I would like to introduce you all to Latonya Williams! “ She is a Canadian actor based out of Vancouver who has over 50 credits in film and TV and is best known for her work on Lifetime’s hit Christmas trilogy, Merry Liddle Christmas, Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding, and Merry Liddle Christmas Baby, starring alongside Kelly Rowland. She is a science nerd turned socialite who went from studying Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in university to press tours in LA alongside her Merry Liddle sisters Kelly Rowland and Bresha Webb. She is a confident, fun-loving, and passionate woman with her heart set on igniting existential change and creating heaven on earth.” I recently got the opportunity to interview her! Check it out below!

How did you get into Molecular Biology and Biochemistry?

I was drawn to science in high school, especially the study of the human body. I was really fascinated by how things worked at the smallest possible level. Having a genuine interest helped me to really excel in my classes, and I ended up getting the highest mark in my province (which is like a state; I’m from Canada, lol) on the Biology provincial exam and was also awarded the Top Overall Science Achievement award in my high school. So when I say I was a nerd, I’ve got the receipts. 

How important was education to you and your family, and do you feel it has helped your career?

I’ve got immigrant parents and an Asian mama, so yes, education was important; but also just striving to be our best at whatever we set our minds to was encouraged. My siblings and I (I’ve got two sisters and a brother) always had the largest cheering section at every game or anything we did, which was really comprised of our parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I’d say it was the perseverance mindset and unconditional support that helped me in my education as well as in my career.

You were doing background acting work and got inspired again about acting. How did you make that transition from background to principal?

I found out who the agencies were in the town and submitted my “resume,” which really just consisted of a couple audition workshops, high school drama, and a list of my special skills (I was a hip-hop dancer and athlete back then; I think I even put yoga on the list, lol). I didn’t even have headshots. I got as far as doing a cold read audition after personally dropping off my resume at a larger agency to no avail. I ended up getting in at a smaller, more boutique agency that was willing to put me on their commercial roster. I quickly booked a Coca-Cola campaign (although I didn’t make the final edit), which got my agents to notice me, I think. I made the jump from there on to the principal roster when a role came around that fit my description, and they decided to take a chance (and I’m guessing they just didn’t have a ton of more experienced actors that fit the description—perks of a smaller agency to start out with)—and I booked it! Receptionist Amy in Diary of a Wimpy Kid was my first principle role, and I was off to the races from there!

You’ve done Hallmark movies and also Lifetime’s hit Christmas trilogy, Merry Liddle Christmas. What was it like working alongside Kelly Rowland in that trilogy?

Kelly is a magnificent woman, and I learned a lot from her. She put a lot of effort into making the cast really feel like family. She’s incredibly generous, not just with gifts but with her time, and she never misses giving a compliment wherever she can. I really appreciated watching her work and seeing her eye for detail. She clearly holds herself and her work to a high standard, and it makes everyone around her want to rise to the occasion. She invited myself and Thomas Cadrot down to LA with her and Bresha Webb for the MLCB press tour, which was SO much fun, and she made sure we got that LA treatment—glam, photoshoots, dinners—and her and I did a pre-screening of the movie at her house. I’ve grown a lot through my experiences filming MLC, and I’ve dealt with some insecurities playing alongside my powerhouse sisters, but it was really sweet how much support they showed me every step of the way.

What are some upcoming projects for us to look out for in 2024?

I’m in production on something unlike anything I’ve come out with yet! It will be dropping in August 2024, but it’s super hush-hush at the moment.

As an actress, you also use your platform to speak about social issues. Why is this important to you?

This is really the whole reason I became an actor. I wanted to gain a platform to make a difference. It was interesting to realize that making a difference sometimes meant challenging the narrative and risking being cancelled, but I’m not really one to stay silent when people are suffering, and I’ve done a lot of work to not let fear dictate my actions. It turns out my platform has grown a lot more and faster from speaking my mind than silencing myself and maintaining the status quo ever did. My goal is to inject my perspectives in a stable and sometimes humorous way—to give a voice to what a lot of people are thinking who don’t actually want to fight but just be heard. Our society is more depressed, divorced, and medicated than ever; it’s important for me to get people thinking, so together we can work on solutions. Finding solutions is exactly why my husband and I started our company, Real Solutions Education, where we help people breakdown their destructive patterns and unlock their potential, as well as provide an all-in-one education solution for people looking to get their kids out of the system using proven technology. Our goal is to close the gap between the haves and have-nots and create a more equal society.

Connect with Latonya here: 
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/LatonyaWilliams⁣
IMBD: www.imdb.com/name/nm4973814/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm⁣
Instagram:@latonya_williams
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Thank you so much Latonya!