“I don’t think I ever made a conscious decision to become an actor. I didn’t even realize it was a career option at first. There was a period of my childhood where I was quite shy, but I signed up for a school talent show anyway. To cut a long story short, the coordinator really believed in me. She let me write some skits, choreograph some dances, and sketch some comedy. Once I saw the audience enjoying the work I created, I was hooked. One thing led to another, and somehow I am still doing what I love today,” reminisced Williams.
In the process of crafting his artistry, Williams has established a strong resume. He has acted in several different genres, including drama, mystery, sci-fi, comedy, and more. He is well-known for his roles played in films such as Dog Pound, Defiance, and Story of Luke. When Williams acts, he focuses his efforts on ensuring that his performances come across as authentic as humanly possible before his audiences. As such, he takes great care and consideration to ensure that he brushes up on his acting abilities at any chance he gets. His drive is unprecedented and he devotes himself to achieving each and every goal that he sets.
Despite being born in the Caribbean, Williams spent the majority of his youth living in Canada. As a result, he experienced life as an immigrant from an early age. In 2011, therefore, when Williams was approached about working on the film, Home Again, he found himself compelled by the possibility of shining a spotlight on the lifestyle that accompanies immigration. Directed by well-known Canadian writer and director, Sudz Sutherland, Home Again depicts the trials and tribulations of three individuals who are deported and forced to return to their home country, Jamaica, despite having lived most of their lives in the United States, Canada, and England. The film’s tagline, “sometimes home isn’t where you belong,” resonated well with Williams and he was determined to honor the storyline of his own character, as well as his character’s counterparts.
“Every year, tens of thousands of people get deported. I thought it was an important story to explore because it happens so often — albeit, for a variety of different reasons. There are so many people, all over the world, that can relate to feeling out of place. The feeling of loneliness is universally understood and I wanted to do it justice,” told Williams.
For the film, Williams’ character, Alton, decides to drop out of school in order to provide for his family. After much time and a number of difficult circumstances, Alton manages to provide for his older brother, a deportee struggling to make ends meet. The excitement of playing Alton was inherent in the fact that he was naturally comical; however, he also possessed a certain maturity about him. Williams enjoyed the depth that these traits required him to master and he embraced every challenge that came with them. As he does with every role he plays, Williams conducted an ample amount of research about the life circumstances of each of the film’s characters and did his best to accurately capture the emotions that these characters would experience. He was fortunate for the clarity and concision that the script was written with and considers Home Again to have been an integral addition to his acting journey.
Having written and directed Home Again, Sutherland could not have been more satisfied with the caliber of acting that Williams brought to the table for the film. Sutherland has enjoyed watching him grow into the actor that he has become today and has a large amount of respect for his ability to go above and beyond the call of duty for each role he endeavors to play. In fact, Sutherland believes that this is what sets Williams apart from his peers in the entertainment industry.
“What makes Dewshane so great at what he does is the fact that he is always prepared, open to suggestions, and willing to learn. These characteristics are particularly advantageous for a young actor. I found that his experience was on full display when we worked together and he carried his workload rather effortlessly,” noted Sutherland.
Upon its release, Home Again received a substantial amount of praise at a number of North American film festivals. For instance, it received nominations for Outstanding Foreign Film at the Black Reel Awards, Best Canadian Film at the Whistler Film Festival, and many more. In fact, Home Again even won the Audience Award for Favorite Feature Film at the Lost Angeles Pan African Film Festival in 2013. It is no secret that the film would not have earned such great success without contributions from profoundly talented actors like Williams.
For other aspiring actors looking to build a resume like the one Williams has developed, he has one simple piece of advice: “If you stay grounded, have gratitude, work hard, and remain kind to others, you stand a chance .”