In this episode of Badass Black Girl, MJ and Nehemie talk with Gabrielle Barlatier, actress, director, producer, and writer. They discuss her latest projects “Not Enough” and “Tokyo and NYC” as well as two films she is currently working on, one a Haitian superhero film, the other a gritty crime drama series. Nehemie asks what led her into the entertainment business. Gabrielle talks about her childhood love of acting, and the struggle she had after college to decide to enter the entertainment business. Gabrielle discusses her upbringing by two very strong Haitian women, her mother and her aunt, and the lessons she learned from them, MJ asks her what she’d like her audience to take away from seeing her performances and/or films. Gabrielle then discusses the importance of inspiring positive action and influencing culture. She discusses whether she prefers acting to directing and the differences between those two roles. Nehemie and MJ ask Gabrielle for advice for other Haitian creatives who may feel pressured to work in a traditional field. Gabrielle discusses the importance of listening to yourself and not letting other people sway you from a direction you feel destined to take. They discuss the changes since the pandemic for an actor/director/producer, and Gabrielle discusses the importance of making contacts to further one’s career, even if they are virtual contacts and not face to face meetings. You can find out more about Gabrielle’s work at gabriellebarlatier.com.
Gabrielle Barlatier is a 23-year-old Haitian American actor, writer, producer, and director born in central New Jersey. After graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Business Administration, Gabrielle found herself in an industry far off from where she expected. No longer actively acting, she felt she needed a change. After graduating, Gabi moved back to the New York/New Jersey area in pursuit of her full-time acting career. In no time, Gabrielle made her official theater debut in New York as Travis in Lorraine Hansberry's the A Raisin in Sun this past November. While building her craft on stage, Gabrielle has also been establishing her career in the student film circuit. Her most notable lead role was in the NYU Thesis film, “To the Girl that Looks like Me” written and directed by Ewurakua Amoah. The film has since been selected as a finalist in the 47th Student Academy Awards presented by The Academy. In July, Gabrielle made her directorial debut, directing a Healing Room Films production film written and produced by herself. She has been cast in two recent features, Before the Rain and A Day to Love and hopes to soon book more work to broaden her range.
You can visit her website right here.