Simone Miller; Empowering our young black women

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Don’t get discouraged because of one bad day!” Simone Miller

The Woman Empowered Feature has become one of our most recognized columns in the paper and for good reason. We have discovered a way to empower young Caribbean women globally, by presenting strong images of leaders who have gone against those who question a woman’s ability. If you take a look at the roster of women we have interviewed, they have ranged in careers from: the Corporate Boardroom Boss, the Political Sphere Powerhouse, to the Queen Bee Hustlers out there doing it big. With some research, we discovered that we had been focusing on one cohort, yet, there was another cohort that needed us more than ever; our young black women. This week, we have decided to take it there; Toronto Caribbean Newspaper would like to introduce to you to the sensational Simone Miller.

Even at the age of 13, Simone Miller already seems like an old soul. This actress, and singer born in Toronto, Canada started acting when she was only nine years old. Like many stars from our past and present, Simone knew from a very young age that she was destined to be an actress. Her love for the arts was unmistakable, because whenever she had the opportunity to act or sing, she would wholeheartedly with a passion of a person beyond her age.

Simone’s mom saw the passion that her daughter had and decided to act on it. She found Simone an agency to represent her, and Simone started her professional training. She recalls the first day that she walked into the agency, “It was so surreal! I was looking at all these actors and actresses on the wall; some of which I knew. I was really nervous, and excited all at the same time.” Before she was entered into the acting world, the agency made sure that they prepared her by putting her through acting workshops, and getting her set up with the scripts for her auditions. Simone’s mom actively took care of Simone’s personal preparation; she knows this industry is a tough one, so she does her best to keep Simone’s life as controlled and normal as possible. She has established boundaries and rules and has kept Simone surrounded by positive influences. 

“Maybe I missed a part, let’s watch it again!”

Simone has a light and fun-loving attitude, and she does not have an inflated sense of self, even though at 13 years old, she has already created a pretty good body of work. Not everything has been a barrel of laughs, and during our interview, Simone recalls her very first role, which was a Christmas commercial for Rogers, where Simone was playing the cousin of the main actor. She remembers her excitement when she got the part, “I jumped and screamed when I found out that I had been chosen,” Simone jokingly says. “I met the director and the actors, and they were all very nice to me; maybe because it was my first time on set.” She learned quickly about long hours and waiting around for your turn. When it was her turn, she made sure she did her very best, which is why when the commercial did come out, and she realized she had been cut, she was really upset and embarrassed. She had told all of her friends that she was going to be in a commercial. She was able to laugh it off by stepping away from the situation, which is a very mature way of handling it.

She went on to star in shows like: The Big Fun Crafty Show (Universal Kids), and Snapshots (CBC), a show were amateur photographers compete to see who could take the best picture. She has also appeared in commercials and major campaigns including: Loblaws, The Shopping Channel, Plan Canada, and The Wall Street Journal.

Her most recent credits include Detention Venture, a kid’s show streaming exclusively on CBC Gem. Simone plays Raign Westbrook, one of the school’s top students, who happens to learn about unknown treasures, and lost inventions hidden beneath her school. The entrance is somewhere in the old- library that now serves as her school’s detention room. So, what do Raign, and her friends Joy, and Hulk do? Get in trouble of course so that they can serve detention and find the hidden treasure. To make things interesting, the small team has to deal with Brett, the school bully who has found his own nesting spot in detention. The show began in early May and is a great adventure show for the family to watch.

Simone is also set to star in the biopic, The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel. This story traces the humble beginning of The Clark Sisters, and how they tackle and overcome ensuing family issues and other challenges to become the highest selling female gospel group in history. Simone is playing Young Dorinda in the film, and will be working alongside names like: Christina Bell as Twinkie, Kierra Sheard as Karen, Sheléa Frazier as Dorinda, Raven Goodwin as Denise and Angela Birchett as Jacky. To add more awesomeness to this film, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliot, and Mary J. Blige have signed on to be executive producers.

Outside of her life-changing work, Simone still gets a chance to be a kid. She is an active teenager and enjoys: kickboxing, jumping on her trampoline, and volleyball. To remain grounded, she participates in community painting projects, which allows her to volunteer her time painting churches, homes, and community centers.

Simone is an extraordinary talent, who is destined to go very far. Let us continue to empower our young black women to aim for the moon, and shoot for the stars.