Talented Actor, Singer, and TV Show Producer, Christian Keyes, Creating His Legacy & Helping Others!
Not only is Christian Keyes an accomplished recording artist with a few hot new singles out that are blowing up the airways, "Under That Veil" and "Get Involved," but he is also a man with an impressive Film & Television resume and an unrelenting drive for excellence. Because of his hardworking ethics and standout talent, Christian follows in the footsteps of veteran actors such as Sidney Poitier, Lou Gossett Jr, and Laurence Fishburne. Additionally, he is an outstanding father who leads by a positive example.
He is an actor, recording artist, and film producer. After beginning his career in stage plays, Christian Keyes went on to work in television and film. He has appeared in guest roles on television shows such as Brothers & Sisters, Moonlight, Family Time, Beauty and the Beast, Instant Mom, Mistresses, and Born Again Virgin. Keyes appeared in the BET comedy series Let's Stay Together from 2011 to 2014.
Previously, Keyes played Michael the Archangel on the CW hit show "Supernatural." He also appeared in the music videos "Energy," "The Way That I Love You" by Ashanti, "In the Morning" by Ledisi, and "Suitcase" by Mary J. Blige.
As a leading actor, he appeared in Perfect Combination, Lord, All Men Can't Be Dogs alongside Vivica A. Fox, Note to Self, Act As You Love Me, and The Man in 3B. Tyler Perry has also cast him in stage plays, including Madea Goes to Jail and What's Done in the Dark.
Bounce TV's prime-time soap opera Saints & Sinners cast him as a male lead alongside Vanessa Bell Calloway, Gloria Reuben, Jasmine Burke, and Clifton Powell. As part of the BET drama series In Contempt, he starred as Charlie Riggs. His casting for Ripley Turner on The Young and the Restless was announced in 2020. His recent works include, Never and Again, Saints & Sinners, Judgment Day, Stalker, All the Queen's Men, All Rise, and Reasonable Doubt. The opportunity to talk about life and career with this extremely busy superstar was an absolute pleasure. Here is what he shared.
Hi Christian, how are you doing today? I’m wonderful, thank you.
Christian, it is an honor and a privilege to interview such a talented individual as yourself. Thank you.
My pleasure. So, tell me, where are you currently located, and where are you originally from? I'm originally from Flint, MI, but LA is my home.
That's awesome! To keep up with the demands of being an actor and performer, life can become extremely hectic at times. Therefore, finding a peaceful and relaxing place is invaluable. When you are experiencing stressful times, where do you go to unwind? Do you have a place where you feel at peace? “I set up my home space to be a place I don’t need a vacation from. It is a place of peace for me.“
Many people who are talented in one area are also multi-talented in many others. A number of singers are also phenomenal dancers, and many actors are also brilliant singers. Do you have any other talents that your fans may not have been aware of that you possess? Oddly enough, many people are just discovering my music. Because my last
release was over a decade ago, I understand why they're unfamiliar with my music. Nonetheless, I spend most of my time writing, acting, and singing. That's enough for now.
Everyone should have a dream. Having a positive and productive vision and making plans to bring them to fruition is healthy and inspiring. I also believe that God gives us positive goals for a reason, and in my opinion, those dreams He gives us are meant to impact the world positively. How would you complete this sentence? I have a dream. One of my dreams is to leave a lasting body of work and a classic and classy legacy. I also want to create great things, work with great people, and make a difference in the lives of others.
Christian, I believe that gifts and talents are fundamentally different. While your talents and giftings can intertwine, they are distinct from one another. What gift do you bring to the world through your talents or separately? Gratitude is the gift that I have been given. Any skill set can be used to achieve success, but if you work at being grateful and loving the learning process, you become a lifelong student and will always give credit where credit is due. As a result of being in gratitude, I can appreciate every blessing and treat them as if they were amazing because they are.
Well said. The importance of gratitude cannot be overstated. Gratitude is tied to humility. Remembering where we came from is essential because we would not be here without His blessings. I love what you said! Having the gift of gratitude is a noble gift to have. Each person has unique characteristics. God created us not to be carbon copies of one another but as unique individuals. Everyone sees the world differently, expresses things differently, and has their own fingerprints. Watching actors and listening to singers, I notice their uniqueness. How a singer delivers their lines or the mannerisms in which an actor portrays his character on the screen can often be used to identify them. Do you have a unique characteristic that sets you apart from others? I won't say among other entertainers because I would feel like it's a comparison, and I don't want to do that ever. But I will say this, other great artists can inspire or intimidate you. I always allow them to inspire me. Even when your peers are performing well or doing amazing things, you will either become bitter or improve. I use it to improve myself and strive to do better. When I see the actions and choices of others, I think, wow! The values they represent inspire me to be honest, audacious, and bold in my choices. As well as creating genuine work moments, I want to ensure my work resonates with my audience. Thus, I strive to be honest, prepared, and brave in everything I do as a result of celebrating the greatness of others.
As a fellow artist, you have a heart of grace, and your respect for your colleague's outstanding achievements and drive is the epitome of humility. You are humble and teachable; those are rare and noble qualities, especially in this business. Awesome! Christian, as a professional in the entertainment industry, what legacy would you like to leave behind? I want the character I portray on TV or in a film to be believable. I want to do my best, not just to get it done. My goal is not to do the bare minimum but to find the magic and create something special for them, the production, and myself.
Speaking of legacy, what is the most important thing you want your offspring to know about life? It's not easy, but it's worth it. We talk about it all the time. My son is in the military. He's 20, he's amazing, and he's one of my heroes. I tell him that all the time. In fact, when I tell him he's one of my heroes, he says, "Dad, don't get all emotional on me. "But regardless of what he says, I will keep telling him that. I tell my son, “be great, because you already are."
This is great! The bond between father and son is precious and lovely. You are a great father, Christian. I'm sure your son loves you dearly and will heed your wise words throughout his life journey. Speaking of life, I love life and all that God has created for us to enjoy within it. Although our everyday surroundings are so beautiful, we sometimes forget to appreciate the many spectacular things within nature. With that in mind, what fascinating things you've witnessed in nature still intrigue you today? Oh wow, sometimes I love catching lightning storms and watching them in real-time. If you're in Atlanta during the summertime, they'll have lightning; they'll roll out every day around 4:00. Or, sometimes, out here in Cali or back in Michigan. One of the most beautiful displays of nature I've ever witnessed was in Michigan, where the rain ended, but it was still thundering and lightning. And the thunder and lightning would shoot from right above me as far as the eye could see, almost. It was one of the dopest things I had ever seen in nature. It was dangerous, but at the same time, it was spectacular. So, I like stuff like that. It makes me think, gets my brain going, and excites my creativity.
Yeah, awesome! I remember everything turning dark in the middle of the daytime; that was the first time I had ever witnessed anything spectacular. That was cool and a bit frightening at the same time. Speaking of ominous, do you have a fear you plan to face someday but have yet to conquer? Let me see. I used to want to skydive, but never have I wanted to bungee jump. That’s not fear; it's just not a wise thing for me to do. That’s all I can think of now because I'm not afraid of a lot. Now, I can tell you what I'm not afraid of.
OK. I was never afraid of being a parent. I always knew that I would make sure that I was able to provide everything for my son, that I didn’t get growing up. God and my son have kind of quenched those concerns and fears. The best way for me to be prepared for any situation is to do my part, trusting God to do the rest, and trusting my teammates to do theirs.
In hindsight, I was hesitant about releasing my new album and song, "Under That Veil," because, as an actor, you're used to staying in a particular comfort zone. And, if you have a passion for creating music, it's a little scary stepping out on that branch hoping that it does well, and that it will be received well.
But then I thought, "If I'm honest in my message and the delivery of it, it'll resonate with people, and they'll connect to it. Thus far, there has been a positive response to the new song and video, which fills my heart with gratitude.
Awesome! Tell me more about your new project. The album comes out this summer. Awesome! I'm looking forward to listening to your amazing work! Thank you. It's a little scary, but it's absolutely worth it.
Great. Can you tell me about some of the films and television productions you've been in, what you are doing now, and what's coming soon? Well TV wise, a few of the TV Shows include, Reasonable Doubt, Saints and Sinners, and All the Queens Men. “All The Queens Men” airs on BET Plus, and I wrote, created, and licensed it to "Tyler Perry Studios." Then, they licensed it to be BET Plus. Season two just finished, and I can't say anything about season three. Even though I know what's going on, legally, I'm not allowed to say anything yet, but it's optimistic and promising.
We've already finished shooting the next ten episodes of "All Rise," another outstanding legal drama I'm in. So, I'm excited about that too. I'm waiting to find out if I will be in season five of "The Family Business," Which is a beautiful drama, and I am also blessed to be a part of "The Boys" on Amazon Prime. We just finished shooting season four of "The Boys, "so that should be coming out relatively soon.
Overall, I'm excited to be blessed with the opportunity to work on projects I'm incredibly passionate about. It's incredible, and it feels good. Wow! You have a lot to be grateful for, indeed! Congratulations on all your TV shows, films, and music releases. Let's talk about your forthcoming album. What is the album's name, and do you have a release date yet? Yes. The album "Get Involved" is dropping on my birthday, July 24th of this year.
So, the first single from the album, "Get Involved," is "Under That Veil." Yes, the first single is called "Under That Veil," It's a dope wedding reception song. It's one of those songs for people who still believe in love—us hopeful romantics. When I came up, we listened to artists like Babyface, El DeBarge, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Prince, and other R&B artists with similar sounds and messages. I love R&B, Soul, and Blues, so that's the type of music that influenced the sound of my new album; therefore, you get a piece of all of that in this musical collection.
Right off the gate, when you hear the first song, you catch the vision of the album's tone. It's brand-new R&B mixed with the classic sound of R&B. There is still a place for it, and it's being received exceptionally well. The video recently came out, and people are responding very well. It's classy, melanated, and beautiful, and it's good to see the people's response and to see it received the way it's being received.
What is the name of the album? "Get Involved" drops on my birthday, July 24th of this year.
Where can the entire album be purchased when it drops? The first two songs from the album have already been released, but the whole album, when it's released, will be available on all major online platforms.
The two songs currently out, "Under That Veil" and "Get Involved," are available and can be purchased anywhere you buy or stream music. The video was on YouTube and will be going to major networks playing music videos soon. Hopefully, BET Her, BET Soul, MTV Jams, and places like those. So it will be available, and we're taking it worldwide, so I'm super excited!
The Indie Post is all about inspiration and positivity. How would you inspire and encourage someone just getting started and trying to figure it all out in the entertainment industry? I'll be honest, it's not easy, but if it's worth building, creating, or having, then it will be worth it. Also, fall in love with the process of getting better because when you do that and commit to the process of constantly learning about the thing that you're passionate about, whether it's writing, directing, lighting, acting, or becoming a musical artist, if you consistently work on that, that makes you almost unstoppable, dangerous and creative in a beautiful way.
Also, do something every day that will get you at least 1% better in that thing or in those things you're passionate about. If you do that, not only will you be in the top percentile in the world in that space, but you'll be constantly craving education and knowledge in that space.
You should constantly evolve and improve, and I think that's where you'll find new inspiration. Not only will you find your creativity, but you'll also find out that you're falling in love with your passion repeatedly and daily.
Great advice from a wise man. Is there anything more you would like to share with our readers? Yes, my family recently buried my grandmother, and not even a year and a half ago, we lost my mom, so part of my current inspiration is to continue to make them proud. I want to keep a smile on their faces, and I want to make God proud, also. Furthermore, I want to make my son and my family proud. Therefore, I will keep pressing forward, creating shows where I get to help create jobs and opportunities for black and brown people that might not get them.
When we go to shoot a season of "All The Queens Men," we're employing 150 or 200 black and brown people every single time. That's one of my favorite parts of all of this. We are not only creating something people love, but we are paying the bills on 150 or 200 homes and allowing them to build their resumes, chase their dreams, and live them. This is one of my favorite parts of the process. We will continue to do that.
First and foremost, I want to send you and your family my condolences for the loss of your Queen's, your mother, and your grandmother. At the same time, I want to thank them for the blessed gift they left here on this earth to spread love, kindness, generosity, and talent with the world, and that is you, Christian. You are a phenomenal being, and I feel blessed and grateful that you have allowed me to share a slice of your purpose-filled life with The Indie Post readers. Thank you.
I pray that God will bless you, Christian and that He will bless the works of your hands according to His will for your life. I also pray that God will bless your family and keep you, them, and especially your son, who is going out to fight for the freedom and protection of American citizens safe a protected in these uncertain times in world history. I honor him and his heart of sacrificial service. I pray that God will continue to open doors for you so that you may continue to be a bridge to pay others' bills and feed your families. Last, I want you to know how proud I am for everything bridge that you crossed and every mountain you had to climb to get where you are today. You're a great actor! I'm rooting for your success, Christian. God bless you. Thank you. I appreciate that.
My pleasure.
The End of The Interview
https://www.officialchristiankeyes.com/
All photos of Christian Keyes are by @madworksphoto
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Christian Keyes June 10, 2023 Issue Vol 2 CLICK HERE
Disclaimer: The bible verses posted by The Indie Post, from (The New American Standard Version Bible Verse), are not those of the interviewee.There is no connection between the interview above and the post below.
"John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him."
"Romans 10:9-13 9 [f]that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, [g]resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, [h]resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE [i]PUT TO SHAME.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13for “EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”