Go Behind the Scenes With Shawn Wells

Photographer- Inari Brianna

Stylist- Kayla Bell

Shawn Wells has a face that’s easy to remember, if you don’t believe me, ask the over 100,000 online audience that engage with him daily. Many of whom became fast fans after watching him on Netflix’s Too Hot to Handle, a show where a group of attractive singles, notorious for non-commitment, are forced to live together and abstain from sex in order to win prize money. But now he’s stepping into a new TV lane as an actor, making his premiere performance in Starz’s BMF. And while he’s excited to embrace this chapter of his life, he’s also dealing with a few new challenges – like anxiety, an unfamiliar strain in relationships, and the highs and lows of the industry he’s chosen. Check out Bleu Magazine’s’ exclusive conversation with the rising star.

It's the day of the season two BMF premiere, and Shawn jumped on our Zoom call with a welcoming smile. He had a pretty calm demeanor for someone about to have such a major moment. Maybe it’s because this wasn’t his first big introduction to the public. When his season of Too Hot to Handle premiered, the world got a very personal introduction to him. He reflects on the unique experience, saying, “The overall cast was amazing. The experience was amazing. Netflix treated us great. When I look back on it, I’d absolutely do it again. It opened a lot of doors” However, when I pressed about love and relationships that could’ve formed during the series, he kept it real. It didn’t seem to be his focus at the time. “I wasn't opposed to it. But I'm someone that's only dated inside my race, and I knew there weren't going to be too many opportunities for that on the show. And yeah, I was completely right (laughs).

Nowadays, he’s committing full-time to being an actor. He’s moved to Atlanta and is excited to turn over a new leaf. As a Florida native, he admits still adjusting to the excitement of the city and likes to spend his days reading, meditating and spending time with nature. Unfortunately some of this solitude is in response to the emotions he’s felt as he pursues this journey. The new rise of fame has brought an interesting dynamic to his relationships and the ways he encounters stress. “Being on TV, I think people think I'm a lot more famous than I am. And that draws separation between some of my friends and family. I’ve got people from middle school thinking we're best friends again; it's a crazy adjustment.”

But it seems like that has not been his biggest emotional struggle. His first introduction to anxiety happened last year, around the time of filming BMF. “It was definitely an adjustment, controlling the anxiety and feeling like, oh, I'm not supposed to be here. It’s imposter syndrome.” He goes on to explain that being an actor, requires a tough skin that everyone doesn’t have. He’s met colleagues who are on major shows as series regulars, only for the show to get canceled and their life changes in an instant.

However, with all that said, he’s embracing this new chapter and excited for audiences to see what he’s been working on. One project he’s excited about is a short film called: A Stranger’s Waltz..”The writer and producer is named, Princess. She's a Nigerian woman out of New York, a beautiful Black woman – super talented. I'm happy that she chose me to be Teo.” He continues, ”It’s a Nigerian love story. They meet in Brooklyn, and it just goes through their entire life. We have kids, and it shows the older version of us. It can make you cry. Getting into the Pan-African Film Festival is such an achievement for a new actor – so I’m very grateful.”

Also, there's only a bit of time left until we’re introduced to his character on BMF, who we learned is not too different from him. “ I play a famous boxer named Mac Hollander. He’s like a higher form of myself. He's an athlete who helps them with a connection.” Of course, he couldn’t reveal too much yet, but he did let us know about some of the fun of his character. Apparently his character had a very big budget, and we’ll be very impressed by the car and aesthetic of Mac.

Looking forward, Shawn is continuing to grow his acting journey. He looks up to actors like Woody McClain and mentions Mea Culpa and playing in roles and looks similar to Trevante Rhodes. But overall, he just seemed to be in a good place. He was headed to an official BMF watch party he was hosting and says he’s in a good space. “I feel like I'm supposed to be doing this. I feel like God is bringing me exactly where I'm supposed to be. The anxiety is a lot different now.” I’m excited to see what he does next, and I think this is one we’ll see a lot more from in the future.