Born to be a star, actor Tyrel Jackson Williams talked to the Los Angeles Sentinel about his career, aspirations and his bright future.
At 23-years-old, Williams has been seen on TV and movies since he was just a baby. He shared that when the time came for him to choose to act, he and his youngest brother followed the steps of his older. “We saw our older brother doing it when he was like four, so we were like we want to do the same thing before we even fully understood what it was.” Years later, he made the decision officially. “Around when I was 16 or 17, I actually consciously made the decision that this is what I wanted to do with my life.”
“I was on my way out of high school. I was working on a show that was about to end. I pretty much [had] been working through my high school years, and I was trying to figure out what I was going to go to college for,” he says of his decision. “I had a bunch of like a bunch of ideas and lots of things I was interested in; I just kept coming back to some form of entertainment.”
Williams took this as a sign, to continue to pursue acting and learn on the job rather than in school. “I’m most likely going to be acting for the rest of my life,” he said. “It’s something I love doing, and I enjoy doing it. It hasn’t stopped me from doing the other things I want to do. So, you know, I might as well keep doing.
Fast forward to 2020, he’s entering the fourth and final season of IFC’s Brockmire, a role he knew was made for him. “ His character Charles is an internet whiz kid who works as an intern for the main character Jim Brockmire, played by Hank Azaria. While the final season premiered just last week, Williams shares the moment was exciting, yet bittersweet.
“I remember when the first episode of the first season premiered. Me and my mom were in a hotel. We gathered around my computer [and] just watched the whole thing live. Every year, it’s something special. So this year, it’s the same excitement, but there’s a little bit of sadness.”
His character Charles allowed him to play several ages and eras, which he says challenged his skill as an actor. Williams expressed he found joy in finding the differences between the two and bringing to life such a vibrant personality. “Our lives have gotten very, very different but like I’ve grown and learned a lot from playing Charles,” he stated.
A natural performer, Williams shared why he loves his craft, “I enjoy making people feel something. Making people smile, making people laugh, making them not necessarily cry” not that he enjoys making people cry he laughs. “I enjoy being able to do something that evokes something in people, and I’ve sort of been gifted at being able to do that through acting.”
“I’m always in competition with myself when I act because I always want to be better than I was the day before. So it’s something that every single day I strive to get better. I strive to be able to do more and more and expand my toolkit every day. It’s that healthy, sort of addictive quality to anything positive.”
With his acting career secured and his confidence strong, he’s focusing on a new transition and the next phase of his adulthood. His plans are as big as his dreams, “continuing to go ahead with acting but also going forward and diversifying myself as much as I can.” A man with many interests, he says now is the perfect time to tap into his inner kid and explore himself.
“I’ve been doing quite a bit of writing, screenwriting and writing TV. Doing a lot of music lately,” he said. “All things that I feel like I would have done if I was in college right now but without the massive student loans,” he laughs.
At this point, nothing and no one can tell the young star where to go and what to do. With the world in his hands, he’s taking time to study Tyrel.
“The advice I would give to my younger self would be to stress less and try [to] focus on taking care of yourself more.” For Williams, that setting good habits and know when you’ve done enough. “Keep an eye on yourself and know when you’re hitting your limit.”
“In order to be able to move forward and live a sustainable life, you have to be able to at some point set work down over to the side. Focus on yourself. Do things that help to keep you healthy, happy and focused.”
Catch Tyrel Jackson Williams on Brockmire every Wednesday on IFC.
