Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
She walks to the beat of her own drum. She has a style that is all her own and it is non-negotiable. Her energy sets the room afire.
Who is she? Briana Morris – 90% creative and 10% bonus features. Better known as simply B Mor. At heart, she is a multi-hyphenate artist with a foundation in theatre that lives for the core of storytelling. From acting, and writing to producing, she loves to engage in every part of the creative process.
When she’s not in front of the camera or on stage, you can usually find her behind the scenes — actively transforming a story from script to screen. She is an alumna of the Mecca, Howard University. Her creative curiosity has taken her to the South of France, Italy, Jamaica, and the Cannes Film Festival, twice!
She has been creating stories through her production company B Mor Productions since 2015 and teaching the value of edutainment through her production house, B Mor Studios, since 2022.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
Ethic. Vitality. Character. These are what set me apart. What makes me different is my relentless pursuit of excellence and elevation. It’s all in the name. B MOR is not just my initials, but it is my life’s mantra.
My mission is to elevate any and everything connected to me. As an artist, my goal is simple – to have fun doing what I love. Put another way, I wake up every day trying to figure out how in the world I can combine my ambiguous relationship with tacos, traveling, and tv with my passion.
Vince Lombardi once stated, “The only time you’ll find success before work is in the dictionary.” So while there may be an escalator to greatness, I’d rather travel the stairs, eating my tacos, and thinking of my next great hit. My aim is to be more than just good, be great; do more than just enough, do more; live more than just life, live for a lifestyle in each moment. “Earn your sleep” is my motto and this is what drives me every day.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
I knew this was the right path for me when I was asked to perform a skit with friends for children’s church in the 6th grade. This may have seemed like a walk in the park, but I grew up in a megachurch on the Southside of Chicago.
I knew there would be at least 200 young faces in the audience staring back at us. Without hesitation, I anxiously accepted the challenge not fully realizing what was being asked of me. Not only did I take on the role of actor, but I took on the role of writer and producer as well.
A multi-hyphenate that I am still growing comfortable with to this day. In less than a week, I quickly wrote a 5-page script, created a rehearsal schedule, and cast friends in our rendition of the hit animation, The Proud Family. After an intense week of preparations, we were ready for Sunday morning. Lines were memorized, microphones were hot and costumes had been steamed.
I remember the stillness that came over me right before stepping onto the stage as the beloved grandma, Suga Momma. At that moment, I knew I had found my calling and path. There was no turning back!
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
This road has not been easy, but to whom much is given much is required. Losing a parent while in college changes your perspective on life and career indefinitely. It pushed me to re-evaluate what truly makes me happy and to unapologetically chase after it.
In 2018, I decided to move to Los Angeles from Chicago. It was a plan I had been working on for five years and when the time came, there was never a question of doubt. My god sister and I gassed up my Dodge Dart and traveled 30,000+ (plus) miles through a snowstorm in the mountains to get to this new land I only dreamed about.
Moving to a new city that I was vaguely familiar with turned out not to be the biggest hurdle. My biggest struggle came when my god-sister flew back to Chicago and I was left in an empty apartment without the physical support of my village. Throughout my first year, there were times when I cried myself to sleep, I didn’t want to physically get out of my air mattress, and when I sat in the darkness of my room because I couldn’t afford a lamp.
During one of my lowest points, I remember crying out to one of my friends who sent me money to wash my clothes, because I simply didn’t have it. Standing face to face with despair and loneliness, I took a vow to work my butt off to make it happen or die in LA trying. Since moving, my work ethic and faith have opened up doors unimaginable. The struggle ain’t over, but at least I’ve graduated to a new chapter of challenges. As I progress, I continue to keep God first because with a new level comes a new devil.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
I’d want to meet Byron Allen, Viola Davis, and Quinta Brunson. They all carry excellence with dignity, wisdom with beauty, and hearts of empathy. Byron Allen is an advocate for legacy wealth, ownership, and autonomy in the global league.
I’d love to pick his brain about his business, family, and pitch a few ideas. Viola Davis is such a loaded gun of truth, an intentional observer of life, and has such a depth of human experience. I’d want to talk to her about joy, evolution, and the P&A Fund at JuVee Productions. Quinta Brunson is a brilliant multi-hyphenate who has transcended art and achievement in such a short amount of time. I’d like to discuss her artistic expansion over the past two years, lessons learned as a producer, and pick her brain as a showrunner.
Drop your social media links.
Instagram:https://instagram.com/iamBrianaMorris
Twitter: @iamBrianaMorris
Tiktok: @iamBrianaMorris