What would happen if …? How many times in a lifetimes does one pose this question to themselves? What if this path was taken? What if I had taken this or that opportunity? What if my path hadn’t crossed with that person? What if I had given that person a chance? Sometimes we are grateful that we moved quickly for the things we leaped on. But at other times we live in regret for things we let go because we ran out of patience. So many questions that go unanswered and hang on in our thoughts is enough to make a person go crazy if one lets it. Living in regret or being grateful is the basic premise behind the new Tyler Perry film ‘Acrimony. ‘

The film that opens nationwide this Friday, March 30th, stars Taraji P. Henson, an incredible actress that always gives stellar performances but nothing beats her playing a woman scorned. But Houston area residents will have another reason to flock to theaters to see this film…to see one of our very own on the big screen. Crystle Stewart Sebrechts stars opposite of Henson as the woman who has the life she wants.

In ‘Acrimony,’ Henson plays Melinda Gayle, a woman who bought into the entire romance fantasy by marrying her college sweetheart and expecting the happily ever after ending. Only the dream never really came to fruition, at least not while Melinda was wifey. For years, she played the devoted wife pouring everything she had into her husband Robert played by Lyriq Bent while holding down the house to help him succeed. After a while, that weighs heavily on a sistah, especially one that thought she was the one that was going to be taken care of and not the one doing the caretaking. Fed up Melinda tells her husband she is tired and sends him packing. Leaving the door wide open for Diana played by Stewart. Robert and Diana get engage and marry right when things start to fall together for Robert. Now Diana is living the life that Melinda dreamed of having and she feels betrayed. Melinda becomes enraged and well that is where the movie gets good. Before you think you know what happens, stop. Don’t think that. Perry says this movie takes a lot of twists and turns to the unexpected.

Stewart describes her character as one who is kind, intelligent, and has a big heart to want the best for people. These characteristics are what drew Robert to Diana. “She saw his ambition. She believed in him and she had the patience,” said Stewart but hinted that the way Diana is portrayed in the movie audiences may think the opposite of her.

Stewart makes her big screen debut in ‘Acrimony’ and admits that she was nervous at first on set. However, Henson and Bent were very helpful in making her feel at ease. Some of the best advice Henson gave Stewart was to take her time. “Because sometimes on set you have to cry right after doing a scene when you were completely happy, “ said Stewart. That transition can be difficult for a new actress. “So she (Henson) said just take your time. You take that moment to make it happen so I think that was really good advice,” commented Stewart.

Although this was Stewart’s first film role, it was not her first acting gig. Fans of Tyler Perry’s comedy-drama television series ‘For Better or Worse’ will remember Stewart as real estate agent Leslie Morris. That previous work with Perry helped Stewart work on this project since she knew the way the director worked, which is fast, extremely fast. ‘Acrimony’ was shot in only eight days. “We work hard and he works just as hard as us or harder,” said Stewart. “He definitely knows how to put a good product out there.”

Putting together a quality product is something Stewart has a lot of experience with herself. Besides seeing her exercise her acting chops, people can see her in pageant shoes again. Many may have thought the Miss USA 2008 titleholder had hung her heels when her reign ended but she is a staple in the Miss USA system, especially right here in Houston with the Miss Texas USA Pageant. She recently accepted a position to be on the other side of the crown as a local recruiter for the Miss Houston Pageant. Her first pageant in the director’s chair is taking place during the opening weekend of her new film.

“It is so different being on the opposite end,” an excited Stewart said. “It takes a lot of hard work. I mean these girls, these contestants, work so hard in order for their dream to come true and you are holding it right in your hands for them. So I am so excited for every single one of our girls and what they are about to put forward.”

Contestants in the Miss Houston and Miss Houston Teen Pageant went through four weeks of training in workshops and other activities to be able to show the best version of themselves on stage. Stewart said she really wanted to make it a great experience for all contestants by giving them tools so that the playing field was equal for all. That desire stems from her early days in pageantry when she was at a loss as to what do, whom to talk to, and where to go. She wanted to eliminate all those burdens for contestants so they could just have fun, learn, and enjoy the experience.

“I tell them regardless if they don’t win that physical crown that night they all should come out feeling like queens because of the training that they went through and all the different activities that we did. I am sure that they learned so much from it and about themselves. And they can still take it throughout life and use it,” said Stewart.

The Miss Houston and Miss Houston Teen Pageant will kick off Friday, March 30, 2018, with the preliminary competition starting at 8 pm. The following night, Saturday, March 31, 2018, contestants will take to the stage again for the final round of competition and the crowning of the new queens. All events are at the Hilton Post Oak Hotel. Tickets may be purchased online through the MissHoustonPageant.com website. Future contestants for the 2019 Miss Houston and Miss Houston Teen Pageant can begin to sign up now through the website as well.

And if that is not enough for Stewart’s already full plate she has one more thing she is running. It was her dream since she was 16 years old to open a finishing school for girls to teach them everyday life skills. Well, her dreams came true when she opened the MISS Academy. According to the website, it is a modern day finishing school for girls ages 5-21 offering programs and workshops with specialized courses in makeup, hair, interviewing and communication skills, etiquette, life skills, poise and posture, cooking, wardrobe styling, and more. Sign up for classes at MissAcademy.com.

“Because every woman should know how to do their makeup, pick out the right wardrobe, eat correctly, speak correctly, and feel confident. You should know how to do those things. Not saying you have to put on makeup everywhere you go or dress to the nine everywhere you go but when you have to do it you know how to,” said Stewart.

Not only is Stewart passing on these gems to today’s girls but she gets to pass them on to her beautiful daughter as well. Stewart and her husband, model, and actor, Max Sebrechts welcomed their first baby last year.

Congratulations to Crystle Stewart and all of her success. Stay in the loop of all that she has going on by connecting with her @MissHoustonPageant and @MissAcademy on Instagram.