Ryan Destiny Is Showing Us She Has The Range
If you don't know her by name, you definitely know her by face. Ryan Destiny is a multi-hyphenate creative reminiscent of a young Lauryn Hill in more ways than one that has been making her mark as a star on the rise, one career move at a time.
While the Detroit native is definitely beautiful, she is also talented and is now set to add another genre to her filmography: Psychological horror. As if 2020 wasn't already psychologically-horrifying enough, Ryan is going to take us on a mind trip as the lead in the upcoming film Oracle, produced by Will Packer Productions. In it, she discovers a property she's working at has a traumatic past, and that trauma mixed with hers unearths hellish energies from within the house.
Her new role is further proof that Ryan is ready to transition to the next stages of her career and show the world she is a force to be reckoned with, and not just a pretty face. As she uncovers her multiple talents and multiple layers, she is gifting us with her vulnerability and transparency so that we can embark on the journey with her. You can't really appreciate where someone is going unless you understand where they have been, and for Ryan, this rise to stardom has been 10 years in the making.
Just in case you've seen Ryan Destiny on the scene, and still want to know about her, here are 5 fast facts about the star and her continuous rise.
1. When it comes to her iconic role as Alexandra Crane on Fox’s ‘Star’, her mood is "Thank you, next!"
Most Ryan Destiny fans know the starlet for her time as Alexandra Crane in the Lee Daniels Fox show Star. The show was abruptly canceled in 2019 after three seasons. In an interview with ESSENCE, the then-25-year-old stated:
"After a show you're starring in gets canceled, you definitely get a little shook. But you've got to trust God's process. The opportunity to have opportunities is a huge blessing."
Despite seeing the good in "goodbye", Ryan is also quite vocal about learning her worth all while navigating through troubled waters during her experience on the hit show. In an interview with Teen Vogue, she also shared:
"I think that that show taught me that I can [do] and I'm worth a lot more than I thought. And it's OK to say that. Just because other people may not see it doesn't mean it's not true. I knew my power way more, and I was past the point where I was letting people, no matter what they've done in the industry control me. I think it's easy to let people control you and step over you, and I was just really over that by the time the show ended."
2. Ryan plays Jillian on ‘Grown-ish’.
Her relatable role as a transfer student from an HBCU who has the looks of a model, the intellect to confidently speak about politics, and Zoey's ex-man (played by Luka Sabbat) as her current bae has been a pleasant addition to the hit show's latest season. Although the show is currently on hiatus due to the pandemic, Ryan's character Jillian has been recurring since the start of season 3, so make sure to catch up!
3. Ryan Destiny doesn’t play about her music.
In addition to acting, Ryan has a love affair with music and was actually how she got her first taste of the industry. Although she wouldn't start acting for real-for real until 2013, she alongside two group-members who formed the collective trio New Limit, auditioned for America's Got Talent. They were so good, they made it all the way to the finals but ultimately decided it wasn't the move. She eventually caught the eye of Universal Republic before the trio split, leading her momager and her to hold auditions to form the group Love Dollhouse. They'd sign with All Def/Capitol Records and go on to release the single "Can I" before splitting in 2015.
Ryan has been about that solo life ever since. Though her sound is distinctly R&B, she is not afraid to experiment with her sound and is pushing past obstacles that come with the consumer's difficulty to separate the artist from their previously affiliated projects. Her single "The Same" is an instant vibe and its accompanying visual definitely show Ryan's Aaliyah influences.
4. She’s a highly sought-after love interest...on-screen, of course.
Sis can emote, sis has range, and sis looks goodt, TF? Of course, she'd lend her visual to music videos from time to time, right? Recently, Ryan starred in Justin Bieber's the Colin Tilley-directed "Holy" as well as in Big Sean's music video for his single "Single Again" alongside real-life beau Keith Powers. Us fans love to see it!
5. Speaking of love, Ryan and her boyfriend Keith Powers are black love goals.
The two high-key low-key lovers are public at times and private when it counts, and it's a formula that seemingly works for the couple of three years. Although, the start of their love story wasn't love at first sight, Ryan expressed in a cover story with We the Urban that she had always been sweet on Keith since they first met, she just knew how to play it cool.
"I had shamefully liked Keith since we met though. We were just friends for a minute. So when we let things naturally happen, if you let it, love falls in naturally too."
In the same interview, Keith echoed similar sentiments, adding that it didn't take him long to know Ryan was the one for him:
"Loving someone is a very natural feeling that just happens. You can't just wake up and SAY I love this person, you FEEL it. You realize like wow, this person is a piece of me and regardless you don't ever want that person out of your life."
Goals people, goals.
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Featured image by Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
New Jersey native creating a life that she loves while living in gratitude. She loves using beauty, and fashion to create a balanced lifestyle while prioritizing wellness. A devoted fur mom, and a full-time lover of laughter. She is out for revenge against the darkness by being light, taking her own advice, traveling the world, and letting you know that you are so lit! Connect with her via IG @iamzaniah and please visit Zaniahsworld.com
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After college, I successfully landed an entertainment news role. I was passionate about my work and grateful for obtaining a job in my desired field. But like most entry-level positions in the creative industry, the pay was left to be desired. I quickly realized that I needed a second job to pay my bills.
Multiple career fairs later, I started a position with an insurance company.
My new role felt like my first “big girl” job because it had full benefits, and I couldn’t have been more excited. Plus, I could work this job during the day and my other gig at night. I excelled in my new role – exceeded the required enterprise accuracy score, received several cash awards, and was consistently selected to train my team members on different learning variances.
Everything was great initially, but unfortunately, the job that guaranteed financial stability became a nightmare after a while.
The first red flag was that this insurance company had an extremely high turnover rate primarily due to the relentless workload; therefore, teams were forced to consolidate and change leadership constantly. I was quickly burning out but overlooked the deteriorating company culture because it allowed me to keep my journalism gig and offered endless overtime. Also, the manager I had at the time was great – he provided opportunities for growth and mentorship.
It wasn’t until I reached my fourth manager that I had my first experience with a hostile work environment.
After several months on her team, my manager started the process of “quietly firing” me despite excelling on the team.
Team Building refers to quiet firing as a “passive-aggressive approach to performance management.” Supervisors will create unpleasant work conditions, which can cause an employee to suffer mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically.
Whether unintentional – because leaders can unintentionally be neglectful – or intentional, quiet firing creates a toxic work environment.
She stopped providing feedback, blocked promotional opportunities, and eventually denied my yearly raise. I felt hopeless. I couldn’t properly do my role some days because my manager spent most of her office hours avoiding her team. All issues on the team were ignored, and any work-related questions went unanswered.
Whenever I walked into the office, it felt like a dark cloud was cast over me because most of my day would consist of doing others’ jobs or explaining to other managers why I was reaching out to them instead of my own. It wasn’t until I worked myself nearly to death that I realized this job wasn’t worth it.
My health declined rapidly. I started to experience excruciating body aches and fatigue, and my hair was falling out. Clocking into a job where I was just a number, and work still had to be completed despite my failing health was exhausting. I ignored constant pleas from friends and family members to get help out of fear of being unable to pay my bills.
The last time I was admitted to the hospital, my manager called me, and instead of asking how I was, she asked when I was returning to work. The team’s numbers decreased drastically, and upper management wasn’t happy. My manager couldn't care less if I was okay as long as I made her look good. I’m not sure why it seemed like a shocking revelation at the time, but it did. The next time I went into the office, I resigned.
After a few years of forcing a working relationship that wasn’t meant to be, I finally left.
And in all my years of working, that job was the only one I ever walked away from. Although the toxic environment influenced my decision, something about quitting made me feel like a failure. Truthfully, I felt guilty for quitting at first. I believed it was irresponsible to quit without a backup plan. However, I later learned that my manager's hostile tactics, which I loathed, ended up being a blessing.
The entire experience made me realize that God had repeatedly shown me to leave that toxic job, but I was too afraid. It wasn’t until He made me sit still that I learned that this door was meant to close. Strangely, I’m happy my manager acted the way she did because I would’ve never had the courage to leave since that job equaled stability; I was complacent because I could pay my bills.
And that’s the life of so many currently – staying in an uncomfortable position because it offers stability.
That job also taught me the importance of pivoting. It doesn’t matter what your plan or backup plan is; you must be able to pivot at any time – be flexible and adaptable. The last lesson it taught me was never to settle for a job regardless of pay. I am no longer afraid to turn down a job if it’s not a good fit.
My physical and mental health is far more important than a job that can easily replace me at any moment.
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