A starring role in the upcoming Jamaican film Stew Peas may be her acting début, but Kerry-Ann “Chiney K” Collins is no stranger to the performing arts.

In fact, as an alum of William Paterson University in New Jersey and California State University, Northridge, where she studied film-making — including videography, lighting, camerawork, and acting — the content creator-turned-radio personality was meant for the silver screen.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer’s Splash, Chiney K recalls how her formative years in college and her leap into the world of media have all prepared her for her acting début.

Indicating that she was born for the spotlight, the effervescent influencer says she is living answered prayers as her journey reflects the perfect alignment between purpose and talent.

“A part of my major in college was acting. Along with my media classes I did acting for the stage, theatre, camera, and that kinda helped me now years later to hone my craft. I studied to help bring this role forward, and this right here is my first serious, official feature film,” she said, beaming with pride.

Produced by iKon Media & Films in collaboration with Fareye Films, with post-production support from GoalPost and international distribution by FilmWorks Global, Stew Peas is a suspense drama of mystery, manipulation, and long-buried secrets, all set against a distinctly Jamaican backdrop.

Chiney K is set to play Tessa Riley in the film to be released in summer 2026.

She could hardly contain her emotions as she chronicled her life’s journey.

“It’s a lot going on right now, but this is what I cried about, what I worked towards, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities that come my way. It’s so surreal now because, looking back at that girl in college, I had no clue what I wanted to do. I went to California because that was the place to be for film and that industry, and the school was good, but it was a very lonely experience,” she shared. “[M]any times I wondered what I was gonna do with my career because I was getting a lot of no’s until I started the On My Mind series. I was doing that for the love and hoped everything would fall in place. Looking back, I wish I could just hug that girl and be like, ‘What were you crying for? You did this, you got this.’ ”

“It’s… so crazy to me that things that I’ve prayed and cried about are happening, and I could not be more grateful and more happy,” she stressed.

Fresh off two trips on which she represented Jamaica in China and India, Chiney K makes no qualms about the work she has put in to get to the place at which opportunities now flow in abundance.

“Nothing was presented to me. I had to go to interviews for my opportunities in China and India. My name was among those of other creators; they just happened to go with me. Nothing I have was given to me; I worked for every single thing. But people don’t see those times when you’re working,” she said. “With this role in
Stew Peas, a contact was made out to my manager that they were interested in me to audition for the role of Tessa. At that time, I was in the middle of fine-tuning the India trip, and that was where my focus was, but I was still like, ‘I’ll do it.’ I sent in my audition tape right before I left for India, and they liked it,” she shared.

“We spoke to the director and reassured her that I would do my part. I knew what I could bring to the character, and just as a person in general with my work ethic, I made sure I studied that script back and forth, even though I was doing my duties in India. Wherever I could study, I studied, because even though I wasn’t present 100 per cent of the time for the rehearsals, I wanted to make sure I was prepared 150 per cent,” she said. “The preparation for this role was a lot, but I think I pulled it off.”

Having received a small taste of the sweet success of the silver screens, Chiney K says she’s hungry for more. She is ready to make major moves in the film industry and believes this is just the beginning.

“My performance in the film was well-received. I got a lot of positive feedback and people saying I should do more, and that’s something I want to explore, not just in Jamaican film but in films in general,” she said. “I feel like it can only get up from here. Up in being a content creator/influencer, radio personality, and now that I’m all of a sudden I’m a professional, I hope I get more film roles. I’m ready to level up in my brand, products, everything. I want to do so much more.”