Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisa Conway.
Hi Marisa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I knew I wanted to be an actor since I was 7 years old. I snuck out of my room in the middle of the night and saw my parents watching the God Father. I know, very kid friendly. Al Pacino is still one of my favorite actors. I did my first monologue that next morning for my parents, before I even knew what a monologue was.
After that I had the bug – I did community theatre throughout high school and college and also sang and danced as well.
I wanted to go to NYU to study Theatre however coming from a corporate African American family – that wasn’t going to happen. I was told that I probably wasn’t good enough to do this professionally. If I was going to be successful, I would have already found success as a child actor. So, I stopped acting for 6 years and went into Corporate America as a Sales Rep and then got into IT as a Code Instructor for Kids. Right around the pandemic I got really sick, I got diagnosed with gastritis, a hiatal hernia, and stomach ulcers and due to a bacterial infection, my liver started to fail.
I felt like it was a wakeup call from God like Life is too short and you’re not doing what I called you to do. Because I was too sick to work at my corporate job I eventually quit and decided to get back into acting. I learned about Voice Acting from a friend which I truly believed helped save my life.
When I was too physically sick to work or act on camera my voice was still strong, and no one knew on the other side of the recording that I was really sick.
Day after day I worked, and I studied my craft, and I got healthier – it’s been 4 years, and I have been going strong being a full-time voice and on camera actor. I have had the honor to work with companies all around the world and have gotten signed with a top LA agency all out of the comforts of my home studio in MD. God is good!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a road with twists, turns and lots of bumps. But I am so grateful for all of them. I have become a better and stronger person because of them. Right around the pandemic I got really sick, and I got diagnosed with gastritis, a hiatal hernia, and stomach ulcers and due to a bacterial infection, my liver started to fail. I am grateful that I am better.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Voice Actor, a On-Camera Actor and a Voice Coach. I specialize in Medical Commercials and Narration; I also act as a standardized patient for John Hopkins and University of Maryland Baltimore where I role play simulated medical scenarios to help prepare Nurse and Medical students to work with real patients. I have a passion for using my acting and voice acting skills to support individuals who are neurodivergent like myself, as well as individuals who are sensitive to sensory overload and that are visually impaired and blind. I also coach individuals to help them have confidence and strength in their voice through various techniques. I am currently working on a couple of certifications.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Tenacity. I welcome rejection because I know it is a numbers game. Just like baseball or dating- I know I am going to win some, and I am going to lose some. But I always look forward, never backwards – I get excited for what’s next, because I know when I do win – it’s always going to be something great.
Pricing:
- Voice Coaching – $100/hr
- Voice Over – Depends on Project Length
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marisaconway.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risa.conway/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marisa.conway.33
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisa-conway-8839a8bb/
- Other: https://imdb.me/MarisaConway
