Hill Harper

 

 

Hill Harper: Actor and Author. NAACP Image Award for
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series.
This event was made possible, in part, thanks to the Lecture Committee and the
Oakley Center for Humanities & Social Sciences.

Watch the video!

In the final meeting of “The Green Room” series, which occurred on the historic Saturday after the 2020 Presidential Election when Joe Biden was declared the president-elect, Hill Harper shared his numerous experiences and advice from the entertainment industry for the attendees. Currently starring on ABC’s hit drama The Good Doctor, Hill Harper has been nominated for Best Lead Actor by the Independent Spirit Awards for the role he played in the film The Visit and he won the NAACP Image award three years in a row for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his role on CSI: NY. He has appeared in numerous projects on the big screen including The Sun Is Also A Star, Concussion, All Eyes On Me, and He Got Game.” Hill is also a bestselling author of four New York Times’ bestsellers: Letters to a Young Brother, Letters to a Young Sister, The Conversation, and The Wealth Cure. Letters to a Young Brother was named “Best Book for Young Adults” by the American Library Association in 2007. To date, his collective writing and acting work has been recognized with six NAACP Image Awards: Outstanding Literary Work: Debut Author (2007), Outstanding Literary Work: Youth/Teens (2007, 2008). On February 17, 2012, he took home an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Non-fiction for his latest book, The Wealth Cure.

Mr. Harper first fell in love with theatre in his freshman year of college when he enrolled in an introductory Shakespeare course. He offered much advice to the attendees, many of whom were aspiring artists and actors. He said how making bold, courageous decisions can sometimes be the most difficult or choices, but also the simplest. He told the audience how they must use every tool at their disposal to immerse oneself into a role, which should include much research: specifically experiential research. Mr. Harper shared examples of how he fully immerses himself into a character by telling the attendees of his various methods for physical transformations. He also spoke on the subject of the writing process.
“Acting hurts because of rejection. Writing hurts because of the process.”

He explored his own writing process and his ways of developing ideas and told the attendees to record any and every thought or idea they have as a piece of advice for all artists. Mr. Harper’s talk illustrated to the audience the embodiment of complete dedication to one’s craft, and serves as a reminder of the hard work that is necessary to succeed in any industry.

–William Titus ’23 and True Pham ’23

Currently starring on ABC’s hit drama “THE GOOD DOCTOR,” Hill Harper has been nominated for Best Lead Actor by the Independent Spirit Awards for the role he played in the film “THE VISIT” and he won the NAACP Image award three years in a row for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his role on “CSI: NY.” He was previously on the big screen as Lester Barnes in “THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR” directed by Ry Russo-Young’s MGM / Warner Bros. Before that, Hill appeared opposite Will Smith in “CONCUSSION.” He costarred in the Tupac Shakur biopic “ALL EYES ON ME” and can also be seen in Tyler Perry’s film “FOR COLORED GIRLS.” Some of his many additional credits include “THE SKULLS,” “GET ON THE BUS,” “HE GOT GAME,” “LACKAWANNA BLUES,” and “THE SOPRANOS.” Hill recently recurred on Showtime’s “HOMELAND” and was a series regular to the cast of the hit USA show “COVERT AFFAIRS” and the CBS show “LIMITLESS.”
 
Hill is also a bestselling author of four NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers: “Letters to a Young Brother,” “Letters to a Young Sister,” “The Conversation”, and “The Wealth Cure.” Letters to a Young Brother was named “Best Book for Young Adults” by the American Library Association in 2007. To date, his collective writing and acting work has been recognized with six NAACP Image Awards: Outstanding Literary Work: Debut Author (2007), Outstanding Literary Work: Youth/Teens (2007, 2008). On February 17, 2012, he took home an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Non-fiction for his latest book, “The Wealth Cure.”