Published on April 19th, 2020 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

Introducing Actor Akeem Mair

From the outside looking in, who is Akeem Mair?

Most people only get to see me as Akeem, a black man from Pasadena who loves God and his family. Over the last couple years, I‘ve discovered more and more people recognize me as an actor and a star in the making. And that has almost nothing to do with the fact I was named after…or the fact I recently appeared on The Ellen Show.

What brought you to the entertainment industry?

Believe it or not it never occurred to me that acting could be a career fit for me. Go figure since I was born and raised in Pasadena, which is a mere 20 minutes from Hollywood. I was also going to school to be Financial Banker at the time. My parents emphasized education as the key to success so I was so focused on getting my Masters Degree in Business/Finance that I’ve never once imagine myself going to the movies and seeing myself on screen. It wasn’t until I was on shift one day and I noticed a loyal customer I would see all the time was feeling very depressed and sad about something. She was in my line with her head down and her eyes holding back tears. I said, “Hi! It’s so good to see you. I hope you found everything you were looking for.” She said, “Thanks.” I was like, “You’re usually in happier spirits. Whatever you’re going through, I know God will rescue you out of it.” At the end of the transaction I said, ” I hope to see you again. Have a blessed day!” That’s when she replied, “Are you an actor?” I said, “No. Why do you ask?” She said, “Because your energy is so infectious. You move people by it. You lifted up my spirits after I just lost my house in a foreclosure. Thank you so much!” Her reply shocked me and I started to imagine. What would my life be like if I was a successful Actor? I thought about how I’ll be able to provide for my family and how I can inspire millions of other people who are going through different pains in their life. That night I searched ‘how to become an actor’ on google and called Central Casting in Burbank the very next day to sign up as an extra to get my feet wet in the industry. I’ve been addicted to acting every since.

What’s been the biggest highlight thus far for you in your acting career?

I was in acting class at the time. Then my phone kept buzzing every 5 minutes. My friends from high school, my family, pretty much everyone I knew started blowing up my phone up when it came out I was on The Ellen Show. They were thrilled after seeing me appear in a recurring humor segment called “Speak The Lyrics.” That’s when one of Ellen’s writers walks up to a complete stranger and begins talking to them in song lyrics.

Ironically, I had no idea it was on TV because I was in a class called ‘On Set/On Camera’ breaking down realistic movements and actions in a scene taught by David Rountree. I originally had no idea I was even being filmed for The Ellen Show. A couple months earlier, I was walking in Burbank and just so happened to make a stop into Barnes and Noble. I saw a bunch of film crew standing outside so I asked one of the crew members, “What’s going on?” They claimed they didn’t know and were waiting on instructions. I continued and remember being in the album section. That’s when a lady appeared. I assessed the situation and decided to play along and practice some improv. I thought about a lesson I leaned in Mike Pointer’s Level 3 class of Improv Mastery.

Be completely confident and don’t disagree with anything she says. Next thing I know, I was signing some papers and it airs on TV, Ellen calling it, “The best episode she’s ever seen!”

It was definitely a moment to remember and has been a big time exposure for my career. It generated over 5 million views on instagram and even landed in the instagram feed of my future agent, Sarah Angeli from Commercial Talent Agency. The timing had to be God because I had just submitted my headshots and resume to her. So when I walked into her office for my agent meeting, she had the episode cued up on her computer paused at my scene. She was like, “I just saw this yesterday and here you are!” She played it again and we both smiled and laughed. I learned that life is an unexpected audition, especially in the land of Hollywood. You never know when your opportunity is going to happen or where it’s going to take you.

Tell us about your current project?

“I plead NDA.” or “Ssshhhh. It’s an NDA secret.” What I can say is that my upcoming project features my dad. It’s not everyday you can combine your passion and work and experience it with your family. My dad has no acting experience so his actions came straight from the heart. It was a powerful project and there was an unexpected moment where my father and I shared something special. The way the camera operators captured that was unbelievable. Even the owner came rushing down to hug me. I didn’t expect to breakdown in tears like I did with all the cameras in my face, but it happened. I am used to holding all of my pain inside and not letting others in so you could imagine my shock as the tears started pouring out. The other actor didn’t know how to react because he didn’t expect that either. This project definitely brought me closer to my dad as we are now talking as often as we can. It changed me too. Allowed me to face things in life that scares me the most head on and instead of dodging things like it’s going to fix itself and it never does. Acting has always been a creative outlet and an escape, but this time it was a healing outlet. It will be the one of top projects to me that I’ll never forget.

With all that is going on with COVID-19, how are you managing your time?

I lock myself in the bathroom! My grandma is like, “You do what?! Can you get out?” As I’m doing this interview, that’s exactly where I am right now. Yes, in the bathroom, but it’s great! I got my 40lbs dumbbells. I got my “48 Laws of Power” book, and my journal to keep track of my daily goals, my scripts. I also have my camera. I got everything that’s going to empower me. Because I find that it’s hard to stay focused being at home due to the virus. Time seems to fly so fast. I look up and it’s already another day. So my solution is to stay in the restroom for an hour or more around 4x a day. That way, l lock myself away from the video games, the TV, the bed, and every other distractions you can think of so I won’t allow myself to treat this pandemic like a vacation. Because it’s not! My dreams are too important for me to just sit back. I can’t let the virus tear my dreams apart. If I don’t accomplish them then I risk regret and the failure to give my best becomes the true pandemic!

Tell us a bit about your work and passions OUTSIDE of acting…

You can find one of my passions posted all over Poem Hunters. Yes, I love writing poetry because it helps me deal with all of the drama and emotions that come into my life and also the blessings and happiness that comes along with it too. I like to get all of that out of my soul and onto paper.

The HYPE:

I appreciate Jerry Doby and the HYPE magazine, thank you for letting me talk about the life of the actor Akeem, the opportunity to tell the world about what they don’t see, about the life of man who fought for his opportunities, I didn’t believe in handouts or rewards for free, I’m gonna give Commercial Talent Agency the best of me, I appreciate Sarah Angeli for signing a young king, for Mike Dolphy for setting up our chances to finally meet, for coach Mike Pointer for bringing my career back from a dead sleep, and David Rountree and Jermey Jordan’s LA Acting Studios Is a blessing to be, Aaron Hall’s lessons on set taught us to study the scene, the love for David Banks for taking me under his wing, Toby Lawless telling me to keep it real and the audiences will be please, Q&A with Casting Directors Alison Horn and Ross Lacy is sweet, Dave Lowe and Micheal Antonacci got lessons that cuts deep, you need help from good people who can lift you to places you can’t reach, and all of this happens to a man not giving up on his dreams, for sticking out when the doors close and they tell you no and it stings, nobody knows the big importance of being an actor means, nobody knows how much your family is betting on you because they believe, and to leave this earth and not make it Is no such thing, I made a promise to never quit to my grandfather who’s now under 6 feet, and I can’t break that promise not even in this magazine!

Last but not least, HYPE wants to know…What’s your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?!” aka WTF?! moment…

I think it’s crazy that people think it’s crazy because I used to sit in a Rolls Royce Phantom for about 30 minutes to an hour every weekend at a local car dealership in Pasadena. I would pass by it everyday from work and on my way home and think of the time I saw Tupac in a Rolls Royce Cornichie 4. That motivated me to step inside and meet the manager. I was a bit nervous at first but he always treated me like I had a million dollars. I started popping up from time to time and he would open up the car for me and let me dream away. I even saw and greeted him when he would pop up at my job when I was working at Ralph’s grocery store.

My folks are like, “What the hell are you doing in that place? Stay out of there!” I’m like, “Why?” And they respond by saying, “Because you don’t have the money!” I quickly reject that and reply, “But that’s not the attitude I carry around with me. Thats my car!” It’s crazy to think and do stuff like that when the people around you won’t allow themselves to do that. And most people won’t allow themselves to think that far ahead in life or push their imaginations to tell the truth about what they want to accomplish. But I know it is coming. I’m not scared to do things like that. I tell my family, “They just holding it and cleaning it for me. I’m gonna drive that baby out that lot and pick you up in it. Watch me!”

Edited by Olivia Gaines

Akeem Mair is represented by Commercial Talent Agency

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.