For “Ruthless” leading actor Anthony Bless, his journey to stardom started out with a passion for music and evolved into him becoming a powerhouse arsenal of music, acting, and writing. His journey, like many others before him, was one of rejection, persistence, and sacrifice.
“What most people don’t know is that I was a music artist 1st, actually. I had been performing & writing music all over NY & Miami before I flew to LA to do the acting full time. My 1st acting experience was at a theatre conservatory program in Miami called El Theatro Prometeo, and it was in Spanish,” says Bless.
“Moving to LA to follow my dreams meant living out of my car, being unemployed, and abandoning every comfort that I’ve ever known,” he added.
As he mastered his craft of acting, not even the steep hills and mountains in a competitive Hollywood could stop him from reaching the top. His first acting role was in Burn Notice, followed by Ruthless as a series regular. Bless also has a reoccurring role on Sistas and is a prominent guest starring on Shooter.
More than just an actor, his singing and songwriting skills would prove to be impressive to producers at Tyler Perry Studios. He also wrote, created, and performs the “Ruthless” (Original Themes Song).
Since the big premiere of Ruthless in 2020, life for Bless has changed drastically and he opens up to Sheen about Life After The Big Yes from Tyler Perry and much more.
How has your life changed since becoming a co-star on Tyler Perry’s hit show “Ruthless”?
Co-star would be the wrong term. I’m a regular on “Ruthless” and my life is completely elevated thanks to that accomplishment. I was able to stop serving tables at restaurants. I’ve been able to visit my family on the East Coast more and I’ve had the financial flexibility to dedicate myself fully to my passions, which are music, acting and finding creative ways to inspire people and give back.
Acting is a very competitive field with lots of no’s before the big YES. Tell us about your experience with auditioning.
Oh my God! A regular day would be getting out of work at 2:30 am from an 8-hour shift serving tables, memorizing lines while I feed & walk my dog Hendrix, and waking up w 4 hours of sleep to finish preparing a script to drive to an audition. And some days had 2-3 auditions in a day. As an actor, you better be ready to function with no sleep, tap into multiple personalities (LOL), wardrobe changes and eating with chop sticks while driving. That’s a major part of the industry that people don’t see. Even today, I still must fight for every audition I get. You must make time to rehearse and get these auditions taped & sent in before their perspective deadline. The booking is the “glamorous” part that everyone sees.
Tyler Perry is such a brilliant director and showrunner. What do you think made you stand out as an actor?
I think he can recognize that I take pride in my craft & that I’m ready. I think being a music artist helped a lot with the pressure & performance aspects of being an actor. I think “Malcolm” brings an explosive & volatile character that makes you have conflicted emotions regarding circumstances and actions. I am SO So So passionate about this craft of acting. I pride myself in creating levels of depth and subtext within a character. If you work deep enough, you can understand the character on a real human level. It’s our job to illuminate the script, not just read the lines. I will always strive to be extraordinary!
Your character deals with so many complex issues, what do you hope fans will learn from your character? How do you think his story can change lives?
I hope fans learn to process and heal from tragic events, and that not allowing yourself the love and compassion to work through things can bring about unhealthy behaviors. Also, I want them to see the depth within “Malcolm”, so it serves as a template for understanding rather than just merely for judgment.
For more information, follow Anthony Bless on IG @iamanthonybless
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