INTERVIEW: Terayle Hill on His Role in ‘Judas and the Black Messiah,’ Working With Lakeith Stanfield, His Journey in Acting, Directing, and Producing, Giving Back, and New Music

Terayle Hill stars as FBI informant George Sams in one of the most buzz-worthy films to be released this year Judas and the Black Messiah, which is written and directed by Shaka King and released in theaters and on HBO Max, February 12. The film tells the story of Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Chicago Black Panther Party, and how the FBI targeted him and the organization, which led to Hampton’s untimely death. 

Hill who is known for his roles in Step Up: High Water, Blue Bloods, Love, Simon, and Tyler Perry’s Acrimony, had the opportunity to work with Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out, Knives Out) on the film and received first-hand knowledge on the Black Panther Party from Fred Hampton Jr, from his very first day on set.

Terayle took time out to speak to Glitter about his journey in acting, directing, and producing, as well as his music career, contributing to the Step Up: High Water Season 2 Soundtrack, and his plans to drop his new album Hyena later this month. 

Read on to find out more about this multifaceted artist as well as his thoughts on mental health, self-love, and giving back via a scholarship fund for his late brother to honor his academic success.

GLITTER: What inspired you to pursue acting, and was it an easy choice for you? 
TERAYLE: While attending Clark Atlanta University, there was a web-series on campus called College Boyfriends that was going into Season 2, and they were having a casting in the lobby of the Rec Center. I had never tried acting but always had an interest; I figured I’d give it a shot. Typically, I’m nervous anytime I’m in front of people, but when I tried it for the first time, I wasn’t nervous at all. In fact, I was more comfortable than I’d been trying anything else. I realized that whether or not it was “good” or “bad,” all that mattered was that I enjoyed myself and maybe it feeling as comfortable as it did was a sign to do it again. Once I actually booked the show, I became obsessed with working on being better at the craft. Not to mention, HBCU Twitter had no problem letting us know how they felt about our abilities, so I wanted to bring my best every time. From there – I just never stopped acting.  

GLITTER: What is the audition process like for you, and how do you prepare? 
TERAYLE: I go into any audition, understanding that I only know what I know. So outside of understanding my lines and scene(s), I should just release any pressure of actually booking the gig to the world. I can only do what I can do; the rest is not up to me. That definitely removes a great deal of pressure from auditioning. The next point of focus is earning the production’s respect. I recognized early that just because you don’t book a job doesn’t mean you didn’t book the room. Not every role is for you, but if you try your best every time, you just might earn the respect of anybody who watches the tape, and they may keep you in consideration next time. That’s more than enough of an incentive to be present and not to worry about the outcome. 

GLITTER: On top of acting, you also direct and produce films; what made you want to explore these different areas?  
TERAYLE: I attended Clark Atlanta’s Mass Media Arts Department with a concentration in Television and Film because I’d decided on working behind the camera way before I decided to be in front of it. American culture is mainly influenced by what we see. Those images shift and push the culture forward. I want to be part of that push. 

GLITTER: Favorite part of premiering your work at film-festivals?  
TERAYLE: The best part of premiering my work is the Q & A. Feedback is the only way I’ve ever improved, and because I’m only concerned with producing work at a high-level, the opinions of those who are digesting the content are very important to me. I love hearing what someone took away from something that I – or our team – had a hand in creating, as well as where I can improve next time. 

GLITTER: When did you decide to try to incorporate rap into your film and television work?  
TERAYLE: I began rapping in 2011. It’s my first love – next to basketball. As an actor, my goal is to bring someone else to life. As a rapper, my goal is to bring my story to life. I’m just grateful that the two worlds are starting to merge and that productions are trusting my ability as a rapper to write the music for my characters. It’s one of the most satisfying parts of my career so far. 

GLITTER: How did your part in Judas and the Black Messiah come about, and were you excited to get the news? 
TERAYLE: I was in New York working on a project when I got an audition from MACRO. I’d worked with MACRO in the past and knew how awesome my experience was – so that was my initial incentive; get the audition in as quickly and as efficiently as possible. When I learned that I’d booked it, I was super excited! That’s also when I finally got the details of the project. I prayed for a job like this, and my prayer was answered that day. Outside of working with MACRO, this is a very important story. I didn’t care how big or small my role was; I was just grateful that I was part of something as important as this in any capacity, especially at a time like this.  

GLITTER: What can you tell us about your role as FBI informant ‘George Sams’ in the film?  
TERAYLE: I can say that he poses a very intimidating representation of the risk that is associated with being a rat to a cause. Even though he, too, is working with the FBI, he strikes fear into Lakeith Stanfield’s character and causes him to second guess his own affiliation with the FBI. 

GLITTER: What did you do to prepare for the role?  
TERAYLE: My job was relatively easy… don’t cut my hair and make it to Cleveland on time, and prepared for my days on set. Again, I’m always nervous in front of people, so I needed to accept the fact that God trusted me with this role. It was intimidating being on set with Algee, Ashton, and Lakeith. I’d known Algee for a while, but I’d never worked on camera with any of these guys and looked up to all of them for the level of work that had already done. I felt like the new guy. I was the new guy, and though I felt very welcomed and respected, I knew that I only had one shot at proving (to myself) that I belonged on set with these guys. 

GLITTER: What was it like working with Lakeith Stanfield?  
TERAYLE: It was an amazing experience. He told me his story of how he got his start, and it inspired me further. He is also from the Inland Empire, and that motivated me to work even harder when I left Cleveland to keep putting on for the I.E. 

GLITTER: Why is it important to you that films like Judas and the Black Messiah are made?  
TERAYLE: Because we can’t allow anyone else to inform our children of our history. Ten years ago, I was being lied to about our nation’s history, and it heavily affected the way I viewed myself and my purpose. And though Mr. Hampton’s story is tragic, what he was able to get accomplished in his time is motivating in ways that we, as a people, should consider as we move forward. We shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for what’s right or stand up for ourselves. We need to own our stories and use them as motivation to propel us to new heights. We can’t work off of what has been given to us. We need to create our narrative for ourselves; while educating anyone who may not understand the full extent of our history – as well as what America has tried to sugarcoat and rush past. 

GLITTER: Did you learn anything new after working and researching the film?  
TERAYLE: I got to learn right there on set from Fred Hampton Jr. himself. On my first day at work, Mr. Charles D. King invited me to sit with the producers for lunch. Mr. Hampton spoke in full detail about the history of the Panthers, his father, his mother, and even notes about who George Sams was. I got a crash course before I even checked in to my hotel!  

GLITTER: You wrote and performed a track for the Step Up: High Water Season 2 Soundtrack; what did you enjoy most about that process? 
TERAYLE: I’d been Marquise in Step Up: High Water since the pilot. I’ve actually grown with this character, and I feel very connected to the character, though we are nothing alike. When the opportunity presented itself, I knew that this was a chance to finally give my own craft to the show. Everyone on the show is an actor, but I’m the only one that isn’t a dancer. I’ve always wanted to provide other talents to the set but really didn’t know where I could until the moment presented itself. I’m happy they enjoyed my ability as much as they did because it really opened the doors for Marquise’s storyline moving forward.  

GLITTER: Tell us about your debut album, Hyena and when can fans expect it? 
TERAYLE: I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT HYENA. I can say they will get multiple layers as to who I am and who I will be moving forward. The project is a double-album. People are getting 20 tracks. 10 tracks on the A side and 10 tracks on the B side. I don’t want to say too much, but the A side and the B side are nothing alike. Hyena wouldn’t be complete without both on the project. It’s all one consistent story, and I can’t wait to give it to the world. The release date is February 21, 2021, on all streaming platforms. 

GLITTER: What was the drive behind the album?  
TERAYLE: The album Hyena was a mixture of me fulfilling a promise to myself and a promise to my brother. Music was the foundation of our childhood; the difference was he never allowed anything to keep him from doing what made him happy. To see him fight for his craft literally until his last day was a lesson for me. If we don’t have a say on when our time is, why put off giving our gift to the world while we can? I don’t know how far music can or will take me, but I do know I can keep my brother alive through it, and that’s more than enough for me to do it for me and nobody else. 

GLITTER: In honor of your late brother Tevyn, you instituted a legacy scholarship award that was given to 15 high school seniors in 2019 who earned a 4.0 average or higher, a status that your brother was able to uphold throughout his scholastic career and encouraged you to always strive for. Can you explain more about what you wanted to do with this scholarship award? 
TERAYLE: My brother was a very unique scholar. He was balancing many organizations while proudly holding his 4.6 GPA, and to this day, I’ve never met someone with that kind of work ethic. When he passed, I felt like it was only right to honor kids who can handle the workload of high school and at a high level and show them some love. So while I was volunteering at UBSUC, I wanted to make sure I left the students something they can take with them. It wasn’t as much as I wanted to give them, but my goal is to give more and more each year. 

GLITTER: How can people apply for this scholarship award going forward? 
TERAYLE: While we are waiting to see what covid looks like, there really aren’t any details on how to apply at this time, but I hope to keep the tradition alive this May and come up with a consistent system that positions these students to have the scholarship as an option no matter what moving forward. 

GLITTER: In what ways do you use your platform to educate others? 
TERAYLE: I try to say what’s on my mind if I feel led to. There are many ways to educate someone; I try to through being transparent whenever it’s on my heart to be. 

GLITTER: How do you spread mental health awareness, and can you describe why it is so important to you? 
TERAYLE: I usually participate in panels and podcasts on the matter and keep my story as honest as it is. We go through things for other people, so we need to be obedient by sharing these lessons when we can. 

GLITTER: Any dream roles or projects? 
TERAYLE: I used to have an entire list of roles and projects I would like, but now, I just want whatever God believes is best for me. I can see myself doing action, adventure, and comedy in the future. 

GLITTER: Most memorable role for you? 
TERAYLE: My most memorable role actually didn’t get picked up. I got to play a professional boxer and train with a legend in the process. That definitely sparked the part of me that wants to do action. Though it’ll never see the light of day, I am consistently training for the next opportunity to do something like that. 

GLITTER: Who is someone you would love to work with? 
TERAYLE: I would really want to work with Wesley Snipes and The Rock. I’d want to star in a movie with them separately. They are 2 of my favorite movie stars! 

GLITTER: Glitter has a celebrity #SelfLoveCampaign. What does self-love mean to you? 
TERAYLE: Self-love is peace and understanding within one’s self. Knowledge of what you need and what you don’t is important; that way, you can never be your own obstacle.  

GLITTER: What are the best social media platforms for fans to follow? 
TERAYLE: Instagram & Twitter: @Terayle_ 

Be sure to stream Judas and the Black Messiah on HBO Max.