Meet Hassiem Muhammad

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hassiem Muhammad. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Hassiem 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 would say that I get my work ethic from my father. My dad is an entrepreneur who has owned and operated many businesses over the years. I’ve watched him work 7 days/week for long stretches of time, I’ve watched him take on extra work when necessary, and although working all the time is certainly not healthy, it was honestly great for me to see at a young age, and my father had high expectations for me in all of the endeavors I embarked on growing up. Once I made straight As for the first time, the expectation was for me to bring home nothing less. When I signed up for Boy Scouts, the expectation was for me to show up to our weekly meetings every Monday night, and eventually earn the rank of Eagle Scout (which I did). When I trained in Kung Fu, the expectation was for me to stay disciplined in my practice. No matter the venture it was always expected that I do my best-and that took hard work. This may sound overly intense, but I would not trade this aspect of my upbringing for any other; these were the formative experiences that helped me to build the work ethic that I have today.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a New York City based actor, movement specialist, and host of the podcast, The Actor’s Instrument. As a performer, I bring a unique physicality to my work. My skills in stage combat, dance, and circus have served me well in the productions I have worked on. These projects have allowed me to work across the film, television, theater, and commercial industries, and my most recent accolade came performing in The Tempest at Round House Theatre, for which I received a 2023 Helen Hayes Award for Best Supporting Performer. I have also appeared on TV in Madam Secretary, Blue Bloods, and FBI, as well as the General Motors’ Super Bowl LVI commercial starring the infamous evil villains of the Austin Powers franchise.

I’ve worked at regional theaters around the country, like The Pioneer Theatre in Salt Lake City, The Huntington in Boston, Cleveland Playhouse, and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival among many others. During the pandemic, I wrote and produced a web series titled The Angles of Uptown, which you can currently view on YouTube, and just over a year ago, I launched a podcast titled, The Actor’s Instrument, an interview based show where I chat with industry guests and discuss the qualities that performers need to cultivate in order to succeed in the entertainment industry. You can check the podcast out on all major streaming platforms, and YouTube.

When not performing, I can be found in classrooms around New York facilitating workshops for The New Victory Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, and Ping Chong & Company. And when I’m not working, I’m usually upstate backpacking somewhere off the grid, enjoying the beauty that nature has to offer us. I am managed by Cyrena Esposito at Red Letter Entertainment, HCKR Agency (theatrical), and Stewart Talent (commercial).

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1-A relentless desire to succeed. I’m the kind of person who does not give up on an endeavor unless it has been unequivocally proven to me that said venture is impossible. This is a bit of a blessing and a curse, but overall, I’d say it has a lot to do with the success I’ve had thus far.

2-I have the ability to pick up new skills very quickly. A friend described this trait to me as “acquisition”, so I’d like to call myself an acquisitionist.

3-The ability to learn from my mistakes. Seldom do I make the same mistake twice. I figure if I’m always completing a task at least 1% better than I did the last time, then I’m guaranteed to find a level of success somewhere along the way.

My advice to anyone looking to adopt these traits is just to stay curious. If you stay open to new ideas and opportunities, then it is inevitable that you will grow and develop as a person, and as a craftsperson in your designated field.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

The biggest challenge I’m currently facing, is efficiency. As an acquisitionist, there are many things I’d like to learn, and there are an endless amount of projects I’d like to embark on. The reality is, you can’t do everything. My entire life has been dedicated to doing as much as possible at any one given moment, and I’m finding that I’m getting spread thin. So now I’m having a conversation with myself about where I dedicate my effort. What 20% of the tasks that I am engaged in will yield 80% of the results I am looking for? This is my current challenge.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Scott Suchman
Avi Pryntz-Nadworny
Leslie Hassler

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