Meet Orion Phillips II | Actor, Singer, Photographer, and Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Orion Phillips II and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Orion, what do you want people to remember about you?
My legacy will be a culmination of lessons God and my parents taught me combined with the ability to move with purpose and love. Whatever your passion may be there is a place for it and there is a place for you. The impact I want to have on people is of love and respect. I want people to see my passion, creativity and I want people to see that I took risks. I want to lead by example. Then at the end of it all, I want God and my loved ones be proud of what I’ve achieved and how I’ve treated people.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Over the years I’ve gotten skilled and have done different things in the arts, I’m not just one or two things anymore. I consider myself a creator now. I am a singer, songwriter, music producer, actor, voice-over actor, photographer, video editor, cinematographer, colorist. If there’s something that needs to be done, I figure out how to do it and get it done. To be fair, this is a lot more complicated than just listing what I can do. I’ve definitely had many, many setbacks and lessons. I think the biggest and hardest lesson was holding myself accountable and forgiving myself. It’s all on me.

Fortunately, I was blessed to have family and friends to remind me of who I am and what I’m capable of. If I’m being honest, I don’t feel like I’ve done enough yet to consider myself successful, but I have some great successes. I’ve performed with the Metropolitan Opera (at the age of 17), performed at Carnegie Hall twice. I’ve had music placements. I’ve had my images published in multiple magazines and on display at the Delaplaine National Juried Exhibition. There’s plenty more that I’ve done, but I have a need to continuously raise the bar for myself. It’s me versus myself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First things first, we’re gonna eat and eat good. I like trying new restaurants, but some of my go-to places are Hudson and Co and Lokal in Jersey City. Both places have great food and atmosphere. We’ll have to do a BBQ at some point during the week. I like adventure so there would need to be a hike, Liberty Science Center for adult night, hit up some RPM to race some go-karts. Rest of the time we’ll probably just wing it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This is a long list for a number of reasons but I’ll try to keep it on the shorter side. First and foremost, I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t Christ showing me how to love and how to forgive. My mom and dad for the genes, love, and keeping my head on straight. My older brother for inspiring me to really dive into music. My younger brother for keeping me fresh and allowing me to be an inspiration to him. Check out his clothing line Icon Natn (www.iconnatn.com). My lady Tiffany Jackman who is a director and producer (www.tiffyjackproductions.com). Monica Johnson who gave me the shoutout and is an exceptional Make up artist and pianist and all the awesome and super talented artists, actors and models I’ve created with over the years: Darik Bernard, Ellie Velli, Tasreen (we got a song together called “Feel Me” check it out), Yesenia Rodriguez (Maxim Covergirl Runner-up 2021). There’s so many more that I would love to shoutout. My family, my circle, thank you!

Website: www.temperedmindsent.com, www.iamorion.com

Instagram: instagram.com/i_am_orion; instagram.com/orionmckinleyphotography

Image Credits
The Picture of me taking a picture – Larese King Photography Gold Paint – MUA – Monica Johnson Colorful Paint – MUA – Monica Johnson