“Self-mastery makes you a better actor.”
That was just one core lesson that Chad Coleman wished to impart on his student guests. On March 29, VCUarts Theatre majors gathered at the Shafer Street Playhouse for an intimate Q&A with the successful television and voice actor known for his roles as Tyreese in AMC’s The Walking Dead, Fred Johnson in Syfy’s The Expanse and Klyden in Fox’s The Orville.
Coleman was a generous and amiable guest whose hearty laugh filled the room. And he wanted to hear from students as much as they wanted to learn from him about how to navigate a professional career in television, film or on stage. Coleman’s lesson of self-mastery occurred in response to a question about which area of his life he wished he’d devoted more energy towards.
“I would have nurtured myself as a person more, not as an actor,” he said. “I wish I’d paid more attention to me, because that comes through first.”
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Dorie Barton, a graduate theatre student, worked with undergraduate Anna Leonard to organize the forum, which provided theatre majors with valuable and honest career advice. The event also brought Coleman back to his hometown. The actor was raised in Richmond and attended VCU before serving in the army, with one of his first starring roles being Dennis “Cutty” Wise in HBO’s The Wire.
Throughout his talk, Coleman was eager to address students’ thoughts and fears about professional acting, what it’s like to be on a film set and how to switch between vastly different characters while simultaneously filming two shows. How did he transition, a student asked, from the more insular world of theatre school to the wider industry of Hollywood and television?
“I was aggressive. You have to be aggressive,” he said. “You know, it’s a business. And with social media, you can be the captain of your own exposure ship.”
He also stressed the importance of networking, picking the right city to find work, and staying close with friends in the acting and production business.
“If you know anybody in the game that you have a real relationship with, let them know,” he said. “Show them you’re here.”
You can follow Coleman on social media via Twitter and Instagram.
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