On January 17, 2012, we had the opportunity to catch up with former Ford model and actor, Tobias Truvillion.

Who is Tobias Truvillion?  Well, you’ll be surprised to know that you’ve known him all along.  Before we get into that, let’s briefly talk about the Lumumba 51: Benefit Concert in Support of the Congo Movement event he hosted at Taj in NYC.

• Congo’s first Prime Minister, Patrice Emery Lumumba, was assassinated on January 17, 1961, which is the significance of events being held on January 17. The Friends of the Congo (FOTC) began a Congo Movement, which commemorates Lumumba’s death while fighting for the rights of the Congolese. Approximately 45,000 murders a month and a crisis of rapes have occurred since 1996. Over 6 million people have been murdered to date. These tragic events have occurred so certain countries could gain control of Congo’s wealth.

While waiting for the concert to begin, we found out that Tobias has been in music videos, a few movies and popular television shows that I know you are familiar with.  He had a recurring role in the soap opera ”One Life to Live” as Vincent Jones.  He was also on the TV show “Blue Bloods.”  You’ve seen him in the movies “Hitch,” “Brooklyn’s Finest, “Paid in Full,” a couple of Law and Order shows, as well as in Fantasia Barrino’s videos “Free Yourself” and “I’m Doin’ Me.”  Here is a video showing a list of other places you’ve seen Tobias:

I’m So Hollywood:  How did you get started with acting?

Tobias Truvillion:  I started in the fashion world.  I was a Ford model for a long time.  I did a play at the National Black Theatre and got bit by the acting bug and never looked back.

ISH:  How did you transition from modeling to acting?

TT:  You know, mainly theater.  Once I found that passion in something I could pour myself into, other than pictures, because pictures only tell so much of a story.  Then, I was able to feed that monster and start growing and working on technique and telling stories.  So, it was a natural transition for me.

ISH:  You’ve played in the movie Hitch.  So, how was it working on a set with Will Smith?

TT:  Will Smith is like the “Fresh Prince” all day.  This guy is so charming, he’s very funny, he’s entertaining people the entire day.  Like when he goes home at night, he probably just falls out from all the energy that he puts out.  Will’s a great guy, he’s a Libra like myself and we really connected and we still got a nice little thing going today.

ISH:  I know you have a play on Broadway, so tell us a little about that?

TT:  Yeah, well I’m in the production of Black Angels Over Tuskegee, it’s about the  Tuskegee Airmen.  We’ve been going on for two years as far as the production.  It’s been getting a lot of steam from the movie, Red Tails.  A lot of young people don’t know [the story].  If you haven’t seen the play or the film, maybe they need to check it out [because] it’s a really good play and they should bring a young person.  It’s a part of not only Black American history, it’s American history and it should be told.  And, I had the luxury of actually being on the float with the Tuskegee Airmen during the Veteran’s Day parade.  I performed for them, I met them and a lot of them are not here anymore because they were the first generation and in their 90s.  So, the few that are remaining, it’s a really big honor to be a part of this.

ISH:  You did TV, movies, and now you’re on Broadway.  Which atmosphere do you like to be in the most?

TT:  Oh man, all of it!  It’s just about telling good stories, even being here with the Friends of the Congo, doing things that really impact people as a whole.  So, it’s like sometimes we don’t have the creative control as far as the stories that are being told as an actor but when I’m a part of things that tell a story, like a real story that tells a piece of Black history like that, those are the things that I really enjoy.

Click HERE for tickets to see Tobias in action in the new Broadway play, Black Angels Over Tuskegee.

Photos provided by:  Nakeisha Jennings of Prime Planners