FA: So… I don’t where to start, because you do so many things, you were a model, now a singer, a songwriter also an actor, anything else that I should add?
I think everything sums up that I’m a creative person and I embrace all aspects of my creativity.
FA: How old were you when you started, as an artist?
I have a song that’s still in my head, funny enough I still remember it, back when I was 16. I wrote it for some friends and those friends ending becoming a group along with myself.
FA: What was the title of the song?
It was called “C’mon get up”. It’s was a party song.
FA: I looked at your portfolio and your acting reel, very impressive. You have done tons of work, national commercials for AT&T, a hair campaign, promotional work for MTV, IFC, print work for The Source Magazine, Verizon and it goes on… could you tell us your favorite gig and why?
My favorite gig… it was a web commercial for Propecia, the hair-loss company. That stays in my mind as my favorite gig because the whole thing was done improv. The guy I shot it with it, him and I came up with the dialogue and storyline. On that day, we had to stop shooting twelve times because it was so hilarious. Everything was very natural and very spontaneous, and I loved that because it was a part of my personality that was being presented yet still being in character and nailing what the client needed from us.
FA: Every actor has a story, going to castings, being anxuous, booking the job, meeting expectations… what was your least favorite gig?
It was a shoot for a hip-hop artist that I will not name. I got on set, on time and I was looking for the contact for the shoot. I saw this young lady that looked important so I asked her “are you the contact person for the shoot?” she said “what the hell is that?” And then she’s like “maybe her” and pointed to another girl. When I went to the other girl she told me she wasn’t the contact person, she was with the rapper. She pointed to a table and I sat there, with five other models for two and a half hours. No one came to ask if we’d like some water, something to read etc. I ended up calling a friend to ask if it would be arrogant of me to leave that shoot. He told me if it’s not worth staying then I should leave. The funny thing is that shoot was so unorganized, I still got paid even though I didn’t stay.
FA: Let’s talk a bit about of acting, I saw you in an actors showcase last year and your performance was impeccable. How do you prepare for a role?
I will credit the director for that particular piece you saw. We only had a week to get the material down. What the writers from the writing class would do, they would pick out actors from the acting class to do the scenes they wrote and that was one week prior to the showcase. In terms of preparation, I’ll be honest I didn’t have that much preparation so I will credit the director for giving me a bigger vision for the character. It’s so much easier once you’ve gotten your lines out of the way, the more you do it the more the words become natural you see the character more clearly and the story builds through you.
FA: You mentioned acting classes, where did you take your acting classes?
My first acting class was with the Robert Bennett Studio, then I moved on to the Donna Marrazo Studio. I did find the New Federal Theatre, a historically minority theater here in New York City, through an actor friend of mine. I have a phenomenal coach, Alice Spivak whose well renowned. And the theater has had so many great minority actors who gone through there, so it’s part of New York’s acting history.
FA: I know actors have preferences for theater or television, do you have a preference?
I would love to land a sitcom, because I think that sitcoms would work well with my personality. Even though I’ve been told I have that “dramatic actor” look per se, but personality-wise I love what sitcoms represent… that escape from reality that sitcoms give you.
FA: How do you go about selecting your roles?
I really just go with a character whose story resounds with something that I can connect with. If it’s something that’s personal then it’s something that you (as the actor) would understand. Something in that character is something I’ve experienced and feels real to me.
FA: I’ve seen your modeling pictures, are you using your acting skills when you model?
Absolutely. Modeling is, in some ways, a restricted form of acting because you have to create an atmosphere in your shot without the use of words. It’s all angles, your eyes and body language. It can be difficult, so much of it involves a mental game and being able to capture what’s needed and have that camera reflect that in the final shot.
FA:Off subject, what’s your biggest pet peeve?
Lack of good service. I’m very big on service and lately I find myself being astounded by the lack of service you get everywhere, from the people who work in the train stations, the people in the corner store, to the people who deliver your mail. I’m a huge stickler for good service.
FA: Do you have a favorite actor?
Yes, Kate Blanchett. Because she transcends her roles. Every movie or character, she’s played her characters so well. She gets completely lost in them. Even overshadowing a weak script or weak supporting characters.
FA: Are you working on a current project right now?
Yes I am working on some music for my country. Caribbean music is something I’ve always wanted to do and even though I am an independent person, subconsciously I’ve realized I need some outside motivation and support. Without getting that, fear has kept me from doing a lot of things. This is music for my country, what we do, how we live and the spirit of our carnival.
FA: You mentioned the Caribbean, I can’t detect an accent, where are you from?
I am from Grenada in the south eastern Caribbean, a few miles north of Trinidad.
FA: So Tell us something personal about you, not the actor, not the singer, not the model, but something personal?
I have a very big altruistic side to me. What I mean by that is, everything that I am doing is not even for personal goals. I don’t want to be successful just so I can say that I have the fame, I have the money. I am from a very small place and in that small place, there’s very little room for dreaming and very little support for creative people like myself. I would like to reach a level of success to inspire people to dream bigger. There are a lot of people who come to this country and they’re happy to just be here. I’d like for people to embrace bigger and better things in their horizons. I feel like I’m living not for myself but for the generations to come after me.
Here I am in mid-town after an audition, thinking about how quickly time has come and went. It’s almost 2011 (a year away from 2012, which many believe is the end of the world as we know it). I left my audition feeling as if I did a good job and “to hell with it” if I don’t book it. Not really. I AM concerned with being able to move forward in my career but as we approach another year and I get older, I realize my ever-increasing maturity is allowing me to take one day at a time. Not everything and everyone we come across will deliver to us a great experience, much less be exactly what we’d like it to be. So I got to thinking… if you don’t acquire everything you reach and strive for in life, would you still be satisfied? Would every bit of pain, struggle, disappointment, accomplishments and experiences be WORTH it all in themselves?
