From TV Ad to Reggae Revolution: My Pivot from Acting to Music
- Kēvens
- Sep 12
- 2 min read
Years ago, a casting agent friend called about a major Fox Baseball national TV commercial. I was fully immersed in acting while leading a reggae band, juggling several auditions each week. It was exhausting, but I landed roughly one role for every ten tries to say the least.This time, I scored the big one.
The shoot was in Palm Beach County, where I met my co-star, Ryan Klesko of the Atlanta Braves. I wasn’t a big baseball fan, only watching occasionally, so when fans swarmed him for autographs, I had no idea who he was. People onset were floored when I asked, but I just laughed it off.
Some of my own fans showed up, enough to catch Ryan’s attention. When we connected, I admitted I knew little about baseball and asked him to explain the game from a player’s perspective. Surprised but game, he shared the ins and outs. In return, I introduced him to reggae, which he barely knew. Our conversation was a hit with anyone nearby.
Filming ran from afternoon to early evening, with take after take for the key scene where Ryan sat beside me and asked, “You guys have the stolen bases?” When the ad aired during baseball season, my filmmaker brethren Douglas Thompson called from his travels out of state, stunned to see me on Fox TV. I hadn’t expected it to hit the air so fast, but Doug’s description confirmed it was me. Watching the ad felt like a clear signal to pivot to music full-time. I was tired of being typecast as the drug dealer or Rastafarian gunman in auditions, and that national TV spot was the push I needed to move on.
Some actor friends thought I was crazy to walk away, but I made the choice with no regrets. My focus shifted to crafting a fresh musical style, which demanded all my energy and passion.
I returned to acting when Steven Eachon called me to play the Witch Doctor.
Here is that Fox Baseball television advertisement.
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