WEBVTT - The Spirited Actor - Rayan Lawrence (4/30/2024) 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.360 Hello, and welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:06.480 Tracy Moore. I was a casting director for film and 0:00:06.519 --> 0:00:10.640 TV and commercials for over thirty years. I transitioned to 0:00:10.680 --> 0:00:14.240 a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:19.440 Jersey Drive with executive producer Spike Lee and director Nick Domez. 0:00:20.079 --> 0:00:24.479 I auditioned every rapper from biggiees Balls to Tupac, and 0:00:24.600 --> 0:00:28.240 I realized that rappers and musical artists they needed help 0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:32.640 transitioning to acting. My clients consist of musical artists from 0:00:32.800 --> 0:00:37.440 Buster Rhymes to Eve, Missy Elliott, Angela Yee from The 0:00:37.479 --> 0:00:41.159 Breakfast Club, and Vanessa Simmons, to name a few. I 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:45.120 also coach sports stars and host as well. I feel 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:48.760 I have the best of both worlds. As a casting director, 0:00:48.800 --> 0:00:51.360 I know exactly what they're looking for, and as an 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:53.840 acting coach, I can coach you to be remembered in 0:00:53.920 --> 0:00:57.120 that room. Now I know, I know actors want to 0:00:57.200 --> 0:01:00.240 get the job. I get that, but being remembered by 0:01:00.360 --> 0:01:05.160 casting director that is powerful. And now it's time for 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:08.759 meditation of the day. It is not worth the while 0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:16.160 to let our imperfections disturb us. Always Henry Threau. Once 0:01:16.280 --> 0:01:20.520 you truly embrace the truth that we are a work 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:25.400 in progress. Things will ease off, You'll relax a little more, 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:30.119 and it'll take the pressure off of you. We are 0:01:30.160 --> 0:01:34.760 not perfect, and our imperfections really inspire us to be 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:39.840 better people. We can always make a choice to be better, 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:46.039 love more, judge less, and know that it's all going 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:47.160 to work out for the. 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:48.240 Best in the end. 0:01:48.960 --> 0:01:54.520 Today I will celebrate everything in my life. Before we 0:01:54.600 --> 0:01:57.960 get started, I'd like to remind everyone to look out 0:01:58.000 --> 0:02:01.480 for my new show, Inside the Black Box. I'll be 0:02:01.560 --> 0:02:04.600 co hosting with the great Joe Morton. We'll be on 0:02:04.760 --> 0:02:10.000 Crackle Network real soon. I'll keep you posted. Welcome to 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:14.720 the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. I am 0:02:14.880 --> 0:02:19.120 so thrilled to have our guest on today because I 0:02:19.200 --> 0:02:22.840 love when I get a chance to really have a 0:02:22.880 --> 0:02:27.760 conversation with a solid actor, and this guest is so 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:32.560 solid for me, and I feel like the timing is 0:02:33.639 --> 0:02:38.920 impeccable because now the sun is coming out, we can photosynthesize, 0:02:39.120 --> 0:02:42.200 we can be smiling now and we're comors. 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:45.560 Oh, this is perfect to bring him off. 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:49.400 Ladies and gentlemen, please please put your hands together for 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:53.960 actor extraordinaire, mister Rayon Lauren. 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:59.200 Thank you so much, Tracy, thank you so much. Thank you. 0:02:59.200 --> 0:03:05.240 You're welcome. I'm excited for you to be here as well. 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:11.440 When I was, excuse me, looking at the IMDb dot com, 0:03:11.480 --> 0:03:14.399 which I tell all actors they know where to go, 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:21.560 so barbershop too, I coached Eve and when I read 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:25.960 your credit, I was like he had to beat by. 0:03:26.919 --> 0:03:31.640 How were you but Barbershop one, I was on the 0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:33.800 whole set in winter Chicago. 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:35.760 Barbershop two. 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:38.920 I only needed to be there two weeks, so I 0:03:38.960 --> 0:03:42.240 don't you know, that's when I was there. But that 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:44.680 was a common denominator between us. 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:49.800 Oh, barbershop, barber shops. Fun, great cast, yes. 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:54.080 Bigger though that the one you did was a huge cast. 0:03:54.600 --> 0:03:56.960 And I was able to actually be there with everybody. 0:03:57.400 --> 0:04:00.240 You know that that was the fun part. Everybody, you know, 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:06.560 Quh Michael, like Nicki. 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.800 Minaj, everybody when I was there, So that was cool 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:13.160 to be amongst them, and nobody was Hollywood. 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:16.280 Everybody was cool. You know, we feel like we're all 0:04:16.400 --> 0:04:17.240 you know, we're all. 0:04:18.400 --> 0:04:21.000 At that level, you know, And it was Yeah, we 0:04:21.080 --> 0:04:22.920 had so much fun, me especially me, JB and and 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:24.520 Cedric would be making jokes. 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:30.760 Cedric you yeah, let me tell you, Cedric, Cedric is crazy. 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:31.280 We all know that. 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:35.240 But Barbershop won during the takes, Like there was a 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:38.120 scene where it was all of us. 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:42.880 It was Eve, ice ice Q, Cedric, Michael Ely, Sean 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:44.880 Patrick and we were all like. 0:04:45.120 --> 0:04:49.760 Just talking in the barbershop. And so when it was 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:54.680 when ice Cube would speak, Cedric would lead. 0:04:54.800 --> 0:04:57.120 Because I had ears on the set, he would lead 0:04:57.200 --> 0:04:59.360 it to even be like you know better abuse. 0:05:03.880 --> 0:05:06.800 It was a crazy like yo e. 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:12.120 Her biting a hole in her bottom lip like and 0:05:12.600 --> 0:05:16.000 then Tim would say cut and he would be like, Tedrick, 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:17.240 I'm not playing with you. 0:05:17.400 --> 0:05:19.920 Taker. He was like, oh Whatgital, but I want to. 0:05:24.560 --> 0:05:27.360 We had the board, We have the the a D 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:31.039 board right on the set and so he would walk 0:05:31.080 --> 0:05:32.880 over here. One day he tried to give us a 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:36.000 lesson in architect like it was he just did the 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:39.160 most random supit stuff, but he messed with it. 0:05:39.480 --> 0:05:40.320 It was so much fun. 0:05:41.200 --> 0:05:44.440 He's great energy on set energy yeah he does, he does. 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:45.640 And we had night shoots. 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:49.080 So I decided that I wanted to title this the 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:53.080 Journey of an Actor because of like the credits that 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:57.680 I've read. Specifically, I love seeing actors resume when they've 0:05:57.720 --> 0:06:00.520 done a lot of New York shows, and so that 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:03.320 just tells me as a casting director that that the 0:06:03.440 --> 0:06:06.800 New York casting world is very familiar with you, and 0:06:07.440 --> 0:06:09.240 you know, because we talk among ourselves, we. 0:06:09.320 --> 0:06:12.640 Share people and all that others. So I just want 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:13.719 to start at the beginning. 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:17.599 Let's talk about your journey, like why did you choose 0:06:17.760 --> 0:06:19.880 acting or did acting choose you? 0:06:20.600 --> 0:06:23.560 Ah, that's that's that's a good. That's a good. Uh, 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:28.000 that's good. I would say acting chose me. 0:06:28.080 --> 0:06:31.359 But I'm gonna tell you how growing up I would 0:06:31.720 --> 0:06:34.600 I would get, you know, different people that would say, hey, 0:06:34.640 --> 0:06:36.400 you know you have that look. You hit that you 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:40.880 know people, you got that look. So one time I 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:43.760 was I was bored. I wasn't working at the time. 0:06:43.760 --> 0:06:46.240 I was just going to school, and I was like, 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:48.760 you know what, I'm hearing people say, you got this look? 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:51.159 Let me let me go and take some headshots somewhere. 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:56.400 So in New York Kings Pause, I went to King Swash, Yeah, 0:06:56.440 --> 0:06:59.640 at that little portrait place that they do pictures, and 0:06:59.839 --> 0:07:01.520 I looking at the news and say, you know, I've 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:03.320 been in the game for a minute looking at that, 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:07.719 and there was a casting that was looking for actors 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:10.480 and models, and I was like, Okay, let me these 0:07:10.520 --> 0:07:11.760 pictures that I got from King Saws. 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:13.480 Let me send it to him. I send it to him. 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:16.320 They bring me in and say, hey, you know, you know, 0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:17.640 we love you, love your shots. 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:20.520 We want to work with you. My very first audition 0:07:20.800 --> 0:07:23.680 was for ESPN commercial call Take the Field, and I 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:28.840 booked it very first audition. So now I'm doing you know, 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:31.920 now auditioning for auditioning and I'm doing model at the 0:07:31.960 --> 0:07:33.920 same time, both together, and I just. 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:36.239 Acting was more rewarding. 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:39.960 You know, you're sitting now, you learn the craft uh modeling, 0:07:40.040 --> 0:07:42.680 You're there for hours in your you get you know, honestly, 0:07:42.920 --> 0:07:43.280 you're bored. 0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:44.800 You did probably four hours doing. 0:07:44.720 --> 0:07:47.400 Nothing at least when you want set acting, you're there 0:07:47.440 --> 0:07:49.600 for four us. But you're studying your lines, you know. 0:07:49.720 --> 0:07:53.080 So I think that was more of a thing for me. 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:55.600 Is just you know, an intellect. It's just really learning 0:07:55.680 --> 0:07:58.160 and really understanding what these characters about. I think that's 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:01.160 what was the intriguing part of it. This one time 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:04.680 earlier in my career, I was actually working with I 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:06.880 forget the name, right now of just talking about it today. 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:09.640 Uh, who's the Top Modeling again? What's his name? 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:19.920 Black Top Model's month yestor's. 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:18.160 Mother early in my career and. 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:22.040 Yeah, yeah, she was like, Ray, I'm going to send 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:24.240 you on these three auditions if you don't cut your 0:08:24.280 --> 0:08:26.600 beer because at the time I had a goatee and 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:26.880 you know. 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:31.000 Not do commercial modeling. They want yeah clean, And I 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:32.959 was like, I don't want to cut it. I like 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:33.880 how I looked at them. 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:36.040 Anyway, she sent me the three audition I still ain't 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:38.560 cut my beer. Yeah, at that time, you're not even 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:40.760 as an actor, as a model, and you're just doing 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:44.120 what you want to do. We work after that, but 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:45.880 you know, it was going to show me the growth 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:48.120 that I've done all these years about listening. 0:08:48.280 --> 0:08:50.559 You know, the people have been for a while, So 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:52.680 that was how I got into acting. 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:56.800 So you said something, And I want to point this 0:08:56.920 --> 0:09:02.079 out because I have been to coach Tyson. I've known 0:09:02.200 --> 0:09:06.320 Hillary for years, Beth Anne Hartisan and also Cynthia Bailey. 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:08.960 And one of the things that I really appreciate love 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:13.280 about models is that you guys don't have any words, 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:15.360 but you have the ability to sell something. 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:19.280 Yes, yes, So how can. 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:24.280 We now translate because there's something about your physicality that 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:25.479 I see in a poster. 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:27.240 And like, I got to get this one. You know 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:32.079 what I'm saying so and you're not saying so. For me, 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:36.240 it's almost as if models really have their hands tied 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:38.360 behind their backs right with the words. 0:09:38.520 --> 0:09:42.640 Because musical artists and like athletes and hosts that I 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:47.640 helped transition, there's something that connects and they and they 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:52.240 speak vocally. So I say, it's very powerful, you know, 0:09:52.559 --> 0:09:57.000 platform and foundation for you to be standing on because 0:09:57.440 --> 0:10:01.679 you were forced through your physical you know, animations and 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:06.319 gestures to convey a message, which it sounds like you 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:09.400 successfully did because ESPN is not. 0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:16.839 And then growing up watching ESPN, you know, to be 0:10:16.960 --> 0:10:20.120 able to do your your very first audition BOOKT is amazing. 0:10:20.160 --> 0:10:22.679 And going back to what you were saying about, you know, 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:27.719 you know, portraying something without the words, but now with 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:30.319 the acting, we both know now when we do have 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:33.000 times where it's no lines, what are you doing inside 0:10:33.040 --> 0:10:35.439 to be able to give what this actor is feeling? 0:10:36.080 --> 0:10:39.320 I learn how if I'm doing modeling, what's your intent? 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:39.640 What do you? 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:41.680 Like? You said like you're trying to sell your selling 0:10:41.720 --> 0:10:44.600 this clothes. You know how you trying to without saying 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:44.960 the words. 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:46.520 So I think I help that. 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:49.640 So now if I go, I've done modeling here and there, 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:52.439 spread it out throughout my career, but you can go 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:54.319 back to it now and bring what you learn into 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:57.080 acting right to the modeling park. 0:10:57.400 --> 0:11:00.640 Oh my god, because like now I see you know 0:11:01.320 --> 0:11:05.000 especially like I agree, you do have a great look. 0:11:05.160 --> 0:11:09.360 It's very unique. It's for me. It's your odds. Your 0:11:09.480 --> 0:11:11.480 eyes really say a lot. 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:17.400 And help me determine what type of characters that you know, 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:18.360 I would be thinking. 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:20.480 So when I look at your resume from you know, 0:11:20.640 --> 0:11:21.560 Blue Bloods to. 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:22.760 You know. 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:29.760 Lee Daniels Pien, Yes, unlike. 0:11:29.640 --> 0:11:33.559 The versatility there you know what I mean. So but 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:36.880 this is what I love because Rayon, for real, like 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:39.480 I've been doing this for a very very long time, 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:42.120 I mean decades, and. 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:44.360 I know you you're doing it. 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:47.559 I know you know, and I appreciate you. Love that 0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:52.959 for y'all because I love actors. There is something about 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:56.280 you and I want, like I get a chance to 0:11:56.480 --> 0:11:59.960 see you. This is an audio except for your dry 0:12:02.080 --> 0:12:05.160 and my kid love and stuff, but I get to 0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:08.240 really see and resonate with your energy. And I also 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:10.640 feel like if I didn't see you, I would still 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:16.280 resonate with your energy. You come from a place where 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:20.040 you just don't appear to be jaded like most actors are. 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:21.320 And it's not a bad thing. 0:12:21.400 --> 0:12:24.240 It's just that actors can There are people too, but 0:12:24.320 --> 0:12:28.120 they can quote unquote stress about some crazy stuff, right. 0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:30.839 And I come from live auditions. 0:12:30.960 --> 0:12:33.880 I come from when actors really had to sit by 0:12:33.960 --> 0:12:36.719 the phone and wait for somebody to call, or get 0:12:36.760 --> 0:12:39.880 an answer machine or get an answering service for ten 0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:40.960 dollars a month. 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:47.000 That would answer for you. So you're not any of 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:49.520 that or ooh, gotta make it. 0:12:50.400 --> 0:12:55.720 What grounds you because you booked your first job off 0:12:55.800 --> 0:12:58.240 of like and anybody that knows, like if you've ever 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:02.319 seen Sears photos or pennies, you know the Christmas that's 0:13:02.400 --> 0:13:06.520 the photos he took you guys, ESPN. 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:15.280 Gig, Yes for real And I didn't know, right, You're 0:13:15.360 --> 0:13:16.199 just like I know. 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:22.360 Ignorance is bliss though, because it wasn't for to you. 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:25.440 They were the best pictures you took. 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:29.560 Exactly exactly and you and you stepping in the Tracey up. 0:13:29.640 --> 0:13:31.719 I'll come to accomplice all I want to go in. 0:13:31.880 --> 0:13:33.360 I'm about to be the best ever. 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:36.560 You know, you just you just excited, but you see 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:40.120 the growth throughout all. You see a hearted but you 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:40.640 love it. 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:46.520 Yes, yes, because it keeps using, you know, to get 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:49.439 those yes. That's what yes are so important. When you 0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:51.319 get those yeses, do all the nose that you get. 0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:56.640 This is why I've always learned to trust my instinct. 0:13:56.720 --> 0:14:00.520 But more importantly, there's always a voice that speed before 0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:06.280 my thoughts. And I kept saying yesterday, Rayon is the 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:09.319 journey of an actor, like but the journey of an 0:14:09.360 --> 0:14:13.160 actor that I would want to see not you know, 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:15.719 oh there's no role out there for me? And why 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:19.840 because it's easy for actors to go internal and beat 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:20.440 up in here. 0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:24.320 But your light is like listen, I know. 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:27.960 They said it's a white Polish dude, there's five seven, 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:29.360 but maybe there's. 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:30.040 Some wee can work out. 0:14:30.200 --> 0:14:33.800 Like you know, you're just you don't and you have 0:14:34.080 --> 0:14:34.720 to have that. 0:14:35.560 --> 0:14:38.680 It's really important actors that you are really listening to 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:45.560 this because I think sometimes some time is wasted on 0:14:46.040 --> 0:14:49.560 continuing to internalize and beat yourself up, and you. 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:50.560 Are creating that. 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:52.720 So what is that. 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:58.600 Routine or mantra, what is it that keeps you your 0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:01.240 light shining? What it is your life? 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:06.960 I think that the first and foremost part is having faith, right, 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:12.080 and you're believing God, and I think you know, learning 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:16.760 and and and and just just being a man of 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:18.800 God and just knowing, you know, I have the faith 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:21.160 and the perseverance to get through this, and I know 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:23.480 that I'm going to get to the top, you know, 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:25.040 and that's what keeps me going right. 0:15:25.360 --> 0:15:27.360 And having your friends around you who are not. 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:30.040 Yes men, you know, they'll tell you this wasn't a 0:15:30.080 --> 0:15:32.720 good auditional this, this wasn't the right choice. I think 0:15:32.840 --> 0:15:35.640 all of those helped my family, you know, my parents 0:15:36.080 --> 0:15:39.040 giving me the vote of confidence. I think all of that, 0:15:39.360 --> 0:15:42.640 all of that really really helped me, you know, coming 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:45.960 up and like I was saying, you know, being naive 0:15:45.960 --> 0:15:49.240 when I came into game. You know, my very first 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:54.480 year was offered a lead in this movie, right, feature film, 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:56.720 and I turned it down because it wasn't paying. 0:15:57.320 --> 0:15:59.560 Naive, stop paying, I'm I'm not doing well. 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:01.680 Man is if you're not paying, you can do this 0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:07.800 movie right in the past And eventually there was another 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:10.320 role on this same movie, which was the iary of 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:12.360 it where it was like, hey, you know because I 0:16:12.640 --> 0:16:13.160 danced to him. 0:16:13.200 --> 0:16:16.240 I'm Jamaican, so I know dance whole dancing. It was like, hey, 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:18.840 like you know, I just come down and like dancing 0:16:18.960 --> 0:16:19.400 party said. 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:21.800 I was like, it's nothing, you know, even though before 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:23.880 like you turned down it not getting paid for the 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:25.920 duration that you was gonna do it. But I was like, 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:28.600 I left to dance. I'll come out, just have fun, 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:31.480 simple and I think. So I go there and then 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:32.560 they're like they see my. 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:34.680 Energy and they're like, hey, you know, we want you 0:16:34.800 --> 0:16:35.040 to come. 0:16:35.160 --> 0:16:38.440 You know, we want to again give you a role 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:40.280 and you know what I mean, and keep progressiing with 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:43.240 just seeing me come on and just having my energy. 0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:46.840 Same thing. Stop paying. I'm not wasting my time doing 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:47.800 something that's not paid. 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:51.720 Now, you go a couple of years or maybe a 0:16:51.800 --> 0:16:54.680 couple of months later after that, and you realize that 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:56.880 a lot of these projects that you take that you 0:16:56.920 --> 0:17:00.640 don't get paid, you're still learning in your craft, You're 0:17:00.680 --> 0:17:03.920 still building that that resume, You're still able to get 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:06.719 your real Because I've made multiple reels where I've had 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:09.480 the independent film reels until I started getting the network 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.480 TV reels and the reels are mixed of you know, 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:17.160 network tving and streaming services. So you know, I say 0:17:17.200 --> 0:17:19.359 that's to say I really had to learn this and 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:23.360 learn kind of the hallway, you know, turning this. Who 0:17:23.400 --> 0:17:24.959 wants to turn on a lead role? You know it's 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:26.520 not paying. You gotta you know, you gotta learn and 0:17:26.600 --> 0:17:28.720 figure it out. You got like a part time job, 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:30.920 you know, do your part time job in between so 0:17:31.040 --> 0:17:34.600 you can you know, obviously pay bills. That was one 0:17:34.600 --> 0:17:37.040 of the things that I had to learn. Eight months 0:17:37.119 --> 0:17:41.520 into my career. I got a Nike commercial, Nike National, 0:17:41.600 --> 0:17:46.600 Nike com the the National Night commercial. Got eight months 0:17:46.640 --> 0:17:49.480 in and now I'm sack eligible. It was a friend 0:17:49.560 --> 0:17:52.240 of mine, the actually first movie with lines that I 0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:55.720 that I accepted. He told me, and I always remember this, 0:17:55.800 --> 0:17:58.840 He was like, ray On, don't join the union until you're. 0:17:58.680 --> 0:17:59.320 A must joint. 0:17:59.520 --> 0:18:01.440 And the reason why he said that was he was like, 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:04.200 you now that you're eligible eight months into your career, 0:18:04.280 --> 0:18:06.720 you joining union, now you'll be doing nothing with extra work. 0:18:06.880 --> 0:18:08.560 And I had the vision that I want to be 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:11.359 bigger than just doing extra work. That's the best advice. 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:12.480 So it took. 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:15.800 Yeah, time, I was everybody was wondering, Hey, how are 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:18.639 you able to do network TV? I'm doing the blue Bloods, 0:18:18.640 --> 0:18:22.399 I'm doing the other projects, and they're like, how you 0:18:22.520 --> 0:18:23.960 doing this stuff and you're non union? 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:27.320 I said, I ain't say much join. I was like 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:28.320 I was doing. 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:33.440 And I was able to you know, independent film and 0:18:33.560 --> 0:18:36.800 still able to do network TV. Tyler perry House still 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:38.920 able to do all this stuff without having to be union. 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:40.760 But that was the best advice to the gave me 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:43.160 because I was still able to work my way through 0:18:43.200 --> 0:18:44.480 the independent films. 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:48.200 Right to where I was now being. 0:18:48.040 --> 0:18:51.040 The principal role, to the supporting role, to the lead 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:54.040 roles on his independent film. So I really like came 0:18:54.080 --> 0:18:56.239 from the bottom to the top. Even though my very 0:18:56.280 --> 0:18:59.840 first edition that I booked, even know offer that I had, 0:19:00.200 --> 0:19:03.760 or the leader of feature film, I still literally came 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:06.280 from the bottom to the you know, now I'm not 0:19:06.400 --> 0:19:07.760 the top yet, but work. 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:13.480 But I understand it's a process. But when you say 0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:16.320 eight months in like that's you know, we have to 0:19:16.400 --> 0:19:18.200 acknowledge that because that's very rare. 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:19.119 It's very rare. 0:19:22.000 --> 0:19:22.159 You know. 0:19:22.640 --> 0:19:26.320 My my understanding and observation in. 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:29.720 This business is that there are a lot of people 0:19:29.840 --> 0:19:32.880 who want to be an actor, but very few people 0:19:33.000 --> 0:19:37.200 who are actually talented and who will pursue the journey 0:19:37.280 --> 0:19:40.280 and have the stamina to stay on. But you said 0:19:40.320 --> 0:19:43.280 something really important, which is you have to love it. 0:19:43.520 --> 0:19:47.880 If you do not love this, then you know it's 0:19:48.040 --> 0:19:51.040 like when you're outside in the winter and your fakee call, 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:51.720 that's it. 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:55.760 Once your fe get call, that is it. 0:19:57.320 --> 0:19:59.280 You got to be really built for And now we'll 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:01.960 get We'll get it. I'll tell you, like very important me. 0:20:02.960 --> 0:20:05.359 I got a story. We're gonna go. 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:08.119 Okay, it's gonna it's not early my Chris pretty much, 0:20:08.400 --> 0:20:10.960 maybe maybe five six years ago, but one of the 0:20:11.040 --> 0:20:13.080 most defining moments of my career, and price of the 0:20:13.680 --> 0:20:16.719 defining moment is I booked All Eyes on Me right 0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:17.600 and I played trash. 0:20:17.600 --> 0:20:25.280 Everybody knows, yes, crazy, you know what. 0:20:25.480 --> 0:20:27.440 I have to say this because these are what I 0:20:27.520 --> 0:20:30.920 call God Ray crumbs. But I just reached out to 0:20:31.160 --> 0:20:34.960 Vinnie this morning, a really good friend of mine. Vinnie 0:20:35.080 --> 0:20:38.119 was the first person that I coached, and then Vinnie 0:20:38.200 --> 0:20:39.720 introduced me to s w V. 0:20:40.440 --> 0:20:45.919 And then I got to Violater tweet Twinkie, I mean 0:20:46.119 --> 0:20:50.119 Twinkie tweet Mitter Elliott, and then Buster. 0:20:50.440 --> 0:20:54.680 Wow, but for you to say that that's a beautiful Yeah. 0:20:54.800 --> 0:20:57.080 We follow each other. Now. I well, since I had 0:20:57.240 --> 0:21:01.440 booked the job, so I ended up All Eyes a nice, 0:21:01.640 --> 0:21:04.639 nice supporting role, now, you know. And I'm like, this 0:21:04.720 --> 0:21:07.879 is about to be on I'm in Ebony magazine. 0:21:07.960 --> 0:21:10.760 I'm in h At that time, I was I was 0:21:10.840 --> 0:21:12.920 doing I think I was doing Underground at the same 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:13.359 time too. 0:21:13.920 --> 0:21:16.440 I'm not right before that, I did Underground. 0:21:18.960 --> 0:21:21.040 Listen, I've seen All Eyes on me. 0:21:21.280 --> 0:21:22.640 A lot of my friends are. 0:21:22.560 --> 0:21:23.160 In that story. 0:21:23.200 --> 0:21:25.440 Yeah. 0:21:25.560 --> 0:21:30.200 So so now I'm just coming off of Underground. 0:21:30.520 --> 0:21:31.719 Yeah, not coming off Underground. 0:21:31.720 --> 0:21:33.480