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Speaker 1: We've all felt left out, and for people who moved

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Speaker 1: to this country, that feeling last more than a moment.

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Speaker 1: We can change that. Learn how it belonging begins with us.

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Speaker 1: Dot org brought to you by the AD Council. Look

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Speaker 1: The Black Effect Presents features honest conversations and exclusive interviews,

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Speaker 1: a space for artists, everyday people and listeners to amplify, elevate,

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Speaker 1: and empower Black voices with great conversations. Make sure to

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Speaker 1: listen to The Black Effect Presents podcast on I Heart Radio,

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Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Walkom with

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Speaker 1: Mind making conversation to your host with Sean McDonald was

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Speaker 1: time to stop reading other people's success stories. I said

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Speaker 1: that all the time every episode, and start writing your own.

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Speaker 1: You have to understand it's about you. It's about your efforts,

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Speaker 1: about your planning, and people always talking about the gifts

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Speaker 1: and on purpose. I always tell people, if you have

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Speaker 1: a gift, lead with it and don't let your age, friends, family,

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Speaker 1: or coworkers stop you from planning or living your dreams.

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Speaker 1: On my show, interview celebrities, CEOs, entrepreneurs and people I

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Speaker 1: like to call industry decision makers. My next guest is

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Speaker 1: a graduate of an HBCU Howard University, Leonard Robinson. He's

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Speaker 1: an actor, writer, stand up comedian and has a degree

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Speaker 1: and Management Information System boor You can be employed anywhere

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Speaker 1: in this world with a degree like that. This year,

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Speaker 1: Leonard is currently appearing on the fifth and final season

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Speaker 1: of HBC Execute HBOS Insecure, where he's required his very

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Speaker 1: popular character the Emmy winning HBO comedys Insecure Errors. Every

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Speaker 1: Sunday night, ten pm Eastern Standard time, nine pm Central,

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Speaker 1: We'll be talking about Leonardar's career pursuing acting, writing and

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Speaker 1: stand up Lendards the company member of the Ground Lanes,

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Speaker 1: famed Sketch Comedy and then prol True and also as

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Speaker 1: a cast member EMPTVS from my board Nick Cannon's Wild

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Speaker 1: and Out. Please Welcome to money making conversation from Howard

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Speaker 1: Universe to Hollywood. Letar Robinson, How are you doing? Certain?

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Speaker 1: How are you doing? Brother? I'm gonna meet you well,

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Speaker 1: you're up Connecticut and then that's where that's where it

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Speaker 1: all started, right, Yeah, Originally I'm from Danbury, Connecticut, spent

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Speaker 1: a little time in Tokyo, and uh went to Howard

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Speaker 1: and really kind of found myself and found my place

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Speaker 1: and purpose over at Howard University, and and then moved

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Speaker 1: to New York, came to Los Angeles and and now

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Speaker 1: I'm here. Well, you know, literally I gotta slowly? Does

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Speaker 1: he just ran through your whole life? Man? Your life

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Speaker 1: is really interesting. You got judo in your background, you

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Speaker 1: got rastling in your background. You didn't want to get

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Speaker 1: into that whole aspect until you got to college. So

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Speaker 1: slow it down, you know, because that's what this show

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Speaker 1: is all about. Because your your your resume proves to

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Speaker 1: be that people expect certain people to do certain things

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Speaker 1: when they are hit in that direction, and you altered

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Speaker 1: that direction. Why did you alter the direct? H? Well,

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Speaker 1: you know, growing up in a small town like Danburry, Uh,

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Speaker 1: there wasn't a lot of outlets for people who want

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Speaker 1: to act and be creative in that space. And also

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Speaker 1: I had parents, you know where where that that was

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Speaker 1: unfamiliar to them. So it's hard to encourage your children

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Speaker 1: to do something you're unfamiliar with, and so I dabbled

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Speaker 1: in it as much as I could in UM in Danbury.

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Speaker 1: But I actually got into you know, very active in sports,

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Speaker 1: very active and wrestling in judo and and for a time,

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Speaker 1: you know, that was that was my focus. Uh. But

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Speaker 1: when I went to Howard, uh you know, wrestled a

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Speaker 1: very brief time at Howard UM. When I got to

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Speaker 1: Howard also you know, majored in business. So you know,

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Speaker 1: it's it's years and years of not necessarily pursuing my

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Speaker 1: passion and what I wanted to do. However, I think

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Speaker 1: all those things I did in between, or or the

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Speaker 1: reason why I'm able to keep doing what I do now,

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Speaker 1: or reason why they you know, that makes me successful.

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Speaker 1: You know, the this plan and and focused I learned

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Speaker 1: training for wrestling and judo. It's the same kind of

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Speaker 1: discipline and focus that I bring into acting and entertainment. Well,

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Speaker 1: you know, some not everybody who wrestler could act, you know,

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Speaker 1: just like everybody wrapp can sing. So you just talented,

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Speaker 1: my brother, Let's go, we can throw that focus in there, Leonard.

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Speaker 1: But you got talent, Okay, let's go appreciate, let's go,

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Speaker 1: let's go. I like to separate people and give him

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Speaker 1: credit because a lot of people want to just slide

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Speaker 1: that well, you know he's focused. You know, well he

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Speaker 1: can run for a touchdown. No, now, that guy who

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Speaker 1: ran for that touchdown, that's his skill. That's just that's

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Speaker 1: his blessing. That's that's what enables him to be great.

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Speaker 1: And then in reading your your resume and your bio,

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Speaker 1: you know, like my degree was in mathematics, my minder

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Speaker 1: was in sociology. And I went to work for IBM,

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Speaker 1: and everybody thought I was gonna, you know, live a life.

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Speaker 1: I thought I was gonna live a life and as

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Speaker 1: a career as an IBM executive. And but then I

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Speaker 1: realized that wasn't me. It was realized that you know,

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Speaker 1: it was it was it was it wasn't creative enough

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Speaker 1: for me. I think that was my turning point. I

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Speaker 1: really lines that I was going to be boxed in

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Speaker 1: one day and I was not going to be happy

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Speaker 1: with my life. Was was that a similar tone with you? Oh?

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Speaker 1: I mean my father worked for IBM over twenty three years,

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Speaker 1: and uh, you know that's why we spent a little

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Speaker 1: time in Tokyo. Was transferred into transferred Tokyo for three

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Speaker 1: and a half years. So it was it's in my

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Speaker 1: it was in my blood, just to you know, be

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Speaker 1: familiar with computers and business. So you know, my undergrad

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Speaker 1: was in Management Information Systems UM. I ended up programming

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Speaker 1: and doing systems administration work out of college for a

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Speaker 1: little bit. And the story I always tell is I

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Speaker 1: switched to a small boutique consulting firm and I was

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Speaker 1: doing a lot of back end programming, you know, making

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Speaker 1: websites basically is the short of it. You know, all

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Speaker 1: the all the engine that runs a website that you

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Speaker 1: don't see, and working long, long hours. You know, an

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Speaker 1: average was fourteen hours a day. And it was one

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Speaker 1: day where and a project had stopped and we're waiting

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Speaker 1: for another project and I had we had nothing to

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Speaker 1: do for weeks, and I was literally banging my head

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Speaker 1: on the desk saying, what am I doing here? This

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Speaker 1: is not what I'm supposed to be. What do I

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Speaker 1: need to do? And about the fourth bang I just

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Speaker 1: popped up. I was like, I can quit. And it's

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Speaker 1: much a simple thing. But you know, for a lot

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Speaker 1: of people, you get put on a program, you get

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Speaker 1: on a put in on a path, and you think well,

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Speaker 1: this is what I'm supposed to do, you know, I was.

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Speaker 1: I went to Howard University, I studied business, you know,

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Speaker 1: a pledge to Mega SCIDE five became the bost lust

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Speaker 1: of our chapter. I served uh Undergraduate Supreme Council. Like

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Speaker 1: I was very Everything I was doing was related to business.

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Speaker 1: It was it was about you know, organization and leadership,

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Speaker 1: and you know, it was something I had an aptitude for,

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Speaker 1: but I didn't have a passion for. So even even

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Speaker 1: through out all that, I was always you know, in

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Speaker 1: addition to you know, the funny guy, you know, cracking

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Speaker 1: jokes in the office, or I would take acting classes.

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Speaker 1: Uh and you know, after work, I'd go take an

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Speaker 1: acting class. And that's where I felt more alive, That's

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Speaker 1: where I felt more in line. But I had already

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Speaker 1: invested so much time into doing something else. I didn't

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Speaker 1: think that there was an alternative until side I can

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Speaker 1: make that choice and say, no, I'm gonna make this

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Speaker 1: choice today, and I'm gonna you know, I'd rather put

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Speaker 1: in eighteen fourteen hours for myself and figure this out,

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Speaker 1: then put in another fourteen eighteen hours for some other

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Speaker 1: company to you know, to make them successful. You know,

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Speaker 1: It's really interesting because then when I was reading your bio,

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Speaker 1: because a lot of your qualities with similar to eyes.

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Speaker 1: I remember when I was a freshman in college, I

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Speaker 1: looked at managing information system as an option. You know,

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Speaker 1: it's a degree option that eventually just wound up in

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Speaker 1: mathematic I went through civil engineering and then chemical engineer

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Speaker 1: and didn't wound up in mathematics and minded out of sociology.

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Speaker 1: But you know, when you're doing these things, he's a man,

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Speaker 1: that's an African American. You know, you're just trying to

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Speaker 1: get out. You're trying to just deal. You're trying to

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Speaker 1: fit in. You're trying to fit in the white community

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Speaker 1: as well, because you're trying to get that nice house,

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Speaker 1: that nice car, and this is the way we've been

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Speaker 1: told you can get there. And so when you start

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Speaker 1: altering that, like you said early in the interview, a

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Speaker 1: lot of people don't understand Leonard that, Okay, you know

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Speaker 1: what a stand up comedy does to make money. They

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Speaker 1: understand what the engineer does. They understand what a bank

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Speaker 1: teller does. But with all what I told my family

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Speaker 1: and friends, I was gonna leave to pursue a career

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Speaker 1: as a stand up comedian. I couldn't even tell him

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Speaker 1: how it's gonna make money, Okay, but I do that's

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Speaker 1: what I wanted to do. You know what I'm saying.

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Speaker 1: You know what I'm talking about learning. You know, you

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Speaker 1: just know that's what you wanna do. You're gonna throw

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Speaker 1: you have a plan of action, you have a passion

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Speaker 1: that you're driven to. But then again, you know we're

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Speaker 1: talking about insecure, But you've been on n C I S,

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Speaker 1: n C I S, you know, Los Angeles, You've been

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Speaker 1: on Young Shelton. So your resume is not just tied

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Speaker 1: to the interview that I'm bringing you on the shore

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Speaker 1: about that success allows you to go back to your family.

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Speaker 1: Your friends really under stood why you made that decision.

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Speaker 1: How did that How did it look at you? Now? Well,

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Speaker 1: it's it's it's funny because for years, my mother would

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Speaker 1: always say something like, well, you know you can when

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Speaker 1: time's got when times got hard, and I would tell her, like,

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Speaker 1: you know, it's a little rough out here right now.

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Speaker 1: You would always say, you know, you can go back

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Speaker 1: to grad school, and I was like, for what like

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Speaker 1: and it would just be years and years of that

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Speaker 1: and but now you know, people you know, I think

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Speaker 1: jay Z said something like when you first come in

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Speaker 1: the game, they try to play you, then you drop

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Speaker 1: a couple of hits. Look how the wave to you? Right,

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Speaker 1: That's kind of where it is right now. Like now

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Speaker 1: it's you know, there's no way I can go get

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Speaker 1: a job and anybody's corporation doing I T work. I've

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Speaker 1: been out the business. I've been out that business too long.

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Speaker 1: I have no idea how they do things. Um, you

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Speaker 1: know today it's it's something that I would you know,

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Speaker 1: maybe have a thirty minute conversation with somebody about them,

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Speaker 1: like oh that's interesting, cool, and then go boun go

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Speaker 1: about my business. Um so yeah. I mean when you

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Speaker 1: when you make when you do things that seem impossible

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Speaker 1: or try to do things that seem impossible to people,

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Speaker 1: the first instinct, I think is to call them crazy.

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Speaker 1: And that's what I experienced. You know, when I quit

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Speaker 1: my job and I laughed, a lot of people called

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Speaker 1: me crazy. Well, a lot of people have thought you

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Speaker 1: crazy when you played to make Its Out Fire. You

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Speaker 1: know a lot of people thought I was crazy, you know,

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Speaker 1: because they were going, why why, why? What was the

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Speaker 1: rational there guying that? But I would tell you this.

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Speaker 1: It changed my life. You know, I'm gonna get to

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Speaker 1: be just on this conversation. I was just flowing through

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Speaker 1: college with no direction, uh, Leonard and and and I

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Speaker 1: just I saw a goal. I saw I needed to go.

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Speaker 1: I needed a platform where I could um start start

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Speaker 1: moving my life forward. And when I played Still make

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Speaker 1: its out of fire and moved my life forward and

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Speaker 1: got me into the community. And it changed my whole

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Speaker 1: perspective and the values that I have by pleasures in retern.

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Speaker 1: That's why always recommend people whatever turns you played or

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Speaker 1: whatever sarder you pledge, it could be a blessing if

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Speaker 1: you understand why you did it. Why did you budge

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Speaker 1: fraternity and that paternity of churche was'll make us out fire? Well,

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Speaker 1: I I come from a long line of black Greeks.

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Speaker 1: You know. My my great grandmother, Um Jesse Halfcock, founded

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Speaker 1: a chapter in in Dayton, Ohio. She's a building named

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Speaker 1: after her at the University of Dayton. So there's a

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Speaker 1: long history a k s on that side of the family.

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Speaker 1: My father was a Kappa, my my my uncle is

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Speaker 1: is an Omega from Fisk And Um that was just

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Speaker 1: kind of not really a question for me to be honest.

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Speaker 1: As a kid, I saw always saw my uncle's brand

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Speaker 1: on his arm, and I just I was just like, yeah,

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Speaker 1: I want to get one of those. I don't even

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Speaker 1: know what it was. You didn't have the diamond, he

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Speaker 1: didn't have the diamond. Yeah, I mean yeah, I had

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Speaker 1: my dad been branded, I might have been a capital.

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Speaker 1: I don't know now, but you were something you weren't right.

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Speaker 1: But look, there was something about about the Omega's that,

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Speaker 1: you know. My first week on Hampus, I went to

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Speaker 1: a I went to a mega party at Alpha chapter

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Speaker 1: and at our at the frat house, and I stayed

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Speaker 1: all night. I partied like I was one of the brothers,

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Speaker 1: and I said, I don't know what this is, but

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Speaker 1: I need to be part of this. And then, as

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Speaker 1: you know, you do more research and you get more

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Speaker 1: into it, You're like, oh, well this is way more

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Speaker 1: in line with you know, what I think my values are,

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Speaker 1: what I think my principles are, and so I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: strive to that. And some of my best friends you

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Speaker 1: know still to this day, you know, are from that era,

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Speaker 1: my line brothers and and other frat brothers and and

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Speaker 1: just aside on you know, my path into entertainment. You know,

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Speaker 1: I credit one of my chapter brothers, Buddy Lewis UM

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Speaker 1: eighty four Alpha chapter. Yeah, well you no, Buddy then

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Speaker 1: Buddy Buddy, when I was in undergrad, UM kind of

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Speaker 1: set me up and gave me my game plan because

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Speaker 1: I came out to Los Angeles to visit the Conclay

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Speaker 1: and stayed with him for a day and he took

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Speaker 1: me around and showed me how, you know, what his

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Speaker 1: life was like as a stand up And when I

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Speaker 1: went back to Howard, I still had about a year

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Speaker 1: and a half left, but I knew I wanted to

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Speaker 1: be an actor, and He's though, he was the only

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Speaker 1: person I knew and that was in an entertainment business,

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Speaker 1: and he gave me basically the foundation UM that I

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Speaker 1: needed to to create my own blueprint on how to proceed.

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Speaker 1: And without his mentorship early on, UM, I don't you know,

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Speaker 1: I probably still I probably would be an actor. Today,

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Speaker 1: we'll be right back with more money making conversations with writers,

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Speaker 1: stand up comedian and actor and HBO's Insecure Leonard Robertson,

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Speaker 1: It's finally here, the season of celebration, and no matter

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Speaker 1: how you celebrate with family and friends, whether you're preparing

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Speaker 1: to midnight mass, Coals has just what you need to

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Speaker 1: dot Com. Hi everyone, i'l roker here as a guy

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Speaker 1: Brought to you by the AD Council. Welcome out in machines.

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Speaker 1: This is what Sean McDonald. Welcome back to money making conversations.

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Speaker 1: As I continue my conversation with writer, stand up comedian,

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Speaker 1: and actor and HBO's Insecure Leonard Robertson, when I think

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Speaker 1: about what you're doing, you know, I thought about when

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Speaker 1: I was looking at your resume, not just so stand

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Speaker 1: up comedian, and I realized was I did death comedy?

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Speaker 1: Jam I did Dame Chappelle, Very spears of course it

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Speaker 1: was hosted by Martin Lawrence, and there were there were

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Speaker 1: were not when we were on stage, and when I

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Speaker 1: went on stage, I didn't have any restrictions in my

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Speaker 1: mind set, you know. And I see how stand up

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Speaker 1: has been shaped by a culture and some of its rights.

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Speaker 1: Some of we should be much more sensitive about how

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Speaker 1: we what we say in the ramifications of how people

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Speaker 1: perceive it, because people can take what you say and

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Speaker 1: shape it to their own personal narrative. How as as

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Speaker 1: as a as a as a working and acting stand

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Speaker 1: up comedian, how has that affected you as far as

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Speaker 1: stand up or maybe maybe not it has affected you

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Speaker 1: as a stand up? Um, you know, it really hasn't

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Speaker 1: affected me that much because most of my comedy is

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Speaker 1: is very personal. It's it's really just I'm really just

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Speaker 1: talking about me and things that affect me. I think

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Speaker 1: that I think that oftentimes we can stand ups want

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Speaker 1: to step into somebody else's conversation, right because we see

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Speaker 1: something that's funny or we see an angle. But you know,

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Speaker 1: you don't need to pick up every every fight, every conversation.

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Speaker 1: You know, you can just let's let somebody else carry that, right,

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Speaker 1: That's that's all I'm gonna say about that. You know,

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Speaker 1: I don't well, you know, I want to get into uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, being a comedy police or whatever. But just

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Speaker 1: just know that sometimes you can talk about some topics

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Speaker 1: in some areas that affect other people deeply and it's

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Speaker 1: not your fight. Well you know something, I'm not don't

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Speaker 1: even guiding you into this conversation learning about being a

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Speaker 1: comedy police. It is about certain things of having a

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Speaker 1: certain amount of freedom that I had in ninty two

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Speaker 1: that today I would have to think about that joke,

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Speaker 1: that is that joke worth? It is that joke worthy,

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Speaker 1: the consequences that might come out of it, you know,

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Speaker 1: and uh and and and so now you know, we

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Speaker 1: see it's impacting various comics over the last five to

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Speaker 1: ten years who have been who have done jokes in

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Speaker 1: that nature that affected their careers as well as how

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Speaker 1: people perceive them as a talent moving forward. And my

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Speaker 1: whole thing, it didn't affect me because, like you, I

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Speaker 1: was always talking about my lifestyle journey, my personal I

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Speaker 1: never went into social areas of concern and nature is

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Speaker 1: like that. But it is different though, but doing stand

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Speaker 1: up comedy is different today. Would you would you would

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Speaker 1: you agree, Well, outside of just stand up, I mean,

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Speaker 1: the world is different right now. You know, people are

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Speaker 1: becoming more educated and and more informed on a lot

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Speaker 1: more issues than they had to be in the past.

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Speaker 1: And with that requires a certain amount of growth on

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Speaker 1: your part as the artist and new creative. Two. Understand

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Speaker 1: where the world is right now, the temperature of the world,

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Speaker 1: and decide are you gonna grow with it or are

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Speaker 1: you gonna draw a line in the sand and say

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Speaker 1: I want to stay right here and keep saying these things.

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Speaker 1: You know, you see it politically, Uh, you know for

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Speaker 1: the last couple of years, the whole America first, bring back,

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Speaker 1: bring back the good old days, what it's like. Well

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Speaker 1: when you say things like that, well good for who?

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Speaker 1: But you know, um because because because the words that

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Speaker 1: you're using don't sound like it's gonna be good for me. Yes, yes, yes,

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Speaker 1: I know. The interesting thing about this whole world we

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Speaker 1: live in is that you know the opportunity to come

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Speaker 1: into your life that make a game changing role play

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Speaker 1: in your life. And I'm gonna says insecure Leonard. You

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Speaker 1: know your your appearance and because you did wild and out,

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Speaker 1: and I want to talk about that with Nick Cannon

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Speaker 1: and Nick cannad's a very good friend of mine as well.

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Speaker 1: But but Insecure is a is a groundbreaking series. You know,

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Speaker 1: it airs on HBO. I saw that. I saw the

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Speaker 1: new season that aired, uh last night, let's just say

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Speaker 1: last night, the first of the fifth and final season.

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Speaker 1: How did you get cast on that? And how did

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Speaker 1: the opportunity to come you away? It's far as an audition, Well,

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Speaker 1: I was really fortunate in that respect. And then I

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Speaker 1: started auditioning way back in the you know, at the

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Speaker 1: pilot level. And I auditioned, uh and tested for the pilot,

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Speaker 1: and then that didn't work out, and then they brought

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Speaker 1: me back in for another role when the when the

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Speaker 1: show got picked up, and that didn't work out, and

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Speaker 1: it brought me back in for two three more roles

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Speaker 1: after that before I landed the Royal Torre and Jackson.

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Speaker 1: So I really credit his is IRAEI apprentice um for

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Speaker 1: just having the determination, I want to say, on their

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Speaker 1: part to work me into the show some kind of way.

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Speaker 1: You know, often as actors we always say, like, you know,

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Speaker 1: don't worry about trying to book the job, try to

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Speaker 1: work the you know, book the room so that they

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Speaker 1: know who you are and they'll find something for you

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Speaker 1: or you know, just do your best. But I think

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Speaker 1: in short, it's you know what, it's for you. It's

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Speaker 1: for you, and you don't have to worry about anything

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Speaker 1: else other than that. Well you know what, you know

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Speaker 1: what makes that show work for me is that. And

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Speaker 1: I think that's why you know, the Kip bringing you back,

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Speaker 1: you know, and they said, well, well he doesn't fit

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Speaker 1: this character. We'd be like like shoving mentor a role

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Speaker 1: that really doesn't blend because the characters makes sense on

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Speaker 1: that show. You know when you look at that person,

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Speaker 1: that that person should be that person, you know, and

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Speaker 1: so your character was the same way as a character

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Speaker 1: that made sense for that whole thing. And on when

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Speaker 1: you got the opportunity to get on the set and

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Speaker 1: started seeing people react to your character, what was the

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Speaker 1: biggest thing that you felt excited about? And being um,

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Speaker 1: you know, featured on Insecure and then being recognized as

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Speaker 1: a talent that's also building the cash of Insecure. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean I came on season three and uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: waiting for the reaction and uh, I'm just going you know,

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Speaker 1: the way the way I feel about it. You know,

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Speaker 1: these roles. Whatever you take on, try to do your best,

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Speaker 1: just to play it to the to the best of

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Speaker 1: your ability. And then the audience reaction is whatever. People

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Speaker 1: can feel any kind of way about whatever the character is.

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Speaker 1: As long as you feel something, I'm I'm happy. So

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Speaker 1: I don't mind if it's polarizing for some people. But

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Speaker 1: it just you know, as long as I'm part of

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Speaker 1: the conversation, I'm glad. But outside of that, I'm just

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Speaker 1: you know, and I've said this many many times, I'm

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Speaker 1: just blessed and feel fortunate to be included in this world,

426
00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:03,160
Speaker 1: in this universe because this show is so game changing

427
00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:08,240
Speaker 1: and impactful for so many different reasons, um, largely off

428
00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:12,560
Speaker 1: the screen. Um. And it's just to being part of

429
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:16,600
Speaker 1: that thing, that movement if I feel blessed like they

430
00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:19,520
Speaker 1: they've they've launched the careers of so many different people

431
00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:24,520
Speaker 1: behind the camera, and that's just gonna further. You know,

432
00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,679
Speaker 1: they planted these seeds all all across the industry right now,

433
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,960
Speaker 1: and just it's it's gonna take a little bit more time,

434
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,560
Speaker 1: but a lot of them are already started to grow

435
00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:37,720
Speaker 1: and read. But you know, five ten years, fifteen years

436
00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,240
Speaker 1: from now, when you see all these executives and producers

437
00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:45,119
Speaker 1: and directors, and they talk about how they got their start.

438
00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,879
Speaker 1: A lot of them. It's going to come back to insecure, absolutely,

439
00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:51,240
Speaker 1: and that's a beautiful thing, you know that they that

440
00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,560
Speaker 1: when they had a show, they didn't just didn't keep

441
00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:58,240
Speaker 1: it to themselves. They opened the door for as many

442
00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:03,879
Speaker 1: people as they could and and not only let them in,

443
00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,959
Speaker 1: but gave them the room to learn and gave them

444
00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:11,119
Speaker 1: the opportunity to thrive. You know, it really interesting and

445
00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:12,800
Speaker 1: and just to bring it back to Nick Cannon, you know,

446
00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:15,600
Speaker 1: there's a lot of parallels between that and what he does.

447
00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:17,879
Speaker 1: He's been doing so well. You know, I was going

448
00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:19,680
Speaker 1: to go to a couple of things that I can't

449
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,280
Speaker 1: do that you do very well. That's improv and act.

450
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,320
Speaker 1: I can't act. I am very I was amazingly funny

451
00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:29,200
Speaker 1: on stage. You know I noticed near bio you you're writer.

452
00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:31,920
Speaker 1: I was a sitcom right, very successful, was a sitcom writer.

453
00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:35,920
Speaker 1: But the whole aspect of improving, which Steve Harvey, who managed,

454
00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:39,480
Speaker 1: was a brilliant improv person. And what what just separates

455
00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:45,320
Speaker 1: the improvisational side, Lenard Robinson from the acting side. Um,

456
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:47,720
Speaker 1: you know they're closely related. I think, you know, the

457
00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:50,159
Speaker 1: the improv aspect of it. I do a lot of

458
00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:53,360
Speaker 1: improv shows at the Groundlings Theater and in Los Angeles,

459
00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:57,159
Speaker 1: and did a lot of improv before that. Um, you know,

460
00:23:57,560 --> 00:23:59,240
Speaker 1: it's just on the fly. You know, we're trying to

461
00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:03,040
Speaker 1: we're trying to make the scenes happen, you know, based

462
00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,760
Speaker 1: off of suggestion yes and uh, and hope it all

463
00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,440
Speaker 1: works out. So it's a little bit more like you know,

464
00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:11,600
Speaker 1: acting on the edge of a cliff, I want to say,

465
00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:16,080
Speaker 1: then just being on a on a set with the script. Yeah,

466
00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,320
Speaker 1: I I admire that. And then he was on the

467
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,680
Speaker 1: early years of Wild and Out, you know, which is

468
00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:23,480
Speaker 1: the ultimate, which also is a groundbreaking seure as well.

469
00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,359
Speaker 1: And you know, so you have to feel blessed about

470
00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:29,200
Speaker 1: your life, you know, Wild and Out, I feel it's

471
00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,920
Speaker 1: the way we have to says the longest running black

472
00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,959
Speaker 1: and proversational show in television history. I think we can

473
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:39,959
Speaker 1: say that. And then the groundbreaking HBO series Insecure, uh,

474
00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,520
Speaker 1: telling the life of to African American female as they

475
00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,440
Speaker 1: interact between life social dynamics, which is groundbreaking as well.

476
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,600
Speaker 1: So you've you've had a fortunate career so far, and

477
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,960
Speaker 1: with that being said, the whole how did it being

478
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,200
Speaker 1: in the early years of the of the of Wild

479
00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:57,760
Speaker 1: and out to what has become now? Talk about that

480
00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,719
Speaker 1: transition and watching that brand grew out because you're part

481
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:05,360
Speaker 1: of two huge brands in your resume. Yeah, um, yeah,

482
00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,119
Speaker 1: I was really blessed. Uh you know, it's like that

483
00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,440
Speaker 1: you've seen the internet me, I'm sure like you know

484
00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,520
Speaker 1: how it started versus how it's going, you know. Uh,

485
00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:16,399
Speaker 1: for me, it's like Wild and I was like how

486
00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:20,680
Speaker 1: it started Insecure is now how it's going. And I,

487
00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:24,360
Speaker 1: you know, I have a lot of love and respect

488
00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:27,840
Speaker 1: you know, for Nicking and that show and everybody involved

489
00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:30,400
Speaker 1: in it, because that was for the most part. Yeah,

490
00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:34,240
Speaker 1: that was my biggest job that really kind of put

491
00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,800
Speaker 1: me in in Hollywood when I hadn't been in the

492
00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,200
Speaker 1: l a maybe but six months when I got cast

493
00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:44,240
Speaker 1: on that show. And you know, before that, excuse me,

494
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,679
Speaker 1: before that, I was just focused on honing my craft.

495
00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,439
Speaker 1: I was just staying in acting classes, taking a lot

496
00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:53,880
Speaker 1: of improv classes and performing and and doing as much

497
00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:55,760
Speaker 1: stand up as I could. And I wasn't even really

498
00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:00,680
Speaker 1: aggressively trying to get on television. I was just kind

499
00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,719
Speaker 1: of building up my skills because when I when an

500
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:06,920
Speaker 1: opportunity came around, I wanted to be ready for it,

501
00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,840
Speaker 1: and that opportunity came around. So being part of the

502
00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,399
Speaker 1: original cast the first four seasons of Wild and I

503
00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:17,240
Speaker 1: was a was a real big experience and in a

504
00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:20,879
Speaker 1: big lesson for me. What interesting thing about it is

505
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,240
Speaker 1: that one thing we do share in common is the

506
00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:25,879
Speaker 1: writing aspect. You know, you will be part of the

507
00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:28,920
Speaker 1: CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy showcase and you were in the

508
00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:32,640
Speaker 1: first writer's room. Why writing? You know why? That that's

509
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:34,680
Speaker 1: that goes back to that logic. I think that's in

510
00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,200
Speaker 1: your life, that focus is in your life. That be

511
00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,080
Speaker 1: ably to understand too. Pless two is four? Is that? What?

512
00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,639
Speaker 1: What that would excites you about the writing aspect of

513
00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:46,080
Speaker 1: sitcom writing and especially the comedic side of it. You

514
00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,359
Speaker 1: know what's funny is again? And it probably all leads

515
00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:51,679
Speaker 1: back to Buddy Lewis again because when I went when

516
00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,440
Speaker 1: I met him in Los Angeles, he was writing. Absolutely,

517
00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:56,800
Speaker 1: he was also doing stand up, but he was also writing.

518
00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:58,480
Speaker 1: And I had a little seed in my in my

519
00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:02,560
Speaker 1: brain and and and then somebody else said something about

520
00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,440
Speaker 1: writing and being an actor, like you're gonna have to write,

521
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,320
Speaker 1: learn how to write if you really want to show

522
00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:10,800
Speaker 1: people what you can do. And then it's it's one

523
00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,239
Speaker 1: of those things where if you try to follow up

524
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,119
Speaker 1: on if the universe, you know, if you see or

525
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,320
Speaker 1: hear things three times from three different places, you know,

526
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:21,840
Speaker 1: the universe is trying to tell you to tap into that.

527
00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:27,240
Speaker 1: And so for me, the writing is is a way

528
00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,920
Speaker 1: to make sure that I always have an option on

529
00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,600
Speaker 1: bringing my voice and point of view to the world.

530
00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,760
Speaker 1: Without that, I'm reliant on somebody else to try and

531
00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,920
Speaker 1: create something for me. So I do a great bill.

532
00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:43,840
Speaker 1: I do a great deal of acting. I do a

533
00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:47,200
Speaker 1: great deal of work. That's largely mostly what I do

534
00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:51,640
Speaker 1: in between I'm writing. In between I'm i'm, i'm, I'm

535
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:56,000
Speaker 1: writing and preparing for the next thing. Um, I'm just

536
00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,200
Speaker 1: fortunate that I keep getting interrupted by a bunch of

537
00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:00,960
Speaker 1: acting jobs. So the world got to wait a little

538
00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:03,320
Speaker 1: bit longer to see a little all right, Liza, don't

539
00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:05,320
Speaker 1: used the word interrupted. That's a that's a blessing. That

540
00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:07,560
Speaker 1: that's a that's a that's you want them, you want

541
00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,359
Speaker 1: them off. The bookies. We don't calling we call them bookies,

542
00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,200
Speaker 1: you know, you know that's that old famous you know,

543
00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:14,720
Speaker 1: you sit around the house and then one day you

544
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,000
Speaker 1: get that phone call, you get three dates as a

545
00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:18,760
Speaker 1: stand up on the same day. You go, hey, what

546
00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:21,640
Speaker 1: were these? Why couldn't they be separated week by week

547
00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:24,480
Speaker 1: by week, a month by but by but exactly. But

548
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:26,800
Speaker 1: you know, man, I'm happy you came on my show, man,

549
00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,200
Speaker 1: because I wanted to hear your story and and and

550
00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:31,880
Speaker 1: I considered some things that you've done a younger version

551
00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,560
Speaker 1: of me, and you're doing great and your graduate of

552
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:36,920
Speaker 1: Howard the players to make a side fire just a

553
00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:39,160
Speaker 1: value system that comes with players in the fraternity of

554
00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:41,520
Speaker 1: the Soriti. It's what I push and in fact you're

555
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:43,920
Speaker 1: starting on the final seat of Insecure. Keep winning, man,

556
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,320
Speaker 1: I would always be a fan of yours. Man, If

557
00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:48,920
Speaker 1: you want me to promote, I'm based in Atlanta, Georgia.

558
00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,520
Speaker 1: So no, you got a frap brother. I know Buddy Lewis.

559
00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:53,720
Speaker 1: If you call Buddy Luis right now, he said nothing

560
00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,280
Speaker 1: but positive things about our relationship. So when you come

561
00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,239
Speaker 1: through you through Atlanta, Georgia, make sure you stop in now,

562
00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:02,000
Speaker 1: come by my offers and we'll break bread together. Okay,

563
00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,120
Speaker 1: no problem. I appreciate it now and I will follow

564
00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:06,840
Speaker 1: up on that. Oh, no, I know you will. I

565
00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:08,280
Speaker 1: got you. I know you will and it guess what

566
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,880
Speaker 1: I aim to please my young friend brother. Okay, I

567
00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:14,120
Speaker 1: appreciate you. Okay, cool, Thank you for coming on money

568
00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:17,800
Speaker 1: Making Conversation Mental probs. Thanks for your time. Appreciate If

569
00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,120
Speaker 1: you want to hear anybody interviews or see anybody by interviews,

570
00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,120
Speaker 1: please go to Money Making Conversation dot com. I'm with

571
00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,720
Speaker 1: Sean McDonald. I am your host. In this season of giving,

572
00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,720
Speaker 1: Coals has gifts for all your loved ones. For those

573
00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:34,240
Speaker 1: who like to keep it cozy, find fleeces, sweaters, loungeware,

574
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Speaker 1: blankets and throws, or support minority owned or founded brands

575
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Speaker 1: by giving gifts from Human Nation and Shame Moisture and

576
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Speaker 1: in the spirit of giving, Coals Cares is donating eight

577
00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:49,160
Speaker 1: million dollars to local nonprofits nationwide. Give with all your

578
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:52,080
Speaker 1: heart this season with great gifts from Coals or Coals

579
00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:57,200
Speaker 1: dot Com. On April four, Dr Martin Luther King was

580
00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:00,360
Speaker 1: shot and killed in Memphis. A petty criminal name James

581
00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:05,720
Speaker 1: Earl Ray was arrested. Case closed right James Elvay was

582
00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:10,200
Speaker 1: upon for the official story. Some of the evidence, as

583
00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,600
Speaker 1: far as I was concerned, did not match the circumstances.

584
00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:17,840
Speaker 1: This is the MLK Tapes. The first episodes are available now.

585
00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:21,400
Speaker 1: Listen on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or

586
00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:26,360
Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts. The Black Effect Presents features

587
00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:30,920
Speaker 1: honest conversations and exclusive interviews, a space for artists, everyday people,

588
00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:35,440
Speaker 1: and listeners to amplify, elevate, and empower Black voices with

589
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:38,720
Speaker 1: great conversations. Make sure to listen to The Black Effect

590
00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:42,560
Speaker 1: Presents podcast on I Heart Radio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

591
00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:43,880
Speaker 1: you get your podcast