Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Maahra Hill Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
Prioritize self care. That’s it. I wouldn’t have wanted someone else’s advice. I like to go at things my own way. The things I learned along the way were perfectly timed. Had I known anything previously, it would have taken away from my personal journey, and that was an important part of my ability to make the necessary adjustments required to succeed. Our experiences are valuable teachers.
As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Maahra Hill.
As the title character in OWN’s new drama series Delilah, Maahra embodies the same fierce determination and devotion to family as that of the powerful lawyer she portrays. Delilah seeks justice for people that need it the most while trying to balance her high-powered career with raising two children and keeping her faith. That challenge will undoubtedly resonate with women in today’s increasingly challenging world. The series is from the same producer of the network’s long-running drama, “Greenleaf” and takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Maahra was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised between there, Atlanta, Dallas, New York and Chicago. Between the ages 8–10, she traveled back and forth to India with her mother and credits that experience and going to church with her grandmother to providing a firm spiritual foundation in her life. She grew up being proud of her great grandfather, DeHart Hubbard, who was the first African American to win an individual gold medal (for the long jump) in the Olympics. His incredible story of dignity and triumph will be the subject of a documentary that she is working on.
Her love of acting started back at Downers Grove High School outside of Chicago where she won the state championship for Dramatic Interpretation. Though it was always her passion, she didn’t jump into acting full time until she finished raising her daughter. Maahra feels grateful and honored to find herself playing the lead of a series, with Oprah Winfrey as executive producer.
She has appeared on numerous TV series including The L Word, Black-ish, How to Get Away with Murder, Life in Pieces, Speechless, Jane the Virgin, etc.
The busy actress loves the outdoors and is passionate about helping foster and orphaned children. She has been a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer in the foster system for the past two years. Maahra lives in Los Angeles with her daughter, Asia.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! My pleasure! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born in Cleveland, OH and was raised in a few different places from Atlanta to India before I landed in the west suburbs of Chicago. I was a well-traveled child!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I began a love for acting on the speech team of my high school, Downers Grove South. Mr Hires, the coach of the speech team, saw me and my best friend, Cindy, being silly in the hallways and told me to meet him in his office after school. I had no idea whether I was in trouble or what. He convinced me that afternoon to join the school’s speech team. I won state championship in Dramatic Interpretation two years later. That was really where it all began. We practiced almost every day after school and were competing almost every weekend. Our coaches, Mr Hires and Jan Heiteen, were phenomenal at what they did and made it fun.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I thought I was coming to LA to start my acting career, but my daughter was still in preschool. I just didn’t want to be on set anywhere for 12–14 hours/day. I wanted to be with her. So, I poured all I had into being a Mom, and let acting take a back seat. For 9 years.
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?
Well, when I first started, I guess I didn’t make mistakes really. Nothing stands out. It was all just learning so I didn’t take it personally. But more recently! I was working opposite Viola Davis at the end of 2019. She is just iconic and I cherish her as an actress! I knew my lines. I rehearsed them regularly for days! But when we started filming, my first lines wouldn’t come out! I said, “It’s Viola y’all!” LOL. I learned that you have to know your worth. I could put her on a pedestal and feel unworthy or know that I deserved that moment with her. She taught me to value my worth.
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?
When my daughter was born, my heart opened in some kind of powerful way that gave me access to everything I’d kept inside of it. I was committed to following my heart after she was born, was my parenting style, and it led me here. Besides her, I am grateful to my first agent, Susan Heyward, who believed in me, and to my first (and current manager) for his belief in me.
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?
Failure is a natural part of success. It’s embedded in the fabric. So, embrace every failure in a conscious responsible way, so you learn and expand as a result. It’s always your response that determines your success or failure. Beyond that, you have to enjoy the journey as much as the intended destination. It’s important because the destination can shift based on your relationship to the journey.
What drives you to get up every day and work in TV and Film?
The commitment and loyalty to my goals. What change do you want to see in the industry going forward? I’d love to see more accountability for the images we project and more empowered thinking among those who have stories to tell that don’t see themselves represented.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
“Delilah” is a show I’m very excited about. I’m so proud of what we were able to accomplish. Since it was shot during the pandemic, there were some challenges, but the love that went into it is what’s coming through. It airs on OWN on Tuesday nights at 9pm/8c. Catch up, if you’ve missed it! Where do you see yourself heading from here? I’d love to continue working with people I respect and admire. It makes me reach for the best I have to offer and forces me to expand. It’s all about expansion.
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?
1.Diversity is the reality, and that should be reflected in film/television because it’s 2. otherwise irresponsible. 3. When you don’t see yourself reflected in such influential mediums, you feel invisible, and that has potentially devastating effects on society.
How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?
When you feel seen and heard and represented, you will potentially feel more empowered. The affects are far reaching. When you are acknowledged, you feel valued. When you feel valued, you contribute more within your sphere of influence, and ultimately to the world at large. Everything is connected.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
Prioritize self care. That’s it. I wouldn’t have wanted someone else’s advice. I like to go at things my own way. The things I learned along the way were perfectly timed. Had I known anything previously, it would have taken away from my personal journey, and that was an important part of my ability to make the necessary adjustments required to succeed. Our experiences are valuable teachers.
Can you share with our readers any selfcare routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.
I am learning to be better at self care, but the most important thing to do is know thyself. I know when I need to exercise more, eat better and take time away.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Funny. I was just saying to someone else. I don’t have one. I should look into that and put it in my profile. Lol. I’ve been thinking about it, but nothing comes to mind.
You are a person of huge 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 inspire a movement that encourages and enforces peace within all communities, countries and the world at large. The billions of dollars we spend on wars and weapons would be redistributed towards programs that support peace. Initiatives that address the loss sustained by wars within households to wars within and between countries would prioritize the wellbeing of the individual through the wellbeing of an entire country. The devastation and trauma of violence is so far-reaching. The refugee crisis is just one example of that.
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’d love to have lunch with Oprah! She and I have crossed paths shooting the first season of “Delilah”, because she’s one of the Executive Producers, but covid protocols and safety measures made it impossible to see people in person. I have been a fan of hers for at least 20 years! She seems to have always had a great sense of her purpose and has contributed so much to the world in such thought provoking ways. I’m fascinated by her business savvy and by her simultaneous commitment to herself and something greater than herself.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
On IG, Twitter and FB, you can find me at Maahra Hill.
