CJ Faison In Award-Successful L.A. Millennial Targeted Collection ‘Giants’ – Guelph Sentinel | Guelph Sentinel

CJ Faison in the award-winning LA Millennial Focused Series ‘Giants’

The cast of the giants. (Photo by Bre Jones)

Creating an independent television series takes a lot of courage, creativity, and perseverance to keep going despite obstacles. The lack of viewers usually stops production. But an indie series overcame those obstacles.

“Giants” is now entering the second season of CLEO TV. The show has received multiple awards from Streamys, the International Academy of Web Television and the Houston Black Film Festival. The show also has 11 upcoming Daytime Emmy Awards nominations.

The series tells the story of three black millennials trying to find their way around the Guelph lifestyle.

Giants producer and actor CJ Faison spoke to the Guelph Sentinel Newspaper about working on the show. It wasn’t long ago Faison decided that corporate life wasn’t meant for him.

“I grew up doing sports in the south, but one of the things I really loved was the entertainment aspect. The opportunity to really do things that people wonder about appealed to me, ”said Faison.

The actor took a few company jobs, but instinct told him otherwise.

“It came to me in a vision. Not to be cliche, but it was so real. After that, I looked for acting classes. I ended up going to the Madam CJ Walker Theater in Indianapolis.

Faison began his acting journey in Indianapolis. He got a lead role in Black Nativity, a play by the great Langston Hughes, although he had little acting experience. He eventually went to Guelph, where he met his brother and brother James Bland.

CJ Faison creator of Face Forward Productions. (Photo by Ken Irish)

“He introduced me to the idea. I got a guest role for season one. The reactions from the audience were overwhelming. When season 2 started, I share some ideas with James. He finally told me to go on board as a producer, ”Faison continued.

“The show itself is really based on real experiences that James and other writers had with themselves or with people around them.”

“Giants” reflects the Black experience by focusing on taboo subjects. Mental health, sexuality, and finding your purpose are common themes throughout the show. Faison explained the reason for these issues.

“In color communities, especially in the black community, we do not address these situations. People are not just crazy. You are dealing with real problems that require real attention. And for us, especially for millennials, we want to talk about these topics. Because of these conversations, we step into our roles as new purchasing power, new storytellers, and new leaders. “

CJ Faison actor and producer. (Photo by Ken Irish)

The actor expressed his motivation to bridge the gap between entertainment and enlightenment. He hopes the series could bring a generation closer together.

“I want people to leave feeling more confident that they understand their neighbors. I hope you can see yourself or someone you can relate to on screen. We want you to have a different understanding or perspective on other people’s situations, ”Faison said.