We sat with Rolando Boyce to discuss his life as an aspiring American actor. Rolando Boyce is rising to the occasion with his appearances in the TV Shows like The Chi and Good Girl Jane. He has been in the field for a long time. Many don’t know, but he has a background in an Army Reserve and has served for the country. He made his first appearance on Television on Prison Break, which opened the way for more roles in TV Shows, Movies, and other media. Let’s get on with the Exclusive Interview with Rolando Boyce.
Q1. What do you feel is more important for an actor, talent or training?
A: I feel the most important thing for an actor to do is to be ‘honest’. Be in the moment of the scene and have your choices come from a real place.
Q2. Which types of acting do you feel you are most suited for?
A: I can do any type of acting work… which I have. Comedy/ Drama, Theater, TV Film, Classical/ Modern. Most actors look for a challenge, but I feel comfortable doing anything.
Q3. How do you react when you receive a negative review about a performance?
A: I truly can’t recall any negative reviews (not to say I haven’t had any), but I remember when I started doing theater In Chicago and read an article about a play I was in, and I didn’t get mentioned. I was a little hurt, but that was over 20 years ago. Now, I could care less. I know the work I put out comes from a real place; If someone doesn’t like it, they just don’t understand my choice.
Q4. Who do you consider your acting role model whose career you would like to emulate, and why?
A: I don’t have an acting role model; there are A LOT of actors who I admire for their work; Denzel, De Niro, Meryl Streep, Jeffrey Wright, Sean Penn, and the list goes on & on. I’ve come to a place where if I had to do a scene or project with any of them, I’d be ready. Not to say I’m better than them; just that I have confidence, I could hold my own.
Q5. Which was your most challenging role to date?
A: My most challenging role was a two-character play I did called ‘Topdog/Underdog’ by Susan Lori Parks about two brothers. The character I played, Lincoln, was a Three-Card Monte hustler, so in preparation for the play, I had to learn how to be, not only good at it but great!
Q6. Among your most famous roles, like Darnell (The Chi) or Rufus Longs (Trapped in a closet), which character can you relate to the most?
A: I guess I can relate to Darnell more than any other character simply because he’s from Chicago (like myself), and he’s a Dad who loves his children and is constantly trying to be better.
Q7. Your role in “Light’s Out” as Officer Brian Andrews is quite popular among your fans. How was your experience playing this role?
A: ‘Lights Out’ was a lot of fun. It was my first time doing a horror film, so on the first day, I wanted to meet whoever was playing the creature just so I knew it wasn’t real, but I had a great time. I look forward to shooting another one soon.
Q8. What are your upcoming projects?
A: I shot a guest star appearance on a show called ‘All Rise’ a few weeks ago. I’m playing a felon who is institutionalized. Outside of that, looking forward to another season of ‘The Chi’ if we get picked up.
This concludes our interview with Rolando Boyce; we hope that The Chi gets picked up for another exciting season!
