Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Shani Rigsbee Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
An Interview With Eden Gold
I feel that my education in learning how the industry worked over time — whether it was forming my own production company/LLC gave me a good framework to create from and present myself how I chose. Yes, collaboration was and is always valuable and was necessary for me but knowing now that you can be more in control of your destiny is not about outward perceptions.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Shani Rigsbee.
Shani Rigsbee (SHANI), is part of a rare power pack of American stars that are equally fluent both on stage, in recordings and on screen. A multi-award winning artist, her credits as a singer, composer and producer appear in major motion pictures and she has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues. Widely considered an International Artist, at the heart of it, she is just an American girl from a small town in Arkansas with a love for rhythm, melody and soul and a move to the big city of Los Angeles changed it all…
After relocating to LA at the end of her high school years, she honed her talents and was introduced to a wide range of International music. She was then invited to tour, write and record with some of the entertainment industry’s finest artists — globally famous such as International Pop Icon and Hollywood “Walk of Fame” recipient, ANDY Madadian, a Persian Armenian Superstar whom she has performed and collaborated with for years. Soon her work became featured in film and television with a special emphasis on globally diverse projects. With four solo albums released Internationally, she has also released a variety of singles and collaborations an recorded in multiple languages. Her award winning musical humanitarian venture called “We Hear Your Voice was an original song penned, produced and performed by Shani and features some of the World’s greatest voices singing in solidarity and unity with top producers and musicians in the industry lending support. It was chosen to be performed before a live televised audience for the One World Peace Concert with the Dalai Llama on AXS TV. Her single, “Changing Tides” was written and performed by Shani in response to the outcry of civil rights in America and around the world. She has written and performed and original holiday song, “Light of the World” and a special short musical film “Breathe Free” in which she also performed with ANDY about overcoming adversity, paired with a state of the art music video with a two-time Oscar nominated producer.
The Warner Bros, feature film, AMERICAN WRESTLER features Shani as a singer in the end title credit song she co-wrote called “Rise” performed by ANDY. She is also appears in the music video and directed it. She wrote the theme song “The Good Fight” for the film AMERICAN FIGHTER. She has created and performed works for many other television and features which include her song, “El Llamar de Pasión — Call of the Wild” in the ACADEMY AWARD WINNER for Best Picture, CRASH.
On screen, Shani has played a variety of roles from a sultry femme fatale to a seductive ancient temptress. In GUARDIAN ANGEL, she plays a detective and has also written and performed the theme/end credit song “Far and Away” for the film. Shani was the featured vocalist in the 20th Century Fox epic film, ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING and also appeared in and provided music for THE HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (Dreamworks). In THE KEEPER — THE LEGEND OF OMAR KHAYYAM (Guide Company Films) with Academy Award Winner Vanessa Redgrave, she played the exotic “Court Entertainer” and was also the Executive Producer of the film’s soundtrack and created original music for the film, “FROM HERE TO BEYOND.” One of her first major credits was being chosen as the featured vocalist for Sony Playstation’s PARASITE EVE, a mega popular and ground-breaking international hit. Her debut film role was in the feature film CROSSWORLDS with Josh Charles and Jack Black and she also has several episodic television credits in her archives from her earlier ingénue days in Los Angeles.
She has parlayed her skills both in the music industry and her experience as both a performer on screen and stage into also producing and directing many of her own music videos. Her latest project, DARK ASSET is a feature film where she serves as a producer and is also a featured cast member. She wrote and performs the film’s theme song, “Upside,” which is a bonus track off her latest album, “The Moon Knows,” a throwback to her earliest childhood inspirations and influences, drawing upon R & B / soul, old school pop and jazz.
Shani has worked in many charitable, humanitarian and service-oriented capacities, and having her own first hand experiences battling a life-threatening illness with ovarian cancer, she felt her path enlightened and has dedicated much of her personal and professional life to causes she believes in. She has served on Non Profits / Board of Directors such as the Women’s Clinic and Family Counseling Center in Los Angeles and been on prestigious Host Committees and performed in countless high-profile charitable events around the world. She also served as Producer of the 2008 Barack Obama Presidential Inaugural Purple Ball’s show in Washington D.C with featured Performances with IL DIVO and others. An avid Animal Welfare advocate and committed to those must vulnerable, she is the Founder and President of a Non Profit organization, Voices Out, Inc www.voicesout.org which gives voice and aid to children and animals in abusive, neglectful and abandoned conditions.
Learn more at www.shanimusic.com
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?
Thank you for having me! So, I grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas. My parents always had music in the house, with a great record collection. My father would play drums and, as a very little girl, I sang and also tried to play drums with him. My foundation was set with some pretty high quality music. I always wanted to perform and would create little shows in my backyard or garage for friends and neighbors and would force my friends to play roles or sing with me! I always wanted to pursue the arts but my time in school was very dedicated and I enjoyed that period very much. I was in student council, did gymnastics, a cheerleader captain and in Varsity cheerleading squad, and later participated in Choir. My focus was school activities and studies but my performance life was mostly at home and set to pursue later. For some reason, it was very much something that I was holding on to more privately and I didn’t want to face failure or rejection in my artistic pursuits. As a Junior in High School we ultimately moved to Los Angeles so that I could become a resident and be able to enter college as a local but I ended up immediately studying with a well known vocal coach, Seth Riggs, and I spent time learning more about writing and recording music. I also began to learn the ropes as a young actor, studying with various people and then getting an agent and manager.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
There was never a specific incident other than the fact that my parents would take me to a famous local nightclub in our hometown, The Vapors, that many artists would perform in as part of their circuit which included Las Vegas.
Seeing these acts along with my love of music at home and my strong drive to perform along with enjoying film and tv shows in a different way, a way that felt that that was what I wanted to do myself, was the confirmation that it’s what I wanted to do with my life.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
There have been many highlights but one that is so out of the ordinary was that I wrote and produced a song called “We Hear Your Voice” which was a humanitarian effort that featured 11 of the top vocalists of the World who sang together in unity to create a sort of anthem and message to people of the world that their cries for help and peace were not going unheard. And then several of us were invited to perform at the World Peace One concert in New York with the Dalai Llama. Prior to the show, we met the Dalai LLama and he watched the concert. It was a very full circle feeling knowing that this message for peace and unity ultimately also reached that place. I think that experience and the surreal experience of the movie CRASH where I had been introduced to the team through a friend to provide music. I knew it was a wonderful movie as I sat in the editing room looking at scenes. There wasn’t even a distributor at that time. The movie was later picked up by the studio and released with my song in the film. It then was nominated for an Oscar and not only did the editor who I sat next to, Hughes Winborne, win an Oscar but the film also won Best Picture. It was and is one of the most incredible industry highlights of my life.
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?
I once auditioned as a teenager for Steven Spielberg’s company, Amblin Entertainment for one of his films. I made it all the way to his office on the lot and it was such a thrill but also very intimidating as I was shuttled back through the lot and taken into the offices. And although he wasn’t in the room, I was being filmed. I was so nervous that I just froze on one of my lines! I was so embarrassed as the material was in my hands and still I didn’t respond properly which caused them to have to say something. I knew right then that I sort of blew it. I was right for the part technically, but I learned on that day that my preparation and confidence was not correct. I later had an amazing manager who has since passed away, Deborah Robertson Bardsley, who was such a great influence on my life and told me that basically talent or looks can only take you so far. That having a solid foundation in my training was very necessary. I didn’t want to believe it at first thinking I had taken all of these different acting classes but she explained to me that a committed “method” of training and putting the time in for this foundation was key. I then studied the Sanford Meisner method of acting after that and understood what she meant. I started that just before turning 18 and having that under my belt then gave me a different level of confidence in understanding the craft and quality necessary as an artist going forward.
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 was asked to sing and join Andy (Madadian)’s band and that opportunity gave me a chance to pursue music full time then and travel the world as a performer. He was already famous at that time and though I had worked with other performers, I got to see very closely and personally how he handled all of the pressures of being a famous Artist. He was always calculated and gracious and very committed. This definitely rubbed off on me at an impressionable time. We became close and eventually developed a personal relationship and after many years then married. But I believe that his approach to his work and success with the reputation he developed and the appreciation for his kindness that I witnessed even under those pressures, definitely has made an impact on me over all of these years and I try to mirror that.
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?
I think it’s very important to remain flexible. The trajectory I ended up on was not likely — in being perceived as an International Artist which I became somewhat unexpectedly or unplanned. but that label also gave me new opportunities in music and film and it was the combination of all of these experiences that broadened my network worldwide. My perspective also became more global as I approached both the artistic and business side. All of that influence helped me to see my career and the industry with a much wider lens and ultimately led me to even produce.
Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?
A continued commitment to women both in front of and behind the camera, running the show (literally) and the same in music. Women have so much to offer and for far too long have been expected to basically “look good” as a priority and their talent just needed to sort of get them by. I’ve actually been on calls where I’ve heard people repeatedly say about the leading male role needing to be “so and so” or “so and so” and then the female role we’ll just fill in. This is as though the women had no actual value. This is not true at all! Women are hugely responsible for the success of products which also includes film, television and music and want to see themselves represented! They are not sidekicks. We have made progress and there are many female performers now developing their own material but we need to move overall past the idea of thinking that women are still secondary. The investment needs to be committed also by others so good projects can be continually made and released.
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?
I am trying to find projects that I may or may not be directly in but that I believe are both entertaining but interesting, thought provoking and move the needle forward. Our time watching content or listening to music is limited and it should elevate us in some way. It may still be fun to watch but you can also educate in the process whether it’s historically or psychologically.
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?
Our culture is diverse! Kids grow up seeing a diverse world especially in larger cities and also in movies and shows and the more we continue to reflect this representation onscreen — the more “normalized” our communication and interactions will seem. This can be so important to having less division in our society and creating more of a sense of actual community. The more we see all of ourselves represented, stories told about “all of us,” then the more we are able to realize how similar at the core we are with many of the same concerns and desires. Stories help us show this.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
That I didn’t need to choose between fields (music and film). I usually was made to feel that I needed to decide which area I was going to focus on as the representatives didn’t want to know what else I was doing. But in fact, being in both fields ultimately gave me the most opportunities as my music was then requested in films that had certain types of needs which matched what I was doing and I began to meet more filmmakers directly as opposed to just being an actor relying on an agent. I was then able to develop more relationships and projects based on this various network of people over the years that had been built, putting me in the driver’s seat instead of waiting for the phone to ring.
That looks / beauty wasn’t the sole emphasis in getting noticed.
I feel that my education in learning how the industry worked over time — whether it was forming my own production company/LLC gave me a good framework to create from and present myself how I chose. Yes, collaboration was and is always valuable and was necessary for me but knowing now that you can be more in control of your destiny is not about outward perceptions.
That obsessing over weight doesn’t work! I learned that the more obsessive I was about my eating or size only made me want to eat more and have bad habits.
Over time, I focused just on the projects and things I wanted to do which ultimately kept me busy and my metabolism and activity levels helped me manage better. The less I thought of my appearance in that way, the better it was for me.
That I did not need to be “all in” or I wasn’t deserving. That’s not true. I developed a health crisis unexpectedly (ovarian cancer) at an early age and threw my life into a tailspin. Thankfully, I recovered but my whole perspective about life changed. I found meaning and purpose to the work. Yes, commitment and hard work is necessary but it’s not everything. You need to live life and appreciate life and “do life” in a way that you will also have something to share and bring to the table.
That having an agent was the end all be all. For me, the majority of my jobs have come from people that I know. Even after my manager passed away (when I was still rather young) I never had a solid, reliable agent for the most part. I just kept going. So I think putting yourself out there and being in various creative groups, getting to know people, putting your work on display however you can is so necessary. With a camera and a group of friends, a play or recording if you are an artist will showcase who you are and you can find like minded people to help you advance.
That the casting couch concept isn’t just a story. It is very real. I learned the hard way. It’s very important to have boundaries and to know that not everyone has your best interest in mind no matter what is being said. It’s necessary to use common sense and not put yourself in settings where you are too alone. Even with some of the most so-called “powerful” or successful people in the industry.
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?
I am very dedicated to my animals. I have dogs and horses and I rescue. I have a Non Profit called Voices Out and that emphasis on serving those in need is so valuable to keep your perspective. Not focusing too much on what isn’t working all the time and applying yourself to others who are vulnerable is so heart-warming and satisfying knowing you are truly making a difference.
Also, the unconditional love received from animals is priceless. The best therapy!
The only self care rituals I make sure to practice is making sure I have time for my animals which is soul-healing and when my heart and soul are “warm,” I think it allows you to radiate that to others. Your body can stay more in balance which then will help you sleep and stay focused for your other commitments. And I make time for introspective conversations with trusted friends and family to process feelings so things do not stay bottled up. I also enjoy the occasional massage to give myself that healing touch.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Everything happens for a reason.” I would say this because throughout the majority of my life, looking backwards even when things didn’t seem to be going well whether in a relationship or with work, I can see where I was learning. I was exposed to information during these times. New people, new experiences that then stayed with me and became part of my own reality or knowledge. It then becomes clear that change is ok because you can continue to grow and become a better human and then do more for others.
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?
I would have to say to teach people to pay more attention to animals and the earth around us. First of all, there is so much beauty in both and so much you gain from your interaction with animals and with nature. These are gifts for humans to enjoy but also to look after and nurture. That giving and receiving is very important for wellness and harmony with people. The balance of those 2 things keeps people mindful of goodness and leaves less time for bad influences.
And within these practices, we realize how much we are similar as people opposed to highlighting our differences in poor ways.
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!
I would love to have an absolute one on one with Michelle Obama — no cameras and no recording so I could ask questions about her perspective post White House era and what she learned about herself. I think people who are in places of influence also go through many hardships that are not always seen and understanding that there is strength that we can find when necessary to keep going is a great lesson to draw from later.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Instagram: @shanirigsbee
Youtube: @shanimusic
Facebook: @shanirigsbee-official
Tik Tok: @shanirigsbee
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 Shani Rigsbee Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.