Interview by Carol Wright | Photos Courtesy of Isaac Bell
We got to chat with up-and-coming actor Isaac Bell about switching from basketball to acting. Plus, the Disney+ film Safety and his character Eugene.
You originally thought you’d be a basketball player before acting came along. What initially motivated you to make that switch?
What a way to bring back memories! Yes I spent literally my whole life dedicated to basketball. I grew up around it, each one of my really close friends all play basketball so it kinda put me in a bubble to where I was like okay this is the thing to do since all my boys are doing it, but I did actually enjoy the game very much and all my friends play at the highest level which is the NBA, so I still get to watch them play. The initial switch was when I was in grade 12 (senior year) I gave up three full ride division one scholarships to pursue acting…sounds insane right! One night I saw my family friend Terrence Hardy on a show back in the day called Ghost Whisperers, and when I saw him I was amazed by how cool he looked on TV and I said I wanna do that, and I told my mum I wanna be an actor and she sat me down and we had about I wanna say a three hour conversation going back and forth about giving up a chance to go to college and that going out to become an actor is really tough and it’s not easy to just become an actor, and I went on and explained to her that I was gonna take it as serious as it can get and she believed me. After that night my mum called around for some acting classes for me to take and I found my acting coach Max Decker and never stopped since. But the one thing I’m most grateful for was that my mum never doubted me once about becoming an actor when I made the switch.
Are there any particular actors you look to for inspiration?
Most definitely I look up to these two people as my biggest inspirations not only in acting but just in life in general and they are Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts. These two people are literally my hero’s and have given me the inspiration to never give up and to continue to work through any situation no matter what. I value these two people so much because of the dedication and truth they give each character they play. It’s honestly mind blowing!
Tell us a bit about Safety and what interested you about the film?
Safety is an American biographical sports drama film based on the story of Ray McElrathbey, a football player who battled family adversity to join the Clemson Tigers football team. The thing that interested me the most about the story was the key point of the movie, FAMILY. I’m really big on family so when reading the story I felt everything that Ray was feeling and how he was so loyal to the community around him. Then obviously the football interested me because I didn’t get to live the real college life but when I was shooting Safety it felt exactly how it would if I did really live that life.
Could you relate to your character Eugene?
Oh I can relate to Eugene so much, he’s the life of the party and a dude who just likes to all around have a good time but is also a guy who is big into loyalty, trust and family. I’m exactly all of those things. I love spending time with my family and having fun. All my friends know I can have a good time.
Safety explores the importance of community, friendship, student athletes and much more. Were you happy to be a part of a project that explores these topics?
Yes of course growing up being a student athlete my whole life I had to learn leadership on and off the basketball court so coming into this movie I knew each of those things.
Any projects on the horizon that you can share?
There are a few projects coming up and I can’t really talk about them much but I know people will really be excited for what’s coming. I’m also producing one of the projects so I’m excited to get into that side of the art.
What advice do you have for aspiring actors?
Never give up on your dreams, I’m specifically speaking about the people that look like me. You are capable of doing anything you put your mind to. Manifest your life and always remember to stay true to yourself……… “PVO” (Positive Vibes Only).