The transition from military life to civilian world is never easy, but for Tyrone Chandler, it meant finding a completely new identity. After a decade of service, multiple combat deployments, and a medical retirement due to injury, the 47-year-old veteran had to rebuild himself from the ground up — and he found salvation in the most unexpected place: on stage and screen.
The civilian struggle
Coming home from war is supposed to feel like victory, but for Chandler, it felt more like being lost in a foreign country. The same hypervigilance that ensured his survival abroad now made daily life overwhelming.
“I didn’t know how to be around people anymore,” he reflects. “In the military, you have structure, purpose, brotherhood. Suddenly I’m trying to figure out how to be a regular person again, but I wasn’t regular anymore.”
The isolation was profound. While his military buddies were either still deployed or struggling with their own transitions, Chandler found himself alone with thoughts and memories he wasn’t equipped to process.
“For years, I just existed. I’d get up, maybe find some work, come home, try to sleep. But sleep was when the nightmares came, so I’d stay awake until I couldn’t anymore. It wasn’t living — it was just surviving, but without the mission.”
A father’s grief reopens old wounds
In 2018, Chandler’s father’s death became the catalyst that forced him to confront everything he’d been avoiding. The loss triggered a depression that brought all his unprocessed military trauma rushing back.
“Watching my dad on those machines in the hospital for two weeks, having to make decisions about life support — it took me right back to watching my brothers die overseas. All that grief I never dealt with came flooding back at once.”
The similarity between losing fellow soldiers and losing his father wasn’t just emotional — it was procedural too. Just as the military didn’t allow time to properly grieve fallen comrades, the demands of civilian life expected him to simply move on after his father’s funeral.
“In the military, when someone dies, their body goes home and that’s it. You don’t get to go to the funeral; you don’t get closure. When my dad died, I realized I’d been carrying that same pattern — just pushing grief down and moving forward without processing it.”
Finding therapy, finding voice
The depression following his father’s death finally pushed Chandler into the therapy he’d been avoiding for years. What started as crisis management slowly became self-discovery.
“At first, I didn’t want to be there. But my therapist started asking me questions about my experiences, and for the first time, I was talking about things I’d never said out loud. It was scary, but it was also… freeing.”
One technique his therapist used particularly resonated with him: role-playing exercises to help him navigate civilian social situations and express emotions he’d learned to suppress.
“She’d have me practice different scenarios — how to respond when someone asks about my service, how to handle stress without going into combat mode. It sounds silly, but it was like learning to be a person again.”
Those exercises planted a seed that would eventually bloom into something unexpected.
The accidental actor
Chandler’s entry into acting wasn’t planned — it happened through a combination of therapy work and chance encounters in his local community. After years of isolation, his therapist had encouraged him to find social activities that might help with reintegration.
“I started going to a few community events, just forcing myself to be around people again. At one of them, someone mentioned they were looking for extras for a local production. I almost said no, but something made me think about those role-playing exercises in therapy.”
That first experience as a background actor was transformative in ways he couldn’t have predicted.
“Being on set was like being part of a unit again — everyone had a job, everyone worked together toward a common goal. But instead of preparing for combat, we were creating something. It felt like purpose again.”
The discipline and ability to take direction that served him well in the military translated naturally to film and television work. More importantly, the emotional work he’d been doing in therapy gave him access to feelings and experiences that made him a compelling performer.
Breaking through with Tyler Perry
Chandler’s big break came when he landed a role on Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns.” The opportunity came through a combination of persistence, networking, and the kind of preparation that his military background had taught him never to skip.
“When I heard about the audition, I studied that character like I was studying enemy positions. I researched Tyler Perry’s other work, I practiced my lines until they were automatic, and I showed up ready to work.”
But it wasn’t just his preparation that got him the role — it was his authentic connection to the character’s struggles.
“The character I was playing had been through some things, had some pain. When they asked me to tap into that during the audition, I didn’t have to pretend. I’d been there. All that trauma I’d been running from became the thing that made me good at this.”
Working on a Tyler Perry production was like getting a master class in both the business and the craft of acting.
“Tyler creates an environment where you can take risks, where you can be vulnerable. For someone like me, who’d spent years learning not to show vulnerability, that was revolutionary.”
Building something bigger
While the collaboration with Tyler Perry provided valuable opportunities, Chandler recognized that enduring success required proactively generating new prospects rather than merely waiting for them to arise. Drawing on the leadership skills he’d developed in the military, he started his own production company.
“In the Army, you learn that if you want something done right, you better be prepared to do it yourself. The entertainment industry isn’t that different — you can’t just wait for someone else to create the perfect role for you.”
His production company focuses on stories that matter to him — veteran experiences, family dynamics, the kind of authentic human drama that reflects real life rather than escaping from it.
“I want to tell stories about people who’ve been through something and found a way to keep going. Not just military stories, but human stories. Stories about healing, about finding purpose after everything falls apart.”
The therapeutic power of performance
Acting, Chandler discovered, became another form of therapy — a way to process experiences and emotions that traditional talk therapy couldn’t always reach.
“When I’m playing a character, I can explore feelings safely. I can be angry, or scared, or grieving, and it’s contained within the story. It’s like having a laboratory for emotions.”
The work also connected him with other veterans in the entertainment industry, creating a new kind of brotherhood.
“There’s a network of us out here — veterans who found acting or filmmaking. We understand each other in ways that civilians just can’t. We look out for each other, create opportunities for each other.”
PTSD and the creative life
Managing PTSD while pursuing an acting career presents unique challenges. The hypervigilance that can be debilitating in civilian life sometimes serves him well on set, but it can also be overwhelming.
“Some days, all the activity on set, all the people, the loud sounds — it can trigger me. But I’ve learned to recognize when that’s happening and take steps to manage it.”
He’s developed coping strategies specific to his work environment: breathing exercises between takes, communication with directors about his needs, and the discipline to step away when necessary.
“The same way I learned to adapt in combat situations, I’ve learned to adapt in work situations. It’s about being honest about what you need and finding ways to manage it professionally.”
Full circle
Today, Chandler sees his journey from combat veteran to working actor as one continuous story of service — just with a different mission.
“In the military, my job was to protect people. Now, my job is to tell stories that might help people feel less alone. It’s still service, just a different kind.”
His advice to other veterans considering creative pursuits is practical and encouraging.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that your experiences don’t matter or that you don’t belong in creative spaces. We’ve got stories that need to be told, and we’ve got the discipline to do the work. The same qualities that made you a good soldier can make you a good artist.”
The nightmares still come sometimes, and the hypervigilance never fully goes away. But Chandler has learned to channel those experiences into something productive, something that serves others.
“I’m not ‘cured’ of PTSD — I don’t think you ever are. But I’ve learned to live with it, work with it, even use it. It’s part of who I am now, but it’s not all of who I am.”
As he continues building his production company and taking on new acting roles, Chandler carries forward the lessons of both his military service and his healing journey. He’s proof that the end of one mission can be the beginning of another — and that sometimes the most important battles are the ones we fight to become fully human again.
Looking ahead
Chandler’s production company has several projects in development, including a series about veteran experiences that he hopes will help bridge the gap between military and civilian understanding.
“I want to show the full picture — not just the trauma, but the healing. Not just the struggle, but the strength. Veterans are complex people with full lives, and our stories deserve to be told with that complexity.”
For a man who once couldn’t sleep until 3 AM and avoided crowds, Chandler’s transformation is remarkable. But he’s quick to point out that it didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen alone.
“Healing isn’t a destination — it’s a journey. And having purpose, having something bigger than yourself to work toward, that makes all the difference.”
Resources for Veterans Interested in Creative Pursuits
Big Faith Productions Non Profit Organization – Supporting veterans and community members in entertainment and creative opportunities. Charlotte, NC. Call 704-890-2853.
Veterans in Film & Television (VFT) – A nonprofit organization supporting veterans in entertainment careers. Visit veteransinfilmandtv.org
Armed Services Arts Partnership – Provides opportunities for veterans and military families in the arts. Visit asapdc.org
The Mission Continues – While not arts-specific, helps veterans find purpose through community service and can connect to creative service opportunities. Visit missioncontinues.org
Student Veterans of America – Offers resources for veterans pursuing education in film, theater, and other creative fields. Visit studentveterans.org