MADEXXXX
MADE TO WIN
Merle Dandridge
MADE BY KRIS D . WILLIAMS
She ’ s not just a pretty face . Humble and hardworking , Merle Dandridge , is grounded in faith and rooted in a strong upbringing . MADE Magazine had a conversation with Merle to discuss how she made it from an aspiring actress to a television star as Grace “ Gigi ” in the Oprah Winfrey / Lionsgate produced hit series “ Greenleaf .”
PHOTO CREDIT Theo & Juliet
MADE : How did you get started in the arts ? Tell us about your journey .
Merle : Well , the funny thing is that in high school , when I was growing up in school , you got the opportunity to choose your electives . A girlfriend of mine , who was a year ahead of me , said , “ Did you choose your elective yet ?” And I said , “ I don ’ t know . I have absolutely no idea of what I ’ m going to do .” She said , “ You should take Drama . It ’ s easy .” So , I signed up for Drama in high school and just found myself with this fun , crazy tribe . In the summers , we went to the International Thespian Festival where everyone auditioned for colleges and that kind of thing . I ended up with a full ride to school out of that . Because I grew up on a military base with a military father , I was very disciplined . So once I got to school and found a trade and something that I enjoyed , I put my hands to the plow and just dug in and did the work . I got better all the time . The other thing about it is that I really felt that God had laid out a path for me . Every time I felt that I had a achieved something , he would open a door to something else . It was just a roller coaster effect that tumbled into this long career that I am so blessed to have . I ’ ve just kept working hard and pushing toward the next thing and trying to get better at everything that I do . And , it ’ s always opened new doors .
MADE : What challenges have you faced as an aspiring actor ?
Merle : The word “ no ” is a word that you hear the most . Every time I felt like , “ I got that job ” or “ This job is surely mine ,” there was some heartbreaking
made-magazine . com | 9 disappointment . The only thing I can say about that is get up one more time . “ No ” is the thing that separates you because it brings you growth . I remember I was cast as a regular on a show that ended being very successful . As soon as it was picked up , my character was cut . Because that experience happened , I worked harder , found other opportunities and became a better actor . It was a period of time where I was grinding harder than I had before . It prepared me to play Grace Green . I did the work and I grew , and now I have this wonderful opportunity being a lead on a T . V . series . And , I never even dreamed it was possible .
MADE : That ’ s amazing ! Can you tell us more about Grace and how you ’ ve connected with her character ?
Merle : When you take on a