Exclusive Interview: The People vs. OJ Simpson’s Noree Victoria Chats Career x Inspirations
While we have been on a break from popular shows Power and Empire, viewers have been tuning into a new series. The People Vs. O.J. Simpson has been having people talking and raving since it first aired on FX Networks. However, there is one particular role on the show that had caught everyone’s attention–and that is the juror that appeared in this past week’s episode played by rising actress Noree Victoria.
She made headlines in popular pop culture magazines, such as Bossip, with people wondering who the “fine juror” is. After seeing several articles and photo galleries on Ms. Noree lining up down my timeline, I had interview the actress for myself, but I wanted to get deeper into who she is, what her aspirations for the future are, and what steered her into acting. I wanted to get to know the personality behind the pretty face to inspire you guys, the readers on you too can accomplish your dreams which are just at your fingertips.
So before we get into the interview, here’s a brief background on who Ms. Victoria is. The rising actress hails from Baltimore, Maryland and has been active in the creative arts her entire life. Starting out writing imaginative short stories and plays, she completed her first bound children’s book at the age of 7 (more of that in interview).
Loving the arts and academics, during her middle school years, she used creative and intellectual outlets to escape her sometimes-challenging upbringing in Baltimore, opting to spend summers in special programs on college campuses studying drama, creative writing, and painting with the help of government subsidized grants and academic scholarships. At the age of 16, once again longing for a life beyond the borders of her home city, she petitioned her school board on her own and successfully won their approval to bypass her senior year, and go directly on to college, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and Biology, and subsequently a Master’s Degree in Information Technology. Noree completed her Master’s program with a 4.0 GPA. However, coming from an entertainment family with modest means– kin to the late jazz musician Eubie Blake, and sister to Emmy nominated actress Penny Jerald– the lure of acting proved way too overpowering for her to neglect. After completion of her academic studies, she stepped out on faith to pursue her creative passions in the performing arts full time, gaining recognition by winning the Best Actress award at AMTC’s Shine, a nation-wide talent competition drawing over 2000 contestants each year.
After being discovered at AMTC, Noree was contacted by the New York Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts and offered a scholarship to study under the direction of some of the most esteemed instructors in the business, taking on Scene Study, Advanced Film Combat, Voice-over, Michael Chekhov technique, Shakespeare Presentation, and Commercial Technique. She successfully completed the certificate program in New York, then promptly traveled to Atlanta to explore the rapidly growing film and television industry there, both in front of, and behind the scenes.
In addition to appearing in various television programs and films, such as The Game, Necessary Roughness, Teen Wolf, and Quarantine 2, Noree has produced and co-produced several music video projects and a feature-length Martial Arts inspired film. She is currently a series regular on The Rickey Smiley Show playing the character of “Simone,” and continues pursuing her acting career and training in Los Angeles.
Now that you know a little about the juror, listen to the one-on-one interview below where she spoke deeper into her career, goals, and hobbies.