Meet André Wilkerson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful André Wilkerson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have André with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I owe a lot of my work ethic to my parents. Both my father and mother are incredibly hardworking people who always made sure that our family had everything we needed. They never let us go without and seeing how they balanced everything instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility. You know, I was just thanking my mother the other day for giving my sister and I chores when we were younger because now, I don’t mind cleaning around the house. Haha.
My father would have me assist him whether it was doing work around the house, helping him fix his truck or taking care of our farm animals, he always made sure I was right there beside him. Learning by doing. That hands-on experience taught me the value of hard work, perseverance and taking pride in whatever I do. Those early lessons have stuck with me throughout my career.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

As an actor, your work involves a lot of different elements. I’m constantly reading scripts, memorizing lines, and making sure to stay in shape to meet the demands of each role. There’s a lot of traveling involved, working late nights and balancing everything from auditions to promoting myself to home life to networking and keeping close contact with my team.

I’m most excited about every opportunity I’ve explored so far and those still to come. Also, knowing I have the ability to channel different emotions in people. Whether it’s making them feel angry, happy, sad or even challenging them to think differently. It’s incredible to see how the work I do on stage or on screen can evoke such strong feelings and connect with audiences on a deeper level. That emotional impact is truly felt.

Right now, I have tour dates for two stage plays I’m starring in, Justice On Trial and Let Me Come Home, so be on the lookout for those. I’m also working on a few feature film projects, and I will share more as they develop.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

For me, the three most important skills and knowledge in this profession are, first, having a great personality and knowing how to talk to people. It’s crucial to connect with others on a personal level, both in the industry and with your audience. Second, being relatable is key. People need to see themselves in your performances. Or have them see that they could see someone being that way in real life. It’s that connection that makes your work resonate even more. Third, working social media is a big part of modern acting. It’s all about building your brand. These casting directors really pay attention to your social media and your following to see how big of an audience you can bring to the production. On top of all that, my support system is invaluable. Knowing I have people who believe in me and have my back ignites a fire in me to keep pushing forward, even when things are not going how I would like. God’s got me and they got me.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

Let’s see. When I feel overwhelmed, I like to take a step back and think about all the good things going on in my life. I have an amazing, beautiful and caring wife. Spending quality time with her is my favorite. My dogs, my family, having talks with my mom and having good health. Those things ground me. I usually put on some 90s grunge music and I’ll either work on a jigsaw puzzle or play video games. It helps me clear my head of the stress from work and gives me the space to sort through everything one piece at a time.

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