Terrence J is proving that he is much more than just the host of BET’s 106 & Park. The 30-year-old actor will soon appear in his second film this year, Sparkle, which is set to hit theaters August 17.
During an interview with theGrio, Terrence J talked how he has been able to transition from being a VJ to igniting his acting career. He also discussed what it was like meeting his Sparkle co-star Whitney Houston for the first time, and revealed the one thing he wishes he could have said to the “I Will Always Love You” singer.
A lot of people know you from your gig hosting 106 & Park on BET, but how did you get into acting?
It’s always been an aspiration. You know it’s been something that I’ve always wanted do. Just by auditioning, auditioning like everyone else. I get a role and I’m very grateful and I try to take it seriously and I’ve just been really blessed to be a part of some amazing projects like Sparkle.
Have you had any formal training for acting? Have you gone to school or classes?
Yep, Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City is the school, and then I have an acting coach — her name is Tracey Moore — and between the personal coach and acting school, that’s how I prepare for roles. Whenever I have an audition I call up Tracey immediately and we prepare for it.
What would you say is more difficult for you, acting or doing the hosting gigs?
Acting is definitely more difficult. As with anything, you get better with time. So with hosting I’m at least more comfortable with it because I do it every day. With acting you know it’s more of a learning curve because I don’t get as many chances to be on set. So every time I get on set I just try to learn and observe as much as I can.
So tell me about the character that you play in this film
I play the club promoter in the first scene in the film. So I’m pretty much the guy that introduces sister and her sisters to the world for the first time. I have a really fun scene with Jordin and Carmen and Cee-Lo Green and Derek Luke. And like I said, it opens up the film, so make sure you’re not late or you might miss it.
I saw an interview Whitney Houston gave before she passed away where she talked about Aaliyah being her original Sparkle. Have you ever thought about what it would be like starring in Sparkle alongside Aaliyah?
You know I don’t know, I mean I’m a fan of Aaliyah — she’s one of my favorite singers of all times. But you know when I saw the movie, Jordin really captured it. You know she really did an amazing job. So you know for me I try not to look at what could have been, I just look at what is. And what is, is that it is a phenomenal movie with an all-star cast that people are going to love. You know I just hope that people really enjoy themselves in their movie going experience when they go see Sparkle.
I know that you didn’t film any scenes with Whitney Houston, but can you talk about any interaction you had with her on the set? What was that like?
I had one day on set with Whitney and when I first saw her I really wanted to take a picture because I’m a big fan, but I said—you know I shouldn’t do it because I look like a groupie, and now I’ll never get that opportunity back. So what I’ve learned from that experience was just to never take any moments for granted. If you see somebody and you love them and you admire their work, you gotta give them their flowers while they’re still living because you just never know.
Did Whitney seem approachable on set?
Yeah she was cool, she was super cool and that’s the thing. The way the media portrays her is all wrong. She was super down to earth and cool. She was beautiful and she was tall. She was just dope.
If there’s one thing you would have like to have said to Whitney Houston, one thing you could have told her, what would it have been?
She helped shaped my definition of love—through her music, through her films. She helped shape the definition of what love means and that’s very powerful to me. Growing up, I have a step dad who is Puerto Rican, but he looks white and then my mom was black so I had an interracial relationship that I grew up under. So watching The Bodyguard and seeing her with Kevin Costner it at a young age, I think I was either 9 or 10 years old. It gave me my first glimpse to be able to look at something and say, oh that’s what my mom and my step dad, you know my dad [have]. That’s love. That’s my own life. Whenever anyone would say who is that with your mom I could say “Hey it’s just like The Bodyguard.” I know it sounds crazy now, but it helped shape my definition of what love is. And I wish I could have told her how much she meant and her work meant to me.
A lot of folks in the industry are triple and double threats. Would you ever consider singing or rapping?
That is one threat I’ll never do. Singing and rapping, unfortunately I wasn’t given those talents.
So if a film role comes up and they want you to sing you probably wouldn’t take it?
I’d call up Trey Songz and see if he would be my stunt double and maybe they won’t know the difference.
What would you say is the most important thing that you’ve learned while hosting 106 & Park, this show seen by millions on BET?
I guess the biggest thing I’ve learned is patience. You know when we came on is what just [sic] at a very complex time. We didn’t know the direction of the show, and we didn’t know whether we would be accepted. It was very difficult, so there were a lot of obstacles with that. With patience and belief in God, luckily by the grace of God we’ve now been on for seven years, at a time when people thought the show would just disappear or get beat by ratings. To be able to have that type of longevity on show like 106 & Park, it’s just remarkable. So patience is the biggest thing I’ve learned from this journey.
You’re navigating through the industry as an actor now; when you get to take on the role as leading man, who are some leading ladies on your list that you are just dying to work with?
Leading Ladies that I am dying to work with… I just saw Batman the other night and I thought Anne Hathaway. I mean from Devil Wears Prada to the role she just pulled on Batman, she killed it. I’ve always loved Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts and I’ve seen Selita Ebanks in some good movies. Halle Berry, I love Halle and Jennifer Hudson and Charlize Theron.
Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter at @WitherspoonC