Rising Star Nadine Whiteman Roden On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Edward Sylvan

Fear will keep you from doing the things that you really want to do — I think that I would have chased this acting career earlier if I wasn’t so afraid of so many things. You gotta feel the fear and do it anyway.

As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Nadine Whiteman Roden.

Nadine Whiteman Roden is a Canadian actress and singer based in Toronto, Canada. Nadine found her love for the performing arts at a young age acting in every school play and talent show. In 2000, she landed her first professional role by answering an open-call audition for the North American and Canadian premiere of Mamma Mia. She would go on to tour multiple cities in the United States with the company. Shortly after, she landed more roles in major theatrical productions including Trix in the Drowsy Chaperone at Theatre Calgary and MTC, Sylvia In All Shook Up at Drayton Entertainment and Stage West, and Frankie in Blow Wind High Water at Theatre Calgary.

Most recently, Nadine ventured into film and television and is already making strides. To date, she has amassed a significant body of work including Workin’ Moms, Designated Survivor, Shazam!, Grand Army, Kim’s Convenience, and Y The Last Man. Currently, Nadine can be seen starring as Drea Richards in the new hit comedy series Take Note airing now on Peacock, which follows a group of kids competing in a fictional reality singing competition.

Outside of her work, Nadine is passionate about creating spaces for BIPOC talent and making room in places where they are not usually seen. Her goal is to help change the narrative of what has been portrayed on screen and continue to help pave the way for others. She is also an avid Pilates teacher, loves to cook, watch movies, and travel.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Thanks so much for having me! I am a first-generation Grenadian Canadian, born and raised in Toronto. My older brother and I were mostly raised by my mom. We weren’t an affluent family but honestly, we really didn’t feel that growing up. For me, I was able to participate in whatever I really wanted to do, from afterschool sports, choir, dance classes, acting classes. I was a pretty artistic kid. My Xbox was a pad of paper and some pencil crayons. My mom was a pretty strict mom as most Caribbean moms are. I think when I did feel like I missed out on something it was more to do with my mom being strict rather than feeling like there was a lack of money

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I have always wanted to be in the arts. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t think that I was going to be an actor. I was definitely an artsy kid, I loved to draw, paint, sing, dance, design clothes all of the things. In my mid-twenties I found myself unhappy in my marriage and was looking for what used to make me happy. I realized I was happiest when I was on stage in high school. So, I searched the yellow pages for the local community theatre in the area. I started doing shows with a few community theatres in the area. That reignited my artsy spark. I started taking classes at Second City and Voice lessons with a local teacher. At this point, this was all a hobby. Then open auditions come up for Mamma Mia! and somehow after 3 auditions, I booked it. It was the validation that I needed to know that I could actually play in the same circles as professional actors. Years later I am still on this path

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your entertainment career?

This is kind of a roundabout story, but I can remember when I first started doing Mamma Mia! I was so enamored by some of the American actors in the show that had done shows on Broadway. I was absolutely star-struck that they had been in some of my favorite shows like Les Miz and Miss Saigon on actual Broadway. I remember gushing like the newbie, I was, to one of the actors asking what it was like being on Broadway, thinking it must have been amazing. And in a very deadpan but sweet way he said to me, ‘Nadine a stage is a stage is a stage. They all kind of feel the same after a while.’ I remember feeling really heartbroken and kind of thinking what a jerk I mean who can think that being on a Broadway is like being on any other stage in the world. Well flash forward 3 years later and I get my chance to debut on a Broadway stage. I got to do the exact same show that I’ve been doing on the road for three years, Mamma Mia! And to my surprise it did feel same. That’s not to say it wasn’t a highlight of my career to be on the Broadway stage. It was super heightened because it was Broadway and my first time on that stage but at the end of the day it did feel kind of the same as doing it in Toronto for the first time — It was exciting, exhilarating, and like no place I would rather be, so I guess he was right. In that way a stage is a stage is a stage is a stage.

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?

It isn’t the funniest mistake, but it is the funniest mishap I was on for my understudy playing Tanya and Mamma Mia during a big dance number in Does Your Mother Know? at some point the character Pepper gets thrown across the stage and is supposed to land with his hands on my boobs. It’s very funny and then I push him off and then there’s big dance number. Well on this particular night I had some cookies in my bathing suit in order to give the girls a little lift, through all the dancing and jiggling the cookies kind of slipped out and were showing outside of the bathing suit. When my friend Adam who played Pepper came hurling across the stage, he kind of stopped hands on the boobs and in kindness kind of stuffed the cookie back into the bathing suit. Well, there was no containing us. We were giggling for the rest of the number. It was pretty hilarious.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

I have already finished this project, but I am super excited about Take Note that is airing now on Peacock and The Family Channel. Take Note is a fictionalized tween singing competition. The show is a heartfelt and musical comedy. I play Drea Richards, the mom of Calvin Richards who is competing in this competition. Drea is a no-nonsense mamma bear who will do anything for her family. Good thing too because she and the family will have to rely on each other as Calvin goes through the ups and downs of the competition. I really think that audiences are going to like this one I’m also about to shoot an episode of a Hulu series that I’m super excited about. Can’t tell you the name of it or sign that NDA. I also have a couple of cartoons that will drop later on this year…also can’t talk about those…signed that NDA. I’ve got a couple of movies that are coming out. One called The Swearing Jar starring Adelaide Clemmons, Patrick J Adams and Kathleen Turner and another movie called Stolen Hearts: The Lizbeth Meredith story starring Sarah Drew

You have been blessed with 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?

It is a challenging career, isn’t it? I would say for those who are starting out in the business Make sure that you love it. I would say make sure that this is the thing that fills you with joy. Remember THAT in those daunting times because there’s going to be all sorts of obstacles and things that are going to knock you down. But if you can remember that this is the thing that actually makes you happy, those challenges can be overcome.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

Well, that is a biggie. Isn’t it? I think that diversity is important because if you can’t see yourself in the business or parts yourself in the business, you don’t know that you can do it. The stories that we tell are important and if there aren’t divorce voices out there, we don’t get to hear the other side of the coin. Which as we know we’ve only gotten to hear a lot of stories that are from one side or one point of view. It’s very important. I think to be able to have diverse voices telling the stories from their point of view.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

Life isn’t fair

I was able to have my dream profession, but my relationship didn’t make it. Something had to give.

Art isn’t perfect in the beginning. It is something that has to be practiced

I thought when I got the dream job that that would be it, I was cooked. But years into my career I realized that I would always be a work in process.

Keep your close circle of friends small

It is great to have a lot of friends but to be able to go back to that core group as your anchor is invaluable.

Have fun

For a long time in my career, I wanted to be perfect and it stole my joy. So now I try to lead with fun.

Fear will keep you from doing the things that you really want to do

I think that I would have chased this acting career earlier if I wasn’t so afraid of so many things. You gotta feel the fear and do it anyway.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I don’t know if I’m the most qualified person to actually speak about burnout. I’m still struggling to figure out how to balance things properly, but I guess the biggest thing for me when I am trying to balance burn out is to make sure that I seek out as much fun that doesn’t surround acting in as possible. Maybe something that also is creating art? It could be painting or drawing or singing or dancing, but something that also inspires or sparks joy. Could be something as easy as just going out for a coffee with a friend.

You are a person of enormous 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? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I think I would love to see a world where there are more unsolicited compliments. I do it all the time and I’m sure people think I’m a little bit off the rails, but there is nothing better than when you see somebody either looking great or doing something phenomenal and you don’t know them, but you give them that compliment. It’s just realizing that you are being seen which is so awesome. Because I think in this world for a lot of the time, we don’t think we’re being seen. Meanwhile, people see are seeing us and actually think that we’re great.

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?

There are so many people who have helped me along the way and got me to where I am right now. My former agent Rachel, Neville Fox, who is now retired, was a huge believer in me and I think as a new artist who’s trying to break into a field, it means so much to have somebody believe in you. From the moment she met me. She saw something in me that I don’t even know if I saw in me and she pushed me and that sparked something. Early before I even thought that this would be a career. I had a voice teacher named Maggie McDonald. She’s now since past. She saw in me something from the very moment we met. She wanted to give me voice lessons she wanted me to come and pay whatever I could because she thought that I had something special. One of the lessons that I’ll never forget from her is that before I go into an audition room, she would tell me to put my arms out to either side and spin in a circle. And remember that circle is my space and don’t let anybody into that space. Keep that space sacred and I’ll never forget it. It’s stuck with me all these years.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

One of my favorite song lyrics is ‘You’re here for a good time. Not a long time so have a good time. The sun can’t shine every day.’ I think it has been the way that I’ve tried to live my life. I’m going to have a good time for as long as I possibly can with as much positivity as I can. But the alternative is just not sustainable

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Oh, for the love of… just one? Can’t I have a round table? I can’t pick one. I have two. I would love to have breakfast or lunch or dinner or just a smart cocktail with Shonda Rhimes and Viola Davis. Representation is so important and as a black woman to see these women shining and thriving is huge. Shonda for obvious reasons. She’s a producer, screenwriter, an author, showrunner, Creator, head, writer, executive producer. She does all the things. I would love to just pick her brain to figure out how she does it all. How do you get from that thought idea in your head and put on a paper and somehow have been magic? I love every show that she’s ever done, and I think that she’s a really smart lady. I’d love to have a sit down with Viola the Davis for kind of the same reasons. I’d love to be able to speak to a black woman artist, actor, award winner and hear her process advice on the process. She is a juggernaut to me. Also, to thank her for showing me a dark-skinned black woman on tv being powerful and sexy and desirable. When she took of that wig and makeup in How to Get Away with Murder that was a game-changer for me. When I was a kid, I didn’t get to see women who looked like Viola Davis on TV and the fact I got to this age and it that scene changed me is saying something. When I think about it makes me tear up. I am forever grateful. She makes me feel like anything is possible.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can follow me on Instagram at @nadinerwhiteman and on Twitter @NadineRoden

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.

In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.

Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.

With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.