Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul-Mikel Williams.
Paul-Mikel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was raised by my mom in a single-parent home with my two older brothers. We had a history of doing print modeling and commercials in the family, but my mom did not want me to be involved with Hollywood. When agents approached her, for years she would tell them she was too busy for that and let her think about it but really she had no intention of following through. I had a lot of energy so she put me in different classes to keep me busy.
One day when I was about eight years old, I had a dance and acting recital. The emcee called out sick, so my teacher filled in and asked me to co-host along with her as she fed me the lines impromptu. I got a standing ovation with encore calls and afterwards chased by ballerinas and autograph requests. My mom finally decided to get a theatrical agent and “give it a try”. Not too long after that, I got my very 1st video game console. I was also in a local play. When I was told to get off the game to practice my lines, I began to cry and through a tantrum. That did not matter, my mom told me say my lines anyway. When I finished my lines, I saw my mom had tears down her face. She played it off then but years later told me that my acting in that moment moved her to tears. That is when she realized she needed to change her mindset and fully support the idea of me possibly becoming an actor. It meant a lot of sacrifices and very hard work for the whole family and basically the rest is history. We literally prayed every single day over every single audition and job up until now. There were a few times I thought it was not going to work and I thought maybe it was not worth all the sacrifices made. Thankfully family and good friends kept encouraging me and I did not give up before booking what some consider roles of a lifetime.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Yes, the road has been incredibly long and there were definitely a few times I thought am I supposed to be doing this. There were times I was going to quit because there are a lot of no’s in acting and you just want to be on the job but you are not in control of that part beyond showing them what you can do. Sometimes you want a role really badly and you nail it but you may not be who they are looking for. I had so many people who encouraged me; parents, teachers, friends, pastors. The biggest thing was praying to God about how I felt because every time I asked for help, I would always feel better about my performance. He can get you a job if you just look to him for that right answer. But, sometimes you have to ask not just His opinion, but other people as well. Overall, quarantine has been really smooth! Some struggles, such as recording from home during quarantine were barely challenging to not challenging at all. The bright side is no traffic, not having to get up early. I had a lot of fun working from home, but can’t wait to be back on set.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am an actor. I am known for Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Westworld and The 15:17 to Paris. I would say what sets me apart from others is that I am capable of portraying almost any variety of entertainment as long as I work hard for it and give it my full attention.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
How I define success is simply working hard for what you want until you get it and taking the time to fully enjoy yourself, your authentic journey, and all the people along the way. Out of a hundred “No’s”, you may only get one “Yes.” But, the harder you work, the LONGER you work, it will most certainly pay off. Perseverance is key to success, and make sure you are doing what you love. If not, work for something that is either along the lines of what you love or finds something to fill in that spot until you have worked hard enough to achieve that dream. Most importantly, success is taking time to help others. We only win when we all win.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.paulmikelwilliams.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/pmikey3
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulmikel.williams.3
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/pmikey3?lang=en
Image Credit:
Paul-mikel Williams, Carla Rhea Photography
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