Actor Jermel Wilson: Living the Dream He Worked Hard to Achieve

by Cyrus Webb

If there is one thing I know is that when you do the work, stay faithful and consistent you never know where it will lead. This has proven true for actor Jermel Wilson who I was introduced to in 2018 because of the show Bronx SIU. We started following each other on social media, I invited him to the radio show and then we met this year during one of my stops in Brooklyn for an episode of my web-series Cyrus Webb Presents.

We talked about the journey and the benefits in this inspiring conversation.

Jermel, we’re going to kick things off talking about Bronx SIU. What has it been like for you to see the response and to be a part of it?  

Well I can say that I love it, because this show was really like a labor of love. On TV there's some shows that are similar, but there is nothing like it. It’s like a cross between Power, (Law and Order) SVU and Shades of Blue. One thing I like about the show is they don’t put the characters on a pedestal. It shows the shades of grey, like none of the team or the special investigation unit are without flaws.

I'm just happy to be a part of it. I used to watch a lot of these people in the cast on TV. I'm a big fan of Miguel Nunez, Jr. Brian (White) and I had the pleasure of working together on a film in 2009, so I kind of knew him to a degree. Everybody that's attached to this project they are doing fantastic. It’s really just a blessing for me to share the screen with them.

You mentioned two things Jermel that I want to go back to - one of course is the cast that you've been able to work with, but also the storylines. I mean the storyline has been big for what you've been able to do and even outside of Bronx SIU. Is that one of the things that drew you to acting being able to bring different characters to life?

Well when I was young I knew it was something I wanted to do, but you know when you're younger you don't know that you can actually get paid off it and stuff. Every time I would go out with my family I would act like I'm Eddie Murphy from Beverly

Hills Cop or something, and I would always come up with songs and jingles to play. It just dawned on me one day talking with my dad that I wanted to do this thing called acting, but I never knew how to get into it.

When I found a way to get into it, and I said ‘Oh wow. People actually support themselves with this…this is a real job.’ For a lot of people they don't feel like acting is a real job, but it's a lot of work. Being an actor like this is a tough business. Everybody can't do this. You've got to have thick skin, and you've got to be able to accept rejection. You've got to be able to keep the faith that someday you're going to be consistent, like you can't come in this game chasing fame. You have got to chase consistency. That's where a lot of people mess up. Some start and then they give up because they're not as famous as a Denzel or Eddie Murphy and stuff like that. You know at the end of the day your time will come. If you have good work ethics and you work hard and stuff, then eventually fame will probably come with it.

Jermel, what do you think has given you the confidence to pursue your dreams, even when things are difficult?

Everybody that's put on this earth is put here with a purpose. They are put here with a talent and they are put here to do things. A lot of people aren't fortunate enough to find what they're good at. At the end of the day I always knew that I was going to be something great or someone that leaves a mark. I just didn't want to exist. I wanted to live. Like Steve Harvey says you have to be willing to jump. If you don't jump then you don't know what you're capable of. A lot of people don't jump because they're afraid to fall. I just knew that wouldn’t be me. I wasn’t afraid of the leap.

Look forward to much more from Jermel in the future. Follow him on Facebook, through Twitter on www.twitter.com/jermel323 or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/actorjermelwilson.

Jose Maysonet: Overcoming fear by staying focused on his goals

by Cyrus Webb

For Jose Maysonet failure is not an option. That is why daily he can be found perfecting his craft, working on the next project and staying focused on the road ahead.

I met up with Jose while I was in New York in 2015 filming episodes for my television show and web-series Cyrus Webb Presents. Before that he had been a guest on Conversations LIVE the radio show. "It's been a wild journey," he says when discussing the projects he has been a part of like SURVIVING THE UNDEAD and SONS OF GOD. Though he is appreciative of the opportunities he has been afforded, his attention is definitely not behind him. "I'm looking more towards the future than the past. I'm proud of myself, but it's not enough for me. I want to make my loved ones proud of me. That's what keeps driving me forward."

The desire to be in front of the camera came early for Maysonet. He says he knew he wanted to be an actor when he tried out for Westside Story and instead of getting the character he wanted he was offered the lead. "I wasn't prepared for that at the time," he says, but having the control of the crowd was addicting to him. That is what keeps him moving forward, getting that reaction from his work and getting better along the way. "I'm doing this on my own," he says, even with that being the case he is acting and producing on two projects: Surviving the Undead and Sons of God. He realizes that the hard work, dedication and drive will take him far.

Thanks to social media and the fans he is garnering it is also becoming a bit surreal. Maysonet recalls an experience where a 5 year old girl came up to him and asked to take a picture with him. "Then her parents came over and asked for autographs. The response is really empowering. That fuels me forward to keep pushing through."

Though his credits on camera are adding up, Maysonet says he's very critical of himself. "When I see a picture or a video of myself I usually don't like it," he says. Part of the fun, though, is that he is able to play characters that are so different from them, characters that he is finding others are loving to hate. the response though has been amazing. i play the antagonist and people tell me that they love my acting but hate my character. that's going to "I think the thing I relish the most is the challenge. It's interesting to be someone else. Maybe that is what I like the most."

Along the way he has found that just by him staying the course and doing the work he loves he has been able to inspire others to go for their own goals and dreams. "It's very honoring and humbling to me," he says, "when someone says because of what you did I'm doing something that I always wanted to do or try. I wasn't trying to do that, " he adds, "so it's a very surreal experience.

As for having to deal with fear, Jose Maysonet says to him there is no such thing. "I don't have the fear. I'm never nervous before an audition. I'm dying to show people what I can do."

Stay connected with Jose on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jmaysonet85 and Twitter at www.twitter.com/jmaysonet85 as well as his website www.jmaysonet.com.

Photo credit: John Barreyro