Today we’d like to introduce you to Lashawn Williams.
Lashawn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in Chicago, IL to parents Karen and Michael Williams. I have an older brother LaQuinn. At age nine, we moved to St. Paul, MN. My parents wanted to give us a better life than what we had. It took time. At the young age of 13, I knew I wanted to pursue music. My dad didn’t have much, but he bought me a keyboard and I spent everyday on it teaching myself how to play.
From long nights on the keys to dancing to Michael Jackson, I was sure music was for me. By 17, my dreams were put on pause after an altercation with the police that landed me behind bars. When I was released, I knew I wanted so much more for myself. I kept my life clean and worked extremely hard. I released over 40 songs on MySpace before I was discovered by Akon Konvict Muzik’s Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, Eddie Gypsy Stoke. I was flown down to Atlanta & before I knew it, I was inking a deal.
Three years in, I felt like something was missing. I was watching TV one day, HBO’s True Blood, and I thought to myself I want to be on this show. Something clicked and I knew I needed to be in Los Angeles. In less than two weeks, I was on the road driving from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Boy oh boy, that ride was long! But I knew I needed a car if I was going to live in the city of Angels. When I arrived I was lost, I didn’t know up from down. I was robbed and going broke should’ve broke me, it should have sent me back home with my tail between my legs. I came from a struggle and I knew I could make it through another. I’m happy I stuck it out. In four years, I have done four national commercials from AT&T March Madness to T.G.I. Friday’s.
I’ve been on TV shows from Go90 to ABC’s The Rookie. Acting alongside Keke Palmer and Kofi Siriboe should’ve been satisfying but it’s still wasn’t enough. I wanted to be the guy behind the camera so I wrote and produced the featured film Prescience / Intuitions (2019) alongside René Mena known for his work in Hand of God, the Netflix Blockbuster Bright with Will Smith, and Shameless. Prescience stars Oscar winner Eric Roberts (Julia Roberts brother) and Golden Globe winner Linda Grey. The movie also features Mike Manning from MTV’s Teen Wolf and Vannessa Vasquez from East Los High. I even had a supporting role in it myself. Before long, Prescience was picked up by LionsGate & Shoreline and released this summer of 2019. I thought, could I do this again? The answer? Yes! Teaming with Robert Jordan from Fox and Jonny Carlson to create Hidden Springs, we wrote eight half-hour episodes. I then questioned, why wait for an investor? I’ll fund it myself again and finished in nine months.
To my surprise it will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video & The On Channel which can now be streamed on Apply TV, Amazon firestick TV, Roku, google play store. Going from a featured film to a whole TV show feels like I’ve been holding my breath underwater. Now that I’ve completed the impossible twice I want more! I’m finishing up a project that will be pitched to Paramount Studios. I believe this one will take me to the Oscars. I am hoping to cast Kerry Washington, as the mother, Shamar Moore, as the father and the lead from Grown-ish, Yara Shahidi, as the daughter and lead role. I know hearing these names may put fear in others but not me!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I can honestly say this hasn’t been easy. Just living in Los Angeles has its own struggles. Living in an overpriced, one bedroom for $1900+, working jobs that don’t pay enough so you’re forced to have two or three just to keep up with acting classes, rent, car insurance, parking tickets (yes that’s a big thing out here), etc. Networking is also hard. It’s tough to decipher if someone is being genuine or if they have some secret agenda. I found myself in a group of people that made me feel like I wasn’t moving forward. Partying is a big thing out here and everyone is trying to impress the next person. Once I broke myself away from that mindset, I found myself homeless. This was my rock bottom. I would break into car lots in Studio City and sleep. I would wake up before the lot opened, determined not to give up on this dream.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m an actor first. I enjoy writing scripts and screenplays. I’m gaining more and more experience producing films and TV shows. I share my knowledge by connecting the right people to each other. What sets me apart from others is the fact that no obstacle seems too big for me. I go after my dreams and goals even when I see others give up. I keep going. I’m proud because I’m the only one in my family to break away from the 9-5 lifestyle. I’m fighting for my dreams no matter the cost. I want to be known as a writer, a producer, and an actor.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over with knowing what I know now, loving what I love now? I would’ve had my mother and father put me in Acting classes young. I would’ve moved to Los Angeles when I turned 18. I would’ve got a jump start on my career. Now all I can do is play catch up and that isn’t easy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10124606/?ref_=nv_sr_2?ref_=nv_sr_2
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ishawnwilliams/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ishawnwilliams/
Image Credit:
Michael La Bomme
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