On Saturday, May 5, writer, producer, and director Rob Hardy gave the commencement address for Florida A&M University’s Spring 2018 graduates. With directing credits on hit shows such as “ER,” “Empire,” “Power,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “The Flash,” “The Blindspot,” “Criminal Minds,” “Being Mary Jane,” “Arrow,” “Castle,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Bones,” “The Originals,” “Finding Carter,” and “Satisfaction,” Hardy is still relatable as he opens up about his path to success.
It’s hard to imagine how someone with a full ride scholarship to the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering became one of the leading black power brokers, according to The Hollywood Reporter, but NAACP Image Award nominee attributes his career to the very roots he established at FAMU. He didn’t expect his engineering degree to play such a pivotal role in his life.
Photo: A. Taylor/FAMU Communications
“I have a degree in mechanical engineering, but my passion has always been film,” Hardy said. “It was at Lee Hall where I launched my career.”
He refers to his first film “Chocolate City” that he debuted in Lee Hall Auditorium alongside friend and super producer, Will Packer.
Hardy and Packer met through the engineering program, and together through their shared experiences, formulated their first project. After experiencing the overwhelmingly positive reception, Hardy built more confidence to pursue his true passion of storytelling. Nearly 10 years after graduating from FAMU, Hardy and Packer released the cultural smash hit “Stomp the Yard.” From there more opportunities arose than he could have ever imagined.
His accomplishments did not come without struggles though. In a leap of faith, he moved to Atlanta to get his company, Rainforest Films, off the ground while watching a lot of his peers find success.
This journey, Hardy reflected on in his commencement address, was one that taught him the importance of staying on your own time and schedule and appreciating what you have in the present. He advised graduates to enjoy the moment while you’re in it and not to worry so much about the future.