Etienne Maurice Wants to 'Forge My Own Path,' But Calls It 'a Blessing' Mom Sheryl Lee Ralph Can Help (Exclusive)

• Sheryl Lee Ralph's son Etienne Maurice stars as photographer Isaiah in OWN’s Mistletoe & Matrimony
• Maurice tells PEOPLE he feels “so thankful” for landing the part “because now I get to show the world what I'm capable of as an artist and as an actor”
• The actor got married in July to ABC News journalist Stephanie Wash and says “there were a lot of parallels” between what his Mistletoe & Matrimony character goes through and his own wedding

Etienne Maurice admits he almost quit acting before he scored the lead role in OWN’s Mistletoe & Matrimony.

“I was going to give up,” 32-year-old Maurice, who founded Black & Brown-led community wellness organization WalkGood LA, tells PEOPLE. “If being a community activist and a wellness philanthropist was going to be my life, I would've been completely fine. But when I got called to play this role, it was like an answered prayer. In many ways, God was telling me, ‘You have a lot more to do.’”

Mistletoe & Matrimony stars Maurice as a photographer hired by his ex’s sister to shoot her Christmas wedding. Maurice says his character Isaiah “is literally me” because of his commitment to art and community. “And then on top of that, Isaiah is inspired by the grief of his grandmother who passed away, and my grandmother inspired me to be the best person I can be,” he explains.

He feels “so thankful” for landing the part “because now I get to show the world what I'm capable of as an artist and as an actor,” Maurice says. “It's really beautiful that I'm getting a chance to live my life's purpose as a creator. And the fact that I'm able to use my platform with my organization and be able to highlight this movie that I was in amplifies my mission in providing equitable healing spaces for my community through the arts and wellness. It fits into my life's mission.”

One might think that the son of actress and Tony winner Sheryl Lee Ralph wouldn’t have a hard time getting roles.

But, Maurice says, “I've always wanted to create my own path," adding, “At the end of the day, my mom is not walking me into auditions. She didn't get me a manager; she didn't get me an agent. This is all things that I did on my own and because I chose to go in this direction. I didn't even tell my mom that I was doing this until after I wrapped. It's just a blessing that my mom is at the point in her career where she could further support and tell everybody that her son is in a Christmas movie on OWN and Max.”

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Maurice hopes that “watching a movie that I'm leading in” will be a new holiday staple. “I pray that that's going to be a tradition in years to come, that I could continue to watch films that I'm in with my family,” he says.

The actor shares that his mom “was very adamant” about decorating for Christmas during his childhood. “Once I got older and I stopped hanging around the house as much and I wasn't helping her with the decorations, she stopped that tradition,” Maurice says. “Now I just bring the poinsettias to the house and I put them in different parts of her home — that's my contribution to the Christmas decorations in the house.”

Maurice also tries to replicate some dishes that his grandmother from Jamaica would make such as her oxtail, rice and peas, and iced tea.

“It was like the best lemon iced tea that you had ever tried in your life,” he says. “She was really an exceptional cook, so I do miss her cooking during the holidays. Last year I made my own oxtail and it was really, really good. Ever since I got engaged, I've been really trying cooking and from my wife's opinion, she says I'm a really good cook, so I'm trying to keep the tradition alive.”

The philanthropist married ABC News journalist Stephanie Wash in Jamaica in July in the wake of a category 4 hurricane hitting the country.

“Right after we wrapped Mistletoe & Matrimony, I went straight to Jamaica to then be notified that I was flying straight into a hurricane,” Maurice recalls. “I landed on a Monday, they told me the hurricane was coming on Wednesday and we were getting married on Saturday. We didn't know if we were going to have the wedding until that Friday morning. They opened up the island and 275 showed up with 315 people [who] were supposed to be attending.”

Though Maurice calls the experience “a headache,” he says, “It was a blessing because it taught me a lot about my fate and to have faith. It was the scariest, but also the most liberating experience I've ever had in my life.”

Now, looking back on filming Mistletoe & Matrimony after having his own wedding experience, he’s found “there were a lot of parallels,” he says. “Different circumstances, but definitely high stakes.”

And just like his wedding, Maurice says “a lot of love” went into making Mistletoe & Matrimony.

“I am grateful that the wedding happened,” he continues. “It is very good given the circumstance. But I feel like shooting this movie really prepared me to get married with all the ups and downs; it was preparation for what was to come. I think this is one of the best Christmas films to come out this season.”

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Mistletoe & Matrimony premieres Saturday, Dec. 14 at 9 p.m. ET on OWN.