Staying Motivated with Maurice Moore

After landing a role at eight years old in the film The Color Purple, Maurice Moore fell in love with acting. Now, Moore has continued his passion for acting and owns Motivate Pictures and Austin’s Breathe Acting Studio — it’s safe to say that Moore is one of the busiest Austinites. 

“I grew up with a terrific family but not having very much. I was motivated to have more than I had, which required a tremendous amount of work ethic and discipline and focus.”

Falling in love with the competitive industry that is filmmaking, acting and entertainment, Moore says his motivation and determination have always been a significant aspect of his successes.

“I started finding things around me that motivate me to keep doing it — to keep waking up every day and find a reason to work harder and be better than I was the day before,” Moore says. “I try to do that in every aspect of my life.”

Now, Moore not only acts, teaches acting classes and remains an active member of the Austin community, but he also makes health and fitness a priority. 

As he grew older, Moore realized that his health directly affected how he would feel on a day-to-day basis and his level of performance managing a busy life. Following this, Moore became a lot more disciplined with his diet.  

“Once I did that, my entire life changed,” Moore says. 

One aspect of living healthy that keeps him on track and motivated is his passion for cooking, Moore says.

“I can control and understand what it is I’m putting in my body,” Moore says.

Now, Moore says he tries to incorporate his passion for health and fitness into helping his students at the Breathe Acting Studio. 

“Talent is a significant part of it, but we also know that image is a significant part of the entertainment industry as well, especially when it comes to actors,” Moore says. “So, being in shape or being healthy for a lot of actors is an important thing.”

Photo courtesy of Maurice Moore.

Every Sunday, Moore found himself going on long walks around Town Lake, one of his favorite spots in Austin, to start his week off on a healthy note. It wasn’t long before his students at the Breathe Acting Studio wanted to come along, too. 

“It just built our family even stronger, because now we’re doing something other than just performance. We’re doing lifestyle things together,” Moore says. “We’re enjoying being healthy together.”

Moore says health is of the utmost importance, especially when dealing with the effects of COVID-19.

“It is not easy in the COVID world to stay healthy and to stay fit, and it’s a lot easier to stay in bed or to find an excuse not to do things, but the truth of the matter is, if you find a reason to do it — once this is all over, you’re going to be better, healthier and mentally stronger,” Moore says. 

Motivation is key for Moore because it helps him through difficult situations like COVID-19 or other challenges he faces on a regular basis. 

“I don’t let the world live me — I live the world,” Moore says.

Even though health and fitness play a massive role in Moore’s life, productivity and performance, he says his biggest motivation is and will always be his daughter, Kiana. 

“That’s what drives me every day, all day and everything that I do, every aspect of my life,” Moore says. “That’s my heart.”