Alvester Black is most popular in the American entertainment industry by the name Skyh Black. He started off as a dancer and worked with prominent names in the music industry before trying out a career in music and eventually, acting.
As an actor, Alvester Black has starred in movies such as Tyler Perry’s BET series Sistas where he played the role of Jacobi. He is known as AMP on the set of the series All the Queen’s Men and has featured in films such as Stranger Next Door, and some stage performances. A goal-getter and all-around entertainer, Skyh Black also has an interest in filmmaking and has already started making headway in that field.
Here Are 10 Things You Should Know about Alvester Skyh Black
1. He was Raised by his Grandparents
Alvester Black, also known as Skyh Black and Skyh Alvester Martin was born on February 16, 1988, in Miami, Florida, United States of America. He was raised in an extended family with his grandparents being hands-on when it came to his upbringing.
Skyh was very close to his grandparents and in an interview, he called his grandfather his hero. In the same interview, the actor stated that his grandmother was very helpful in their home and she held things down for the entire family.
Alvester’s grandmother was also instrumental to his career interests and even his professional pursuits in life. She took the young Alvester Martin III to dance and acting classes when he was still a boy.
The Florida-born was close to his mom but unfortunately lost his father to a heart disease years ago.
2. Sky Black wanted to be a Professional Ballet Dancer
Growing up, the actor was always interested in entertainment, particularly dancing. His inspiration for this was Michael Jackson whom he watched and imitated. As a result of this interest, Skyh enrolled in dance, music, and acting lessons at the tender age of 5.
Furthermore, he attended the New World School of Arts located in Miami during the summer breaks. Black always pursued scholarships that would give him the opportunity to attend those classes.
While at the School of Arts, he studied and learned ballet dancing. After that, Black went on to study at the Miami City Ballet, and the Atlanta Ballet.
When one of his teachers told the then-teenager that he wouldn’t make it in the world of ballet dancing, Skyh decided to prove the teacher wrong. He moved from city to city trying to get a breakthrough in that field of entertainment.
Eventually, while working some professional jobs in Seattle and Pacific Northwest Ballet, he was hit with the sad truth that as a black man, he wouldn’t really excel in ballet dancing.
This discovery messed with Black’s mental health and dreams but also motivated the Sistas actor to return to New York and start training again at the American Ballet Theatre. He returned there with Misty Copeland, a well-known dancer who was also rumored to have been Black’s then-girlfriend. Together, they began to train and dance but Black was soon set to be on a different path.
3. He Danced for Beyonce and Other Musical Icons
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The former Ballet dancer went through a series of life-changing phases before he finally landed himself a job as a dancer for musicians.
Upon his return to New York, Alvester Black tried out his singing talent as advised by a friend. Seeing that he had a strong background in music as he was once in the church choir and even won awards as an alto saxophone player, this option seemed viable. Unfortunately, this did not pan out as great as they thought and so he decided to move on to other things.
With just his knowledge of ballet dancing, the actor auditioned to be part of the dancers for Beyonce. Although he was unsure about being able to get a slot, he aced the audition and was recruited as one of the superstar’s backup dancers.
From then, Skyh began to dance with other top singers and musicians such as Rihanna and Mariah Carey.
Eventually, the actor also bagged himself a lead role in Michael Jackson’s music video for the song ‘A Place with No Name’. This song was part of the album ‘XCAPE’ – Jackson’s second posthumous album. Considering Black was inspired by the late singer, he was elated to be part of the production.
4. He was Encouraged to Try Out Acting by Debbie Allen
Skyh Black was opportune to meet with the award-winning choreographer Debbie Allen who noticed that he had a talent in acting. She told him that she would make him an actor and Black doubted her.
The award-winning director kept to her word and encouraged Skyh to take acting classes. He obliged and paused his job as a dancer to pursue this newfound career. His last professional job as a dancer was for Beyonce during her MTV Music Awards performance.
5. Alvester Black was Homeless Thrice Before his Big Break in Hollywood
The former exotic dancer went from performing with big names in the industry to being broke and begging for a place to sleep. As of March 2020, he was homeless and working as a valet at West Hollywood EDITION in Los Angeles.
As a valet, Black worked from 7: 30 P.M to 3: 30 A.M and would earn $13 per hour. He was more focused on paying for his acting lessons and rent although he mostly failed to achieve the latter.
While Alvester Black was more invested in Tasha Smith’s acting classes, he had to stay at Motel 6. He occasionally had to source for a $60 discounted offer even.
These sacrifices eventually paid off when he found out that acting was therapeutic to him. Black began to find solace, comfort, and joy in what he did and it was motivation enough for him to keep trying.
In no time, the Florida native was ready to be plunged into the acting industry and his first opportunity was on Tyler Perry’s series Sistas. Interestingly, he auditioned for Tyler Perry 6 times and luckily got roles in Sistas and All the Queen’s Men.
6. Here’s a List of Movies and TV Series Skyh Alvester Black has been Featured in
Black was first recognized for playing the role of Jacobi in the severally aforementioned BET series. However, he has been part of the production, as an uncredited cast, on some projects such as;
- Center Stage (2000) – As ABA Student (Uncredited)
- Stomp the Yard (2007) – As Mu Gamma Stepper #13 (Alvester Martin III)
- Leave it on the Floor (2011) – As Dancer (Alvester Martin)
- Footloose (2011) – As Dancer (Alvester Martin)
- Michael Jackson: A Place with No Name (2014) – As Dancer (Alvester Martin)
Here is his filmography
- Tales (2017 TV Series) – As Rory
- Lawd Have Mercy (2017 TV Series) – As Alvester Martin
- Kinky (2018) – As Executive Trae
- Beauty Mark (2018 Short Film) – As Karlos
- Hello Cupid 3.0 (2019 TV Series) – As Ali
- South Central Love (2019) – As Kesean
- The Chadwick Journals (2019 TV Series) – As Darnell
- Stuck with You (2020 TV Series) – As Raymond
- Pump (2020 TV Series) – As Marlon Masters
- Lucifer (2021 TV Series) – As Hot Bounty)
- Black Monday (2021 TV Series) – As Arnie Markowitz
- Lace (2021 TV Series) – As Othello Charles
- Sistas (2020-2021 TV Series) – As Jacobi
- Stranger Next Door (2022 Film) – As Jesse
- All the Queen’s Men (2021-2023 TV Series) – As AMP ‘Addiction’ Anthony
7. Alvester Black is a Philanthropist and Advocate
Black has a knack for giving back to society in different ways and is also a mental health advocate.
Regarding his philanthropic works, he made a promise to himself that he would not let people go through the homeless phase he went through. He admitted that those were really tough and trying times and he would do all he could to make sure other people do not experience what he experienced.
Also experiencing mental health challenges at some point in his beginnings, Skyh finds ways to create more awareness. He is an advocate for people to speak up when their mental health is threatened and challenged.
8. The 36-year-old is a Huge Fitness Enthusiast
The 5 feet 11 inches tall American actor is a huge fitness enthusiast. He curated a meal plan for himself in order to watch his intake and reduce sugar or other harmful substances from distorting his health.
Referencing his father’s death, Black stated that he wouldn’t want to suffer the same fate, hence his desire to eat healthily. The only times he allows himself to cheat on his diet is when he is on vacation or resting.
He also is a regular at the gym and works really hard to keep in shape and built.
9. Black is Engaged to Fellow Sistas’ Leading Actress, Smith
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Sistas co-actors, Khaneshia JaNea (K.J) Smith and Alvester Martin III did not start dating until the series was over. Although the former valet admitted that he fancied her while they worked together, he did not do anything about it because he was still very new to the industry and did not want to jeopardize his career.
After wrapping up the shoot for the BET series, K.J. who was one of the lead actresses on the show reached out to Skyh through his social media. She had gone on to the set of a new movie (Family Business) and he had also bagged another role as an exotic dancer in All the Queen’s Men. The Florida-born actress called to congratulate him on his new role and they ended up talking a lot and for hours, sharing ideas and advice.
After a while spent talking on the phone, Skyh eventually asked Smith if he could take her out and she obliged.
Their first date was on January 7, 2021, and that was the same day their relationship started. A few days before their first anniversary, on December 26, 2021, Black proposed to Smith and she said ‘yes’.
The engaged couple has remained together since then, attending events and premieres together. Both Instagram accounts of them feature pictures of each other, individually and together.
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10. He has an Interest in Working Behind the Scenes
Despite being one of the new faces in the industry, Alvester Black has already started reaching for the stars. He has his eyes set on filmmaking and even has a couple of plans for his projects.
As a huge sci-fi lover, he plans on making movies of things and people that are rarely spoken about. His love for film and TV series has further fueled his love for filmmaking.
His plans aside, this ‘Denzel Washington wannabe’ already has ‘executive producer’ credit to his name for his contribution to the 2023 movie, Haitian Wedding. He also stars as Patrick Casey in the movie but most notable to mention is his role behind the scenes.
