Chanel Mack proves that betting on yourself is vital to success! She kept her faith and allowed God to guide her steps!

You better Bet on Mack when it comes to Chanel Mack. Her beauty, grace, and work ethic match her faith, determination, and perseverance. A breakout star in the new series Wicked City on Allblk, she is making way for herself in the entertainment business. I talked to the Bronx Bombshell to learn more about her role in Wicked City as Sherise and her journey as an actress.   

The Start of Her Journey  

Showcase business was always the goal of Chanel. Her parents encouraged and supported her hunger for the performing arts from middle school to high school. “This changed once I graduated. My parents were like, now it’s time for you to go to college and pick a trade,” said Mack. She fulfilled her parents’ wishes and stayed close to the industry by working in administrative positions at various companies.   

“But I wasn’t happy in the positions I was in, and it wasn’t until I worked for an entertainment law firm that I finally took the chance to step out on faith,” said Mack.  

Andre, one of the only Black partners at the firm, was the one who reminded her that this wasn’t the forever place for her. Chanel said, “He came up to me one day and said, Chanel, you need to go into acting. I’m like, what, Andre? He said yes, you know this isn’t for you, and you have to go for it.” This was the pivotal moment in her journey because the partners wrote her a stellar letter of recommendation, which landed her a spot in the Stella Adler Academy of Acting.   

“Everything was good, then I hit a little bump in the road,” said Mack.  

Now rekindled with her love for the craft and attending Stella Adler, Chanel was not stopping. But, with her sights on the screen and graduation coming up in two months, her world drastically changed for the worst. “In 2018, I had caught COVID, and this was when they didn’t know how to identify or treat it,” said Mack. Finally, she was almost near her goal and lay in a coma for two months.   

“When I woke up, the first thing I recited was the monologue from McBeth,” said Mack.  

Two months after that fateful day, she woke up and was ready to continue where she had left off. She couldn’t look to the past or future; all she had was what she could do presently. Most people in her situation would have been broken and distraught. Maybe she was at a point, but that wouldn’t stop her from going after what God had promised her. “From December 1st, when I woke up, to December 25th, when I was released from the hospital, I went through rehab where I had to relearn things such as walking,” said Mack.  

“In January the following year, Jesus and I had to have a conversation,” said Mack.  

She was ready to get back out there, but because God is the driver and decision-maker in her life, she looked to him for the answers. Her faith is core to who she is as a woman, and if God isn’t laying the path in front of her, she isn’t walking it. “There was this student film that I auditioned for. I told God if you want me to continue down this journey, I will get it,” said Mack. She ended up getting it, and the rest was history. I want to point out that I asked if she didn’t get it during our conversation, would she have given up on this pursuit? Chanel replied, “Yes, I would have because that’s how much faith I have in my God and his promises for me.”   

“I’m very much guided by faith,” said Mack  

Sherise & Wicked City  

In life, we only get some opportunities once, and when it came to Wicked City, Chanel wasn’t going to let it pass her by. The funny thing is when she first received notice about the role and series from Tressa Azarel Smallwood (CEO & Founder of MegaMind Media), she thought it was a joke. “I was like, Tressa Smallwood doesn’t know who I am. But as I continued to read the email, I was like, wait, this is real. There are links in the email,” said Mack.   

This was a full-circle moment for Chanel for various reasons. One of them being she loved shows like Charmed, and That’s So Raven. “I was sold and said yes. Then when they sent me the sides, I was like oh, this is sassy. It’s like Girlfriends and Living Single. There is drama, and they just so happen to have powers. Oh, I have to be a part of this, “said Mack.   

“I have to be part of this movement. There is, in my opinion, this Black girl movement in Hollywood which I think is amazing,” said Mack.  

Let’s get back to the full circle moment because, as a woman who is led by her spirit, things lined up with this opportunity. “When I was in high school, I participated in the production of The Wiz. I played the Good Witch of The North, “said Mack. She couldn’t believe it when the dots aligned. For the first time ever on stage, she played a witch, and now her first time being a series regular, she is one. God is the only thing she will tell you that made this all possible.   

We had to take a deeper dive into the role of Sherise. She is a seductive witch with the power to bend the wills of others. If you ask, there is a little Sherise in Chanel Mack. “You see, Sherise is out there, but I can relate to her art of seduction. I think we all have that type of power, but as a Libra, I can tap into it and get what I want with just words (laughs),” said Mack.   

“Sherise is a character that reminds me of girls I grew up with. You know, the ones from around the way,” said Mack.  

When getting into the mindset of Sherise, Chanel channels the essence of women she knew and has lived and experienced. She sees the strength in them when people often pass judgment. “I know those women who might do things other people aren’t proud of, but they stay confident,” said Mack. Sherise is a character whom Chanel needs to have the opportunity to highlight how beautiful, powerful, and confident these women she knew growing up, but still at the same time to show their ability to be vulnerable and accountable for their actions.   

“Everybody on the set was Black, and it was beautiful,” said Mack.  

We ended our discussion by discussing the experience of being on a show where everyone was Black, from the production to the actors. Chanel said, “We had Black women behind the camera, and all the way up to our executives, they were Black.” This was a feel-good feeling she had never experienced in the industry. She could show up daily as her true self without needing to code-switch the Bronx Bombshell. She expressed it’s not saying that the cast isn’t open to diversity, but there is just a feeling you get when it’s just a group of Black individuals producing something together.