ChiChi Anyanwu
Photo credit: Terria Clay
ChiChi Anyanwu is a talent manager, a producer, and an overall force to be reckoned with. She has a clear vision of who she is and a welcoming yet determined energy that instantly creates an environment where you feel you can be honest. She works tirelessly for her clients and for the entertainment industry she wants to see. She launched her company, CHI Talent Management during the pandemic. Read about her journey, how it’s been after launching her own company, and about the changes she wants to see when the theatre industry is able to return fully from the pandemic.
When people ask you what you do, what do you tell them?
I tell them that I am a talent manager and I also produce in the theater. And that I'm also just an art supporter.
What does your day-to-day look like?
It kind of changes every day. For the most part, I'm on the phone a lot. I’m on the phone with my clients, casting directors, other industry people, just kind of checking in with people. And, you know, everything that I do in terms of the day-to-day is basically about developing my clients and also working to pitch my clients. So I'm usually working on pitching, I am submitting my clients on breakdown services, I am reading playbill.com, deadline.com, The Hollywood Reporter, and trying to stay up to date in terms of what industry news is, usually in the morning.
Sometimes I'm submitting clients on tapes. Sometimes I'm getting feedback on acting roles. Sometimes I'm checking headshots for clients. Or maybe one of my clients needs me to help find them a coach for an audition. So I'm helping to find coaches for clients as well. But everything is centered around working to develop my clients each day.
That sounds like a lot. How many clients are you working with right now?
I have roughly 30 clients that I work with. I have 26 that are signed with me and then 4 that are freelancing, which means that I don’t have a contract with them but I’m still working to develop them.
What motivated you to start your company? Especially starting one during the pandemic?
So, the big question: can you take us on your journey? The twists, the turns…?
What do would you hope a young person listening to that might take away from it when thinking about their own journey that lies ahead?
Being open. Being open to new experiences too, because even though I knew what I wanted to do, if I didn't have an opportunity to get a job where I wanted, I just found something else. I feel like everything that you do in the industry you can learn from, and you can learn from everyone you meet. Even if you're an actor, I recommend seeing if you can do a casting internship so you can know what a casting director is looking for when you go into the room and know how to audition well. You don't really understand that until you actually are in the room and watching actors come in. Some actors are coming in prepared, some are coming in late or some are just you know, bringing a really weird, funky energy into the room. So I highly recommend doing internships. And if you can't do an internship at a casting company, or at an agency, work at a theater at the box office: do something that may be outside of what you want to do, because it just gives you a better appreciation, because we’re all connected in this industry.
As the theatre industry comes back from the pandemic, what kind of stories and narratives to you hope to produce and be a part of?
I love things about identity and culture. My parents are Nigerian immigrants, so I tend to gravitate towards those kind of stories, and I would love to see some real first-generation stories. My parents are: my mom is a nurse and my dad's an engineer. There are a lot of immigrants in this country. So how come there are no immigrant stories being told on Broadway?
I don't know if you read about the controversy with Book of Mormon… it is ironic that the representation of Africa that we have is Book of Mormon and also Lion King and that's the only portrayal of Africa that's on Broadway right now. And that makes me sad, because if you're someone coming from Middle America, and you have not had contact with anything that has to do with what's in Africa, and then you see Lion King — and I like Lion King, but they’re animals at the day, right? They’re animals.
I don't like to use the word “diversity”, so I’m going to say that I’d like to see theatre be more inclusive with the different kinds of stories that are told. I'm hoping that comes about from Broadway when it returns and off-Broadway as well. I saw a lot more of Off-Broadway shows more so than Broadway honestly in New York, and I feel like Off-Broadway tends to take more of a risk when it comes to stories.
On the other side of it, how do you hope the theatre industry might change in terms of being a better work environment for your clients?
I want folks to know that actors are human beings. I just… some of the stories I hear are very heartbreaking in terms of folks not listening to actors.
If you’re doing a show that consists of an all African American cast, it’s the little things: who are you hiring on staff that can talk about the costumes and the hair appropriately? There are certain things that Equity (Actor’s Equity Association) will give you like breaks and schedules. I wish there was some kind of mandate that set guidelines for when you’re doing shows that are culturally specific. If you’re doing that kind of show, how come there can’t be a guideline about ensuring you hire a hairstylist who can work with African American hair or someone who can act as a consultant even. I wish they would be more inclusive with who they’re hiring backstage because I’ve heard so many stories about actors who get asked about their hair because the hairstylists don’t know how to do their hair.
What is bringing you joy right now?
The Bachelor is bringing me joy. Anything reality TV— I’m obsessed with reality television. And Cinderella on Disney+, anytime I’m stressed out I just put on Cinderella.
The important question now is which version of Cinderella?
The Brandy and Whitney Houston one, that’s it!
I grew up with that one!
I love singing along with it, and I’m just obsessed. Every time I watch it I fall in love with the Prince. And there’s something about that. There’s something about the way he looks at her and the magic that makes me believe in love and brings me so much joy.
I’ve also been doing better in terms of working out and relaxing more. I talk so fast and I work so fast so I like taking the time out to go on the bike for an hour or something. I also just downloaded this app called Calm, so that’s been cool to relax with that and meditate with it.
Time for some fun speed round questions! What was the last thing you watched on TV?
Oh, The Bachelor.
What was the last book that you read?
I do a lot of audiobooks, so I’m listening to one right now called Getting to I Do. Good relationship book about what to look for and how to get someone to marry you, it’s really deep! (laughs)
And finally, if you could tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would it be?
To slow down. I remember when I was younger I used to be like “I can’t wait to get to this age and the next age” and so on. And now I’m in my 30s and I’m like damn, I wasn’t always being present. So just slow down. Live more in the moment and enjoy where you’re at presently.
That’s great advice. That’s a wrap! Thanks for sharing your story ChiChi.
