LaTanya Potts: The Call to Cast

Purpose
is something many people seek in their everyday lives. Longtime casting
director LaTanya Potts discovered her purpose by chance.

“I fell into it,” she reveals. “And since I was detached from the
glamour of the industry, people liked me, and continued to give me
work. I didn’t have a hidden agenda, so I thrived.”

It would be an understatement to label Potts’ career as merely
“thriving.” Having worked in casting for popular shows like “Just
Jordan,” “The Steve Harvey Show” and “Moesha,” Potts has the trust of
executives at industry giants such as Miramax, Paramount and Warner
Bros. She’s currently working on Get Lifted, a film featuring rappers
Paul Wall, Rick Ross and Trina.

While Potts enjoys the many accolades she’s garnered throughout the
industry, she maintains that she’s truly in the business because she
loves what she does.

“I love actors. I love to see them prepare for a role, and I love to
see them cultivate and integrate themselves into that role,” shares
Potts, adding that aspiring actors should be prepared to work hard. “We
want to find people that are ‘directable,’ and people that leave their
egos at the door.”

To those experiencing fears about pursuing their purpose, Potts says, it’s time to step out on faith.

“Everyone that I’ve met has some acting desires, and I understand it,”
she says. “Everyone has grown up with a television in their living
room. Why not fantasize and go for it?” –erika townsend and dewayne rogers