Meet Nathan Hale Williams of iN-Hale Entertainment in Silverlake/Los Feliz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Hale Williams.

Nathan Hale, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The irony of my story is that I ended up where I started – telling stories and being in entertainment. I wrote my first book at the age of eight, which went on to be selected for the Illinois Young Authors Conference (a competition that I would later win at 12).

I was also a child actor for a few years, but during those days writing was not a career option. I wanted to be a Neurosurgeon primarily because I read they made the most money. Completely ignoring the fact that I don’t like hospitals, blood or sick people. Thankfully, I came to my senses by college.

Still, I had no idea that being a creative person was a viable career option until I read an article about producer, Debra Martin Chase. At the time, she’d just produced Cinderella with Brandy and Whitney Houston because she was running Brownhouse Productions – Whitney’s production company. I read an article about her the summer between my junior and senior year’s of college where she talked about being a producer and going to law school. What she described sounded like my home and so I made the decision to go to law school.

Fast forward, I loved law school, but I didn’t like the private law firm practice of law. I decided to launch my own entertainment firm after moving to New York City. One of my clients, Mega Management (Richard E. Pelzer II) challenged me to go out on auditions. I really wasn’t interested because “I was a serious lawyer now,” but I gave in and ended up auditioning for this film, “The Ski Trip.” I booked the role and during rehearsals realized that they didn’t have any paperwork. So, I made the director, Maurice Jamal, a deal that I would do all of the film’s legal work if he made me a producer as well. It was my first producer credit and we went on to license the film to MTV Networks.

I was enjoying a great run as a producer in New York City when I was asked to write a column for Essence.com called, “The Girl’s Best Friend.” Writing that weekly column for nearly five years reignited my love and passion for writing. So much so, I adapted the column into my first novel, “Ladies Who Lunch & Love.”

My mother wasn’t a stage mother in the least when I was a kid. In fact, she didn’t want me to do it. However, after the novel came out and I’d been writing the column for a while she called and said, “Don’t you produce another person’s work. You’ve been writing since you were eight and I believe that is your calling. Produce your own work.” I made my writing/directorial debut with a film called, “Love for Passion” and I have only been writing, directing and producing my own work ever since. With the exception of my dream come true moment of directing two films for Sesame Street – Season 49 earlier this year.

Has it been a smooth road?
The road has been anything but smooth. I remember once looking up at all of the expensive degrees on my wall as well as my bar memberships knowing that I had about $2 in my bank account. It was depressing, but I don’t think there’s anything but death that would ever make me give up. I have had moments when I have had a lot of money and success followed by seasons where I couldn’t catch a break if I had a large baseball glove. It’s just a part of the journey. Each moment is a lesson and a blessing; and if you look at is as such you’ll be able to persevere. Things are on the upswing and great now, but I definitely paid my dues to get here. Everyone has to pay them. There is no getting around it.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My company, iN-Hale Entertainment is a full-service production company. Under it, I write, direct and produce film and television. I am also a best selling author of four books. My company is known for producing content with a social justice focus that is also entertaining and uplifting. I think my perspective and my approach to the art is what sets me apart. My goal is always to empower and inspire while telling the truth. And I do it with a smile and a lot of love.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I moved to LA four years ago after living in New York City for almost 15 years. I came to LA to give my career as a writer/director a jolt and living in LA has done just that for me. I love living here and the LA mood has helped me to thrive. However, I don’t know that I would feel the same if I were just starting out. I came here with credits and a resume; and it was still challenging the first year and a half to breakthrough. But if you can figure out a way to break through then there’s really no better place to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nathanhalewill.com
• Instagram: NathanHWilliams
• Twitter: NathanHWilliams

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.