Of course many know you from your role as Ronnie in The Players Club, but what most don’t know is you’ve gone on to write and produce a number of projects. Tell us a bit about those.
My first love was writing. I wrote my first book when I was 6 years old. It had a book cover and everything. The title was The Magic Tree and it was about how this tree just loved for children to come sit underneath it and the more attention and love the tree received, it would bloom these beautiful golden flowers that dropped coins. I was such a fairy as a child … or a gold digger.Just kidding! But I have always loved to write and the love of writing became the love of rapping and I pursued that for a while until I landed the role as Ronnie in The Players Club. It was watching the whole process of movie magic that caused me to venture off into writing screenplays. I wrote, produced, and acted in my first movie, Groupies, in 2000. After that I produced a film called A Kudzu Christmas, which was the first original independent movie to air on TV One. Most recently, I worked as a buyer and set dresser on the hit film Creed and the Starz network show, “Survivors Remorse.” I’m also working with my producing “partna” — and I want you to print it like that, “partna,” because that’s how we roll—.on getting financing to produce a film called Greenwood Ave. that’ll be based on true events of the Black Wall Street. It’s some history up in there for you and has that Boardwalk Empire vibe to it. It’s the next best thing! I just need that scratch! I said “scratch” like an old-school Mack. That’s just in me I guess.
What can fans expect from the series, “From The Bottom Up”?
My believers can expect to see me bust it wide open! Get your mind out of the gutter! I’m talking about bearing my soul and sharing myself with them in ways they have never seen. If you notice, I don’t like to use the word “fan” because it stems from “fanatical” and fanatics make me nervous. I like to believe the people who love my work, want to see me succeed and support my brand believe in me so they are “believers.”
What do you hope your believers will learn about you or take from away from the series?
It’s not so much about me but I hope they will learn a little something about themselves. There will be women that you’re going to identify with and not just women…this is for men too. Someone is going to remind them of their sister, mother or wife. So I encourage men to watch this show so they can learn something as well. You’ll be amazed at how each of us on the docu-series are at our bottom for more reasons than legal reasons. That’s why it’s called “From The Bottom Up!”
Any advice for young people looking to break into the entertainment industry?
Do a sex tape, screw a rapper, be an Internet model, get a million followers … I just don’t think [there’s] a real formula to it anymore. [There’s] so much I’m trying to figure out, but what I will say is this: Be able to look at yourself in the mirror every day and recognize yourself! So many people are losing themselves these days and we don’t know it until they’ve slipped away from us.
What’s next for Chrystale Wilson?
It’s so weird but I really hate this question because I don’t want to jinx my path. I don’t want to put something out there and then if that’s not where the creator sees me going, people view where I end up as a fail. It’s just like if you would have asked me 10 years ago I would not have predicted being on the show “From the Bottom Up.” 20 years ago I thought I was on a path to being an A-List actress and just five years ago I thought I was on a path to destruction. Just know I am ALWAYS up to something and it’s usually pretty dope. Oh, here is something: I see myself as Lucious’ sister on Empire. Let’s put that on out there.
“From The Bottom Up” premieres Saturday, Jan. 16 on Centric TV.
For more information on Wilson, please visit her at www.ChrystaleWilson.com and connect with her on Instragram : @chrystaletheprototype and Twitter: @chrystalepro.
