Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Eden Gold
I wish someone told me just how expensive LA was. I once blew all my money at a Gelson’s grocery store. Didn’t know it was a high end store for groceries. I didn’t have a car, so it was the only place I could go. I was so confused, broke, and sad.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola.
Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola stars in the EMMY, Indie Spirit, Golden Globe, and AFI award-nominated Amazon Freevee/Prime series, “Jury Duty,” opposite James Marsden. Sheedz shines as Officer Nikki Wilder, the hilarious bailiff and one of the actors in on the hoax. In 2024, Sheedz will be seen in the Marvel/Disney+ series “Ironheart’’ and lends her voice to the animated remake of “Good Times’’ premiering April 12th on Netflix where she stars as the series regular character “Lashes by Lisa.” . Previously, Sheedz has written for HBO Max’s “South Side” and IFC/AMC’s “Sherman’s Showcase”.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Chicago, come from a very big family, and was raised with A LOT of Black love, rich culture and tradition. We actually ate dinners together at the same table and holidays were the best! I’m one of 67–70 grandchildren, so there never was an empty house and my cousins were my first friends. Can you imagine Christmas as a kid? It used to look like Toys R Us because there were so many of us. I remember not having much, but not lacking anything. In the hood I grew up in, everyone knew everyone. It was truly the best.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
According to my mom I was always a character. I was smart, funny, and in my own little world. I would watch TV shows like In Living Color, Mad TV, Martin, Living Single, and then go to school and crack jokes. At the same time, I was acing all my tests so I rarely got in trouble. I was always writing parody songs and stories/scenes of what I wanted to see or act out. So I always knew, it just didn’t all come together until college and after College when I attended The Second City of Chicago, iO Chicago, and stand up tours all across NYC. I got my chops going and flowing and moved to LA in 2018. 2–3 industry showcases and dogged work later, here we are.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Something interesting that’s happened to me since I began my career? I mean, it depends on what you call interesting. Let’s see, I’ve been made fun of for being kind, (never stopped being kind though), I was robbed twice once I moved to LA (once by a roommate and the second time while I was getting groceries ¯_(ツ)_/¯ ). Oh here’s an interesting story: I think it was 2018, and I had just got home from work and a show I had done at Brunson Bar. I was so tired from walking half way home since I couldn’t afford an Uber the full way home so only had enough for “Uber Pool” at the time. (Remember Uber Pool? Yea that was a pre-pandemic thing) Anyways, I got home around 1 in the morning and was dead tired. I passed out on my then queen sized air mattress, woke up the next morning refreshed but on the floor because I fell asleep with a pen in my pocket from work. I just sat there and cried for like 20 minutes, and then got myself up and went to work. Many interesting things have happened to me along the way. That’s just a little of it!
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
A mistake I made while first starting was going back and forth between LA and Chicago. I would be in LA for a showcase, but I was still trying to live in Chicago because I loved it so much. But nothing would pop off the way I wanted it to because there was no stability or consistency. That is untilI I finally made the jump of moving to LA in 2018. From then on I was fully committed and able to grow the way I needed to.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I know a lot of people like to say they are “self made” and that’s cool; there’s lots of things I’ve had to do myself. But I take pride in community as well. There’s a long list, with the first being God. People like Cecily Strong and Kenan Thompson who looked out for me as I was coming up in all this. Whether it was a better place to stay or advice on how to navigate things through the industry, they were there. My managers Andrew Edwards and Jermaine Johnson who gave me a shot when nobody else wanted to. Also, people like Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin who used to come to my stand up shows which lead to them signing me to my first writing jobs at South Side and Sherman’s Showcase. Also, Danielle Pinnock-Wallace whose couch I used to crash on when I booked local roles in LA while I was still living in Chicago. Dewayne Perkins who taught me how to “Card a show / Pilot”. Lisa Beasley who helped to produce my first podcast. Nefetari Spencer who saw me perform and kill it on Amanda Seales’ tour in Chicago, remembered me in LA, and put me on to the Award Show writing with Jesse Collins Entertainment. Seriously so much community and good people. I did the work, but I definitely have those who were a vessel and I’m grateful for them. Truly. And to anyone I missed, I’m sorry but they know who they are. And I love them.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
The best advice I can give is to jump and watch the net appear. Just go for it and believe in yourself so much that it doesn’t matter if others don’t. And do the work. The work and the process is where the magic is. Turn the noise down and believe.
Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?
I’d like to see more genuine support of everyone in this industry. Speaking as a Black woman, nothing in this world moves without Black creativity, yet so many people are slow to invest, so I’d love to see more of that. I would love to see that for all people of color as well. There’s been improvements, but the numbers don’t lie so the industry can do way better. In the meantime, I can only focus on being the change I want to see within it all as I continue to build.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
As of right now, I just had a beautiful and impressive run starring on Jury Duty on Amazon Prime & Freevee. Next up I’m starring in Good Times as a series regular and a writer which will be released on Netflix. The world also has Marvel’s Iron Heart to look forward to as well. My future is very bright as everything else is aligning for me, as I continue to work and build while God works with my team. I’m also always developing and working on my own projects as well. That’s what’s so dope about being a creative and multi hyphenate; I get to embrace all of what I am.
We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?
It’s quite simple; this world is not just one way or one group of people, stories or cultures. Everyone should be represented so that everyone can see themselves and be inspired.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1. I wish someone told me just how expensive LA was. I once blew all my money at a Gelson’s grocery store. Didn’t know it was a high end store for groceries. I didn’t have a car, so it was the only place I could go. I was so confused, broke, and sad.
2. I wish someone told me how bomb Erewhon is. Listen, I can afford it now and it is bomb. And so good for you!
3. I wish someone told me that LA does in fact have a winter. It does not include snow, but it gets a little chilly late December — March. Especially at night. It goes from 80 to 50 REAL quick.
4 .I wish someone told me about all the free nature stuff sooner. It’s so beautiful and good for the mind. I have grown to love hiking.
5. I wish someone told me how hard it is to survive out here without a car. Everything is so spaced out, and there’s no real bus or subway system.
Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.
I love self care. I love going to the sequoia mountains with the trees, turning the noise down, and just being. I love turning my phone off when I get my hair and nails done. I love a good spiritual massage, journaling, and prayer. I love reading books and watching dope shows and movies. I love playing and remembering my why’s and living. Going to empty arcades or having game nights with some homies, that is the best. I love a clean house and making charcuterie.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my favorite life lesson quotes is: “Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you react to it.” — Charles Swindoll. It’s about managing your reaction to your emotions.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
If I could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good, it would be to encourage everyone to be a genuine good person to each other JUST CAUSE. Not because you want or need something from someone but just cause. Intentional goodness would be the movement.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
If I could have lunch with anybody it would be Bill Nye The Science Guy or Ben Savage and Topanga. I really love them.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Instagram is my only social media : @rashidasheedz
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold
Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola Is Helping To Shake Up The… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.