'm writing. Of course I hang out with friends. I love my friends. I eat a lot. I feel like that's what I do when I hang out.
The Star Scoop:
It seems like you've been really focused on movie roles. Are you interested in TV?
Townsend:
I'm mainly sticking with film. I absolutely love it. I did some TV when I was younger. I'm totally not against it. It feels like lately I've been so busy with film. Doing a steady TV job would be hard, [but] I would love it. I'm drawn to film.
The Star Scoop:
What do you want your fans to know about you?
Townsend:
Hmm. I'm not good at talking about myself for some reason. Isn't it weird? I'm in this business and I think about myself, and I'm like, ahh, I've got to talk about me?