The last time The Quintessential Gentleman caught up with Shannon Wallace was in 2019 during our Cuts & Convos feature at a barbershop in Manhattan, New York. At the time, Wallace was starring in BET’s American Soul and seemed poised for a massive industry takeover. But instead of riding that immediate wave, the actor did something few in Hollywood have the courage to do: he walked away.
Seven years later, Wallace has consistently been on our screens, starring in some of television’s buzziest projects, including the critically acclaimed Diarra from Detroit and Tyler Perry‘s Beauty in Black. We recently sat down with the Long Island native to discuss his hiatus, the reality of the industry today, and the creative tools that keep him grounded.
Jumping into his first major television role on American Soul was a jarring experience for Wallace. While he loved the actual craft of acting, the sudden public visibility terrified him. “I didn’t like being in public around people, I didn’t like the attention. I didn’t like the questions,” Wallace explained in our exclusive interview.
This sudden thrust into the spotlight coincided with a personal tragedy: the loss of his brother, Joshua, who was killed by gun violence in 2017. The unresolved grief made navigating public spaces incredibly difficult. “I was blaming everybody. Everybody I ran into could have been the guy. So I was an angry dude just being out in public promoting the show. You can’t do that,” he shared.
Recognizing that he needed to prioritize his mental health, Wallace took the rest of 2019 off to figure things out. It wasn’t until he eventually embraced therapy, overcoming the ego-driven belief that he could “finesse the therapist,” that he truly found his footing. “Once that calmed down, I was like, all right, I’m good. I can be out here now. It ain’t that bad,” he said.
Before he was a recognizable face on television, Wallace found a way to survive the grueling audition circuit by picking up a camera. In 2012, long before the industry was actively hiring him, photography became his financial and creative lifeline.
“My multi-hyphenate then just came from needing a creative outlet,” Wallace shared. “That’s the only thing that I could control. I can pick up the camera whenever I wanted to. I didn’t have to wait for someone to hire me.”
That need for creative control has successfully evolved. Today, Wallace is an accomplished filmmaker. He recently wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the short film Channels, and premiered another self-produced project, A Story About You, at the Slamdance Film Festival.
Approaching his 40th birthday, Wallace is highly focused on his career trajectory, specifically regarding the representation of Black men on screen. He pointed out a glaring gap in the industry between the iconic “old guard” (like Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle) and the new wave of actors in their late 20s and 30s.
“I’m trying to carve out this leading man lane for myself… Because I think it’s interesting, and I want to see what that feels like. But the way to get to it has changed,” he stated. Acknowledging that the traditional Hollywood blueprint no longer works, Wallace is determined to figure it out.
That puzzle is coming together nicely with his return to BET’s hit series Diarra from Detroit. Wallace plays Chris, the elusive man whose disappearance drives the entire first season. Interestingly, Wallace originally auditioned for the role of Francois, aka Swa, played by Morris Chestnut.
It wasn’t until a chemistry test with the show’s creator and star, Diarra Kilpatrick, that producers threw him a curveball: they gave him 20 minutes to learn a new character. He nailed it and booked the role of Chris. Because the first season revolves around his disappearance, Wallace faced a unique acting hurdle. “I have to now make my choices and my presence felt in the times that I’m not there,” he explained. “My name was on the tip of their tongues, but I just always wanted to be felt. And that became a challenge.”
The experience also gave him a front-row seat to Kilpatrick’s brilliance as a multi-hyphenate. Working almost exclusively with her as a scene partner in season one, Wallace watched her effortlessly juggle being the show’s star, writer, and executive producer.
“She has a sophistication about her that is so admirable. It’s alluring. It’s brilliant,” he praised, calling her his “creative North Star.” He credits her leadership and the show’s authentic depiction of Detroit, a city Wallace meticulously studied by watching independent Tubi films, with making the project so special.
Now, heading into Season 2, Wallace is thrilled to explore the character more deeply. “This was also the first time in my career that I had been back for a second season… in almost all of my projects I’ve been killed,” he laughed. With a solid foundation already laid, he is ready to expand on the Detroit swagger and backstory that fans loved.
“Season two was a lot of fun to do. It’s the best time I’ve had as an actor on a set,” Wallace shared.
Check out the full interview.
Photo Credit: Shannon Wallace
