Since embarking on his acting journey, Winston had a guest-starring role on BET’s “The Game” and has landed several commercials. Most notably, he made his big screen debut as Winkie in box office blockbuster, “Oz the Great and Powerful.”

His role in “Oz” started very small, but Winston had faith that things would work out for his good. Well, it did.

AlwaysAList.com spoke with the man destined to be one of Hollywood’s breakout stars about his road to now.

How did you end up landing the part in “Oz the Great and Powerful?”

Otis Winston

I was invited by an agent from Gale and Rice to audition as a model for auto show in Detroit. Like every audition, I had to handle my own expenses, but this time I had the help of a few friends. I also had my guardian angel Tiombe Nucklos. When I couldn’t drive she would find a way to make sure I got to where I needed to be and made sure I was all ways on time. After leaving the audition I was stopped by a guy who wanted to know how tall he was. I told him I was 6-foot-6 and the guy asked if I was interested in being in a movie. This was a timely meeting because it led to me booking a role as an extra role in ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ less than 30-minutes later.

So you land the role. What the experience like once you started?

I began production on Aug. 11, 2011. That was my first day on the set. It was a 12-hour day. The role involved marching as a part of a platoon of characters called the Winkies. The Winkies were the group of soldiers all over 6-foot-four-inches tall. I spent most of that first day doing rigorous cadences along with other men. I immediately set a standard of excellence by consistently going all out during rehearsals, and continuously practicing during breaks. When the day was over, I celebrated my first day being on a movie set. Then I saw my cell phone was inundated with text messages and voicemails. To my dismay, I found that one of my athletes killed his girlfriend who was also a member of the track team I coached. The athlete told me would only turn himself into me.

What an awful way to end your first day on the set. So what happened next with your athlete?

Me and Tiombe left Michigan headed back to Ohio to meet my athlete. While we’re on the way back I got a phone call from my daughter. My daughter knew nothing about the situation, but somehow had an overwhelming feeling of foreboding, and expressed to me that she “did not want me to die.” After having that conversation, I decided to contact the authorities regarding bringing the athlete in as opposed to going directly to the athlete first. This may have saved my life because the athlete was subsequently killed by the police.

Whoa! Imagine if your daughter hadn’t called! Did you eventually return to the film?

Yes, I went back to set and continued to work on the movies in the days after without letting anyone know I was mourning over my two athletes. My resolve was even more pronounced as a result of the incident, and my mastery of the marching cadences began to cause me to standout. Eventually the choreographer Leslie K. noticed my ability, put me in the forefront and solicited me to help the other extras, making me visible to first assistant director, K.C. Hodenfield and the stunt coordinator, Scott Rodgers. I felt like I was back on the court at Ohio State University leading the basketball team. I drew from the strength of having to fight to stay on the team to becoming team captain despite the efforts of the coach who doubted my ability. This was a second chance for me to persevere through the adversity and prove to myself that I was capable of doing what others thought impossible.

You lived in Columbus, Ohio but this movie shot in Detroit. Extras don’t get housing or anything like that. How were making this work?

I was a struggling actor in every sense of the word! I was paying out more than I was making as an extra in the film. I was forced to drive back and forth from Columbus to Detroit for the rehearsals, which cost me significantly more money than I was making. Tiombe reached out to a good friend of hers, Harvey Savage who opened his doors to them and allowed them to stay at his house the days I was shooting. This was a tremendous blessing and saved us a lot. I was also juggling my full-time job with being on set by taking vacation days and ‘working from home.’ Despite my efforts, my bills mounted and my home went into foreclosure. But I still saw this misfortune as a temporary setback. Even though this was probably one of his most trying times, I was motivated all the more to continue working hard.

Otis Winston

How did you overcome the challenges?

Well, that November, I got laid off my job. I went from having a salaried position to making $115 a day when on set. This was a pivotal point in my life where he found more peace working 12 to 15 hour days for minimal income than I ever did working in my day job. That peace confirmed that I was on the right path however rocky it was. Because of my faith in God I knew there was always a ram in the bush. I was operating in that level of comfort when a stunt contract became available. I auditioned for Scott Rodgers along with a few other Winkies without fully understanding the benefit of the new opportunity. I would find out later that securing the role of a Stinky (a stunt Winkie) would increase my income to over $850.00 a day. That increase put me a much better position to provide for my family and bring my finances back into balance. I also continued to work other jobs to improve my finances. I booked a Sprite commercial as a stand-in for Lebron James.

Maintaining his faith, staying focused on his ultimate goal of becoming a successful actor and building a great rapport many of the behind the scenes players on “Oz the Great and Powerful,” several people on the set lobbied to get Winston a speaking part in the film to further expand his profile in the film.

His tenacity and dedication is a testament that hard work does pay off. Winston has since moved from Columbus to Los Angeles and has lots of great projects on the horizon.

Sékou has officially launched BumperCandy.com, a multicultural women’s-interest website featuring “beautiful cars and the lifestyle that comes with owning them.”

BumperCandy.com is the sister site to SimplyRides.com and both online destinations are part of Sékou’s newly created Dubbnet Networks.

“Ironically, my childhood career goal was to be a car designer,” said Sékou about his newfound path. “Later, when I was the Managing Editor of Uptown Magazine, I edited the car section to reach an audience of folks who are interested in cars but aren’t very interested in what’s under the hood. Once I started writing the car section myself, several women told me that they liked the way I covered automotive and I realized there was a niche for readers who care about the aesthetics and lifestyle associated with automobiles but don’t like to get bogged down by car jargon.”

Like its male-oriented sibling site SimplyRides.com, BumperCandy.com will provide automotive videos, celebrity interviews, and test drive reviews in layman’s terms, providing car lovers with exciting content without the technical automotive “industry speak.”

Carey anchored HLN’s “News Now” show weekdays from 3-4pm ET and also hosted a weekly segment called “What Matters.” The latter feature put the spotlight top issues and concerns facing the African-American community.

A network rep for HLN confirmed her departure.

“I am VERY happy with the changes in my career. I so appreciate your kind words. Don’t make assumptions about what you read. It’s all good:)” wrote Carey posted on her Twitter page.

In a series of Instagram photos, she revealed that she was giving her car because she does not “need my car where I’m going.”

In another photo, Carey posted an image of a dessert that had the message “N.Y. Baby!” written on the plate.

Carey joined HLN in 2006 and was based in the Atlanta market.

Prior to joining the HLN, the popular HLN anchor was a morning news host in markets like St. Louis, Las Vegas and Tyler, Texas.

Richelle Carey

Charles and Hinton, along with Camilla Luddington and Tessa Ferrer, have become series regulars as “Grey’s Anatomy” enters its tenth season this fall. All four actors played interns on the Shonda Rhimes-produced show on season nine.

On “Grey’s,” Charles plays the character Shane – an overzealous intern who aspires to be the next Dr. Derek Shepherd (played by Patrick Dempsey). He previously had roles on “Friday Night Lights,” “Necessary Roughness,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “NCIS,” among other shows.

Hinton stars as Stephanie, a semi-socially awkward intern who is dating Jackson, played by Jesse Spencer. She has had parts on “Bones” and “Lie To Me,” as well as a guest turn on Rhimes’ other hit series, “Scandal.”

Gaius Charles & Jerrika Hinton

“Grey’s Anatomy” returns on Thursday nights at 9pm ET on ABC this fall.

“Dark Girls” pulls back America’s curtain to reveal the deep-seated biases and hatreds of racism both inside and outside of the Black American culture.

Dark-skinned Black women from various walks of life open up about the struggles their complexion have presented in corporate America.

“These ladies broke it down to the degree that dark-skinned ‘sistas’ with ‘good’ hair vs. dark-skinned women with ‘kinky’ hair were given edges when it came time for coveted promotions,” said Duke.

The documentary also includes interviews with white men who are in loving relationships with Black women who claim they were “passed over by ‘their own men.’”

“In the late `60s a famous psychological study was done in which a young Black girl was presented with a set of dolls. Every time the she was asked to point to the one that wasn’t pretty, not smart, etc., she pointed to the Black doll that looked just like her. In her mind, she was already indoctrinated. To watch her do that was heartbreaking and infuriating. CNN did the test again recently – decades later – with little progress. As the filmmakers behind ‘Dark Girls,’ our goal is to take that little girl’s finger off that doll,” shared Duke, about his vision for the film.

Duke’s co-producer on the film, D. Channsin Berry, was excited about telling this story because she’s a dark-skinned woman.

“When Bill called me with the idea of a documentary about dark-skinned women, I was in right away. Being a dark-skinned Black man, like Bill, I have gone through similar traumas. Bill and I shared our similar experiences and immediately understood that we knew the best way to approach this,” she explained.

In addition to “Dark Girls,” Duke has already announced two additional documentaries that will serve as follow-ups to “Dark Girls.”

The first one, “Yellow Brick Road,” will look at the “colorism” issue from the perspective of light-skinned black women.

The other documentary “What Is A Man?” will explore masculinity and manhood as it has transformed from the beginning of time to present day.

Hundreds of accomplished, culturally diverse women from around the world will convene at the “Women With Purpose Global Summit…Mind, Body & Soul” in St. Martin/St. Maarten June 18-22, 2013.

The invitation-only gathering will offer seminars and workshops in unconventional settings as well as opportunities for women to take care of business, relax and renew.

Among the high-powered women participating are HBO’s Soledad O’Brien, CEO of Starfish Media Group; OWN Network’s Iyanla Vanzant, host of “Iyanla: Fix My Life;” crisis management expert Judy Smith, the real-life inspiration for the hit ABC television show “Scandal;” and author and CNBC financial expert Carmen Wong Ulrich, and more.

Valerie Norman-Gammon

Also participating in “Women With Purpose Global Summit…Mind, Body & Soul” will be women leaders in the areas of diversity, philanthropy, fashion, beauty industry, personal branding, education, entrepreneurship, media, health/wellness, and tourism.

“This summit is designed to be distinctive and results-oriented,” said the event’s creator and producer, Valerie Norman-Gammon. “When it comes to business, women are taking a new approach by incorporating fashions, shopping and spa treatments. At the same time we are networking and making deals.”

Noman-Gammon, an award-winning media executive who has a stellar track record creating and producing successful entertainment and travel events, believes what sets her summit apart from others is that based on attendees’ specific interests, pre-summit introductions are being arranged for potential business collaborations.

“For five days, accomplished women will experience cutting-edge talks and personal enhancement, as well as necessary tools and techniques for the 21st Century,” she explained. “All this in luxurious Caribbean surroundings. It’s an awesome combination!”

For additional details on the event, go to www.womenwithpurposeglobalsummit.com.

NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution has solidified its agreement with Harvey’s show, which is confirmed for more than 65% of the U.S.

The 56-year-old comic’s daytime talk show was a breakout hit in its first season, beating out fellow freshman talk show “Katie” hosted by Katie Couric. The show was the number one debut series for the 2012-2013 season and was at the top of the demographic categories with women 18-49 and women 25-54 nationally.

Harvey’s show, airing on NBC stations, saw significant increases in timeslot percentages nationwide and also offered a ratings boost as the lead-in to “Ellen” hosted by Ellen DeGeneres.

The New York Times bestselling author received a 2013 People’s Choice Award as Favorite New Daytime Show Host.

In addition to his talk show, Harvey continues to also host the game show “Family Feud,” his daily syndicated radio morning show and the annual BET special, “Celebration of Gospel.”

Steve Harvey

The family patriarch, Dewitt Jones Sr., said they ultimately decided to go with Bounce TV because of a unique partnership.

“When Bounce TV brought Walmart to the table, it was a deciding factor,” he explained during my conversation with the family in Maui, Hawaii.

His wife Kim Jones agreed. “It was a real deciding factor,” she added.

Forever Jones & Jawn Murray in Hawaii

Signed to Motown Gospel (previously EMI Gospel before a recent merger), Forever Jones was aware that Walmart is one of the few major retail chains that still sells a lot of CDs.

“That’s why we were excited when Walmart came to the table,” their son, Dewitt Jones Jr. chimed in.

Forever Jones received some crossover radio airplay and even a Grammy nomination for their first single, “He Wants It All.” On their self-titled reality series, the group gets some professional advice from two mainstream music stars, Tank and Carl Thomas.

“It was cool to be able to talk to them,” offered daughter, Dominique Jones. “Our producer knew them and set up the meeting while they were in town for a show.”

Despite their 2010 debut being highly successful and landing a huge hit single, their 2012 follow-up CD “Musical Revival” was mild in comparison.

Carl Thomas & Tank

The lackluster response to their sophomore offering has their record company, Motown Gospel pressuring the mother, Kim and daughter, Dominique to record solo CDs. The idea of temporarily breaking up the band to appease the record label or stick to the family mission is part of the conflict that plays out on the show.

“You’re going to definitely be very surprised,” Kim said about her decision. “Its going to be an interesting turn of events. You will see some conflict there.”

When asked whether either vocalist had been recording solo material, Dominique replied: “I’ve been in for other purposes, but not for our solo projects. We had to make a decision and you’ll see that on the show.”

It’s no secret that their father, Dewitt Sr. would really prefer for the family to remain together as one group. “I’m just excited about it,” he sarcastically quipped about their solo offers. “No, but that’s the one area that we have to deal with some changes. You have to watch the show to understand the twist.”

You can catch their family conflict unfold on “Forever Jones” on Bounce TV each Wednesdays at 9pm ET. To find out where Bounce TV airs in a market near you, go to www.BounceTV.com.

Forever Jones

AlwaysAList.com reported on June 10 that Judge McHugh sentenced Johnson to a month in jail after he slapped his attorney Adam Swickle on the butt after complimenting him on his work.

Now the Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi tells TMZ that Johnson’s punishment does not fit the crime.

“Although we never condone domestic violence, this event seems to question judicial temperament, not the subject matter before the court,” said Bondi.

Chad Johnson

The 35-year-old former NFL star was in court because authorities said he failed to meet with probation specialists on Feb. 15 and March 15, as well as failed to show proof of enrollment and completion of the “Batterers Intervention Program” as part of the terms of his probation following a domestic violence incident with ex-wife, Evelyn Lozada.

Now his attorney has filed legal documents pleading his client’s case with the judge and asking her to reconsider her position.

Swickle says in the documents that Johnson’s butt-slapping incident was part of the sports culture.

“Mr. Johnson has been a professional football player in the National Football League for eleven (11) years and patting another individual on the backside is viewed as a sign of respect and gratitude,” he explained.

Judge Hugh decided to throw out a plea-agreement to keep Johnson out of jail after attendees in the court room laughed after Johnson patted Swickle’s rear end.

“This is not Mr. Johnson’s fault and he should not be punished for the actions of third parties,” continued the lawyer, before emphasizing that the jail sentence was “somewhat excessive.”

A hearing is set for Monday. Johnson will remain in jail until then.

Chad Johnson going to jail

The former host of CNN’s “Starting Point” has inked an overall content development deal with HBO and also will join the network’s sports news magazine show, “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.”

O’Brien’s deal allows HBO to have first look at scripted projects and long-form programming concepts developed by O’Brien’s Starfish Media Group.

The 46-year-old media personality first piece for HBO is about an innovative regimen at a San Diego fight club that helps veterans combat mental illness and PTSD. The package will air on the June 25 edition of “Real Sports.”

“Soledad is a perfect fit for Real Sports,” said HBO Sports president Ken Hershman in a statement about the deal. “She’s an extraordinary interviewer and storyteller, and we’re thrilled to be able to add her to a franchise where the emphasis is on finding and presenting thought-provoking stories in the diverse and ever-fascinating world of sports.”

Soledad O’Brien

“Real Sports” host and former “Today” show anchor Gumbel also released a statement about her joining his team.

“Soledad’s a respected journalist with a proven track record. Her credibility, broad interests and passion make her a wonderful addition to our program. I’m thrilled to have her on our Real Sports team,” he said.

O’Brien departed CNN in April after a network overhaul was made by new CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker.

As part of her exit from the news network, the new visiting fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education was able to maintain ownership of her “In America” documentary franchise.