Chris Onyeka Blog: Ladies and Gentlemen Syr
Law in the house
- Syr Law: (Laughs) The Honorable himself Sir Chris Onyeka, i see you are doing big things. Keep it up.
- Syr Law: (Laughs) As you can see, I’m doing great as always.
- Syr Law: “I was born Crystal Dionne Porter, from Atlanta, GA. My Father is from Tallahassee, FL and Mommy is from Charleston, SC. One of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s funny going home because no one calls me Syr! If I hear Syr more than Crys, I know I’m working A LOT! LOL! When I moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles, I joined the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). It’s a union for professional actors. Another actress had already been credited with the name Crystal Porter, so I wasn’t able to use my own name!! I had two options: use my middle & last name or create on. Most of my family and friends call me Crys, so I decided to flip CRYS backwards and drop the “C” on the end. CRYS backwards is SYR. I loved it! And it fit me! I chose Law as my surname because I have always created my own path; written my own rules. Which are no rules! LOL! Hence, Syr Law was born”
- Syr Law: (Laughs) Well Long story short, I moved back to Atlanta after graduating from Hampton University and began working for a music management company. I really wanted to be the female “Puffy Daddy.” Funny but true! J The management company I was working for moved from Atlanta to Los Angles and I wasn’t ready to make that leap. So I decided to take some time and figure out my next move. I saw an ad in the Creative Loafing, a local paper, for the Black Playwrights Festival at Actor’s Express and I knew I wanted to be at that audition! It was GOD, I got a call a few days later after the audition from the Artistic Director. She saw something special in me she admitted. She offered me a free Meisner Acting Class and a spot in the Festival. That was the start of my career. From there I was invited into a year Conservatory Program at the theater. I got an agent and started booking almost immediately. I have been studying acting and performing professionally since then.I have worked with some of the best directors in the world; Tyler Perry, Darren Grant, Desmond Elliott, etc. And my films has been in some of the most prestigious festivals in the world; Sundance, Monaco Film Festival, etc”.
- ·Syr Law: No day is ever typical. Lol! I am an Actor/Producer/Writer, so I am always juggling several projects at once. When I am on set, I like to give my full attention to my character and the script. Character work is extremely Important for me; therefore, I tend to rely on my business partner to keep things going with our production company. 622 Productions is a company I started with BJ Winfrey. We just produced our first short film that is getting a lot of recognition. The film “Five” is screening and has been nominated for Best Short Film at the prestigious Flickers: Rhode Island Film Festival (RIIFF) and the Peachtree Village International Film Festival (PVIFF) and Nollywood African & Film Critics Awards (NAFCA). We are doing quite a bit of publicity on that project right now. Plus we are going into pre-production on our next film. I am also preparing for a feature film shoot in Los Angeles in August and shooting with a famous Nollywood Director in September. I am Co-Authoring a novel with Kesha Bullard. Tthere are many hours that are spent putting the book together for publication. We hope to have it out by years end. It’s all pretty exciting and very busy!
Chris Onyeka
Blog: Who is your
inspiration/role model?
- Syr Law: I have several role models. Personally, my Grandparents & Parents have always been role models for me. My Grandparents had a huge influence in my life. They are progressive and activists. My Grandfather Gilbert Porter was the first African American Asst. Superintendent in Dade County, Fl. He has fought for the civil rights of Blacks in the country his entire life. He has written books on education and has a school & park named after him in Miami, FL. He has met every President through President Ronald Regan. His wife, my Grandmother Willie Pearle Porter was one of the first Black Nurses in this country. On the opposite site, my Mother’s Father, Granddad Edward Gibson was an original Tuskegee Airman. His wife and my Grandmother Ora Lee Boone was one of the first Blacks to work in the judicial system in Charleston, SC. I have a lot of firsts in my family. My Father is a successful retired businessman and Mother a retired Social Worker. These people taught me to not take myself too seriously. That giving is the reward of receiving, and there are no limits, only borders. Now cross them! Professionally, Diahann Carroll is a great inspiration. She was the first African American woman to star in a sitcom that depicted her in a non-stereotypical role. That was back in the late 1960s. She is an icon and a legend. I would have to add Kerry Washington to this list. Halle Berry, Meryl Streep and Genevieve Nnaji. I respect them all professionally and personally. These women are the best in their fields and represent their countries and communities with an open and giving heart. Oprah Winfrey and Nelson Mandela stand strong among my role models.
- Syr Law: My favorite spot is in Palm Springs. I have a little hideout that I love to visit! I call it the Honeycomb Hideout. I try to go there before I film and after I wrap. It’s a special place where I can get away from everything and clear my mind. My favorite food is definitely Lobster and French fries. Not together! (Laughs) But I love; love, love both and I have to have sour cream with my fries! I don’t have a favorite gadget. I was a blackberry (bb) user for a while. But when I got my iPhone, a whole new world opened up! It’s like I saw the world in color! LOL! I love my iPhone!
- Syr Law: I am a full time actress. But I have worked A LOT of odd jobs during the in between times. I was a waitress, a receptionist. I delivered flowers! LOL! No one ever believes that one but it is true. I drove a flower truck and delivered flowers. I got a lot of tips and got to know my way around LA really well!! It was fun…looking back on it. LOL!
- · Syr Law: God brought me into Nollywood. And he has blessed me time and time again with working with some of the most beautifully talented actors and directors. This is how God works. Chet Anekwe and I studied at the same Acting Studio in Atlanta. That studio housed some of the most brilliant actors I have ever had the pleasure to study with. We all keep in touch and are still in the business. So the story starts here. Chet got a call from Koby Maxwell who was doing a show in Oakland, CA. Koby needed a Stand-Up Comedian to open the show because his original opening act cancelled on him. Koby reached out Chet to see if he knew of a Comedian in the area that could do the show. Chet called one of our friends from the studio and connected him with Koby. Jermaine flew to Oakland, did the show. Koby told him he had a script and was looking to cast an African American actress. The script was “Paparazzi.” Jermaine told him he had to use me. Koby and I talked for months about the character and story. I sent him 3 audition videos. When Director, Bayo Akinfemi was brought on board, we talked about what I wanted to bring to the film and they loved it! I was offered the lead role. A few weeks later, I was in Atlanta filming. I won a NAFCA Award for “Best Actress in a Lead Role” for “Paparazzi” and I have been working in Nollywood ever since. That is God at work. I have worked with some very talented filmmakers. The stories have been fun and full of drama. And each director has allowed my creativity with my characters. The sets have felt like a family.
- Syr Law: My first Nollywood film was “Paparazzi.” That experience will always be the best! I worked with Koby Maxwell, Bayo Akinfemi, Chet Anekwe, Van Vicker, JJ Bunny and many others. It was my first real experience working with an African cast and crew. I was treated well on set and off. I was exposed to international storytelling. The one thing I understand is no matter our background or culture, we all love and cry and get scared and celebrate. And that is what we did on that set; on and off screen. We were and still are a family!
- Syr Law: I love Nollywood films. They are full of passion and intensity. Nollywood actors & directors are direct. I like that. They know exactly what they want and go for that take. And I love the food! Jollof Rice and Peanut Butter Stew are my favorites. I had my first goat with Desmond Elliott, Robert Peters and Susan Peters. It was awesome. I always gain 5 lbs. on set. (Laughs). The worst part is the time. If we have an 8am call time, I know I won’t be picked up from the hotel until 11am. But I am always ready just in case. So I am literally waiting for 3 hours, dressed and ready. (Laughs) All and all Nollywood has been a family to me and I love every inch of it.
- Syr Law: I see myself working in Africa, A LOT. Susan Peters and I became great friends on the set of “The Entrapped.” She is always inviting me to Lagos. She says once I come to Africa, I will never want to leave. I believe her! I want to go to Africa this year and work. I think in five years, I will still be working in Nollywood and Hollywood as an Actress & Producer. I want to make mainstream feature films for Hollywood starring Nollywood actors. And I want to make Nollywood films with African Producers infusing Hollywood actors. Both communities have a wealth of talent. I want to bring the two together.
- Syr Law: That is a difficult question to answer. Hollywood has a union for actors called Screen Actors Guild (SAG). SAG protects actors in many ways. We have a minimum day rate (our scale) that actors are paid and a maximum of hours that an actor can work each day before that rate increases. Meal times are very specific. And so are the accommodations on set. However, the budgets in Hollywood are larger than the majority of Nollywood budgets. I would say most Nollywood film sets that I have worked on would be comparable to Indie Hollywood film sets. That is not a bad thing. It’s just a difference in budget. When you have a larger budget, you have more resources to work with. As a Producer, I would say that pre-production is often overlooked in Nollywood and it is the blueprint for your filming schedule. It is where you can cut costs & time and still accommodate actors while getting the best shots for the film. My advice to Nollywood filmmakers would be to really utilize the pre-production stage of filmmaking. In Hollywood, we have a saying; a film can die or be born on the editing room floor. The same is true for pre-production. When you have effectively planned your shoot, you can get the most of your players, locations and footage. It’s just a necessity!
- Syr Law: I don’t know if I can talk about it. I am set to work with a BIG Nollywood Director. This will be my first time working with him and I am super excited! We begin filming in September. The story is amazing. He is expanding the boundaries of Nollywood filmmaking with this script. I am excited to be a part!!!
- Syr Law: (Laughs) Single and looking. Got any suggestions? LOL!
- Syr Law: (Laughs) Who?
- Syr Law: (Laughs)
- Syr Law: My pleasure, I am glad to be here. Perhaps we can work together in one your film soon.
- Syr Law:You are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment