THE OUTPOUR
MEET SELORM: AWARD WINNING ACTOR, WRITER, DIRECTOR AND DANCER
[@SELORM.OFFICIAL]
Written by Michelle Karen | Interviewed by Abigail Tucker
Photo Credit: Melina Verodiaz
Photo Credit: Melina Verodiaz
Producer and award-winning actor and writer, Selorm Adonu, shares his story of creative success with us, encouraging what he calls ‘audacious audacity’ across generations.
Originally from South London, Selorm draws strength from his faith and family as he pursues greatness in his creative endeavours. His work is deeply rooted in his connections with the people around him, continuously inspiring his community and evoking powerful emotions through his projects.
Selorm: My path is completely different to what yours would be or what someone else's would be… Like I want to mentor, and I want to push people and inspire people. But my journey is going to be completely different. And I can't tell you to do A, B, C and D, exactly how I did it because you have a different outcome.
Selorm emphasizes the individuality of each person’s path to fulfilment and success, especially in the creative world. His unconventional route into the creative space is enlightening and is marked by having what he calls ‘audacious audacity’. He emphasises to others watching him, that anything is possible especially in the creative space and amongst the younger generation. Demonstrating that ‘mindset is so important’ in this confidence journey.
Abi: What impact do you want to have on the industry?
Selorm: The impact I want people to see is - ‘this Black brother from South London he's able to do A, B and C, maybe I can do that as well’. I didn't go to uni, I didn't do the [traditional] route but I'm still able to do my thing and I want people to be like I can do that too. That's the impact. Younger generation coming into the room and having the confidence to be like I want to do this. Because a lot of people come into the room and they're told, especially by older generations, this space is not for you, think of something else. I want people to come in with confidence. I call it audacious audacity, like the audacity to just be like, I belong here, like, don’t, look at my age, or my skin colour or like my gender. I belong here. So that's the impact.
Selorm doesn’t walk on his creative journey alone, as he has the help of his inner circle of family and friends who consistently challenge him to step out of his comfort zone and encourage him.
Abi: How does your community help you take ideas from planning to execution?
Selorm: I need constructive criticism, so people who can give me that because I like to be challenged, and so having a community that challenges me is really important to me because again, I strive to be great and if I want to be great, I can't be in my comfort zone.
And it’s this community that also inspires him to serve people from the places that poured so much into him…
Selorm: What I want to do is, […] make sure I'm a figure in the ends that's clearly giving back and helping the community, whether that's my church community or my old schools, definitely my old schools and my church. We have to give back.
He believes that ‘failure is okay’ and that ‘it’s actually good to fail with anything’ which is a testament to how he has become such a raw performer.
Selorm: It's not every day you try and succeed and grow in every single feat that I do. It's okay to make a lot of mistakes. In the moment, of course, I'm gonna be vexed, but it's a learning opportunity for me, and I'm starting to look at it that way. So, just taking on the failures.
"SHOOT FOR THE STARS AND YOU MIGHT HIT THE MOON"
-SELORM
From a young age, Selorm has had big ambitions and when given the opportunity to be a student at the Brit School, he became even more driven to be a better performer and prove to everyone that he deserved to be there not just as a student but as a multi-talented creative.
Selorm: ... at that point my ambition was to be one of the strongest students there and I always say shoot for the shoot for the stars and you might hit the moon, you know what I'm saying? I never liked the phrase ‘I only aim for the sky’ because there's more to that, even the stars there's more to that, so aim- Like if you're only aiming for the sky then you're never going to hit the stars.
Growing up with classic childhood shows and movies from Disney and Nickelodeon, Selorm took these as inspiration and are the building blocks for his creative works. With this said, Selorm has a deep connection with stories and characters, as they form the foundation of his artistry. This intentionality with his creative process is one of the things that set him apart in the industry.
Abi: If you could speak to yourself from 5 years ago - like little Selorm - what would you say to him?
Selorm: I would say to him I don't want him to change anything. Keep doing what you're doing. Like at 15 I had crazy amounts of confidence, I think I'm confident now but at 15 I had so much confidence. I would say keep that energy and that bubble and that spark in your life it's going to take you to some mad places bro… don't change, I wouldn't even tell him what happens because I wouldn't want him to overthink it, so yeah to tell him whatever you're doing now keep doing it and more.
Selorm’s unwavering confidence has been a constant since his youth, shaping both his identity and his career.
Abi: How do you own who you are when you’re creating? Because sometimes for me when I'm writing, I'll think too much about how people will receive it and therefore I'll try and change what I would usually write or what I would usually create for other people. So how do you maintain that sense of identity and own who you are when you're creating things?
Selorm: I’ve accepted that my identity is constantly changing, so in the same way my identity is constantly changing my work will be constantly changing. Of course, there’s core parts of my identity that will stick like my race and my faith and my experiences with my family. Those will be the core parts of the pieces I create.
Faith plays a significant role in Selorm’s creative process as it helps him to overcome learning curves and find purpose in every situation.
Selorm: God is the writer of my life, I'm the writer of my work… so I allow myself to be malleable for God the same way that I allow my work to be… I allow myself to be malleable with my work and to allow my work to make mistakes in the same way God allows me to make mistakes…
In this season, Selorm is in a place where he is letting go and trusting God.
Selorm: I feel like that has allowed me to be less of a stressed person, which I've enjoyed. I've enjoyed just enjoying being on set, or enjoying learning my lines, as opposed to stressing about being on set, or stressing about having to learn lines. Just trusting God is gonna get me through it. He's put me in this position for a reason”.
Selorm is definitely a creative to be on the lookout for as he consistently breaks new barriers and aspires for more in everything he does. He achieves his dreams while the world gets to witness his success.His journey is a testament to what can be achieved with confidence, determination, and faith—a true inspiration to every dreamer in the creative space.
Keep an eye out for his work, including his role in the new TV series ‘Curfew’, now available to watch on Paramount+. Look out for more of his projects that inspire important conversations and change narratives.