Today we’d like to introduce you to Merrik Foune.
Hi Merrik, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sure, My name is Merrik Foune and I am from Savannah, GA. I love sports, cars, animals and acting. For me, my acting career started when I was 7 years old. I hit the stage for my elementary talent show and knew I wanted to try out theatre. In theatre, I jumped in right away and took roles like Shere-Khan in The Jungle Book and The Beast in Beauty and The Beast. Getting theatre experience helped me build a resume, which led me to audition for my first agency here in Savannah. When the agent asked if I wanted to model or Act I replied, “I can do it all!” and she signed me up that day. That agent took a group of us to perform for NYC talent agents and I received many callbacks. I signed with an agent in NYC and came back to Georgia. This led to many auditions and trips to NYC but staying in Savannah is where I wanted to be. I started auditioning for SCAD film students and I started booking roles in their student films and taking on background work for as many films that were in Savannah like Gifted and Intervention. That added to my resume and got me an agent in Jacksonville FL. Audition requests came in and I started learning the world of self-tape auditions. I received a self-tape audition for All Eyez On Me in 2016 and was asked to come in for an in person audition later that week in Atlanta, GA. I dressed the part in flannel and Timberlands and booked the role of Danielle. That set was a lot of fun and such a great experience in my acting career. Being SAG eligible at 12 years old opened many doors for me. I signed with a big agent in Atlanta and New Orleans. At 15 years old, I was executive producer and lead actor for a time period film that won awards at several film festivals. Today, I am still acting and starting a new journey as an adult actor. When I am not acting I am attending college and hanging out with friends.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This business is filled with so many positive people that support each other. I have already accomplished so much as a kid actor, but the road has not been easy that’s for sure. Rejection can be a hard thing to face but one thing that helped me the most was that I have always had the mindset from a young age of being happy for the opportunities given to me and not putting any emotion when I did not get a role. My family has supported me tremendously, and relationships in the business have been a huge factor in my path to success as a young actor. The biggest challenge is showing the casting director you are the key piece they need to complete the character that you are auditioning for.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a full time college student, but am still auditioning when given the opportunity. Over summer I have been making short films with an amazing team and sending them off to film festivals. We even had our own movie premiere to celebrate the hard work everyone has done.
I have a knack for strong, deep, kind of creepy roles. My eyes light up for any type of thriller script. I am most proud of the people I have met throughout my career, I love watching everyone I’ve worked with hard work pay off and become successful.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love our historic squares, being close to the beach, going to minor league baseball games at Grayson stadium, walking on river street and getting ice cream at Leopolds. I love the buildings that SCAD has redone and the strong presence that the Savannah Film Commission has. They have done an amazing job at getting new projects into our area. I love walking around and seeing basecamp signs and wondering what film’s decided that Savannah was the perfect place. Savannah has done a great job at keeping its history and still being able to add modern touches, such as the Enmarket Arena! The only thing I would do differently is bring a hockey team way sooner. I am very excited for this year’s first hockey team in Savannah, Go Ghost Pirates!
Contact Info:
- Website: merrikfoune.com
- Instagram: @merrikfoune
- Facebook: @merrikfoune
- Other: imdb.me/merrikfoune
Image Credits
Soldier’s Heart movie poster: Seth F. Johnson and Shannon Bocook
