Interview by Roman Portnoy
Photography by Kim Nunneley
Terrence Terrell is an actor known for his roles in “Criminal Minds”, “Modern Family” and “Giants”. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed books “BLACKY” and “THE SHES”. You can currently catch him in the hit series “Obliterated” on Netflix.
Welcome Terrence! It was great watching you play Trunk in “Obliterated” on Netflix. The whole cast seemed to enjoy working on this series. What was your experience like on set with the ensemble?
The set was just as crazy and fun as the show. Everyone brought their “A” game and was ready for any and everything. We left that production as family.
What initially attracted you to this project, and what can audiences expect from it?
I think the first thing that caught my eye to the project was finally getting to play a character full of mystery and could kick ass even tied up to a pole. Trunk was truly my favorite character I’ve even been able to play hands down.
How did you approach playing Trunk? What did you find was most intriguing about the character?
Trunk is so me, he’s crazy. Everyone around me knows that I get very crazy when I don’t eat so becoming Trunk wasn’t too hard for me. I did have to work out two times a day five days a week though.
Can you tell us about your journey into acting? What inspired you to pursue a career in entertainment?
My journey into acting was very inspired by Eddie Murphy. I was a young boy from Mississippi and knew no one in the entertainment business, but had a dream so I put myself through school and as soon as I graduated from grad school, I came to LA with a dream and maybe $300 to my name. I use all my southern charm and my southern roots that include hard work and being humble, and was able to push myself into roles that I’ve never even dreamed of.
You’ve had a diverse range of roles in your career. Is there a particular role that stands out to you as the most memorable? Why?
Playing Kwasi on Giants was a role that really gave me my confidence as an actor then a few years later, Trunk came into my life and changed it for the better. Most of the time when you have a guy my size, he’s always the butt of the joke on the show and not too smart. But trunk was not only the muscle in the show, he was smart, he was fast, and he was a well rounded character.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in the industry?
Some of the biggest challenges in this industry is the will to keep going no matter how many ”no’s” you get , no matter how many hours doing background you may have to do. You have to keep going and you have to believe in yourself and you have to be delusional. I have a career where I get to play for hours in other peoples shoes and I get paid for it, so life is good, but you have to go through the journey to truly appreciate it.
What advice would you give to aspiring actors?
My best advice at this point of my career would be to get into an acting class as soon as possible and start reading every script you can get your hands on.
In addition to acting, you’re also an author. Congratulations on your latest book “F.L.Y”. What inspired you to become an author and what motivated you to explore these particular subjects?
If I’m being honest, what inspired me to become an author was depression. I was 32 years old and realized that I didn’t like myself too much. I went through therapy and started journaling on the daily, which became a book. I decided to publish the book not just for the world, but for myself and to tell my story; to finally get it out of my head and into the universe. I had no idea that I would have an entire collection of books for children to encourage themselves to be themselves and love themselves.
What message or emotion do you hope readers take away from your book?
The message from each book is pretty simple, love yourself for who you are. In the books, you will never find the children getting super powers and start to disappear or fly. They get their powers from being themselves and loving themselves. Confidence and self love is a true power for us all.
How does the creative process of writing compare to your experiences as an actor? Do you find similarities or differences in the way you approach both crafts?
Writing for me is totally different from acting. When I decide to start writing, I never really decide it just happens. I usually start to take notes throughout a few days and then put them all together when I actually have time to sit down and do so. My first book took me 45 minutes to write, because it’s a true story that I’ve lived and am still living. Acting for me is a little harder because it takes a lot of studying and there are some rules that are made with acting; when I write, I make the rules. I truly love them both equally.
As you continue your acting career, are there any specific actors or actresses you dream of working with?
There are so many I can’t even begin to list them. Right now I’m on a project with Kevin Hart, Taraji P Henson, Samuel Jackson, Terrence Howard, and Don Cheadle. I would love to work with Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and of course Denzel Washington.
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be and what would your superhero name be?
If I was a superhero, my superpower would be to make people be them true selves, no matter what. My superhero name would be Captain See-Through.
What’s the most unusual talent or skill you possess that fans might not know about?
My hidden talent is that I love to clean and organize things around the house. I’m pretty good at interior decorating and very picky about bedding. My grandmother always joked and said that I would make somebody a good house husband one day.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
