Fans of the CBS TV series “FBI” will see an Augusta native in this week’s episode, which airs at 8 p.m. Feb. 1.
Rege Lewis has a guest role as Eric Park.
“It’s as a guest star and comes with top of the show, single card credit,” said the 48-year-old actor who currently lives in Las Vegas where he’s a graduate assistant professor of drama at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and is a member of the Nevada Conservatory Theatre.
Lewis has appeared in other TV series over the years including “Chicago P.D.,” “Blue Bloods,” “House of Cards” and “The Handler.” He also was part of the cast of the Emmy-Award winning “Boardwalk Empire” on HBO.
But he got his start in Augusta.
A graduate of T.W. Josey High School, Lewis was introduced to theater by his English teacher Diane Gilyard.
“She would schedule trips to the theater. It was optional for everyone but me,” he said.
At first, he wondered why she singled him out and made him go, but after he saw “To Kill A Mockingbird” on stage, he was hooked.
“It changed everything,” he said.
Gilyard brought Tyrone Butler of the Augusta Mini Theatre to Josey and listening to Butler speak was lifechanging.
“He was so authentic when he spoke,” he said.
Lewis became part of the Augusta Mini Theatre and performed with other theater groups in town. He recalled being part of an Augusta Mini Theatre performance at the Bell Auditorium.
“It was a big deal,” he said. “We had sold out crowds of schoolchildren.”
The theater bug led him to leave Augusta in 2003 with $150 in his pocket, an Exxon card and a tattered Bible.
“I gave myself a year,” he said.
It didn’t take that long though. In eight months, he had a role on “The Handler” starring Joe Pantoliano, who won an Emmy for his role in “The Sopranos.”
He’s also appeared on the big screen in films such as “Monster” with Jennifer Hudson and the rapper, Nas.
Lewis said his first acting love is the stage though. He was part of the original cast of Suzi Lori-Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play “TopDog Underdog” at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
Although he lives in Las Vegas, Lewis hasn’t forgotten his hometown. He’s a frequent visitor at home and has done some acting work in the area. He appeared in Karlton Clay’s series “Karma” and had a role in the film “Awaken” which was shot in Augusta in 2020. He recently teamed up with students from Heritage Academy to create several public service announcements for his anti-bullying initiative. Those should air this spring
And he plans to invest in Augusta’s youth through his Rege Lewis TV and Acting Studio.
Lewis said he wants to build the studio in one of Augusta’s opportunity zones and is currently looking for the right place.
“We’re doing the leg work,” he said.
One focus of his studio will be on the business side of show business.
Many people just see the finished product on the screen, but there’s another side that people should know about, he said. To make entertainment a career, learning the business side is a must.
Lewis said he has some plans for this summer related to his studio.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
