ATLANTA - Multi-talented actress, producer, director, host, and writer Damaris Rosalyn always pours her heart and soul into everything she does.
Her passion for acting and producing began at a young age and blossomed over the years thanks to her supportive family and faith. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Rosalyn is the seventh child born out of 10 children. Her mother died when she was 4 years old.
“I grew up in a big family. We started off in a two bed, one bathroom home. It was all fun and games until we started fighting over the bathroom,” Rosalyn recalled. “Eventually, my dad wanted to build a new house for us to have more space.”
“My dad will always be an inspiration to me,” she said. “He’s a firefighter and a very hard worker. He built a house with six bedrooms and three bathrooms out of a condemn duplex, all while raising his 10 children by himself.”
Rosalyn shared her joy of being named after her mother.
“My mom came up with the name Damaris, but my middle name Rosalyn was my mom’s first name. My mom was a strong woman of faith and got the name Damaris from the Bible in acts 17:34. My name isn’t pronounced how it’s spelled. My family always pronounced it (Duh-Mary-Is).”
Her love for acting began when she was 18. Her sister Lydia asked if she was interested in being in a commercial.
“It was a Woodville Auto commercial and it would air all the time in Toledo and Detroit,” Rosalyn said. “That sparked the flame to go to college. I dove into theatre and media communications. I knew I could really do this.”
She changed her major from music to media communications and theatre at the University of Toledo. That prepared her to be in front of the camera and on the theatre stage. Then, she began practicing in front of the camera by broadcasting herself on the app BIGO.
After graduating college, she started working with people who shared her passions. This later led her to create the web series “Lyrical Protégé” with Director Tyrell Betts and Stunt Coordinator Dante Russell.
Rosalyn said she gets into character by remembering where she came from.
“I didn’t move here for nothing,” she said. “To step into that feeling, to portray another character’s emotions is the easy part. Acting is just to be in the moment. For me to portray another character, all I need to do is just be. It’s not about the destination of who that character is. it’s about the journey of who that character is becoming.”
Rosalyn previously filmed as a featured background at Marvel, took classes at LS Studios, and worked at Uptown Comedy Corner, where she met and began networking with comedians Dsean Ross, Dijuan Hill, and Kerwin Claiborne. Rosalyn said she did anything to keep her feet wet.
Her love for manifestation and divine timing helped her create a vision board to pursue her dreams. She fondly recalled a time she manifested getting a car that she wanted at a Smyrna auction.
“My first car I received here in Atlanta was a gift from a stranger,” she said. “I went up to her and told her I was alone in Atlanta and this car would make all my dreams come true. I told her I wasn’t leaving without it. After that, she offered to give me the keys.”
That experience gave her the confidence to manifest her dreams at a higher frequency. She originally moved to Atlanta for a flight attendant position. She was living in a house with at least 22 other flight attendants. She later manifested having her own affordable apartment in Atlanta into reality.
Most of her skits are comical, but some of skits are about real-life experiences, she said. Some skits are created to help others change their perspectives in life and manifest their dreams into reality. Rosalyn said some skits are also related to the Divine Nine in which she is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.
She said Regina Hall, Kerry Washington, Sanaa Lathan and Nafessa Williams are some of her favorite actresses.
What helps Rosalyn stay inspired are affirmations and listening to Reverend Ike.
“You can be your savior, and you can be your devil at the same time,” she said. “You can make it happen. If you believe in God, you should believe in yourself. This inspires me to keep going because the source is inside of you, therefore God will never leave you or forsake you.”
She is currently the host of “Love is Blind” a popular reality series that focuses on several men and women going on blind dates, talking to each other and seeing if they can build a connection. You can apply to be on “Love is Blind” by clicking here.
“It’s nothing like what you see on TV. There’s a twist,” she said. “It’s airing on YouTube. I was introduced to the show because I wanted to find love.”
Rosalyn says Executive Producer Tameah Spencer and Director Kevin James Booker encouraged her to host “Love is Blind” instead because of her strong background in film.
“I guess it wasn’t meant for me to find love that day,” Rosalyn stated. “Instead, a new life and perspective found me. It made me remember that the greatest love of all is inside of me. I can’t find something I already had.”
The cast includes Show Runner Alexis McNeill, Casting Director Ariel LaFleur, Director of Photography Calvin Lamar Matchett, and Editor Sadaf Zahoor.
In addition to hosting “Love is Blind,” Rosalyn is also working on a new superhero movie called “XXERO,” directed by Kevin Townley. Rosalyn says it is scheduled to be on Tubi TV and Red Royal in January 2025. She also had a role in the web series and mockumentary “Company Time,” directed by Rodriguez Newman.
She says working on other sets with so many talented people has allowed her to network and create new opportunities.
“I have a lot of projects going on,” she said. “I’ve just been working and working. I’m very excited. All the background acting I’ve done is paying off.”
Some of the things that she does to stay inspired every day is work out with her favorite run club in Atlanta, Hills4ATL, and read self-help books including “The Secret.” She also listens to her favorite artists Londrelle, Lizzy Jeff, and Toni Jones.
Rosalyn said her father Harold will always be her inspiration.