Njie Sabik Brings Her Star Power To The Oak Med Show

Njie Sabik, star of To Each His Own and A Taste of Betrayal, was born in Miami and began acting at six. In the interview below, Njie shares why she auditioned for a guest role on Oak Med.

What do you do, and what is your claim to fame?

NJIE SABIK: Oh, good stuff. Not only am I an entrepreneur—I have my own tax company; I’ve been doing that professionally since 2011—but I am a full-time actress and a full-time mom. I’ve been acting professionally since 2010 or 2011 in stage plays, web series, STARZ, Telemundo, Tubi movies, Prime—you name it.

When did you discover your love for acting?

NJIE SABIK: I wanted to become a singer or a lawyer, but I can’t sing, and it kind of changed for me with the law. Once I got into acting, I started at six years old. Starting at six in church and elementary school, the bug hit me really, really early—so did becoming a lawyer. I used to be at home with my brothers and sisters, just kind of playing like I was protecting them or saving them from something in some type of courtroom. That was short-lived, and the acting just kind of stuck with me. You know, just being able to tell a story—I loved doing that ever since I was a kid.

What was it like growing up in Miami compared to living in Atlanta?

NJIE SABIK: I grew up in Miami, Florida, and that is the only place I lived, except for relocating to Georgia recently. Miami is really, really fast-paced, and I know certain parts of Atlanta are really fast-paced, but I stay in the country intentionally. I grew up in a very fast-paced environment, in the city, so I wanted something calmer and slower.

In Miami, everything is right there—five, ten, or fifteen minutes away. In Atlanta, or where I live now, everything is about forty-five or thirty minutes away. It kind of gave me the opportunity to look around me—a stop and smell the roses, type of thing. I was able to notice the scenery, just little things that you wouldn’t notice on a typical drive. For me, the drive is the biggest difference. Traffic—oh my God, don’t get me started on that!

How were your teens different from your twenties?

NJIE SABIK: Oh, in my teens, I was really, really shy. In my 20s, I wasn’t so shy because I had already gone through so much between my teens and 20s, which kind of developed me into the woman I eventually became today.

What is it like raising kids in the age of social media?

NJIE SABIK: Well, my kids aren’t really social media-driven, so I’m blessed in that regard. They don’t want to, “Oh, let me do a video. Let me do a TikTok. Let me do this.” Even with the acting stuff—they’ll come and support me, but it’s not really their thing. I’m blessed in that regard, but it is really, really scary because so much is happening right now with social media, especially when it targets younger kids. My daughter is really young. My boys were football players, so they’re not really into social media. But, yeah, it’s really scary so I’m glad she’s not into that type of stuff.

Why did you choose Njie Sabik as your stage name?

NJIE SABIK: So, Njie Sabik—that’s okay, that’s okay—you said “Njie Sabik.” It’s different because when you see it, you know you’re not going to automatically pronounce it that way. So I like to tell people it’s like your knee and the letter G, you know, to be funny and comical a little bit and help them get it right. I love you, though. Njie is my real last name. It’s always been an intriguing last name, so people would always gravitate towards it. I started to use it as a first name starting from probably elementary or middle school. I was always in extracurricular activities—JROTC or something like that—and they always called me by my last name. I was a correction officer, and they call you by your last name. When I got into the acting world and took it seriously back in 2010, I didn’t want to use my first name, but I did want to use Njie as a first name. Sabik—Njie means bright and shining star. I just kind of looked at some astrology and all that other good, you know, cosmos and stuff, and I found the word Sabik, which is one of the second-brightest stars in a galaxy. I just kind of put them together, and here it is.

Tell us about your role on The Oak Med Show.

NJIE SABIK: I play Trinity’s mom. I love that I get to be a little bougie and no-nonsense. I don’t play about my baby, and I don’t play about my business either. When I read the script, I thought, “This is going to be fun.” The Zoom meeting really helped me feel it even more. I can’t wait to bring this character to life!

How did you react the first time you read the script?

NJIE SABIK: I heard about Oak Med a couple of months ago. When I first auditioned, I didn’t hear back right away, but I was so excited. Oak Med is comedic and set in the medical field, which I love because it brings humor to a serious world.

Tell us about your experiences with the audition process.

NJIE SABIK: So, yeah, sometimes it’s different. It’s hard work, for sure. I probably submit about 20 auditions a day, and when it comes back, I probably only hear from maybe two or three. When I do those two or three, they’re virtual now, not in person. With virtual auditions, I love that I can re-record if I don’t like how I did something, but once I submit, there’s no instant gratification or feedback.

I’ve learned to let it go after submitting. What’s meant to be will be, so I focus on giving my all in every audition, whether in person or virtual.

What are the pros and cons of being pretty?

NJIE SABIK: Oh, that’s a really good question. I remember one time I went for an audition, and when I walked into the audition, it was for the role of a domestic violence victim and the lead role. When I walked in, all I literally did was walk in, they asked me whose role I was auditioning for, and I told them. They were like, “Well, that can’t be the role.” I said, “Well, yeah, that is the role I would like.” They were like, “Yeah, but you’re too pretty for this role.” I was like, “What? Can I at least have the option to audition?” You know, because I didn’t come in there pretty. I came in there barefaced. I just asked for the opportunity. Sometimes it can be a hindrance where they just see you’re pretty and don’t—I don’t know how to put it into words, but they don’t give you the chance to show that you have range, that you can do more. I’m more than just a pretty face. In certain movies or films, being pretty is great; it’s awesome. But for me, I’m one of those deeper actresses. I love those roles that are really, really challenging, that are going to take me there and take my audience there.

Who has the worst morning breath in your family?

NJIE SABIK: Oh, oh my God. She’s going to be so mad—my daughter. I think it’s because of all the candy. Don’t tell her I said that. She’ll probably watch this years later. Maybe not. See what I mean? She’ll watch it now. I love you, Sue.

What’s on your bucket list as an actor and producer?

NJIE SABIK: I want to work with big talents. Working with Denzel before he retires? That’s a bucket list item for me.

What’s the worst advice you’ve ever received?

NJIE SABIK: The worst advice I’ve ever received is that I’m too old and need to stop doing what I’m doing. But when Wakanda Forever had that 92-year-old actress debuting, I thought, “That’s what we’re doing? Thank you for that!” It showed me that you’re never too old.

That’s the beauty of acting. You don’t have to be pretty or a certain size, height, hair color, or skin color. As long as you have talent, you’re in. That’s why I love acting. I’m looking forward to writing my own pieces—short films, full-featured films.