From Tyler Perry Studios to Guyana: Wilson Returns Home to Expand HGPTV’s Community Programming
By Javone Vickerie | HGP Nightly News
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Guyanese actor, model, and fitness professional Cleveland Wilson has returned home with a clear vision: broadening HGPTV’s programming beyond breaking news into community life, lifestyle coverage, and the everyday stories of ordinary Guyanese.
Wilson, who serves as a brand ambassador for HGPTV and has a prior working relationship with the network’s leadership, spoke to HGP Nightly News about his career abroad and the programming direction he hopes to help the station pursue.
From Region One to the International Runway
Born in Region One — the Barima-Waini region — and raised in Region Three on the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Wilson spent several years building a career across acting, modeling, and fashion production before returning to Guyana.
His international work includes productions for Tyler Perry Studios and Warner Bros., as well as runway and fashion show production in New York, London, and Paris. Wilson has built an international reputation as a professional actor and model, having contributed to major global productions, including several projects at Tyler Perry Studios, and has been featured in the film Elle Rose (2019), The Supernatural Diaries (2020) and Knowing Peanuts (2019). Wilson said landing roles at Tyler Perry Studios fulfilled an ambition he had formed as a young person growing up in Guyana, watching Perry’s stage plays from a distance.
A certified personal trainer and nutritionist, he also built a fitness practice alongside his entertainment career — a background he says informs his approach to community storytelling.
The Vision for HGPTV
Wilson observed that while HGPTV has built a strong reputation for real-time news coverage, the station’s cameras are most visible during national crises, leaving everyday community life underrepresented on screen.
“I want to bring that international flavour and high production quality right back home,” he said. “I think we have to be out there in the communities covering lifestyle events, cultural showcases, and everyday human stories. My plan is to be out in the community, meet ordinary people, and put their talent and lives on TV.”
His proposed direction includes community-focused lifestyle programming, cultural showcases, and coverage of local talent across Guyana’s regions — content he argues would expand the station’s reach and serve audiences who see their lives reflected on screen only during emergencies.
A Full-Circle Return
Wilson’s relationship with HGPTV began while he was living abroad, where he first collaborated with the network’s ownership and was featured in a broadcast profile. His return to Guyana brings that professional connection into a new phase, with a focus on programming development and on-screen presence.
Whether his return to Guyana will be permanent remains undecided, he said — but his immediate focus is on the station’s evolution and on giving ordinary Guyanese communities a sustained presence on local television beyond the news cycle.
