We were lucky to catch up with Hasan Crawford recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hasan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I knew I wanted to be a performer from the moment I realized that you could make a living doing what you love. I had always heard that it would not be an easy career, but it could be a fulfilling one if you truly commit. I’ve come to find this to be true. I started acting when I was 12 in my school musicals and haven’t stopped since. I continued to study theater and participate in anything that would strengthen my skills as a performer. We never really had a lot of money to spend on private lessons or anything so I just learned by doing as many plays and musicals as I could. I had followed my passions through high school but knew that if I wanted to really commit and do this thing, then I should seek training, so I applied to Musical Theater programs. In 2022, I graduated from George Mason University, in my hometown of Fairfax, VA, with a degree in Musical Theater. I came out with confidence in myself and knowing what it takes to be a good auditioner, but I was unsure of what path to take to build a life for myself. It was like they handed me the degree and now I am in an open-world video game without an objective besides to create and to survive.

I had to sort of check in with myself about what exactly I wanted out of this lifestyle of a working actor. I know I want to be the best actor I can be, I already have a degree in theater, so to me, the next logical step was diving into television, commercials, and film. The DMV area, in which I grew up is a hot spot for live theater but the film industry is still developing slowly. The place where the movies get made was Los Angeles. I thought to myself, LA is where actors who aren’t afraid go to face the odds. I never want to live my life with regrets about what I should’ve/could’ve/ or would’ve done. I knew in my heart that if I didn’t bet on myself right now and take this leap of faith, I may never feel ready and regret the places I never went or the dreams I never chased. So I decided to pack up my clothes in 2 suitcases and buy a one-way to LA. My life was in Virginia. My friends, family, connections, it was all I knew. But I had to do this for myself, so I came in optimistic and eager to make a life for myself. In my 2 years here, I’m proud to say I’ve done just that. Everyone who told me it wouldn’t be easy was telling the truth I found. I had no job my first 3 weeks here so I survived on my savings and pasta for all meals of the day. I had no car, so in my first year, I had to master the buses and trains to get from my place in Boyle Heights to my auditions and shoots across the city, ranging from Northridge down to Long Beach. I was broke, hungry, and physically exhausted from chasing buses. I felt a hole in my heart where my loved ones were because I felt alone. What kept me alive frankly, was faith. All of these negative feelings hurt, but none of them could conquer the pride I felt in myself for doing what I said I would. I was blessed to have my 2 best childhood friends who also, completely coincidentally, moved to LA to be artists. They kept me grounded and focused in that first year but most importantly, they told me not to quit. So I didn’t. And because I didn’t I have been able to do the things I dreamed of. I’ve performed in major motion pictures with Netflix, Amazon, and Universal. I’ve been featured on nationally televised commercials. I’ve continued doing plays and musicals here as well as starting to write and direct my own pieces, in just 24 months (a Holy number in this city). I’m not nearly where I want to be, but I’m not sure I ever will be so I’m learning to fall in love with the process.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Hasan Akylli Crawford, and I’m an actor. I grew up in Fairfax County, Virginia which is a major suburb of Washington, DC. My mom told me that I was whistling and singing before I was forming full sentences, and I think that that is pretty indicative of who I am now and what I love to do. I love to entertain. It started with singing for my family and as I grew older I just wanted to perform in front of more and more people. I didn’t think this was something I’d be able to do as like, an adult as their job. I couldn’t comprehend that. I mean I loved Michael Jackson and Usher but they are famous. That’s why they get paid to perform, I thought. It wasn’t until I was introduced to theatre in 2013 that I realized that not only can anybody perform their talents, but you don’t need to be Grammy-nominated or have worldwide acclaim to be recognized and compensated for your gifts. You just have to be willing to share, and if you’re good enough you’ll be applauded. If you get really good, people may want to hire you for their plays, movies, or musicals. Honestly, that’s all I needed to hear to know that this is what I wanted to do. I’ve spent every moment of my life since 2013 to grow as a performer. I’ve worked tirelessly to have strong foundations in vocalization, movement and dance, and even improvisation to elevate my abilities as a performer. As an actor, I use my skills to tell stories, no matter the medium. I’ve worked on all types of theater from children’s to Shakespeare to bombastic musicals. I’ve been able to diversify my performance catalog by playing heavy dramatic roles on film to light comedic characters that keep a smile on your face. I try my best to be whatever a project needs of the character. A Jack-of-All Trades is truly the goal of the actor. I can tell a story with my voice, my body, or with a single facial expression not only because it’s my job, but because storytelling is my life. I will do everything in my power to engage and move an audience in whichever way the story needs them to go.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I’ve found the modern day is not built for the artist. What I mean by that is, currently, everything feels as if it’s being produced in an attempt to advance technology or to simplify human experiences for ease of access and comfort. I have found that the power of art comes from A) forcing humans to look at our experiences in a non-simplified way and B) placing people out of their comfort zone, while in a safe setting. When you go to a movie or a play, the best ones are the ones where you leave the theater with a lasting effect on how you see the world in which you live in. The best horror films have you hesitant to walk around your own home with the lights off. The best romance films leave you thinking about your first love or your last love or the love you’ve yet to find. Dramas make us think about how we treat each other, while comedies help us see the aspects of everyday joy in our lives. I fear that this wave of forcing American media to corporate-owned conglomerate streaming services will continue to harm actors, writers, designers, and all creatives who create our stories. Movies and TV have become associated more with the profits they bring to these companies as opposed to the impact the art has on society. It’s as if the focus has shifted from artistically crafting new and fresh stories to creating content that is designed to become shared, posted about, and then forgotten when the next “product” is released. Because of this, we see fewer new stories being told. We have seen shows in which we see ourselves, canceled after 1 season, not based on audience views, but rather based on projected numbers. The corporations will fund what they know will work before they will give support and money to projects that they believe won’t sell well. This creates a lack of ingenuity in our field and an echo chamber of sequels and spin-offs and less original content by lesser-known but equally impressive creatives. So what can we do as a society? Well, I suggest supporting your local artist first. This could be seeing a staged reading by a friend or local playwright. Go see an indie movie that might not be on a streaming service. You can even reach out to these corporations when they cancel your favorite shows by letting them know what that piece of art meant to you. I think just generally bringing more humanity into how we consume can affect the way these companies produce. I also think that the idea has been perpetuated during the SAG strike that most actors are in the union. The reality is, that it is extremely hard for even the most experienced actors to get into the union to receive any basic protections for their work and likeness. The hurdles it takes just to become SAG eligible are enough to discourage any actor but the reality of the fact that even after joining the union, you will not garner the same levels of respect or protection as an actor who has gotten the opportunity to lead a role in a major motion film. There’s no reason Meryl Streep, as fantastic as she is, should have more protections as an actor than anyone else doing the same job. Status should not dictate protection. Only 12% of actors IN SAG earn enough money to get healthcare. What does that say to the other 88% of SAG actors (and the millions of other actors who haven’t been granted the opportunity to join) who can barely take care of their expenses and can’t get the care they need to be healthy and functioning members of society? If you watch TV or movies you need actors. If you need someone to market a product, you need actors. If you need to teach a child a complex concept that you may not be equipped to educate them on you may find yourself using media (featuring actors) to get the concept across. The world needs actors and not just the Hollywood Superstars.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being able to affect the way someone sees the world is the most rewarding aspect of acting to me, but there are so many rewarding moments. Having someone be able to see themselves or a friend or family member in your performance assures that you did your job in offering a mirror to the human experience. Having someone think about how the art they’ve just seen has given them insight into a trauma that they have experienced is infinitely rewarding. The face of a child who has just seen their first theatre performance and is left mesmerized/inspired/creative or just SEEN is the reason I do what I do. I need people to see how important this art form is to all of us. How storytelling can break us down and build us up. Seeing ourselves in the characters being portrayed while having the ability to analyze relationships and dynamics of fictional or non-fictional characters and implementing our learnings in how we treat one another is why acting is rewarding to me. We all have a story to tell and if we listen to enough stories, we will find we are much more alike in all ways than we are different. We may not think the same but we all love and we all hurt. Let’s start there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.backstage.com/u/hasan-crawford/
• Instagram: @hasan_crawford
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/Un602BhR7bQ?si=-juqj-KP0ihSamRk
• Other: For booking inquiries contact [email protected]

Image Credits

Purdue University
UCLA Arts and Global Health