WATCH: Viola Davis’ Web Series Profiles 5 Rising Hollywood Talents of Color

By Sameer Rao May 05, 2017

Five up-and-coming Hollywood professionals of color discuss representation and carving their own paths in a new short webseries from Viola Davis ("Fences") and Julius Tennon‘s ("Custody") JuVee Productions

The aptly titled "Emerging Artist Series" debuted on JuVee’s YouTube page yesterday (May 4). Directed by Lisa Nicole Bell ("The American Dream Revisited"), each one-to-four-minute episode highlights one artist as they discuss their visions of Hollywood success and diverse representation. Those profiled include actress Diarra Kilpatrick ("Lila & Eve"), producer Stephen Love Jr. ("Jail, No Bail"), visual effects director Lauren Ellis ("Fruitvale Station"), writer and director Marshall Tyler ("Skid Row") and producer Blake Pickens ("The Land").

"We put this series together because we wanted to give artists a platform to share their experiences," Tennon told Variety. "It’s an important part of the inclusion conversation happening now in Hollywood that’s often overlooked…simply giving people the space to be heard."

Watch the "Emerging Artist Series" trailer above and check out the five episodes here.