You may be closer to a celebrity than you think.
Originally a native of Martin, Tennessee, and a graduate of UTM with a degree in University Studies, actress and costume designer Crystal Hayslett of Tyler Perry Studios and the BET Network program Sistas visited UTM on Sept. 10. Hayslett will be officially recognized during Homecoming festivities on Oct. 9 with the university’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award.
Hayslett’s path to acting began in the realm of politics. She took part in an internship with now-retired Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., in Washington, D.C., circa her junior year at UTM and was offered a full-time job during her final semester as a student. Hayslett graduated in 2006.
“I ended up going back to Washington, which I attribute all of my finding myself in Washington, D.C., but did that, spent two-and-a-half years with (Alexander) and then moved to Atlanta to pursue music and acting in 2009,” Hayslett said.
However, do not be misled by all the “glitz and glamour” of show business; there’s grit underneath its effervescent sheen, she said.
Hayslett described her ascension as a “rough road” filled with rejection and hardship: “It was really hard in the beginning trying to find my footing in Atlanta, being there. Like, I literally left and didn’t have a job, just came to Atlanta.”
Her advice for other artistically inclined individuals wanting to pursue a similar path is one she has followed throughout her life: “Be ready. Be ready to put the work in. You know people who make it. They didn’t make it just by going, ‘I hope somebody finds me.’ No, it’s a lot of hard work. It takes guts.”
By working at the grind day-in and day-out, Hayslett was eventually hired as a production assistant in 2012 at Tyler Perry Studios in the costumes department, which she said was a gargantuan breakthrough.
“That’s when things finally started to take shape. I was in the arena of what I really wanted to do, which is acting. I became the background costumer not long after being a P.A., and then I became the costumer, one of the costumers, for the main cast. One summer we were on hiatus, and I ended up getting called by the president of the studio to be the costume designer over the entire department and to be Tyler Perry’s personal stylist,” she said.
During this time, she served as the costume designer for several notable motion pictures, including Boo! A Madea Halloween and its sequel, Acrimony, Nobody’s Fool and A Madea Family Funeral. Hayslett may also now be an onscreen performer, but her intuition for chic and fashion has always been an integral part of her existence, even before her tenure at Tyler Perry Studios.
During her UTM visit, Hayslett sported a vibrant pink outfit and stylish sneakers. The spark behind her taste originated from a commonality many people with a small-town upbringing can find infinitely relatable – no immediate access to a mall, she said.
“A lot of my inspiration came from magazines. I would make my parents take me to Memphis. I would watch music videos, like TV and magazines were really my outlet to see what fashion was, and I always had an interest in it,” she said.
But her wholesome family values also were crucial, she explained.
“I just kind of held on to that. I always took pride. My dad and mom made sure that I was always presentable, took pride in how we dressed. When we stepped out of the house, you were representing the family.”
Hayslett put her acting aspirations on hold for five years to fulfill her costumer roles, and when the time finally came, she was prepared. Perry granted her the opportunity to portray the riotous character Fatima in his new BET series Sistas.
They say that actresses and actors lend a piece of themselves to every role they play, that a thespian’s soul is distilled into their characters’ very essences, and this process was a dream come true for the little girl in West Tennessee sprawled out over issues of magazines and swooning over music videos and television.
“It’s funny because when he yelled, ‘Action, Fatima!’ for the very first time, and I took that first step to walk in Andi’s [a character on the show] office, I knew it was where I belonged. And since that moment, it was like, ‘This is it.’ I’m so grateful,” Hayslett said.
And her life in the industry doesn’t end there. Working closely with Perry, a prolific creator and philanthropist, has been a seismic experience, she said.
“Oh, my goodness. This man has the biggest heart of any human being I know. I think we take on the attributes of the people we know the most, and I found myself doing things he does on a level I can do, of course, for other people because of the example and inspiration he’s given me through his acts of service,” she said.
The sheer magnitude of Perry’s compassion was even highlighted by a personal anecdote of Hayslett’s. Apparently, he can be viewing a news channel like CNN and feel compelled to buy those in a segment a new house, all from the resources on his couch. Hayslett said she wants to be like that when she grows up.
Hayslett is a testament to commitment and diligence bearing great rewards and a beacon of hope to those gazing longingly to the stars. For those struggling academically or personally, look to stories like Hayslett’s for guidance. After all, she was originally a chemistry major, and now the accomplished artist works fruitfully with Madea himself.
As for Hayslett, she said she’s just thrilled to be home and reflect upon both memory and change for her beloved hometown and university that shaped her- and the same one she left behind to forge her own path roughly a decade ago. She even affectionately noted that the Elam Center still has the same smell, that nostalgic aroma permeating the air years before she and her threads successfully graced the small and big screen alike.
