The first day working in Hollywood, Grady, a Hamilton native, was on the set with one of his heroes, Denzel Washington. From there, he caught the acting bug big time.
“I was in the movie ‘Training Day,’ which he won an Oscar for. I was actually an extra in that movie, which actors don’t usually talk about. So, I got to Hollywood in the summer of 2000, and I started work like any young 23-year-old would do, and I heard about some projects that were starting. The first project I ended up working on was ‘Training Day,” which didn’t have a name at the time, but I heard about it. So, I went ahead and submitted to be a part of the project,” Grady said.
He had no clue he would be talking to Ethan Hawke, or interacting with Denzel Washington, and in 2001, he got a call to be cast, and the movie was filming in Compton.
“Out of nowhere, I see this guy walking towards us, and I was like, ‘I think that’s Denzel Washington.’ I did the number one cardinal rule that you should not do on a film ever. He’s walking towards us, now we are all actors at this point, but I had a fan moment. And I was like ‘Oh, my God, my mom would love this.’ I kid you not, he said, ‘Hey, I’m going to stop you right there. We don’t do that here. You’re an actor right now.’”
He was in character, Grady said.
“I didn’t realize how deep he was in character at this particular moment. I later found out he was walking around the community, sitting on people’s porches, just trying to get a feel for the area. So, when he came to us, he was already in character. And he told me on the first day, ‘We don’t do that. Don’t ever do that again. You’re going to be an actor, don’t do that. Once you see someone on set, you’re just the same as them. We’re both being paid to be here, and I want you to take that with you for the rest of your career,’” Grady said.
“The amazing part is, I took that in. I’m working with him all day, I’m watching him, I’m kind of in awe. Like I said this is my first day, ever…I think I learned the most valuable lesson on the first day of acting, it’s just to be who they paid you to be,” he said. “Just be there. You don’t have to fan-out. You don’t have to be a fan because we’re all hired workers here.”
Grady worked with Denzel Washington a second time, and that time, he just wanted to say thank you. About 15 years after his first encounter, he had the chance to be directed by Washington on “Grey’s Anatomy.”
“That time, I just wanted to thank him, and let him know he gave me the ability to stay in the business by teaching me on the first day. As he is, he’s like a brother, or father, or cousin, all wrapped in one. I’ve never met another human that commanded a room like he does,” Grady said. “He was like, you know what kid, just keep pushing forward, I’m glad I had that effect on you, and then he moved on.”
Grady said his encounters with Washington taught something valuable he will never forget.
“It’s allowed me to understand what a working actor is and how to become that,” he said. “I have to credit Denzel Washington for that. Maybe one day, I’ll have my moment, and I’ll really be able to give him credit for that, but that’s what made me stay in the business.”
Credit: Marc Moraitis
Credit: Marc Moraitis
Entertainment runs in the family
Grady has famous musicians in his family — the entertainment industry was already in his blood. He was exposed to being on stage as a kid and went on the road at a young age. Roger Troutman, singer, songwriter, and founder of the Zapp Band is his uncle.
“All of the Zapp Band members are my family members. Being around Uncle Roger at a young age really let me know that we have the capability in our family to do this at a high level. I mean, he’s worked with Michael Jackson, and so many more great entertainers. I went on tour with him with several different groups, all around the country. I was a roadie, so I got to see entertainment at its best every night, and that started as a kid,” Grady said.
When Grady was 16, he went on tour with the Zapp Band for the whole summer, and they played in big stadiums from Michigan to Mississippi, California, Arizona, Florida, and beyond.
“I would basically be in my roadie gear, which is some disgusting gear, putting up the set. I was sweaty. But as soon as I would get done, I would actually go put on a suit, and I would do the moves backstage like I was them. So, I would be watching them from backstage, doing all of the moves, but no one could see me. Then, right before it was over, I had to go back and change into my roadie stuff. They would always say, “Why did you bring a suit, kid?’ and I said I wanted to pretend like I was on stage to see how that energy felt,” Grady said.
Troutman and his family, originally from Hamilton, formed the Zapp band in 1978. A few of the group’s hits included “More Bounce To The Ounce,” “Dance Floor,” “I Can Make You Dance,” and “Computer Love.”
People like his Uncle Roger opened his eyes to being in entertainment, but he got to see the real-life side of some big names, too.
He said, “Uncle Roger was incredible. He would talk in this Donald Duck voice to us, which was spot on Donald Duck. Then, people like George Clinton from the P-Funk All Stars, and Bootsy Collins, these were people I was around. These were normal interactions that we had. I can remember my uncle and MC Hammer doing some things. My cousins were all a part of it. My cousin Rufus Troutman, he’s actually a gospel entertainer now. He was in the band, too. So, our whole family was involved for sure.”
‘We showed them that we can do it’
Grady recently starred in “Mile 19,” (as James) alongside Angelique Chapman (as Linda). Directed by fellow Miami University graduate Howard Clay, Jr., “Mile 19″ is based on an account of a real-life story of human trafficking. The movie was released nationwide on Amazon Prime in Oct. 2022.
“It’s amazing how when you put your faith in something, and you really put it in there, that it can become true. In this case, for myself and Howard, and all of the people who worked on ‘Mile 19.’ It was a real Ohio film and wanted to see if we could start bringing Ohio to Hollywood and vice versa, and that was our platform,” Grady said.
Last year, “Mile 19″ premiered in Cincinnati to a theater full of people, and it was also an opportunity to bring the community together.
“We showed them that we can do it. You can do it. There are other people that have achieved great things like The Cunningham Sisters. They were on ‘The Voice.’ Their father, Marc, is my good friend. We grew up and went to Jefferson Elementary together. They came to see me before they went on ‘The Voice.’ We had a conversation about Hollywood and how to make it, and I believe in them. So, Hamilton produces a lot of great talent,” Grady said.
Local influence
Grady graduated from Miami University in Oxford in 2000. He earned a degree in journalism and theater. Although he said he didn’t originally move to Los Angeles to pursue acting, but it was something he “had in his heart the whole time.”
“I was doing a little theater in Hamilton. I started out at Big Blue. I was in a group at Big Blue called the Rhapsody in Blue show choir. So, I got the itch then. I mean, I probably had it since I was a kid. My family has been in the business my whole life, so I took it upon myself to see if I could do it myself,” Grady said.
He said Garfield Middle School was instrumental in his ability to become a leader. At Big Blue, he played basketball, and football, and enjoyed being involved in sports. He was the captain of the football team. But he loved the show choir side of things, too. He graduated from Hamilton High School in 1995.
“The football captain being in the show choir, in the 1990s, that wasn’t the thing,” Grady said. “But I decided it was something I wanted to do, so I would practice football, and then, I would go to show choir practice. I worked with a lot of great people there like Mr. Bean. He was one of my teachers there, and Big Blue and Hamilton still mean a lot to me. I even named my dog Hamilton. He’s a Golden Doodle. He’s incredible. My cross street is Hamilton. So, I can never get away from Hamilton. It’s always in me.”
He said, “I tell everyone I named my dog Hamilton so I can say Hamilton every day, and to always remember where I came from. My foundation was solid from that city.”
Grady has done everything from composing music and acting to directing films. He currently resides in Huntington Beach, Calif.
“I told myself, ‘If a kid from Hamilton, Ohio, can come here, have his dreams, and he sees the guys that he wants to be on the first day of acting, why not go ahead and try that. And I’ve been doing it pretty much ever since. It’s been a beautiful ride.”
Grady, who had two movies released last year, including “Mile 19″ and “A Future in Question,” said there’s been a lot of ups and downs, acting classes, and “grinding it out and figuring out the type of actor he wanted to be” along the way.
“There are so many people from Hamilton who are doing things in the business. They have actually helped me out. Guys like Jay Davis, and the Jolivette family from Jolly’s, they have helped me out tremendously, and they basically put me in the right direction. They actually gave me some big opportunities, early in my career, where I could not only do movies, but I do music, too, so I did some scores on some pieces. It’s been incredible. Not only did I start doing that, but I’ve also been painting more, and working on bigger projects. I have a TV series that I’m working on called, ‘Anita, which should be releasing early next year,’” Grady said.
Grady has worked with greats like Steve Carell on “The Morning Show.” He played in Season 1. He’s also done “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “NCIS,” “Will & Grace,” as well as shows like “Fresh Off the Boat,” and more.
Grady said he always knew he wanted to do things differently, so he put a plan in place to make things happen. He did things like worked on sets, learned how to be a television actor, and he studied under people like LL Cool J as well as many different actors and actresses, including Don Cheadle.
“I had a different vision of myself. So, I put a plan in action. Every week, I would write down five different things that I needed to accomplish, and if I didn’t get those things accomplished, they would carry over into the next week, and I did that for years,” Grady said.
Although it’s common for people to go to Hollywood to become a celebrity, a star, or to be famous, Grady said he never wanted to be any of those things. Instead, he wanted to be an artist.
“I learned pretty quickly that being an artist can pay. It may take some time, but I was willing to take that time to become a real artist, and what I mean by that is acting to me is projecting real life on screen, and I had to learn how to do that, but going through some situations in my life from Hamilton, I think it prepared me to be a real person on camera,” Grady said.
His desire to be an actor is to make people laugh, or cry, or to send a powerful message. He also wants to do the same thing in real life by making people happy and he wants people to believe in themselves.
“I’ve definitely had tons of support in this, and my city is always behind me, and I know that. That’s really why I wanted to share my story, to say thank you to the people, for the support, and to show, you can never stop. If you’re searching for fame, you probably shouldn’t come to Hollywood, but if you want to be an artist, this is definitely a place for you, and I learned that. I’ll never search for the money, or fame, I’m actually a true artist in the sense that I want to make dramatic pieces that impacts people’s lives or sends a message.”
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