KAPPAS IN THE ARTS
decided to pursue acting full time and moved to New York City in 2012 where he studied at the Negro Ensemble Company. The Journal recently sat down with Au- gustine to better understand the char- acter of the man behind the characters. Journal: What about your education prepared you for the acting profession? What was your major? DA: I took theater and drama classes while attending the University of New Orleans (UNO). After graduation, I moved to New York City and contin- ued my studies at the Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. The Negro Ensemble Company is a New York City-based theater company established in 1967 who’s alumni include Angela Bassett, Keith David Samuel L. Jackson, Lau- rence Fishburne and many other excep- tional actors. My training at UNO and the Negro Ensemble Company built a strong foundation in my acting career. I continue to study with my teacher, Kim Weston Moran, at the Negro Ensemble Company whenever I need her exper- tise. I also continue to take classes and workshops whenever I’m not working on a project. Journal: What motivated you to be a part of this profession? DA: My mother was a huge influence of my acting career. She made my twin brother and I model and take acting classes at a very young age. I fell in love
with the acting craft after my first pro- fessional theater production called “The King and I.” After that experience, I knew that I wanted to be an actor. Unfortunately, my mother had a stroke when I was thirteen and my brother and I had to put our careers on hold to take care of our mom. DA: I don’t think there is a particular acting style that actors latch onto. Our performances are the best when we are being vulnerable and true to the character we embody. If we focus on a particular style we aren’t being genuine to the performance. I think that the best actors in the industry are those that allow themselves just to “be” in that magnificent moment of the perfor- mance. Journal: When was your first role as an actor? DA: My first big theater role was “The King and I.” I was twelve years old when I was blessed to be a part of that production. My first big film production was “When the Game Stands Tall.” De- spite all my training, I was really nervous and anxious on the day of filming. I had the pleasure of working with great actors such as Laura Dern, Jim Caviezel and Michael Chiklis. Unfortunately, they cut my scenes but that’s show business. Journal: What is your favorite role today? DA: My favorite role today was for the hit show “Queen Sugar.” I had the op- Journal: Describe your acting style.
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