He has yet to try Leonard’s Malasadas but Stephen Hill finds living in Hawaii beautiful, magical and at times lonesome. His loves, Beautiful, Magical, and at times lonesome. His loves, “Going for a run to Waikiki, getting Taco’s at Surf and Turf, and taking a Biki Bike back home to Kakaako.” And as far as the local delicacies, “I don’t eat pork, but I’ve had pretty good Loco Moco (the best has been on set).
Steven spent his childhood years between New York and New Jersey. His creative journey started during his elementary years, “I earned money drawing the names of my classmates in graffiti or drawing portraits of them and their parents. I even won a NJ state art award for weaving a textile basket (my big sister still keeps her nail polish in that thing).”
Hill goes by @StephenHillsActs on Twitter and on Instagram. His acting mentor Susan Baston, known to have coached Nicole Kidman, Juliette Binoche, and Oprah, says that “Stephen is a very gifted actor with a profound sensitivity and edge.”
Art was an outlet!
Reality curtailed his drawing prowess. “I started modeling when I was at Hampton University, by doing a boatload of campus fashion shows. I landed a modeling gig for a company called RP55 and having myself in several popular hip-hop magazines. I didn’t find much success after graduating with a degree in Mass Media and Broadcasting. I wanted to try my hand at something that was more talent driven as opposed to looks driven.”
That’s when Stephen caught the acting bug.
Stephen recalls the moment acting was something that he wanted to do, “It was the first time I did a scene from ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ … It was the final step of a scene in a class I had been taking for months with my acting coach, Susan Batson. Half way through that process I stopped acting for my coach and started acting for myself. That was the turning point that gave me the clarity to move forward in hot pursuit of such an elusive career.”
When asked what he considers is the most challenging part of his acting journey: “The most challenging part is to maintain life outside of acting albeit, family, finances, housing, etc. Sometimes you wish you could just act but this isn’t just a Show…it’s Show Business. You have to handle your other business outside of show business too.”
As far as role models and ideals in the acting industry, Stephen states, “I don’t have a role model but rather a group of peers that encourage each other to keep going. We are there for each other at various times with varying groups of friends but in the end it’s all love.”
With regards to the racial disparity in the entertainment industry, “I think we have more diversity these days than we often don’t admit. In the 1980’s the original TC, Mr. T, and a few others were the only black men who were characters on TV that stood out in action roles. That made them very big in the black community and in other communities as a representation of what it meant to be a black man. These days there’s so many more roles that you don’t need to look for one or two people to carry the entertainment torch for an entire group of people. I would argue that our show (Magnum, P.I.) is more diverse than many other shows on TV right now.”
Speed Round with Theodore “T.C” Calvin
“I’ve seen the original Magnum, P.I. and I still watch the show. It’s a different pace, but I enjoy it very much,” when asked if he had seen original Magnum, P.I. Stephen said he did not hesitate on accepting the role of TC, fully knowing that he would always be compared to Roger E. Mosley as TC in the original Magnum, P.I., he added “This role is a dream come true… a dream I didn’t even know I was going to have. People don’t compare TC and Rick in the same way they do Magnum and Higgins. Even if they didn’t bring it on, I’m living my best life. I say to myself everyday … I’m on a TV show. Then I say … I’m in Hawaii, on a TV show.”
On the fans skepticism, “The human mind is naturally skeptic. We tend to lean toward the negative. Scientifically it’s called the negativity bias. I think it’s a defense mechanism we’ve built up to the point that we miss out on opportunities. I can’t really concern myself with that…I’m working on my positivity bias.” And his message to these skeptics: “Our show has the internet and cell phones which have changed storytelling to a degree. I’d say sit back and enjoy the new show AND the old show. Or they could give up their cell phones, internet, and flat screens, and just watch the old show and all the old programming from those eras and let their nostalgia run free.”
On his co-stars and producers, this is what he describe them in one word:
- Jay Hernandez – Smooth
- Zachary Knighton – Rockstar
- Perdita Weeks – Incognito
- Tim Kang – Skateboarder
- Amy Hill – Auntie
- Peter Lenkov – Sharp
- Eric Guggenheim – Thinker
The Magnum Ohana
Stephen said fans can look forward to “A strong, yet emotionally available, unapologetic black, superhero-esque Brother-man Theodore ‘TC’ Calvin.”
Finally, he would like to tell the fans “Thank you. I remember feeling that way about certain shows growing up and in my adult life…I’m glad I can be a part of something that makes people feel that way.”
