Saint Augustine’s University graduate and Los Angeles native April Qualls is on fire! From practicing in the Seby Jones Theater on campus to walking the official stage of “Empire,” April has shown herself to be quite the go-getter in the young professional’s entertainment industry.
Qualls graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Theater. During her matriculation, she was a member of the Bell J’Adore modeling troupe, blue-chip cheerleading squad and was a charter member of the national theater honor society, Alpha Psi Omega.
Currently working as Writer’s Assistant for Fox’s number one show, Empire, she assists a range of executives including Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, and Ilene Chaiken. Through networking, persistence, and determination, April landed her first gig as the Writers Personal Assistant for Empire in 2015. She quickly raised the bar through her ability to quickly learn the ins and outs of set etiquette, having to interact and coordinate with all levels of the production team.
“Working on Empire for the past two seasons has allowed me to establish and grow personal relationships with the cast,” April says in an exclusive interview with HBCU Buzz. “This opportunity has allowed me to achieve my most recent accomplishment–producing Jussie Smollett’s very first music video, F.U.W.! “It has been an amazing experience!”
April was beyond ecstatic to lead and execute such an amazing project. This particular project has opened up many doors for her to collaborate on future projects with Smollett. Go Ape! Follow her journey on IG @ ayeprahl_badu and on Facebook @ April Qualls.
