by Howard Campbell
[LOS ANGELES] – The most competitive town in the entertainment industry, Hollywood has been known to destroy careers before they get off the ground. Jamaican actress Keturah Hamilton can attest to that after a decade there.
One of her latest roles was in the NBC medical drama New Amsterdam. She played Dr. Aboqela in the episode titled The Crossover which aired in February.
Kingston-born Hamilton explained the process for snaring roles in Tinsel Town.
“Whether it’s a television series or a movie, the process isn’t much different. You have to audition whether it’s through self-submission, your agent, or your manager. Once you get that audition, you are competing with your peers, so you have to bring your A Game, especially today when self-tape is the new norm,” she explained.
With technology allowing actors from across the world to compete for diverse roles, Hamilton stressed the importance of practice makes perfect.
“You have to keep that engine greased by constantly studying your craft and the way I do it is through my acting class. ‘If you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready when the opportunity knocks on your door’,” she said.
Hamilton migrated to the United States in her early teens and became a model. She began taking acting classes while modelling and has appeared in various stage, television and movies.
New Amsterdam is her latest role. Last year, she worked in Gaslit, a Starz series starring Julia Roberts and Sean Penn; and Nanny, a movie with Leslie Uggams and Phylicia Rashad.
Gaslit premiers on Starz on April 24. Nanny showed at the Sundance Film Festival.
