1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,760
Speaker 1: But I read sleep stories on the comm app and

2
00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:05,960
Speaker 1: it's you know, I get into a very deep voice

3
00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,600
Speaker 1: here and I was gonna sleep very slowly and make

4
00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:12,800
Speaker 1: sure that people are feeling calm. Go through the night,

5
00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,000
Speaker 1: the peace will sleep. So that's that's yeah, it's getting ahead.

6
00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,279
Speaker 2: We're meditating right now, go ahead ahead. No, that is

7
00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,840
Speaker 2: not the calm app. That is our next guest. However,

8
00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,799
Speaker 2: I do know this for a fact. He does do

9
00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,600
Speaker 2: that exact voice on the calm app. You're gonna leve

10
00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,280
Speaker 2: ch k on this edition of Naked.

11
00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,440
Speaker 3: It's the greatest suspersion entertainment can Naked wind very champion

12
00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:47,479
Speaker 3: they carry Chappy is going to be a champion.

13
00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:48,199
Speaker 2: A champion.

14
00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,440
Speaker 3: They carry Chappy and they got a champion. They carry

15
00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:52,840
Speaker 3: Chappy and they carry Chatty.

16
00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:54,720
Speaker 1: Greatest entertainment.

17
00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,640
Speaker 2: Nick you Ward, Hey, everybody, welcome to a another edition

18
00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:04,120
Speaker 2: of Naked. Today. We have an actor entrepreneur on today's podcast. Also,

19
00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:06,720
Speaker 2: i'd say he's a friend of mine. We established that

20
00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,360
Speaker 2: during the podcast. His name is chi k O Quonklo.

21
00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:12,720
Speaker 2: Make sure I say that right, because it gets very

22
00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,760
Speaker 2: upset with me. You may have seen him and being

23
00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:19,160
Speaker 2: Mary Jane. He played Gabrielle Union's one of her boyfriends

24
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,880
Speaker 2: in one of the seasons. He also was in Birth

25
00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,839
Speaker 2: of a Nation. He is a theater actor and most

26
00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,759
Speaker 2: recently or as of late, he has a television show

27
00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:35,000
Speaker 2: that is airing on Peacock NBC. It's called Brea like

28
00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,080
Speaker 2: LaBrea Tarpits. It's really good. You should check it out

29
00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,720
Speaker 2: every Tuesday. By the time you hear this podcast, it

30
00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,720
Speaker 2: will have already aired and you can go back and

31
00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,400
Speaker 2: watch repeat. So do yourself a favor. But before we

32
00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:49,400
Speaker 2: dive into this interview, I do want to say one

33
00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,280
Speaker 2: thing to you guys, and this is a part of

34
00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,320
Speaker 2: the conversation that I had with she K. I intentionally

35
00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,080
Speaker 2: try to have people on who obviously share really great stories,

36
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,280
Speaker 2: but they're not afraid to speak their t and GK

37
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:04,800
Speaker 2: is one of these people who is not afraid to

38
00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,919
Speaker 2: speak as truth and he uses this platform for good

39
00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,359
Speaker 2: or at least to tell stories and amplify stories for

40
00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,919
Speaker 2: us in the community as a collective, and then ultimately

41
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,000
Speaker 2: the world gets to benefit. And I have been really struggling,

42
00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,079
Speaker 2: if you've been listening since the beginning of the year,

43
00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,040
Speaker 2: I've been struggling with what I think is the erasure

44
00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,959
Speaker 2: of our history, of African American history, the denial of

45
00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,639
Speaker 2: slavery and racism in this country really is starting to

46
00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,200
Speaker 2: bother me. It has bothered me, but to the point

47
00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:44,440
Speaker 2: where I'm low key obsessed with making sure we don't

48
00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,799
Speaker 2: allow that to happen right we as a culture. But

49
00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:52,359
Speaker 2: also now I find myself reacting and not responding. And

50
00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,440
Speaker 2: I was on air today at CNN and I was

51
00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,720
Speaker 2: with someone who was trying to deny that this was

52
00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,640
Speaker 2: a racist country. He was obviously speaking from his perspective.

53
00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,320
Speaker 2: I was speaking from my perspective, and he was a

54
00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,480
Speaker 2: smug man, a smug man. His name is rich Lowry.

55
00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:09,280
Speaker 2: And I don't mind if he knows that I said

56
00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,200
Speaker 2: he was a smug man, because he was doing it

57
00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:16,320
Speaker 2: on purpose. And it just reminded me that we have

58
00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,440
Speaker 2: to start paying attention to the world around us. They

59
00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:25,200
Speaker 2: will change our story and make it their story. And

60
00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,640
Speaker 2: what do we have to give to those who are

61
00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:29,920
Speaker 2: coming behind us if we do not have our stories,

62
00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,720
Speaker 2: our collective truth. It's so important that we tell our stories.

63
00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,920
Speaker 2: We use whatever platform we have, and we also and

64
00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,400
Speaker 2: we also make sure that we speak out against those

65
00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,440
Speaker 2: who are trying to deny our history. First it was

66
00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,440
Speaker 2: black people didn't contribute anything to this country. Then it

67
00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,480
Speaker 2: was Martin Luther King saved everybody and there was no

68
00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:58,000
Speaker 2: more racism because he was around, which is stupid. Great man,

69
00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,680
Speaker 2: but he didn't end racism, right. You just can't. You

70
00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:02,880
Speaker 2: can't say, okay, in the sixties, racism was done because

71
00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,120
Speaker 2: Martin Uther King Junior did all these all these things

72
00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:09,080
Speaker 2: during the Civil Rights movement. No, no, no, And now

73
00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,440
Speaker 2: we have people running for office, I e. Nikki Hayley

74
00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,560
Speaker 2: saying this is not a racist country. She didn't know

75
00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,760
Speaker 2: why the Civil War actually began. She didn't want to

76
00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:26,360
Speaker 2: say it was slavery. And I just refuse to endorse

77
00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,760
Speaker 2: or encourage or even amplify anyone who is not willing

78
00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,920
Speaker 2: to speak truth to power anymore. So that's what you're

79
00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,880
Speaker 2: gonna get on this podcast. People who care about this country,

80
00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:42,200
Speaker 2: care about the collective, and care about telling our stories

81
00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,560
Speaker 2: because our stories are so important. And that's what ch

82
00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:49,960
Speaker 2: K is doing. Welcome to a new edition of Naked Chapion.

83
00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:54,120
Speaker 3: And Carey Sheppy and the Carey shepych K.

84
00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:56,480
Speaker 2: Every time I have a guest on the show, you guys,

85
00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,360
Speaker 2: I like to give you a little context in terms

86
00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,880
Speaker 2: of whether or not I know these people on the

87
00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,000
Speaker 2: Carrie championshow that I had on Amazon. When you guys

88
00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,120
Speaker 2: all supported appreciate you. She K came on the show,

89
00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,080
Speaker 2: and I remember when I first met him. I don't

90
00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,280
Speaker 2: know if there was I just I feel like we

91
00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:17,600
Speaker 2: didn't communicate well enough when we first met. That's what

92
00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,640
Speaker 2: I would like to say. But now fast forward a summer.

93
00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,440
Speaker 2: A summer later, I hang out in Martha's Vineyard and

94
00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,800
Speaker 2: we're fast and furious. You're like my bff, she K,

95
00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:29,320
Speaker 2: thank you so much for coming on naked.

96
00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,720
Speaker 1: I'm so happy to be here, Carrie. And yeah, we

97
00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:38,479
Speaker 1: are tight. We're fam now, Okay, we.

98
00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:42,080
Speaker 2: Will say we did have a minor hiccup on the

99
00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,440
Speaker 2: road to being family. What you Apparently I did something well.

100
00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,560
Speaker 1: So we meet up on Martha's vineyard. We've got mutual friends,

101
00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:51,880
Speaker 1: we're all in the same group, and I'm like, Carrie,

102
00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:53,840
Speaker 1: I greet you as the old friend that you are,

103
00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,560
Speaker 1: and You're like, hello, nice to meet you. And so

104
00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:58,960
Speaker 1: I was like, okay, we're not up to a great

105
00:05:59,000 --> 00:05:59,400
Speaker 1: start here.

106
00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,920
Speaker 2: I have what I call Newsheimer's. When you meet so

107
00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,960
Speaker 2: many people, sometimes you just forget. But then you reminded

108
00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,839
Speaker 2: me and I was like, oh my god, love this guy.

109
00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,720
Speaker 2: And we went on for y'all folks, listen, and we

110
00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:13,880
Speaker 2: went on to play, uh that's all you do in

111
00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,800
Speaker 2: Martha's been here, display board games. It's around. It's such

112
00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:18,600
Speaker 2: a good time. And we played a lot of great

113
00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,600
Speaker 2: board games and it was we've of course gender board games,

114
00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,160
Speaker 2: guys versus girls, and all the women love chee k.

115
00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,440
Speaker 2: So if you have not seen this, this actor, this entrepreneur,

116
00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,120
Speaker 2: this this highly intellectual human being. You have to support

117
00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,320
Speaker 2: all of his projects and we'll get into all of that.

118
00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,000
Speaker 2: But you were loved by all for good reasons. You

119
00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:44,440
Speaker 2: grew up in the UK British, but Nigerian. So how

120
00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,760
Speaker 2: how would I say that a Nigerian a Nigerian British,

121
00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:50,080
Speaker 2: British Nigerian. What do you say?

122
00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,360
Speaker 1: I just say, I stick with Nigerian these days. That's it.

123
00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:55,760
Speaker 2: You don't need you don't need that, Okay, great the

124
00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:01,160
Speaker 2: British for me, you don't need to anymore. Okay, good

125
00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,920
Speaker 2: at all. Tell me about growing up as a Nigerian

126
00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,320
Speaker 2: in the UK. How was that What was that experience

127
00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,039
Speaker 2: for you in terms of what does it look like.

128
00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:12,400
Speaker 1: You know something, I've been in the stage now for

129
00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,320
Speaker 1: about fifteen years, and something I really realize is that

130
00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,880
Speaker 1: if you're Nigerian, you're a b Ebo house or whatever

131
00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:24,640
Speaker 1: tribe you're from. If you grew up Nigerian outside of Nigeria,

132
00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,160
Speaker 1: you still grow up in Nigeria in some way, shape

133
00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:30,080
Speaker 1: or form. So I have cousins family who are here

134
00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,000
Speaker 1: in the US, and my household growing up culture is

135
00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:38,040
Speaker 1: exactly the same as as theirs is here. So even

136
00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,840
Speaker 1: though I definitely grew up in a very sort of

137
00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,480
Speaker 1: white part of South London in the eighties and nineties,

138
00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:46,720
Speaker 1: inside my home it was a Nigerian home. So it

139
00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:50,800
Speaker 1: was you know, full of full of love and definitely

140
00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,760
Speaker 1: a very strong academia in my parents. They wanted to

141
00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,400
Speaker 1: meet me and my siblings to do well at school.

142
00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,680
Speaker 1: And then I decided I want to become an actor.

143
00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,320
Speaker 1: And so as lots of Nigerians can attest, lots of

144
00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,680
Speaker 1: immigrants can attest to the idea of your child becoming

145
00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,600
Speaker 1: a performer of some kind is not high on the

146
00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,960
Speaker 1: list of priorities from my Nigerian parents, we could over that.

147
00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:12,560
Speaker 1: We got through it.

148
00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, all my friends not my but the few friends

149
00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:18,320
Speaker 2: that I have that are actors. Like Evanna Orgie talks

150
00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,720
Speaker 2: about that often, how her parents are disappointed or even

151
00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,160
Speaker 2: if they if you all decide not necessarily to be

152
00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,760
Speaker 2: a doctor or an engineer, I hear that the parents

153
00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,960
Speaker 2: are disappointed. So how the conversation go, Hey, I've been

154
00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:30,520
Speaker 2: watching TV a lot, and I think I want to

155
00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:31,040
Speaker 2: be an actor.

156
00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,280
Speaker 1: Are you know?

157
00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:35,280
Speaker 2: I'd studied theater in school and I think I'm good

158
00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,600
Speaker 2: at this? What made you want to become an actor?

159
00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,640
Speaker 1: So luckily for my parents, they were like blindsided by

160
00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,640
Speaker 1: the idea because from the age of about six years old,

161
00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:46,839
Speaker 1: my mom would take me and my older sister to

162
00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,040
Speaker 1: the theater and I was just blown away from the

163
00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:51,839
Speaker 1: very first moment I stepped through in the building like

164
00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:56,000
Speaker 1: that and wanted to tell stories. Did my whole way

165
00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,360
Speaker 1: through school, and then I joined a company called the

166
00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,679
Speaker 1: National Youth Music Theater when I was around sixteen, and

167
00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:04,920
Speaker 1: it just changed my life. It was loads of Brits.

168
00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:08,640
Speaker 1: It yoursel but David Yellowoe, Daniel Craig, all the Britz.

169
00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:11,839
Speaker 1: You can imagine if they started yell. A lot of

170
00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,160
Speaker 1: them went through that company and getting in was a

171
00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:17,800
Speaker 1: really really big deal. And so from that point on,

172
00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,360
Speaker 1: I was off. I was touring the world with plays.

173
00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,720
Speaker 1: And when it came to go into college, I said

174
00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,400
Speaker 1: to my parents, look, I'll go and do you know,

175
00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,720
Speaker 1: a three year degree. I did a business computer science

176
00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,640
Speaker 1: degree to make them happy. But as soon as I'm done,

177
00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:33,719
Speaker 1: it has to be the acting thing for me. So

178
00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:37,680
Speaker 1: I went straight away to drama school after that, and yeah,

179
00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:38,559
Speaker 1: the rest is history.

180
00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:41,800
Speaker 2: Wow wow okay, And they were fine, they were supportive.

181
00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:43,400
Speaker 2: I love it. That's great, I think so.

182
00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,079
Speaker 1: I think so in the top moments, you know, they're like,

183
00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,920
Speaker 1: why are you doing this thing? You've got an education,

184
00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,599
Speaker 1: you can and you can go and become something. But

185
00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,000
Speaker 1: you know, there have been plenty of great moments along

186
00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:56,880
Speaker 1: the way as well, So I think they appreciate it

187
00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:00,400
Speaker 1: and appreciate the back the things of have gone the

188
00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:01,000
Speaker 1: way they've gone.

189
00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:05,120
Speaker 2: Good for you. So I read and please correct me

190
00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:07,280
Speaker 2: if any of my research is incorrect. At twenty nine,

191
00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,920
Speaker 2: you move here to here being the United States, obviously

192
00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,920
Speaker 2: with a huge impact on other actors, Nigerian actors who

193
00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:15,720
Speaker 2: were doing well who moved to the States and are

194
00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:18,360
Speaker 2: making it happen. If you can name more than five.

195
00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:19,719
Speaker 2: You're like, we're doing it, so I might as well

196
00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:24,559
Speaker 2: do it too. Was is there any more? Was there

197
00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:29,240
Speaker 2: any hesitation? Were you afraid? Were you anxious? Tell me

198
00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:33,080
Speaker 2: about a feeling of pursuing a dream in another country.

199
00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,400
Speaker 1: That's a great question, you know, because I from the

200
00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,120
Speaker 1: very beginning of my career, I was really fortunate to

201
00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,640
Speaker 1: do so many great things in the UK. I work

202
00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,680
Speaker 1: a lot in theater. I wanted to do classical theater

203
00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:50,199
Speaker 1: and lots of Shakespeare, and I was just really fortunate.

204
00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,439
Speaker 1: I had lots of opportunities, but the opportunities I wanted

205
00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,839
Speaker 1: to play leading roles, to really be a part of

206
00:10:58,000 --> 00:10:59,600
Speaker 1: telling the story, not just in front of the camera,

207
00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,360
Speaker 1: but behind the camera. Those opportunities always lay out here

208
00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,480
Speaker 1: in the US, and I have very dear friends and

209
00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:09,679
Speaker 1: colleagues who I've worked along the way, who had made

210
00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,640
Speaker 1: the step, like you say, And so it meant that

211
00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,040
Speaker 1: I could see a clearer path, you know expression, if

212
00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:17,400
Speaker 1: you can't see, you can't be it. I was really

213
00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:19,200
Speaker 1: fortunate that I can see, even if it was only

214
00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:21,920
Speaker 1: one or two people, I could definitely see a more

215
00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,319
Speaker 1: direct path forward for myself here in the US. And

216
00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,719
Speaker 1: then culturally as well. You know, growing up, I was

217
00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:33,440
Speaker 1: just so impacted by African American culture period, music, fashion, film,

218
00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,400
Speaker 1: and TV obviously, and I wanted to be a part

219
00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,199
Speaker 1: of telling stories that haven't yet been told here in

220
00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:41,920
Speaker 1: the US because it really feels to me that once

221
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,000
Speaker 1: we can push forward so many of these stories that exist,

222
00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:49,000
Speaker 1: real life stories have happened in African American history and

223
00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,640
Speaker 1: American history, then I feel like we get a better

224
00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:53,440
Speaker 1: context of who we are as a people.

225
00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:58,600
Speaker 2: It's interesting to me because again, as we share with them,

226
00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:00,320
Speaker 2: we are friends and we play. We play a lot

227
00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,559
Speaker 2: of fun games, like silly games. But one of the

228
00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,079
Speaker 2: games was just in African American history, Like what do

229
00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:09,200
Speaker 2: you know about African American history? And why this may

230
00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,520
Speaker 2: be silly on my part, you knew more than some

231
00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,920
Speaker 2: other people that you know grew up here, And I'm my, wait,

232
00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,319
Speaker 2: how do you you can know more about ours struggle

233
00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,800
Speaker 2: than you you know what I mean, meaning on our

234
00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:25,120
Speaker 2: soil here right This country's sad relationship with slavery and

235
00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:28,480
Speaker 2: it's unfortunate relationship with how they treat black people currently

236
00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,720
Speaker 2: in the past. I feel like you were very well versed.

237
00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,319
Speaker 2: Was that intentional? Did you learn that in school. I

238
00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:39,679
Speaker 2: feel like I have a hard time believing that was

239
00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,480
Speaker 2: a part of the curriculum because it's barely the curriculum here,

240
00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,040
Speaker 2: let alone in the UK.

241
00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, it wasn't, It wasn't. I think the great thing

242
00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:49,240
Speaker 1: about being an actor and being a story setter as

243
00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:53,199
Speaker 1: you get to experience so many different stories. When I

244
00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,959
Speaker 1: first got to the US, actually not quite a couple

245
00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,200
Speaker 1: of years after I got here, I didn't really call

246
00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,640
Speaker 1: it The Burst of a Nation with Nate Parker. And

247
00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,040
Speaker 1: you know, when you're making a film like that, like

248
00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,040
Speaker 1: I say, it's a true story, something that really happened

249
00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,120
Speaker 1: here on American soil, you get so deeply steeped in

250
00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,760
Speaker 1: the history. And also I just enjoy it. I enjoy

251
00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,080
Speaker 1: learning about the history. It's a tough word to us enjoy.

252
00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:18,160
Speaker 1: It's not good or easy history to enjoy. But it's

253
00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:22,320
Speaker 1: certainly a bit a really big part of my career

254
00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,319
Speaker 1: making sure that I can learn as much as I

255
00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,000
Speaker 1: possibly can about the work I'm doing, the roles I'm playing,

256
00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:29,000
Speaker 1: and then the work that I want to do, so

257
00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,840
Speaker 1: it becomes you vocational training along the way or almost.

258
00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:36,719
Speaker 2: So, Yes, that makes sense. Congratulations, Congratulations on Berth of

259
00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:39,559
Speaker 2: the Nations. From my understanding was that like the breakout

260
00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:43,840
Speaker 2: role for you here, not necessarily of your career, but here,

261
00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:45,280
Speaker 2: And I think so.

262
00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,319
Speaker 1: I think it was a pivotal moment just for me

263
00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,679
Speaker 1: just inside myself as well, because watching Nate Parker, who

264
00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,719
Speaker 1: wrote it, directed it, produced it, and starred in it.

265
00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,160
Speaker 1: It was like being a film school. You know, incredible

266
00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,720
Speaker 1: actors along the way as well on that film, Common Domingo,

267
00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,120
Speaker 1: who's having an incredible moment right now and yes then

268
00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:07,599
Speaker 1: deservedly so. Yeah, Asionary King Wan incredible actress, and so

269
00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:11,800
Speaker 1: to be around actors who were really doing the same

270
00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,720
Speaker 1: sort of work, and and Gabrielle Union, who I then

271
00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:17,719
Speaker 1: went on to do but being Mary Jane with so,

272
00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,080
Speaker 1: you know, incredible people. Just to get to experience that

273
00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:23,960
Speaker 1: sort of a journey just internally, it helped you to

274
00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:25,680
Speaker 1: figure out your place in the world.

275
00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:28,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, I fortunately have the I was been fortunate to

276
00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,400
Speaker 2: meet some really great actors along the way. And I

277
00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,640
Speaker 2: remember Gabby while working on that film, we would we

278
00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:37,080
Speaker 2: would be texting and she would say how encouraged she

279
00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,480
Speaker 2: was or even as it was coming out versus coming out,

280
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:40,920
Speaker 2: she was like, it's so great, it's so beautiful, to

281
00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,000
Speaker 2: all the things about what she felt while doing it.

282
00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,760
Speaker 2: Let me ask you this, do you feel like and

283
00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:49,800
Speaker 2: it was so important? I mean, that film was so

284
00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,840
Speaker 2: important and so wonderfully told, but I don't think it

285
00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:58,920
Speaker 2: received the attention or the respect because, in my opinion,

286
00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:02,800
Speaker 2: Hollywood wasn't ready for that story. The story of a

287
00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:04,960
Speaker 2: black man killing white people is just a story that

288
00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:08,560
Speaker 2: Hollywood wasn't ready for. And I felt, whether wrong or right,

289
00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:13,080
Speaker 2: there was a smear campaign against Nate, and I thought,

290
00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,480
Speaker 2: this isn't fair. You know, this isn't fair, But in

291
00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,520
Speaker 2: real time, it's happening, and it felt almost very It

292
00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:28,200
Speaker 2: felt very similar to very many stories when we try

293
00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,120
Speaker 2: to share our history and we try to relive the

294
00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,560
Speaker 2: history so that people can really understand and be educated.

295
00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,280
Speaker 2: Tell me how that experience was for you. You're in

296
00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,480
Speaker 2: this beautiful project, and I don't like I said, it

297
00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:43,239
Speaker 2: didn't deserve the way that it was treated and dismissed.

298
00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:44,240
Speaker 2: How did you feel?

299
00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,640
Speaker 1: I feel still to this day quite a few things.

300
00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,120
Speaker 1: Look it is what it is. I actually think, funnily enough,

301
00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,280
Speaker 1: I felt the same way that Hollywood wasn't ready for

302
00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:57,680
Speaker 1: a story like this. But then when we went to

303
00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,840
Speaker 1: Sundance and we won Sundance. I remember I was sat

304
00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,640
Speaker 1: next to Colmen DIVINGO and there's a moment in the

305
00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:08,080
Speaker 1: film where my character cuts off the head of his enslaver,

306
00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,920
Speaker 1: and I was surprised at a room full of twelve

307
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:14,640
Speaker 1: hundred people, mostly white people, watching that movie. There were

308
00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:18,800
Speaker 1: cheers and shouts and applause, and the time was really

309
00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,480
Speaker 1: really ready for it. But it wasn't that Hollywood wasn't ready.

310
00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,680
Speaker 1: It was that actually America was ready and they were

311
00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:28,200
Speaker 1: ready to sideline the film in quite a skillful way.

312
00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,320
Speaker 1: Looking back on it, I think it helped me to

313
00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,200
Speaker 1: really realize that we're up against It made me realize

314
00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,800
Speaker 1: that we are much stronger together. We're going to be

315
00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:43,160
Speaker 1: brave and tell stories like this. We need to guid

316
00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:45,440
Speaker 1: ourselves and be in it together and really make sure

317
00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:50,960
Speaker 1: that we are part of a cohesive whole. Because yeah,

318
00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:53,800
Speaker 1: it still happens to this day. There are just certain stories,

319
00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:57,480
Speaker 1: certain things that America doesn't want out there, doesn't want

320
00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:01,200
Speaker 1: to air its dirty laundry in certain aspe and I

321
00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,159
Speaker 1: think it's that it's the job of an artist or

322
00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,080
Speaker 1: a storyteller to say you know what, I don't care.

323
00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,200
Speaker 1: I'm going to push I'm going to keep on telling

324
00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,879
Speaker 1: these stories. I'm going to be brave, even if it

325
00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:15,040
Speaker 1: comes at a personal cause, and say this is this

326
00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,000
Speaker 1: is something that needs to exist in the world. It's

327
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:18,680
Speaker 1: something needs to get out there. You know. I think

328
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,960
Speaker 1: for us the Birth of the Nation, it wasn't a

329
00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,760
Speaker 1: film about enslavement. It was a film about revolution, absolutely,

330
00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:31,320
Speaker 1: and a film about inspiring people to be revolutionaries and

331
00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:33,719
Speaker 1: to break outside of the bonds that might be holding them,

332
00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:35,920
Speaker 1: whatever they may be. And so I think that's a

333
00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:37,960
Speaker 1: that's a message and a story that I still want

334
00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:39,280
Speaker 1: to go out now, and I'm sure so many other

335
00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:41,560
Speaker 1: artists do as well. So even though The Birth of

336
00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,600
Speaker 1: a Nation maybe didn't get its due yet, my hope

337
00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,679
Speaker 1: is that people still tune in, you know, put up

338
00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,800
Speaker 1: on Apple or whatever and watch the movie because it's

339
00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,240
Speaker 1: a really powerful film and it holds up to this day.

340
00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,080
Speaker 2: It holds up to this day. So yes, definitely still

341
00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:56,600
Speaker 2: watch it still. I just think of so many people

342
00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:58,080
Speaker 2: who say that was one of the best films they've

343
00:17:58,119 --> 00:17:59,960
Speaker 2: ever they've ever seen in the sense of the story

344
00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,680
Speaker 2: retelling to your point. So congratulations of being a part

345
00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:09,480
Speaker 2: of something that to me historical in the sense of

346
00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,040
Speaker 2: it will be it will be shown in classrooms, if

347
00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:15,280
Speaker 2: not still shown in classrooms, it will be part of

348
00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,920
Speaker 2: it will be part of the the college conversation that

349
00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,840
Speaker 2: you have if you're taking this class on on revolutions,

350
00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,520
Speaker 2: and I feel like there's all these ways in which

351
00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:28,680
Speaker 2: you can you look at that film to learn from it.

352
00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:32,840
Speaker 2: So good for you. I hated that. I just hate

353
00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,000
Speaker 2: that for I hate that for us. I feel like,

354
00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:39,040
Speaker 2: in real time today, I just had this conversation UH

355
00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:43,760
Speaker 2: on CNN. The erasing or rewriting of our history is

356
00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,159
Speaker 2: happening in real time, and no one is paying attention.

357
00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:51,119
Speaker 2: And those who are paying attention, they're they're they're working.

358
00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:53,920
Speaker 2: But we need more people to pay attention. Like, you

359
00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,320
Speaker 2: can't say this isn't a racist country. You can't say

360
00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:58,000
Speaker 2: that you don't know what the civil the Civil War

361
00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,640
Speaker 2: was about. You can't do that in real time. It's

362
00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,160
Speaker 2: so disrespectful to our ancestors and to the folks who

363
00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,120
Speaker 2: help build this country who still are trying to get

364
00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:12,040
Speaker 2: whatever they believe is equity. I wonder if politics is

365
00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:16,880
Speaker 2: something you stray away from as an actor or do you, meaning,

366
00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:18,640
Speaker 2: do you discuss it in a way that you feel

367
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,840
Speaker 2: comfortable or are you afraid to say certain things?

368
00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:21,199
Speaker 3: So it.

369
00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,200
Speaker 1: No, no, no, I'm not afraid to talk. But I

370
00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,360
Speaker 1: think being an actor, being a storyteller is a political act.

371
00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:31,920
Speaker 1: You have to be aware of the world around you.

372
00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,879
Speaker 1: You have to be aware of the things you're up against.

373
00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,600
Speaker 1: So no, I'm no. I haven't been asked huge about

374
00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,000
Speaker 1: about it in the past, but no, I'm not. I'm

375
00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,360
Speaker 1: not afraid to really talk about anything. I think it's

376
00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:47,040
Speaker 1: it's important to understand what we're up against as a

377
00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:51,200
Speaker 1: as a people and as a nation. Because you know,

378
00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,200
Speaker 1: even though I wasn't born here in the US, I

379
00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:59,639
Speaker 1: do feel like I've sort of become very much a

380
00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,040
Speaker 1: part of this system, and I you know, I stand

381
00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,640
Speaker 1: to really be a part of changing it. I really

382
00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:05,879
Speaker 1: feel like they really want to be a part of

383
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:09,040
Speaker 1: changing it for the better, and I stand to gain

384
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,520
Speaker 1: from that. So yeah, it's It's definitely not something I'm

385
00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,240
Speaker 1: afraid of just discussing. I happy to talk about with you.

386
00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,280
Speaker 2: A good No, I just say because I feel like

387
00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,720
Speaker 2: every every everyone at work is afraid. Every they're afraid

388
00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:23,080
Speaker 2: not to if they say the wrong thing because you

389
00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:25,320
Speaker 2: see what you've seen what happened. There's like, you know,

390
00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,960
Speaker 2: with Claudine Gay, You're like, wait, what, she didn't answer

391
00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,120
Speaker 2: something correctly, and now of a sudden she's not qualified

392
00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:32,800
Speaker 2: to be the president of Harvard. And I talked about

393
00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:34,399
Speaker 2: I can talk about that at nauseum. I'm not going

394
00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:34,720
Speaker 2: to do that.

395
00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,159
Speaker 1: No, it was exactly the example that was in my

396
00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,440
Speaker 1: mind when I said that. It still happens to this day.

397
00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:42,560
Speaker 1: You know what happened to the Birth of the Nation

398
00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,560
Speaker 1: and Janate Parker in that movie, It happens, and it

399
00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,560
Speaker 1: happened to claud to Claudine Gay. It's it's so disappointing

400
00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,800
Speaker 1: to weirdness, but it's also honestly, the system around it

401
00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:54,000
Speaker 1: doesn't change. It's got a very very well played out,

402
00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,080
Speaker 1: sort of raw book that it follows, and that thing

403
00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:02,359
Speaker 1: of discrediting and sort of diminishing her whole lifetime at

404
00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:05,960
Speaker 1: work was honestly incredible to what's happened, like you say,

405
00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:07,560
Speaker 1: in real time. And it's a shame. I find it

406
00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:08,120
Speaker 1: a real shame.

407
00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:13,160
Speaker 2: It's painful. It made me ask the question on the podcast,

408
00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,200
Speaker 2: is black excellence enough we wear it as armor for ourselves,

409
00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,920
Speaker 2: I think more so. But we can see does that

410
00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,320
Speaker 2: really protect us from the world if they decided that

411
00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:23,800
Speaker 2: they didn't want to, or from those who have the power,

412
00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:27,520
Speaker 2: if they decided we didn't we don't deserve. I don't

413
00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,880
Speaker 2: feel that it does. Doesn't mean we don't stop the work.

414
00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,399
Speaker 2: We still show up and give excellence. But but we

415
00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:37,280
Speaker 2: can't rest on that because two things can be true. Yes,

416
00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:38,680
Speaker 2: I could be excellent, but I also could be in

417
00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:42,159
Speaker 2: a system where I don't have enough power or enough cachet,

418
00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:45,200
Speaker 2: or perhaps I'm not seen in a way in which

419
00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:49,520
Speaker 2: it provides me with protection, because I just don't feel

420
00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,000
Speaker 2: like there is every.

421
00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,560
Speaker 3: Champion and Cary champion is to be a champion, a

422
00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,840
Speaker 3: champion and carry champion and carried chat. Be a champion

423
00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:58,640
Speaker 3: and carry champion and carried chat.

424
00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:00,800
Speaker 1: Great. It's the sports and the tamement can.

425
00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:09,960
Speaker 3: Naked work, very chappy and they care be chappy is

426
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,080
Speaker 3: going to be a champion, a champion. They care a

427
00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:15,480
Speaker 3: chappy and they champion. They care with chappy and they

428
00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,880
Speaker 3: care with Chevy entertainment and naked work.

429
00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:25,320
Speaker 2: I watch you move in this world, an elegant, articulate

430
00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:29,200
Speaker 2: black man. Is there anything that you fear in this

431
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:30,879
Speaker 2: world that we live in.

432
00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,040
Speaker 1: Oh gosh, yeah, I'm sure there is. I'm not sure

433
00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,240
Speaker 1: I could pick up what it would be right in

434
00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,240
Speaker 1: this moment, but you know, it's.

435
00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,320
Speaker 2: Do you feel like meaning, do you feel like you

436
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:42,040
Speaker 2: can walk down the street safely and not have and

437
00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:45,720
Speaker 2: not have a problem. Are you aware of your your blackness?

438
00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:50,240
Speaker 1: And I am very much so in maybe in different

439
00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:52,080
Speaker 1: parts of the country. You know what's funny though, when

440
00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:54,880
Speaker 1: I was a kid growing up in London, I made

441
00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,600
Speaker 1: a very definite decision and it was like an internal mantra.

442
00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:02,320
Speaker 1: Almost I was stopped once by the police, stopped a

443
00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,399
Speaker 1: few times obviously when I was a kid. But what

444
00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,040
Speaker 1: At one point I sort of said to myself, and

445
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,440
Speaker 1: I know this isn't true of everyone, because believe me,

446
00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:11,439
Speaker 1: when the police did not have guns in the country

447
00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:13,160
Speaker 1: that you grow up in, it makes a big difference.

448
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:15,679
Speaker 1: But when they do and they can make a decision,

449
00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,119
Speaker 1: in that moment, I realized that that's very clear and

450
00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,920
Speaker 1: present danger. But when I was maybe seventeen sixteen, I

451
00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:23,520
Speaker 1: just decided that I wasn't going to be stopped by

452
00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,080
Speaker 1: the police anymore. I was I was like, I'm not

453
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,320
Speaker 1: taking part in this game anymore. And the next time

454
00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,240
Speaker 1: I was stopped, he said he wanted to search me

455
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:34,480
Speaker 1: or something, and I said, no, no, I'm not doing that.

456
00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,600
Speaker 1: You can if you suspect me or something, you can

457
00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:37,960
Speaker 1: rest me and take me to the station, but I'm

458
00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:39,720
Speaker 1: not doing that in the street. And then you just

459
00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,719
Speaker 1: let me go. And that maybe that attitude isn't right

460
00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:45,960
Speaker 1: for everyone. I believe me. I understand that because I've

461
00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:47,760
Speaker 1: been stopped many a time. When we were filming in

462
00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:50,720
Speaker 1: the berth of the Nation, I was stopped three times

463
00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:53,040
Speaker 1: inside of two weeks, my first two weeks in Savannah, Georgia,

464
00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:58,280
Speaker 1: and that same attitude that I have could get me

465
00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:01,000
Speaker 1: in trouble for sure. It so happened when I was

466
00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:03,520
Speaker 1: in Georgia. The moment I started speaking in the accent

467
00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,680
Speaker 1: that I have, I was very, very very aware that

468
00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,120
Speaker 1: I wasn't the sort of black person they were looking

469
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,359
Speaker 1: to start, which is heartbreakingtrol. It was almost as if

470
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,080
Speaker 1: they said, you're not You're not what we're looking for,

471
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:18,879
Speaker 1: even though they made it hard for me. I remember

472
00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:20,560
Speaker 1: one time we were coming back with a night shoot

473
00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:23,440
Speaker 1: and it's like two in the morning. They followed me

474
00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,280
Speaker 1: for miles. It was It felt like terrorists genuinely did.

475
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,639
Speaker 1: And then you know, the flashlights and the hands on

476
00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:32,199
Speaker 1: the guns and taking my license about telling me anything.

477
00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:37,600
Speaker 1: That's terrorizing. It really is. But my mindset in that

478
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:42,760
Speaker 1: moment is unprotected and I'm not I'm not trying to

479
00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:44,600
Speaker 1: be a part of whatever game they're trying to play.

480
00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,560
Speaker 1: So look again, I realized that's not necessarily it's next

481
00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,480
Speaker 1: Stepine got advised, do not wait. No, but you just

482
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,200
Speaker 1: said the way that I've grown you you've wait.

483
00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,000
Speaker 2: Your experience, by the way, is going to be different

484
00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:58,680
Speaker 2: because your experience growing up in the UK with the

485
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:00,920
Speaker 2: police is different. So but what you just said to

486
00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:06,240
Speaker 2: me is very, very insightful. They followed you for miles

487
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:10,520
Speaker 2: and it was terrorizing. That's terrorism. That's traumatizing. Can you

488
00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:14,880
Speaker 2: imagine how much trauma black men, black women with black

489
00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:16,880
Speaker 2: men more specifically deal with day in and day out,

490
00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,719
Speaker 2: and we just consider it and it's just dismissed as

491
00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,720
Speaker 2: a part of what happens. But that's actually traumatizing. I

492
00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:24,240
Speaker 2: never even considered it that way.

493
00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,160
Speaker 1: No, it is, it is, and I think you look

494
00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:34,240
Speaker 1: for me. It's a shame because I do feel I

495
00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,320
Speaker 1: felt separate. In that moment as well, I felt separate

496
00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:39,960
Speaker 1: from my people in as much as just because I

497
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:43,359
Speaker 1: speak a certain way, it separated me in their minds.

498
00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,160
Speaker 1: And I know that not everyone, well very very few

499
00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:50,480
Speaker 1: people in America had that option. So it was it

500
00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:53,200
Speaker 1: was illuminating to me as well in a way that, Wow,

501
00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:55,040
Speaker 1: we've got work to do, because the work that I

502
00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:56,840
Speaker 1: want to do and the work that we've been speaking

503
00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:00,159
Speaker 1: of is work that really helps us to see who

504
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:04,560
Speaker 1: we are, be empowered by who we are. And then,

505
00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:06,720
Speaker 1: you know, I think the rest of the stuff, the

506
00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:10,240
Speaker 1: stuff that we can't control outside of ourselves, is you know,

507
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,320
Speaker 1: as may be. I don't try to think about it

508
00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:13,760
Speaker 1: too much.

509
00:26:14,119 --> 00:26:17,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, you can't because it'll break you down. I I

510
00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:20,480
Speaker 2: in this moment, you are educating many of us. So

511
00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,080
Speaker 2: I what I take away from this? So I need

512
00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:23,800
Speaker 2: to get an accent.

513
00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:27,159
Speaker 1: No, that's probably the reason. That's yeah, that's the that's

514
00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,480
Speaker 1: the dolls, Okay, just just speaking with a different accent, I.

515
00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:32,800
Speaker 2: Do, okay, speaking of your accent and your voice. I

516
00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:34,399
Speaker 2: remember I was like, I want him to do my

517
00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,000
Speaker 2: I want him to do my voice. I want you

518
00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:38,920
Speaker 2: to do my voice. Message, what do you do it.

519
00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,479
Speaker 2: You called voice went to leaving the message yes I want.

520
00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:43,720
Speaker 2: I wanted you to do my voicemail because I called

521
00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:45,440
Speaker 2: you before this and I got your voicemail. I'm like,

522
00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,639
Speaker 2: this is perfect, Like I would just love that. I

523
00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,280
Speaker 2: know that though you you have made a living off

524
00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:52,639
Speaker 2: of that voice of yours. You guys, listen to calm.

525
00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:54,680
Speaker 2: You can chi k you had a bit on calm

526
00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:55,840
Speaker 2: for how long is it still there?

527
00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,440
Speaker 1: Yeah? Still, I'm still going. It's it's really wonderful. Actually

528
00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,800
Speaker 1: during the pandemic, I think people really found apps like

529
00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:08,400
Speaker 1: like the car map very helpful. Correct, I still do wellness? Yeah, meditation.

530
00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:11,600
Speaker 1: I read sleep stories on the car mat and it's

531
00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,760
Speaker 1: you know, I get into a very deep voice here

532
00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:16,960
Speaker 1: and I sort of them to speak very slowly and

533
00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:21,400
Speaker 1: make sure that people are feeling calm, go through the night,

534
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,880
Speaker 1: the peaceful sleep. So that's that's yeah, it's gone.

535
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:27,320
Speaker 2: We're meditating right now.

536
00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,639
Speaker 1: Go ahead. Lots of people, lots of people message me

537
00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:33,040
Speaker 1: about about that, and it's nice to know that you

538
00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:36,160
Speaker 1: can support people because it's hard. Sleep is important, it's

539
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,040
Speaker 1: so important, and it's so hard to come by for

540
00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:39,720
Speaker 1: so many people.

541
00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:43,639
Speaker 2: So no, when you when you turn on the voice

542
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:45,879
Speaker 2: that this is why you're not getting stopped. Do you

543
00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:48,160
Speaker 2: talk to the officers that way? You give them the voice,

544
00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:49,439
Speaker 2: You're like, hello, just.

545
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:51,120
Speaker 1: Put them to sleep and then I can drive away.

546
00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:56,760
Speaker 2: Okay, you mentioned a couple of things that I was

547
00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,000
Speaker 2: already going to get to. You were on being married Jane,

548
00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,439
Speaker 2: we love gab you her boyfriend, it didn't work out.

549
00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,480
Speaker 2: She cheated on you with her boss or producer, Michael Ealy,

550
00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:09,080
Speaker 2: producer on the show. How dare she? How dare she?

551
00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 2: But that that that show gave me life? It maybe

552
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,000
Speaker 2: could have been reminiscent of what my life is. Okay, no,

553
00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:17,560
Speaker 2: I kid, but I loved I loved how I was

554
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,600
Speaker 2: able to see so many new and up and coming

555
00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,880
Speaker 2: and familiar faces on that show. And then you also

556
00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,960
Speaker 2: have done plays before obviously listened to you. It makes sense.

557
00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:30,280
Speaker 2: I was this is what I wanted to ask you.

558
00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,840
Speaker 2: I was reading Viola Davis's book and she said when

559
00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:35,200
Speaker 2: she you read it? Did you read it?

560
00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:36,720
Speaker 1: Id it?

561
00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,440
Speaker 2: And she talked about how when she went to she

562
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:44,040
Speaker 2: thought for so long being a theater actor was it

563
00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,320
Speaker 2: it was? She was, that's the high calling. And she

564
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:49,680
Speaker 2: went overseas and she made lots of money, she was

565
00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:51,920
Speaker 2: in plays, and she did all the things, but then

566
00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,200
Speaker 2: she didn't. Really, she said, she finally got her fame

567
00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:57,200
Speaker 2: in terms of the respect and in a sense of

568
00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:59,600
Speaker 2: who she is for of the viewer, the listeners, because

569
00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,200
Speaker 2: as she read the book when she did How to

570
00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:04,040
Speaker 2: Get Away with Murder?

571
00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:09,520
Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, yeah, it's and isn't it wild? Because I've

572
00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:11,320
Speaker 1: known her my whole career and looked up to her

573
00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:14,720
Speaker 1: my whole my whole life, And it's interesting to me

574
00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:19,200
Speaker 1: that certain actors don't get the due they deserve until

575
00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,040
Speaker 1: a certain time. But look, that's part of the game

576
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:22,760
Speaker 1: as well. I think she would see it that way.

577
00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:27,480
Speaker 1: It's it's persevering is such an important part of being

578
00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:29,920
Speaker 1: an actor and being being a storyteller. But doing what

579
00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:31,800
Speaker 1: you do like you have to persevere, You have to

580
00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,640
Speaker 1: believe in yourself more than anyone else does. Correct. It's

581
00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,200
Speaker 1: not an easy it's not an easy calling. It really isn't.

582
00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:42,080
Speaker 1: But it's so fulfilling, And good lord, how much more

583
00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,120
Speaker 1: are we blessed because Viola Davis and so many others

584
00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:48,200
Speaker 1: kept on going even when they heard than those even

585
00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:51,200
Speaker 1: when they couldn't, you know, put money on put money

586
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:52,840
Speaker 1: in the bank or food on the table, they still

587
00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:56,400
Speaker 1: kept on going and we are richer culturally for it.

588
00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:00,280
Speaker 1: So yeah, it's it's an inspiration. I always read Altbori

589
00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:01,880
Speaker 1: because I'm looking at my bookshop right here. It's the

590
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,240
Speaker 1: family I have right now. But it's it's so inspiring

591
00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:07,160
Speaker 1: to hear and listen while at your podcast as well.

592
00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:09,960
Speaker 1: And we'll probably get into the episodes that I've listened

593
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:16,240
Speaker 1: to because I've enjoyed listening a few, but I I

594
00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:19,600
Speaker 1: find it inspiring listening to others talk about their stories.

595
00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:23,520
Speaker 1: Sydney Poitier was always and will always be my favorite

596
00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,160
Speaker 1: actor of all time, and a similar thing. You know,

597
00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,920
Speaker 1: he came up in New York doing theater and I

598
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,480
Speaker 1: think if we were with us still he would he

599
00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:36,200
Speaker 1: would still say that that was such an important part

600
00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,240
Speaker 1: of his journey, being being on stage doing it week

601
00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,520
Speaker 1: after week, doing it for the love. You have to

602
00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,160
Speaker 1: really love it to keep on going. Money's great too,

603
00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,160
Speaker 1: and people people enjoying money, but it's it's it's more

604
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,440
Speaker 1: than that. For me, it certainly is. And you know,

605
00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,400
Speaker 1: I didn't really fully answer your question earlier, but moving

606
00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,000
Speaker 1: to the US was tough, and you know, you're away

607
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,400
Speaker 1: from everyone you know and love. You don't have a

608
00:30:57,440 --> 00:30:59,000
Speaker 1: community yet. I had to build that up here in

609
00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,240
Speaker 1: New York, and I build it up again in LA.

610
00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:04,520
Speaker 1: And you can't really do it on your own. You

611
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,719
Speaker 1: need you need that support and people around you. At

612
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:10,080
Speaker 1: least I have, and I've really enjoyed it and appreciated that.

613
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:15,000
Speaker 1: So yeah, it's it's I've just come off the back

614
00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,760
Speaker 1: of a three year TV show, and I understand Vila

615
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:21,880
Speaker 1: having to having to do that, and it supported her

616
00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:26,080
Speaker 1: enough family financially, I'm sure, and certainly got her name

617
00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,040
Speaker 1: and her faith out there a bit more. But the

618
00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:30,320
Speaker 1: people who really know, who are really paying attention, they

619
00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:30,920
Speaker 1: knew anyway.

620
00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:35,520
Speaker 2: I So my question for you is when you did theater?

621
00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,480
Speaker 2: You when you just answered it, you said theater is important,

622
00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:40,160
Speaker 2: you need to do it. It's it's for the love.

623
00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,400
Speaker 2: But you said Sidney Poortier is your favorite actor, So

624
00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:45,720
Speaker 2: maybe I'm not gonna double barrel. But first and foremost,

625
00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,200
Speaker 2: the perseverance of being an actor is arguably something I

626
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:52,920
Speaker 2: can definitely relate to. But I think what you do

627
00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:58,640
Speaker 2: is far more difficult. What why do you find yourself

628
00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:03,840
Speaker 2: persevere in certain instances or dealing with certain things that

629
00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,960
Speaker 2: frustrates you about the business. The perhaps maybe it's the inequity,

630
00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:10,360
Speaker 2: the way you get paid, the way someone not a role,

631
00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:13,000
Speaker 2: that someone took your role, whatever, whatever it is, what

632
00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:18,080
Speaker 2: makes you come back to this feeling of sharing and storytelling.

633
00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:22,600
Speaker 1: So Malcolm Gladwell, everyone speaks about it. Malcolm Gladwell wrote

634
00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:24,760
Speaker 1: in one of his books about the ten thousand hours

635
00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,840
Speaker 1: being about doing something for ten thousand hours to be

636
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:32,760
Speaker 1: considered you know, world class or a professional really doing

637
00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,120
Speaker 1: something well. I think within that ten thousand hours, if

638
00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,320
Speaker 1: you break it down, if you think about the minutes

639
00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,560
Speaker 1: and seconds in that ten thousand hours, you have to

640
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,120
Speaker 1: have really enjoyed what you were doing. I believe, in

641
00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,440
Speaker 1: order to get through to that moment, and then once

642
00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:50,960
Speaker 1: you have to pass that number, that ten thousand hours,

643
00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,040
Speaker 1: who you are. It's part of who you are. I've

644
00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:58,280
Speaker 1: loved this job, this form of storytelling since I was

645
00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:02,080
Speaker 1: six years old, and you know, over thirty five years

646
00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:06,719
Speaker 1: of doing it, being around it, watching it, consuming, it's

647
00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:10,400
Speaker 1: it's become you know, very very intertwined with with who

648
00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:12,640
Speaker 1: I am as a person. I really, I really believe

649
00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:16,640
Speaker 1: that I'm a better person for doing this job that

650
00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,680
Speaker 1: I've been doing, and so in order to persevere here,

651
00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,760
Speaker 1: it's more than it's almost almost in my DNA. And look,

652
00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:26,360
Speaker 1: there have been tough times as well. We can talk

653
00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:29,840
Speaker 1: about those because it's important. It's really they're informative of

654
00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:34,120
Speaker 1: a person and they really helped to build strength in

655
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,840
Speaker 1: the strength. So for me, it was it was definitely

656
00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:39,960
Speaker 1: the love the amount of time I've already put in

657
00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:45,760
Speaker 1: doing this. It was definitely faith, having faith in my

658
00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:49,200
Speaker 1: abilities and myself, but also in the fact that I

659
00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:51,120
Speaker 1: was put here for a reason and to do something

660
00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:55,320
Speaker 1: to support other people. It wasn't just about me. That's

661
00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:57,479
Speaker 1: that's another thing you learn in the theater. It's always

662
00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,920
Speaker 1: about the whole. The whole is always more in the

663
00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:04,160
Speaker 1: summ of its parts. And I think because that's in

664
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:05,960
Speaker 1: who I am, and it's in who are lots of

665
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,239
Speaker 1: actors who I respect are. That helps to keep you

666
00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:10,600
Speaker 1: going as well, because you get to be a part

667
00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:11,919
Speaker 1: of something that's really really great.

668
00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:15,239
Speaker 2: He really great. And by the way, I liken it

669
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:19,640
Speaker 2: to any type of performance, whether you're an athlete, whether

670
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:21,600
Speaker 2: I have a great show, like if I do a

671
00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:23,839
Speaker 2: great TV show, I have a great interview, I get

672
00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:26,440
Speaker 2: to you know, whatever it is, there's some kind of

673
00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:28,560
Speaker 2: adrenaline rush and you're like, this is it, And by

674
00:34:28,640 --> 00:34:32,600
Speaker 2: great you mean for me to help to Athletics are different.

675
00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:36,239
Speaker 2: But the win is doing something you know is right,

676
00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:40,160
Speaker 2: and telling stories and giving and giving perspective and giving

677
00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:42,080
Speaker 2: those a voice who don't have a voice. That's that's

678
00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:47,160
Speaker 2: the adrenaline rush that I get. You mentioned Sidney Poortier

679
00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:50,000
Speaker 2: and I mean love the man, and you said he's

680
00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:54,040
Speaker 2: your favorite actor. I am curious as to why. Obviously

681
00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:57,279
Speaker 2: there's so many first for him, but what about his

682
00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:01,000
Speaker 2: acting ability really that What were you drawn to?

683
00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:04,800
Speaker 1: That's a great question. I think about him often and

684
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:06,920
Speaker 1: I haven't watched a film of his recently, but I

685
00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:10,120
Speaker 1: have watched every film he's ever made, and there was

686
00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:16,040
Speaker 1: something about his inner sense of self about that ran

687
00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:18,560
Speaker 1: through a lot of his characters, his inner sense of

688
00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:21,680
Speaker 1: who he was and why he was here, and it

689
00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,920
Speaker 1: just inspired me, inspired me as an actor, inspired me

690
00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:29,160
Speaker 1: as a man. I think there are actors who just

691
00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:31,880
Speaker 1: have that quality about them, that there are storytellers you

692
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:37,399
Speaker 1: who have something deep, the deep well inside them. He's

693
00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:39,439
Speaker 1: want to watch, just captivating, You just want to lean

694
00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:41,800
Speaker 1: forward in your seat and understand them a bit more. So,

695
00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:46,360
Speaker 1: that's what I've definitely appreciated it in lots of actors

696
00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:49,000
Speaker 1: city certainly one of them via the Day was another one.

697
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,040
Speaker 1: People who have a deep well to draw.

698
00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,920
Speaker 2: From, and their stories, their origin stories are always so wonderful,

699
00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:57,880
Speaker 2: and you're like, well, how did that? How did that

700
00:35:57,960 --> 00:35:59,839
Speaker 2: couple of mess at least me, that's what I think

701
00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:03,440
Speaker 2: I know that you just talked about. Again. My research

702
00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,000
Speaker 2: is telling me that your your Libreas in its third

703
00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:09,920
Speaker 2: and final season. Congratulations on that's like living working forever

704
00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:13,920
Speaker 2: in Hollywood. So congratulations on that survived at strike. And

705
00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:17,279
Speaker 2: here you are. You play a doctor who had a

706
00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:21,759
Speaker 2: brain tumor who fell into a was it a pit?

707
00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:22,640
Speaker 2: You fell into a pit?

708
00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:26,280
Speaker 1: A pit right, A sinkhole, a sink giant, a giant

709
00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:30,560
Speaker 1: sinkhole that also then transported us to ten thousand BC.

710
00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:34,680
Speaker 1: So it's a it's a it's a fun family drama

711
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:37,960
Speaker 1: sort of epic adventure thing on NBC and Peacock and

712
00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:39,480
Speaker 1: it's been it's been really good fun.

713
00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:41,960
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you and you and you got married. You

714
00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,560
Speaker 2: are our love interest down down in ten thousand BC.

715
00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:47,760
Speaker 2: You were all sad about your diagnosis of this brain tumor,

716
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:50,520
Speaker 2: as anybody would be, and you found a new life

717
00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:54,760
Speaker 2: and and I from my understanding, the episodes just started

718
00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:57,720
Speaker 2: I think the top of the top of the year January,

719
00:36:57,840 --> 00:36:59,680
Speaker 2: in the first week or two of January. But for

720
00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:03,239
Speaker 2: my standing, an important episode is coming for you. Is

721
00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:05,520
Speaker 2: it this Tuesday? When is it next year?

722
00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:09,239
Speaker 1: Depending on when you listen to this the show yet

723
00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:12,400
Speaker 1: study again on January ninth, So well, third episode there

724
00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:14,960
Speaker 1: is this Tuesday, and this comes out.

725
00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:19,279
Speaker 2: Monday, guys, so so so tomorrow, so watch tomorrow. Okay,

726
00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:24,360
Speaker 2: go ahead, And yeah, you know, like you say, it was.

727
00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:26,400
Speaker 2: It's such an interesting character to play because from the

728
00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:29,360
Speaker 2: very beginning of this show, he's got a brain tumor,

729
00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:31,800
Speaker 2: he wants to commit suicide, he's got the world stacked

730
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:35,280
Speaker 2: against him, and he's obviously, you know, in that position

731
00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:37,960
Speaker 2: for a reason. So for me as an actor, I

732
00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:40,200
Speaker 2: always want to dig deep and find out why why

733
00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:43,240
Speaker 2: is a person in the position they're in. And myself

734
00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:47,080
Speaker 2: and David Applebroun, the showrunner, who was so collaborative and

735
00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:49,919
Speaker 2: it was so I'm so grateful to him for being

736
00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:52,480
Speaker 2: so he didn't have to be, but we were able

737
00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:56,600
Speaker 2: to like build this backstory together, and in tomorrow's episode,

738
00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:00,520
Speaker 2: if you're listening on Monday, Ty gets to explore a

739
00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:03,319
Speaker 2: bit more of his past and and sort of face

740
00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:06,279
Speaker 2: some of the demons of his past and overcome them

741
00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:07,239
Speaker 2: in some ways.

742
00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:09,680
Speaker 1: So it's nice to be able to dig a bit

743
00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:11,719
Speaker 1: deeper into a character. It's that that well I was

744
00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:14,160
Speaker 1: talking about. It's very rare that you get to show

745
00:38:14,239 --> 00:38:16,799
Speaker 1: that in a character, that you get to understand who

746
00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:19,719
Speaker 1: is and what's made him me he is. Yeah, you

747
00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:21,239
Speaker 1: just you know, you're just there in the moment that

748
00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:24,239
Speaker 1: you're in. But with Lebrayer, we got the opportunity to

749
00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:27,840
Speaker 1: delve a bit deeper because we have time travel in

750
00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:30,680
Speaker 1: our show, and that means that means that that means

751
00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:35,839
Speaker 1: I can go back and would be nice and yeah,

752
00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:38,560
Speaker 1: if we did, I would, I would. I would have

753
00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:41,560
Speaker 1: definitely tried to endear myself to the guys a bit

754
00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:43,000
Speaker 1: more when we were in Mother's vinyard.

755
00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,480
Speaker 2: No, no, they're always hang out with you. They were

756
00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:48,840
Speaker 2: mad at you that you were you guys, we have

757
00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:50,680
Speaker 2: the battle of the sexes every time we hang out,

758
00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:52,040
Speaker 2: and that it is a true thing. There was a

759
00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:53,920
Speaker 2: true battle and she gave us just a gentleman, and

760
00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:55,600
Speaker 2: I was like, they don't make them, they don't make

761
00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,120
Speaker 2: them like this anymore. There, And I believe me the

762
00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,319
Speaker 2: guys let me know about it because they're creepers. Don't

763
00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:04,440
Speaker 2: don't let then, don't cave into the pressure of toxicity

764
00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:07,840
Speaker 2: in men. You can be great, do not do not.

765
00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:13,439
Speaker 2: I I'm curious, and I use the viola conversation she said,

766
00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:16,560
Speaker 2: how to get away with murder made offered her something

767
00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:21,160
Speaker 2: that she never had before, which is sexuality. She had

768
00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:23,920
Speaker 2: a she had a husband and a boyfriend. Uh, she

769
00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:29,400
Speaker 2: had addiction, but she also had moral compass. She was

770
00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:32,800
Speaker 2: a very complicated character. Take take off her hair and

771
00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:35,160
Speaker 2: cry and look in the mirror, but still be sexy.

772
00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:37,560
Speaker 2: She's as a black woman, especially a dark sand black

773
00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:41,480
Speaker 2: woman in Hollywood, she's never offered that opportunity to be

774
00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:45,319
Speaker 2: so complex, to look so different because these we are

775
00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:47,360
Speaker 2: all of those things, because we are human. But she

776
00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:51,160
Speaker 2: had never been offered that role. What is a dream

777
00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,040
Speaker 2: role for you that that and I don't I don't

778
00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:57,000
Speaker 2: believe that you think you can't have any role, but

779
00:39:57,160 --> 00:40:00,840
Speaker 2: something that might elude you because people in Hollywood or

780
00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:02,520
Speaker 2: others may see you in a different way.

781
00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, I you know, since I started the golf, for

782
00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:11,120
Speaker 1: me has always been to play as many different sorts

783
00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:14,479
Speaker 1: of characters as I possibly cared. That's why doing theater

784
00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:17,880
Speaker 1: is great, because there is, especially in the UK, you know,

785
00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:21,360
Speaker 1: if you're in the Raw Shakespeare Company or whatever like

786
00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:24,239
Speaker 1: that was in many years, there is a whole bunch

787
00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:27,040
Speaker 1: of plays that you can work within and you can say, oh,

788
00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:28,520
Speaker 1: I want to do this sort of a character then,

789
00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:31,880
Speaker 1: and within those plays there are all sorts of different characters,

790
00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:34,960
Speaker 1: all sorts of different circumstances that people find themselves in.

791
00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:37,799
Speaker 1: I've just taken that exact same mentality and a play

792
00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:41,200
Speaker 1: it to my career. So here in the US, of course,

793
00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:43,600
Speaker 1: like I mentioned earlier, it's really important for me that

794
00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:48,080
Speaker 1: I delve historically because I think people connect to historical

795
00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:52,200
Speaker 1: work in a different way. You know. Christopher Nolan spoken

796
00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:54,839
Speaker 1: at length about the fact that he doesn't see Oppenheimer

797
00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:58,560
Speaker 1: as a biopic. It's, you know, it's many other things.

798
00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:00,319
Speaker 1: It happens to be about a person who really live,

799
00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:05,080
Speaker 1: but it's it's an epic sort of race against the

800
00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:08,280
Speaker 1: clock drama. It's it's got these elements of its political

801
00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:11,680
Speaker 1: struggle that he finds himself in. That's just really exciting

802
00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:14,680
Speaker 1: stuff to uncover as an actor, but to do it

803
00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:19,960
Speaker 1: within a historical framework. There are so many incredible African

804
00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:23,000
Speaker 1: American men and women of the last three four hundred

805
00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:27,000
Speaker 1: years whose stories were uncovered intention were covered intentionally. We

806
00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:30,560
Speaker 1: were beaten down, were not allowed to be told. And

807
00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:33,440
Speaker 1: I think that there is certainly an aspect of the

808
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:34,920
Speaker 1: work that I want to do in the in the

809
00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:37,759
Speaker 1: history that I've been able to sort of learn along

810
00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:40,560
Speaker 1: the way living here that helps me say, look, if

811
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,880
Speaker 1: we can tell these stories about these people, then it

812
00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:46,600
Speaker 1: opens a door for many, many other stories to be told.

813
00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,720
Speaker 1: I believe David yelloware a very dear friend and colleague

814
00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:52,720
Speaker 1: of mine. He is doing the show Norman bass Reeves

815
00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:55,080
Speaker 1: on Paramount Plus at the moment. You haven't watched it,

816
00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:58,440
Speaker 1: you must watch it. It's incredible. Bassus Reeves was just

817
00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:02,920
Speaker 1: one of those stories one overlooked people in history who

818
00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:08,960
Speaker 1: was born enslaved and was freed, you know, after after

819
00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:13,840
Speaker 1: the Civil War and became the first black US Marshall,

820
00:42:14,080 --> 00:42:18,160
Speaker 1: that US Deputy Marshall, and you know, the complicated aspects

821
00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:22,200
Speaker 1: of being law enforcement and having a family that that

822
00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:25,080
Speaker 1: story dealt so deep and it's all real, it's all true.

823
00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:28,960
Speaker 1: So I feel like I feel like watching that and

824
00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:32,880
Speaker 1: stories like that help people to again just understand a

825
00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:33,880
Speaker 1: bit more of our complexity.

826
00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:36,520
Speaker 2: So those are the roles that you want that there's

827
00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:39,520
Speaker 2: not anything that you want. You don't think that would

828
00:42:39,719 --> 00:42:45,280
Speaker 2: elude you that you would want to do. So. Before

829
00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:47,560
Speaker 2: I saw Black Panther, how many superheroes do we see

830
00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:49,239
Speaker 2: that we thought were really a big deal? You know,

831
00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:50,040
Speaker 2: black superheroes?

832
00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:50,400
Speaker 1: You know?

833
00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:53,640
Speaker 2: So is there something of that in that elk that

834
00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:54,320
Speaker 2: you think.

835
00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:57,840
Speaker 1: Michael was saying before? I feel like, stop, But I

836
00:42:57,880 --> 00:43:00,759
Speaker 1: feel like it just as long as it's different to

837
00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:02,440
Speaker 1: the thing I've just done, okay, and as long as

838
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:06,080
Speaker 1: it as long as it's something that out covers the

839
00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:07,839
Speaker 1: depths of what it means to be a human being,

840
00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:11,680
Speaker 1: like I could. I could easily say yes, this sort

841
00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:13,520
Speaker 1: of thing or that sort of thing, or I want

842
00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:15,399
Speaker 1: to play James Bond or whatever, but it's not really

843
00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:18,680
Speaker 1: important for me what it is in that sense. It's

844
00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:20,600
Speaker 1: much more important for me who the character is and

845
00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:23,160
Speaker 1: and what the character is going through and what the

846
00:43:23,239 --> 00:43:25,160
Speaker 1: character shows us about what it is to be a

847
00:43:25,239 --> 00:43:25,840
Speaker 1: human being.

848
00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:29,920
Speaker 3: Every champion, and Kerry Sheppy is the beer Chabiana Champion,

849
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,759
Speaker 3: and Carrie Sheppy and and Carrie chvy Yana Champion, and

850
00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:35,680
Speaker 3: Carry Sheppy and and Carrie Sheby Afraid is the sports

851
00:43:35,719 --> 00:43:45,200
Speaker 3: and entertainment and naked word every Chappy and then Carry

852
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:48,280
Speaker 3: Sheby is the be A Champiana Champion, and Carrie Sheppy

853
00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:51,160
Speaker 3: and they go clearly Chapy and then Carried Sheppy and

854
00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:53,880
Speaker 3: and Carrie Shevy Afraid is the spot and the entertainment

855
00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:54,680
Speaker 3: and naked word.

856
00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:56,920
Speaker 2: All right, I'll name a few actors. You tell me

857
00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:01,759
Speaker 2: which you where you what film and or television show

858
00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:04,759
Speaker 2: you felt they did their best work. Oh, I just

859
00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:06,920
Speaker 2: made up that game right now, off the dome with

860
00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:09,960
Speaker 2: my friend, off my don't own and I've been up

861
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:12,520
Speaker 2: since five am. I've had three hours of sleep, So

862
00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:12,920
Speaker 2: there you go.

863
00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:20,120
Speaker 1: Denzel Washington Glory. Actually he had an incredible small role

864
00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:23,400
Speaker 1: in a film called Christ Feed Freedom again true story

865
00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,520
Speaker 1: both of them, but Christ Freedom was incredible. It was

866
00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:29,120
Speaker 1: early in his career. Was in the eighties, played in

867
00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:34,120
Speaker 1: South African Freedom. Quite it was. It was an honestly unmapped,

868
00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:37,560
Speaker 1: unrivaled work. He's epic. And then Malcolm X as well.

869
00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:39,600
Speaker 1: I never put three for Denzel. Wow.

870
00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:42,640
Speaker 2: But you're right about the you know, you know the

871
00:44:42,840 --> 00:44:45,640
Speaker 2: in Glory, the one scene I'm talking about with that

872
00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:46,799
Speaker 2: one thug tier.

873
00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:49,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, how did he do that?

874
00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:52,480
Speaker 2: I can't even cry on command? That's amazing, one thug?

875
00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:56,400
Speaker 2: How many takes did that take? A Brazilian? Maybe it's comic?

876
00:44:56,800 --> 00:44:58,959
Speaker 2: How do you guys do it? Okay, Robert de Niro?

877
00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:03,319
Speaker 1: So it's an easy answer because it's taxi driver. Oh

878
00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:08,600
Speaker 1: really is Yeah, It's just it's like that complexity that

879
00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:11,879
Speaker 1: I talk about, like the ability, the ability. Look, if

880
00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:13,680
Speaker 1: a black person could play a role like that and

881
00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:16,640
Speaker 1: be all the things that a black person can be

882
00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:21,520
Speaker 1: for good and for bad, and to show our humanity

883
00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:24,759
Speaker 1: in that way, and to root for that person even

884
00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:28,000
Speaker 1: though they do deplorable things. Maybe that's that's the that's

885
00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:29,320
Speaker 1: the power of the art form for me.

886
00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:34,840
Speaker 2: So yeah, yes, okay, all right, all right, hold on,

887
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:40,760
Speaker 2: there's more. I'm gonna move out of our obvious Philip

888
00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:42,360
Speaker 2: Seymour Hoffmann, may he rest.

889
00:45:43,080 --> 00:45:45,360
Speaker 1: Love that actor so much, one of my very favorites.

890
00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:47,480
Speaker 1: I saw him on stage as well and loved his

891
00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:53,359
Speaker 1: work on stage. I'm thinking of it's really silly because

892
00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:57,160
Speaker 1: he was such a great, strong dramatic actor, but when

893
00:45:57,200 --> 00:46:00,399
Speaker 1: he did comedy as well, he was hilarious. A long Polly.

894
00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:02,000
Speaker 1: I think he was in that film with That with

895
00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:05,480
Speaker 1: Jennie Brannaston, and he was just so funny in that movie.

896
00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:08,359
Speaker 1: Not his best work, but he let me think, if

897
00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:08,680
Speaker 1: that were.

898
00:46:09,080 --> 00:46:11,239
Speaker 2: That resonates, that makes sense. I think, yeah, I think

899
00:46:11,320 --> 00:46:12,160
Speaker 2: you do it. It makes sense.

900
00:46:12,880 --> 00:46:15,080
Speaker 1: Copoti as well. It was very lauded that performance, but

901
00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:16,920
Speaker 1: it was again just him being able to be a

902
00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:18,560
Speaker 1: real true character actor, a.

903
00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:23,960
Speaker 2: Real true character actor. Okay, you mentioned a couple of

904
00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:27,600
Speaker 2: other actors I'm trying to think of in the world

905
00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:28,880
Speaker 2: of Samuel Jackson.

906
00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:34,719
Speaker 1: Samuel Jackson has done again iconic work and I can't

907
00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:38,080
Speaker 1: look beyond pole fiction because it's just it's one of

908
00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:39,880
Speaker 1: my favorite films. Actually, I got to say, even though

909
00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:43,080
Speaker 1: the end word is far too much, yeah so so

910
00:46:43,160 --> 00:46:44,680
Speaker 1: unnecessarily it's so, but.

911
00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:47,680
Speaker 2: It's a good film. Yeah, it's great, and he was amazing.

912
00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:49,160
Speaker 2: He was amazing, don't you.

913
00:46:51,680 --> 00:46:55,759
Speaker 1: Oh, Hotel Rwanda Again that maybe it's just for me,

914
00:46:55,840 --> 00:46:58,160
Speaker 1: but that historical elements knowing that someone has really done

915
00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:00,920
Speaker 1: what he's what he did in that film. Actually met

916
00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:03,640
Speaker 1: I'm not going to pronounce his name right, but the

917
00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:05,640
Speaker 1: character that Don played in that in that film, I

918
00:47:05,680 --> 00:47:09,200
Speaker 1: met him just before, just before Christmas gala here in

919
00:47:09,280 --> 00:47:12,640
Speaker 1: New York, and just the incredible man who who did

920
00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:14,799
Speaker 1: so much, so much great work. I'm going to look

921
00:47:14,840 --> 00:47:16,120
Speaker 1: him up. Paul, this is Paul.

922
00:47:19,560 --> 00:47:21,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, take the time, because I'm like, good, tell me

923
00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:30,239
Speaker 2: it was I have my fuck he played? Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

924
00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:34,600
Speaker 2: That was amazing that you pulled that out because I

925
00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:36,560
Speaker 2: totally forgot about that. That's amazing.

926
00:47:36,800 --> 00:47:40,120
Speaker 1: It was a great, great film. And then I have

927
00:47:40,200 --> 00:47:42,400
Speaker 1: to just throw in because such a great actor with

928
00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:45,600
Speaker 1: so many great roles. I loved to serve with love,

929
00:47:46,640 --> 00:47:48,600
Speaker 1: which I feel actually he did. In the UK he

930
00:47:48,600 --> 00:47:51,600
Speaker 1: played in English, played a teacher in an English school.

931
00:47:52,640 --> 00:47:52,719
Speaker 3: And.

932
00:47:54,520 --> 00:47:56,080
Speaker 1: Oh gosh, it's hard to pick.

933
00:47:59,160 --> 00:47:59,560
Speaker 2: Too many.

934
00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:01,600
Speaker 1: In the To the Night because there's that moment is

935
00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:04,320
Speaker 1: again iconic cinematic moments, and the moment that I know,

936
00:48:04,400 --> 00:48:07,000
Speaker 1: having read his work and having had the opportunity to

937
00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:11,000
Speaker 1: meet him so gratefully, there are moments, a moment in

938
00:48:11,080 --> 00:48:14,239
Speaker 1: that film iconic where he slapped across the face by

939
00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:16,400
Speaker 1: the white police officer and he slaps him back instantly.

940
00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:19,160
Speaker 1: In that wouldn't have been in the film. It wouldn't

941
00:48:19,160 --> 00:48:20,600
Speaker 1: have been in the film had he not been who

942
00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:24,960
Speaker 1: he was, had he not had the desire for truth

943
00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:28,040
Speaker 1: and for that character's truth etched into his soul, that

944
00:48:28,160 --> 00:48:31,759
Speaker 1: moment wouldn't exist. And it's there now forever. So yeah,

945
00:48:31,960 --> 00:48:34,520
Speaker 1: that's that's one of my probably one of my most

946
00:48:35,640 --> 00:48:39,640
Speaker 1: impactful moments in the film that I've ever seen. So

947
00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:42,680
Speaker 1: I love that. Actually, good game off the dome.

948
00:48:43,239 --> 00:48:46,200
Speaker 2: Good listen, that's amazing. When you said he slapped the

949
00:48:46,239 --> 00:48:48,319
Speaker 2: white officer slaps him, he slaps him back, and you're right,

950
00:48:49,000 --> 00:48:51,160
Speaker 2: by the way, my mother loves that film. Obviously there

951
00:48:51,280 --> 00:48:53,640
Speaker 2: was you guys, go back do your research. You couldn't

952
00:48:53,640 --> 00:48:55,520
Speaker 2: stream any any of this if you haven't seen it,

953
00:48:55,640 --> 00:48:58,880
Speaker 2: But it spawned the series, the television series that was

954
00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:01,560
Speaker 2: here for a while in the heat of the night.

955
00:49:01,640 --> 00:49:04,880
Speaker 2: You remember that it wasn't as great. But do you

956
00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:06,960
Speaker 2: remember a movie called A Soldier Story.

957
00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:11,400
Speaker 1: I do. I don't remember it very clearly, but I

958
00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:12,040
Speaker 1: do remember it.

959
00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:14,719
Speaker 2: When you talk about a complex character and you still

960
00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:16,759
Speaker 2: root for them. Denzel was in that movie. I can

961
00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:19,440
Speaker 2: stand his ass like I was so mad at him

962
00:49:19,520 --> 00:49:21,320
Speaker 2: in that film, and I was just like, that's just

963
00:49:21,440 --> 00:49:25,120
Speaker 2: great acting. And I remember watching it because you love

964
00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:26,920
Speaker 2: her to death. She has me watching adult films, so

965
00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:28,920
Speaker 2: I made but this one was one of those, you

966
00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:30,480
Speaker 2: know when I shouldn't have been watching it. But he

967
00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:33,200
Speaker 2: was such a bad guy. He was such a bad guy,

968
00:49:33,360 --> 00:49:34,799
Speaker 2: and I was like, oh, I love him, I love

969
00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:38,080
Speaker 2: him so much. To pretty up my work, just we're

970
00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:40,480
Speaker 2: we're getting we're getting to your work too. I was

971
00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:42,359
Speaker 2: about to say what I said, cheek, give me all

972
00:49:42,400 --> 00:49:44,680
Speaker 2: your favorite films. That's where I was going cheek, because

973
00:49:44,719 --> 00:49:45,520
Speaker 2: sometimes you play a.

974
00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:50,240
Speaker 4: Bad guy who's your pro and and you know exactly

975
00:49:50,280 --> 00:49:53,160
Speaker 4: what they're but that's yet it's that's enjoyable elements of

976
00:49:53,239 --> 00:49:55,520
Speaker 4: that in a weird way because it's not real obviously,

977
00:49:55,640 --> 00:49:57,720
Speaker 4: but you want to you want to be able.

978
00:49:57,560 --> 00:50:00,920
Speaker 1: To tell stories about people who to really do the

979
00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:03,759
Speaker 1: things that people do. So yeah, I was going to

980
00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:05,759
Speaker 1: mention I think you were about to mention. I did

981
00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:07,719
Speaker 1: a movie with Megan Good a couple of years ago.

982
00:50:08,560 --> 00:50:13,000
Speaker 1: It was called Death Saved My Life something like that,

983
00:50:13,640 --> 00:50:18,480
Speaker 1: and it was and it was just the most incredible

984
00:50:18,680 --> 00:50:22,080
Speaker 1: role because he was so bad so bad, and people

985
00:50:22,160 --> 00:50:23,759
Speaker 1: come up to me all over the place and say

986
00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:27,040
Speaker 1: how much they love that movie and how it makes

987
00:50:27,080 --> 00:50:28,839
Speaker 1: me cringe a little bit. I always say the same thing.

988
00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:31,000
Speaker 1: I always say, well, I'm much nicer in real life.

989
00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:32,920
Speaker 2: Why do you say that? Why do you say that?

990
00:50:33,040 --> 00:50:35,600
Speaker 2: Why can't you accept that? Why can't you accept the compliment?

991
00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:38,600
Speaker 1: I do what I should. I should accept the compliment.

992
00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:41,279
Speaker 1: And I'll tell you what. Megan. Megan was so good

993
00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:43,600
Speaker 1: in that film, and there was such a such a

994
00:50:43,680 --> 00:50:46,760
Speaker 1: pleasure working with We have, you know, some really terrible

995
00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:48,760
Speaker 1: scenes as a scene you know, he's a very abusive

996
00:50:48,840 --> 00:50:51,840
Speaker 1: husband to her my character, and you know, when it

997
00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,680
Speaker 1: got physical, I would be mortified just having to pretend

998
00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:58,120
Speaker 1: to do this stuff, and Megan would be throwing herself

999
00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:01,799
Speaker 1: into it with such vigor and and sort of just well,

1000
00:51:01,920 --> 00:51:03,520
Speaker 1: she made it more comfortable for me to be able

1001
00:51:03,520 --> 00:51:06,279
Speaker 1: to play that role. Actually, so really a lot to

1002
00:51:06,360 --> 00:51:07,520
Speaker 1: thank her for in that film.

1003
00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:09,520
Speaker 2: I would say that it's interesting because you said you

1004
00:51:09,680 --> 00:51:12,520
Speaker 2: like to show diverse diversity and all the different characters

1005
00:51:12,680 --> 00:51:13,560
Speaker 2: that as you.

1006
00:51:13,680 --> 00:51:15,279
Speaker 1: Enjoy doing it, it doesn't mean you enjoy doing it

1007
00:51:15,360 --> 00:51:18,359
Speaker 1: in the moment. When you're doing something terrible, You're still

1008
00:51:18,520 --> 00:51:19,719
Speaker 1: doing it essentially, So.

1009
00:51:21,080 --> 00:51:22,600
Speaker 2: What do you mean? What do you mean? What do

1010
00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:22,920
Speaker 2: you mean?

1011
00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:28,560
Speaker 1: So? Look, I am I feel very I feel like

1012
00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:30,120
Speaker 1: I know who I am as a person, and I

1013
00:51:30,239 --> 00:51:31,960
Speaker 1: know what it is I want to put out into

1014
00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:34,239
Speaker 1: the world as a human being, myself and my day

1015
00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:36,480
Speaker 1: to day But in the work, you want to be

1016
00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:38,960
Speaker 1: able to explore. Like I've said many times in this conversation,

1017
00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:40,839
Speaker 1: you want to be able to explore as much as

1018
00:51:40,880 --> 00:51:42,680
Speaker 1: you possibly can of what it means to be a

1019
00:51:42,760 --> 00:51:45,160
Speaker 1: human being. And some of that stuff is not nice

1020
00:51:45,239 --> 00:51:47,920
Speaker 1: and it's not sort of just spiritually nice to put

1021
00:51:47,920 --> 00:51:48,760
Speaker 1: yourself in that space.

1022
00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:52,000
Speaker 2: But are you a method actor? As they say?

1023
00:51:53,800 --> 00:51:56,400
Speaker 1: I don't think I would say my I would say

1024
00:51:56,440 --> 00:51:59,720
Speaker 1: that about myself. But I do think that the method

1025
00:52:00,239 --> 00:52:03,440
Speaker 1: provide something useful when you're doing the job. I think

1026
00:52:03,480 --> 00:52:06,719
Speaker 1: it's not that Gabrielle Union. Gosh, that woman is such

1027
00:52:06,719 --> 00:52:09,480
Speaker 1: an incredible actor. She could just turn it on just

1028
00:52:09,560 --> 00:52:11,320
Speaker 1: like we could be having it. We could be laughing

1029
00:52:11,360 --> 00:52:13,719
Speaker 1: and joking to be crying in the next secord. I

1030
00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:16,000
Speaker 1: don't know how people would do that. I genuinely don't.

1031
00:52:16,400 --> 00:52:20,440
Speaker 1: So for me, it's just more helpful to keep myself

1032
00:52:20,480 --> 00:52:22,440
Speaker 1: in the same headspace as the character for the for

1033
00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:23,359
Speaker 1: the duration of a job.

1034
00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:27,320
Speaker 2: And okay, by definition, I'm sorry, I just want to

1035
00:52:27,600 --> 00:52:29,920
Speaker 2: I'm assuming people know what is a method and what

1036
00:52:30,040 --> 00:52:33,080
Speaker 2: are the forms thereof, Like there's method acting is when

1037
00:52:33,120 --> 00:52:36,360
Speaker 2: you stay in character and have people call you the

1038
00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:38,879
Speaker 2: same name. Like if I'm playing Joe, I'm just Joe

1039
00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:41,200
Speaker 2: all day in my real life and on set, like, tell.

1040
00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:43,640
Speaker 1: Me what it is. Yeah, that is not something I

1041
00:52:43,719 --> 00:52:46,160
Speaker 1: could ever ever do. That's the British side of me

1042
00:52:46,280 --> 00:52:50,040
Speaker 1: that would be embarrassed that they've thought of asking people

1043
00:52:50,040 --> 00:52:53,120
Speaker 1: to call me something I'm not. Fuck. Look, look, so

1044
00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:55,520
Speaker 1: I have this accent, but if I'm playing an American role,

1045
00:52:55,680 --> 00:52:57,200
Speaker 1: I want to stay in the accent as much as

1046
00:52:57,200 --> 00:53:00,160
Speaker 1: they can, or stay close to the accent, because it

1047
00:53:00,280 --> 00:53:02,840
Speaker 1: just helps you to remember what he'll do it. You know,

1048
00:53:03,440 --> 00:53:05,480
Speaker 1: for me, when I'm working, from the very moment we

1049
00:53:05,600 --> 00:53:08,359
Speaker 1: start a shooting film or a show to the very end,

1050
00:53:08,520 --> 00:53:10,600
Speaker 1: that's work time for me and I because you know,

1051
00:53:10,960 --> 00:53:12,319
Speaker 1: you don't do it all the time. So I want

1052
00:53:12,320 --> 00:53:15,000
Speaker 1: to make sure that I've fully immerse myself in that

1053
00:53:15,320 --> 00:53:19,040
Speaker 1: from the beginning to end. And if it means that

1054
00:53:19,080 --> 00:53:21,360
Speaker 1: I have to go and you know, order a coffee

1055
00:53:21,360 --> 00:53:23,560
Speaker 1: in an American accent down at the diner. I will,

1056
00:53:23,600 --> 00:53:27,920
Speaker 1: I don't. I don't mind stuff like that. But when

1057
00:53:27,960 --> 00:53:30,200
Speaker 1: it was doing that film with Megan, you know, he's

1058
00:53:30,200 --> 00:53:34,719
Speaker 1: a very abusive person, very very malignant narcissist, and that's

1059
00:53:34,760 --> 00:53:37,040
Speaker 1: not a nice headspace to be in. And I wasn't

1060
00:53:37,040 --> 00:53:40,160
Speaker 1: certainly going around being that character, but I did want

1061
00:53:40,200 --> 00:53:42,200
Speaker 1: to keep myself in the headspace as much as they could.

1062
00:53:43,080 --> 00:53:43,759
Speaker 2: How do you do that?

1063
00:53:46,320 --> 00:53:48,320
Speaker 1: You do a lot of research, first of all, almost

1064
00:53:48,480 --> 00:53:50,560
Speaker 1: And what I do is I sort of I try

1065
00:53:50,640 --> 00:53:52,680
Speaker 1: and do all the work before we shoot and then

1066
00:53:52,840 --> 00:53:54,319
Speaker 1: just get rid of it, just sort of put park

1067
00:53:54,360 --> 00:53:56,680
Speaker 1: it and put it to one side. But you know,

1068
00:53:56,960 --> 00:53:59,520
Speaker 1: it's useful just to think about what that character would

1069
00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:01,720
Speaker 1: think about to you know, that character was a surgeon.

1070
00:54:01,800 --> 00:54:05,000
Speaker 1: I would not recommend me doing surgery on anyone. But

1071
00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:08,320
Speaker 1: I did learn as much as I possibly could, and

1072
00:54:08,760 --> 00:54:11,759
Speaker 1: being in that headspace, like I would just read textbooks.

1073
00:54:11,840 --> 00:54:14,160
Speaker 1: I would just try and keep myself in the world

1074
00:54:14,160 --> 00:54:16,640
Speaker 1: as much as I possibly could. So and I enjoyed that.

1075
00:54:16,680 --> 00:54:18,040
Speaker 1: It's just fun. It's nice to be able to throw

1076
00:54:18,080 --> 00:54:20,200
Speaker 1: yourself in and immerse yourself from a role.

1077
00:54:20,440 --> 00:54:22,879
Speaker 2: And you if you do. If you're doing a role

1078
00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:25,160
Speaker 2: and you are you get a film and you're you're

1079
00:54:25,200 --> 00:54:29,080
Speaker 2: playing an American kid from Brooklyn, do you is the

1080
00:54:29,200 --> 00:54:31,680
Speaker 2: accent gone? Like if I said, hey, chik, let's meet

1081
00:54:31,719 --> 00:54:34,480
Speaker 2: at Dumblehouse for a glass of wine, will you come

1082
00:54:34,520 --> 00:54:38,480
Speaker 2: in talking at normal or will you be talking American? Like?

1083
00:54:38,960 --> 00:54:40,320
Speaker 2: What a ridiculous question.

1084
00:54:44,960 --> 00:54:45,160
Speaker 1: You know.

1085
00:54:45,320 --> 00:54:45,719
Speaker 2: I I.

1086
00:54:47,360 --> 00:54:50,280
Speaker 1: Don't know that I have done that in the past.

1087
00:54:50,400 --> 00:54:53,960
Speaker 1: I think it depends. It depends. I've got friends who have,

1088
00:54:54,120 --> 00:54:57,920
Speaker 1: and I've got friends who introduce themselves just as you know,

1089
00:54:58,120 --> 00:55:00,480
Speaker 1: an American, even though they're not. And it's just it

1090
00:55:00,600 --> 00:55:03,640
Speaker 1: takes a bit of explaining. But I don't I don't

1091
00:55:03,640 --> 00:55:05,600
Speaker 1: really care. I think it's it's more about the work

1092
00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:06,960
Speaker 1: and what the work means more to me.

1093
00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:09,320
Speaker 2: So I just just if you need it to, you

1094
00:55:09,360 --> 00:55:10,960
Speaker 2: would do it if you needed to. You're saying, yeah,

1095
00:55:11,040 --> 00:55:11,239
Speaker 2: you go.

1096
00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:13,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. If I was, if I was,

1097
00:55:13,320 --> 00:55:16,880
Speaker 1: you know, Castors, I don't know it was like Malcolm

1098
00:55:16,960 --> 00:55:19,200
Speaker 1: X tomorrow, then I'm not going to be walking around

1099
00:55:19,200 --> 00:55:21,040
Speaker 1: speaking in a British acting because I need to. I

1100
00:55:21,120 --> 00:55:25,600
Speaker 1: need to really commit to what that who that man was,

1101
00:55:25,680 --> 00:55:27,840
Speaker 1: and because he existed as well, There's so much to

1102
00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:28,319
Speaker 1: go from.

1103
00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:31,040
Speaker 2: Let's go one step further. If you're casting as Malcolm

1104
00:55:31,200 --> 00:55:33,800
Speaker 2: X tomorrow, will you be walking around slapping white people.

1105
00:55:37,520 --> 00:55:47,360
Speaker 1: You can't know? Done that.

1106
00:55:50,200 --> 00:55:52,839
Speaker 2: You're The pause is like, well, I mean there could

1107
00:55:52,880 --> 00:55:56,920
Speaker 2: be there is room to do some things. Perhaps maybe

1108
00:55:58,239 --> 00:56:00,759
Speaker 2: I would not what would you? But there is? There

1109
00:56:00,840 --> 00:56:03,600
Speaker 2: isn't There is an anger, There is a resentment that

1110
00:56:03,640 --> 00:56:05,320
Speaker 2: you would have to take on. And that is the

1111
00:56:05,400 --> 00:56:07,640
Speaker 2: method acting that I'm talking about. Do you leave that

1112
00:56:07,760 --> 00:56:12,000
Speaker 2: on set because it could affect your head when you're off,

1113
00:56:12,120 --> 00:56:14,000
Speaker 2: you know what I mean? It really could affect your mood.

1114
00:56:14,160 --> 00:56:16,239
Speaker 2: It could. My friend said he played a depressed person

1115
00:56:16,280 --> 00:56:19,280
Speaker 2: and he was depressed because he was too into the character.

1116
00:56:19,920 --> 00:56:21,480
Speaker 1: I think for me, now I've been doing this for

1117
00:56:21,560 --> 00:56:25,200
Speaker 1: a minute, and it's helpful. That's where experience is really helpful.

1118
00:56:26,239 --> 00:56:28,319
Speaker 1: It's just an any job. But now that I've been

1119
00:56:28,360 --> 00:56:30,360
Speaker 1: doing this for a while, I feel like I know

1120
00:56:31,200 --> 00:56:33,839
Speaker 1: where I begin and where the character ends or right

1121
00:56:33,960 --> 00:56:36,759
Speaker 1: or vice versa. I've got enough sort of tools and

1122
00:56:36,840 --> 00:56:38,120
Speaker 1: tool kit to be able to need from it that

1123
00:56:38,239 --> 00:56:38,759
Speaker 1: stuff behind.

1124
00:56:39,600 --> 00:56:42,279
Speaker 2: I believe you. And by the way, this is just

1125
00:56:42,360 --> 00:56:44,840
Speaker 2: the beginning. I'm not saying this just because you're my

1126
00:56:45,200 --> 00:56:48,879
Speaker 2: because you are my friend, a friend light. I don't

1127
00:56:48,880 --> 00:56:50,560
Speaker 2: know if we can say friendly because we have I.

1128
00:56:50,560 --> 00:56:54,520
Speaker 1: Would I would say friend, I'm we had that Stummach together, we.

1129
00:56:54,600 --> 00:56:57,359
Speaker 2: Had that sum I got, We're friends. I also think

1130
00:56:58,080 --> 00:57:00,960
Speaker 2: I also think that you're just extrame ordinary, right. There's

1131
00:57:00,960 --> 00:57:03,400
Speaker 2: so much more to you, so it makes sense for

1132
00:57:03,480 --> 00:57:05,719
Speaker 2: you to want more complex roles and so I can

1133
00:57:05,800 --> 00:57:08,719
Speaker 2: always see I can see your future like it's just

1134
00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:12,240
Speaker 2: as clear as day that and being successful is measured

1135
00:57:12,280 --> 00:57:14,920
Speaker 2: in your own terms. But I'm saying, you know the

1136
00:57:15,040 --> 00:57:18,200
Speaker 2: household name type success and that doesn't mean you need

1137
00:57:18,240 --> 00:57:19,880
Speaker 2: to be the richest or you're not the best, but

1138
00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:22,080
Speaker 2: it's just something that you see in people, and I

1139
00:57:22,160 --> 00:57:25,160
Speaker 2: can see that in you and for you. I ask

1140
00:57:25,240 --> 00:57:26,720
Speaker 2: you this as we close it. I don't want to

1141
00:57:26,760 --> 00:57:28,600
Speaker 2: get you know, but this is a part of my research.

1142
00:57:28,680 --> 00:57:30,760
Speaker 2: But I'm really curious. I know your dad passed away

1143
00:57:30,800 --> 00:57:37,919
Speaker 2: when you were young, gerr, how how do you find

1144
00:57:37,960 --> 00:57:40,280
Speaker 2: yourself in times, especially in this world, honoring him and

1145
00:57:40,320 --> 00:57:42,480
Speaker 2: the work that you've been able to do. Because I'm

1146
00:57:42,560 --> 00:57:45,280
Speaker 2: sure he would love to be able to see everything,

1147
00:57:45,480 --> 00:57:46,040
Speaker 2: you know what I mean.

1148
00:57:46,240 --> 00:57:48,400
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Well, so I was twenty four when

1149
00:57:48,440 --> 00:57:51,120
Speaker 1: my dad passed away, and this is actually, it's such

1150
00:57:51,120 --> 00:57:55,400
Speaker 1: a such a formative part of my life, quite frankly,

1151
00:57:55,480 --> 00:57:59,400
Speaker 1: because I'm the eldest son in my family, and that's

1152
00:57:59,760 --> 00:58:03,000
Speaker 1: in Ebo tradition to a role that has a lot

1153
00:58:03,040 --> 00:58:06,240
Speaker 1: of responsibility attached to it. I'm one of four siblings.

1154
00:58:06,280 --> 00:58:07,760
Speaker 1: I have an older sister, a younger sister, and a

1155
00:58:07,800 --> 00:58:11,680
Speaker 1: younger brother. And to be that young and sort of

1156
00:58:11,840 --> 00:58:14,200
Speaker 1: learn as much as they did in that period of

1157
00:58:14,240 --> 00:58:16,920
Speaker 1: time about what it means to be an EPO man,

1158
00:58:17,520 --> 00:58:20,040
Speaker 1: I think it was. It was an incredibly important period

1159
00:58:20,080 --> 00:58:23,640
Speaker 1: of my life. Very sad, obviously, but I honestly think

1160
00:58:24,400 --> 00:58:26,080
Speaker 1: a big part of why I'm here in the US

1161
00:58:26,160 --> 00:58:30,400
Speaker 1: and pursuing the stories I'm pursuing and doing the things

1162
00:58:30,400 --> 00:58:33,080
Speaker 1: that I'm doing is because of the way my dad

1163
00:58:33,120 --> 00:58:35,640
Speaker 1: impacted my life. And I was very, very fortunate to

1164
00:58:35,680 --> 00:58:37,880
Speaker 1: have a very loving father who was very very present

1165
00:58:38,040 --> 00:58:41,840
Speaker 1: in my life. So yeah, of course, a lot of

1166
00:58:41,880 --> 00:58:44,400
Speaker 1: it is for family, a lot of it is for

1167
00:58:45,840 --> 00:58:48,120
Speaker 1: you know who you are and who you come from.

1168
00:58:49,040 --> 00:58:52,800
Speaker 1: And I'm very grateful that that, seventeen eighteen years on

1169
00:58:53,360 --> 00:58:55,240
Speaker 1: is still such a present factor in my life and

1170
00:58:55,240 --> 00:58:55,960
Speaker 1: in my decisions.

1171
00:58:56,520 --> 00:58:58,800
Speaker 2: It's interesting you were you just said the math. I

1172
00:58:58,880 --> 00:59:00,480
Speaker 2: was in my mind during the math like twenty five.

1173
00:59:00,480 --> 00:59:01,760
Speaker 2: I don't know the math. I can't do the math

1174
00:59:01,840 --> 00:59:05,880
Speaker 2: two plus two. Well, I think it's wonderful in the end.

1175
00:59:05,960 --> 00:59:08,280
Speaker 2: The integrity of which you have. I know you say

1176
00:59:08,560 --> 00:59:11,200
Speaker 2: being an ego man, but just the integrity that you have,

1177
00:59:11,320 --> 00:59:13,320
Speaker 2: you can lead by example. I wasn't kidding when I

1178
00:59:13,440 --> 00:59:16,880
Speaker 2: was saying you endeared yourself with the ladies, because some

1179
00:59:17,040 --> 00:59:18,960
Speaker 2: of that is rare unfortunately, you know what I mean.

1180
00:59:19,080 --> 00:59:21,000
Speaker 2: Just the kindness is rare and gentlemen, and I don't

1181
00:59:21,040 --> 00:59:22,480
Speaker 2: think it should be, you know what I mean, And

1182
00:59:22,560 --> 00:59:23,400
Speaker 2: so we appreciate it.

1183
00:59:24,160 --> 00:59:26,400
Speaker 1: Well, I appreciate you guys. I appreciate your love.

1184
00:59:26,480 --> 00:59:29,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been good.

1185
00:59:29,880 --> 00:59:33,280
Speaker 1: It's just I'm very grateful for the the for the journey,

1186
00:59:33,320 --> 00:59:36,080
Speaker 1: for the whole journey. You know, it's it's it's highs

1187
00:59:36,120 --> 00:59:37,800
Speaker 1: and lows, and that's what that's the way it should be.

1188
00:59:37,920 --> 00:59:41,919
Speaker 1: But like we've spoken about in this conversation, Persevere, that's

1189
00:59:42,200 --> 00:59:42,920
Speaker 1: that's the aide of the game.

1190
00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:45,920
Speaker 2: Keep on going, keep on going. Anything you want to promote,

1191
00:59:45,960 --> 00:59:48,480
Speaker 2: because I keep I know I'm wrapping you. I'm beyond

1192
00:59:48,560 --> 00:59:51,720
Speaker 2: my hour. I got to talk about Manta really, Yeah,

1193
00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:53,360
Speaker 2: you got on the hat. Every time I'm with you,

1194
00:59:53,560 --> 00:59:56,120
Speaker 2: I see you, you have on the hat. That's my

1195
00:59:56,280 --> 00:59:59,280
Speaker 2: part of a Yeah. I was like, that's your name.

1196
01:00:00,200 --> 01:00:01,040
Speaker 2: Really tell me?

1197
01:00:01,680 --> 01:00:04,320
Speaker 1: Well, you know so much of what we've spoken about

1198
01:00:04,360 --> 01:00:07,640
Speaker 1: in this conversation, it's about walking the walk as well.

1199
01:00:07,720 --> 01:00:07,880
Speaker 2: You know.

1200
01:00:08,160 --> 01:00:10,120
Speaker 1: I feel very grateful to be able to be an actor.

1201
01:00:10,640 --> 01:00:13,200
Speaker 1: It's such a charmed, blessed life to be able to

1202
01:00:13,400 --> 01:00:15,120
Speaker 1: tell stories for a living, to do something that you

1203
01:00:15,240 --> 01:00:19,400
Speaker 1: love doing, like I love doing this. But like you've

1204
01:00:19,760 --> 01:00:22,040
Speaker 1: mentioned or touched on in the questions you've been asking,

1205
01:00:22,800 --> 01:00:24,840
Speaker 1: it's not a linear path for a lot of people.

1206
01:00:24,960 --> 01:00:30,720
Speaker 1: It's certainly not a linear path for lots of black performers, actors, writers, directors.

1207
01:00:32,120 --> 01:00:35,640
Speaker 1: And what I'm grateful for is the community that I've

1208
01:00:35,640 --> 01:00:38,400
Speaker 1: built along the way myself. Nate Parker, who I had

1209
01:00:38,440 --> 01:00:40,520
Speaker 1: mentioned this conversation, David and Yellowag who I had mentioned

1210
01:00:40,560 --> 01:00:44,000
Speaker 1: this conversation, and Zach Tangelof, who was one of the

1211
01:00:44,040 --> 01:00:47,600
Speaker 1: producers at the Birth of the Nation, we founded mansa

1212
01:00:47,800 --> 01:00:52,320
Speaker 1: to streaming platform. It's focused on curated Black culture for

1213
01:00:52,400 --> 01:00:55,240
Speaker 1: a global audience because what we see is, we know

1214
01:00:55,640 --> 01:00:59,640
Speaker 1: and have understood our whole careers that American culture is

1215
01:00:59,720 --> 01:01:04,280
Speaker 1: American culture is pop culture. We are so synonymous with

1216
01:01:04,920 --> 01:01:11,800
Speaker 1: excellence in theater, music, TV, film, athletics, whatever it might be.

1217
01:01:12,400 --> 01:01:15,200
Speaker 1: But Black people so rarely benefit in the way that

1218
01:01:15,240 --> 01:01:17,720
Speaker 1: they ought to from the work they produce. And so

1219
01:01:17,880 --> 01:01:21,360
Speaker 1: Manser exists to say, hey, look we're building our village.

1220
01:01:21,480 --> 01:01:25,320
Speaker 1: We're building the home for Black culture to be viewed globally.

1221
01:01:25,920 --> 01:01:29,760
Speaker 1: We're not just cherry picking the top one percent of

1222
01:01:30,360 --> 01:01:33,600
Speaker 1: the iceberg. We're going to delve deep into the iceberg

1223
01:01:33,640 --> 01:01:36,439
Speaker 1: itself and say, hey, look, if you want to create

1224
01:01:36,560 --> 01:01:41,440
Speaker 1: work that it speaks to African American culture, African culture,

1225
01:01:41,480 --> 01:01:43,920
Speaker 1: black culture in general, then come and share it with

1226
01:01:44,080 --> 01:01:47,120
Speaker 1: us and put on our platform. Not only will you

1227
01:01:47,400 --> 01:01:50,360
Speaker 1: then benefit as a creative because you'll get a fair

1228
01:01:50,440 --> 01:01:53,040
Speaker 1: share of the work that you create, you'll get to

1229
01:01:53,120 --> 01:01:56,920
Speaker 1: see the data, you'll get to, in some cases be

1230
01:01:57,000 --> 01:02:00,960
Speaker 1: a part of profiting from the platform itself. But then

1231
01:02:01,000 --> 01:02:03,040
Speaker 1: also you get to connect with an audience who is

1232
01:02:03,280 --> 01:02:05,640
Speaker 1: wholly for the work that we're creating, and it's really

1233
01:02:05,720 --> 01:02:08,680
Speaker 1: loyal so Mansa. You can download it as an app

1234
01:02:08,720 --> 01:02:11,760
Speaker 1: on your smart TV or on your phone. You get

1235
01:02:11,800 --> 01:02:14,160
Speaker 1: it in the App Store or Google Play and just

1236
01:02:14,200 --> 01:02:16,640
Speaker 1: take a look. It's it's it's already you know, we're

1237
01:02:16,720 --> 01:02:20,640
Speaker 1: just sort of nine months in to launching. We launched

1238
01:02:20,680 --> 01:02:24,280
Speaker 1: in April, and it's already done such incredible things for

1239
01:02:24,440 --> 01:02:27,920
Speaker 1: the artists we work with, and and you know, our viewership,

1240
01:02:28,000 --> 01:02:31,720
Speaker 1: our users are really really enjoying the experience too. So yeah,

1241
01:02:31,760 --> 01:02:34,640
Speaker 1: it's it's it's new. It's one of those things. It's

1242
01:02:34,760 --> 01:02:37,840
Speaker 1: also importantly it's ad supported, so it's free, so you

1243
01:02:37,880 --> 01:02:40,480
Speaker 1: can just take a look at what we have to offer. Wow,

1244
01:02:40,640 --> 01:02:43,240
Speaker 1: that's that's everything that we've been speaking about. Really, you know,

1245
01:02:43,400 --> 01:02:45,800
Speaker 1: instead of just instead of just saying, well, I'm going

1246
01:02:45,880 --> 01:02:48,520
Speaker 1: to just pursue my own career and do this for myself,

1247
01:02:49,360 --> 01:02:50,720
Speaker 1: you know, the four of us have come together to

1248
01:02:50,800 --> 01:02:52,720
Speaker 1: try and make sure that others can come behind us

1249
01:02:52,800 --> 01:02:55,600
Speaker 1: and and there's a space for people to benefit from

1250
01:02:55,600 --> 01:02:56,320
Speaker 1: the work they create.

1251
01:02:56,880 --> 01:02:59,720
Speaker 2: I think that's amazing. Again, it's Manta and as a

1252
01:02:59,760 --> 01:03:02,640
Speaker 2: maryor A and is in Nancy s A for those

1253
01:03:02,720 --> 01:03:05,400
Speaker 2: who cannot understand him because he's from somewhere else.

1254
01:03:06,560 --> 01:03:08,000
Speaker 1: I do have a bit of an accent.

1255
01:03:08,160 --> 01:03:11,160
Speaker 2: You have your accent thing going on. I'm really proud

1256
01:03:11,160 --> 01:03:13,920
Speaker 2: of you. I'm just very very proud of you. The

1257
01:03:14,040 --> 01:03:16,920
Speaker 2: next time we hang out, well fully, uh, it's snowing.

1258
01:03:17,440 --> 01:03:19,360
Speaker 2: I'm gonna text you. Are you going outside today?

1259
01:03:20,000 --> 01:03:20,560
Speaker 3: I am.

1260
01:03:20,680 --> 01:03:23,160
Speaker 1: Actually I'm gonna come into Manhattan because I'm going to

1261
01:03:23,400 --> 01:03:24,120
Speaker 1: run some errands.

1262
01:03:24,800 --> 01:03:26,760
Speaker 2: Are you buying something fancy? No?

1263
01:03:26,920 --> 01:03:29,160
Speaker 1: No, I'm bringing back something fancy. Okay.

1264
01:03:29,640 --> 01:03:31,440
Speaker 2: Are you giving out money on the streets because you're

1265
01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:31,920
Speaker 2: so rich?

1266
01:03:32,440 --> 01:03:33,080
Speaker 1: You know not?

1267
01:03:33,760 --> 01:03:36,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a Christmas I just missed the Christmas part

1268
01:03:36,240 --> 01:03:38,960
Speaker 2: of it because you're back working, right. The strike's over,

1269
01:03:39,480 --> 01:03:40,120
Speaker 2: strike's done.

1270
01:03:40,280 --> 01:03:41,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, back to it. It's nice.

1271
01:03:41,920 --> 01:03:44,720
Speaker 2: So you're just sitting on stacks and stacks, so racks

1272
01:03:44,760 --> 01:03:46,800
Speaker 2: and racks as a kid saying the rap.

1273
01:03:47,400 --> 01:03:48,440
Speaker 1: I guess that's all relitude.

1274
01:03:48,480 --> 01:03:53,080
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, I love what I say. Stuff that

1275
01:03:53,080 --> 01:03:54,600
Speaker 2: makes you uncomfortable. You're like, I don't I don't know

1276
01:03:54,640 --> 01:03:57,600
Speaker 2: what she's talking about. I'm just gonna laugh and be kind.

1277
01:03:57,760 --> 01:04:01,160
Speaker 2: I don't know what this lady is saying. All right,

1278
01:04:01,280 --> 01:04:03,560
Speaker 2: I love you. Oh. Last last week at least my dear.

1279
01:04:05,320 --> 01:04:07,760
Speaker 2: Oh okay, g k on conquo.

1280
01:04:08,320 --> 01:04:11,200
Speaker 1: Oh, come on, Kerry, you can you can do better

1281
01:04:11,200 --> 01:04:16,200
Speaker 1: than quo. I did it no very nearly. Oh con

1282
01:04:16,320 --> 01:04:17,720
Speaker 1: quote oh con quo.

1283
01:04:17,920 --> 01:04:20,560
Speaker 2: I said it's right. I said that I didn't do that.

1284
01:04:21,360 --> 01:04:24,360
Speaker 2: I said, ah, che k ohquan quo, I did it wrong?

1285
01:04:24,960 --> 01:04:27,000
Speaker 2: Did I do it wrong again? Say it again again?

1286
01:04:27,040 --> 01:04:27,840
Speaker 2: I gotta I gotta do it.

1287
01:04:29,040 --> 01:04:29,840
Speaker 1: Carry. I believe in you.

1288
01:04:30,520 --> 01:04:32,280
Speaker 2: Okay, no, you go, you go, and then I go back.

1289
01:04:32,320 --> 01:04:35,080
Speaker 1: Okay o con quote con quo o con.

1290
01:04:35,040 --> 01:04:38,680
Speaker 2: Quo, Yeah, okay, okay, fine, I said that. No, I

1291
01:04:38,760 --> 01:04:39,600
Speaker 2: didn't thank you.

1292
01:04:40,880 --> 01:04:42,920
Speaker 1: I appreciate you. Now I have to I have to

1293
01:04:42,920 --> 01:04:46,160
Speaker 1: say about you Kerry as well, because honestly, you're such

1294
01:04:46,240 --> 01:04:49,120
Speaker 1: a gem and people love you and write me so

1295
01:04:49,320 --> 01:04:50,960
Speaker 1: but I've I've gotten to know you're in this last

1296
01:04:51,040 --> 01:04:54,000
Speaker 1: year and appreciate your work so so much. I'm really,

1297
01:04:54,160 --> 01:04:56,280
Speaker 1: really um grateful to have this conversation with you.

1298
01:04:56,680 --> 01:04:57,240
Speaker 2: Have your friend.

1299
01:04:57,520 --> 01:04:59,240
Speaker 1: Here's too many more, Here's.

1300
01:04:59,000 --> 01:05:01,760
Speaker 2: So many more. Meet you in Manhattan. Drinks on oh

1301
01:05:02,120 --> 01:05:08,440
Speaker 2: quon quo. No, oh conklo oh now that was fun, right,

1302
01:05:08,640 --> 01:05:12,000
Speaker 2: we enjoyed chik oh quon quo I got it there

1303
01:05:12,040 --> 01:05:15,080
Speaker 2: you go take that. Support is app mansa. He said,

1304
01:05:15,160 --> 01:05:18,520
Speaker 2: it's ad supported, so it's free, but it's content, uh,

1305
01:05:18,720 --> 01:05:21,400
Speaker 2: provided by the collective, telling our stories, sharing our stories.

1306
01:05:21,480 --> 01:05:24,920
Speaker 2: It's important. Check it out. Support we need to support,

1307
01:05:25,680 --> 01:05:28,040
Speaker 2: and more importantly, check out his television show which is

1308
01:05:28,120 --> 01:05:30,880
Speaker 2: on Peacock. You can get it there as streaming services

1309
01:05:30,960 --> 01:05:33,480
Speaker 2: NBC BREA, You're gonna love it. And then last but

1310
01:05:33,640 --> 01:05:39,960
Speaker 2: not lease, Let's remember we are in charge of our stories.

1311
01:05:40,400 --> 01:05:43,920
Speaker 2: We are in charge of our narratives. We are in

1312
01:05:44,120 --> 01:05:50,680
Speaker 2: charge of what is said about us. Don't take that lightly,

1313
01:05:51,120 --> 01:05:54,800
Speaker 2: don't take it for granted, don't misuse it. There's just

1314
01:05:54,960 --> 01:05:57,720
Speaker 2: power or power in our stories, and there's power in

1315
01:05:57,800 --> 01:06:00,560
Speaker 2: our history and they can't erase it. Thank you for

1316
01:06:00,640 --> 01:06:02,800
Speaker 2: listening to Naked. Be back next week, y'all,