As How to Get Away With Murder bids adieu for its sixth and final season, there’s one cast member who has already lined up his next gig: singing.
Rome Flynn, who has played Gabriel Maddox on the series for the past two seasons, has released the video for his new R&B-dipped single, “Keep Me in Mind,” exclusively to ESSENCE.
“My inspiration for the song was to show how sometimes relationships could be messy and sometimes you get trapped in a certain situation with someone you’re with,” says the Afro-Cuban actor. “Visually, I wanted to show a small part of what that looks like in a relationship with someone who isn’t treating you how you feel you should be treated and you have another person around, or close to you, that could potentially be that person for you.”
Before music became the focus for the Chicago-bred actor, Flynn cut his teeth working on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful—where he won a Daytime Emmy for outstanding younger actor in a drama series—and Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral and The Have and the Have Nots. Flynn said in a past interview of working with Perry, “I idolized what he did—writing, producing, directing.” He wholly credits his work with the media titan for getting him ready for his time on How to Get Away With Murder, a role Flynn would have taken gratis.
“I would’ve done this job for free to be able to be around Viola Davis and learn from her,” says Flynn on working with the respected actress. “But the fact I got to be in an intimate space with her and have had so many scenes with her this season and last season was incredible. I’m really thankful for that experience. I will cherish that for sure.”
Still, the actor is ready to spread his wings as a performer. “I wanted to make sure I give music an opportunity to grow and give myself a chance to become the artist that I want to be,” says Flynn, who’s also a musician. “I have instruments around the house and I have been playing my guitar and piano all day.”
His latest single, “Keep Me in Mind,” was written by Flynn and produced by Ye Ali (Chris Brown, Joyner Lucas), Bizness Boi (PartyNextDoor, Jessie Reyez, Wale), Fortune & Keyanos.
Watch Flynn’s video below.