We were lucky to catch up with Ronson Hawkins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ronson , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The roots of my craft started in the third grade when I started competing in oratory public speaking competitions. I want to give a special thanks to Mr. Green and Mr. Duncan from Windsor Village Elementary school for giving me my start in public speech and debate. They saw something in me and gave me the environment in order to cultivate a gift that would ultimately turn into the craft. competing in oratory competitions got me comfortable with performance. It taught me how to have a variety in my performance, how to connect with an audience, and how to feed off of their energy, I learned how to build skill within my rhetoric. This ultimately prepared me, for my first musical in the fourth grade. The musical was, “The Wiz“ in which I played the character the Oz. although, that wasn’t a huge part, the show prompted me for the next, showing in which I would play the lead; the Beast in Beauty and the Beast

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?

So my journey started in the third grade when I began competing in public UIL oratory competitions, thanks to Mr. Green and Mr. Duncan at Windsor Village Elementary school. THIS was where the development of the craft started. This was where I first started to gain my comfort with performing. The first competition I competed in I got 6th place, but I remember clear as day, that the parent of one of the kids I was competing against told me that I should’ve placed higher then their kid. Even other kids I was competing against felt the same. That moment was a flicker of what could be. It felt great. I used that to fuel me. I continued to compete in the UIL competitions and hit a hot streak. I fell in love with it. It was the feeling of being able to perform and connect with people in the audience. I started consistently getting first place every competition. At one of these competitions I caught the eye of Dr. Carla Michelle Brown who, at the time, was the oratory coach at McGregor Elementary. After watching me give my competition speech, she approached my parents and I with so much kindness and warmth, and expressed that she would for me to be apart of McGregor’s Speech/debate team. The next year I ended up transferring and Joined the team. In the fourth grade, also the same year I transferred to be in speech/debate team, I performed in my first musical “the wiz“ in which I played the character of the Oz. I had already gained a confidence in performing because competing, so this opened me up to an entire world that I didn’t want to escape. I loved the feeling, the adrenaline, the imagination needed. At this moment I knew that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. Shortly after “The Wiz”I was cast for the lead, the beast, in the musical “the beauty and the beast”. My early theatrical experiences were shaped by musicals. At this point I was bit by the bug! The next year in the fifth grade, I competed in the annual MLK oratory speech competition sponsored by the Gardere Wayne Law firm. I ended up taking second place in the competition out of 24 schools and multiple students. I always say that everything happens for a reason and God always has a plan. The competition ended up The interesting thing is that usually the first place winner goes on a press tour to places like channel 13, Fox 26 news, the Children’s Museum in Houston, and various churches and events in Houston. In this case, the first place winner, Christian Burgs, who is a good friend of mine, was flown him to the early morning show in New York. ultimately I was left to do everything the first place when it would’ve done here in Houston, which allowed me to perform more and more and be seen. I was able to perform for more and more people and ultimately walk in my gift, also creating connections that would guide me more into the theatrical world. One of those connections was with a very talented, extremely talented friend of mine named Gerrá Gistand who was competing in theory competitions with me as well. She had one first place the previous year. She also was a student a part of the Humphrey school of musical theater in Houston Texas. Her mother, Miss, Vanessa, Gistand encouraged my parents to allow me to audition for the Humphrey school of musical theater. Ultimately ended up auditioning and made it into the school. This was the beginning of me taking the craft seriously. this was a level up from elementary school. this environment was where I really began to seriously cultivate my skills and build my toolbox as a performer, not necessarily an actor, but a performer. I’m around this time I ended up being cast as an ensemble cast member in my first professional musical, which was the musical “hairspray“ I was a part of performing with the us touring cast at that time when they came to Houston. for the first time, I also got the opportunity to travel to Atlanta for the junior theater festival in which I performed in two musicals one being “Little mermaid“ and “flat Stanley the musical“. I was blessed to be able to perform in more shows with the Humphrey school of musical theater all the way up close until it was time for me to attend high school. I was notified by one of my instructors about this pretty elite performance arts high school in Houston called the High School for the Performing and Visual arts, HSPVA for short. My parents and I knew that this environment was where I could continue to cultivate my craft, so I was prepped by one of my instructors, shout out to Miss Rosie, she helped me with my audition for the high school for the performing visual arts. I ended up auditioning and they made it into the school. I was blessed to be at this high school. It was four years of intense training in all aspects of the craft. This was where I was molded and trained to be the actor that I am today; this was where my craft was cultivated. HSPVA had an amazing curriculum that ensured that we would become well rounded artists. The first two years we were trained and tested in ALL aspects of the theatre, even the ones weren’t as talented in. This gave us the opportunity to see where we would gravitate towards. In the beginning of our sophomore year we got a chance to choose which aspect of the theatre we wanted to really concentrate on so that the next two years would be intensely focused on that! Essentially we were choosing our “majors” within the craft. I chose musical theatre as my concentration. HSPVA truly equipped me with the tools that I needed to become the Actor that I am today. I’m still growing and learning everyday. At the end 2017, which was the end of my senior year at HSPVA, I accomplished something that was truly a blessing. Ever since I first hit the stage, I knew that this was what I would want to do for the rest of my life, however there were times of doubt. There were times where I didn’t know if I was good enough. At one moment I even wanted to quiet. Thankfully my parents didn’t let me, and their support fueled me to keep going. Even though support is what can really keep us going, I believe that sometimes God gives us confirmation to let us know that we are on the right path. Chandra Wilson, who has played many amazing roles but is most notably known as “Dr Bailey” on the hit tv show “Grey’s Anatomy”, is an alumni of HSPVA. She created a scholarship called the “Sermoon Joy” scholarship. For years she would come to the school around graduation time and allow graduating theatre seniors the opportunity to audition to earn her scholarship. In 2017 I auditioned for her scholarship and became one of 2 recipients. THIS was one of many confirmations that this was what I was supposed to be doing. THIS was the purpose God had planned for me. The next school year I started my collegiate journey at Texas Southern University where I would graduate from in March 2021 with my BFA in Theatre with a concentration in performance. After College, my journey in Film started, and I haven’t looked back since. Since then, with the support of God, my mother Rhonda Hawkins, and my tribe, I’ve built a film resume that I thank God for. I even landed my first SAG credit in the Movie “To Her With Love” in which I played the character “Leon”. The movie premiered premiered on September 11th 2022. The movie was the second movie apart of a new sub network of the Hallmark Channel. This channel is called “Hallmark Mahogany” which is an homage to the African American themed Holiday cards the Hallmark had in production. The movies played on the Mahogany label are movies that highlight and cater to the Black Family. I was proud to say that I was apart of the second movie apart of that label.

Currently my 9-5 is that I’m a middle school theatre teacher, BUT my 5-9 is my Acting career. I always say, there’s nothing wrong with grinding on the 9-5, but what are you doing from 5-9 that puts you closer to walking fully in your purpose? Thanks to God, and my amazing mother who has literally been my rock in this craft since I was a kid, I have to give a HUGE shout out to my MOM! RHONDA HAWKINS! I always tell people that she is an integral part of my operation! Shes been so important in regards to the development of my brand, because I do see myself as a brand. Shes literally played the role of mom-ager, stylist, and my transportation Haha! I currently don’t know how to drive (long story) BUT I’m currently learning. In the meantime, my mother has ALWAYS gotten me to where I’ve needed to go. Im blessed to say that both my Mom AND Dad were both always supportive of my career pursuit. Unfortunately my Father, Wilbert Hawkins, passed away about 2 years ago due to Covid. Since then my mother has CONTINUED to be my rock. I thank God for her everyday . I’ve been blessed to have been helped in handling the ebbs and flows of this Acting. Not only am I an Actor, but I’m an Acting coach as well! I coach beginner and intermediate Actors/Actresses. I equip them with the tools that I was equipped with in order to get to where I am. My aim is to make any person who wants to work with me a well rounded Actor/Actress, a well rounded Artist in general.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Honestly the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is making the people who watch my Art feel something. It always makes me so happy when people tell me specifically how my performance made them feel. If they were able to relate somehow to my character, or feel empathy for my character or even hate my character. All of those emotions are human, and my goal is to take the words off of the script and give people a human experience.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Other than the Bible, the book that has had the most influence on my thinking, regarding pursuing success, is a book called “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. This book literally changed my life. It’s always my #1 book recommendation to people! I even named my Dog after Napoleon Hill! HAHA!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ronson_hawkins
• Facebook: Ronson Hawkins

Image Credits
@pbgfilmproductions on Instagram @cpjrphotography