Actor Says Confidence Built on The Hill Helped Shape His Path to the Big Screen

Alabama A&M University alumnus Jesse Lewis IV is adding a new Tyler Perry Studios credit to his two-decade acting career with “Route 187,” a four-part limited series premiering Sept. 16 on Paramount+.

Lewis portrays Miss Stu, a transgender woman who serves as an unconventional neighborhood matriarch in the fictional community of South Winslow. Her home becomes a refuge for people in trouble and a source of stability in a community where survival, loyalty and danger frequently collide.

“She’s the person that people lean on,” Lewis said.

Lewis describes “Route 187” as a gritty urban drama reminiscent of HBO’s “The Wire.” The role marks another milestone in a career that has included appearances in Netflix’s “Florida Man,” Tyler Perry’s “Sistas,” TNT’s “Southland,” “Queen America,” “Black Dynamite” and “Meet the Spartans.”

Before Hollywood, however, there was The Hill.

Lewis recently returned to Alabama A&M, walking the campus and posing for photos at familiar locations while taking in how much the University has changed since his student days. Although he has returned for alumni activities and homecoming over the years, Lewis said this visit gave him an opportunity to slow down and experience the campus again.

“It’s surreal,” Lewis said. “There’s so much that is familiar, but you can also see how much the University has grown. To come back, walk the campus and really take it all in after all these years makes me proud to see where A&M is today.”

A Sacramento, California, native, Lewis’ journey to The Hill began after he left a small college in Massachusetts when tuition became increasingly difficult to manage. With the help of mentors who connected Northern California students with college opportunities, Lewis was admitted to Alabama A&M and made the cross-country trip to Huntsville by Greyhound bus.

He soon discovered a community of other California students on The Hill and became part of what was known as the California Club. After completing his first year at AAMU, Lewis earned a full academic scholarship that supported him through graduation.

He lived in Stephens Hall, served as residence hall president, participated in fashion shows, wrote poetry and built relationships with students from across the University.

Beyond academics and campus life, Lewis said his years at AAMU helped shape his sense of self.

“What A&M taught me was individuality,” Lewis said. “It taught me how to be able to be amongst my peers that either are like me or not like me, but still know who I am.”

His path toward acting began unexpectedly while he was still an AAMU student.

Through the National Student Exchange program, Lewis spent a year at Florida International University in Miami while considering law school. He interned with the chair of the political science department, hoping to build relationships that might eventually help him pursue that path.

Then someone encouraged him to audition for a film.

Lewis auditioned and landed the role, giving him his first indication that acting might be more than an unexplored interest. But when the production schedule extended into the beginning of the semester at Alabama A&M, he made a difficult decision.

He turned the role down and returned to The Hill to complete his education.

Another opportunity soon found him in Huntsville.

While still a student, Lewis worked behind the scenes on “Constellation,” a feature film shot in Huntsville with a cast that included Gabrielle Union and Zoe Saldaña. He worked in production accounting, gaining an early look at the business behind the entertainment industry.

Lewis graduated from AAMU in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in English composition and an associate degree in telecommunications before heading west to pursue acting.

Los Angeles did not come with a roadmap. With no family connections in television or film, Lewis began with background work and other opportunities while learning how auditions, casting, unions and production worked.

His career developed gradually. Over more than two decades, Lewis built a résumé spanning television, film and other media projects.

“Success in this industry isn’t always fame,” Lewis said. “Sometimes success is longevity. It’s being able to say that more than 20 years after you started, you’re still getting the call, still stepping into new productions, still creating characters and still finding new places to grow.”

His relationship with Tyler Perry Studios began during the COVID-19 pandemic when he landed the role of Bootsy on “Sistas.” He later returned to the studio for “Route 187,” which he filmed in 2023.

For Lewis, portraying Miss Stu required the confidence to fully commit to a character very different from himself. He traces some of that confidence back to the sense of individuality he began developing at Alabama A&M.

“I felt more in love with who I was, and more confident with who I was,” Lewis said.

Now based in Atlanta, Lewis continues to act while working full time in live events and promotions. He is also pursuing an MBA through Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, deepening his understanding of the business side of entertainment — something he was first exposed to while working behind the scenes on “Constellation” as an AAMU student.

During his recent return to Huntsville, Lewis appeared on WHNT News 19’s “Day to Day” with Mariah, where he discussed “Route 187,” his acting career and what it meant to return to Alabama A&M.

More than 20 years after leaving The Hill, Lewis said the lessons he learned at AAMU continue to influence how he navigates his career and the opportunities ahead.

“A&M didn’t give me a cheat code for life,” Lewis said. “It gave me access to the tools I would need to survive it.”