1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: I knew whatever you know, messed up thing. Whitley said, 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: it would be countered on that show by somebody else. 3 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: I didn't have to worry about. Oh my god, I'm 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: not saying that, even though it's funny m hm. Because 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: one of my first lines was telling Denise Huxtable, I 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: parked in the handicap because it was closer and Fred Whitfrey, 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,159 Speaker 1: I said, well, why should I be punished because I 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: can WHOA. 9 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly can we say that today? I don't know. 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 3: We can't say stuff she said back there. 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 4: I really loved me some Whitley. She may have said 12 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 4: inappropriate things, but she makes me giggle. That was Jasmine guy, 13 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 4: and she is on this edition of Naked. 14 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 5: It's the greatest discourse and entertainment can naked. 15 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 6: Whitney Kerry Champions. 16 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 5: And carry Champion is to be be on a champion. 17 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 5: They care with champion. They be on a champion, They 18 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 5: care with Champion, Andy car with Chap, be afraid of Sports, 19 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 5: and then the naive. 20 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 2: Where hey, everybody, welcome to a new edition of Naked. 21 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 4: Today we're taking a trip down memory lane and I'm 22 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:16,199 Speaker 4: gonna get a little I'm gonna get a little wild 23 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 4: up here, but I think everybody knows a different world. 24 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 4: Jasmine Guy Kadeem Hardison gave birth to Jada Pinkett probably 25 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 4: one of the first times we really saw Tupac act 26 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 4: on television, Tupac shakor May He Rest in Peace. There 27 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 4: were so many luminaries that I consider luminaries on that show, 28 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 4: but the biggest standout for that show for me was 29 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 4: an HBCU, a historically black college and or university. And 30 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 4: for a young girl who grew up in California, I 31 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 4: knew nothing. Sad to say, I knew nothing about HBCUs. 32 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 4: My mother didn't because she didn't go to school and 33 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 4: that really wasn't her thing. And somewhere in the South 34 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 4: or on the East Coast seemed like another world for us. 35 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 4: Seemed like an entirely different world for people who can't travel, 36 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 4: and HBCU was so unknown, I believe, to the world 37 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 4: until The Cosby Show came about. Say what you want 38 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:16,519 Speaker 4: about Bill Cosby. He did introduce HBCUs to mainstream America. 39 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 4: He did introduce an upwardly mobile family contemporary not just 40 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 4: the Jeffersons, but a contemporary upperly mobile family to America, 41 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 4: to mainstream America. It was must see TV. It was 42 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 4: The Cosby Show. It was a different world. And I'm 43 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 4: pretty sure you guys have all heard of the show 44 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 4: called Cheers and people would tune in for hours and 45 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 4: hours on end when you only had three networks to 46 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 4: watch and NBC was winning at the time. 47 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 2: Things have changed, But I do want to. 48 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 4: Talk about what I like to call the heyday of 49 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 4: black TV television that I would stop and say, I 50 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 4: have to watch it. There was a Living Single that 51 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 4: was on Fox. There was Martin that was on Fox. 52 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 4: There was In Living Color on Fox. There were so 53 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 4: many shows. You saw Queen Latifah, you saw Eric Alexander. 54 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 4: We were introduced to so many wonderful icons in the 55 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 4: business still to this day through these TV shows that 56 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 4: aired on Fox. And as you know, I believe that 57 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 4: that network, Fox was new and fledging, and they had 58 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 4: this other show called The Simpsons, and a lot of 59 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 4: people and I'm paraphrasing the history, but you can look 60 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 4: this up for yourself. A lot of people would watch 61 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 4: Fox for the Simpsons, for In Living Color, for Living 62 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 4: Single is the one. Let me correct myself, Living Single Martin. 63 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 4: These were shows that we had to see, we must 64 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 4: watch those shows. And now that we take a look 65 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 4: back in history, it is it's disrespectful that a show 66 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 4: like Martin ever received an Emmy, which why I thought 67 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 4: this year at the Emmys, it was beautiful for them 68 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 4: to honor Martin. 69 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 2: Because out and the hell did Martin and I get 70 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 2: an Emmy. 71 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 4: And it was just a smaller issue to a larger 72 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 4: problem of our black and brown voices not being identified 73 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 4: or value not seen or heard. We've heard that before, 74 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 4: but those networks, that network, in particular Fox, was built 75 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 4: on black shows. 76 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 2: You're welcome, Fox. 77 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 4: And so once these networks got their legs, they didn't 78 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 4: necessarily need black television. At least that's what they thought. 79 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 4: At least that's what it appears like. We had black television, 80 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 4: We had black movies. There were so many more black 81 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,799 Speaker 4: films and movies, and say what you want about Tyler 82 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 4: Perry and men in dresses, but he still gives us 83 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 4: these black films that we just don't see anymore, that 84 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 4: are just so difficult to be made. Tyler Perry was like, 85 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 4: I'll make it. I'll be the source. I don't need 86 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 4: to get a greenlit. So this interview today is with 87 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 4: Jasmine Guy. She and Kadem Hardison were the couple that 88 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 4: we loved to watch on a Different world. She was 89 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 4: the Southern beil that we'd love to not like, but 90 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 4: we had to like because she really was charming in 91 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 4: spite of it all. And she was so talented, as 92 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 4: was that entire cast. But she was so talented. An actress, 93 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 4: a singer, a dancer, a director, a writer. She does 94 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 4: it all and she has her handprint or at least 95 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 4: her fingertips on some of the greats that we know 96 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 4: and love today. And on the podcast she will talk 97 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 4: about a different world. Of course, she will talk about 98 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 4: her friendship with Tupac Shakor and when he turned to 99 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 4: her the most. After he got shot in New York City, 100 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 4: he needed a place to go and no one knew 101 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 4: where he was hiding out. He and his family stay 102 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 4: with Jasmine Guy. She tells the story of how she 103 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 4: got the role for Harlem Knights, which you have to 104 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 4: see if you haven't seen. But what is consistent through 105 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 4: her story is that she is an icon and an legend. 106 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 4: And I can't help but to think that if she 107 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 4: were a blonde or even a brunette woman who had 108 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 4: this bevy of work, this resume of work that she has, 109 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 4: how would she be honored and remembered in mainstream America. 110 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 4: I'm so glad that she's so humble and willing to 111 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 4: do so many different interviews. 112 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 7: Now. 113 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 4: I don't know if you've heard, but they're doing a tour. 114 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 4: They're going on tour, they being her and the cast 115 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 4: of a Different World, and they are going on an 116 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 4: HBCU tour like rock stars, as they should, because I 117 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 4: will tell you that show inspired many of my friends 118 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 4: to go to college. Name a show today that is 119 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 4: encouraging you to go to college, or to be educated, 120 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 4: or to be different. I can't even think of a 121 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 4: show today that's on the air that says, oh, this 122 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 4: makes me want to go to college. I had a 123 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 4: friend tell me he majored in engineering because that's what 124 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 4: Dwayne did on a Different World. I had a friend 125 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 4: one time tell me he wanted to be an architect 126 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 4: because that's what Eddie Murphy was in Boomerang. 127 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: These are legacy shows that. 128 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 4: Really defined how we moved because we hadn't seen ourselves 129 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 4: in these ways before as a culture. And again, it 130 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 4: is my honor to have Jasmine Guy on the show, 131 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 4: but while you're listening, just think about what she and 132 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 4: her contemporaries are able to do. It's really special. Everybody, 133 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 4: welcome Jasmine Guy to Naked. Bea champion and care with 134 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 4: Chapion and care with chap first and foremost congratulations. I 135 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 4: think that for me, it has been such an honor 136 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 4: to watch your career. And I know you hear this 137 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 4: often as I have done some research. You hear that 138 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 4: you were a very very very significant part of our 139 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 4: narrative in life, especially when it came to college. And 140 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 4: I find myself constantly in awe of the talent that 141 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 4: you have. And oftentimes if I, even if I tried 142 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 4: to look around, didn't say who's had that career? Who 143 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 4: has that talent? Literally that talent I could act and 144 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 4: seeing I can dance. Those were requirements if you wanted 145 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 4: to make it in Hollywood. And your genesis story, for 146 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 4: my understanding, so you started dancing when you were five 147 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 4: years old. You knew that was something that was in you, 148 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 4: And I'm really curious as to how you knew that 149 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 4: at such a young age. 150 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 2: Was it a part of just your spirit? 151 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: Well, I actually asked my mother why she put me 152 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:34,199 Speaker 1: in the dance class. Why did she picked that discipline 153 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: out of anything else? And he said, because you were 154 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: always dancing around the house. And I said, oh, okay, 155 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 1: So maybe I did feel that connection early. I was, 156 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,959 Speaker 1: you know, in the basement with my I had a 157 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: record player back then, in the olden dances. 158 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 2: We still have them. 159 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: So I think that I made a commitment to being 160 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: a dancer when I was twelve. I didn't realize that 161 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: you could do this as a profession. And when I 162 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: saw Alvin Ailey perform in Atlanta and that it was 163 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: during the Peace Revelations that I felt I don't know, 164 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: I started teering a little bit and you know, putting 165 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: myself in the pieces in Waite in the water in 166 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 1: the yellow section and fix me. And I said, oh, 167 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 1: I think this is what people feel when when they 168 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: get happy, because I've witnessed it. But I never felt 169 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: it until that moment. I said, I felt connected to 170 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: God right now, you know that. So I told my 171 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 1: dad that I knew what I wanted to be when 172 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 1: I grew up, and it was the dancer, I said, 173 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: And I want to dance with Alvin Ailey. 174 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 3: I think this is my calling. 175 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: I think this is the way I can best communicate 176 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: to other people. And I think it was the calling 177 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: word that got them too, because you know, you don't 178 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: use that kind of word lightly. And that's when I 179 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: ramped up everything my my dance training, from going to 180 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: Spelman Dance School in Atlanta to going to or Performing 181 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:43,079 Speaker 1: Arts High School and now having two hours of dance 182 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: every day there. I also joined Atlanta Ballet and got 183 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 1: into the court at Ballet, so I'm on point and 184 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 1: I'm doing the Nutcracker. And over the summer, I went 185 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: to North Carolina School of the Arts because I knew 186 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: that my desire and my talent didn't match with what 187 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: I could really do. 188 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 3: My body needed more technique. 189 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: Because those dancers in A Lea's technically are proficient and 190 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: off the chain. And so that's when I really dove 191 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: in to getting that pathway to A Lea's and I 192 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: got it. I was awarded a scholarship study at A 193 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: Lea's when I was in the eleventh grade, and no, 194 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: it was during twelfth grade, and I knew that I 195 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: was going to take that scholarship. It was a six 196 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: week scholarship for the summer, and I never went back 197 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:51,719 Speaker 1: home after that. Because they kept elevating me within the 198 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 1: school to third company, second company. During that time, I 199 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 1: also got the Fame TV pilot and then eventually did 200 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: the TV show in LA with Debbie Allen. And when 201 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: I came back to New York after being in LA 202 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: for that, I was doing a lot of Broadway. I 203 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 1: did maybe five or six years of different Broadway shows, 204 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:26,319 Speaker 1: different tours. I was in the ensemble, I was understudying people. 205 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: I was doing eight shows a week for you know, 206 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: a good five or six years. 207 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 4: I think that that, to me is when I first 208 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 4: heard of Alvin Ailey. Is when I became a fan 209 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 4: of yours and studied your career. I think I grew 210 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 4: up on the West Coast right and you were in 211 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 4: Atlanta and you went to Spelman, all the schools that 212 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 4: I admired, And I wonder, if you realize how much 213 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 4: of the experience, the black experience, how much of that 214 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 4: would really influence your career and the people who followed you. 215 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 4: Did you have any idea at that time? 216 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: Not at the time, But I did School Days before 217 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: I did A Different World, even though School Days came 218 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: out after because it was a movie, you know, it 219 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: looks like a different world started School Days. But that 220 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,680 Speaker 1: which is my real first break was the School Days 221 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: movie was Spike Lee. 222 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 3: But everybody in that movie could sing, dance, and act. 223 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 3: You had to. 224 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: It was a musical, and we were all coming from 225 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 1: musical theater, you know. I had done The Whiz, I 226 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: had done Leader of the Pat Bubble and Brown Sugar 227 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: Be Hot. 228 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 3: And I knew a lot of the people in School. 229 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: Days already from New York. It's funny because you know, 230 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: dancers for the audition. The audition was pretty grueling as 231 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: far as you have to do monologues, you have to 232 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: see a capella, and then you had to come back 233 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: and dance. So the actors were freaking out about the dance, 234 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: the dancers were freaking out about singing, you know. But 235 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: literally you had to do all three. And I was 236 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: with a lot of people that did that that, you know, 237 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: I didn't see it as something that unusual. And then 238 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: I was working with Debbie Allen who did that, and 239 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: then some yeah, the Reds produced choreograph, you know. So 240 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: I didn't realize it because I didn't realize that HBCUs 241 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: were so unknown to the rest of the country because 242 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: I lived in Atlanta, across the street from Morehouse. 243 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 2: And it was just what it was. 244 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 3: It was the normal, Yes it was. 245 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 4: I was introduced to an HBCU proper because of the 246 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 4: Cosby Show and then wanted to attend one because of 247 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 4: a different world. And I, you know, but I grew 248 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 4: up on the West Coast. I hear this story all 249 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 4: the time. I've watched your past interviews. I know that 250 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 4: you all get that at least, you know, half a 251 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 4: dozen times a week or something, even more people saying 252 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 4: thank you so much for introducing me to an HBCU, 253 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:15,920 Speaker 4: or you were the reason why I wanted to attend. 254 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 4: But what you were doing was groundbreaking, and the show itself, 255 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 4: a different world, was so politically active, and it to 256 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 4: me was our renaissance, our highlight, our glory days of 257 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 4: black television. And from my understanding, you had an opportunity 258 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 4: to write. Debbie Allen, encourage you guys to write, to 259 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 4: really be a part of the show. Can you talk 260 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 4: to me about the special the special love affair that 261 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 4: the world, the culture rather had had with a different world. 262 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: Well, I feel that the HBCU was the backdrop. But 263 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: at a four did us political topics, revolutionary topics, current 264 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: topics for that time, and all of those shows that 265 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: were deeper we had to pass through the network. The 266 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: network didn't care about us being deep. They cared about 267 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: us being funny. So the balance of being funny within 268 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: a dramatic theme like date rate anti apartheid movement, the 269 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: election happened that year, one year or while we were 270 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: on when Jesse was running for president or ros Parrot 271 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: was running for president. That was the mastermind of Debbie Allen. 272 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: How to incorporate these themes that these young people need 273 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: to be dealing with and know without losing our humors. 274 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: And a lot of that is because of our relationships. 275 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: The characters in the show were very different. We were 276 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: all black, but we had different backgrounds, different experiences, different attitudes, 277 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: and up until then, other than you know Cosby and 278 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: other black sitcoms, we were working in white environments and 279 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: had to be responsible and creative, and a different world 280 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 1: allowed us to be free. Because I knew whatever you 281 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: know messed up thing Whitley said, it would be countered 282 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: on that show by somebody else. You know, I didn't 283 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: have to worry about Oh my god, I'm not saying 284 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: that even though it's funny, because one of my first 285 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: lines was telling Denise Huxtable that I parked in the 286 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: handicap because it was closer and with me, I said, well, 287 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: why should I be punished because I can't WoT? 288 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly can we say that today? Don't? 289 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 6: We can't? 290 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 2: Say? 291 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: She said back there I doubt, but we should because 292 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: in real life we're saying it, you know what I mean? 293 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: I think people are way too sensitive about what actors 294 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: that keep comedians saying, because you're taking the irony and 295 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: the humor out of what we do. We are relating 296 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 1: to you through our characters for what people really do. 297 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 3: Say. 298 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:38,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, you know, you know every Champion and Kerry Champions 299 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 5: to be a champion, a Champion and Kerry Champion and 300 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 5: Carry Champ, be a Champion and Kerry Champion and Kerry. 301 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 6: Champion entertainment and naked work, Kerry Champion. 302 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 5: And Kerry Champions to be a champion, a Champion and 303 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:00,160 Speaker 5: Carry Champion, the Champion and Kerry Champion. 304 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 6: And I wouldn't be Frausport and then the same inkivenet 305 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 6: you word. 306 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 4: I have so many questions because I look at I 307 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 4: watch many of I watched many shows. 308 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 2: I'm a TV watcher. 309 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:14,119 Speaker 4: There is there's nothing like the Cosme Show or a 310 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 4: Different World on the air right now. There is nothing 311 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 4: like Living Single on the air right now. There's nothing 312 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:25,200 Speaker 4: like you know, in Living Color on the air right now. 313 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 4: And I don't want to say the talent pool isn't 314 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 4: the same, but the environment the talent pool was to 315 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,240 Speaker 4: me superb because you all went on to have very 316 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:40,920 Speaker 4: stellar careers and became legends and still are very active 317 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 4: and acting. And I don't know what is missing now. 318 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 4: And I don't want to sound like somebody that's like, 319 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 4: get off my porch, because there are some great things 320 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 4: about new television today. But I wonder if you can 321 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 4: tell me was it the casting, was it the director? 322 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 4: Was it the writing? What's different from then versus now? 323 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 4: Because I feel like this generation, millennials especially, they need 324 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 4: to have a different world, if you will, they need 325 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:15,919 Speaker 4: to have that real, honest, fun, true experience where you're activated. 326 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 4: You guys were activated. You're talking about politics, you're talking 327 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 4: about AIDS, you're talking about everything that is so important 328 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 4: in today's age as opposed to social media. 329 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:31,679 Speaker 1: It's interesting because we have you know, I was always 330 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 1: pitching to three networks. Now there's a plethora of streaming. 331 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: You know, BT was only playing videos when I was 332 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:47,679 Speaker 1: on TV. It was somewhere we could go and pitch 333 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: our ideas, you know. And when deb did encourage me 334 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: to write for the show, and I wrote three episodes 335 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 1: and I realized what I could write a pilot and 336 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: it but who am I gonna pitch it too? You know, 337 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 1: we didn't have a home. And I watched Fox start, 338 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 1: I watched the c W start. They all started with 339 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,960 Speaker 1: black shows. Fox started with Rock That now to show 340 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 1: Simbad had a show. This is even before Martin And 341 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: as soon as those networks got their legs, they dropped 342 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: the black shows. 343 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 2: Yes, we built them. 344 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 1: It was heartbreaking because I thought we were part of 345 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,959 Speaker 1: a wave. I didn't know we were on the crest 346 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: and coming down. I didn't foresee that elimination and it's 347 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: happening now and it's up and since like, why did 348 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: they cancel the game? It was a popular show. The 349 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:57,879 Speaker 1: audience asked to bring that show back and it did 350 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:06,400 Speaker 1: lean away Isa Ray seeing them as showrunners, producers, that's 351 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: what we had on the different world. We had black 352 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:16,359 Speaker 1: female producers, exec producers, showrunner Susan fails Hill, Debbie Allen, 353 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 1: and then we had leads that were black females. When 354 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,680 Speaker 1: Diane Carrol came on our show playing with Lee's mother 355 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: and as beautiful on as she's on camera, what a wait, 356 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: just a time out? 357 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:39,240 Speaker 4: What a beautiful, beautiful moment. What a legend. Diane Carroll 358 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 4: and Jasin Guy. It was so perfect, perfect casting. I 359 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,680 Speaker 4: believed it. It was so wonderful. And I just get 360 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 4: I'm getting nostalgic talking to you about it, because you 361 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 4: really really showed us what beauty could look like inside 362 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 4: and out as a black woman, as a black young 363 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 4: girl watching that show, and I'm like, oh, we're beautiful. 364 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:04,479 Speaker 1: We're beautiful, yes, and we're smart and we're creative and 365 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,200 Speaker 1: we have a voice and all that. And Diane Carroll 366 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: said she never thought she would see that she was 367 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: always the only black and the only female, so that 368 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: means only work with white men always, Julia, you know, 369 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 1: And to come on our set and see not only 370 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: powerful positions, but an atmosphere of openness and creativity where 371 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: they wanted to hear what we thought about things about 372 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,919 Speaker 1: our characters, how we could do it. And it's not 373 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 1: always like that. A lot of time, like we paid 374 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: you to just do this line. Do it, don't critique it, 375 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: don't work it, don't you know, don't bring your extra 376 00:23:54,840 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: self to it. And having had that experience, it makes 377 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: me direct myself when I'm on a set and I'm 378 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 1: not getting any notes or direction on how to make 379 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: it better, when they're just satisfied with my first tape. 380 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,680 Speaker 1: In my mind, I direct myself and see how I 381 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: could make it different the next time, change it up 382 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,200 Speaker 1: a little in a way that that might breathe new 383 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,400 Speaker 1: life into it, you know. But I didn't always get 384 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 1: that kind of nurturing from my from other directors I've. 385 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 4: Worked with, I can see that, and I think that God, 386 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 4: Debbie Allen, she's so she She's given birth to so 387 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 4: much for us to remember. She's given birth to so 388 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 4: much for us to remember she There is not one 389 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 4: creative that I even know now that are my contemporaries 390 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 4: that haven't had an experience or worked with her or 391 00:24:53,840 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 4: said that she's encouraged them. I wonder as you congratulate 392 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:05,439 Speaker 4: on your emmy, oh thank you long overdue for for 393 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 4: so many of these shows that you have been on. 394 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:09,200 Speaker 4: But it's finally it's good that you had it and 395 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 4: I and I and I hear you say you weren't. 396 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 2: Really you didn't write anything down. 397 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 4: I don't know if this is true, but when you 398 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 4: won this Emmy for the Jessica Wu Show, did you 399 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,840 Speaker 4: feel like, finally did. 400 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,639 Speaker 2: It matter to you at that point or did it 401 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 2: feel rewarding? 402 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 1: I think I had stopped thinking about that those kind 403 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:33,400 Speaker 1: of things because it hadn't happened. We were not embraced 404 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 1: by white Hollywood. We didn't get Emmy's, we didn't get awards. 405 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 1: Everybody always said it was because we wore between Cosmi 406 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: and Cheers. They and so it would have helped our 407 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: career so much if we had up that kind of boost, 408 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 1: and for Debbie and for Susan Bels not to. 409 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 3: Be acknowledged for their work. 410 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 1: So I let that go so long ago that I 411 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: was surprised at how happy I was, you know, but 412 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 1: it felt like it was for a different world and 413 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:16,199 Speaker 1: for Atlanta that raised me. You know, I was like, 414 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 1: is it bloxious to bring my Emmy on the Good 415 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 1: Day Atlanta's show? Because I wanted to think that city, 416 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 1: you know, that got me to New York prepared to 417 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 1: go Yeah, you know, so that's how I felt about it. 418 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: The joy was coming from everybody that has invested in me, 419 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 1: So that was that was very moving. When I thought 420 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 1: about it, it was like I wanted to tell my teachers, 421 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 1: my you know, dance teachers. 422 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 3: And find them again and say, you know, did I. 423 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 2: Ever say you such a talent? 424 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 4: I think I think that you want to say thank 425 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 4: you to them, But you really poured into us the 426 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 4: same way that I talk about Debbie Allen there and 427 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 4: this is no exaggeration, not a time that does not 428 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 4: go by that we talk about Whitley, we talk about 429 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 4: Jasmine guy. I love that you are now embarking on 430 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:29,160 Speaker 4: an HBCU tour. And when I see you and Kadeem 431 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 4: is his name, but it's Dwayne forever for me, right, 432 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 4: But when I see you and kadem together, and there's 433 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 4: most recently this picture that you all recreated. 434 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 3: Oh you saw those, Yeah, we just did those. It 435 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:42,719 Speaker 3: just took us. 436 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:45,680 Speaker 1: I was saying, we can't use old pictures when we 437 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: were young and now we're in our sixties and it's 438 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:53,119 Speaker 1: not working. So I thought that was brilliant that they 439 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:56,640 Speaker 1: showed up before later, call it before later. 440 00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:00,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, let's do that yes, before and later, and you 441 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 4: are now. I think I hope you are feeling how 442 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:11,400 Speaker 4: very important you are to our history, your black history. 443 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 4: You're so very important to us. And if you could 444 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 4: have done anything differently, and I don't necessarily know if 445 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 4: you would, but would there have been anything you've done 446 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,000 Speaker 4: differently with your career. 447 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:28,919 Speaker 2: On me? 448 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 3: I really like it at all. I could. 449 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, of course there were a lot of roles I 450 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: didn't get, but I you know, it was hard to 451 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: make some of the decisions I made. For example, when 452 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: I was doing the Fame Teend show, I was making 453 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: seven hundred and fifty dollars a week and I left 454 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: that show to go back to the A Ley Company 455 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: at seventy five dollars a week because I felt like 456 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: I wasn't dancing enough. I wasn't in class. I wasn't 457 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 1: and that window of dancing with the A Lea Company 458 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 1: was small. 459 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 3: You know. 460 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 1: I didn't know how long my dancing life would be. 461 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 1: What if I got injured, what if? 462 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 6: You know? 463 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 3: But it. 464 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: Fortified me, and I would say the only thing I 465 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: might change would have been when I wasn't working, I 466 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 1: would just sink, Yeah, I didn't have a light outside 467 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: of that. 468 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 7: You know. 469 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: I remember being at a school and a kid asking me, well, 470 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 1: what do you do when you're not acting? 471 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:45,960 Speaker 4: Like? 472 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:53,240 Speaker 1: What are your hobbies? And I had none in my mind. 473 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 1: I'm like, good question. 474 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 2: You know, I gotta go get a life. If I 475 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 2: got to go get a hobby, you can you talk 476 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 2: about dancing? 477 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 4: You made seventy five dollars a week and you left 478 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 4: fame to go back to dancing because you feel like 479 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 4: you needed to do more. The constant drive to want 480 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 4: to do more, be more, be excellent. It is something 481 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 4: that I have I've seen for so many women in 482 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 4: this business, especially black and brown women. Have you ever 483 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 4: felt relaxed? You might have hustled, you might have worked hard, 484 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 4: you might have been anxious, you might have felt supportive, 485 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 4: But have you ever been relaxed in your career. 486 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,360 Speaker 3: In my career, in my real life. 487 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 2: In your career? Has it ever felt easy? 488 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 3: Not easy? 489 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 1: And if it was, I would challenge myself. Like I said, 490 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 1: sometimes people accept what I bring to the table, but 491 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: what I bring to the table could be improved upon. 492 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: That's just what I thought. Yeah, yeah, that were in 493 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 1: my bathroom before I got here. You know, give me 494 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: something else to try or play with. And the exciting 495 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: thing about doing Harlem the TV the Amazon show is 496 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:19,720 Speaker 1: that everybody wants to just be great, you know. And 497 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: Whippo was on the set yesterday and she reminded us 498 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 1: she's a very giving person. If you need her in 499 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: your project to get your project done, she'll be that work. 500 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 1: If you're starting or embarking on another journey, she'll be 501 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: the one to call that will support you in that 502 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: with not only good advice, but we'll put herself there 503 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: for you. And that's also very important, especially for independent 504 00:31:54,600 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: black projects, because they're gonna need distribution after this is done. 505 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,600 Speaker 1: They may have raised the money to film it, but 506 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: getting it out there is a whole other thing. And 507 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 1: they always want names and so. And they say that 508 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: black names, at least in the olden days, didn't have 509 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 1: international value, therefore they wouldn't get their return back, which 510 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: also isn't true. It's just another way of not getting 511 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:33,520 Speaker 1: our projects out that we create. It's like we're good 512 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: for hire, but we have we have other stories we 513 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:38,240 Speaker 1: want to tell. 514 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, and you don't know them. 515 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 2: Yes, Yes, I had. 516 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: A bid Wish show and I knew already going in there. 517 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 1: I was going to have to explain what bid Wiss was, right. 518 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:55,000 Speaker 3: So I started it with, you know, this is a 519 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 3: very popular game in the black community. So if you 520 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,600 Speaker 3: never heard of it, I'm going to tell you about it, 521 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 3: how it traveled across the country through the pulm importers, 522 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 3: and why it remained a black thing because the show 523 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 3: where I was picked pitching had black celebrities athletes in 524 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 3: a Bidwiss kind of tournament. Because I know a bunch 525 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 3: of celebrities in different realms and wouldn't have said, well, again, no, 526 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 3: I hang out with black people and I never heard 527 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,719 Speaker 3: of it. I said, I just told you it's stuff 528 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 3: we do without y'all around. 529 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's just it's for us. It's for us. You 530 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 4: don't know of it all. Yeah, the arrogance. 531 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 1: I would never think that I know everything about white people. 532 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:55,160 Speaker 3: I tell you people Jewish people, how I listen to. 533 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:58,479 Speaker 1: What you tell me about, how you do family dinner, 534 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: how your unions go, h, how you vacation. I'm not 535 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 1: gonna go, well, I know white people and I never 536 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 1: heard of that. 537 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:09,520 Speaker 2: Correct. 538 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:12,800 Speaker 1: How do you think you gonna know everything? I started 539 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 1: by saying, I'm gonna tell you something you never heard of, 540 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: but justin believe I know the popularity of this game 541 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 1: and this you know, that's always that was frustrating not 542 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 1: having someone to pitch to. Now I have people to 543 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:27,759 Speaker 1: pitch too. 544 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 2: Now we have people to pitch to. 545 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 4: You mentioned there is a new and I don't want 546 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 4: to I don't want to feel like I'm saying that 547 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 4: the talent pool isn't as vast as it was. We 548 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:41,760 Speaker 4: just don't have the shows that represent us on television anymore. 549 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 4: And to your point, our black shows built these networks, 550 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,680 Speaker 4: and when they didn't need us anymore, we found ourselves 551 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 4: on the outside looking in. But now the new creative 552 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:53,560 Speaker 4: is like, no, I'm the EP of the show, I'm 553 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 4: the creator of the show. I have full licensing of 554 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 4: the show. They're more business savvy because we felt like 555 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 4: those options were not a vag I assume we felt 556 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:04,360 Speaker 4: like those options were not available. But what but what 557 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:08,440 Speaker 4: what's missing still is the co sign because if we 558 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 4: have to explain it to you, you won't get it, 559 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:13,680 Speaker 4: it won't make sense. And I and I find that 560 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 4: a lot of Hollywood creatives are arguing about that. So 561 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:18,640 Speaker 4: when I think of someone and I think of a 562 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 4: movie that you were in that I. You know, I 563 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 4: have these movies I like to go to bed too, 564 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:26,120 Speaker 4: and the movie that I like to go to one 565 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:28,800 Speaker 4: of them is Harlem Knights. And what Eddie Murphy was 566 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:32,480 Speaker 4: able to do with his career was that's why he's 567 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 4: a true talent, right. He was able to live in 568 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,600 Speaker 4: both worlds, and he did both things. 569 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 2: He gave us. 570 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 4: He gave us our black films, he gave us our 571 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 4: our blockbusters. He gave us our films that we could watch. 572 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 4: And you, I heard say in an interview that you 573 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:50,799 Speaker 4: pitched yourself, if you will, to Eddie to be in 574 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 4: Harlem Knights. And what a great decision that was. I 575 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:00,160 Speaker 4: didn't think that was pitching you. I've met in I'm 576 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:01,160 Speaker 4: at a party. 577 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 1: I knew him from before, and I was a little 578 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:12,480 Speaker 1: miffed that they didn't allow me to audition and that 579 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,520 Speaker 1: role was given to Michael Michelle by the time I 580 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 1: saw Eddie and he said, well, congratulations, how is it feeled? 581 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:26,439 Speaker 1: You know, I don't know, it's like People magazine cover 582 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:30,239 Speaker 1: or something. And I said, I would feel better if 583 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:34,040 Speaker 1: I could auditioned for you. That was very insulting to 584 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,400 Speaker 1: me that you wouldn't see me and it gave a 585 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:42,680 Speaker 1: wrong message to my agents, and you know, is there 586 00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:47,959 Speaker 1: a problem kind of thing, because out of respect, I'm 587 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:52,680 Speaker 1: asking to audition at least see me. So at the 588 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:56,480 Speaker 1: time I said that to him, it was already done 589 00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:59,759 Speaker 1: and I was just voiceing how I felt about it. 590 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:03,839 Speaker 1: And it was happening more and more with black men 591 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 1: in Hollywood that I was seeing on a social level. 592 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 1: So they were I said, yeah, but you're seeing me 593 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:15,719 Speaker 1: as me. You got to bring me in and see 594 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:20,279 Speaker 1: if I can play the character. And the white directors 595 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,200 Speaker 1: brought me in because they didn't know me personally. Well, 596 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:26,400 Speaker 1: let's see if she. 597 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:25,839 Speaker 3: She can do it. 598 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:31,120 Speaker 1: And I just wanted that same opportunity. And then Eddie 599 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:33,760 Speaker 1: calledby and and gave. 600 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:34,239 Speaker 3: Me the role. 601 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: Well yeah, it was a little messy, and and I 602 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 1: was thrilled that was in it. But I was like, well, 603 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 1: I don't know, yes, that's another true story. 604 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 4: Well that's fine, and well they gave you. It went 605 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 4: the way it's supposed to go. And I'm sure that 606 00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:01,680 Speaker 4: happens often, that's not I'm sure, I know. Yeah, so 607 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:05,520 Speaker 4: I but I love that because once again, there we 608 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:07,919 Speaker 4: are telling some really great stories that we probably knew 609 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:11,440 Speaker 4: nothing about. And we're talking about Harlem, the mecca for 610 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:15,760 Speaker 4: the culture and for us who aren't able to travel 611 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,200 Speaker 4: or live in different areas. Like to me, I grew 612 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:20,560 Speaker 4: up in California. New York was a year. It was 613 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:22,759 Speaker 4: It was a lifetime away because you know, my family 614 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 4: didn't travel. It felt like a lifetime away to feel 615 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:27,719 Speaker 4: and hear about this place called Harlem where we can 616 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 4: do all these fun things and dance and singing and 617 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:31,160 Speaker 4: cut up. 618 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 2: Well, where's this mecca? Where can I go to be 619 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:37,440 Speaker 2: a part of that? Again? Important and so needed. 620 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:41,120 Speaker 5: Now, every champion and carry champion is to be a champion, 621 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,560 Speaker 5: a champion and carry chappion and carry Chatty outa champion 622 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:49,200 Speaker 5: and carry Chappion and carry Chappy's sports and entertainment can naked, We're. 623 00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:56,560 Speaker 6: Very champion. 624 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:59,280 Speaker 5: And Carrie Champion is to be a champion of Champion 625 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,520 Speaker 5: and Carrie chat Champion and care with. 626 00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:03,760 Speaker 6: Champion and carried. 627 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:06,480 Speaker 4: Or. 628 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,960 Speaker 2: I would like to know one other story. 629 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:12,840 Speaker 4: When you were on different world, and I know that 630 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 4: you don't have much time, but I that you are 631 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:17,279 Speaker 4: on a different world. You met this this guy by 632 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:19,320 Speaker 4: the name of Tupac shit Kor and I had the 633 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:22,320 Speaker 4: opportunity of meeting him twice. Both times I was a teenager, 634 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 4: I was like sixteen and eighteen, and he always had 635 00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:30,000 Speaker 4: something special about him, and he was always very polite 636 00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:31,719 Speaker 4: like and I was I was just a kid who 637 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:34,880 Speaker 4: was a fan. And he was very polite, I remember, 638 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:38,879 Speaker 4: very approachable. And you tell the story of how he 639 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 4: and you became friends because he was always hanging out 640 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 4: with Jada on set, Jada Pinkett, and he used your home, 641 00:39:46,719 --> 00:39:50,920 Speaker 4: the families, the Shakors used your home as a place 642 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:54,640 Speaker 4: of refuge after he was shot, and and you talked 643 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:57,120 Speaker 4: about the book you wrote. Can you tell me a 644 00:39:57,120 --> 00:40:00,840 Speaker 4: little bit about that relationship with a female and Tupac 645 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 4: and why he knew that he could find solace with you. 646 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:10,680 Speaker 1: Well, when I met him, he did an episode of 647 00:40:10,719 --> 00:40:15,000 Speaker 1: a Different World, and then I saw him outside in 648 00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:19,919 Speaker 1: the real world, and I was hearing murmurings about he's 649 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:24,600 Speaker 1: just playing himself. He ain't all that, he's just playing himself. 650 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:27,200 Speaker 1: And I said, well, do you know how hard it 651 00:40:27,239 --> 00:40:30,279 Speaker 1: is to make you think that that character really is 652 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:36,880 Speaker 1: a person you were making. I thought he was a 653 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:39,319 Speaker 1: great actor and I just wanted him to know that. 654 00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:44,080 Speaker 1: I said, you have to focus on that challenge too, 655 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 1: because the rappers were getting movies back then, and not 656 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 1: everybody could act. They were using the popularity of their name, 657 00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:59,879 Speaker 1: you know, but those that could did and you could 658 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:04,080 Speaker 1: see it, you know, the transition that will Smith made, 659 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:09,320 Speaker 1: the transition that Ice Cube made, the transition Ice Team made, 660 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 1: but not everybody could sustain it. And I always thought 661 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:20,279 Speaker 1: Tupac was going to be a film star producer, you know, 662 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,839 Speaker 1: go in the path of his his contemporaries that are 663 00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:29,880 Speaker 1: now on that level, creating their own material, learning the business, 664 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:35,320 Speaker 1: learning from the music business, and applying it to movies 665 00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:39,520 Speaker 1: and film you know, like fifty cent. I think he 666 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:42,880 Speaker 1: had that kind of mind to do. And he was 667 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:46,240 Speaker 1: still very yelling, I member when he was like twenty 668 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:51,480 Speaker 1: two or something, you know, so a lot of what 669 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:55,000 Speaker 1: we talked about was that, and he would tell me 670 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:57,800 Speaker 1: things to that I should be doing that I didn't 671 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:01,800 Speaker 1: see for myself, you know. He was like, stop talking 672 00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 1: about all these other girls. We didn't get that way 673 00:42:04,239 --> 00:42:08,200 Speaker 1: about you because I had a kind of category for 674 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:14,440 Speaker 1: that leading lady, you know, Vanessa Williams, Robin Gibbons, you know, 675 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,239 Speaker 1: and I was like, I've got to learn how to 676 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:22,480 Speaker 1: how to what that is that you know? How you 677 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:26,359 Speaker 1: say you're just say yeah that you you know? And 678 00:42:26,719 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: so I was studying them because I always saw myself 679 00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:34,480 Speaker 1: as a character actor, and the broader the character, the better, 680 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:38,680 Speaker 1: you know. After Whitley, I wanted to play crackhead. After 681 00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:41,840 Speaker 1: the Crackhead, I wanted to play a teacher. I didn't 682 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:46,160 Speaker 1: want to always be the girlfriend of I kind of 683 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:49,759 Speaker 1: didn't know what to do with that, actually, So we 684 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:55,480 Speaker 1: had that discussion a lot about not seeing myself as 685 00:42:55,600 --> 00:43:01,000 Speaker 1: that and almost preferring a supportive role that I understood 686 00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:05,640 Speaker 1: and knew I could add to, as opposed to a 687 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:11,560 Speaker 1: look that fit with something but nothing really to play yeah, 688 00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:18,319 Speaker 1: you know nothing. So we had interesting conversations and I 689 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:20,680 Speaker 1: really saw that for him and. 690 00:43:20,920 --> 00:43:23,840 Speaker 4: The star, here's the star, and he made such a 691 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:26,200 Speaker 4: such star and he made such a huge impact in 692 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:30,200 Speaker 4: a short period of time. And sometimes you think maybe 693 00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:32,560 Speaker 4: those legends don't deserve to have a long life, and 694 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:34,520 Speaker 4: just what they do is what is meant for us 695 00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:37,280 Speaker 4: to interpret. You said that you liked the fax special 696 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:40,879 Speaker 4: to me, Dear Mama, sup. 697 00:43:41,040 --> 00:43:43,480 Speaker 2: Superb, superb. 698 00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:45,920 Speaker 3: I agree, perb. 699 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:50,840 Speaker 4: I didn't realize how smart a Fina was, and I 700 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:52,759 Speaker 4: just thank you for all that you've been able to do. 701 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:54,480 Speaker 4: I know you have to go, but thank you so 702 00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:57,120 Speaker 4: much for just what you've contributed to us and the 703 00:43:57,160 --> 00:43:58,359 Speaker 4: inspiration you've given to us. 704 00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:02,040 Speaker 1: And that Alan Hughes direct that that Docky series was 705 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:05,000 Speaker 1: rod yet it was and there his view was a trip. 706 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:08,560 Speaker 2: I was it? Why it? Why? 707 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:12,160 Speaker 7: Well, I'm glad you decided to do this because he 708 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:16,160 Speaker 7: digit's early videos, Brenda had a baby and all that, 709 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:20,799 Speaker 7: and for them to fall out the way they did, you. 710 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:23,600 Speaker 4: Know, literally beat him up on set. Only Alan could 711 00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:25,840 Speaker 4: tell that story. I'm all like, wait, you mean to 712 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:29,640 Speaker 4: tell me he beat you? Hear I've heard the rumors. 713 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:30,600 Speaker 2: And it was just beautiful. 714 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:32,080 Speaker 4: It was beautiful, and I know it had to be 715 00:44:32,120 --> 00:44:35,000 Speaker 4: embarrassing or painful, but only he could have given us 716 00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:36,840 Speaker 4: that that insight that we needed. 717 00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:40,320 Speaker 2: And so with that being said, I just thank you. 718 00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:43,520 Speaker 4: You've touched everyone that we've known and loved in the 719 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:47,120 Speaker 4: culture and still do and we support you. Congratulations on 720 00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:49,840 Speaker 4: the Emmy that you received in January. Congratulations on the 721 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:53,600 Speaker 4: HBCU tour. From my understanding, that's in April. The second tour. 722 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:56,400 Speaker 4: You'll be at Howard University in April. Is there anything 723 00:44:56,440 --> 00:44:57,840 Speaker 4: else that we should be looking out for. I know 724 00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:00,319 Speaker 4: you're on Harlem, you talked about that. That's on am On. 725 00:45:01,880 --> 00:45:06,640 Speaker 1: Well, I'm doing a series of Christmas movies and I film. 726 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:12,520 Speaker 1: I'm filming the third one in Africa. We're going on 727 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 1: the Destination Christmas and it's about the West Leave Family, 728 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:21,440 Speaker 1: starring me and Dorian Wilson as the mother and father 729 00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:25,520 Speaker 1: of three kids and TC Carson and I love doing it. 730 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:28,440 Speaker 1: I mean, I really feel like they're my family and 731 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:31,560 Speaker 1: we have a great time and I'm glad I get 732 00:45:31,600 --> 00:45:35,560 Speaker 1: to do that soon, like next week, I'm going to Africa. 733 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:37,359 Speaker 2: Where where in Africa? Are you going? 734 00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:38,719 Speaker 3: South Africa? 735 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:39,440 Speaker 2: So good for you. 736 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:43,040 Speaker 3: Enjoy enjoy and I enjoyed doing this interview. 737 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:47,040 Speaker 1: You're wonderful, You're great, beautiful, talented. 738 00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:49,640 Speaker 2: I received that. 739 00:45:50,360 --> 00:45:52,960 Speaker 3: Nobody's asking me, so I appreciate that that. 740 00:45:53,160 --> 00:45:55,520 Speaker 2: So again, go out and support Jasmine Guy. 741 00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:58,000 Speaker 4: If you guys gonna be in uh in the DC area, 742 00:45:58,200 --> 00:46:00,920 Speaker 4: you can look it up online hbcur I saw her 743 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:03,920 Speaker 4: put it on her Instagram, the Jasmine Guy that they 744 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:05,800 Speaker 4: were going to Howard. I think it's sometime in April 745 00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:09,200 Speaker 4: April ninth. Maybe I think that would be great. I 746 00:46:09,200 --> 00:46:12,759 Speaker 4: think that's always wonderful to see someone who inspired so 747 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:17,680 Speaker 4: many people to head to an HBCU, to head to college, period, 748 00:46:17,800 --> 00:46:20,920 Speaker 4: but to an HBCU, go and talk to those at 749 00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:25,960 Speaker 4: an HBCU. She gave life. I believe Bill Cosby different world. 750 00:46:26,239 --> 00:46:29,879 Speaker 4: Gosby Show gave life to HBCUs And I know that 751 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:33,680 Speaker 4: history will not remember Cosby in that in that way. 752 00:46:33,719 --> 00:46:36,400 Speaker 2: But I will tell you two things can be true. 753 00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:41,160 Speaker 4: He could be what people do not like and despise, 754 00:46:41,200 --> 00:46:43,160 Speaker 4: but he can also be someone who really encouraged our 755 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:44,520 Speaker 4: culture to be better and do more. 756 00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:45,920 Speaker 2: Two things can be true. 757 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:49,839 Speaker 4: I often say that on the podcast it's disappointing that Hollywood, 758 00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:56,000 Speaker 4: much like much of society and many institutions, can't appreciate 759 00:46:57,000 --> 00:46:59,360 Speaker 4: the culture and what it brings to the main the world. 760 00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:03,480 Speaker 4: Meaning when Fox needed all that black talent in shows 761 00:47:03,480 --> 00:47:07,919 Speaker 4: and programming, they had no problem greenlighting those shows because 762 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:10,680 Speaker 4: they were in neat and all of that black talent 763 00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:14,000 Speaker 4: and all those black shows helped build that network. Much 764 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:16,440 Speaker 4: like My Good Girl Angela RAI will say we built 765 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:19,200 Speaker 4: this joint for free. Talking about the city in which 766 00:47:19,239 --> 00:47:21,239 Speaker 4: the America and which we live in. We built this 767 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:26,360 Speaker 4: joint for free social respect and so with that being said, 768 00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:29,920 Speaker 4: I show nothing but respect to Jasmine Guy. I am 769 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:32,840 Speaker 4: so grateful for her that she came on the podcast 770 00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:37,239 Speaker 4: and shared some stories. For me personally, it's like, give 771 00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:39,560 Speaker 4: me the inside, break down that fourth wall, let me 772 00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:41,600 Speaker 4: see what's happening, because these are the shows that I 773 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:44,080 Speaker 4: grew up on that met so much to me. And 774 00:47:44,160 --> 00:47:46,759 Speaker 4: quite frankly, everyone is living off the fruit of what 775 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:50,600 Speaker 4: Jasmine Guy and all of the characters in a different 776 00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:53,359 Speaker 4: world in the Cosmme Show were able to do. We're 777 00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:56,840 Speaker 4: getting smarter and better, though work is just getting more scarce. 778 00:47:57,280 --> 00:48:00,520 Speaker 4: Perhaps we'll have another renaissance if you will for listening 779 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 4: to Naked. We'll be back next Monday.