Finding the Rhythm: A Conversation with J. Bernard Calloway on Passion, Perseverance, and Owning the Room
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
There’s a unique electricity that happens when you sit down with someone who hasn’t just survived the entertainment industry, but has genuinely learned to dance with its rhythms. Recently, we had the profound pleasure of hosting J. Bernard Calloway — a long-time collaborator and dear friend of our founder, Renita Martin — here on the Rhythm Visions Production Company blog.
In our latest phone interview, J. Bernard Calloway sat down with us to trace his footsteps from the church pews of Florida to the bright lights of Broadway and beyond. As an original cast member of the Tony-winning Memphis the Musical, a star on the Emmy-nominated series The Ms. Pat Show (now streaming on Paramount+), and a veteran of stages from the Public Theater to the Huntington, J. Bernard has a story that reads like a masterclass in artistic resilience.
This is his journey.
The Church, The Choir, and The "Bug"
For J. Bernard, music and performance were not career choices so much as inheritances. “My father is a singer. He used to sing with The Flamingos. My mother is a gospel singer too,” he recalls. Growing up as a self-described “church boy,” the foundation was set early. But the path to the stage was anything but a straight line.
Arriving at Alabama State University on a football scholarship as an accounting major with a music minor, art had to find him. And find him it did.
J. Bernard recounts the moment a young woman from the Theater Arts Department heard him singing a cappella on campus. “She said, ‘Why don’t you come audition for a show?’ I asked, ‘What’s a monologue?’” he laughs. He auditioned for The Gospel at Colonus and got the role. “The bug had bit me,” he says. “I changed my major from accounting to theater. My father wasn’t happy at all… but theater found me.”
The Brandeis Bond and The Rhythm Vision Family
It was during his Master’s program at Brandeis University that the professional dots began to connect. It was there that he met Renita. "Big ups to Renita and the whole Rhythm Vision conglomerate," J. Bernard says warmly.
He describes Renita as an already "established artist in Boston" who threw open the doors to the Black theater community. "Because of Renita, I was able to indulge myself into the Black community and Black theatre in Boston," he explains. That symbiotic relationship between artist and production company—one that started in Waltham, Massachusetts—continues to define his philosophy on community and collaboration.
From Montana to Broadway (and a Freeze Warning)
The early years were a gauntlet of resilience. After a brief stint teaching, J. Bernard Calloway landed a national tour of To Kill a Mockingbird with the Montana Repertory Theatre. “Imagine this,” he says. “I’m in Florida. It’s 80 degrees. A week later, I’m in Missoula, Montana. It’s minus eleven.”
But those leaps of faith paid off. His mentor, Dr. Tommy Stewart, connected him with Brandeis, earning him a full scholarship. Then came the grind of New York: waiting tables, telemarketing, graveyard shifts, and a constant string of regional theater jobs. His agent’s advice? “You have to work out of town to build a resume to come back.”
It worked. J. Bernard Calloway landed roles on All My Children, Law & Order, and eventually, the role of Delray Jones in the original production of Memphis. That show, which began development in 2003, didn't hit Broadway until 2009.
Advice for the Artist: The Four Agreements
Midway through the interview, the conversation turns toward legacy and wisdom. When asked what advice he has for new artists—or even seasoned ones looking for a reset—J. Bernard Calloway leans into the philosophy of The Four Agreements.
"Believe in yourself," he states firmly. "People can read it when you walk in the room. You have to own the room."
He breaks it down into actionable, spiritual truth:
Be impeccable with your word.
Don't assume anything.
Do your best.
Don't take anything personal.
He adds a practical note from Vanessa Williams: "All you got to do is always be prepared and be ready for when the changes come and roll with those punches." For artists feeling the weight of rejection or the anxiety of a changing industry, J. Bernard Calloway offers a daily affirmation: "Today is my day. No matter what, you get up, you chant, you pray, and you don't let the energy of New York—or anywhere else—steal your balance."
What He’s Listening To Right Now
As we always like to do at Rhythm Visions Production Company, we asked our collaborator to pull back the curtain on his current creative soundtrack. While he has a broad palette, his "true go to right now" might surprise you.
"I'm listening to Canton Jones. He's a gospel singer," J. Bernard Calloway shares. "He's actually my homeboy. We grew up together."
It’s a full circle moment. From the gospel choir of his youth to the gospel revival of his present, J. Bernard Calloway reminds us that an artist’s journey is never about abandoning where you came from—it’s about bringing that authenticity with you to every new stage, set, and screen.
Listen to the Full Conversation
We are so grateful to J. Bernard Calloway for taking the time to share his story with us. To hear the full, uncut conversation—including his incredible stories of working with Phylicia Rashad, Bryan Cranston, and Billy Porter—click the link below.
