Her Story
About Tonya
I have always been a writer for as long as I can remember, though I never thought I could do what I saw on TV. I started writing for my church and the young people there, just for leisure. It wasn't until my early 30s that someone at church told me I should take my plays into the community, and I was hesitant because I didn't know what I had in me. I did plays in Illinois from 2008 to 2019, then moved to South Carolina. I initially decided I wasn't going to do plays anymore and would just help other people, because I was afraid to start over. But my husband kept telling me I needed to do my own thing, and the pastor at my church kept saying God put something in me and I needed to write. So I prayed and said I wanted to turn a play into a movie. Miraculously, at a car lot, a salesman saw my play advertisement and offered to film it for free. After filming, he asked if I'd ever thought of turning it into a movie, which was exactly what I had been dreaming about. That's how my film career was built. I don't get up and say I'm getting ready to write - I actually get downloaded information and have to write down what's going through my head. I always say Jesus is my boss. I'm different from other writers because I don't have people I look up to in the traditional sense. My work is truly divine and comes from something bigger than me.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tonya
01What do you attribute your success to?
I always say Jesus is my boss. I'm feel so different from other writers I meet. I don't get up and say I'm getting ready to write. I actually get downloaded information, and I have to write down what's going through my head because it'll come all of a sudden, out of nowhere. It's bigger than me. This is all divine. Everything that has happened in my career, from meeting the cameraman at the car lot who offered to film my play for free and then asked if I wanted to turn it into a movie, to getting my films on Tubi and Amazon Prime - it's all been God's work. I didn't plan any of it in the traditional sense. I just followed what was being put in my heart.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've gotten is to never move like I'm thirsty, because if you're thirsty, you're gonna take any and everything. I just got that advice probably about 2020, and it has really shaped me as an actress and just when opportunities present themselves. It's taught me to be selective and not desperate, to wait for the right opportunities rather than jumping at everything that comes my way.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I know it's cliche, but I always say keep going, because there's definitely, definitely gonna be those times where you feel like this isn't working, this isn't going anywhere, but you really just have to keep going. You never know - one day you wake up and something is checked off your box. One day you wake up and you're walking in your dreams, and I feel like that's what I'm doing. So never give up, and always keep learning. I wish I would have known earlier what I had inside of me, but what's meant for you will come to you. Just keep pushing yourself to do what you think you can't do.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge for me is definitely funding. Being independent means I have so many ideas and so much I want to do with so little funds, so funding would be my biggest challenge. I usually don't make money from my shows - it's coming out of pocket. As far as opportunities, I'm still kind of waiting. I feel like I'm the underdog and nothing comes easy. I'm grateful for being on Tubi and Amazon Prime because that's new for me in 2024, and I'm still really on cloud nine about that. But other than that, I haven't gotten those big opportunities yet that I'm looking for, but I'm still hopeful. My biggest goal right now is to get one of my films on Hallmark.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is the most important value to me. I cherish family deeply. My company is run with my family - me, my husband, and our children. Loyalty is also very big for me. I'm very big on if you start a project with me, you finish it out and see it through. I'm also very committed to finishing anything that I say I'm gonna do. Those are the two biggest values for me - family and loyalty. Everything I do involves my family, and I expect that same level of commitment and follow-through from others that I give myself.
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