Roy Shuler has been on an outstanding track this past year. “Godfather of Harlem”, “FBI:Most Wanted”, a commercial for the WNBA which went viral, etc. I recently had the pleasure of chatting with this special achiever and I’m delighted to share our dialogue.
David: Hello Roy, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. You’ve said that Stevie Wonder’s great album, “Songs In The Key of Life”, helped inspire you to become an actor and public speaker. Talk about one of the songs that especially touched you.
Roy: The song ‘As’ is one of my favorites. It speaks of a deep, intentional commitment to keep on loving someone on par with a host of natural occurrences that the majority of people accept as consistent and true. Humbly, applying this kind of consistent commitment and faith have been key ingredients in my success as a performer.
David: What topics and messages did you discuss when you began being a public speaker? And what impact do you strive to have on your audiences today?
Roy: I remember taking a Speech class in high school and contrasting the image that I projected (neatly dressed, well-groomed, etc.) with the reality of how I kept my room at home! For some reason, I ripped up a piece of paper and let the pieces fall to the floor for dramatic effect. My teacher complimented me on my presentation. As a member of ToastMasters International when I worked in Corporate America, en route to my Competent ToastMasters designation, I gave a speech questioning our attachment to one aspect of the “American Dream” during the process of building a house when I lived in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania.
Above all, I strive to inspire and encourage people to have the bold faith to pursue and live the life of their dreams in accordance with what I refer to as their “divine essence.” I strive to do this by sharing my life’s journey, especially my journey of faith as a performer and, also, in general.
David: How old were you when you started your acting career?
Roy: I didn’t start my acting career until age 42, appear in my first play at 46, book my first print model gig at ~ 50, joined SAG-AFTRA and booked my first network co-star role at 54, and booked the largest commercial of my career to date at 58!
David: What was it like being a body double and stand-in for Cuba Gooding, Jr.?
Roy: It was awesome! The backstory is that I had just lost my last long term corporate job about a month after my mother’s unexpected passing on Christmas Day, 2014. Free to pursue acting during this season without other obligations, about two and a half weeks after losing my job, I was selected to do some background acting work on a former ABC show titled Forever. While on set with about 30 other actors, a Production Assistant (PA) asked if I had ever done any stand-in work. I replied that I hadn’t, but that I was willing to learn. A short time later, after getting the once over by someone affiliated with the show, I was chosen over another actor for the job. I didn’t even know that Cuba was appearing as a guest star for three episodes!
Since I wasn’t a member of SAG-AFTRA, I was issued waivers so that they could hire me. The next day on set, I showed Cuba where to stand as he began to shoot a scene. This experience made me eligible to join SAG-AFTRA, which I did about five years later. It was simply an incredible turn of events that changed the direction and intention of my acting career.
David: Your popular TV commercial as a principal was for 1 800 J LAW. It had a lot of impact and ran for several years. How did it feel to share the story of your accident with the world?
Roy: Well, David, I didn’t really have an accident. I was an actor portraying someone who was in an accident and providing a testimonial for that service. Because of the usage and popularity of that spot, it fueled my hope that I could one day book national union commercials that were just as visible and popular, if not more so, with significantly better compensation. Courtesy of my longstanding relationship with agency partner, Reinhard Model and Talent, I was blessed to book my first national union commercial about 13 years later, a spot for Colonial Penn.
Most recently, courtesy of the team of agency partner Stefanie Field (Owner/Operator of Stefanie Talent and Entertainment) and manager Lorna Rainey (Owner/Operator of The Talent Express) I was blessed to book my biggest commercial to date. It’s a Nike spot in which I portrayed the cantankerous “Mr. Earl,” a new character who isn’t crazy about the rising popularity of the WNBA that was created by the legendary global ad agency Wieden + Kennedy. Upon its debut on June 15, 2024, the spot quickly went viral with almost 8 million views and just under 98,000 likes on Nike’s Instagram page to date.
David: How did two major vocalists – Sam Cooke and Frank Sinatra – influence you in the field of acting?
Roy: In my opinion, these are the top two male vocalists that the country has produced. Both were extremely talented and original singers, song stylists if you will. Their influence still reverberates today, decades after their most active and popular periods. As it relates to how they influenced me in the field of acting, both were charismatic, engaging, effective storytellers who told truths, entertained, and informed their audiences set to music. I strive to embody their same characteristics as an actor.
David: Please share an aspiration that you have not yet achieved but are striving to.
Roy: With a half dozen network TV co-star credits in the past four years, I’m working with my team to enter the space of guest star, recurring, and series regular roles on network TV. Also more principal roles in national commercials; principal roles in film; voiceover auditions; and major theatre opportunities. I’m also laying the groundwork to share the story of my journey of faith to myriad audiences as an Inspirational Speaker.
David: If you could go back in time, what would you tell your teenage self?
Roy: I’ve always been a bit of an old soul, so I really don’t know what I’d say to him. Humbly, I’d probably say something along the lines of “dare to dream,” “do the work,” and “stay the course.”
David: What advice do you have for people struggling to make it in the entertainment industry?
Roy: I’d encourage them to identify what they’re struggling with (finances, securing jobs, getting representation, understanding the business, etc.) and seek out members of their respective acting communities who have effectively surmounted those issues. I’d also encourage them to proactively and intentionally learn as much as they can about what it takes to achieve some level of success -– based on their own definition -– and not external validation. Lastly, I’d advise them to be patient. It’s a journey, not a sprint.
David: Thank you for your time. Any words of wisdom to all the readers?
Roy: You’re welcome, David. Commit to the work and enjoy the journey because the journey is as important, if not more, than is the destination. In addition to your talent and openness to continued learning, the character and mettle from your journey is what has the potential to sustain you. Keep the faith!