Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me
Speaker 1: Tracy Moore. I was a casting director for film and
Speaker 1: TV and commercials for over thirty years. I transitioned to
Speaker 1: a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Speaker 1: Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Domez.
Speaker 1: I auditioned every rapper from Biggie Smalls to Tupac, and
Speaker 1: I realized that rappers and musical artists they needed help
Speaker 1: transitioning to acting. My clients consist of musical artists from
Speaker 1: Buster Rhymes to Eve, Missy Elliott, Angela Yee from The
Speaker 1: Breakfast Club, and Vanessa Simmons, to name a few. I
Speaker 1: also coach sports stars and host as well. I feel
Speaker 1: I have the best of both worlds. As a casting director,
Speaker 1: I know exactly what they're looking for, and as an
Speaker 1: acting coach, I can coach you to be remembered in
Speaker 1: that room. Now I know, I know actors want to
Speaker 1: get the job. I get that, but being remembered by
Speaker 1: casting director that is powerful. And now it's time for
Speaker 1: meditation of the day. The world is round, and the
Speaker 1: place which seems like the end may also be the beginning.
Speaker 1: Ivy Baker priests. I wake up every morning thanking God
Speaker 1: for another day to set the record straight. I feel
Speaker 1: that I have another chance to live and make things better.
Speaker 1: Sometimes we spend too much energy feeling negative instead of
Speaker 1: enjoying the fact that we are alive. Everyone has their
Speaker 1: own cross to bear, but it's how you carry it
Speaker 1: that counts in the end. We should be grateful for
Speaker 1: life and just live it. Today I remember how valuable
Speaker 1: my life is and appreciate love it. Welcome to the
Speaker 1: Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. I am moved
Speaker 1: today because you guys need to get ready for a
Speaker 1: riveting interview with one of my dear friends in this industry,
Speaker 1: award winning director extraordinary, Benny Boom Douglas. Put your hands together.
Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Benny.
Speaker 1: I mean, timing is impeccable because I know that people
Speaker 1: are kind of home. But yeah, but I feel very
Speaker 1: honored to have this interview with you.
Speaker 3: Oh man, I feel honored that you asked. You know.
Speaker 2: I think there's there's people that you meet in the
Speaker 2: in this industry along your journey and that you never
Speaker 2: forget or somebody has given you some advice or helped
Speaker 2: you or pointed you in the right direction. And I
Speaker 2: just want to thank you for doing that for me.
Speaker 2: Oh twenty six years ago. Yeah, you know when I
Speaker 2: first moved to Brooklyn from Philadelphia and you were just
Speaker 2: telling me, look, you just got to go get it,
Speaker 2: you know, if you know, just don't wait for nobody
Speaker 2: to do this, you got to show up here and
Speaker 2: do it. Was just all these things that I was
Speaker 2: just you know, intimidated by the big city and about
Speaker 2: the industry and all these things, and you just, you know,
Speaker 2: you just wiped all that stuff away from me and
Speaker 2: just sort of helped me, you know, try to find
Speaker 2: and figure out what I wanted to do.
Speaker 1: And I just want to think, Wow, you're welcome for that.
Speaker 1: I remember you coming here and this is crazy because
Speaker 1: I wasn't supposed to be there that day.
Speaker 3: But Moses, Moses, Yeah, Moses, who.
Speaker 1: I just spoke to two weeks ago. Crazy, I will
Speaker 1: tell him. Moses was doing this ESPN commercial and he
Speaker 1: was like, Tracy, come in and just be my script supervisor.
Speaker 1: I'll pay you. And I was like, I.
Speaker 2: Don't know if Phil Simms, who was the quarterback of
Speaker 2: the Giants at the time.
Speaker 1: It was, and I was like, I didn't know ESPN,
Speaker 1: so I didn't know who these people were because he
Speaker 1: was throwing the dames and he was like, i'll pay you, Tracy.
Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm a casside director. I don't know what
Speaker 1: a script supervisor does. And he was like, just be organized,
Speaker 1: just keep everything organized for me, right. So I was like,
Speaker 1: I don't want to go play script supervisor. But then
Speaker 1: I was like, I want to help my boy. So
Speaker 1: I was like, okay, Moses, do it. But if I
Speaker 1: said no, I would have never because that's the day we.
Speaker 2: Met, yes, right on that set. And I don't remember
Speaker 2: how I got there. I think Daphne was the producer
Speaker 2: maybe yeah, and Daphne was Daphne was at the time.
Speaker 2: She was grabbing people up from spikes because I was
Speaker 2: I was interning over its on forty eight Boppers and
Speaker 2: so of Death. Yeah, that's right, and she was plucking
Speaker 2: people to come work from the pipe set. And that's
Speaker 2: why that's how I think I got there. I think
Speaker 2: Daphne was a.
Speaker 1: Producer that And this is how you know it's God
Speaker 1: and it's confirmed because Moses is like, I don't know
Speaker 1: if you remember this, but Moses like, all right, Casey,
Speaker 1: you know, I'm going back to Brooklyn. I give you're ride.
Speaker 1: He was like, Benny, you want to ride? And you
Speaker 1: were like, yeah, we go back to Brooklyn ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 1: He drops me off the corner and turns the corner
Speaker 1: and drops you off.
Speaker 3: Right off, right around the corner.
Speaker 1: It was when I would come out of my garden apartment.
Speaker 3: Decal the door was right there.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: It was crazy. That was crazy. That was crazy.
Speaker 1: That was so dumb. I was like, okay, I'm supposed
Speaker 1: to be.
Speaker 3: His friend because it was so crazy. And then you
Speaker 3: I remember you got me.
Speaker 2: You did some background casting on New York Undercover.
Speaker 3: Yes, and you.
Speaker 2: Said, and I was like, I don't know if I'm
Speaker 2: gonna do this, Like, but this is one of those things.
Speaker 2: You were like, look, you just gotta, you know, just
Speaker 2: you got to understand what this industry is about. And
Speaker 2: now going there and that that day, Yeah, and I
Speaker 2: did back. I can't remember what scene it was. It
Speaker 2: was one of those club scenes when they.
Speaker 1: Do the yeah oh Natalie's yeah yeah yeah, yeah, yeah
Speaker 1: yeah yeah yeah. But you know what, Benny, The thing
Speaker 1: that I loved about that time was that you know,
Speaker 1: I was coming from the school of Lionel Martin, you know,
Speaker 1: in terms of music videos, right, and so line was
Speaker 1: before Hype and all hunters. Right. We were doing three
Speaker 1: music videos per week and the budgets were extraordinary.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they were bige.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Hype Williams was art director, X was working Grip.
Speaker 1: You know. So I came from school where it was
Speaker 1: by any means necessary, and there were there weren't in
Speaker 1: terms of coming up as a casting director, there weren't
Speaker 1: a lot of people of color. And so when you
Speaker 1: I felt like when you were in a position and
Speaker 1: you had an opportunity, you just grab your people and
Speaker 1: say come on, E're gonna come me, you know, because
Speaker 1: you know you never know where that can lead you. Yeah,
Speaker 1: and you definitely like from the time I met you,
Speaker 1: I was like, oh, he's about to take over the world.
Speaker 1: You had play.
Speaker 3: I was like temple, remember, yeah, Dy.
Speaker 1: You were focused. It was there was nothing in your
Speaker 1: DNA or surrounding to that said failure here, it's not happening.
Speaker 4: Right.
Speaker 2: It's crazy to hear that from somebody because I always
Speaker 2: think about those days, like how did ians and working
Speaker 2: sometimes and you know, a down period and then finally
Speaker 2: meeting Hype and then sort of being in that world
Speaker 2: with him and working with him every single day and
Speaker 2: being a part of Big Dog, and that sort of
Speaker 2: bringing me into the next phase of what my career
Speaker 2: would do. It's very it's you know, when I think back,
Speaker 2: it's scary. I was, but like you said, at the time,
Speaker 2: I was like, man, I can't. That was always like
Speaker 2: I can't go back to Philly.
Speaker 1: That's yeah, No, that wasn't an option. That was like
Speaker 1: definitely when I heard Will Smith say Plan B is
Speaker 1: Plan A, I was like, oh, yeah, that's what the
Speaker 1: that's their.
Speaker 3: Root Same High school to Overbrook High School. It's funny.
Speaker 1: How did I know?
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, same high school.
Speaker 1: It's crazy, you I swear it was. And you know
Speaker 1: what was refreshing about it was that it was also
Speaker 1: at a time where Spike had gotten a lot of
Speaker 1: people into the unions and so we there was some
Speaker 1: groundwork that was being made in terms not just you know,
Speaker 1: being in these positions to direct and create, but starting
Speaker 1: your own production companies, Like you really have visions. So
Speaker 1: let's tell our audience, because I mean, we could start
Speaker 1: with the top musical rappers in the industry that you
Speaker 1: have done their video. How did you did you get you?
Speaker 1: I was just gonna say, how did you get into
Speaker 1: the video world?
Speaker 3: Well, into the video world.
Speaker 2: The thing was I was in, as you know, I
Speaker 2: was in like the PA world of the movies, mostly movies,
Speaker 2: not really TV shows, right, but the movies. And I
Speaker 2: sort of found myself. It's very interesting. I found myself
Speaker 2: in a cycle with you know, back in those days,
Speaker 2: you got friendly.
Speaker 3: With the ads. Any ads would go from.
Speaker 2: One movie to the next and they would bring their
Speaker 2: pas along, and I found myself in this. This is
Speaker 2: very funny and looking at what's happening now, I was
Speaker 2: the only black PA.
Speaker 3: On a lot of sets, not on Spike sets, on
Speaker 3: these other sets.
Speaker 2: So this one ad group would bring me on to
Speaker 2: different movies, and I found myself on Woody Allen's movie
Speaker 2: a couple of years in a row, and I was
Speaker 2: the only black PA on Woody Allen movies.
Speaker 3: And at the time, I didn't really think about it anyway.
Speaker 2: I just thought, bitch, and like, oh, I got an opportunity, right,
Speaker 2: And then I just got so burned out by that
Speaker 2: because you know, I was at Temple and I studied
Speaker 2: filmmaking and directing, and it was so far away from
Speaker 2: what I wanted to do. And then I got the
Speaker 2: opportunity to PA on a commercial for one hundred collect
Speaker 2: when Chris Rock was doing all those commercials okay, and
Speaker 2: they produced that commercial Kate Kate Sutherland produced it out
Speaker 2: of Big Dog Films, and we went to the office
Speaker 2: and I was just like, I was blown away because
Speaker 2: at this time, Hype was height.
Speaker 3: It was ninety six.
Speaker 2: Or seven, and I mean it was Hype William's world
Speaker 2: and you know, prepping three and four videos at once,
Speaker 2: and you know, you had DMXS coming in before he
Speaker 2: was big, and it was just it was just like,
Speaker 2: this is where I want to be. And so I
Speaker 2: basically stated my claim in that in that place and
Speaker 2: was like.
Speaker 3: You know. I came back after we shot the commercial.
Speaker 2: We were rapping and I said, hey, guys, do you
Speaker 2: need somebody for PA for something? And it was R
Speaker 2: Kelly's Gotham City Remix. I think it was the studio
Speaker 2: And that was the first job I did with Hype
Speaker 2: as a PA, and I don't know if something just
Speaker 2: clicked and with Big Mike Big Mike Ellish playing and
Speaker 2: from there I just was part of the camp and
Speaker 2: I got my chance, my first chance to direct a
Speaker 2: few years later for Channel Live, which was I was
Speaker 2: also an artist, rapping and stuff like that, so I
Speaker 2: was traveling.
Speaker 3: With Channel Live.
Speaker 2: I was on their albums and directed the first music
Speaker 2: video for the third album, A wild Out two K
Speaker 2: and that's where it all started.
Speaker 1: Wow, So because that's where it started with me too
Speaker 1: music videos with uh Lionel Martin, Ralph McDaniels, and then
Speaker 1: I was like, love this world because it's like a
Speaker 1: mini feature. But I needed to audition actors. I needed that,
Speaker 1: you know a lot of times, and I love having
Speaker 1: directors on the podcast because actors don't get a chance
Speaker 1: to have conversation with you unless they're they're very fortunate
Speaker 1: to have a rehearsal prior, so usually after the callback
Speaker 1: or producer session, however far it goes next time you
Speaker 1: see them television on right right, So a lot of
Speaker 1: times they don't you as a director, do you give
Speaker 1: feedback to or adjustments to your actors. A lot of
Speaker 1: times when actors are day players, they feel as though
Speaker 1: they don't get a lot of feedback from the director.
Speaker 1: The director you know, cut and they're like any adjustments.
Speaker 1: It's like, oh, no, it was good, but they do
Speaker 1: want they want that. Yeah, even if it's no, you
Speaker 1: did a great job, do same thing right right.
Speaker 2: Deal with actors, Well, it's interesting, I found myself at
Speaker 2: the beginning because to me, feature film, feature films and
Speaker 2: television are different in terms of the expectation of the actor.
Speaker 2: And usually with feature films, we've had that preparation time,
Speaker 2: we've had that rehearsal time. Hopefully we've had that private
Speaker 2: time to really talk about the script and break it down.
Speaker 2: With television, I go in there and if it's a cast,
Speaker 2: let's say, for example, n C I. S L A
Speaker 2: is a perfect example, because that show has a cast,
Speaker 2: it's a already there and always always has guest actors
Speaker 2: because they're either the bad guy or what the story
Speaker 2: is about or something like that. And so there's a
Speaker 2: piece of it where I'm just a cog in the
Speaker 2: wheel for time, which is very interesting. So the actors
Speaker 2: always come prepared, you know, our main actors always come prepared.
Speaker 2: So we stand here, stand here, stand here, let's get
Speaker 2: the information out.
Speaker 3: Let's get the information out.
Speaker 2: But then when you have the guest actor, they're they're
Speaker 2: more intimidated a lot of times than the main actors.
Speaker 2: I mean for that show in particular, since Ell is
Speaker 2: on that show. A lot of time, people will come
Speaker 2: there and they just like, oh, this is hell cool Jay,
Speaker 2: you know they and I've seen it, like I've seen people.
Speaker 2: You know, we have a we usually we have a
Speaker 2: big table read. Everybody's cool with that. But the first
Speaker 2: day on set and they have to act with him
Speaker 2: in the scene like before, I can see like they're
Speaker 2: just like, man, this is LL, you know, and it's
Speaker 2: and it hits them. And so for me, it's interesting
Speaker 2: because I know how because I'm friends with l LL got.
Speaker 3: Me that job on that show. Yeah, yeah, he got
Speaker 3: me that job on that show. Friendship. Our friendship was lasted,
Speaker 3: you know, almost twenty years now.
Speaker 2: He was the one that made the call that you know,
Speaker 2: got the interviews for me to come there and help
Speaker 2: me put my reel together directing Presented. So you know,
Speaker 2: he really championed me to get that job. And so
Speaker 2: when I'm there, not only do I rely on the
Speaker 2: main actors for you.
Speaker 3: Know, I try to break down those walls.
Speaker 2: That happened because they don't get a lot of time
Speaker 2: they really don't. When I'm when I'm when I'm in
Speaker 2: the auditions, it's myself, it's the producer and the writer
Speaker 2: of the episode. And sometimes people, you know, they see
Speaker 2: one thing and they'll dismiss him right away, and I'm like,
Speaker 2: hold on, wait, wait, let me just let me just
Speaker 2: let's hear one more, you know, let's get one more.
Speaker 2: And if I think somebody is right for it or
Speaker 2: feels right, you know, I try to position.
Speaker 3: I learned. It's very interesting.
Speaker 2: I learned, like when you're a guest because as a director,
Speaker 2: you're a guest as well. Even though the seven episodes,
Speaker 2: I'm still a guest director, right, But I learned how
Speaker 2: to win the argument without fighting, If that makes sense.
Speaker 1: It makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 2: Know which know which battles to fight for, you know,
Speaker 2: know which battles to fight for. The difference is like
Speaker 2: a show I did, All I Do, All American, which.
Speaker 1: That's my favorite show.
Speaker 3: William My Road Dog, Oh get out of here.
Speaker 1: I've known Tim since eighty four. Wow, Yeah, that's what
Speaker 1: I do.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's such a great show.
Speaker 1: And Kim Williams is the casting director on that show.
Speaker 2: And the people, so it's like that first season, everyone's
Speaker 2: getting to know each other, and I really enjoyed doing
Speaker 2: that with the actors learning the actors helping them learn
Speaker 2: who they are, because each episode is a different journey
Speaker 2: for this and on this show Black Lightning is the
Speaker 2: same way. I was there first season and been there
Speaker 2: every season. Williams come on, Oh that's great and funny enough,
Speaker 2: and the Fisa grew up on my block. I mean
Speaker 2: she was a kid when I was grown, but she
Speaker 2: literally grew up on my street, which is so we
Speaker 2: found that out later.
Speaker 3: It is so funny Philly.
Speaker 2: But it's like to work with those actors, and I
Speaker 2: come on just as interested in helping develop the character
Speaker 2: as they are, because one of them wanted to just
Speaker 2: do regular work, you.
Speaker 3: Know, I want to just spring it in. And I
Speaker 3: love that, you know. I love that.
Speaker 2: I love to be asked questions as a director. I
Speaker 2: love when they're looking for acknowledgment for me that right,
Speaker 2: does that feel right? How did that?
Speaker 3: You know?
Speaker 2: And I go, hey, that was right, or you know what,
Speaker 2: that was good? Let's try try this, you know.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So it's different when you on television. You know, the
Speaker 2: writer is king. So most of the that I've seen.
Speaker 2: Most of the discrepancies come from the writing, especially by
Speaker 2: the time you get to like second year, third year
Speaker 2: of a show. The characters are like, you know, I
Speaker 2: don't feel like this anymore. Why would I say this now?
Speaker 2: This first season, with this this, And so as a
Speaker 2: director you try to bridge that gap, figure out a
Speaker 2: way to get to get what you need, give the
Speaker 2: actor the space to create, but also deliver.
Speaker 3: What the writers looking for. It's a very interesting dance
Speaker 3: to do.
Speaker 2: And this is specifically for tell Vision now.
Speaker 1: When I'm working with my actors, whether it's in a
Speaker 1: class or one on one, I'm really big on preparation
Speaker 1: because I think it's important. When I was working with
Speaker 1: Buster and Eve on their shows to have conversation right
Speaker 1: with the director. So rest in peace, and I know
Speaker 1: you work with John Singleton as well.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1: When we were on Chaff, we went to Rashim's apartment
Speaker 1: and so, so let's go into the apartment and see
Speaker 1: how you live. I know it's a set decorator, I
Speaker 1: know it's props, but someone believed this is how you
Speaker 1: would live, So let's go in. So when we went in,
Speaker 1: there were like some jazz albums and he was like,
Speaker 1: I wouldn't listen to jazz, I would listen to reggae.
Speaker 1: So we were able to get those albums taken out
Speaker 1: and reggae replaced. Such an organic day because Renee from Johnny.
Speaker 1: She also came, I'm so done. That's one of my
Speaker 1: oh dogs.
Speaker 3: I can't we graduated against you went to temple.
Speaker 1: Yep, yeah, I love Renee. She had called me and
Speaker 1: she was like, I want to come visit. I was like,
Speaker 1: come on down. John is like we need a girlfriend
Speaker 1: for bus and I said, hey, is coming, and John
Speaker 1: was like, I love Renee. Let's do it. So when
Speaker 1: we got in the trailer, I was like, Renee, say
Speaker 1: something if buster because she had no lines, so I
Speaker 1: was if he asked you a question, you got a respause.
Speaker 1: So I was prepping her with her character based on
Speaker 1: the wardrobe they gave her hat. She had locks. It
Speaker 1: was beautiful and just really building, because I think the
Speaker 1: best thing an actor can do is to have a
Speaker 1: conversation with you and you say, like, you know, you
Speaker 1: know the actor comes on set and they're wearing skinny jeans,
Speaker 1: you know, and you would say, I don't think you're
Speaker 1: I don't like the skinny jeans and the and the
Speaker 1: actor is like, well, my my character will we're scared
Speaker 1: means because blah blah blah blah blah blah blah to
Speaker 1: the point where you like, you know what, you should.
Speaker 3: Wear those kits right right right right right own it.
Speaker 4: You own it.
Speaker 1: So that's a I mean, that is so refreshing to
Speaker 1: work with a director like you. I'm speaking for all
Speaker 1: the actors because I know the conversation that I have
Speaker 1: with with them. What type of preparation can they what
Speaker 1: can they do in those few moments in the callback
Speaker 1: or if they're in the audition process with you, We're
Speaker 1: we're moving out of the live but let's say this
Speaker 1: was a live audition. What is it that immediately? Because
Speaker 1: I love when you said a casting director or producer
Speaker 1: may dismiss that actor, but you see something. What is
Speaker 1: that something that you see?
Speaker 2: Well, I think I think it's always don't be prepared
Speaker 2: with one note of the scene. And I'm sure you
Speaker 2: probably tell you know, because yeah, you see it one
Speaker 2: way and have in your mind are there ways? Because
Speaker 2: be prepared for just because it's written on the paper dramatically,
Speaker 2: the director or producer may say you know what you
Speaker 2: need to live at with some humor, and you have
Speaker 2: not even thought about it.
Speaker 3: In a human humorously.
Speaker 2: You know, you're like, oh man, and then you're fumbling
Speaker 2: and then you can get the lines and all that
Speaker 2: and the other thing I would say, And I know
Speaker 2: it's difficult if you're doing a bunch of auditions in
Speaker 2: one day. I do know it's a lot stronger, and
Speaker 2: I don't hold anybody against it. But I notice producers
Speaker 2: and writers a lot in the audition process when you
Speaker 2: when they're not prepared and there and they and they
Speaker 2: have the script and this and that, like a lot
Speaker 2: of times they they watch that because it makes them think, Okay,
Speaker 2: if you weren't prepared for the audition, will you be
Speaker 2: prepared on the shoot day?
Speaker 3: Right?
Speaker 2: And so And I do know that sometimes casting directors
Speaker 2: will give you a call that morning to come in
Speaker 2: audition that afternoon, and then you have to be ready.
Speaker 3: And I know it, I know it. But I will
Speaker 3: say I've seen.
Speaker 2: Been in the room when people have been dismissed only
Speaker 2: because they had the paper, but they were better, they
Speaker 2: gave it even a better read, right, And but you know,
Speaker 2: so that's what I would say. I would say, be
Speaker 2: prepared to give different reads, have the one that you're
Speaker 2: that you're strong about, and then if you're asked to
Speaker 2: switch or to change, make sure that change is noticeable.
Speaker 3: So it's not just an inflection in your voice or
Speaker 3: something like that.
Speaker 2: It has to it has to be a change in
Speaker 2: the in the performance.
Speaker 1: So how important are classes for you For actors?
Speaker 2: I think it's I think it's I mean, with you,
Speaker 2: you can't not have classes. I mean, as a rector,
Speaker 2: I'm always always always looking up stuff.
Speaker 3: I'm always watching things.
Speaker 2: I'm always reading things about even the old stuff that
Speaker 2: I may have overlooked at one time in my life
Speaker 2: in terms of a film or TV, and I'll go
Speaker 2: back and watch it and go.
Speaker 3: Oh, that's why that worked and why that work? Okay.
Speaker 2: As a director, and I'm talking like angles and framing and.
Speaker 3: Just all those things in staging. Staging is really.
Speaker 2: Important as a director and with actors, and when you
Speaker 2: walk into a scene.
Speaker 3: A lot of times I notice when we do, it'll
Speaker 3: be seven.
Speaker 2: Am, right, and we get our am call time and
Speaker 2: we're walking through a scene and my first thing is
Speaker 2: just I'll let you know. The actors, will you know
Speaker 2: a lot of times are going over the lines again
Speaker 2: and we're just finding where it is.
Speaker 3: Right.
Speaker 2: I don't even here it is. I don't even talk
Speaker 2: like I let them come on listen, and I'm just watching.
Speaker 2: Somebody might stand near a desk, or somebody might sit,
Speaker 2: or somebody might do this. So the same thing that
Speaker 2: I would require from an actor, I do myself. Like
Speaker 2: in my mind, I got okay when I was thinking that,
Speaker 2: you know, the police officer was sitting down, and then
Speaker 2: the person walked in.
Speaker 3: And but then when they come in, the actor goes.
Speaker 2: You know, I feel like I should pace right, and
Speaker 2: if that works from you know, if that works in
Speaker 2: the scene, even though I thought they may sit, I'm like,
Speaker 2: why do you think it should pay? Well, you know,
Speaker 2: I'm just coming in from the other steed and tell
Speaker 2: me something I.
Speaker 3: Didn't think about, Like, you know what, go ahead and.
Speaker 2: Pace and then if if I see it doesn't work,
Speaker 2: I say, okay, great, and let's try sitting down and
Speaker 2: see see what happens. But I love to see, you know,
Speaker 2: when they come on and just just a rehearsal, just
Speaker 2: to see what people naturally do, right, That's a that's
Speaker 2: a great thing when the acting when the acting just
Speaker 2: becomes natural, right. And there's so many I mean, so
Speaker 2: many of the greats are like that, where it's just
Speaker 2: it's just natural, it's natural, and.
Speaker 1: You caught up and forget that there's a script. Right,
Speaker 1: They're like, I'm done. I see it's done, even though
Speaker 1: I've been in the room with it for a thousand times.
Speaker 3: Right, Yes, yes, that's that.
Speaker 1: I love those experiences I have had recently in teaching,
Speaker 1: and also my conversation with casting directors from Landa Hunt
Speaker 1: to Whinston, Sinclair, all of them, how actors are there
Speaker 1: there's not a real sense of need or urgency to
Speaker 1: hone your craft. Acting is easy, and we talked about
Speaker 1: we don't want to, you know, just sort of define
Speaker 1: it all as millennials, but a lot of them have.
Speaker 1: And so I really stress, you know, with my guests too,
Speaker 1: to tell the actors you know.
Speaker 3: Yes, well if you've never cried on cue.
Speaker 2: Or you know, and nothing's ever brought you to it,
Speaker 2: and you go to a class and you guys are
Speaker 2: doing the reading and it requires you to cry on
Speaker 2: and you can't do it right.
Speaker 3: So the next you have separate time with you're acting
Speaker 3: coach and.
Speaker 2: Say I don't know how to do this, And a
Speaker 2: great coach would tell you, this is what you tap into.
Speaker 2: This is what you tap into. Find three things that
Speaker 2: really said, was it the death of a parent? Was
Speaker 2: it you know that puppy you didn't get at eight
Speaker 2: years old? That you know it doesn't always have to
Speaker 2: be death. It could be just one thing that moves you, right,
Speaker 2: And depending on the scenario, find that so that the
Speaker 2: next time you may be doing that reading or a
Speaker 2: different one and you have to cry on Q. Find
Speaker 2: that moment, the moment your parents got divorced and you realize, man,
Speaker 2: this our lives are never going to be the same again.
Speaker 4: Right.
Speaker 3: They didn't cry then, but.
Speaker 2: It makes you cry thinking about it because it could
Speaker 2: have changed the trajectory of your life. So those kinds
Speaker 2: of things I think are good and a person like
Speaker 2: yourself is able to bring that out of people, so
Speaker 2: that instinctually, when you get to set and you've read
Speaker 2: the script and you know, okay, today is the day that.
Speaker 3: I have to I've got to cry today, Right.
Speaker 2: You know, do you think about it all the way
Speaker 2: to the set or do you wait until it's that moment?
Speaker 2: And that's something you can only learn in class and
Speaker 2: working on in developing with other actors of when to
Speaker 2: do that, how to do that? You know, how to
Speaker 2: train yourself to do that? You can't you can't do
Speaker 2: that in a vacuum. You can't do it by yourself,
Speaker 2: or just think you want to show up on set
Speaker 2: and go, oh yeah, I got beat up in the
Speaker 2: third grade and I cried, so let me cry, Like
Speaker 2: that's just not the words.
Speaker 1: But well, I'm gonna tell you what's not going to
Speaker 1: work is the fact that this interview is over. No, yes,
Speaker 1: but that'll be means that we could do Benny Bloom
Speaker 1: Douglas Part two.
Speaker 3: There we go.
Speaker 1: We haven't even gotten into I mean, I need to
Speaker 1: talk about films. I need to talk about Next Day Air.
Speaker 1: We need to talk about that much more. So I'm
Speaker 1: going to hit you with some dates and I'm going
Speaker 1: to another invitation. You are a wealth of knowledge. Oh
Speaker 1: my god, I know, like I'm taking notes here exactly.
Speaker 5: I know.
Speaker 1: I'm like, yes, maybe that's a good you know, but
Speaker 1: it's good to I always reference and with my students
Speaker 1: that I have conversation with you and other casting directors,
Speaker 1: and this is specifically what you guys need to work
Speaker 1: on as a casting director. We're not looking for readers,
Speaker 1: We're looking for characters and characters characteristics. So that's how
Speaker 1: when we used to be in person in live we
Speaker 1: used to read out the process. I want to talk
Speaker 1: about self tape with you. I think that that's really
Speaker 1: important for actice.
Speaker 2: That's where we are now, right, A lot of that's
Speaker 2: that's unfortunately where a lot of this is going. And
Speaker 2: and the thing is you self take with someone who's
Speaker 2: not a ca asking person. A lot of times it
Speaker 2: could be your sat, it could be your kid or
Speaker 2: something like that. And then how do they know when
Speaker 2: you've got you've given the right read because you're going
Speaker 2: to only send in which you think is the best.
Speaker 3: You might have done it twenty times exactly.
Speaker 1: But today if you get a chance, we have Sadiq Thunderson,
Speaker 1: and so Sadiq said only send in and only do
Speaker 1: your takes as many takes as you think you would
Speaker 1: get in the room. So it yeah, and I absolutely
Speaker 1: agree with him because just in coaching people for cell tapes,
Speaker 1: you can't do twenty takes. Man, it's not to let.
Speaker 3: Them read you.
Speaker 1: Maybe I don't go past three. Yeah, So I thought
Speaker 1: that was a really important because actors are you know days. No,
Speaker 1: this is you know, you got to leave room for
Speaker 1: the Benny Booms do their magic. So I just want
Speaker 1: to thank you so much, Benny, I mean, thank you
Speaker 1: so much. This has been enlightening in so many different ways. Man.
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, thank you so much.
Speaker 2: I appreciate it again, you know, I just appreciate, you know,
Speaker 2: being able to one of the people who very early on,
Speaker 2: I didn't even I didn't even have a career.
Speaker 3: I had had nothing.
Speaker 2: I was paying here, peing there, and you know, you
Speaker 2: just giving me sound advice about what the business was,
Speaker 2: what to look out for, you know, and just to
Speaker 2: just to keep keep going, just to keep going. And
Speaker 2: and it's great that you know what you said about me,
Speaker 2: and that you saw that I wasn't gonna quit like
Speaker 2: my whole thing never you know, you can't go back.
Speaker 3: I can't go back. I can only go forward. So
Speaker 3: how do I do that?
Speaker 2: And you said it's only God like putting people in
Speaker 2: your life to help guide you into those places.
Speaker 3: And I want't thank you for that.
Speaker 1: Sure, Oh man, I just want to thank you for
Speaker 1: just being consistent throughout my whole career. Whether I saw
Speaker 1: you on the street of Wu.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's a whole interesting time too.
Speaker 1: I want to talk about that too because I come
Speaker 1: from Drop Squad where I know the backstory of WU
Speaker 1: before it got to John and everybody.
Speaker 2: But interesting we should talk about because I have that
Speaker 2: moment and what I was doing, pang and then I
Speaker 2: got turned into like Jada's security person somehow for the
Speaker 2: whole job.
Speaker 3: It's interesting. Yeah, yeah, oh, we have to.
Speaker 1: It's so much fun. The Drop Squad story is they're
Speaker 1: doing WU.
Speaker 3: Right right for me, Yeah.
Speaker 1: It was so much fun. And so I just want
Speaker 1: to thank once again Benny Boom Douglas for being on
Speaker 1: the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore, and we'll
Speaker 1: be back with Class in Session. Welcome back to the
Speaker 1: Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore, and you guys
Speaker 1: are still blessed to have mister Benny Boom Douglas presence
Speaker 1: among us. Yes, look at the Spirited Actors clapping. That's right,
Speaker 1: clap lady. Okay, So we are here now for my
Speaker 1: favorite segment, Class in Session. So what we do here,
Speaker 1: Benny is we would love to get any of your
Speaker 1: insight or expertise that you want to share with our actresses,
Speaker 1: starting with Leon Amado, Heallo.
Speaker 6: Lean, Hello, Hi, Benny, Hello, what's up?
Speaker 1: No, go ahead and ahead, I'm excited to see you again.
Speaker 3: All eyes on me?
Speaker 1: Well, now all our eyes are gonna be on y'all,
Speaker 1: So next it is gonna be on you, mij listadpre.
Speaker 5: Hi.
Speaker 1: Hello, Okay, so I'm gonna read the scene and uh
Speaker 1: and then we're gonna go you ladies ready, okay?
Speaker 3: Cool?
Speaker 1: So this scene, Benny was written by Leon Almado, and
Speaker 1: this is called row are separate ways all right? Interior
Speaker 1: like Rissa's place. Afternoon, Larissa and Taylor are having brunch
Speaker 1: in Larissa's edgy and oh sorry nds less apartment. It's
Speaker 1: been years. So I made your fame.
Speaker 6: I may your fame.
Speaker 1: Scrambled the cream cheese, taking and stuff friend show.
Speaker 7: Oh man, I don't need dairy anymore or meat, but
Speaker 7: I didn't want to make you feel bad, so I
Speaker 7: just packed my own lunch.
Speaker 4: Do you mind?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 6: I mean you could have told me I'm trying to
Speaker 6: watch my weight too, but I don't packed on the
Speaker 6: cream cheese for you.
Speaker 4: But because okay, all worry. Well, it was really sweetie, though, Taylor.
Speaker 1: Goes her color organized label food containers.
Speaker 6: Well, I'll pull our other Sunday tradition, Mimosa's with mango juice.
Speaker 1: Can I thought you'd never say it.
Speaker 4: Bring them out, Bring them out.
Speaker 1: Taylor pools an eleven dollars bottle of freshly pressed mango juice,
Speaker 1: sold only in Hoot Whole Foods, and places it next
Speaker 1: to Larissa's two dollars bottle of Trader jibs.
Speaker 4: I'm only doing organic, so do you mind using the
Speaker 4: organic for mine?
Speaker 1: Larissa reads the label and almost things, yeah, baby, for
Speaker 1: eleven dollars? Does it come with anything? Yeah?
Speaker 4: Good health?
Speaker 1: Larisa ignores her. She doesn't have time for it.
Speaker 3: Let's see.
Speaker 1: Taylor gets up to wash her hands.
Speaker 6: Okay, I don't know what Upper west Side bougie therapist
Speaker 6: that you're going to. It is the third time you
Speaker 6: watch hands.
Speaker 4: Everything good. The five p's are my things this season.
Speaker 4: The proper preparation prevents poor performance.
Speaker 1: Maybe that doesn't have anything to do with your hands. Well,
Speaker 1: I'm applying it to all aspects of my life. Larissa
Speaker 1: takes her first bite, while Taylor pulls out an empty
Speaker 1: spray bottle and starts spray mid fighting. What are you doing?
Speaker 4: I'll just keeping the air fresh and circulating.
Speaker 3: It's been so scale.
Speaker 1: Larissa's dad all right, baby, either you gotta go or
Speaker 1: you gotta tell me what happened to you. Taylor pondered
Speaker 1: for a minute, and then.
Speaker 4: Yeah, can I call my therapist so that she can
Speaker 4: she can chime in for moral support.
Speaker 1: Larissa just excuses herself. Very nice, lady. Okay, I'm gonna
Speaker 1: throw it over to you, Benny.
Speaker 3: Real quick question.
Speaker 2: And in the story, are they they're like best friend?
Speaker 2: What's the what's the relationship?
Speaker 1: We grew up really close together. But I'm like, I say,
Speaker 1: even like the.
Speaker 6: Lower East Side up the West Side and SEMs really
Speaker 6: really come a long way from you know, like the
Speaker 6: way we used to be.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2: It would be interesting if if in the read Jalsa Julessa,
Speaker 2: I'm sorry, Jasa.
Speaker 4: Like from a different world.
Speaker 3: Yes, to play it, play it in a way where.
Speaker 2: She's because you know, you often see this right where
Speaker 2: people have separated and they and they're still friends, but
Speaker 2: you you bring with you the new world and a
Speaker 2: new experience that you have and the friend is expecting
Speaker 2: you to be the same. But you're bringing different stuff
Speaker 2: from Hope, like all this stuff was different. So maybe
Speaker 2: play it with a little bit of bougie attitude that
Speaker 2: that would take off a little you know what I'm
Speaker 2: saying a little more as a as opposed to being
Speaker 2: the same girl that she knew when when she left,
Speaker 2: you know, when you.
Speaker 3: Guys were friends every day.
Speaker 2: You know, just a little that's that would be just one,
Speaker 2: you know, other way to play it.
Speaker 3: So that way you can see.
Speaker 2: The dynamic that that would get Larissa a little bit
Speaker 2: more pissed off. So it's not just about the things
Speaker 2: that are different, it's she's different.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I get it, got it, Okay, So they can
Speaker 1: make those adjustments. I don't read the side. I don't
Speaker 1: read the slugline or the action. They just read the dialogue.
Speaker 5: Okay, okay you guys, mm hmm okay, So girl, I
Speaker 5: made your favorite cream, cheese, bacon, and.
Speaker 1: Stuff Frene toasted maple syrup.
Speaker 7: Oh man, I don't eat dairy anymore or meat. But
Speaker 7: I didn't want to make you feel bad, so I
Speaker 7: just packed my own lunch.
Speaker 4: Do you mind?
Speaker 6: Oh okay, I mean you could have told me I'm
Speaker 6: trying to watch my way too.
Speaker 1: But it's fun Nobby.
Speaker 4: Well, that was really sweet of you.
Speaker 1: All Right, I'll pull out other Sunday tradition. Most of
Speaker 1: we mangle juice. I thought you'd never say it.
Speaker 7: Bring it out, bring it out. Oh, I'm I'm only
Speaker 7: doing organic. I mean, so do you mind using the
Speaker 7: organic just for mine?
Speaker 4: The other for eleven dollars?
Speaker 1: Does that come with anything? Yeah?
Speaker 4: Good health, Let's just eat. Okay.
Speaker 6: I don't know what Upper west Side bougie therapists that
Speaker 6: you're going to, but Mama, this is the third time
Speaker 6: you're washing your hands everything.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 4: The five piece my thing this season. The five what
Speaker 4: proper preparation prevents poor performance?
Speaker 1: Maybe that has enough gain.
Speaker 4: Well, I'm applying it to all aspects of my life.
Speaker 1: All right. What are you doing?
Speaker 4: Oh? Well, just keeping the air fresh and circulating, you know, Taylor?
Speaker 1: Yeah, do you gotta go or you gonna let me
Speaker 1: know what's wrong?
Speaker 3: What happened?
Speaker 4: Can I just call my therapist for my sports?
Speaker 1: Wa han sing?
Speaker 3: That's funny. It was a little bit.
Speaker 2: It's just a little bit of a different same scene,
Speaker 2: just a little bit a different note, you know, coming
Speaker 2: over and expecting. I think it plays a little funnier
Speaker 2: if it's you know, she's trying to be And even
Speaker 2: that last line of the therapists almost reads as though
Speaker 2: she can't do anything.
Speaker 3: Without the therapist. So it's less about.
Speaker 2: Being bad and more about relying on the therapist for
Speaker 2: all the things that you need to do.
Speaker 1: That was fun and great insights. Thank you too. Okay,
Speaker 1: well it's over. Classes, session is over. Sorry, all right, Okay,
Speaker 1: Well we're going to wrap up class and session and
Speaker 1: thank Anny Bloomer Douglas for being here with us once again.
Speaker 3: I'm so glad to be invited to be here.
Speaker 1: Well, we're going to extend another invitation, so we're going
Speaker 1: to see you again. And I want to thank Lean
Speaker 1: and Lisa. You guys did a great job, and you
Speaker 1: guys listen all right, thank you so much, and we'll
Speaker 1: come back with Give Love on the Spirited Actor Podcast
Speaker 1: with me Tracy Moore. And now it's time Forgive Love.
Speaker 1: Meditation is for you. It's your time to shut out
Speaker 1: the noise, shut out the conversation and just be with
Speaker 1: yourself and just be. You don't need to show up
Speaker 1: with any money, you don't need to show up with
Speaker 1: any things. You don't need to show up with any titles,
Speaker 1: show up with your authentic self in quiet, and in
Speaker 1: that silence, answers are going to just start coming to you.
Speaker 1: What direction should I take? You're going to see the direction.
Speaker 1: How should I feel about a certain thing? You're going
Speaker 1: to feel, how you should feel. You're going to be
Speaker 1: guided in your meditation and in that moment, whether it's
Speaker 1: five minutes or twenty minutes, settle your soul, settle your
Speaker 1: spirit and allow yourself to rejuvenate, allow yourself to rebuild,
Speaker 1: allow yourself to reshape and be empowered. Meditation is for you.
Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us on the Spirited Actor podcast
Speaker 1: with me Tracy Moore. I look forward to our next
Speaker 1: Spirited podcast. Thank you,