Editors’ Note: Black history is American history. Reel 360 News’ Reel Black List is a commitment to recognizing the impact of Black voices across film, television, music, media, and culture every single day of the year. In a moment when DEI initiatives have been challenged and hard-won progress feels increasingly fragile, it’s more important than ever to amplify the voices of Black artists, leaders, and innovators who have shaped the industry and continue to move it forward. Today, we spotlight talented songwriter, screenwriter, music video director, producer, and former Prince backup singer and dancer, Nandy McClean.
Nandy has been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry for two decades, collaborating with top talent in music and film, including Prince, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Nicole Kidman, Mark Wahlberg, Hans Zimmer, Baz Luhrmann, and major networks like Netflix, HBO, and Fox Studios. Known widely as a backup singer and dancer for Prince, she performed at his iconic 2007 Super Bowl Halftime Show and on Saturday Night Live.
In 2013, McClean made her debut as an executive producer for Prince’s Breakfast Can Wait video, launching her successful career behind the camera. She later directed India Arie’s acclaimed Steady Love video, nominated for an NAACP Award for its fresh portrayal of Black love. Commissioned by Netflix, she went on to direct short-form promotional content for popular shows on TUDUM, including Stranger Things and The Queen’s Gambit.
As the founder of NM Films in Los Angeles, Nandy creates music videos, commercials, and films with a focus on visually powerful storytelling, especially highlighting minority voices and fostering equality, authenticity, and truth.
Let’s meet Nandy!
What’s the version of your origin story you don’t put on LinkedIn?
I grew up in a single-parent household in a 1-bedroom cabin with my mother and twin sister. We didn’t come from privilege. My mother instilled in me an adventurous, creative spirit and a strong desire to pursue my dreams.
My creativity was born in nature and freedom, not strategy and rules. Long before accolades or stages, I learned to master the craft of dance and music, developing empathy for others and inspiring those around me.
Which dream did you outgrow? Which one won’t go away?
I outgrew the dream of being a singer and dancer. The dream that won’t go away is to create work as a filmmaker and truth speaker who heals, disrupts, and tells the truth through stories that leave people changed, not impressed.
Was your career a choice, an accident, or a survival instinct?
My career as a filmmaker started as an evolution from living a life in the spotlight in music, back-up singing, and dancing for music icon Prince, to evolving into the visual medium of music videos, advertising, and then film. Shifting from in front of the camera to behind. Rather than being at the whim of others writing stories, I chose to start writing my own. It was definitely a choice.
Who were your mentors?
Michael Jackson was my biggest inspiration, showing me the power of music, video, song, and dance through self-expression. He saved me from a life of powerlessness to a life of purpose. Prince was a profound mentor in creativity, living my truth, and authenticity.
My mother was my first, showing me unconditional love, the courage to follow my heart, and empathy for others. And later, mentors came in fragments: directors, truth speakers, spiritual teachers, some intentional, some accidental, some painful.
What’s a risk you took that looked insane to everyone else but felt necessary to you?
There are two that come to mind. First, leaving my home country, Australia, to move to the United States to pursue a career in music; second, stepping away from visibility and safety as a Prince dancer and singer to find my own voice as a filmmaker. Leaving the known for the unknown.
Tell us a story that’s 100% true and still sounds like bullshit.
That I went from growing up in the Australian bush to dancing and singing on the world’s biggest stages with Prince, while at times still feeling invisible. That both things can feel true at the same time.
What lie do you tell yourself to keep going?
My closest answer to this question is that I keep reminding myself daily to listen for the truth, what I’m afraid of, and where I am lying to myself. Some days I crack the code and take new, inspired action; some days I don’t, but I keep the courage to seek out and uncover any given pretense that stands in my authentic truth.
You wake up in a film universe – what is it? Who do you play?
A grounded, mythic world, part spiritual realism, part human truth. I play the woman who stops running, faces the wound, and becomes the guide instead of the hero.
What’s something people assume about you that’s completely wrong?
That confidence means certainty. That because I’ve been seen, I feel seen. Or that I always know what I’m doing.
What are you chasing next: clarity, chaos, peace, or power?
Clarity. The kind that brings peace, and a quieter, truer form of power.
What does success look like when nobody’s watching?
Waking up aligned. Creating without forcing. Choosing truth over approval. Feeling grounded and at home in my body, my purpose, and my work.
What does 2026 look like for you?
Ownership. A feature film in the world. An autobiographical series about me and my sister’s experience with Prince. Work that reflects who I am. Fewer compromises. More trust. And a life that feels integrated, not split between what I do and who I am.
Website: nandymcclean.com
Instagram: @nandymcclean
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/nandymcclean/
For more Reel Black List honorees, click here.
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