Naturi Naughton is best known for her role as Tasha, a no-nonsense wife of kingpin Ghost (Omari Hardwick) in Starz Network’s series “Power”. Naughton has become quite popular over the years through music, movies and plays. Because of her longevity and success in the entertainment business, she has become a go-to for young girls and women seeking advice about the entertainment business.
“As a woman in the business, it’s essential that we support one another and encourage each others talents,” she said to a room full of girls at a monthly Saving Our Daughters event on Aug. 11th in East Los Angeles. About 20 girls were in a vision board session surrounded by Naughton and Academy of Motion Pictures Executive Administrator Shawn Finnie. “There are going to be so many people in this world who won’t support you, but you have to shake that off and be a positive person who helps others,” Finnie said.
Naughton, who was formally a member of the platinum selling pop group 3LW, transitioned to film with her performances as Lil Kim in film “Notorious” and her role in MGM’s remake of the classic film “Fame”. She also appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical, “Hairspray” for three years and is currently working on an album.
“As a child I was greatly influenced by singers like Whitney Houston and wanted to do it all,” Naughton said. She said by the age of five she knew she wanted to be a singer and an actress. At the age of 15, Naughton started her career and from then on, she experienced some of the highs and lows of the entertainment world.
“When I left 3LW, I had to learn how to surround myself with positive people through my career. A positive environment results in positive results and that was key for me. There were a couple years where I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I kept pushing until I landed projects that projected me to the stage of my life,” she said.
Finnie, who is also a singer/songwriter, believes that dreams come true through finding out what each individuals purpose in life is.
“Whatever it is you want to do, you have to have a ‘why’. You have to understand what your purpose is and why you want to move forward to get your dream,” said Finnie. “Ultimately your dream is not just about you, it’s about how you can help this world through what you love.”
Naughton closed out the vision board session with some key advice for the girls that she believes will help them move forward in the process of their dream making.
“Determination and hard work is key to any success. Never forget who you are. Do not change who you are for this world. Many people throughout my career tried to change me, but I decided that I wasn’t going to be a statistic because I know who I am. So remember who you are and you can get through anything in life,” said Naughton.
