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I Got It From My Mama: Tika Sumpter on Hustle, Healing & Life’s Biggest Lessons

Feb 20, 2025
Tika Sumpter, an accomplished actress and producer known for her roles in Gossip Girl and South Side with You, shares her inspiring journey from a waitress in Queens to Hollywood star. She discusses the hustle it took to break into acting, the double standards within the industry, and her experiences with race and casting biases. Tika reflects on the impact of motherhood on her personal growth, the importance of betting on yourself, and how her new children's podcast and book, I Got It From My Mama, celebrate creativity and resilience.
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INSIGHT

Queens Grit Powers Long Game

  • Tika Sumpter credits Queens upbringing with instilling hustle and grit that propelled her career.
  • She frames success as earned through persistence, auditions, and rejection rather than entitlement.
ANECDOTE

One Night, One Introduction Changed Everything

  • A club manager befriended Tika and introduced her to her first agent, kickstarting her career.
  • That chance encounter led to bookings and the feeling that people in the industry began to see her.
ANECDOTE

Quitting Job Led To Breakthrough

  • Tika walked out of an abusive job mid-shift and called her boyfriend who told her, "I got you."
  • A week later she booked One Life to Live and began acting full-time.
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