Today we’d like to introduce you to Verlenzo Hawk.
Verlenzo, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Born & raised in Newport News, Virginia, I’ve always had an interest in film/tv acting. I remember watching the movie “Unaccompanied Minors” several times just because it looked like the kids had such a fun time filming it. That’s one of my first memories of me realizing I wanted to be an actor.
I also remember writing a short story in the second grade called “The Haunted Mansion”, probably inspired by the movie, & thinking to myself,” wow, this isn’t bad at all”. That realization stuck with me because it was the first thing I felt like I was kind of good at.
Those are two moments I’ll never forget because they were the first seeds planted for this life I grew into. Some of my creative branches include me being: an actor, writer, director, editor, & a producer. Let me know if I could assist you in any way.
I’d like to personally think the entire cast and crew of the movie.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Although my Dad & I have a great relationship now, seeing my mom be the main provider for me and my sister always wanted me to do something that would secure her future. Re-runs of Fresh Prince & Disney channel originals where constant reminders that I wanted to be an actor but I had a severe stutter when I was younger so I thought acting was just a pipe-dream. Something that would be nice but not attainable. This lead me on a road of pursuing a wide variety of professions ranging from basketball to being an accountant. The thing about settling is that you’ll always feel incomplete, even when you obtain that thing. After two years of majoring in accounting, it finally started to click that I was choosing a path that I’d regret a decade from now & that was a scary feeling. After months of contemplation, I finally decided to make a move towards my passion. I left my university in 2015 & begin writing, which lead to me filming skits, which inspired my first short film “Awkward (2018)”, that I also starred in.
CurbSquad – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
CurbSquad is honestly just a silly childhood thing but the name always stuck with me. Although it sounds like a company, it’s literally just me & it’s my brand. On the site is where I post my skits, shorts I’ve written & worked on, as well as some of my iPhone photography. I’m most proud of the fact that I have my own thing, which is something that can’t be taken from me.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
As basic as this may sound, success to me is being legitimately happy with what you do. Another side of that is being able to support yourself financially. Considering I’m an actor/filmmaker, success would be working consistently. A tv regular/or supporting role would be ideal but I understand these things take time so I’ll continue to work on the craft in the meantime. For the writer/director in me, success would be having a solid collection of films under my belt. With the exclusion of background work, every acting job has been non paid & since I’ve only directed content I’ve written I haven’t gotten paid for those either so the financially stable aspect is still pending. However, I’m extremely happy with how things are currently going & I’m even more excited to see what my future has in store for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: curbsquad.com Link in the bio
- Email: verlenzo.hawk@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rennie_bennie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CurbSquad23/?eid=ARB-YmlPZm3Lv9T-rgZDF_ogQyI7ZFx3qL4VH7zUnpzcii2JWSg7eBmGJbRkmo6pg1EP-BAeD0AquVGf
- Other: https://vimeo.com/renniebennie
Image Credit:
Jaz’Reale Jinks, Caleb Lorentz, Ogechi, Khalil Henry, Gee Fairley, Verlenzo Hawk
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