It was in “Twelfth Night” that Shakespeare once wrote “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
He might well have been writing about Trinidadian-born Paul Pryce, a Caribbean actor who is steadily gaining a reputation as one of the finest interpreters of Shakespeare’s language and characters currently working today.
An MFA acting graduate of the renowned Yale School of Drama, Pryce’s commanding presence, chiseled features and resonant voice seem tailor-made for the Bard’s most famous and complex men.
And yet, while he did appear in Trinidadian productions of shows such as “Carnival Messiah,” “Mantalk” and “Jesus Christ Superstar,” he really came to public attention as a model, representing Trinidad and Tobago and winning the title of Oprah Winfrey’s “Sexiest Caribbean Man” in a spectacular televised modeling competition held at the Bahamas’ Atlantis Resort to kick off The Oprah Winfrey Show’s 1999 season.
Price’s prized trip to New York led to acting classes at the HB Studios and appearances in such diverse Off Broadway productions as “Pecong” at the National Black Theater of Harlem, and featuring Tony Award winner Lillias White, Harry The Hunk On His Way Out at the Cherry Lane Theater.
Pryce also appeared in the premiere of John Prescod’s play “Pre-Disposal,” as well as in a touring production of “Romeo and Juliet,” in which he played Capulet – his first major Shakespearean role.
Enrolled at Yale, he was awarded the Eldon Elders Fellowship (2012) and Oliver Thorndike Award for Acting (2013) and went on to earn consistently excellent notices for his work in “Othello,” “Angels in America: Perestroika,” “Cymbeline,” “Twelfth Night” and “Julius Caesar,” among many other projects.
HOME COUNTRY:
Trinidad and Tobago
EDUCATION:
Yale, School of Drama, MFA,
OCCUPATION: Actor
PERSON I ADMIRE MOST:
Geoffrey Holder. He was the definition of a Caribbean Renaissance man. An artist whose talent knew no borders nor boundaries – all the while remaining incredibly true to who he was as an individual.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“Be not afraid of greatness.”
