Edwina Findley Opens Up About Faith, Purpose and Her Netflix Series 'The Residence' On Navigating Hollywood Podcast

Actress Edwina Findley

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Edwina Findley on the Navigating Hollywood Podcast

Acclaimed actress Edwina Findley discusses Netflix's "The Residence," overcoming Hollywood rejection, and her new book on the Navigating Hollywood podcast.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, August 1, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Acclaimed actress Edwina Findley, known for her powerful performances in HBO's "The Wire," "Fear the Walking Dead," and currently starring in Netflix's murder mystery series "The Residence," joined filmmaker Allen Wolf on the latest episode of the Navigating Hollywood podcast, ranked in the top .5% of podcasts worldwide.

In this deeply personal conversation, Findley shared her remarkable journey from performing in church plays as a five-year-old to becoming an Independent Spirit Award-nominated actress, while navigating the intersection of faith and entertainment throughout her career.

"Edwina's versatility and authenticity have made her a standout across film, television and theater," said host Allen Wolf. "Her ability to seamlessly transition between dramatic and comedic roles while maintaining her spiritual foundation is truly extraordinary."

Currently starring as the flawed but lovable White House butler Sheila Cannon in Netflix's "The Residence," Findley described her character with characteristic humor: "She's extremely flawed. In fact, when I read the script the first time, I wondered how did she get this job? She's an alcoholic and is a person that tells her mind and tells it like it is, but she's filled with joy and dreams."

Working alongside an impressive ensemble cast including Uzo Aduba, Susan Kelechi Watson, Isaiah Whitlock Jr., Randall Park, Ken Marino, Giancarlo Esposito, and Bronson Pinchot, Findley brings both comedy and vulnerability to the Shondaland production.

One of the most compelling aspects of Findley's interview was her candid discussion about receiving prophecies throughout her career. "I started receiving from strangers these prophecies about working with Oprah Winfrey and working with Tyler Perry," Findley revealed. "People would literally, strangers would stop me on the street, would stop me on the subway... One time I was even at this nightclub, in a state that I'd never been to, and a woman stopped me and she prophesied to me."

These encounters were remarkably specific, with strangers telling her she would "move to California" when she was living in New York, prophesying about her future husband when she was single, and predicting she would work with Tyler Perry and film at his Georgia studios before she had ever met him.
These prophetic encounters proved remarkably accurate. In 2019, Findley found herself at Tyler Perry Studios' grand opening, where she received a star on the Walk of Fame directly in front of the Oprah Winfrey soundstage, with Oprah present. "That was just such a beautiful moment of just a full circle manifestation," she reflected.

Findley shared harsh realities she faced early in her career when agents told her, "You'll never make it in Hollywood. Hollywood is for beautiful people. You are not." She also encountered pressure to compromise her values regarding nudity and content she wasn't comfortable with.
"They would just let me have it, like really let me have it, like very bullying," she recalled. The message was clear: "I'm not important enough to have convictions."

Her response was rooted in prayer: "I can remember being offered my first role at 21 years old and going into a whole fast and asking God, 'Is this what you want from me? I just want what you want from me.'"

Findley's faith was tested during her time at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she encountered professors who taught that "God is a social construct." This led to intense questioning until a friend asked her simply: "Do you believe?"

"When I experienced God for myself, that's when I realized, wow, this is my spiritual journey. It's very personal in that no one can explain away or take away what I've experienced," she reflected.

Throughout the interview, Findley emphasized a revolutionary perspective on purpose in entertainment. "I got the revelation pretty early on that this life is about purpose and whether you're filming or whether you're feeding the homeless, or whether you're singing at church, you are still operating in some form of purpose."

"The fallacy of this industry is that if you're not employed at a certain time... that you're not doing what you were created to do if you don't have an entertainment opportunity. But I don't believe that's true."

Findley described a season of unemployment that became "probably the most purposeful season of my life" through serving others and mentoring. "It was in serving others that I came in contact with my own purpose."

The conversation touched on Findley's debut book, "The World is Waiting for You," which features a foreword by Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis. Davis writes of Findley: "Edwina is a life force. Once she comes into your life, it alters."

The book explores what Findley calls "God dreams" – divine purposes that extend beyond personal ambition. "We all have a superpower. We all have a gift that God has given us and there's a grand God dream that's over all of our lives," she explained.

Findley offered practical wisdom for discerning between self-centered ambition and divine calling: "One way to determine between your own dream and a God dream is: is it large enough to encompass others? Is it large enough to bless others through the fulfillment of it?"

When asked about her desired legacy, Findley's response was profound: "I want to hear the words 'well done.' For me, hearing those words means that you have fulfilled your assignment. The reason why you were born, the reason why you were created—you have fulfilled."

The actress runs a nonprofit called Abundant Life U with her husband, continuing her mission of helping others discover their purpose.

"The Residence" is currently streaming on Netflix, and Findley's book "The World is Waiting for You" is available wherever books are sold.

The Navigating Hollywood podcast features insightful conversations with entertainment professionals about their careers and what it takes to thrive relationally and spiritually in Hollywood. The episode featuring Edwina Findley is available now on all major podcast platforms and on the Navigating Hollywood YouTube channel.

Don Fitzgerald
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Edwina Findley on the Navigating Hollywood Podcast

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