March 2008

Most of the celebrities I've interviewed have one thing in common -- when asked how long they knew acting was the path they wanted to take, most have known from the time they were small children that acting was in their blood. Most couldn't begin to envision a life without acting.

Hosea Chanchez has walked that same path. Growing up in Alabama, this incredibly sweet and funny actor began making a name for himself at an early age.

With much encouragement from him family, Hosea set off for Hollywood.

Like most actors, Hosea didn't have the easiest time finding gigs, but his dedication and enthusiasm prevailed. Before long, he landed roles on The Shield, Everwood, Robbery Homicide Division and eventually a lead role on the CW comedy The Game.

Q: Did you always know you wanted to be an actor?

Hosea: "Yes, I always knew. I knew from about the age of 5."

Q: While you were waiting for your big break, what was the worst job you had?

Hosea: "I haven't had a bad job. I once had a bad experience, which was all my fault. I was late to a job one time and I was really embarrassed. I felt like I was going to get fired. Actors feel like that all the time - we always feel like we're going to get fired! I haven't really had any other bad experiences to be honest, they've just all been experiences that led me up to this point in my life."

Q: When you moved out to L.A., who was the first celebrity you saw?

Hosea: "I think I saw Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson on Rodeo Drive when I was doing the tourist thing."

Q: I understand you're a big Will Smith fan, have you met him yet?

Hosea: "I have not met Will as of yet.

I'm a little nervous to meet him. I'd rather meet him by working with him, I don't want to meet him just to meet him."

Q: When you do finally meet him, do you think you'll act as a fan or fellow actor?

Hosea: "Knowing me, I probably won't [act like a fan]. I'd probably act all good and cool, but deep down inside I'll be like, 'Wow'."

Q: When you guest starred on The Shield, did you enjoy your time on the set?

Hosea: "I did - Michael Chiklis is awesome. They were really welcoming. I remember that I was so nervous because I was waiting to hear if The Game got picked up. I was talking to Michael and told him I was waiting to hear if my show got picked up and he said, 'Oh man, that's the craziest s**t in the world to have to wait. I've been through it many times. If you're going to be in the TV world, you're going to go through it a million times also.'"

Q: You've guest starred in quite a few television dramas, what was your favorite experience?

Hosea: "My favorite was one of my first roles on The Guardian with Simon Baker. I was new and there was a lot of work. Out of the blue, I began talking to the executive producers of the show and they started giving me all sorts of encouraging advice. I didn't even ask for it, and they were dropping knowledge in my ear. It motivated me to feel like I belong in this business."

Q: You now star on the CW comedy The Game as Malik, a mama's boy/womanizer/football star -- how did you prepare for a role that is completely different from your personality?

Hosea: [laughs] "I looked at Terrell Owens and Michael Vick! I'm not all about me, I'm not narcissistic. I really had to put myself in a position to be that way. It's a different shift of mindset. At first, I kind of judged my character in a sense of why is he doing that because I didn't do that. I had to eliminate that in order to get to the root of the character."

Q: Do you ever have NFL players recognize you from this role?

Hosea: "Oh yeah, all the time! We're really accepted in the NFL industry. They say we're one of the few shows that got it right."

Q: What did you do with your free time during the writers' strike?

Hosea: "I started a production company. I did a lot of self healing by taking care of myself, doing a lot of traveling and doing the spa thing."

Q: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Hosea: "I think that the sky's the limit. I try not to control my destiny when it comes to my career. I just want to be a happy person. At the end of the day, I am happy, I am healthy and in good spirits. Five years is a long time. Hopefully, I will have executive produced a couple of shows and have my film career started in some capacity."

Q: Anything to say to the fans?

Hosea: "Thank you! If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here."