Check Out Marcus Hamm’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Hamm. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was a child prodigy, having graduated from Largo Senior High School at 16. Entering college at such a young age left me uncertain as to what I wanted to be career-wise. Hence, I moved around to different colleges, ultimately obtaining a degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, College Park. Along the way, I attended Columbia College in Chicago, studied Business of the Arts, and spent 2 years at Hampton University studying Business and Sociology. In the middle of the chaos, I decided to try professional wrestling school and started my entertainment career officially as a professional wrestler using the moniker The Black Dragon and later The Supermodel. In 2000, I was cast in a syndicated TV show with Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock’s late father Soulman Rocky Johnson as our head trainer, Urban Wrestling Alliance and was a championship-carrying tag team member of The Black Legion. 

Eight years later, I moved permanently to Los Angeles after my scripted TV debut on Season 5 of HBO’s The Wire. I starred opposite Josh Gad in a BBC comedy series called Gigi Almost American, and in between acting, I took several stabs at producing pro-wrestling-themed content but ultimately moved over to filmmaking in 2020. My debut fan-fiction short film was The Black League of Superheroes, where I wrote, produced, starred, and co-directed portraying 5 different iconic Superheroes, including The Black Panther and Blade. I then co-produced and starred in my first lead role in a feature film, Heaven’s Revenge; I Love You to Death with The Bachelor Season 1 alumnus and author LaNease Adams which is on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video. 

I’ve since accumulated over 35 film festival awards for each of my projects which has acknowledged both my acting and filmmaking, with the latest being a cinema-quality fan-fiction 2-part short film called Triggered, which we’re fundraising for part 2 via Indiegogo (you can visit www.urbanrenaissanceentertainment.com to contribute and see more of my work). I’m also starring in a Western period series called The S.I.N.S. (Seminole Indian Negro Scouts), based on the true story of America’s first Special Forces team who were former slaves turned cowboy soldiers in the late 1800″s. This is directed by Lovie Ray Johnson Jr., and I play Adam Payne, a congressional medal of honor winner. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road of an entertainer is never smooth, it’s been a series of endless sacrifices, heartaches, and disappointments that persistence, dedication, and love of the arts manage to convert into amazing opportunities and special moments throughout the journey. Along the way, I’ve gone through 2 marriages, am the father of an amazing now 11-year-old not-so-mini-me, and I’ve spent the bulk of the last decade-plus away from my family on the East Coast, having lost my mother to cancer in 2020. I continue to remain focused on the journey knowing how proud it is making my family and how important it is for me to keep moving and elevating my goals each and every year. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the founder and CEO of Urban Renaissance Entertainment, LLC, which I originally created in 2003 when I first produced a TV pilot for a professional wrestling-themed TV show called Urban Empire Wrestling. Although it gained the attention of networks like B.E.T., it ultimately didn’t launch, and I took a step back until 2020 when I decided to move into filmmaking with an interest in returning to live events down the road as well. My focus at the onset of my company is to build notoriety and credibility as a quality content maker. My works to date have all achieved awards and recognition from The Black League of Superheroes, to Heaven’s Revenge, I Love You to Death, to an award-winning music video by Britt Prentice called Till the Po-Po Come. 

My latest work, Triggered, a Cinematic Fan Film, is a 2-part epic that is a promotional proof of concept to showcase my directing and writing style for both family-themed action/superhero projects in part 1 and part 2, which will be geared for more of the R-Rated gritty action crowd. I’m proud of all of my work but Triggered Part 1 stands as what I consider my definitive work to date, and Heaven’s Revenge is the best showcase of my acting abilities, which I’ve won multiple Best Actor awards. 

There are very few people out there who carry my pedigree of having a background in professional wrestling, stunts, and strong acting abilities while having the ability to write, direct and produce their own content. I recently brought on board Steven James Tingus who has been a staunch advocate for disability and diversity inclusion. He and I will work together to ensure that opportunities remain abundant for marginalized groups in the entertainment industry. 

Any big plans?
The next stage of my career will focus on developing entirely original content for film and television. I have a number of projects in development, and my role as a lead in the series The S.I.N.S. will likely be picked up in 2023. I’m looking forward to collaborating with Producers and Actors who I have always dreamed of working with and am looking forward to receiving my first Oscar and Emmy nominations. 

Contact Info:

• Twitter: @UrbanRenaissan4
• Instagram: @UrbanRenEntertainment
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UrbanRenEntLLC
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcushammactor
• IMDB: https://www.imdb.me/marcusneljamalhamm

Image Credits
Matt Ishizuka
Anthony Bryce