Chrystee, thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. We’ve had the pleasure of following your career. Firstly, for readers who are unfamiliar with you and your work, how did you get into acting?
It’s great to be here. I actually started acting when I was in elementary school. I just loved it! I wasn’t shy but I learned to keep my mouth shut (my older brother used to say I talked too much) so being on stage was the time I got to express myself. Totally being me. Not afraid to express my feelings. Not afraid to cry. Not afraid to be vulnerable. I couldn’t be vulnerable growing up. So, I was able to get those emotions out on stage. Although I play different characters, there was always a piece of me in every character. Like really, if you look at the characters I play on stage or on tv, you will always see a little glimpse of me. The real Chrystee that feels like she can’t be 100% herself in the real world.
You graduated with a B.F.A. in Theater from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. How much has academic study prepared or guided your career on stage, screen, and behind the camera?
I received a lot of my adult training at Emerson College and in a school called Stan Kirsch Studios here in Hollywood. I am grateful for the teachers I had. They really made a difference in my life and gave me the confidence I have today. Not all my teachers were amazing though. I had a few that tried to make me feel like I wasn’t good enough. I will never understand why teachers do that but in the end, I have been very successful in my career.
Of course, after the success, I was their favorite student. When I moved to Hollywood, I was so naive in my approach to the entertainment business, thinking that everyone made it as an actor who gave their all that when people tried to discourage me, it didn’t phase me because again, I thought everyone made it. I was going to make it too. I was going to be successful. It wasn’t until later that I realized, that most of my classmates were not successful at all, at least not in the way they had envisioned. This is why we can’t compete with anyone else. Focus on your own journey. Being the only black person in all my classes, as well as not having as much knowledge about theater as they did in college, I felt behind and that I didn’t know enough. But in the end, my faith and me telling the truth on stage won out in the end.
You’re known for your role as Simone Russell on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions. Please tell us more about how you secured the role and your experiences on set.
Playing Simone Russell was like a dream come true. I had three auditions for it and I messed up in all three auditions! Ha! It goes to show you that what is meant to be yours will be yours- you can’t mess it up and no one can take it away from you!
When I had the first audition for Passions, I messed up on the 2nd line of the sides for the audition. I felt like if I didn’t get the second line right, it would throw off my whole performance. So, I asked to start again and they allowed me to. But I messed up again in the same spot ugh, and I asked to start again. And they let me, thank God, because after that I nailed it. But by the time I got to the car, I started doubting my performance. Fortunately, I did receive a callback, and when I went to the callback guess what?!? I messed up in the same spot. I asked to start again. And this time I made it through the second line and sailed again through it, BUT at one point, I almost knocked over the glass table in the office. When I was through with that audition they thanked me and I was so excited about my audition… But again, by the time I got back to my car, I had doubts about my performance. However, my agent called me while I was sitting in the car and they told me I was testing for the show!! Whooo hooo! I tested a month later and when I got ready to do the audition what do you think happened when I got to the second line!?! Did I nail it or mess up?!?! I messed up and started again lol. But after I did it the second time, I nailed it. And two of the younger actors on the show who played Whitney and Teresa, were watching the test and they came up to me and told me how incredible I was as an actor.
That affirmation from peers helped me to not doubt myself during that last audition. I was able to leave the room pleased with my audition. A few weeks later they called me and told me I booked the role of Simone Russell. It goes to show you, that what is meant to be yours will be yours and no one can take it away. You can’t even mess it up if you are prepared and meant to have it. And FYI, everyone was as nice as the two peers. It was the best three years of my life.
You have built a long and impressive resume of film and television appearances, including Scrubs, Greenleaf, Goliath, and the movie ‘Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse’. What do you look for now when considering a role or project?
I really just love to act. Every character is very unique and in some odd way, I can relate to all of them. The roles that I find hard to play or the ones I turn down are the ones that are underdeveloped. The storyline is not fleshed out. It just means the writer needs to create more backstory for the characters. Other jobs I might turn down are scripts that have a lot of misspelled words. It might sound crazy but it says to me that you are not organized or being professional- which means your production will end up that way. All it takes is a second to pay someone to read your script and make the corrections. And the other pet peeve is when production is not organized. That will also make me turn down a script. I don’t like my time wasted. You have to have your ducks in order before you ask a professional actor to do your project. I have done plenty of low-budget projects. I did them because I loved the script, and I trusted the director. I knew the director was going to get it done and not waste my time on set. And I knew they would feed me well! Ha!
To date, is there a particular experience that has either shaped or changed your perspective on acting? If so, what was the lesson learned?
Yes. My mentor, Ted Lange (Isaac from the Love Boat) was stern with me once after a theater performance. I felt like I did a horrible job that night. I felt like it wasn’t the best performance. That was usually my thought though. I always thought I could have done better. And when the audience would come up to me after the show and give me praise, I would not receive it and I would tell them that it really wasn’t that good. And Ted Lange told me to stop doing that! Receive praise! Stop thinking about yourself. It’s about the audience and how they felt. That really changed my outlook on acting. I no longer make it about me and how I feel about the performance. I make it about the audience and how I made them feel. And now I am able to receive their praise. I just say thank you now. That is a good feeling.
The industry has been under scrutiny, particularly over the last couple of years. Various campaigns have hit the headlines, encouraging a greater variety of films, a wider representation of society, and support for more independent productions. From your experience, is the industry changing?
That is a hard question to answer. Has it changed since I first started? Absolutely. I had a Clearasil commercial where they told my agent they would never have a black girl as the lead of the commercial. Of course, now you see there are African American women as leads in Clearasil commercials. Before they wouldn’t have African American lead characters on tv shows and films and now they do. Interracial relationships etc. But there are still issues with pay and still issues with leads being people of color in front and behind the camera. In my world- I work in front of the camera and behind so I say it has changed. But some of my friends who are directors and writers and some actors still find it hard to work constantly. Age plays a part as well as the LGBT community. I think it all boils down to how strong your agent or manager is and if they have connections to get you in and more importantly- do they believe in you enough to push and sell you.
Please tell us more about your most recent project ‘Monogamy’ and what audiences can expect.
Craig Ross Jr.’s Monogamy is about five married couples who are going through marital issues and decide to do a spousal swap to try and work out their issues. And trust me you go on a rollercoaster ride with all eight characters. We are in season three and you can catch it on ALLBLK’s streaming network. My character Diandra goes through so many emotional changes throughout the three seasons. She was so well put together in the first season but, by season three you start to see her unravel. It is probably the most complex character I’ve played to date and I will admit, I am proud of my work.
What other projects are in the pipeline?
I do a ton of Voiceover work so I have a few projects I am working on now. And I am touring the film festival circuit with my short Aimee Victoria. I was blessed to direct two deaf actresses; Natasha Ofili & Stephanie Nogueras. The film has won Best Director and Best Covid Film. I am in the process of looking at new scripts to direct. I am also creating a social conscious show as well as a website to help actors with auditions. And I will be taking some much-needed vacations. I am in the mood to travel the world.
Where can readers find out more about you? ( please provide any updated websites/ social media links)
You can find me on Facebook and IG @ChrysteePharris
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