Emerging Actors Initiative is an intensive 8-month program that champions vetted actors, tasking and guiding them to their first guest star and/or studio feature role. All of the actors have an extensive body of work, impeccable work ethic, and the talent to back it up.
Meet the 2021-2022 Emerging Actors Initiative Fellows
Brittney Bertier
Brittney Bertier is an actress best known for originating the role of Norma Jeane in Marilyn! The New Musical at The Paris in Las Vegas. TV credits: Netflix’s Atypical and Jane The Virgin. She co-created and stars in the web series transpLAnts, which won Best Comedy at Indieboom Fest 2019, and her solo writing debut Doublemint Bitch was awarded internationally. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.
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Brittney Bertier
Christine Weatherup
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Christine Weatherup has been acting professionally since she was a teenager. She graduated magna cum laude from USC, with a triple-major in Theatre, Political Science, and Cinematic Arts, before studying acting at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford. Christine starred in the award-winning indie feature Bread and Butter, opposite Bobby Moynihan (SNL), Micah Hauptman and Lauren Lapkus. She has worked extensively in film and television, including Watchmen, Westworld, Mad Men, and Grey’s Anatomy. In addition to acting, Christine produces, writes and directs. She produced and acted in the award-winning web series Squaresville, which has garnered millions of views and was featured on Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List”. She traveled the festival circuit with her award-winning short film Killed In Action, and is currently in post-production on the feature “See You Next Christmas,” which she wrote, directed, and stars in.
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Christine Weatherup
Djaka Souaré
Of West African & French descent, Djaka Souaré is an actress who started her career in theater and musical theater at a young age before transitioning to Film & TV. She trained at renowned studios like Herbert Berghof in NYC, IDSA, and BGB in LA. She recently starred in HULU’s Imagine a Moon Colony, directed by Phillip Youmans, TriBeCa 2019 award-winner, and in the award-winning indie short Words, opposite Nicholas Pinnock (NBC’s For Life). Djaka is also a filmmaker; her first short film, Jazz in Wakanda, which she wrote, directed, produced and starred, was an Official selection at film festivals like Urban World, Nitehawk Shorts & New Filmmakers LA. In 2020, Djaka was selected by the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge to direct one of six short films, leading an all-female-identifying cast and crew and winning various awards. She is currently in pre-production for Cut Me If You Can, a horror/comedy which she will produce and star in.
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Djaka Souaré
John L. Curtis
John L. Curtis is a seasoned actor who has appeared in films, television and stage for over 20 years. Some of his work includes Without A Trace, CSI, Castle, and Ghost Whisperer. He’s appeared on stage in iconic characters such as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet for the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Picasso in Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and Joe Pitt in Angels in America. He has acted opposite the likes of Regina King, Luke Perry, and Tom Berengier. Most recently he starred across from Shannon Elizabeth in the feature film Playing with Beethoven that will release in theatres in 2021. He is also the co-host of The Nerd Couple Show, a weekly live show all about nerd culture. He holds a degree in Theatre and English from University of Nevada and resides in Los Angeles, CA.
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John L. Curtis
Kayla Marie Coates
Kayla Marie Coates, although the youngest of the Emerging Actors fellows, has already been making a mark for herself. She has starred in several festival award-winning films including Cazadora and Udhaare Supne (Borrowed Dreams); as well as the soon-to-be-released D!NG and Ocean Avenue. As a Hispanic-Croatian-American, polyamorous, pansexual actor, she seeks out roles outside of her girl-next-door look of rebellious teenagers who appear confident and charismatic, yet under the surface are dealing with deep internal strife. She’s passionate about creating work that depicts stories centering around underrepresented communities so that topics, often not told at all, will be discussed and destigmatized.
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Kayla Marie Coates
Kit DeZolt
A gay Asian American actor and dancer, Kit DeZolt has played numerous stand out roles including Kien in Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk directed by Emmy nominated Eric Stoltz on Amazon Prime, Jie in Hulu’s Citizen directed by Emmy Nominated Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, HBO’s Generation, English Dubbed for HBO Max’s Veneno, Nox in Moon Manor, and Imposter in ABC’s To Tell The Truth. Kit has also co-created and produced Boy Luck Club which can be seen on Amazon Prime and Tubi. He has also created a few other projects highlighting the adoption narrative, as he himself is adopted.
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Kit DeZolt
Summer Walters
Summer Walters, a Detroit Michigan native, was bitten by the acting bug at an early age while watching her parents’ many classical music recitals and concerts. She chose the path of modeling and pageantry before going to Wayne State University where she majored in Theater Arts. After arriving in Los Angeles she studied with veteran directors like Mary Lou Belli (NCIS, Black Lightning, Station 19) and John Swanbeck (The Big Kahuna), as well as at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Summer has starred in several independent projects including her self-produced short film Mother’s Cure. Her debut as executive producer for a feature film, Playing with Beethoven, in which she plays Marjorie, will be released in theatres November 2021.
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Summer Walters
Tomás Decurgez
Tomás Decurgez, Buenos Aires, Argentina native, started his acting studies at the age of 15. Since then he has worked as an actor on stage and in commercials for many of the biggest brands around the world. On stage he led plays such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, La leccion de anatomia (The Anatomy Lesson), Para acabar con la muerte (Death Knocks), Denis in the Italian show Le due facce dell’amore for Canale 5, and Ay, Carmela! by director Alberto Arvelo. He worked in Passage, Shekhar Kapur’s first short film, starring Julia Stiles, Lily Cole and Haley Bennett. He made a few TV appearances in Argentina and played the character Paco Botellas in Roland Joffé’s movie There be Dragons, starring Charlie Cox and Wes Bentley. After moving to Los Angeles he led the web series Fifa Forever and co-starred in the spanish movie He Matado a mi Marido released in the US and Latin America. He is also a visual artist and has directed short films and written several screenplays.
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Tomás Decurgez