Wed | May 15, 2024

Sakina Deer - actress and mother

Published:Wednesday | November 1, 2017 | 12:00 AMJody-Anne Lawrence
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Sakina Deer
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Sakina Deer (left) and her mother Vilma Vaughan holding Deer’s daughter, Sonja Wright, in this family photo.
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Sakina Deer as Etta in Patrick Brown’s ‘If there’s a Will There’s a Wife’.
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Sakina Deer and Glen Campbell in Patrick Brown’s ‘If there’s a Will There’s a Wife’.
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Sakina Deer has worked her way into our hearts from her smile and fun-loving demeanour on Weekend Smile. And if you are a theatre fan, you may have seen her on stage. But the greatest role she plays is as mom.

Magic, yes, she believes in magic, and acting has brought her close to that - taking her into different worlds where she can be someone else other than Sakina. "We (actors) make people forget their troubles and get lost with us, and that is magic," is how she describes acting.

There are days that she is either sick or fatigued and wonders how she will make it. The audience does not necessarily care because they have come to see a show and, like her fellow actors, she cannot disappoint them.

Speaking of disappointment, Deer's five-year-old daughter Sonja is her first priority. She admits that making her priority sometimes call for her being away from her because of work. However, this does not mean that she allows this to replace personal time with her, but it does make it difficult to schedule. Her daughter tends to know her exact plans for the day, so that their ship runs smoothly.

Her job as an actress has taught her a lot and contributed to her personal growth. This has helped her with her role as a mother. If she had the opportunity to teach her daughter a few things that she has learnt from acting, the list would include.

1. Confidence is one of the greatest assets.

2. Self-worth

3. How to laugh at oneself.

4. Memorising is a skill and the core of acting.

5. How to fit into almost any situation comfortably.

6. How to accept and learn from constructive criticism. No one likes to be criticised, but constructive criticism helps with growth.

7. Never give up on your dreams.

The lessons are twofold, and becoming a mother helped Deer with one of the most important life lessons - healing. "We tend to hold on to things so tightly, including hurt and pain, and we're not aware of how much damage we do to ourselves. Without healing and letting go, we pass that hurt, those fears, and that pain on to our children. She taught me I could be like Princess Elsa and Let It Go in order to be a better mom and a better me."

Bonus: What are you looking forward to for Restaurant Week? "Anywhere where there is pork, and all the desserts you can find."

jody-anne.lawrence@gleanerjm.com