Actress, writer, and producer Natasha Ofili chatted about her career in the entertainment industry, and she opened up about some of her latest endeavors.
Most recently, she did the story, creative direction, performance, and American Sign Language Translation for the Coldplay music video for “feelslikeimfallinginlove,” which is also the title track of their latest studio album.
Congrats on the success of “feelslikeimfallinginlove”… How do you feel knowing the video went viral (over 21 million views since July)?
I wasn’t expecting that at all. I had no idea this would happen. I wasn’t thinking about the number of views–I just hoped that people would receive the video with openness and really embrace the song. And they did!
Knowing how much the song impacted so many people all over the world gives me joy.
How does it feel to be developing a feature film based on the video with Coldplay’s support?
It leaves me speechless/signless to have a band like Coldplay believe in my story, The Girl Who Sees Music. I feel like artist to artist,they are able to see and believe in the unique artistic story I want to tell. I never thought in my life that one of the greatest bands would support my feature film.
Being an artist and doing something that has never been done before from the perspective of a Deaf person is hard to sell because people are scared of it. They don’t know what to do with it. It is out of their comfort zone.
Coldplay believes in the story, which encourages me to continue creating. I am very grateful and happy to show this story to the world from a Black Deaf woman’s artistic imagination.
How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent)
It is hard, especially as a millennial—at first we did not have technology and social media. At the same time, it is important to evolve. The digital age and social media have opened the path for outreach—people who feel like they can connect with someone’s story or journey.
The connection of the digital age also helps people feel like they are not alone. That is the beauty of social media–where you can be in a different part of the world, and you don’t feel alone. It expands our understanding of what is possible.
I am very grateful to my fans, and I see you all. I truly do. I genuinely appreciate your support; it gives me the drive to keep going.
I do want to spotlight the dark side, the toxicity of social media. Full transparency, I have experienced a lot of hurt because the likes and number of followers became the weight of who you are and feel like they define your value.
I feel like some put on a persona to be accepted, and that can lead to unhealthy relationships with yourself and others. How did we get to this point where it is all about the likes and followers? It is disheartening to see this happening, and it impacts everything, from youth, to what talent is cast, to what scripts are picked up.
True art and expression come from within, not catering to get likes, followers, and engagement. We are all humans and need healthy, authentic connections to tap into our inner being.
All I want is for people to be themselves 100 percent. My question is, going forward, how can we, in this digital age evolve to be in a better place where we are our true, genuine, and authentic selves without the likes and numbers to justify our existence, our value? Where is the art, the talent? Does that not have any weight anymore? It makes me sad, but I try to remain hopeful for the future.
Can tell us about your upcoming God Bless America” ASL performance at the US Open Women’s final… What can we expect?
We will have Mickey Guyton, a Grammy nominee, with whom I will be signing “God Bless America” at the U.S. Open Women’s Tennis Finals.
It will be my first time doing something like this and at the U.S. Open… It’s a big wow moment for me. I have watched tennis since I was a little girl.
I watched Martina Navratilova, Andy Roddick, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and more–all these phenomenal tennis players.
To be there signing “God Bless America,” being the second Deaf person to sign at the U.S. Open, I am grateful. Thank you to Brandon for nominating me, the U.S. Open for selecting me, and ESPN for providing picture-in-picture and full access for our deaf viewers across the U.S.
It will be very emotional and empowering to honor our American people.
How did it feel to make history as the first Black Deaf woman to play a video game character? How did it feel to make history as the first Black Deaf woman to be a playable character, Hailey Cooper, in the video game, Spider-Man 2?
Full of bliss, celebration, and “Oh My God!” humbling. Every day, I think, never in my wildest dreams did I predict becoming a playable character in a video game. It seems so impossible to achieve something like that. The fact that it happened…
Wow. Incredible. I am very happy that all the Black and brown Deaf boys, girls, persons, and adults worldwide can see that it is possible.
The incredible people who work at Insomniac Games really saw and believed in me and Hailey Cooper. Insomniac Games made this happen, and because they did this, other studios can make it happen, too.
Insomniac Games was fearless in taking the leap on me. And I conquered.
What is your advice for Deaf up-and-coming artists that wish to make it in the industry?
I’ve always said the same thing to Deaf youth and adults: You must be passionate about what you do. If you are passionate about what you do, I say go for it. Passion becomes your drive to keep going.
Then, form your circle of supporters. With the right people in your circle, you won’t feel alone. I felt alone for a very long time, and I still do, however, I do have a small circle of supporters who remind me of my passion and why I want to keep going.
What do your plans for the future include?
Expanding my production company, NIOVISION. Develop and write “The Girl Who Sees Music,” and make the film happen.
I would love to be cast in a film with Christopher Nolan. I read that he is currently working on a horror film. It would be amazing to be in that film.
I also saw that there will be a film adaptation of the book, “Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi. I would love to be cast for that film. I will continue to show people my work as an actor, and I hope people will be open to giving me a chance.
What’s it like knowing actor Jonathan Stoddard?
I am a huge fan of Jonathan Stoddard and who he is as a person. I’ll never forget; I met him in 2016 at an audition. A mutual friend introduced us, and we connected instantly.
One of the things I love about Jonathan is his humility and kindness, which I still cherish to this day. Then, I saw him at a holiday party in 2023, and we had the same magnetic energy when we first met, even though it has been a long time since we saw each other.
I am so proud of his success and journey. It is nice to meet and befriend genuine and kind people in Hollywood.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
Success can be anything you define it to be. It comes in small and big scale ways. The most important thing when it comes to success is that once you put your mind to something, for example, a script, you must follow through and finish it, even when it is hard.
That is success because it becomes a big win to acknowledge and celebrate. Then, those successes add up to the next thing and keep you going. Those successes help you evolve to be greatness.
What would you like to say to your supporters?
“Follow your heart but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.” – Carl W. Buehner
I am very grateful to my fans, and I see you all. I truly do. I genuinely appreciate your support; it gives me the drive to keep going.
Never sacrifice who you are. Never. For anyone, for anything. This quote popped up in Facebook memories from 13 years ago just the other day. It is so funny because I feel like all the quotes I wrote in the past are preparing me for where I am today.
It is like the movie Interstellar, where the past me tries to guide the future me for what is to come.
I encourage you to trust and listen to your heart, your inner child. It is so hard, believe me, I know. But your inner light will shine on your destined path to success, joy, and abundance.
To learn more about actress, writer, and producer Natasha Ofili, follow her on Instagram.
