LOS ANGELES, CA, October 28, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Trinidad born Gina Simone Parris aka Gina Parris has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
With more than 10 years of excellence to her credit in the entertainment industry, Ms. Parris has found success as the leader of her own company. In this capacity, she is the Chief Executive Officer for Gina Parris Entertainment Ltd. (www.ginaparrisentertainment.com), which was founded in 2010, in Trinidad and Tobago. At Gina Parris Entertainment Ltd., she strives to incorporate Caribbean talent with talent from other countries in her productions, while utilizing her psychological training to enrich her work and help others through her films. Since 2007, she has focused her efforts on working as an actress, producer and screenplay writer professionally.
Ms. Parris' experience, body of work and education have helped her to obtain the coveted Alien of Extraordinary Ability Visa (O-1B Visa) twice from the U.S. government which allowed her to be involved in three areas: Producing, Acting and Filmmaking. Her background in entertainment has made it possible for her to become a member of prestigious organizations such as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, aka Television Academy, which gives the prestigious Emmy Award and shows support to professionals in the entertainment industry, Women in Film based in Los Angeles, (where she was also accepted into the Women in Film Mentorship circle in 2016 and was mentored by the Executive Vice President of Universal Pictures, Ms. Sara Scott and Randi Richmond (SVP of NBCUniversal), and Powerful Ladies of Trinidad and Tobago (PLOTT). Gina is a SAG eligible (SAG-e) actor, and currently represented by The Brogan Agency in Los Angeles, California.
While in the USA, Ms. Parris received training from the New York Film Academy, graduating with honors with a Master of Fine Arts in acting for film. She is also listed as a notable alumnus on the film academy's website. She was also part of the first Black History Month alumni panel created by the New York Film Academy. She received acting classes from the Margie Haber Studio; Margie Haber is a well-established acting coach in Hollywood and A-listers such as Brad Pitt, Halle Berry and Tiffany Haddish have applied her acting techniques. Prior to her education in USA Gina received training in Trinidad from famous actors and teachers such as Raymond Choo Kong, Freddie Kissoon, Penelope Spencer (Necessary Arts), and Talent Factory Film created by Question Mark Entertainment, which is owned by Simon Baptiste and Carolyn Pasea-Pogson. Through Talent Factory Film, Gina received film acting training from American, well-established actors and teachers such as Rafael Noble, Angela E. Gibbs and Kirk Baltz.
She has been part of multiple creative works, which she wrote, produced and acted in, including her first TV show "The Honest Honestest Truth," where she was an actor, screenplay writer, creator, producer, and co-executive producer. Gina won an award for The Honest Honestest Truth script. The award was in the form of funding from the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company. The TV show aired in Trinidad and Tobago twice as a TV movie on the local popular television station, TV 6. Several sponsors were involved in the show, amongst whom were "Red Bull" and "Coca-Cola." Ms. Parris was deeply honored when the first black Miss. Universe, Janelle 'Penny' Commissiong (Miss Universe 1977) showed her support for The Honest Honestest Truth, which was labeled by The Trinidad and Tobago Guardian newspapers (the longest running newspapers in the country) as "T&T's (Trinidad and Tobago's) first detective drama." The TV show had a great cast, amongst them Trinidad and Tobago celebrities such as Jason Williams (one of the Power Soca Monarch winners in 2010), comedian Allan Emmanuel, and actor and comedian Errol Fabien. Other main cast members are Rebecca Foster, Allister Edwards, Gina Parris, Verena Boodoosingh, Samara Lallo, Charles Parris, Lendel Alexander, Dillon Jimenez, Eirnil Harry and Alan Ferreira.
Gina's first award-winning short film called "A Twist of Life" was selected for The Indie Night Film Festival (the festival is supported by Emmy Award-winning casting director Robi Reed), The Metro Film and TV Awards, The Caribe Film Festival, the ABA Film Society showcase at the New York Film Academy and The Equality International Film Festival. The film also featured prominent Los Angeles, CA based actor, Gerry Bednob (actor in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and other great films), Natalie Whittle and Chloe Paige Flowers. The short, A Twist of Life, was also shown on the online television site, irietimestv.com as reruns and on-demand. A Twist of Life was Ms. Parris' thesis film. She produced the film, acted as the lead actress, and wrote the screenplay for the award winning short. A Twist of Life was first screened in one of the theatres at Warner Brothers studios in Burbank, California.
The docuseries (in post-production) "Like a Dog with a Bone, A Visual Guide To Surviving in The Entertainment Industry," is the first docuseries Ms. Parris created. It has been mentioned in a Voyage LA Magazine article, an article written by the New York Film Academy about Ms. Parris, and was also mentioned on national television in Trinidad and Tobago during an interview with Ms. Parris on the Now morning show, the interviewer was well-known host, director and producer (also Ms. Parris' mentor) from Trinidad and Tobago, Lisa Wickham. The docuseries was inspired by Gina's own homeless experience, while pursuing her entertainment career. Ms. Parris is the creator, writer, one of the voice-over actors and producer on the series. The docuseries features established individuals in the entertainment industry from Trinidad and Tobago and the USA. These include Nikki Crosby (first female stand-up comedian in the Caribbean), US legend Marla Gibbs (who was honored with her name being included on the Hollywood Walk of Fame) and her talented daughter actress, director, producer, writer Angela E. Gibbs, Penelope Spencer, a renowned actress in Trinidad and Tobago, who has won multiple Cacique awards. Other personalities attached to the series are Lisa Wickham, actor Rafael Noble, (who acted in the Academy Award-winning movie Beginners and was Gina's past acting coach) and American producer Franco Sama. Joy Ellison, a dialect coach, who helps Gina and many A-list actors with accents, is also involved in this project, as are actor and comedian Gerry Bednob, actor, comedian (one of the main cast members) and owner of the television station Gayelle, the Caribbean, Errol Fabien, and music artist manager, and also producer Simon Baptiste. The main cast has talent from Trinidad and Tobago and the USA, they are Demyra Ravyne Payne, Taromi Lourdes, Freddie Basnight, Byron Knight, and Gina Parris who are striving to make names for themselves. Ms. Parris' website has the full list of cast members for all her productions. The docuseries is SAG approved.
She has also been part of the cast of various television shows and films shown in Trinbago's cinema. These include The Apartment; award winning film A Story About Wendy 2, which was also shown in Trinidad and Tobago, Belize and Zanzibar, and on online streaming apps. She has acted on national television stations in Trinidad and Tobago such as CCN TV6 and Gayelle the Caribbean. You can also see Ms. Parris' acting on the Investigation Discovery Channel (cable), Amazon Prime, Sling, Discovery+ and YouTube. Ms. Parris also has stage acting experience doing comedic acting for the World Laugh Festival two years in a row and Yangatang, just to name a few. Over the years multiple articles have been written about Ms. Parris, and she has had multiple TV interviews, and a radio interview, in relation to her entertainment career.
Prior to embarking on her professional journey in USA, Ms. Parris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Psychology and Sociology from Andrews University (2009). She then attained a Master of Arts in Counselling from Caribbean Nazarene College (2013). Within the coming years, Ms. Parris intends to continue working in the entertainment industry and fully develop her business to its full potential. She is presently working on her docuseries, "Like A Dog With A Bone" and television show "The Honest Honestest Truth," which she plans to air as a series.
Ms. Parris thanks all those that showed (and continue to show) support for her career. She thanks her mother, Ruth Walters, especially, for always being her #1 supporter and cheering her on.
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