Actor Terrence Prince Talks Moving to LA to Pursue Acting, Finding His 'Community,' & Gives Advice to Other Aspiring Actors

Terrence Prince, also known as @Hollywowprince on social media, is a writer, boxer, personal fitness instructor, and could potentially be your favorite bartender with his bubbly, inviting personality. 

But before he was making people smile with his gregarious character, he was a kid born in Rochester, New York who would reenact skits from the show In Living Color, and repeat character quotes from movies like The Goonies, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Godfather. 

His desire for the big screen came at a young age. He and his classmates had a project in his health class to spread awareness of bullying.

“I remember being the kid that got punched by the bully (totally staged) and the other kids actually thought I got hit,” Prince recalled “ We were just acting out the situation so we rehearsed it 1,000 times. But to see the other kids' reaction to them believing it was real immediately sparked something in me, or maybe it was a key to unlocking my awareness of it. That’s when I knew I wanted to be an actor.”

When you think of film, the first word that comes to mind is “Hollywood.” It’s the big city filled with people with even bigger dreams, and the home of entertainment. As a child with dreams to be on the big screen, Prince knew moving to California would be the best bet to pursue a career in acting. He calls it the “mecca of American film and acting” which was one of the three reasons he wanted to make that move. 

“It's the west coast, beautiful weather, always sunny, weather rarely changes,” he emphasized.  “Who wouldn’t want that?! Number three, it’s LA! One the busiest and booming cities in America. It just made sense to try my luck out here.”

I have first-hand experience of the level of professionalism Prince has. His world is super busy and he has so many different obligations and responsibilities, but what I can attest to is that when it’s time to work, it’s automatic go-time. He shows up and gives 1,000 percent to whatever project he signed up for. This guy’s got range. He has tackled several roles including portraying a jealous hit-man named ‘Viper' in web-short, Onyx, to his theatrical role as flawed character, Bowlyn, who was a free slave starting a new life in New York City with his wife in the dramatic stage play, Belle. Dream roles Prince aspires to tackle in the future include a hot-blooded flawed detective, a villain, a father or father figure to pursue a more grounded route, and of course the child in him is currently crying out to be a superhero. 

As every great artist, actor, or overall entertainer, it’s only right to acknowledge those who have paved the way for many great talents. When asked who his dream collaborations would be, he replied, “Oh my god, I would love to have a scene with multiple greats that inspire me.”

“If I’m ever so lucky. Don Cheadle attacks his roles so effortlessly. Denzel Washington, any role he’s in resonates attention. He has such a pull - gravity if you would say. Clive Owen always amazes me in any role he portrays. Every time I see him he’s a completely different person. Giancarlo Esposito, who is in my Mt. Rushmore of actors. Now that is a gentleman that commands a scene…very powerful stuff.”

There are many creatives in LA who all share a similar goal - to potentially see themselves on the big screen. Prince has been a resident in LA for many years and has first-hand experience on what it is like to pursue a career in entertainment. Word of advice from Prince is to pursue and never give up, never let  anyone tell you differently, enjoy the ride it takes you on, learn from your mistakes, and treat your life as one big movie. You can learn a lot from yourself, but most importantly, protect your peace.

For those traveling from different parts of the world to LA to pursue acting or any other field in the entertainment industry, Prince advises to not assume you know something you’ve never experienced. 

“I think a lot of us come to LA with a preconceived notion of what we think it is,” he said. “I can assure you just like any other industry or city, it’s always different than we imagine, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Take things as they are and don’t try to change it to what you see in your mind.”

When asked if he thought moving to LA was the “right” thing to do, he let it be known that he doesn't believe there are any mistakes in life; there are only lessons or quicker paths to your truths.

“Moving to LA wasn’t right or wrong, it was in my path for my journey,” he said. “ I would have eventually been here sooner or later at some point. We all have eventualities in our lives and that’s a beautiful thing. We have multiple ways to go in our journey. No choice is right or wrong, just different.”

Another piece of advice any creative will tell you is to network, network, network. Find your community of people. Attend as many events and take as many classes you can to not only perfect your craft, but to meet like-minded individuals on their pursuits. 

“I’ve found a community, my tribe if you will,” Prince stated. “Like-minded people who love and care and wish to see you succeed with their own experiences and resources and ideals. That’s been by far the biggest resource for me to have out here and if I ever feel lost or feel like I’m at a dead end, I have my tribe to help me figure out what needs to be figured out.”

As for what’s next? Prince participates in a monthly live-sketch show called “Hot Comedy Brewery” at the Broadwater 2nd Stage every last Friday of the month. The series finale is October 25th until they start back up in January of 2025. He also has a couple short films in the works including a completed horror film and one that he is getting ready to finish. He will continue to pursue his dreams by auditioning, and enjoying this “grand design we call life.”

Follow Prince on Instagram to stay up-to-date with his journey, shows, and more.