BlackThespian.com Interviews Vicellous Shannon

Vicellous Shannon is one of those successful actors who has managed to star in movies opposite well-established actors. He is known for playing pivotal roles in large-budgeted movies.  Yes, you’ve seen his face before; the actor is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Lesra Martin in the 1999 film The Hurricane with Denzel Washington, and as Keith Palmer, the son of presidential candidate David Palmer (played by Dennis Haysbert) in the Fox television series 24. Vicellous has starred in a plethora of acting projects on both the big and small screen.  An all-around “good guy” who manages to keep out of trouble in a mostly fun but crazy industry, Vicellous is one of the few black thespians who works consistently in the business.

He’s blessed with a face that seemingly never ages, and some of his other acting credits include: Hart’s War, Freedom Song, Sons of Anarchy, CSI, CSI: Miami, Annapolis, Jag, Cold Case, Without A Trace, Judging Amy and City of Angels, to name just a few.

BlackThespian.com caught up with Vicellous to see what he’s been up to, so check out our interview.

BlackThespian.com: Hey Vicellous! Thanks a lot for taking the time out of your schedule for the interview. It’s great to catch up with you and man, you have an amazing body of work. You’ve managed to star opposite the best of the best: we’ve seen you in such films as The Hurricane with Denzel Washington, Freedom Song with Danny Glover and Hart’s War with Bruce Willis, to name a few. How did you break into the acting business?

Vicellous: I had a desire to play professional baseball. I got injured in high school and it ended my career. One day I was watching TV, my favorite show is Sanford and Son. I was watching Redd Foxx and I said to myself “I want to be able to affect people that way.” So I was introduced to a lady who had an actors workshop. She would invite agents and managers to watch her students do a scene or monologue. I had no money to take these classes so in lieu of tuition I took a two hour bus ride and did chores at the workshop so I could take the classes.

BlackThespian.com: Wow, you’ve come a long way, and who would have thought that you were inspired by the great Redd Foxx?

There’s seems to be a lot less roles for African-American actors in the business as of late, even more so than usual, and especially in television. What do you think is the reason for this and what do you think should be done about it?

Vicellous: I think the reason for the lack of African-Americans in TV and Film is because it’s safer not to write roles with African Americans cause #1: They think that their target audience doesn’t want to see them. #2: If the writer is not black, then the writer wont write it, cause of the stereotype that an African-American role has to speak a certain way or they feel they can’t relate to the character if it’s African-American. What should be done about it is we (African-Americans ) need to know more about the business of filmmaking. That is where the greatest influence will take place.

BlackThespian.com: Excellent point V, and wow, that’s very interesting you said that: so, in a nutshell, white writers (which is the majority) don’t write for black actors simply because they can’t relate to black people or the black experience.  Ah-ha.

Now, we don’t hear too much about single black men raising kids. Tell us about your kids and what it’s like being a single father in the industry? Do you have a support system?

Vicellous: I have 2 beautiful daughters. Being a single father can be challenging especially in the entertainment industry. It’s hard to network and take meetings. I had to take some time off to make sure my girls were stable and were getting the care that they needed. What I did notice was that the expectations for a single father are much higher and I am being examined through a magnifying glass. I do have God, my family and a couple of friends that support me.

BlackThespian.com: Where do you see yourself career-wise five years from now? Do you have any aspirations to explore any other aspects of the business? Directing or producing, maybe?

Vicellous: Where do I see myself in 5 years?  If the Lord wills, acting and producing. I definitely got the producing bug. I might want to direct one day when I get a few projects under my belt. I have some projects that I’m producing that are in development. Some projects I’m acting in and some that I’m only producing.

BlackThespian.com: Who was your favorite actor you enjoyed working with the most, and who would you like to work with that you haven’t worked with before?

Vicellous: I really enjoyed working with Denzel. Not only is he what I call a “master craftsman” but he’s a good friend. I would love to work with Will Smith cause his movies make “money.” Seriously, Will is a great actor and he’s become a great producer. He understands the business and he’s a father to his kids. It would be fun to hang out with him. Morgan Freeman is also someone I would like to work with.

BlackThespian.com: That’s great and there’s no doubt that we’ll be seeing you some time in the future working opposite Will and Morgan.  Now, where can fans follow you online to keep up with you? Are you on Twitter or Facebook?

Vicellous: I’m currently on Facebook.

BlackThespian.com: Thanks Vicellous for letting us catch up with you man. Keep up all the great work and we’re looking forward to seeing you on the big and small screen again in the near future!

Vicellous: Thanks for the interview, its been an honor.