Although Terayle Hill is a 'fresh face' to Hollywood, he can be seen in a numerous amount of projects, Superfly , Love, Simon, Acrimony, A Father’s Love, and Step Up High Water more recently, to name a few. The California native is going full force on expanding his resume. Terayle talks about one of his memorable projects Superfly: “My experience on Superfly was great for a numerous of reasons, I grew up Hip Hop so being connected to a project where Director X and so many other huge moguls attached to the project was exciting in itself..being involved with a character, a legacy that tracks back almost 50 years. So being a part of the remake just makes me feel like we're a part of history. It was really dope working with Trevor, [Trevor Jackson] Lex, [Lex Scot Davis] Kaalan "KR" Walker and Big Bank. It's really dope when I walk down the street people still yell “Snow Patrol!”
Terayle attests notable artists like J. Cole, Talib Kwhali, Nas, The Roots and Erykah Badu, to his appreciation and love for the art of Hip Hop. He feels they all have shaped his artistry and led to writing poetry as early as 7th grade and later music. Rapping is one of his hidden talents: “I found a way to blend it [rapping] with film work. Making soundtracks for projects was more exciting for me than actually performing the music. A lot of the roles I book are musically inclined. The TV pilot I’ve been working on, the character is a rapper and they allowed me to write every bar I ever spit on the show and that’s not the only project I’ve ever rapped on, so that’s just something I do in silence...it’s something I know I can do and something I know I’m good at.”
Aside from acting, Terayle is pursuing a Masters degree with a focus in Creative Writing, a compliment to his degree in Film. Juggling the two full-time can be quite challenging for him: “There are times you’re gonna be available to do the homework and times when you’re just not. I’ve managed to hold a B+ pretty much this entire semester but Step Up Season 2 just started and I have less than a B+ in this class let’s just say [laughs]. I’m trying to keep it up. I have the discipline to get it [homework]done.
Switching to style talk, Terayle admits he doesn't really have a style, he likes to be “comfortable.” He recalls a time where he wore a suit and a bandanna: “It was just a comfortable look for me, I wasn’t trying to make any fashion statements or any trends. On a normal day you might just see me wearing black sweats. Black is my favorite color. I’m actually pretty boring [laughs].
Terayle Hill is definitely a rising star to watch with Step Up season 2 airing and two new TV movies. One airing later this year, and the other is set for 2019. While perfecting his craft, focusing on studies, and staying grounded, he makes mental health advocacy a priority. Having struggled with mental health himself, he wants to make sure others are taking care of themselves and not just their careers. “Mental health is something I’ve been dealing with since I was a teenager. It's something I’ve always been aware of, but afraid of, and now I’m not afraid of it anymore.” Terayle has partnered with friend, Willis Cooks to executive produce a podcast that focuses on mental health awareness. “Your entire life shouldn’t be your resume, there is life outside of film.”
Images: J. Kaviar
Follow Terayle Hill: @terayle_