Maximillian taps Hollywood’s door
MAXIMILLAN Tapper may not yet be a household name in Jamaica. But the 37-year-old is earnestly working at it.
The Brooklyn-born — who has Jamaican roots — recently completed a season on Starz original series Power, which is executively produced by Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson.
Power is a crime drama about a drug kingpin-cum night club. Tapper plays doorman at the club.
His acting credits include HBO’s The Wire, USA Network’s Royal Pains, and ABC’s long-running soap opera One Life To Live.
With his talents not confined to acting, Tapper is currently producing a fitness/lifestyle show called The Fit New Yorker.
“I have never really left what I was trained for. Throughout my acting career, I have always been a personal trainer, and fitness is just a part of my life. I can meld my two loves of entertainment and exercise,” said Tapper, who was trained in Exercise-Science and Kinesiology at the Temple University in Philadelphia.
The 6-ft 5-inches actor attributes his current break to his acting career which began in 2002 after being signed to Ford Models Agency in New York.
He has appeared in Playboy Magazine, high-end fashion publication Harper’s Bazaar, and GQ Magazine as well as tons of commercials including Wheat Thins, Champion, Virgin Mobile, Wachovia Bank, and Bud Light.
“I definitely love acting more than modelling. Modelling is easy, but there’s no outlet for expression. As an actor, I can play a character my way,” he said.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Tapper’s parents hail from Jamaica. His mother is from Claremont in St Ann, while his father is from James Hill in Clarendon.
He has never forgotten his Jamaican roots.
“My sister and I used to stay in Jamaica every summer, from the first day of summer till the week before school. We had the coolest aunts and uncles, so we loved staying with our grandparents,” he said.
Tapper’s grandfather, Lascelles, recently celebrated his 100th birthday and was featured in the Jamaica Observer.
“Jamaica is a special place to me. I have always wanted to come back to live there. I know I will be buying a condo there within the next year,” he said.
— Cecelia Campbell-Livingston
