Meet Lindsey Blackwell, a star who has worked in print, voiceover, commercials, film, and television. Blackwell has some exciting new projects to share: the Netflix Original film "13: The Musical," in which she will be playing the role of Kendra, and her brand-new EP, "Flowers," an original song that is now available to stream! Lindsey Blackwell also supports "Girls For A Change" and co-hosted their 2022 Diva Bag Auction to benefit the campaign. Continue reading to learn more about Lindsey Blackwell’s career in entertainment, her new film and single, and Girls For A Change!

Where are you based?
I am currently based in Atlanta! I am proud to say I’m born and raised here, and I love my city.

With your roles in print, voiceover, commercials, film, and television, you're hard to miss. What inspired you to want to be involved in the entertainment industry and pursue acting as a career?
Wow, I appreciate that! I’ve been in the entertainment industry since I was four; so, I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember. However, I can say that with each booking I truly grow to love my craft even more. Being able to see the final product of my hard work encourages me to continue to pursue my acting career. Also, my parents both played instruments when they were younger, and my late great-aunt always encouraged my brother and I to start playing the piano. Since music is such a huge part of my family, I’ve always wanted to pursue music as well.

Which entertainment-related media (movies, ads, books, television, and voiceovers) do you prefer the most?
This is such a great question and honestly, I love all of them because they are all so different. However, I’ve recently been in the realm of television and film heavily; so, I might be biased when I say movies AND television are both my favorites.

Congratulations on your new film! We’ve heard you’ll be in the new Netflix film “13: The Musical.” Could you please tell us a little bit more about this film and your role as Kendra?
Yes!! “13: The Musical” is about a kid named Evan Goldman whose life is turned completely upside down after his parents’ divorce. He has to move from New York City to a small town in Indiana. Evan has to handle his new school and new friends, all while dealing with the pressures of making his Bar Mitzvah the coolest party ever! Kendra is one of Evan’s new friends in Indiana. She’s the kind and generous head cheerleader at her school. Kendra has strict parents and throughout the movie, viewers get to see Kendra finding herself and what’s important to her.

You’ll sing as well in this new film. Have you ever sung in a film before? Did you find it to be more challenging?
I had to sing in one of the episodes of “David Makes Man” on OWN! That was my first experience recording vocals for a project. Surprisingly, singing wasn’t the hard part! It was the lip-syncing that I had to get used to because it is kind of hard focusing on making it look like you’re singing live and dance at the same time!

What did you find to be the highlight of making this musical? How did it feel to be on set everyday, interacting with the crew and other actors and actresses?
The highlight of making 13: The Musical was definitely the people. Working with such talented actors and a devoted crew always made my day. Everyone was so kind and considerate. On top of that, being on set every day where you are encouraged and uplifted by, not only your cast-mates, but the crew was such an amazing thing. Also, since we filmed during COVID, there were certain parameters put on us to keep us healthy. I greatly appreciate how Netflix made us feel safe on set.

You are booked and busy acting, but we also heard that you are working on an EP, which will have an original song. Can you talk a little bit more about this? What can we expect from that original song? What type of genre would you classify your music to be?
I am super excited about my first EP. I released my first single on August 19, 2022. My single is entitled "Flowers" and the song is a big metaphor! It’s about someone treating you the right way and you ultimately making each other better by being the thing that makes them happy. Being someone’s flowers is about knowing that you are beautiful and knowing you’re worthy of being loved the right way.

We also heard you like to play the piano. Will we hear you playing the piano in any of your songs or in the movie?
I won’t be playing piano in the movie or in any of my songs this go round. However, I do plan to add my piano skills to a song of mine in the future :)

Jejune loves that you are passionate about giving back. You are an active supporter of “Girls For A Change.” Could you please tell us more about this charity? How important is this to you, and what made you want to get involved?
Girls For A Change is a nonprofit youth organization whose mission is to prepare Black girls for the world and the world for Black girls. Girls For A Change offers so many opportunities for young girls to explore their culture and be educated on topics that can benefit them in the future. GFAC really gives their participants the support they need as they enter into womanhood.

Girls For A Change has cultivated an empowering Black space built for Black girls to be seen, heard, and celebrated, through their “One Million Reasons To Build Campaign”. Why is a space like this so important? Do you feel like being a part of this has helped you feel more celebrated as well as a young black woman?
I am a proud advocate for Girls For A Change because they give participants a space for young Black girls to be celebrated and not silenced. As a young black woman, I know firsthand how negative the world can get for us, and having a tribe to support you and uplift you free of judgment is always needed. Being a part of Girls For A Change has helped me feel more celebrated as a young black woman because the staff and girls I interacted with were so empowering and I have come to make friends with many GFAC participants.

You recently just co-hosted their 2022 Diva Bag Auction, can you tell us more about the occasion? Why was it important to be a co-host for this event? What was your favorite giveaway?
I had the pleasure of traveling to California with GFAC earlier this year to co-host their 2022 Diva Bag Auction. The proceeds from the Diva Bag Auction will go towards their One Million Reasons to Build Campaign. It was important to me to co-host this event because I believe in the power of safe spaces for Black girls and sisterhood. My favorite giveaway was definitely all the Telfar bags! What was awesome was each bag came with some cool benefits in the bag, like a day on set with Joel Edgerton!

We know that you have a love for the big screen, but do you have any other interests?
Apart from the big screen, I have a huge love for sports. If time permits, I would definitely get back into playing a sport. I played flag football back in middle school and I’ve always wanted to run track! I am also interested in true crime and murder mysteries, so much so that I took forensics as a class during my 10th-grade year. I really love animals, and hopefully, I will be able to pursue veterinary medicine as a career path.

What impact has the pandemic had on you? Do you think production is returning to normal, or is it still not what it used to be?
The pandemic was a time when I could sit with myself and truly reflect on who I am. I really appreciate that I was given that time because my schedule can get so hectic at times and during quarantine I was able to analyze what’s best for me. I think production is slowly going back to normal. In my opinion, it still isn’t what it used to be, but the new changes aren’t unbearable. The new parameters put into place are there to keep us safe, and I can’t complain about that.

What is your motto in life?
My motto in life is to not let anyone dim your light. There have been times in my life when I let people’s negative comments get to me, and I always have to remember that I am loved and worthy of good things. I won’t ever let anyone make me feel less than, because I am one of a kind!

To keep up with Lindsey Blackwell please follow her platforms below:
www.lindseyblackwell.com
Instagram: @lindseyblackwellofficial
Facebook: @lindseyblackwellofficial
Tiktok: @lindseyblackwellofficial
Twitter: @lindseybwell

Photography by Stephanie Eley

Lindsey Blackwell - Born A Star