1 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, thanks for pulling up a chair today on 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: Table for Two. This is Bruce Bosi and we are 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: at the Sunset Tower Hotel, my favorite place in La. 4 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 2: Hello. 5 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: Hey, today we're having lunch with an accomplished director, an 6 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: Academy Award winning movie producer. You might know the epic 7 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: TV series he created called Empire. 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 3: If you're watching. 9 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 1: Netflix as we go into the Halloween months, you should 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: be watching this scary movie called Deliverance, which is based 11 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: on a true story. 12 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,200 Speaker 3: Are we ordering, Yeah, he came by, but we were talking. 13 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 2: That's what Michael Jackson, who. 14 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: But the most fascinating thing about this gentleman is that 15 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: he came to Hollywood and began his career as a nurse. 16 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: So let's get into that. So sit back, grab a 17 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: glass of rose, and enjoy. We're having lunch today with 18 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: mister Lee Daniels. I'm Bruce Bozsi and this is my 19 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: podcast Table for two. 20 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 3: Well, if you've pulled. 21 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: Up a chair today, we are having lunch with we 22 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: are We are having lunch with an incredible director, producer, 23 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: Academy Award winner, mister Lee Daniels. 24 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 3: Welcomely, Thank you, Bruce. 25 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 4: I'm so happy to be here. Would you like to 26 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 4: know that? My boyfriend told me you can't, like not 27 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 4: do you're pressing without talking to Bruce. 28 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:49,559 Speaker 2: Because he's obsessed. 29 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 3: Get out. 30 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 2: I swear to god, he said you can. I was like, 31 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 2: of course, and I was thinking, of course. I mean, 32 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 2: and he's very very he's. 33 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 4: Very very he's forties, very New York times, very into 34 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 4: the know right well. 35 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 3: And it's that very good taste because he's with you 36 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:07,559 Speaker 3: and he loves my show. 37 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,679 Speaker 1: That's really meaningful to me because you sit here and 38 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: you don't know how it resonates with people. Something popped up, 39 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: which was in September ninth, nineteen eighty three, Newsweek had 40 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: a cover that had a vile of blood in it, 41 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: and I was talking about AIDS and the pandemic of 42 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: AIDS and like, if you that's kind of crazy because 43 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: today is September tenth. 44 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 3: So that's why I kind of popped up, and that pandemic. 45 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 3: I did not realize that when you came out West, 46 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 3: you were working in the nursing world. 47 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: You were at first a receptionist and then you opened 48 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: up your own and you were primarily dealing with people 49 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: with HIV AIDS, So like, how did that. 50 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 3: I don't know. 51 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 2: I really don't know how it had. 52 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 4: I just sort of unfolded. I was I was a 53 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 4: I looked in it. I was living on Hollywood. I 54 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 4: was living on will Cox and Hollywood Boulevard, and I 55 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 4: was looking for a job. I just found a roommate. 56 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 4: And I was homeless for a little bit, and I 57 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 4: just found a roommate. And I went looking through the 58 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 4: La Times, and incidentally on Sunset and will Cox, there 59 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 4: was a nursing agency in the LA Times Classified section 60 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 4: that was looking for receptionists. And I knew I had 61 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 4: a good speaking voice, so I went in too to 62 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 4: meet with them. They hired me on the spot, and 63 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 4: I went from being a receptionist to selling nurses. I 64 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 4: knew nothing of knew I know nothing of nursing, selling 65 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 4: nurses meaning that if your mom is sick, you have 66 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 4: at your home, meaning that you don't meaning you know. 67 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 4: And so if you if you're having a baby and 68 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 4: youeding nanny, or if you need a homemaker or even 69 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 4: a housekeeper, home health care in any way. And so 70 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 4: I would sell these people to people that needed our care. 71 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 4: And and then they elevated me to UH from receptionists 72 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 4: to salesperson to manager when I was. 73 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 2: Like twenty three at the time, and I and finally said, 74 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 2: you know what, I think I can do this on 75 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 2: my own. 76 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 3: And so am amcious from the beginning, like what I 77 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 3: could do? I want to do? 78 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 2: So twenty four and I'm feel a little cocky. 79 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 4: I got I'm making eight hundred dollars a week, which 80 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 4: is a lot of money for me at the time, 81 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 4: and I and I said, I think I think I 82 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 4: can do this on my own. 83 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 3: So I. 84 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 2: Knew nothing about opening a business at all. 85 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,359 Speaker 4: And I just sort of said, I got my three 86 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 4: girls that were my solid ace boom Coons said, I'm. 87 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 2: Getting a script. 88 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 3: Can you say that again, your. 89 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 2: Ace boom Coons, Ace boom Boomons, I love that. 90 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,799 Speaker 4: And there were these wonderful black women that just really 91 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 4: believe in me. 92 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: And part of being a man, the managing it was. 93 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 4: Knowing that going out to Cedar SINAI, going to Century 94 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 4: City Hospital, Santa Monica Hospital, and marketing the company, meaning 95 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 4: that getting with the social workers, because those are the 96 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 4: people that refer you from the hospital to as discharged planners, 97 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 4: the ones that are when as you're leaving the hospital, 98 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 4: they okay, it's call this person, this person, this person 99 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 4: for nursing care once you leave. 100 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 2: But all of them were black women, and they all 101 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 2: like gravitated to me. 102 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 4: So it says this weird thing that these social workers 103 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 4: that were all black were love me. 104 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 3: It doesn't surprise me. 105 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 4: And then they were like, you got to go to 106 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 4: this guy, you gotta get so and so and so 107 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 4: I said I can do this. 108 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 2: So and so I started with. 109 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 3: Did you have to get like a degree or like. 110 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:47,279 Speaker 2: You didn't know what I was doing. 111 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 4: I'm talking taxes all of it, and so. 112 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 2: And so I started with about three nurses, four nurses. 113 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 4: And and we had I don't know, I had to 114 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 4: move out of my house because it was like they 115 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 4: thought I was running like. 116 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 2: Some sort of organization there. 117 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 4: I had moved to Sycamore and Melrose and and so 118 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 4: I had to move to had My first offices were 119 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 4: on Wiltshire. 120 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 2: And Lebrea and. 121 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 4: Yeah, we and so we So I went from four 122 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 4: nurses to like one hundred and fifty nurses. Holy But 123 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 4: the reason what happened during that time was was that 124 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:28,600 Speaker 4: it became sort of like black women sort of flocking 125 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 4: to me and aids. 126 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 2: It and nobody and no one knew. 127 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 4: No one wanted to touch the patient, but my girls would, right, 128 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 4: and so my girls would go in and then they 129 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 4: would going and so that and that's really where the 130 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 4: boom happened for me. 131 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 2: And then I was like it was out of control. 132 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 4: And then I was living my own private sort of 133 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 4: thing while my success with the nursing agency. 134 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 2: Was coming along, and it. 135 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 3: You mean, like your own personal life or like it was. 136 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 4: Crazy, because what happens is that you know, I'd come 137 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 4: I wasn't rich, so I was homeless, and so what 138 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 4: do you do with someone that doesn't have an education, 139 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 4: Your father's gone, You have a lot of money, I mean, 140 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 4: I was making a. 141 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 2: Lot of money. I'm making I don't even I can't. 142 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 4: I mean, I mean I must have sold I sold 143 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 4: it for a few million, but even then it was 144 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 4: undervalued at the time. 145 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 2: So I was making a noise my money. And so 146 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 2: I did a lot of drugs. And I had a 147 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 2: lot of friends at. 148 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 4: The same time that were dying, and so I was 149 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 4: on my own sort of path of. 150 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 2: Like why are my friends dying? 151 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 4: These guys are so much better than me, nicer than me, 152 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 4: kinder than me, souls that were just like dropping like 153 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 4: fives and black guys at the time, people think that 154 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 4: this COVID thing was a thing. Black men were dying 155 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 4: and garbage trucks were picking them up because the hospitals 156 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 4: weren't taking them, their parents weren't taking them well, and 157 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 4: so it was really I don't think that people people 158 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 4: think like, oh, like, how does he come up with 159 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 4: these stories? 160 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 2: You know what I mean? They come from a place 161 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 2: of watching people die in your arms over and over 162 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 2: and over and over again. I mean, and I don't 163 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 2: It's like, I don't think people don't you know. 164 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: Now, I will first always say there's those of us 165 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: and we're in the same years of life. The the 166 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: trauma of all of that, I don't think people realize. 167 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 3: I mean, there's a generation of people that just want't here. 168 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 3: They don't know, but there's the trauma of that. I mean, 169 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 3: even the reality of saying people were being picked up 170 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 3: by garbage trucks because they don't want to touch them conceivable, inconceivable. 171 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: I mean, this is a civilized, first world country and 172 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 1: we see. 173 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,839 Speaker 2: Ambulances aren't taking him in, the hospitals aren't taking him in. 174 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 2: Especially African Americans. 175 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 4: It was like on another different level, the white boys 176 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 4: down in West Hollywood were at least I think their 177 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 4: parents were quasi accepting them. And I think that, but 178 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 4: the homophobia in the black community was so rampant and 179 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 4: so like and and so and also you have to understand, 180 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 4: my dad had convinced me that, you know, being gay 181 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,439 Speaker 4: was a death sentence prior to Aid's ever coming out. 182 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 4: So I just assumed once he died that this was 183 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 4: just a fad of complete this was supposed to be. 184 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 3: When did you get ahead of the drugs? 185 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:33,079 Speaker 2: Get ahead of the drugs? 186 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 4: I think, my kids is what sort of did it? 187 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 4: Because I adopted my brother's children that were that when 188 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 4: they were like three days old. My partner and I 189 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 4: Billy Hopkins at the time, the Castle director, my brother 190 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 4: was going to jail and his he said that he 191 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 4: called me and I was in po Springs. I'll never 192 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 4: get I was armed ecstasy or. 193 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 2: Something or MDA. No no, no, no, it was called No. 194 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 2: They didn't have malley. 195 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 4: Then they had lemon lemons, that lemon drop, the lemonslues. 196 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 3: Cuala, nothing like. 197 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 4: It. 198 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 2: And you don't make them any they don't make them 199 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 2: any clean. 200 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 3: We're not promoting drug us. 201 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 2: We don't do those anymore at all. 202 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 4: Well, maybe a valium when I have to fly. 203 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 3: Well that's it, because when I fly to I take isamix. 204 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 2: I mean it isn't it the same? 205 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, basically they both mellow you out. 206 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, you gotta anyway. 207 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 4: So I'm in Palm Springs and my boyfriend at the 208 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 4: time really wanted kids. 209 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 2: And he lived in New York and I lived in 210 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 2: l a And and I was. 211 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 4: Really struggling because I was struggling from a drug perspective. 212 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 4: The nursing agency had gone, I had gotten into this 213 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 4: business some kind of way. 214 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 2: I was lost. My friends were dying or dead. I 215 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 2: was alone. 216 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 4: I was with this guy that you know, I liked 217 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,839 Speaker 4: a lot, and he wanted kids and I didn't want kids. 218 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 2: And my brother called me to say, listen, I'm going 219 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 2: to jail. 220 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 4: My girlfriend doesn't want the kids and I need you 221 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 4: to take them. 222 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 2: And they were twins. They were coming, and. 223 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 4: I was like, she was four months and she was 224 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 4: four months end at the time, and I said, okay, 225 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 4: bye in church. 226 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 3: No small ask on that one, but yeah. 227 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 4: So they arrived in January and my and. 228 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 2: And sure enough to the day, you know, my. 229 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 4: Mom called me and and she said that the mother 230 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 4: had left them on her doorsteps in snow and taken 231 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 4: off and they were days old, and and she says, 232 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 4: you are going to come and take these kids, And 233 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 4: so thank you. In some deep way, I think that 234 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 4: she understood that I, without knowing it, that something was 235 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 4: wrong with me, and that because she's so magical and spiritual, 236 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 4: she knew that these kids were going to save my life. 237 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 4: So so I said, I'm not taking okay, So but 238 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 4: my partner said I. 239 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 2: Really want kids. 240 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 4: So we took the kids and and I thought, I thought. 241 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 2: Oh they were also they were drug babies, they were 242 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 2: just the Yeah. 243 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 4: So I thought that I was saving them. 244 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 2: Are you with me? Yeah? 245 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 3: I am? 246 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 4: And so I come here, I waiting over to New 247 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 4: York and you're driving out the Philadelphia and getting the 248 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 4: kids and Bruce, they they saved your life. 249 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 3: They saved your life. That's the beauty. Things happen in 250 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:50,679 Speaker 3: one's life. 251 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: You don't know, it's crazy, it's crazy. 252 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:56,359 Speaker 3: So you raised them straight. 253 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 2: Through from three days old, from three days old. You 254 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:00,319 Speaker 2: want some kids? Is there? 255 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 3: Twenty eight. 256 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Table for two after his time in 257 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: nursing our guest. Lee Daniels became a casting director and manager, 258 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 1: and I'm curious did he always have Hollywood on his mind? 259 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 3: The beauty is. 260 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:43,079 Speaker 1: That I always think the paths that open up that 261 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:43,960 Speaker 1: you know, you don't know. 262 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:45,679 Speaker 3: So you take a right, you take a left. Here 263 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 3: you are you create this business? Quesh does this road 264 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,560 Speaker 3: lead to Tedy Daniels. I'm sitting with today. 265 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 2: So I'm eight years old. I'm in the first time. 266 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 2: I welcome to the library. 267 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 4: Okay, I go into the I don't know how, how, why, 268 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 4: but God took. 269 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 2: Me into the theater section. I opened a book. 270 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 4: There's a cover of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton in 271 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 4: black and white, and the book is. 272 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 2: Called Who's Afraid of Virginia Book? I'm eight. 273 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 4: Wow, I opened a book. It's my I'm reading it 274 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 4: cover to cover. I'm obsessed with it. 275 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 2: I don't know why I'm obsessed with it. 276 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 4: I'm obsessed with it because the words it's like a 277 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 4: play and this is oh oh. 278 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 2: Martha says this, George says this, oh oh oh. 279 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 4: And so I read it as the first book I 280 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 4: took out of the library. 281 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 2: I took it home on my stoop. 282 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 4: I had my neighbors, and my sisters read Honey and 283 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 4: George and Martha and all and and I said, you're 284 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 4: not saying it right. And I think, because you know, 285 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 4: I come from a very large family, and I've seen 286 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 4: so much. At that age, I understood the nuance of 287 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 4: what these complicated I understood it. I don't understand how 288 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 4: I understand about understood. 289 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 3: The complicated relationships with him. It's yeah, I mean it's. 290 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: An incredible that's a that's an incredible first book to 291 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: gravitate to. And you're right, some higher force, the Lord 292 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: what you're like and you ate and can actually understand that. 293 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 2: I understand and and I'm laughing at it. 294 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 4: So and then so I start writing myself, and then 295 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 4: I started doing other things. But there I didn't understand 296 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 4: what a director or a writer was. It was just 297 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 4: something that and I wasn't encouraged to do that as 298 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 4: a kid because my shows and stuff, and no, I. 299 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 2: Did one play in in sixth grade. 300 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 4: I was a king and and and I thought I 301 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 4: understood it a little bit. I was performing, but I 302 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 4: didn't want to act. I knew that I wanted to 303 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 4: create and and so and your job what he forget 304 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 4: it he was like, are you like the idea of 305 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 4: even writing? I used to hide my journal and I 306 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 4: used to hide my thought because it was so not 307 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 4: the thing to do, right. 308 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: And so that's the time we grew up in if 309 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 1: your parents sniff that you might be aay they You know, 310 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: it was a generation of people that thought by not 311 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: doing it, you could avoid being one. 312 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 3: One has nothing to do with the other. 313 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: All you're doing is squashing somebody and not letting them 314 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: be individuate and be and self actualized too much later, 315 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 1: which then leads to, you know, people becoming drug addicts 316 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 1: or sex addicts. We had, we had to do all 317 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: of our adolescences much later. I think, I know, right, yep, 318 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: you know we couldn't do it at fourteen fifteen. 319 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 3: You weren't at that time. Now these kids today, I 320 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 3: don't know. 321 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 2: Do you think it's okay today? I don't know. I 322 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 2: just think that I don't know what to make up today. Well, 323 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 2: the so I am lost the. 324 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: Smartphone thing, I think it was okay for a minute, 325 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,840 Speaker 1: meaning young. 326 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 3: People were like, yeah, you can have a boyfriend in 327 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 3: high school. 328 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: You weren't going to get beat up or you weren't 329 00:16:57,680 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: going to be called like faggota all the time. 330 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 3: I was like, you know, growing up and you know, 331 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 3: or learn how to hide. 332 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: Because like, one of the things I think that we 333 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 1: develop is how do you figure out how to disappear 334 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 1: in a room. 335 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 3: Full of people? 336 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 2: So you it's so profound with you know, I just 337 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 2: got chills. 338 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 3: It's it's it's a survival thing. 339 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think not, But then I think the smartphone, right, 340 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: I think the smart. 341 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 2: I just got chills. 342 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 3: Oh, I love you. 343 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 4: The idea of hiding is something that I used to 344 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 4: in kindergarten. 345 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 2: I used to hold my I used to hold. 346 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 4: My peek so I wouldn't go to the bathroom, and 347 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 4: then I used to run home away. 348 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 2: From the bullies, just so I could alleviate myself. 349 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 3: Right, because you knew. 350 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 2: If I was in that bathroom, I was in trouble. 351 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 3: You were in trouble. 352 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: So you know, you do an incredible movie, you know 353 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: you do Precious that must be based on these women 354 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: that you were working with, Right. 355 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 2: It's no, it's based on me. It's based on a 356 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 2: lot of this on me. 357 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:24,160 Speaker 4: I under again, like like I understood who's a greater 358 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 4: Virginia Wolf? When I read the book pushed by sapphire. 359 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,920 Speaker 4: I understood it at its DNA because it was my story, 360 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 4: even though my dad never sexually abused me. I knew 361 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,120 Speaker 4: what it was like to run from the bullies at 362 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:41,520 Speaker 4: five and then be bullied home at home, right, so there. 363 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 3: Was no safe there. 364 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:47,439 Speaker 2: I wasn't safe anywhere and so and so except with 365 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 2: my mom and so and so. I understood. 366 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 4: And then I'd seen so many precious is on my street. 367 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:59,159 Speaker 4: I understood what beatings meant. I understood what what you know, 368 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,919 Speaker 4: understood it all. I understood the nuance of what that 369 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 4: girl had gone through, everything, the pain and the beauty 370 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:11,120 Speaker 4: of her finding herself ultimately, I mean, the only thing. 371 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:13,400 Speaker 4: And I couldn't understand why it was that I didn't 372 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 4: have HIV. I was like, I don't understand how come 373 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 4: I don't have HIV? 374 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:17,400 Speaker 2: I don't why amn't I have HIV. 375 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,159 Speaker 4: I'm just waiting for it, waiting to get HIV right, 376 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,159 Speaker 4: like like literally going and going into the bad houses 377 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 4: looking for it, because I'm thinking to myself, it's. 378 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:28,640 Speaker 2: Just a matter of time. I might as well get hat, 379 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. I don't understand that guy 380 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 2: had a bigger purpose for me. 381 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 3: Oh, you know completely clearly. 382 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:38,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so that's so for Precious, it was it 383 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 2: just was something. All of it lives in me. 384 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 4: I did The Paperboy after that, yeah, all, but Precious 385 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 4: really really resonated with me. 386 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 3: I mean it was a knockout of a film. And 387 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,400 Speaker 3: you know, you're casting she was. 388 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:54,440 Speaker 2: Amazing, amazing, Yeah you. 389 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 1: Have and you know also was amazing when you've used her, 390 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 1: I believe twice Mariah Carroy, what's your you. 391 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 3: Have an affinity for like? And she was very good. Yeah, 392 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:07,399 Speaker 3: you know, a social worker. 393 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 1: You know, it's unrecognizable, right, and then we're like wow, I. 394 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 4: Mean Ellen Maren was supposed to play the role, oh, 395 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,639 Speaker 4: because I had just directed her in shadow Boxer, my 396 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 4: director of her debut. 397 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 2: And but but. 398 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 4: Helen got a job, a big job, and and bailed. 399 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,159 Speaker 2: So I called, and I can't wait to work for 400 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:29,479 Speaker 2: Helen again. I love her so much. 401 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 3: I mean, she's next love, isn't she next love? 402 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 4: She's such a junie anyway, So and so I said Mariah, 403 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 4: because I knew Mariah had read two I'm. 404 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 2: Not allowed to say this BYMN say it because wouldna 405 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:39,679 Speaker 2: kill me. 406 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 4: At the time, she had read two books. The Bible 407 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 4: and pushed by Saffi Wow, and she's, you know, I see, 408 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:49,880 Speaker 4: I'm sorry, I'm calling you out. But that was years ago, 409 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 4: so we already know you've read any more books with 410 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 4: them kids and everything. But anyway, she says, I said, 411 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 4: but I need you to follow instructions. 412 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 2: I really need for you to de glam. 413 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, de glam, and. 414 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 4: You're gonna have to really disappear. And so and she did. 415 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 4: She was on time, and she was she did everything, 416 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 4: and she trusted. 417 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 2: I think that what you have to. 418 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 4: I think that people talk about my performances like there's 419 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 4: a level of trust because I don't know what I'm doing. 420 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:25,880 Speaker 2: I'm looking for it in the moment. 421 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:27,400 Speaker 4: I don't pretend to come on set to know I'm 422 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 4: this director that knows guys, I don't know what I'm doing. 423 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 4: We're going to be criticized for it because I'm from 424 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 4: a world that most white critics don't understand. 425 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 2: So know that already going in that they're not gonna 426 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,159 Speaker 2: get it, but we get it. And so let's just 427 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 2: let's jump off the clip together. 428 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. 429 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:51,160 Speaker 1: I mean, the performance is a powerhouse in your movies, 430 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: and I mean look currently on Netflix with Deliverance. 431 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 3: Let me tell you, like the scary movies. 432 00:21:58,960 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 2: Did you see it? 433 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,360 Speaker 3: I did? Scared movies are like, you know, I get 434 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 3: scared really easy, do you. Yeah? Brian was liken't watch it. 435 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,679 Speaker 3: He's like, you know he does that thing? And I like, 436 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 3: so here's a movie. How much you love him? Oh 437 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 3: my god? I love what drew you. First of all, 438 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 3: it's based on a true story, which freaking me out. 439 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: That house even when it was like emptied, still have 440 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: like bad juju around it, and then they knocked it down. 441 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:26,119 Speaker 3: On the land. 442 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 1: What what you're even that project? 443 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 3: And it's it's very interesting because. 444 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: It's like almost like I thought, even though it's based 445 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: on his things, this this like demon. 446 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:45,679 Speaker 3: It's also one's own demons. You're being out, you're showing 447 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 3: you know what I mean, which was hard to do. Yeah, 448 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 3: talk to me about the lads and the experience and 449 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 3: it's really good. Good, So thank you sir. 450 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 2: After Precious they offered me I was a producer. 451 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 4: Came to Tucker Tuley, my producer from shadow Box when 452 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:07,360 Speaker 4: my first film, came to me with this and I said, no, 453 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 4: I don't want to do it. Well I said, yeah, 454 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 4: I do it, but I was questioning whether or not I 455 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 4: want to do another story about abuse. But then when 456 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 4: I gave the the script to my mom, you were. 457 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,880 Speaker 3: Like, no, baby, you. 458 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 2: Aren't open portal. 459 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 3: You work. 460 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 2: You don't work like normal people. 461 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:31,600 Speaker 4: And and I I, I really believe we believe in that 462 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 4: kind of stuff. 463 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 2: Jumping on you. Yeah, I didn't. And also I thought 464 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:39,160 Speaker 2: it was a horror movie. 465 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,679 Speaker 4: Like it was a horror like it was like at 466 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 4: the time, I looked at it as if it was 467 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,879 Speaker 4: really horror, right, And so I let it sit for 468 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 4: a long time, and then I just I try to 469 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 4: do what I think is in the air. 470 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 2: And I think that and and people think I'm cornying. 471 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,560 Speaker 4: I don't care. I think we were in dark times. 472 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 4: And I think that act that we're sitting here, even 473 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 4: in question about Kamala and Trump, that's say, been a 474 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 4: question mark where the country is divided, says the type 475 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 4: of times that we really are in. 476 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 2: And and so. 477 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,879 Speaker 4: I said, I think that this is this is something 478 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 4: I should I think that it's about finding your life. 479 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 4: It's not really about horror. It's about finding your life. 480 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 4: And I'm going to scare you. 481 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:21,720 Speaker 2: To finding your lies. 482 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:26,439 Speaker 4: And so that was the intent behind the film and 483 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 4: why I felt I should do it right, and also 484 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:30,239 Speaker 4: I wanted to stretch my muscle. I just like, what 485 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 4: does a Lead Daniels horror movie look like? Remember getting 486 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 4: in Television's? 487 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:34,920 Speaker 2: Like what is it? 488 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:35,199 Speaker 3: Like? 489 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 4: I did it because I was scared, Like why do 490 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,399 Speaker 4: I what's a Lee Daniels musical? Like I didn't understand 491 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:42,639 Speaker 4: what that whole thing were, Like how do how do 492 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 4: I work with a studio? 493 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 2: How do I how do what is that all? 494 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 4: And so if I'm not afraid coming in, I don't 495 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:50,880 Speaker 4: really want to do And I work from a place 496 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 4: in fear because I've as a gay kid, I was 497 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 4: so fearful and some of my best stuff came from fear. 498 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,680 Speaker 2: I mean, so I work best in a place of 499 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 2: the unknown. Right if any of that yah. 500 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 3: That that completely makes sense. I mean also yours out 501 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 3: that it's not a hut, and that's one. But but 502 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 3: it appears to be like as. 503 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: You tell them, because of the way you shoot it 504 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,119 Speaker 1: and the things that happen, and the and the mystery 505 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: and the noises and the flies and the things, and. 506 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 3: You know that ship's going down, but then it isn't. 507 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: It's about relationships and it's about your inner Glenn Close 508 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: is pretty next level in his movie too. 509 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,399 Speaker 3: I mean, your whole cast is great. Just she's you know, 510 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:40,880 Speaker 3: I I love her. 511 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 2: Great. 512 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 4: So I wanted to separate my story from their story, right, and. 513 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 2: As much as I could. 514 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 4: We had a we had a someone that did deliverances 515 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 4: on set every day. Okay, so that's someone that really 516 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 4: did evil cast evil stories. 517 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 3: Out on day. 518 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, because weird shit was happening for a pasting, I. 519 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 3: Didn't want to. 520 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 2: I wanted to explore. 521 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 4: I have so many friends that are bi racial, right, 522 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,479 Speaker 4: I wanted to find and I had never seen like 523 00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 4: black people know the Glenn Close character, the Alberta character. 524 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 4: She's not in the atmosphere of white people. 525 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:23,680 Speaker 2: Don't know who that is because she's never with white people. 526 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 2: She's with black people. 527 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 4: And so for me, I wanted to show two things. One, 528 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 4: I wanted to show the complications of. 529 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:33,119 Speaker 2: So many of my biracial friends that have like, what 530 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:34,640 Speaker 2: is that like to live in that existence? 531 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 4: How confusing it must be when you have a white 532 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:38,439 Speaker 4: mother but you are black? 533 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 2: And what is that? What is that? What the fuck? 534 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 2: What does that world really really look like? Yeah? 535 00:26:45,119 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 4: For a black person with a white mother. But more importantly, 536 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 4: I wanted to give life to so many because every 537 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 4: every neighborhood I knew and had in Alberta, right, and 538 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 4: that was just embraced by black culture that you know, 539 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:03,200 Speaker 4: had black kids and black earl grandkids and never and 540 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 4: and nobody ever looked twice at her. And it upsets 541 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 4: me because so many white critics, I think it's sort 542 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 4: of a joke or and it's an insult to the 543 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,879 Speaker 4: to the black people are gagging over the film like 544 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 4: they've never seen anything like it. It's like it's it's 545 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 4: it's affected people, like it's affected Precious because they see 546 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 4: people that they've never seen that they see regularly because 547 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 4: Precious was normal to most black people. Yeah that was norm, right, 548 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 4: So this is norm and they're seeing it and they're 549 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 4: just goopedou. 550 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:34,920 Speaker 2: Paul came up to bout. 551 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:39,160 Speaker 4: Paul invited me over uh to her his house yesterday 552 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:41,719 Speaker 4: and it was like, gooped. It's like, you're just like 553 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 4: you just keep giving us people that we know that 554 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 4: they don't know, but you're speeding the culture. 555 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 2: And it made me feel so good. 556 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 3: I've never seen that, I say, so, you're right. I 557 00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 3: was like, oh wait a minute. Never seen the dynamics 558 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 3: like that, and it's very powerful. 559 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: I thought, so that's a Billie Daniels sort of horror 560 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:12,879 Speaker 1: film so to speak. Wait, spiritual, Yeah, it isn't a 561 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: horror film that you're scared at times? 562 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 3: How often are you writing? Are you constantly writing and rewriting? 563 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,159 Speaker 2: Right now, I'm doing a I'm doing something for FEX. 564 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 2: They want my version of a procedural. 565 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 3: What is the lead? 566 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:39,920 Speaker 2: Dy knows procedurals? So get I'm afraid. 567 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 3: Wait what does that mean? 568 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 2: Meaning like a cock show? Like a weekly cop show? 569 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 4: So what I did was my favorite cop show, complicated 570 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 4: relationships again with Cagney and Macy. 571 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 3: I knew about to say that, did you. I knew 572 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 3: you were about to say it? Love it? Okay? 573 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 4: So I have Ms Lawrence, who's in every one of 574 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 4: my TV shows and films. You know, she was Ebany's 575 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 4: best friend and also Billie Holliday's best friend. 576 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 2: What would be like if she were a cop? 577 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 4: A detective dressed like a woman, but dressed like a man, 578 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 4: but dressed like a woman, look, but is a man? 579 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 4: Miss Lawrence is a cop detective in Philadelphia and she 580 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 4: was partnered with another woman who was a Trump supporting, 581 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 4: homophobic racist, and the two of them had to solve 582 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 4: crimes together. I had to get along to solve these crimes. 583 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 4: But they calling each other baggott and just every as 584 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 4: slur and just everything as they're off solving the crime together. 585 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:50,959 Speaker 2: What I'm trying to do is bring the world together. 586 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 2: And so it's my way of bringing the world together through. 587 00:29:55,920 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 4: Comedy, through a deep look at race and homophobia in 588 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 4: America today and bringing the left and the right together. 589 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:05,920 Speaker 4: No one's listening, So just try how do we how 590 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 4: do we? How do we do that in a way. 591 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:08,400 Speaker 4: So that's what that's what I'm trying, That's what I'm 592 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 4: writing right now. 593 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 2: I love it so much. 594 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 3: I gotta tell you that's a brilliant idea. And I 595 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 3: think you're right. No one is listening to put that 596 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 3: cop show. 597 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: Put those characters have to solve crime, help people, and 598 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 1: yet come. 599 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 3: From too fundamentally different everything. 600 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 2: But really, let. 601 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 4: Really give life, sense and life to the racist so 602 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 4: that they can really felt heard. 603 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, you know what I mean. 604 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 4: Yes, And so that the because they're still they still 605 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 4: with somebody's kid at some point. M So, how do we, 606 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 4: how do we so Yeah, that's what It's complicated because 607 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 4: I find myself meeting I needed a white partner. I 608 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 4: partnered with a guy named part handsOn who did bones 609 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 4: who really I needed to understand and really feel for 610 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 4: the racist too, very similarly to what I felt towards 611 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 4: Monique's character in Precious, you know, I need to feel 612 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 4: for that person. 613 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:09,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, that makes her character was power. Yeah, yeah, and 614 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 3: you have to feel. 615 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:15,840 Speaker 2: She's I don't know, definitely, I'm working on Now. 616 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 3: That's a great So that's that's totally cool. 617 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: I mean so when you're working on that now, so procedural, 618 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,239 Speaker 1: so like when you you have to come up with 619 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,040 Speaker 1: like the first ten, like you have to come up 620 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: with the arc. 621 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 3: And then we. 622 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 4: Remember that guy ed Buck here and he was pulling 623 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 4: over he was the white guy that was. 624 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 2: I was drubbing all the black boys, the hookers. 625 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 4: I sort of basic a little bit on that where 626 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 4: there was there's a serial murderer that's killing gay guys. 627 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 4: So they need miss Lawrence's character to really go into 628 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 4: the gay black hooker culture. 629 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 2: To help solve the crime. 630 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 4: And that'll be like the first crime be more like 631 00:31:56,440 --> 00:32:01,640 Speaker 4: more like a true crime meets uh true crime meets there, 632 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 4: cad Nee Lisa. 633 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks for joining us on table for two. In 634 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:30,320 Speaker 1: two thousand and one, Lee Daniels took the leap from 635 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: manager to film director with the movie Monsters Ball. Halle 636 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,280 Speaker 1: Berry won an Oscar for her role in the film, 637 00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: and it launched Lee's career as a writer and director 638 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: on both the big and small screens. Let's go back 639 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: a little bit, just because it was so awesome revolutionary 640 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 1: monsters there. 641 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 3: Yes, I mean maybe you've talked it to death, but 642 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 3: like no. 643 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:54,760 Speaker 2: I haven't thought that. 644 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 4: That's but you understand it was managing at the time. 645 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 4: And now, okay, so I left things casting. I left 646 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 4: Warner Brothers was so happy I used to I used 647 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:08,080 Speaker 4: to be the head of in the eighties. There was 648 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:11,160 Speaker 4: something called Minority Talent that they created for me. They 649 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 4: liked my work so much that we created this position. Okay, 650 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 4: it was called they knew it was a casting director. 651 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:24,240 Speaker 4: So I was the head of minority Talent. How racist is. 652 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 3: The coming says stupid? 653 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 2: Okay. 654 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,479 Speaker 4: I went back to the nursing days where I was like, 655 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 4: these people need to be we as black people, we 656 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 4: need to. 657 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 2: Be We need better jobs, we need better jobs. We need. 658 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 2: We can't just be drug dealers. We can't just be pimps. 659 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,520 Speaker 4: People don't understand this, but in my lifetime, that's all 660 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 4: that there was during that time. 661 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, there weren't any lawyers. There weren't any we Rarely. 662 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,040 Speaker 4: Was there a Sydney Potier rarely. Was there a Sidney 663 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 4: Party or Diane cownt rarely. So it was my mission 664 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 4: to go out and present black talent. I said, I 665 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 4: want to leave this. So I decided to start managing talent. 666 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 4: And and so I, you know, I started managing talent 667 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 4: and finding them jobs and and and at that point 668 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 4: I had I knew this game a little bit because 669 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 4: I was in the system of warners, and so I 670 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 4: knew how to talk that talk, you know, I was 671 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:26,840 Speaker 4: in my thirties, and so I knew how to guilt 672 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:29,640 Speaker 4: because there's a lot of white and there was guilt there, 673 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:31,480 Speaker 4: but they didn't understand that it was white guilt. 674 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:33,239 Speaker 2: I said, you can't do this, This is not good. 675 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 4: How can you have Paula Kelly, who was in Sweet 676 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 4: Charity Women a boaster place. 677 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:40,319 Speaker 2: How can you have this woman playing a maid. She's 678 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 2: smarter than any motherfucker in this room. 679 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 4: What are you fucking talking about, right, And so thank 680 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 4: god for many smart casting directors that I was able 681 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 4: to find people like Paula Kelly and Loretta Devine. 682 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 2: And people like work. 683 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 4: And but I wasn't really making me money, you know, 684 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 4: And I I got really tired of telling black actors 685 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 4: I'm sorry. 686 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:05,320 Speaker 2: I can't. I just can't break. I can't break. I can't. 687 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 4: And so that's when monsters ball came in because I 688 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 4: started taking on white clients. And when I start taking 689 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,320 Speaker 4: on white clients, that's where the money start coming. Really, 690 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 4: then white boys make the money, right. 691 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:17,280 Speaker 2: Wes Bentley. 692 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:19,759 Speaker 4: Wes Bentley was in a film called I Put him 693 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:25,279 Speaker 4: in American Beauty and he took Hollywood by storm. And 694 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 4: I was still directing theater too, and I was directing 695 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:31,879 Speaker 4: theater little one acts around because it was. 696 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 2: My passion, you know. And again I didn't understand that. 697 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:37,960 Speaker 2: I didn't believe him. 698 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:40,920 Speaker 4: I didn't because my dad between my dad saying that, 699 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:43,960 Speaker 4: what are you doing in my head? Head? And also 700 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 4: it just never been right, and also me being gay 701 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 4: like that was a lot. 702 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 2: For me to come into the room. I've never not 703 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 2: been who it is that. 704 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 4: I am right, and you know, and so it freaks 705 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,360 Speaker 4: a lot of people out that I'm gay and black 706 00:35:58,400 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 4: and that was a lot for. 707 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 2: A lot of people, and a lot for black people, 708 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 2: a lot from white people. 709 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 3: Yeah wait right, you know, and so has that gotten 710 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 3: better because you've become more successful. 711 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: So that's like it comes with success and age. 712 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:18,840 Speaker 4: I think you know age really Yeah, It's like tomorrow 713 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:19,920 Speaker 4: is not promised. 714 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:21,400 Speaker 3: Right, tomorrow is not problem. 715 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 2: I'm so happy. 716 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:22,719 Speaker 3: I gotta be happy. 717 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 4: I've tried to live you know you and I watch you. 718 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:29,879 Speaker 2: You're so happy. I don't know whether or not you're 719 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:31,359 Speaker 2: unhappy when you get home, whether you're. 720 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:36,440 Speaker 3: Unhappy or I'm just. 721 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 2: No, You're just so happy. 722 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:43,719 Speaker 4: And so I think that I think that it's hard 723 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:45,680 Speaker 4: to find happiness, but you have to stay here and 724 00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 4: you're happy because tomorrow is a promise. 725 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:49,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that is something really to remember. Not 726 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:52,920 Speaker 3: only is tomorrow or not promise, but eventually you do 727 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:56,360 Speaker 3: have your last tomorrow. It's just the reality. So like 728 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:58,759 Speaker 3: not that you want to live with the Albumtross and 729 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 3: bat around your neck, but the awareness about his frame. 730 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 1: And I also think age, especially for guys like us 731 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:10,280 Speaker 1: who grew I think completely different on the one level, 732 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 1: but it was the first gay pride. I everyone who 733 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,719 Speaker 1: was in nineteen ninety here in LA and I remember 734 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: having growing up in the West West, West Hollywood, the 735 00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 1: Upper East Side of New York City, which all looked 736 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:24,520 Speaker 1: the same, all white. 737 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 3: For the most part. 738 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 1: I think I had one black kid in my class 739 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:30,680 Speaker 1: and he actually raised his hand one day in an 740 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:33,800 Speaker 1: assembly and said, because it was pertinent to what was happening, 741 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,680 Speaker 1: and he said, how would you any of you feel if. 742 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 3: You were me in this room? And it was the 743 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:40,600 Speaker 3: first time that I thought to myself because oh wow, 744 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,280 Speaker 3: like this, yeah, like how does that feel? 745 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: But that day in nineteen ninety that June, I looked 746 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: around Santa Minchael Boulevard in the Pacific Design Center area 747 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,239 Speaker 1: and saw all these different people and said, oh, this 748 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:57,839 Speaker 1: is what we have me common and we come in 749 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:01,880 Speaker 1: all different shapes and size an ethnic backgrounds in black 750 00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 1: and white. It was very powerful to me because if 751 00:38:06,239 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 1: you're not exposed to it, and that's what you're doing too, 752 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: is you're through your art, is you're exposing and educating. 753 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:17,280 Speaker 1: And that's I think, what why why it's so different 754 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:20,600 Speaker 1: now than when we were younger men. 755 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:22,800 Speaker 2: You're still a young man now. 756 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 1: You know what I mean trying to say, like, do 757 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:30,600 Speaker 1: you feel there was a responsibility as you started to 758 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:32,280 Speaker 1: become more successful. 759 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:37,120 Speaker 2: I didn't know. Listen. Part of it is just a 760 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 2: lot of it is. 761 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:43,920 Speaker 4: I'm in my thirties, I'm in my forties. It's not 762 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:47,600 Speaker 4: about I'm greedy. I want I want it now, you know, 763 00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 4: it's not about I don't. I didn't understand that demanding 764 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:55,399 Speaker 4: that I had as many African Americans around me when 765 00:38:55,400 --> 00:39:03,640 Speaker 4: I was working, I felt a responsibility, not a responsibility, 766 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:08,000 Speaker 4: but I needed to feel safe. And so it wasn't 767 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:12,480 Speaker 4: about me thinking about it being politically correct at the time, 768 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 4: but in hindsight, it was like, you know, making sure 769 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:19,560 Speaker 4: that I'm not going to be the only one there was. Listen, 770 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:21,920 Speaker 4: you can't even now today you can only find a 771 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:23,680 Speaker 4: handful of editors that are African American. 772 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,200 Speaker 2: It's still I have to be able to talk a 773 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:35,880 Speaker 2: language and feel safe. 774 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,399 Speaker 3: I mean, I've read that it wasn't the easiest for. 775 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:45,560 Speaker 1: You, but Empire all of a sudden heads and becomes 776 00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:54,000 Speaker 1: this massive cultural thing. And also how you portrayed black 777 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:57,320 Speaker 1: culture and people, gay people gay. 778 00:39:57,200 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 2: To you gay blacks. Yeah, but that was a reason why. 779 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:01,960 Speaker 2: It was the reason why I did that too, Like 780 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 2: I was. 781 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:04,920 Speaker 4: Tired of being again, I was tired of being like 782 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:12,279 Speaker 4: disrespected by my peers. You know, there were black directors 783 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:17,320 Speaker 4: that didn't take me seriously because I was gay, because 784 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:18,640 Speaker 4: gay men aren't taking seriously. 785 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:21,319 Speaker 2: And I was embarrassed to walk into a room of 786 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:24,680 Speaker 2: black people, right, you know. I mean, I am responsible. 787 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 4: For the first black woman getting an Academy, were responsible 788 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:28,799 Speaker 4: for the first black writer getting an Academy, and so 789 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:34,279 Speaker 4: and yet I felt uncomfortable walking into rooms because of 790 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:38,560 Speaker 4: you know, I just it took me back to yeah, 791 00:40:39,239 --> 00:40:41,239 Speaker 4: kids and like you know, and like men looking at 792 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:42,719 Speaker 4: you like you know, and women looking at you like 793 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 4: you know. I was like and and I was like 794 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:49,279 Speaker 4: fuck that. And so for me, it was important that 795 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:54,359 Speaker 4: I tell my story. And again, you know, this was 796 00:40:55,520 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 4: I didn't understand the the ground that was breaking because 797 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 4: I was too worried about the art. You know, I 798 00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:05,279 Speaker 4: was worried about you know, the songs that people were 799 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:09,640 Speaker 4: singing an empire and and the fashion that you know 800 00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:11,279 Speaker 4: that I wanted to make sure that black people were 801 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:13,080 Speaker 4: really chic, and I wanted to make sure that the 802 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:16,240 Speaker 4: artists who were discovering new art and that the sets 803 00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:17,080 Speaker 4: were really great, and. 804 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:19,400 Speaker 2: That we were creating a black dynasty. 805 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,840 Speaker 4: Yes, right, And I wasn't really so I was worried 806 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:28,319 Speaker 4: about not knowing that the conversation was really changing, that 807 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:31,839 Speaker 4: it was really that that that it was cracking homophobia 808 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:34,080 Speaker 4: open in the community. 809 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:33,960 Speaker 3: You know. 810 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:35,440 Speaker 4: And I think the death rat got a lot of 811 00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:37,640 Speaker 4: death threats. And so when the death threats came in, yeah, 812 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 4: I got. 813 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:40,239 Speaker 2: Security for the first time. Like, I didn't understand what 814 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:43,440 Speaker 2: that And Queenlan team was like, maybe you ain't got security. 815 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:46,480 Speaker 2: I go, no, what's security? Who needs security? 816 00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:48,600 Speaker 4: All of a sudden, I need I need security because 817 00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:51,719 Speaker 4: what were what were people? Because they really couldn't deal 818 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:53,759 Speaker 4: with two black men kissing two people. 819 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:57,680 Speaker 2: They just actually put it on the screen. Are you 820 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:00,480 Speaker 2: kidding me? He has to be stopped because this is 821 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:03,799 Speaker 2: the devil's work. And so it was. It was terrifying. 822 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:06,239 Speaker 2: It was really really scary. It was great, it was 823 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:07,800 Speaker 2: and I didn't understand. 824 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:10,120 Speaker 4: It that not only were we doing that, but you know, 825 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:13,240 Speaker 4: boost there weren't any black writers. 826 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:17,440 Speaker 2: I want you to hear me. There was Shonda Rhimes 827 00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 2: in her world, but. 828 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:24,120 Speaker 4: I'm talking about motherfuckers that could write from the street. 829 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:28,720 Speaker 4: They weren't allowed into this system. They weren't never allowed 830 00:42:28,719 --> 00:42:31,760 Speaker 4: into the system. I had to fight for a black 831 00:42:31,840 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 4: director to direct the third episode. I directed the first 832 00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:36,960 Speaker 4: two episodes of Empire, and I wanted. I wanted a 833 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:39,400 Speaker 4: John Singleton got Restless Soul, And he. 834 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:40,239 Speaker 2: Said, no, he can't do. 835 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:42,960 Speaker 4: He can't because he's not a he's not directed television. 836 00:42:43,040 --> 00:42:46,120 Speaker 3: I said, are you kidding me? 837 00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:47,760 Speaker 2: So the fight. 838 00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:53,239 Speaker 4: That Cia and myself took on to make sure that 839 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:57,520 Speaker 4: there were writers of color in the again, I guess 840 00:42:57,520 --> 00:42:59,479 Speaker 4: I don't even I don't. It's like I'm so busy 841 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:01,880 Speaker 4: worried about that, I'm not thinking about the bigger picture. 842 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:05,040 Speaker 2: Yes, look it, and that paved the way for Black Panther, 843 00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:07,839 Speaker 2: black Ish, Insecure, all of it. 844 00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:09,320 Speaker 4: And so I'm in the center of just trying to 845 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:12,279 Speaker 4: tell my little story, not even understanding it was as 846 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:14,480 Speaker 4: big as it was, right, because if I have paid 847 00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:15,920 Speaker 4: attention to as big as it us, I don't think 848 00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:17,160 Speaker 4: I would have crumbled. 849 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:18,320 Speaker 3: Right well, totally. 850 00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:21,560 Speaker 1: Plus, you can't look macro like you're in it. And 851 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:23,799 Speaker 1: then when all of a sudden time passes and all 852 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:28,200 Speaker 1: these shows develop, and then you find yourself that they're 853 00:43:28,200 --> 00:43:30,480 Speaker 1: a writer's room that have black. 854 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:31,120 Speaker 3: People in it. 855 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:36,000 Speaker 4: You then go, oh, look what this didn't They didn't 856 00:43:36,040 --> 00:43:36,800 Speaker 4: understand I'm. 857 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:37,760 Speaker 3: Only twenty fifteen. 858 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:41,960 Speaker 2: I mean that was like yesterday, and they didn't understand. 859 00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:45,000 Speaker 2: I had no saying. I didn't go to school, and 860 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:49,239 Speaker 2: I didn't know how to navigate when things weren't right, 861 00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:49,839 Speaker 2: and they. 862 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:54,279 Speaker 4: Kept saying to me, listen, I love my studio. I 863 00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:57,000 Speaker 4: think that they've done so well by. 864 00:43:56,880 --> 00:43:58,920 Speaker 2: Me, and I'm really happy. 865 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:02,359 Speaker 4: But when they didn't understand the culture and they kept 866 00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:03,960 Speaker 4: telling me, and I had a room full of white 867 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:06,279 Speaker 4: people telling me what I was supposed to do, and 868 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:08,839 Speaker 4: I'm literally the only spot in the spot and I'm 869 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:09,520 Speaker 4: thugging it out. 870 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:13,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's terrible. 871 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:15,720 Speaker 3: It's terrifying because it also brings you back. 872 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:17,919 Speaker 1: To being the little boy, the kid, and you don't 873 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:19,680 Speaker 1: know how to and then you don't feel worthy and. 874 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:21,239 Speaker 3: You feel like am I doing something wrong? 875 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:22,000 Speaker 2: And I'm not in love? 876 00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:24,640 Speaker 1: And then you have to figure out how to again. 877 00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:28,240 Speaker 1: As opposed to hiding in a room full of people. 878 00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:30,719 Speaker 3: Now I have to be seen in a roomful of people, 879 00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:32,400 Speaker 3: and how am I going to get there and hold 880 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:34,160 Speaker 3: my space. 881 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:36,880 Speaker 4: But thank god, I mean, like you know that I 882 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:41,319 Speaker 4: was able to I didn't understand the power of it all, 883 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:43,040 Speaker 4: and I was willing to walk away because I didn't. 884 00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:44,200 Speaker 2: I didn't care. 885 00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:56,000 Speaker 3: What scares you? 886 00:44:57,120 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 4: I think it scares me that just being miss understood, 887 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:04,920 Speaker 4: people misunderstanding the way, not understanding of baby. 888 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:08,560 Speaker 2: Who what scratching your head? Because I think we all. 889 00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:10,160 Speaker 3: Want to be loved? I agree. 890 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:12,879 Speaker 1: I think that's the bottom line is we just want 891 00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:16,520 Speaker 1: to be loved, right, yeah, mister Daniels, Yes, sir, thank 892 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:18,000 Speaker 1: you so much for joining me today. 893 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:18,320 Speaker 4: Thank you. 894 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:22,160 Speaker 3: I don't want you in my life. Friends, I want 895 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:24,640 Speaker 3: to hang. We can do that. 896 00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:25,319 Speaker 2: I know we can. 897 00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:27,480 Speaker 3: Thank you for joining us today. 898 00:45:27,520 --> 00:45:31,240 Speaker 1: Having me on Baby Okay, have a great day, everyone, welcome. 899 00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:40,359 Speaker 3: Thank you for pulling up a chair. 900 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:45,000 Speaker 1: I love our lunches and never forget the romance of 901 00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:48,239 Speaker 1: a meal. If you enjoy the show, please tell a 902 00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:52,320 Speaker 1: friend and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Table 903 00:45:52,320 --> 00:45:55,280 Speaker 1: for Two with Bruce Bosi is produced by iHeartRadio seven 904 00:45:55,320 --> 00:45:59,360 Speaker 1: three seven Park and Airmail. Our executive producers are Bruce 905 00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:03,640 Speaker 1: Bosi and Nathan King. Our supervising producer is Dylan Fagan. 906 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:07,800 Speaker 1: Our editors are Vincent to Johnny and Cas b Bias. 907 00:46:08,360 --> 00:46:11,800 Speaker 1: Table for two is researched and written by Jack Sullivan. 908 00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:16,200 Speaker 1: Our sound engineers are mil B Klein, Jess Krainich, Evan Taylor, 909 00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:20,480 Speaker 1: and Jesse Funn. Our music supervisor is Randall Poster. Our 910 00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:23,560 Speaker 1: talent booking is done by Jane Sarkin. Table for two's 911 00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:27,800 Speaker 1: social media manager is Gracie Wiener. Special thanks to Amy Sugarman, 912 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:33,319 Speaker 1: Uni Scherer, Kevin Yvane, Bobby Bauer, Alison Kanter Graber. For 913 00:46:33,440 --> 00:46:38,440 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 914 00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:48,480 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.