A Real Hollywood moment doesn’t get any better than when it’s your own.

Every year from January through February, the American TV industry marks the start of a pilot season. That’s where studios team up with networks and visa versa to shoot the first episode (pilot) of what many hope will be a hit series and last for 100 episodes, go into syndication, and, as some people will say, live happily ever after.

This year’s pilot season was a busy one for actors and actresses of colour. There were so many great roles and shows to read, meet and greet producers, and take some auditions too. No matter how long you’ve been in show business or how big a star you may well be, sometimes you’ve just got to audition like everybody else.

There were futuristic series, comedy series, lots of the usual crime series, detective series with women in the leads. So many shows. And then you come across something you’ve never seen before like I did with Crushed.

The comedic plot, without giving away too much, centres around a black family’s unique and unorthodox approach into a successful wine business.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon staff writer and performer Bashir Salahuddin plays Will, a Harvard med school dropout, who goes off the grid squatting at his parents’ abandoned Napa property, and the lovely Regina Hall of theScary Movie film series plays his lost in love, heart-broken sister Celia. Produced by Lionsgate Television and Homegrown Pictures,Crushed follows the siblings as they challenge the Napa Valley culture by taking over their parents abandoned vineyard. This is something we’ve never seen. To top it off, add me. I play their opera-singing Jamaican Diva of a Mother with fiery anger issues and attitude to spare. I like it.

I auditioned for the pilot back in January and forgot about it. I feel that’s best with any audition. Just do it and done. Move on. Then out of the blue I get a call from my manager two weeks ago telling me to pack my bags and get ready to leave the country! The project had been set to begin production in North Carolina (NC), but Lionsgate chose to pull production in NC after the state’s Anti-Gay bill and we are now set to begin production in Canada. Beautiful Vancouver to be exact, and here I am in a Reel Hollywood moment…again!

Tina Gordon Chisholm (Peeples, ATL) wrote the script and serves as executive producer, along with Stephanie Allan (Hustle&Flow, and these two are a talented twosome. Well, that’s my Reel Hollywood show business story for this week, and now I must run to my fitting session followed by a make-up and hair test with rehearsal in the afternoon. I am tired already and loving every minute. That’s real Hollywood and I’m in it!

Sheryl Lee Ralph is an American actress, singer, and activist with Jamaican roots. She also originated the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Her website: SherylLeeRalph.com; twitter: @THESHERYLRALPH; and Instagram: @DIVA3482