Pop-Culturalist.com

Andrew Chappelle is an actor, writer, and composer who has captivated audiences with his revolutionary performances on the stage and screen. His credits include award-winning projects like Moesha, Hamilton, and Mamma Mia.

This spring, he can be seen reprising his role as Scotty in Starz’s Blindspotting. Now in its second season, Blindspotting is a continuation of the 2018 film of the same name, and follows Ashley (Jasmine Cephas Jones) as she navigates a chaotic and humorous existential crisis after her partner Miles (Rafael Casal) is suddenly incarcerated.

But that’s not all for this multifaceted talent! Andrew’s new short film, Fanatic, which he wrote and stars in, is making its way around the festival circuit to worldwide acclaim.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Andrew about Blindspotting Season 2, his new short film Fanatic, and more.

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Andrew: I grew up playing sports poorly, being bad at math, and singing Frank Sinatra…so the path was pretty clear! [laughs] I tried it all, but acting was where I came alive. I know I chose right because acting still brings me joy.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Andrew: I suppose the biggest influence has been seeing my friends who have been in the business as long as I have navigate their way up and through this business. Everyone has a different path, but it is so interesting to see people find their way to shine their light.

PC: You’ve had so much success already in your career. When you look back, is there a moment that stands out?
Andrew: I’ve had several WTF moments. I grew up watching the Tony Awards and would clean my room listening to original Broadway cast albums. So to be able to fast forward and perform on the Tonys and sing on a Grammy Award-winning cast album still makes young Andrew warm and fuzzy inside.

PC: Throughout your career, you’ve effortlessly moved back and forth between the stage and film/television. How different are those mediums? What has that transition been like?
Andrew: I don’t know how effortless it’s been, but I’m glad it appears that way! Every role I’ve ever gotten has been a climb but it makes the opportunity so much sweeter. Socially, Broadway is more of a long-game situation. When you get the job, you know you’ll be with this group of people almost every day of the week for at least six months to a year. With film, you can work a single day on a show and maybe never even meet the entire cast. So it forces you to listen and make connections a bit faster.

PC: Blindspotting Season 2 is airing now. What can fans and audiences expect from this upcoming season?
Andrew: Blindspotting audiences can always expect to get their minds blown with the creative and humorous ways they will learn about how the prison industrial complex affects families in America. But in Season 2, you’ll see a lot more swirling of the energy between characters as they all grapple with their loved one being away in prison. We get to know these characters during the holidays and big family events, and let’s just say things don’t always go smoothly.

PC: The project finds you reuniting with your Hamilton costars Daveed Diggs and Jasmine Cephas Jones. How helpful has it been having those prior relationships, especially as you’re exploring the relationship between Scotty and Ashley, and tackling the subject matter that you all do within this series?
Andrew: I’d say it’s not only been helpful but dreamlike. Jasmine and I are extremely close, and our real-life relationship has been tweaked to forward the story of Blindspotting. Daveed and Rafael Casal, the creators, both know me and my cadence of speaking so well. When I read these scripts for the first time, it literally sounded like me on the page before I could even open my mouth to say the lines. They are incredible writers and responsible guardians for a show with this subject matter.

PC: In addition to Blindspotting, you also have a new short that’s making its way around the festival circuit, which you star in and wrote. Is there anything that you can tell us about that project?
Andrew: Yes! My film is called Fanatic, and it’s a wild ride from beginning to end. It’s about two down-on-their-luck best friends who were in a boy band in the early 2000s that failed miserably. The movie follows them as they enter a boy band competition with a cash prize that could remedy all their financial woes. This movie is my love letter to the great buddy comedies from yesteryear: Romy and Michele, Night at the Roxbury, Zoolander, Clueless. I’m thrilled at all of the support and love we have received for the film as we screen it at festivals all around the world.

PC: Have you found that your experience as a writer has impacted the way that you approach your work on camera and on the stage and vice versa?
Andrew: Absolutely! Beginning my journey as a writer has definitely changed the way I read scripts. I’ve come to understand how important the page is. Every word matters. There is so much information in a script, but you have to be able to find it!

PC: You’ve always used your platform to bring much-needed representation to this industry. Have you had time to reflect on the contributions that you’ve made to various communities that want to see their stories represented authentically on the screen and stage?
Andrew: Oh goodness. I think that aspect of my life and career has probably been the biggest surprise to me. When I decided to be an actor as a boy, I just wanted all the things you see in the movies! But it was Hamilton that taught me that sometimes these jobs are accompanied by a social responsibility to lift others up. I’m proud of all the outreach, volunteering, and money I have raised over the last ten years, and plan to continue my work however I can. Being a mixed-race, out gay actor, I feel pulled in several directions because there is so much work that needs to be done in this country. However, my existence on screen and in the world is a form of resistance and representation.

To keep up with Andrew, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Watch Blindspotting on Starz today.

Photo Credit: Johannes Oberman