Samantha Brooks

Born: New York, NY — 1998 / Living: New York, NY

Interview by Speciwomen — May 2016

Speciwomen: Tell us about yourself. 

Samantha Brooks: I am an actress, writer, and director from New York City. I'm currently a senior at the Professional Children's School and will be attending college in the fall. I am seventeen years old. 

S: How did you get into cinema? 

SB: I've always been interested in storytelling and my family for the most part consists of people in the arts. I grew up visiting film sets and started doing musical theatre when I was ten. I have been acting and writing for several years, but when I turned sixteen, I took digital filmmaking classes in Los Angeles. I absolutely loved it! I directed two very short films, which was something I had always wanted to try but never had. Working with actors who I could relate to and making them feel comfortable in front of the camera was so rewarding. After that, I wanted to combine my interests and write, act, and direct my own films.

S: Who inspires you? 

SB: Shonda Rhimes! I stayed up until 4 am every night last summer watching Scandal. I love Lena Dunham too. Alice Munro and Miranda July are also some of my favorite authors. Munro’s novel The Lives of Girls and Women will change the way you think about growing up. I have really great friends who are career driven and they push me to do what I want. Also everyone I’ve ever worked with in the film industry inspires me to work harder and be the kind of person I desire to work with.

S: Are you working on anything currently? 

SB: I wrote, acted in, and directed a 20 minute short film called Confession on Pleasant Street last year. It's inspired by shows like the Twilight Zone, which is one of my favorites. It takes place in the 1960's and deals with betrayed trust and family secrets. Confession on Pleasant Street is premiering at the Soho International Film Festival on June 11th! Other than that, I just finished a short story and am writing another. A lot of my writing deals with the inner lives of flawed and imperfect women who are just trying to figure it all out. 

S: Do you have future plans?

SB: I want to make movies I’m really proud of and continue writing as much as possible. The ultimate goal is to be satisfied with whatever I’m doing. I’m currently auditioning and trying to read a ton. 

S: How has womanhood impacted you?

SB: Being a woman is weird and cool. I think it's shaped my life in the sense that I'm more aware of unrealistic expectations women have to deal with. In the industry I want to be a part of, there is a lot of control over how women should look in front of the camera and how they should act behind it. When I was younger, I was only aware of male directors and had the idea that I wouldn’t be allowed to direct my own projects. I was so excited when I realized I could do it myself. I think women are faced with pressure to be quieter and smaller and basically take up less space. Diversity in media is so important and the more films I watch the more I believe this. As a woman, I feel more comfortable every day speaking my mind and presenting myself truthfully. The older I grow, the easier it becomes for me to be open about my insecurities and the challenges I face. My advice to other girls with similar interests is to trust your ideas and enjoy the ride. As you get older, you’ll have more to take on, but you will become better equipped to handle it all.