Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarquale Stewart.
Jarquale, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Wellllllll, I’m from the west side of Charlotte, NC. I am the oldest of three kids on my mom’s side and the youngest of seven from my dad side. I come from a neighborHOOD where you’re “GIVEN” two choices: Jail or Death because that’s all you see and know like it’s really no way to escape it because money becomes your main focus which leads to you making bad decisions. Where I’m from, you either selling drugs, doing drugs, or you work day and night for companies paying you minimum wage that don’t care anything about you so you’re unhappy and depress. Your parents can’t really support you because all they know is drugs and money and the cycle kind of repeats itself each generation. I can remember as a kid, I knew early on that I wasn’t going to be a statistic and that I was going to be different and everybody else did too.
Growing up, I was always a local celebrity, I had been to just about every school in the city (cause we moved a lot), so everywhere I went, somebody knew me. I was always funny always being goofy just a class clown and I always spoke about how one day I was going to be on TV and stuff and in 2015, I literally got a chance to and that changed my life. I received a reply from an online submission for the tv show Empire. I had never worked on set before I knew anything about the industry, I just would see stuff online and knew I wanted to be an actor I knew nothing on the process I knew nothing about extras, agents none of that. However, I submitted thinking nothing of it and a few days later, I received a call time and date to be on set the only issue was the address was in Chicago and I was in North Carolina. So, I made a Gofund me and with my friends and family know that it was real and official, they raised the money for me to go. I only had enough to get there and get a room for the days I would be filming. I knew nothing about how I was going to eat, how I getting home and I didn’t care this was my chance to really get on TV. One of my friends and his wife offered to get my ticket back home at this point I was ready and nothing was stopping me.
WELLLLL, I get to Chicago, I get on set and the PA realized I wasn’t a local hire due to my NC ID, she said: “How did you get booked” I was scared she was going to turn me around not knowing all the hard work I did just to get there but she let me stay. I originally got booked for the prisoner but they didn’t have my size so I became a guard. During one scene, we were on the yard as background and I literally made all the extras huddle and orchestrated a full movie so that it would look real I had signaled for different things to happen and everyone liked it. Apparently, Terrence Howard saw what I was doing and expressed it to the PA who came and told me “Hey Terrance said he loves what you’re doing.” As we headed back to holding, the PA says: “Hey, Terrence has requested that you be the guard for him in this scene.
When I got there, I see PETTY PABLO (a rapper from NC who knew me because I skipped school to go to one of his video shoots, literally was one of the only teens there, lol), we talked for a while and up walks Terrence who begins to inquire about me. I told him my life story, LOL and how I ended up in Chicago. He told me I was full of amazing energy and that I had what it took to become an amazing actor. After I got back to NC, I realized I never wanted to be away from set again. I had my first little taste of the film industry and I was willing to give up everything to be there again and after having a conversation with Terrence Howard, someone I never knew I would ever be that close to, I knew that my dream of an actor could really happen. I was tired of trying to fit in, I was tired of the streets, I was tired of the local drama. I knew that if I really wanted to become an actor or even be able to be successful in the film industry, I had to leave North Carolina and get focus and I knew I had to sacrifice it all to make film a part of my life so, in 2016, I moved to ATL.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This has not been a smooth road. I literally cried my whole way to Atlanta. I had never been away from my family before. I have no idea what I was doing where I was going. That’s literally what I told GOD I said: “I DON’T KNOW WHY I DON’T KNOW WHERE. I’M LOST, I DON’T UNDERSTAND BUT I HEAR YOU AND I’M LISTENING AND I’M GOING TO CONTINUE TO LISTEN, SO WHATEVER IT IS, I NEED TO GO THROUGH TO MAKE THEM WORTHY OF YOUR FAVOR, I WILL. I only had money enough for four nights at a hotel after that I was homeless sleeping in my car at the Walmart parking lot or my best friend dorm floor every chance I got. It would be so cold in that car, I would literally set my alarm every two hours just to wake up and crank my car up just to turn the heat on so that I wouldn’t freeze to death. I would go days without showering and eating. The only days that were good ones was when I was on set, I literally forgot about my entire situation when I was there. They feed me, I was warm for hours and the only time I would get depressed was when they wrapped me and I realized I was going back to my car. I cried so many nights in that car, but I cried with the understanding that this all has to happen. I would look up at the stars from laying in my back seat of this smallllll 1996 Volvo (mind you, I’m 6’5”) and smile in a daze envisioning my perfect life and in-between that cry and pray. I would lie to my parents and friends just so they wouldn’t talk me into coming back to Charlotte. I had to battle so many demons: Depression, Pride, Suicidal Thoughts, Stress, I was really going through it but each day, I learned so much about life and GOD was there every step of the way comforting me and he still is today.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’ve been professionally acting, gaining knowledge, and studying for eight years now. I’ve been featured in shows such as: Tv One’s “Fatal Attractions”, Fox’s “Shots Fired” and “Empire”, MTV’s “How High 2” just to name a few. I am extremely proud to announce I recently completed my first principal role in the film “Zola” produced by A24 and directed by Janicza Bravo set to premiere this summer starring Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Jason Mitchell, and a few other amazing talents. I recently completed my first action-drama titled “RESET”, and currently writing my first all Black cast horror movie. The fact that I’m from a city where literally chasing your dream is just something to say, to have my family and friends be so proud to talk about my accomplishments to people and to have strangers inbox me daily on how I inspire them, and man to hear and see my nieces and nephews smile to see me on TV just charges my battery in my back. I’m not saying no one else has not experienced the things I have or even received the type of feedback I get from people but for me, it cancels out all doubt, all negative thoughts, all worries, all plan B’s, C’s, and D’s. It puts the word determination above all of that and I know with GOD (who loves me so much) anything is possible and as long as I continue to spread his love and trust in him I’m going to be ALRIGHT.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me is when you’ve been at the bottom and the top and you’ve experienced and survived what most people wouldn’t. It means to Inspire, Motivate, and Educate others on how to also be successful and to chase your dreams “Unapologetically.” Letting God Lead you to your greater and fully elevating you in your purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9016277/
- Email: Jarqualestewart@gmail.com
- Instagram: @iamJarqualeStewart
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