“Hollywood has become an even tougher place to make a living in. Nothing is done like it used to be. There is simply no business as usual. This is a period of downsizing, shelving, sidelining, retrenching, and retreating. If you don’t know how to pivot, then you are in deep, deep trouble. In 2024 alone, the entertainment industry went through strikes, and this, after recovering from the pandemic.
The shift has been more than noticeable in the bank accounts in the past five years. Streaming services have begun to dominate the world of entertainment. Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, and dozens of others have already all but taken out cable television, and the changes they have caused to the film industry have almost left the industry unrecognizable.
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According to many studies (including UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Reports), the majority of leadership in the entertainment sector remains White, with 92% White CEOs and chairs, while 84% of senior executives are White. That means very few projects written by and about people of color are getting the green light (i.e., financed).
It’s not clear if this is due to racism or an unwillingness to open the door to BIPOC-qualified talent. Is this business or personal? According to the McKinsey report, the TV and film industry could bring in an additional $10 billion in annual revenues if it could meaningfully address its racial inequities.
The game has changed, and for creatives of color, finding ways to make a living in the industry behind and in front of the camera seems bleak. So, I asked the question, how is a working actress of color dealing with the impact? Venus DeMilo Thomas, a working director/producer/writer, stepped up to answer my question.
Thomas does not seem to be shaken by the facts. She’s been in the industry since she was four years old. After starring in the Nickelodeon series “Salute Your Shorts,” she moved onto recurring roles on shows including “The Bold & the Beautiful,” “Family Matters,” “My So-Called Life,” and “Sister, Sister.” In film, her credits include “Life,” starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.
While attending Loyola Marymount University and concurrently working at the family-owned Thomas Talent Agency, Venus thought about stepping behind the camera. A film production major with a minor in Africana studies, Venus felt that becoming a Trailer Producer and writing were natural extensions of her interest in acting.
The result of her studies was her short film “Did I Wake You?” (Sundance 2001), an ambitious, unflinching look at the lives of African-American teenagers. The success of this film convinced Venus she was moving in the right direction. She stepped into a new role as a Digital Intermediate Producer for “Machine Gun Preacher” and as a film trailer producer where she worked with directors Michael Bay, JJ Abrams, and Gore Verbinski.
Here’s what Venus DeMilo Thomas had to share about growing up in Los Angeles, working with her mother at the family-owned Thomas Talent Agency, and making things work for herself in 2024 despite the challenges. Here’s what she has to say about the art of the pivot!”
L.A. Sentinel: Venus DeMilo Thomas you grew up in Los Angeles, a child actress. In fact your mother owned The Thomas Talent agency , which was located in Beverly Hills, for over 20 years. How did your career begin?
Venus DeMilo Thomas: As you said, I was born and raised here in Los Angeles, and it was my mother got me into background acting first. And the first role I had, I was months old and I was Diahann Carroll’s baby in the mini series Roots [ 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel].
My first speaking role on a [televison] show called Alice. I had lost my front teeth, and I was sitting on Santa Claus’s lap, in 1985, and that’s when I got my SAG card.
LAS: When did you get your first big television break?
VDT: That would be my first television series. The show was called “Salute Your Shorts” and it was on Nickelodeon. It’s about a bunch of kids at camp, a place called Camp Anawanna. You spell that. A-N-A-W-A-N-N-A. I don’t “wanna” to be there. And that was the first series regular role.
LAS: Did your talent agency owning mother help you secure that part?
VDT: My mother had a huge part in it, because she saw the role and made sure that I got that audition.
LAS: Getting in the room. So important. What followed?
VDT: Lots of work. Lots of roles. I went on to do shows like “Family Matters” and “Sister, Sister” and “Smart Guy.” I got recurring roles on those shows as well as the Bold and the Beautiful, and My So Called Life, and I was featured in the film “Life” with Eddie Murphy. I worked as an actress while I was putting myself through college (Loyola Marymount University).
LAS: Back to your mother, a Black woman, owning a talent agency. I had no idea. Can you share more about that?
VDT: Of course. My mom started her agency in 1995 when I graduated high school. So while in college, and acting full time, I was working (part time) with my mother at The Thomas Talent Agency. Between my film classes, I would help my mother at her agency. I’ll never forget answering the phone, Thomas Talent. There’s so much pride in that.
LAS: And pride in hearing that, as well. Now let’s talk about how the industry is treating you today, circa 2024.
VDT: (laughing) Yeah. And so the whole streaming thing is really new, and the way that it’s broken down doesn’t really benefit the actor. It’s a lot harder to make a dime than it used to be. It used to be able to book a a national commercial thing, and that could pay you for the whole year.
Commercials are a dime a dozen. I think I probably had two auditions this year. [In the past] I typically have two to three a month. So even post strike, the industry has taken a downfall in the sense that there’s just not the things out there that there used to be. And then the deals that are available for actors now are so much less so because of the digital platforms, they’re not willing to pay national prices. So it’s the same level of commercial. You’ve got the same kind of crew, the same. It’s unfortunate. And the odds of, first of all, getting called for an audition are astronomical. And then actually booking that audition, you’re beating out 250 people, let’s say, for any one role.
LAS: Those odds are not great!
VDT: So, I mean, it is tough. It’s really tough. And you really have to love this. It’s so funny when people say, I think I’m going to try acting. It is not something you can try.
It’s something you have to wake up in the morning and know that’s who you are, because you’re not going to get the gratification that you would get in any other kind of form. You’re really basically living in a vacuum. You put your art out there and you hope that it’s well received.
LAS: Now, to the art of the pivot. What are you doing now?
VDT: Two things. The first. I was hired to read the audio book “F.I.R.E Starter: Financial Independence Retire Early — 5 Steps You Need to Take to Retire a Millionaire” written by by Gene Reid and “Richly Learning.” It’s basically changed my life as far as having a positive and realistic outlook for my own retirement. It’s not something that is dealt with, especially in the Black community. I feel like you’re not exposed to the idea of retirement. You kind of just work without thinking about the future. And this book gives you easy steps, and it really simplifies investing and different strategies to use to save money so that you can, at a certain age, live!
LAS: And the second thing? You said there were two thing.
VDT: Right. My biggest flex right now is voicing the animated character ‘Tina’ in the animated reimagining of the classic sitcom “GOOD TIMES,” which is on Netflix. Executive produced by Seth MacFarlane (American Dad!, The Orville) and the late television icon Norman Lear, the streaming series is described as an edgy, irreverent reimagining of the TV classic that sees a new generation of the Evans family keeping their head above water in a Chicago housing project.
LAS: Nice, I will provide a link to the trailer. Who does not like “GOOD TIMES?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMA2Kc7TiO0
Here is the link to F.I.R.E Starter: Financial Independence Retire Early — 5 Steps You Need to Take to Retire a Millionaire w
https://www.amazon.com/F-I-R-Starter-Financial-Independence-Millionaire/dp/B0CRR372TP
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