 |
|||||
|
Darius McCrary
Hollywood actor feels at home in RB
by Rachael Stillman
To
most Redondo Beach residents family matters, and Darius McCrary is no exception.
The 25-year-old actor who played Eddie Winslow on the hit TV show "Family Matters"
for nine years is quick to recognize the importance of family. After all, his
father, Howard Mccrary, was the one who helped launch his career.
A talented musician, in 1985 he wrote, arranged in starred in his own play. Darius often went to rehearsals with his dad, and was encouraged by others take up acting. "I used to go to rehearsals, and was just being a gregarious, inquisitive child."
His mother, whom he describes as a strong-minded person who raised successful children, never let him take advantage of his good fortune. Nor did she let her other children. Both his brother and sister are currently going to college on partial and full scholarships. In turn he eagerly credits his influences, mentors, and friends.
"I've been blessed from day one. I grew up around really talented people. It was normal for me to be sitting in a room watching Barry White play dominoes," McCrary said. Later it became normal for him to be working with the likes of Gene Hackman, William Defoe, Robert DeNiro, Ving Rhames, Paul Winfield, Vivica Fox, Jada Pinkett, Erma Pete Hall, and Loretta Divine, amongst others.
"When you are around that all the time it inspires you to stick to acting. Because I feel there's always going to be a role out there that’s gonna warrant the gift God has given to me," McCrary said.
A special inspiration to him is his friend Ving Rhames. "He's my mentor, he's a great actor. There are just certain people you connect with," McCrary said. And he had enough years in the business to create a supportive group of friends. "It's really cool growing up in the industry because everyone has watched you grow up. Of course along with that comes pressure," said McCrary. Pressure to make good decisions within the industry, and most importantly, to stick with it. Fortunately McCrary does, and has quite an array of roles to show for it. A vampire in "Vampires: Los Muertes," a street tough, unambitious son in "Kingdom Come," a 1960s youth victimized by racial harassment in "Mississippi Burning." His favorite, and most challenging role, came from a HBO movie called "Don King: Only in America" in which he got to play Muhammad Ali. It was one of the first Muhammad Ali portrayals.
Still, he probably wouldn't play a boxer again. He is constantly searching for new roles and new challenges.
"I generally shy away from things I have already done. It's all about character growth, it's about what makes you grow as an actor," McCrary said. "It's hard to find roles though because you have to figure out what you see yourself as. You have to define those lines and stick to them otherwise you will be whisked into every project that comes your way. "
Not just any kind of project, he is also busy with a budding singing career. Right now he is working on an R&B album due out in about a year. "I could never do without my music. It's my first love. I was born into it," McCrary said.
But you don't have to be born into something for it to feel natural. The series that made him famous, "Family Matters", created another family for him.
"After nine years you just become a family. It wasn't really even like a job after awhile," McCrary said. And like any good family member he still keeps in touch with all his "relatives". In fact it was a friendly, familial atmosphere and the laid back beach environment that drew him to Redondo Beach. And for him, family matters. ER