Attending an HBCU helped Lance Gross realize his dreams of becoming an actor.
The Oakland, CA, native had envisioned he would establish a career in entertainment. However, his parents initially had other aspirations, encouraging him to pursue finance and business.
“I went against the grain. I like to take a chance on myself. I always bet on myself,” Gross told AFROTECH™ on Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Off The Yard Festival at The Bullpen in Washington, DC. There he served as an event partner for the spirit company DIAGEO, celebrating Howard University’s 100th anniversary and sharing in its mission to elevate HBCUs. “I had to do what I loved and what I loved was entertainment. And I’m a creative person, and I feel like I’m not living unless I’m creating. For me, it was a no-brainer. Now, I had some convincing to do with my parents, and also I was on a full track and field scholarship, so I had to convince my coach as well. But, I’m from Oakland, CA, so I’m gonna make it work. We know how to hustle.”
At Howard University, Gross obtained a degree in radio, television, and film, while also minoring in acting and fine arts. He credits his support system at the university for helping him realize that acting could become a viable career, most notably Professor Bay, who taught an introductory acting course, per xoNecole.
“Going to an HBCU, it’s just different,” Gross explained. “It’s the extension of the village, and I feel like you have professors and faculty that really push you outta your comfort zone, but in a loving way, like family, aunties, and uncles. That’s what I feel like I got at Howard. I learned to hustle at Howard, and I realized that I had talent at Howard.”
Reflecting further, Gross stated, “The way this university has poured into me, and we come from greatness. I mean, the people that walk through the hallways of Douglas Hall and the fine arts building of Howard University, they’re all successful. So being at the university, I felt like I was cut from the same cloth. So that’s where it started for me.”
Gross officially joined the alumni class in 2004, and it wasn’t long before opportunities started coming his way. He got his big break from Tyler Perry, who discovered the budding actor during an acting course he enrolled in following the completion of his undergraduate degree, the Houston Chronicle mentions. Gross landed his first big screen opportunity in Perry’s “Meet the Browns” (2008), notes BET. One year prior, he had been cast as Calvin in Perry’s series “House of Payne” and has portrayed the character consistently for 13 seasons, a testament to its enduring success.
Gross revealed it was the opportunity to work with Perry that landed him a stamp of approval from his parents, particularly his mother.
“When I got a job with Tyler Perry. I mean, once I got that, my mom is a huge Tyler Perry fan. She love her some Madea. So when I told her I was going to Atlanta to shoot a show for him, she was like, ‘Okay, you know what you’re doing’ and she respected it. We haven’t looked back since,” he said.
Just as Gross found his path, DIAGEO aims to inspire the next generation of students by creating similar opportunities. The company has established endowments across 29 HBCUs, providing $400,000 toward scholarships in 2023 alone, a press release reads. In totality it has distributed over $11 million in permanent endowments to HBCUs.
The spirits conglomerate most recently arrived in D.C. for Howard University’s 100th Homecoming as part of its “Show Your HBCU Spirit” initiative. There the brand participated in the tailgate and the black-tie Alumni Bison Ball in partnership with Homecoming at the Mecca to champion HBCU tradition.
“We are thrilled to continue our support of the HBCU community and its rich Homecomings and Classics traditions across many of our partner institutions,” said Stephanie Childs, EVP, corporate relations, DIAGEO North America, in the news release. “HBCU culture is thriving, with graduates from these esteemed establishments making impactful contributions to society and business. We are proud to celebrate the achievements and traditions again this season.”
