Cynthia Kaye McWilliams was born in Berlin, Germany and like most army brats moved around a bit. Cynthia grew up primarily in Kansas City, Kansas, then moved to Chicago where she attended and graduated from the prestigious Theater School of DePaul University.
While in Chicago, Cynthia honed her skills with stage credits including the lead role in First Breeze of Summer (Court Theater), Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (Indiana Repertory Theater) and Vivian Baptiste in A Lesson Before Dying (Athenaeum Theater). Just out of college, Cynthia’s first on camera role was opposite Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in Warner Brothers’ The Lake House, followed by a recurring role on FOX’s Prison Break. After that, she landed a lead role in Family Practice; a pilot created by the producers of Lost.
Cynthia supports women & minorities creating their own content, is a believer in artist collaboration and actively supports arts education.
Women Fitness President talks to the stunning actress about her journey to success.
Namita Nayyar:
You graduated from the prestigious Theater School of DePaul University in Chicago and went on to become a successful actress. You are known for your performances on the television series Real Husbands of Hollywood, Prison Break, and Nashville. Walk us through your spectacular journey and tell us how it all began?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
Well, it all began in a small town in Kansas City when my mother met my father at a theme park where they both were working over the summer…I’m kidding, I won’t go back that far, lol! I started acting in high school, doing school plays and community theater. There weren’t a lot of opportunities for students of color at my school so I started a Black theater program and I directed classic pieces like For Colored Girls by Ntozake Shange and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. When I was younger my focus was more writing and directing, but one day during the run of a play I had written, one of the actresses didn’t show and I had to go up for her. I think that I really got the bug. I continued to do everything I could as a young artist in KC, but I knew that if I wanted to pursue acting professionally, I should get to a bigger market and study. So I did! I applied and auditioned for acting programs across the country and thank God, was accepted to my first choice at DePaul University and never looked back. I am currently recurring on Bosch on Amazon and am a series regular on the upcoming drama Coyote on Paramount Network.
Namita Nayyar:
What inspired you towards acting?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
I have always been drawn to language and storytelling. I worked in a library when I was very young…I did story hour with toddlers and shelved books in the stacks…and more often than not, I found myself in the poetry and drama shelves reading plays. I loved imagining the characters in my mind, envisioning the scenes and if you were walking in a nearby aisle you might hear me whispering the lines aloud. I always knew that I would be a part of that storytelling.
Namita Nayyar:
Introduce us to a day in the life of Cynthia, the actress.
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
My days are extremely different … that’s one of the best (and sometimes scariest) things about being an actress, the unpredictable nature of it all. In general, I get up in the morning to work out, if I’m filming I have to get up a little earlier, but I prefer to start my day with it, so that I know it gets done. Then, everything else I do that day is sort of kick-started with energy from that workout; from a sense of accomplishment instead of the lingering dread of a workout left uncompleted. The rest of my day is some combination of auditioning, filming, recording voiceovers, taking meetings, discussing or planning ideas, writing for myself, reading for myself, supporting other people’s projects at events, promoting my own projects, studying Spanish (I’ve been doing that for over a year now) traveling when I can or just hanging out with friends.
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Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine that you may like to share?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
I love weightlifting, it makes me feel strong! Dead-lifting or bench press but only under the supervision of my trainer, Harris Martin. He tends to focus on upper body one day, lower the next, with a little cardio and abs sprinkled in. When I work out solo, I just listen to my body. If I feel like my core is getting flabby I do some high intensity cardio and hit the floor for ab work afterward. If I feel like my legs have been burned out, I focus on upper body or vice versa. If I feel like I’ve over done it this week then maybe I just stretch. Sometimes after a vacation where I ate too much and worked out too little, I know I need to give myself a week to focus on consistency and getting back into a habit instead of focusing on intensity.
5 travel tips on exercise:
Do it! When you travel, it’s so tempting to avoid your workout, but it will be so much harder when you get back, so just do it!
- Try to incorporate your workout into your vacation. Run on the beach, do an excursion that involves physical activity, take a class if the hotel or resort offers that, make a trip to the gym a part of exploring your hotel, etc…
- Don’t let excuses win. So you forgot your tennis shoes, so what? Maybe that’s an excuse to try a different kind of workout, maybe try yoga or pilates on this vacation or something else that doesn’t require sneakers.
- If you don’t feel like leaving the room, that’s okay too! There are plenty of workouts you can do right from your hotel room or air bnb that don’t require any weights or equipment. Check your hotel tv guide, many hotels even offer a workout channel right there. If not do a quick internet search or check out womenfitness.net and you will find plenty of options!
- Set yourself up for success! Anticipate your workout while packing. Bring something easy like bands, bring your favorite sneakers and a bright colored workout top or outfit, something that will make you feel like you want to workout.
- Make a great playlist before you travel, make sure it’s downloaded so you’re not stuck with whatever music they are playing in the hotel gym. Motivate yourself!!!
Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
No, not really. I’ve honestly always struggled with my diet and I try not to think of my relationship to food as one of rules and sacrifice. I love eating, cooking and sharing meals with friends. I love exploring other food cultures when I travel. And I don’t really want to give that up. But obviously a healthy diet requires some sacrifice, it can’t be all indulgence all the time. So I don’t restrict, I just try to balance. I try to eat less (in both portion size and frequency) of things that I know will make me feel heavy or slow. And I try to balance out heavy eating days by making them high activity days as well.
Diet tips to follow before retiring? I try to not eat directly before going to bed. If I start feeling snacky late at night I find that having one bite of a salty thing, one bite of a sweet thing and then drinking a full glass of water can curb a craving and hunger at the same time.
Namita Nayyar:
You also thoroughly enjoy lending your voiceover for multiple characters and shows on Cartoon Network, animated feature film, Bilal and several video games. How did this idea land in your lap?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
When I was in college, we had a voiceover course, it interested me then, but I had an instructor who told me that I probably wouldn’t do very well in voiceover because my voice was so raspy. Commercials at that time favored light, crisp clean voices, I guess. Well, in the end it just motivated me to pursue it more. I like a challenge 😉 What I discovered was that voiceover, particularly in the arena of animation and video games is much more about creating character and communicating their motives, backstory, current action, etc…not so much about the vocal quality. There are as many voices as there are people, there is no “bad” voice, there is only how you use your voice to communicate a story. That was my focus and it has led me to voice characters in games like Halo 5, Cyberpunk 2077, State of Decay, FarCry, League of Legends and many more.
Namita Nayyar:
Who has been your greatest influence and motivator in your success in the field of your career?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
My mom and dad were my first and are still my biggest fans, support and encouragement.
Namita Nayyar:
Having acted in multiple series, tell us about one that stays closest to heart to date?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
At some point, I decided that my current project would always be my favorite project. That helps me to stay present.
Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding actress and artists who all are your fans.
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
Dreams are great. Pursue them. But be open. Sometimes our purpose is greater than even we can imagine and sometimes the road to it takes us to places we can’t anticipate. Allow life to grow and shape you. Every experience will contribute to your development as an artist if you let it. Don’t discount any of it.
Namita Nayyar:
Your daily skin and hair routine?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
When my hair is in braids, I oil my scalp (tea tree, peppermint, jojoba) before going to bed and wrapping it. When I get up I shake it out and go! After workouts, I use a cotton ball with alcohol or witch hazel and dab it in between the parts on my scalp. When my hair is out and natural, I wash every few days with a shampoo that smells good and makes me feel good- I like to blend a little aromatherapy in my shower time, lol. I try to trim it every 8 weeks. I try to avoid high heat styling as much as possible. My skin? Remove make up before I go to bed. I recently started using NARS under eye cream before going to bed and waking up. I use a cleanser and a toner before moisturizing my face in the morning. I don’t wear makeup unless I’m taking pictures, filming or attending an event. When I do, I always use clean brushes and sponges. I don’t like rules really, I just try to be good to myself and forgive myself when I forget to. Also, drinking water really does wonders. Everyone says it, but it’s crazy how often I forget to do it. But when I do?! HONEY! The difference is amazing! In my skin, in how I feel during the day, in how I sleep…all of it.
Namita Nayyar:
Tell us about your future upcoming films or series you are working on?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
Coyote starring Michael Chiklis, from director Michelle McLaren premiers on Paramount Network in 2020. I play Homeland Security Investigator, Holly Vincent. Also, I will be in a Disney film, Upside Down Magic, based on a children’s book series of the same name. I recently lent my voice to a daring new video game series, Tell Me Why, which features the first transgender lead character in a videogame. And you can catch me in season 6 of Bosch on Amazon as I return to play Detective Joan Bennett.
Namita Nayyar:
Your input about the website Womenfitness.net and message for our visitors?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams:
What an awesome website! It is such an incredible resource; full of videos, articles, profiles, recipes and useful information to help you get started on your fitness journey or encourage and inspire you to push it to the next level! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it. Let’s get it, ladies!
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This interview is exclusively taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2020 Women Fitness