Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting Associate Commissioner Julianne Cho speaks with panelists (from l to r) Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, Nancy Giles, Amani Martin, Lance Reddick, and Tamara Tunie. Photo courtesy of Hassan Heyward, MOFTB.

February 27, 2009 - An enlivened and enlightening conversation took place at the Apollo Theater on February 26, as prominent members of the African American entertainment community gathered to share their unique experiences at “Careers in Entertainment: African American Perspectives.”

Presented by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, in conjunction with Screen Actors Guild and the Apollo Theater Foundation, the panel featured Lance Reddick, known for his roles on “Fringe” and “The Wire,” Nancy Giles, a contributor to “CBS News Sunday Morning;” Tamara Tunie, a familiar face to New York audiences from her work on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Amani Martin, director of production at HBO Sports; and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, an actor whose credits include “Ed” and 10 Things I Hate about You.

The panelists discussed the trajectory of their careers and how they view the changing landscape of opportunities available to the African American entertainment community.

All of the panelists acknowledged that their careers had taken them to places they never expected. Martin had been on track to go to law school. Tunie thought she’d study medicine.

Reddick was in school to be a classical composer. He eventually thought he’d become a rock star. Instead, he moved to Massachusetts with his wife and started a family. While coming off back-to-back double shifts waiting tables and delivering newspapers, he hurt his back. He took that month as he recovered to reevaluate his career, thinking about what he was good at. “I could act and I could sing,” he remembered, “so I started auditioning.” Emphasizing the importance of preparation, he credits the six months he spent between jobs working on accents to what landed him his break-out role on “Oz.”

Known for his roles on “The John Larroquette Show” and Galaxy Quest, Mitchell originally thought acting would be a great way to advance his music career. His plan was to go on a few auditions and then work on his album, but the jobs kept coming. After four years on “The John Larroquette Show,” he was offered a role on “Veronica’s Closet” with Kirstie Alley, where he spent another three years. All the while, he still had plans to work on his album. “I’m going to be the oldest rapper,” he joked before adding how blessed he feels to have worked with some of the most gifted actors in television. “You do not choose acting, acting chooses you,” he said.

A noted radio personality and an accomplished actress, Giles spoke about the importance of getting more women and people of color behind the scenes. Having them “direct content and development is key,” she said. “Most of the people in charge of culture are white. They get to dictate what’s important.” Now a contributor to “CBS Sunday News Morning,” Giles finds it wonderful to have a job where she can let her voice come out.

Tunie, a Harlem resident, is very aware of the role she plays in her community. “It’s important to be that living example of success,” she said. She’s gone beyond her work in front of the cameras to co-produce the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening, and last summer, while directing the independent feature See You in September, she made sure she cast a multiracial, multiethnic cast because “that’s the way I see New York City.”

As the director of production at HBO Sports, Martin has produced and directed "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," and in 2007, he won the Emmy award for outstanding sports documentary as a producer of Brooklyn Dodgers: The Ghosts of Flatbush. But he was keen not to be pigeonholed into just sports. In 2006 he branched out and independently produced the film Cutting Edge, which chronicled the conversations that took place in a Harlem barbershop, eager to capture the “diversity of opinion” that takes place there.

While offering advice to the audience, the panelists stressed how persistence and preparation can pay off in the end. “That helped me to be ready when that lucky opportunity came along,” Tunie said. Mitchell urged everyone to write, direct, and take advantage of new media.

“Be willing to invest in yourself,” said Giles. “There are no shortcuts [to success].”