Actress and filmmaker Shanti Lowry candidly discusses balancing diverse roles, merging family and filmmaking while passionately advocating for inclusive casting and empowering women of color.
I know you as an actress and a dancer. It was awesome to learn that you are also a producer, a filmmaker, a mom, a wife, and a daughter. So, for those of us who haven’t figured it out yet, how do you do that?
You know, it’s so funny. I get asked that a lot and I wish I had some great answer, but I think the truth is that I don’t do it all. I just do a lot and I do it the best that I can and then I switch to something else. In all honesty, when I’m producing, I have to take off a few hats. I can’t be a stellar wife. I always have to be a stellar mom. That’s at the top of the list. You got to keep that in there. I’m not the best housekeeper and I’m not the best cook when I’m producing. Sorry, but things like that go away. So, it’s not that I do at all. Some things are priorities to me that I’m not willing to give up shooting for…Just because I’m a mom or because I have family in town—sometimes that gets a little messy, and you can’t give the best of yourself. This is honestly the thing I think about all day, every day: how do I give more of the best of myself to whatever I’m doing? But I think that’s a woman and a mom thing, right? We’re constantly thinking we should be doing better. I think maybe that’s it. We just need to forgive ourselves and do what we can when we can and not try to think of what it all is.
Speaking of that, I heard that while you were working on PERSONA you prioritized that family time and brought your family to live with you on set so you can maintain your breastfeeding schedule. It sounds like the entire process of creating PERSONA allowed you to carve space for your priorities to take center stage.
Oh, gosh, it was an absolute dream come true, creatively. I’ve always been a creator and a storyteller. I was called an actress because that’s what I did first, and then I was called a dancer. But the truth is, I’ve always been interested in every aspect of telling a story. When I’m in the wardrobe room, I just want to know everything about how they created that character’s look, wardrobe style, color choices, and palettes. I’m sitting there talking to the camera guy, and I want to know everything about why he was zooming. I’m a busybody. I’m a little nosy and I love creating, and I want to feel like I understand that whole process. I’ve always been a producer, but I’ve never gotten a chance to truly get my hands in and say, ‘This is my project. I’m going to do it from top to bottom, creatively the way I want, but also while creating an environment that I want as a woman of color on set.
I love that you’re working to bring forth that environment on your sets. You mentioned your character in PERSONA being dark. So, let’s go there. What was she like? What was that experience like?
I can’t say a ton about her because it’s a mystery- thriller. I really don’t want to spoil much, but what I will say is that the movie opens with me waking up not knowing where or who I am. I’m in a lot of physical pain. I have a gash on my head. I have bruises all over. I have a lot of other injuries that I’m trying to figure out and piece together on top of the fact that I’m in a very disquieting and uncomfortable house that I obviously don’t recognize. And I don’t think I’m supposed to be there. I very quickly realize this is bad. I don’t want to say more about what I find out. I’d love for you to watch it. But as far as a deep character, just processing that you don’t know where you are, and you don’t know who you are at any moment means any terrible thing could happen. You can go deep on that. You know, it’s a pretty frightening thing as a woman. It was really intense.
As an on-screen storyteller, I’m pretty sure that one role pulls from another, pulls from another. Are there roles that you have played in the past that may have helped you prepare you for this role?
I think everything we do in life prepares us for everything else. I understand a little bit more about this because I’ve lived through things and so that’s going to color the way I look at this situation. I think everything in life sort of does that…I played a character named Yolanda on Bronx SIU. And I’d say that’s the only one that’s prepared me most for this simply because it was an extremely vulnerable character as well, where I was doing things that Shanti wouldn’t naturally do in front of anyone…
Absolutely! So, is it safe to say that we will see you making way for more women of color actresses to play roles like this in the future?
God willing, that’s 100% why I chose to be a producer. Like I said, I wanted to change the way that we interact on set, but I also wanted to give people who look like me more opportunities… I was actually looking for people of color and for women in every role first… It was intentional. I really wanted to have a room full of colorful, beautiful people and a lot of estrogen because I just really feel like that changes the production and it changes the way we interact with each other on set. And man, it was awesome.
I can hear the passion for everything, from the environment shifting, to how this project has allowed you to align your values with your career. It’s an encouraging story to hear. And what I find really dope is your daughter is getting a front-row seat. What does it mean to you that she’s by your side as you’re working to create this change?
Yeah, that’s everything. That’s the reason I’m doing it. I’ve always wanted to do it, but the impetus to just absolutely like say we’re doing it now was looking at my daughter and realizing that this is who she knows who I am now, not who I’ve been—not all the things I’ve done in the past. This is who I am now and moving forward, and so who do I want to be for her? And, you know, I just said I know who I want to be, so let’s go for it. Let’s do it. Well, I think we all kind of know who we want to be. We’re just maybe afraid to go for it. She was an impetus for me because I want her to be anything she wants, and I never want her to be afraid, so I can’t be afraid. And someday I will get to tell her, ‘I looked at you and I said, I know I can be great. I know I can do something that you’ll be proud of, and this is what I made for you.’ That’s going to be amazing. I’m living my dream. And I hope that someday she feels that’s not even a question. Of course, you go after your dreams. That’s what you do in life.
We’ve talked about the present and what the future might look like. Let’s go back a little bit. What was your favorite role to play?
That’s so interesting. That’s like picking a favorite child. I really loved being on The Game, not necessarily because of Dionne, but I loved the environment of The Game. The family and the people were wonderful. On Bronx SIU, I had a lot of fun with Yolanda just because it was scary and intimidating every day and I had to act with a lot of people, filming out on the streets in New York. It was fun, but I don’t think there’s a character that I like more than another because they’re just people trying to survive, trying to live, and trying to do their thing. And sometimes the darkest characters are the most fun to play. So, I actually think this character in PERSONA might be the most fun I ever had as a whole process- on set and off.
Priya Williams
