Meet Susie Abromeit (Netflix’s Jessica Jones), Who Stars in the Summer Blockbuster Feature Film, THE FOREVER PURGE (Universal Pictures)

Backstory – Likely best known for her breakout role as “Pam,” in Netflix’s Jessica Jones (opposite Krysten Ritter), Florida native Susie Abromeit, has proven herself a force to be reckoned with. Currently you can see her in the latest and final installment of “The Purge” franchise The Forever Purge which dropped on July 2nd!

Before she made her mark on Hollywood, Susie came very close to a career as a professional tennis player. Receiving a full scholarship to Duke University she was one of the top ranked players (#6 in the US), helping her team earn a number one ranking and NCAA title during her freshman year. Not long after, however, fate had a different plan, when she decided to transition into pursuing her musical talents, in addition to acting and modeling full-time.

Susie went on to perform a song with Fat Joe for Atlantic Records, and their song “Slow Your Roll,” became a summer hit playing on various radio stations. A few of her other songs that she performed, wrote, and produced, became top requested songs on local radio stations throughout Florida. From there, she graced the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, while simultaneously making her film debut as the lead in the Lionsgate film, Know Thy Enemy, playing a female rapper. Soon after, she began to book roles in films, Sydney White, Sex Drive, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Setup, alongside Bruce Willis, and the blockbuster hit Battle: Los Angeles.

Additional credits include: Chicago Med, Devious Maids, One Tree Hill, as well as Tyler Perry’s, The Haves and Have Nots, Rake, Legends of Tomorrow, Code Black, Supernatural, NCIS, among many others.

Aside from her work on-camera, Susie is also passionate about producing and writing her own projects. She had recently completed a pilot presentation that she wrote, produced, and starred alongside Erin Moriarty, Peter Facinelli, Kellan Lutz, Alona Tal, and Ethan Peck.

On the philanthropic front, Susie serves as an ambassador on the creative council for the non- partisan organization Represent.us , also supported by Jennifer Lawrence, JJ Abrams, Adam McKay, Amy Adams, and Michael Douglas to name a few. She also serves as an ambassador for Not For Sale, an organization that helps survivors of human trafficking.

Next up for Susie is the summer blockbuster The Forever Purge (Universal Pictures) which dropped on July 2nd, as well as King Richard (Warner Bros.), opposite Will Smith due to release in 2022.

We got Susie to weigh in on a few things

From the outside looking in, who is Susie Abromeit?

I suppose it depends on who’s looking in? Not to get super existential about it, I think we see the things we want to see about each other. But if I’m on the outside and an observer looking in on who “Susie Abromeit” is, I would say she’s a super passionate, loving, big hearted, quirky/funny, determined, resilient, creative, artistic, force–who is big ball of energy, marching to the beat of her own drum. And most importantly, trying to be a great person one day at a time in every aspect of her life. It’s certainly not always easy and there are many obstacles along her way, but damn, this woman is trying regardless of what life sends her way; good, bad, or ugly. And despite it all, still is unjaded, hopeful, and open to all the wonderful things God has in store.

What was the defining moment that made you decide entertainment rather than sports was the way for you to go?

I think I always knew I wanted to be doing exactly what I’m doing right now, since I was a kid, but acting wasn’t something that was really encouraged as a career where I grew up. The arts were something I constantly gravitated towards, so it would have probably happened regardless because I loved it so much and my soul craves to be artistic and creative. It wasn’t until I hurt my back when I was 18, right before I went to go play for Duke University on their tennis team that I was finally able to pursue it. I started writing songs and learning how to play guitar and next thing I knew, six months later, I had a song play on the radio on a major station in Miami. I had met with Atlantic Records and they were interested in working with me at the time, but had a full scholarship to Duke for my tennis and if didn’t follow through on that my mother would have killed me, and rightfully so. 🙂

At Duke is where I really got to explore music, acting, and writing. I was majoring in theater and English at the time, and would write songs, bringing my guitar everywhere with me, even when our tennis team would travel for away games. When I received an offer to star as the lead in a Neil LaBute play as a paid gig during my time at Duke, and had to turn it down because our Duke tennis schedule was so hectic– that was when I knew I needed to make a choice. And that’s when I quit tennis and pursued acting full time.

When you made your move, what was the most satisfying for you about the transition?

That I was finally doing what I wanted to do. I was so happy. I stopped eating my feelings, lost fifteen pounds and began booking commercials, had songs playing on the radio, and then starting to book roles in films and TV.

You have a growing list of on screen appearances, but one of the more interesting is your role as a rapper in Know Thy Enemy, how did you prep for that challenge?

I grew up listening to everything, but a big part of that was hip hop. Eminem, Tupac, Biggie…they were huge influences on my life. Before ever booking this film, I had just completed a few songs with me rapping in them, and that’s the reason I was cast in the film. In the role I was really able to embrace the Miami side of me, and being in the music industry already helped me prepare for it.

Where does your inspiration for music come from, especially songwriting which is such a special skill?

Sometimes I hear melodies in my dreams, but usually it’s just me driving or in the shower. Or maybe there’s a poem I’m working out and then it all just clicks. I’ll hear the bones of the song and then once you’re in the studio you’re able to find it, play it, and build it. Sometimes it’s playing on guitar and seeing what you are feeling at the time.

Commingling music and acting seems to us on the outside to create quite the hectic world, how do you keep it all together?

I think it’s different rooms of the same house. It’s all storytelling. Songs are just short stories that can immediately send you somewhere. We are creatures who crave storytelling to help us better understand our world. I love the art of making music and movies. It really is my purpose and I can’t imagine ever doing anything else. The industry for sure can be crazy at times, but I try not to focus on that and more about what stories I want to tell. That’s what we all crave; to see ourselves in those songs, movies and TV shows.

Have you ever just busted out in a song while on set of one of your film projects…if so what was the reaction?

In the makeup trailer I’m usually listening to music and singing along and sometimes it ends up being a dance/singing party. Those are the times I cherish the most. I recently did a film where someone had a guitar in the scene and in between the takes, I starting singing and playing it, and people were surprised and wanted to hear more but then we had to film.

That same day during a break, our entire cast got together, played guitar and sang songs. Those are the moments I really enjoy. Just an incredible jam session in the middle of a break.

Since you’ve made some waves as a songwriter, what’s been one of the highlights of THAT part of your life?

The highlights would be having a song featuring Fat Joe (in 2003), working with Atlantic Records, having it be a top requested song on major radio stations in parts of Florida, DJ Khalid playing my song on 99 jams, a few songs I wrote and produced being top requested songs playing on major radio stations in Florida, and I also had a song make the soundtrack to MTV’s “Taking the Stage.”

You’ve also got a role opposite the iconic Will Smith in the upcoming Warner Bros film King Richard, what has been one of the highlights for you about this project?

Everything. The script. The story about Richard Williams raising Serena and Venus. Going back to junior tennis. Will Smith.

Working with Will was a dream come true. He’s just so brilliant and amazing at what he does. He’s the ultimate movie star. He’s been a hero of mine since I was 12. I think his voice has been in my head since then, just from the way he looks at the world and how positive he is. We look at the world in a very similar way. He really is just amazing. And the script of this project really hit home for me. No one has truly gotten the tennis world right because it’s so specific, but as I was reading it, I was immediately brought back to my childhood, the dysfunction of junior tennis and I started to cry because it was so incredibly moving.

Outside of the entertainment industry at large, what are your passions?

Being around people I love, my friends, family. Being in nature. I’ve been getting back into cooking which I love! Also dancing and being around animals. Would love to have a farm one day.

What’s been the funniest WTF moment for you thus far in your career?!

Oh, dear… I’ve had too many to count. This is definitely super embarrassing but why not. So Chris Rock was also a comedic hero of mine growing up. My mom and I loved him so much on SNL and his standup. I would watch his stand up over and over again until I knew it by heart. I had even learned his entire SNL monologue from 1996 from watching is many times as a kid, I could even impersonate him and had his cadence down. Weird, I know. But he’s my hero, so just go with it. So, fast forward to a few years ago: here I am, at some exclusive private party and I see him.

I think to myself, ‘hey I’m friends with his boy David Spade, I’ll go and say hi.” I introduce myself and tell him I’m friends with Dave and he’s like “Oh yeah, I just saw him tonight,” and then out of nowhere I think it’s a really great idea to tell him how accurate he was about some of his comedy and how it still holds up (his SNL monologue from 1996) and then I proceed to do his monologue in front of him. You heard that right. I did “Chris Rock” in front of “Chris Rock.” Yup. That happened. He was polite, but the conversation ended shortly after that. I slowly walked away realizing maybe I shouldn’t have done that and wanted to crawl into a large hole.

I saw him again a year later at a Dave Chapelle stand up show and he was super cool, so I guess it wasn’t too bad.

Where can we find you online?

You can find me on Instagram @susieabromeit

Featured Image Credit Matt Sayles

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.