(Photo: Kelvin Williams)

Antino Crowley-Kamenwati’s prowess cannot be put into a box. The multifaceted actor, director, writer, model, and artist is not only a brother to watch—who’s steadily rising on the big screen—but he’s also a creative with years of experience that can inspire others.

As an acclaimed artist, his credits include guest-starring roles on popular television series, including CBS’s Blue Bloods, NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, FOX’s Gotham, and Ava DuVernay’s groundbreaking Netflix miniseries When They See Us.

At first glance, Crowley appears to be a walking canvas, a living piece of art covered in countless tattoos—literally, from head to toe—with each ink-filled space representing the unique fiber of his being. Over the years, his body art has garnered a lot of industry attention and has ultimately become an asset to his career. Describing his creativity and artistic lore, Crowley says, “Growing up in the 80s—as a gay, Black boy in Atlanta—I loved to listen to hip-hop music, but hip-hop lyrics didn’t love me or my LGBTQ community. So, I gravitated towards skinhead culture. Not the racist aspects of it, but just the shaved head and tattoo aesthetic that emerged during the punk scene of the ‘70s, because they were free and didn’t care what people thought of them. And I related to that.”  

Because of his intriguing look, photographers would frequently stop him on the streets of New York City—asking to snap a portrait of him. Over time, this led to a collection of headshots and artist sessions that helped lay the foundation for Crowley to pursue his childhood dream of acting.

GETTING STARTED

It wasn’t until Crowley uploaded one of those aforementioned headshots onto Facebook that his big break came. Talent manager, Greg Alexander, caught a glimpse of the photo and messaged Crowley about attaining representation. “Greg became my first acting manager and helped me get into the Screen Actors Guild. Because I had a unique look and was covered in tattoos, I fit the loophole,” says Crowley. “He would always say: ‘This is a visual industry,’ and he taught me to always go into an audition looking the part.”

Putting Alexander’s industry lessons into action, Crowley recalls a pivotal casting moment that led him to work on Netflix’s When They See Us (which chronicles the true story of New York’s 1989 ‘Central Park Five’ case of wrongfully convicted Black and Latino teenagers). “I auditioned for a prisoner role, and bought an orange jumpsuit from a thrift shop to wear during that audition. I received a call-back and found out that the director, Ms. Ava DuVernay, was impressed by me and actually hand-picked me for the role of Dejuan,” he says.

CONSTANT CREATIVE

Throughout his life, Crowley has been a constant creative in several spaces within the arts. His keen eye for visual aesthetics has led him from sculpting and painting art pieces, to magazine editing, and styling celebrities—including British singer, Estelle, and male supermodel, Wendell Lissimore.

He also modeled for the iconic beauty brand behemoth, Bronner Bros., and crafted an editorial foundation by working as a fashion assistant with Time Out magazine, and as a fashion editor for Bleu magazine; in addition to styling sales clients at Rick Owens’s famous Manhattan boutique.

“After my time at Bleu, I felt like I had a midlife crisis and wanted to use all of the talents that God gave me. I was really intentional about shifting myself into the performing arts,” says Crowley.

LESSONS LEARNED

Having started acting while in his mid-30s, and although he truly loves the craft and believes that what you ask and put into the universe, you will receive, Crowley soon learned that things only happen “when they’re supposed to.”

As an Aquarius (born in February), acting has taught Crowley how to “relinquish control and go with the flow.” Looking back on his early days, he says, “I had a dark childhood, and childhood Antino had no control. So, my adult life—up until now—has probably been about the control I didn’t have growing up.”  

“I’m much more peaceful and calmer [now] and I love it. That’s why acting is perfect for me because I get to release all the pain and darkness from my life in a healthy and cathartic way.”

MAKING THE CUT

Acting requires hard truths from its participants, but some may not have the capacity to face the considerable amount of work it takes. And just because an actor might get cast for a project, it doesn’t mean that their part will always make it past the cutting room floor. “You shoot the scene, but you don’t know if you’re ‘cut’ until you watch the episode, and you don’t see yourself,” Crowley exclaims. “And it happens to ev-ery-body. Especially, if I tell all my family and friends like, ‘Hey, I’m going to be on this show!’ and then you don’t see yourself—it’s kind of embarrassing, but it’s a part of the industry. Even big-name celebrity actors talk about this in interviews.”  

Crowley also believes that being a “forever student” of the arts and finding a “connection” to one’s character is the key to landing a role. He says, “Acting is not pretending. You are actually living through your character, no matter what the role is. No matter how far removed from the role your actual life is, if you can’t connect to it in some kind of way, you can’t play that character.” He adds, “One thing that I tell younger actors [when they land a role] is that you were chosen to be there. You are a part of the team, and your input is valuable. If you have ideas, don’t be scared to use your voice and talk to the director—it’s your job to illuminate that character. So, speak up!”

Wanting people to realize that he himself wasn’t just a “novelty” when starting out, but that he could really act, Crowley enrolled in NYC’s Maggie Flanigan Studio six-week summer acting intensive program—and its conservatory—which he says, “single-handedly changed my life.”

ONWARD AND UPWARD

When discussing the topic of elevating one’s acting career, Crowley states, “You must constantly sharpen your skills.” He advises both new and established actors to consistently take acting and improv classes whenever they’re not on set or working on a project, “to keep the machine sharp.”

Looking towards the future, Crowley says, “I’ve flirted with the idea of moving to Los Angeles. I wasn’t ready before, but I’m ready now. I’ve done NYC, so I feel like now is the time to make the move.”

Next year, he will play the role of a “gang leader” in season eight of the ABC hit series, The Rookie. “No, I’m not a ‘gang banger’ in real life,” he says. “However, I have a lot of younger people—and younger men, in particular—who look up to me like a mentor, or like an uncle. And they come to me for advice because I have lived, and I guide them. So, that’s my connection to the Rookie character, and I love it.”

Through all of his life changes, career shifts, and industry perspectives, what’s the one constant that’s kept Crowley grounded over the years? “Everything about me, I control. But, as I’ve grown and become wiser, I realized that trying to control ‘everything’ in your life is not always positive,” he says.

“Sometimes you have to be open to receive the gifts that were meant for you. Be open to the universe and let it guide you!”

𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐒:

𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌

-Founder + Editorial Director: Avon Dorsey (@MrDoorSee) 

-Photographer + Creative Director: Kelvin Williams (@Kelvins.Scale) 

-Editorial Projects Manager: Latease Lashley (@LashFash)

-Partnerships, Planning + Promotions Manager: Chanel Clemons (@ChanelTreCreative) 

-Community Manager: Tyler Harris (@TylerrHarriss)

-Editorial Team Lead: Dami Ariyo (@MissusMonroe)  

-Styling + VIP Team Lead: Jada Adkins (@TheJclub_) 

-West Coast Team Lead: Imari Gabrielle (@ImariGabrielle)

-West Coast Coordinator: Marché Dorsey (@Ms.Dorsey_)

-Grooming: Zola Headley (@Zoey.BadAsss) 

-Team Assistant: Sabrina Robertson (@BrieWithAnIE) 

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌

-Digital Tech: Tim Zwicky (@TimothyZwicky) 

-DP + Video: Desmond Reich (@DesmondReich) 

𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌

-Cover Talent: Antino Crowley-Kamenwati