We recently connected with JERMEL WILSON and have shared our conversation below.
JERMEL, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I’ve been in the entertainment industry going on 25 years. I started out in my junior year in high school. I always wanted to do it but I couldn’t figure out how to necessarily get into the business. Other teachers in school helped guide my path once my fifth grade Teacher Mrs Lou Thompson had Peter Parros that played RC3 on Knight Rider to my class for career day. Once he explained what being an actor was I was hooked. It wasn’t until my guidance counselor Mrs Vickie Klein who was an actress in her own right saw I had potential saw a bright kid with potential screwing up guided me on my path. She foud out I was interested in Acting and changing my schedule and major to Mass Communications and Drama. Once She saw me excelling in it she gave me my first audition. That’s how i got my start.
JERMEL, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Jermel Wilson was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, Jermel was fascinated by art and performing arts. He started out his acting career in high school in his senior year. Jermel has appeared in such films as A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints (2006), Fighting (2009), MTV’s Yo Momma Season 2 promo. Jermel was a cast member of the Emmy nominated Bronx SIU. Jermel appears in Season 1 and season 2 as Jerome/Manuel Gonzalez an Undercover detective. Also a cast member of the comedy short Five Stars as Marvin. Five Stars was nominated for 8 awards in multiple film festivals and won 6 and was selected for the Cannes Film Festival.Performed stand up Caroline’s comedy club twice St Marks Comedy Club and Broodway Comedy Club’s The Indusrty Room . Jermel also has trained for stunts for the last 5 years . Recent Bookings include:FBI: Most Wanted(Co Star, Stunts w/ Dylan McDermott), Blacklist(Stunts, w /James Spader, The Godfather of Harlem(Stunts, W/Forest Whitaker) Saint X(Co Star/Stunts, w/Alycia Debnam-Carey), w/Mary J. Blige),Bammas (Co Star/Stunts Felicia Pearson)We Own This City(Co Star/Stunts,w/ Jon Bernthal) Chaaw(Supporting,w/Biz Markie).Hulu’s Wu Tang American Saga ( Co Star, w/ Shameik Moore ),
Jermel is also a rapper also know as Franky Steel and has his own entertainment company called Focus Mindz Entertainment which specializes in Music, Film, Television and New Media. He is still pursuing his career in entertainment and is an great asset to any production he is apart of.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I knew about getting into Stunts earlier in my career it’s honestly been a game changer for me. Since I’ve started training and actually booking stunt work it’s gotten me in places I probably would’ve never gotten into on my own. Sometimes its a big disconnect between actors and stunt performers. Some stunt performers feel like actors shouldn’t do stunts because they cant or they’ll take away jobs and some actors feel like stunt performers can’t act and they get offered roles only because they do stunts. However both are wrong you have people that do both very well. You also have actors and stunt performers are training in both because in the business you need to be a well rounded performer in general. As a performer it’s your obligation to train in every facet of the business
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Last year I tore my meniscus training in stunts but I really couldn’t get the surgery until January because I was trying to find the right surgeon for almost eight months I worked with a torn meniscus. Yeah I could’ve injured myself even more but I’m a trained professional and I knew what I was doing. Those same opportunities probably wouldn’t have been available to me if I turned them down. So I knew it was a risk but quitting isn’t in my DNA.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jermelwilson.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/actorjermelwilson www.instagram.com/jermelwilsonofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jermel.wilson
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jermel-wilson-30710047/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/jermel323
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAUkQatDrOc66GAej-t3X1A