Kaela nicholls
My Story
I Didn't Always Want to be "Behind" the Camera
I actually wanted to be the owner of a grilled-cheese themed restaurant. Then, a magician (with a concentration in telekenesis after watching Matidla). Finally, I landed on acting: the one declaration out of many that genuinely took my parents by surprise. I jotted ideas down, fleshing out the plots to immerse myself in the fantasy of being a Hollywood leading lady.
Little did I realize that I was concocting creative storylines in the process.
After many months of excessive high-pitched begging, my parents finally signed me with a talent agency.
Bombarded with numerous auditions as either a black girl sidekick or a mere caricature played for laughs, my dream of acting was snuffed by a feeling of inadequacy.
The Parkland School Shooting that transpired a few miles away from my classroom finally prompted me to publish a piece–an op-ed article advocating for gun control. I garnered immense support from her community, and through the impact of my work came the birth of a new passion. Combining my love for television/film, my inclination for written expression, and a devotion to social advocacy, screenwriting was the love that was fated to persist.
Where I'm Supposed to Be
As a Spelman alumna and a current Writing and Producing for Television graduate student at Loyola Marymount University, who's worn the many hats of both development and production (including but not limited to assistant director, script supervisor, editor, DP, writer, director, and producer), I utilize my humor and affinity with surrealism to platform underserved communities by intertwining entertainment with enlightenment.
