American actor, singer-songwriter and record producer Tristan Mack Wilds has spoken about the importance of “creative resilience” in today’s cut-throat world of showbusiness.

Mr Wilds was the keynote speaker at the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation’s experiential conference Together We Build at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa yesterday.

Answering questions from Travis Weeks, founder of the American culture marketing agency Driven Society, Mr Wilds said the creative industry is not an easy one to succeed in — but an ability to adapt will take you a long way.

He shared with the packed audience of entrepreneurs participating in the BEDC Global Entrepreneur Week that he had been working on the fifth season of American TV teen drama series 90210 and was assured by the network that there would be another season to follow.

Blindsided, he found out through his fans online that the show, which he had poured heart and soul into as an actor, would not in fact be running into a sixth season.

He told the audience: “That was the moment I gave up on the film business because I saw how dispensable we were — they look at the actors and the full-on productions, and they say whatever, like it was a tax write-off or something.

“It didn’t feel good. I wanted to have a little more control over myself and over my creations. You spend five or six years building a character and you feel like it is your baby, then they tell you it’s not.

“Instead of just shying away from acting and taking a step back, I had to pivot. That pivot turned into music, which turned into my very first album, which was nominated for a Grammy.”

That album, shortlisted for Best Urban Contemporary Album, was New York: A Love Story, released in 2013.

Born into a creative family in Staten Island, New York, Mr Wilds made his television debut at the age of 15 as AJ in the miniseries Miracle Boys.

After a spell working in theatre, he was cast as Michael Lee in HBO's critically acclaimed series The Wire in 2006.

He later joined the set of The Secret Life of Bees, the screen adaptation of the novel written by Sue Monk Kidd, released in 2008. In the role of Zachary Taylor, he starred opposite Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah and Alicia Keys.

He then landed the role for 90210.

His talk was billed as “an unfiltered conversation on resilience, reinvention and the lessons learnt while breaking barriers and balancing artistry with entrepreneurship in today’s fast-changing media landscape”.

Mr Wilds said integral to success in today’s climate was the creation of a comprehensive package, or “ecosystem”, to push out your product, service or idea.

It could be in the form of targeted newsletters for fans, a PR strategy, or engaging brand ambassadors and storytelling, he said.

“Listen y’all, every single one of us as creatives, as entrepreneurs, all the things that we do, the world deserves to hear it.

“We all have things that can change the world, but it is on us to get out there and show the world … otherwise it’s like a tree falling in a forest with no one around to hear it.

“I can’t die with all of this information. My goal is not only to continue to make amazing art, to push forward our culture, but also to empower the next generation and those coming up underneath me.

“We are here for a finite time and we have to make sure that we are passing all the gems that we have so the next generation can push it way further than we can.

“I learnt at a very young age that to be successful in this business, call in people who know more than you. Having the right people and sometimes the wrong people to show me what to do and what not to do, I was able to learn on the fly.”

He added that being true to yourself was key.

“The best relationships I have had are authentic ones — authenticity wins to the highest level. You will be on people’s minds long after you leave a space just by being your true, authentic self.

“Sometimes we feel we have to play the part, and it works to a certain extent. But if a performance is just going to be a performance, leave it at home. If you are performing to be a better person, to be something different, cool, that is when it works.”

After his role in 90210, Mr Wilds played Ray Gunn Gannon in the George Lucas film Red Tails.

He also took on the role of Colleek D Luckie, Jay Z's nephew, in the music video Roc Boys and appeared in Alicia Keys’ video for Teenage Love Affair.

As a singer and songwriter, he continues to work on his music.

Looking to the future, Mr Wilds said that artificial intelligence will be a useful tool for many creatives and that while some traditionally human jobs may be replaced with the technology, he believes there will be a “premium” on human content.

“You can come up with an idea that nobody has ever thought of right now and AI will have to catch up to that,” he said.

Finally, he said it was an exciting time to be in the industry, not least for Black creatives.

He said: “We have been a culture of people who have pursued ‘in spite of’ for centuries, and I think that we will continue to do so.”