1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: My Next Yes is a Boston native and son of 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: a licensed financial consultant mother and the and the son 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: of the legendary Boston Celtics player Joe Joe White. He 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: was still with the importance of both sports and education 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: throughout his childhood. He studied political science, psychology, and theater 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: at Dartmouth College. He's currently starting in ambitions, a new 7 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: night time drama from producing my man. Will Packard did 8 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: two movies with him and Oprah Winfrey on their own networks. 9 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: It's premier in this June. He's surrounded by the all 10 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: star casts and includes My Girl. Robin Gibbons did uh 11 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: couple of sitcoms with her on ABC, s An Atkins, 12 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: That's m Girl from w B and UPM. The series 13 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: tells the tells the tale of two high powered African 14 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: American families that class and connect professionally and romantically in 15 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: the hot Atlanta. Please welcome to Money Making Conversations, my 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: man Brian White, Hey brother, how are you? Thank you 17 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: for having me on? Well, first of all, thank you man. Listen, 18 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: let's let's let's talk about the wee yet right now? 19 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: You're you you you just tend at the house. You're 20 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: acting on some set. What's going on man yet? Yeah? 21 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: Right now I'm at the house. We were getting some 22 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: work done. Um, get ready to head out on the 23 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 1: road and promote ambitions. We're getting ready to go to 24 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: Miami and breaking my family with me, my wife's family. 25 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: She's from Argentina. Some of her family lives in Miami, 26 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: soort of bringing my daughter so they can meet them, 27 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, just celebrate the life being good. Well, 28 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: you know, that's that's that's that's a lot of good 29 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: eating meat, meat, meat, men. Yeah, a lot of seafood, 30 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: a lot of seafood down there. Absolutely. So when you 31 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: when you start looking at your career, all right, I'll 32 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: go through your resume and I put your father's name, 33 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: Jojo White, and being a sports fan, being a person 34 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: of African American descent, Roshan mcgaunt. Let's meet Jojo White, 35 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: watching him succeed in the climate of Boston, watching him 36 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: succeed on a basketball, uh team like the Boston Celtics. 37 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: What was that like? Because for me, it was important 38 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: because he was a successful African American succeeding against the 39 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: odds and the succeeding in the environment that that that 40 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: that that made me feel that I can make it too. Yeah. 41 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: It Uh, I mean it was very educational. Uh. It 42 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: was also very challenging because my parents were divorced when 43 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: I was four. Um, I was close with my dad, 44 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: but I lived and was raised by my mom, and 45 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: so you know, I when I wasn't with my father, 46 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: I was a witness, you know, like a fan watching 47 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: on TV the light that was happening. But I was 48 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: very aware of it because he was not living in Boston. Uh, 49 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: in my in my teen years, but he was always 50 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: in the Boston papers. Uh in my you know, when 51 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: I was eighteen. Still he's still playing and uh, you know, 52 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 1: I'm aware of everything he's doing, but I just can't 53 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: see him as much. Um. You know, we didn't have 54 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: Uh we were texting all day the way we are now. 55 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: The word work was the video so you know, if 56 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: there was a window, you know, half hour a day 57 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: when Dad was free on the phone, when I was 58 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: free on a hardline phone and we could talk, but 59 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: that wasn't often. So, UM, I learned how this kind 60 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: of lifestyle that I'm in now works and how it 61 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: can work better. Uh when with the knowledge that I 62 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: have of what you know, can potentially be done using 63 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: technology to make sure that my daughter has an even 64 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: better experience than maybe my siblings and I did with 65 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: the with the challenges of distance. And by the same token, 66 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: I learned all the great ways my dad uh maneuvered 67 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: through space. I learned through his his lessons. He was 68 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: in the sixty eight panem Games and in the sixty 69 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: night Olympics and that that's the black Govel Olympics movie. 70 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: Glory Road is about that. And you know, one of 71 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: the things I learned from my god's father read our back, Um, 72 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: you know, telling my dad did not get on that podium. 73 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: Don't uh let your fans know at your politics and 74 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: your opinions before you've won them some trophies. Uh, they 75 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: don't care. That very clear to his number one draft 76 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,119 Speaker 1: pick in in the nineteen sixty nine that that that's 77 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: something that he should not do. So you'll notice my 78 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: father is absent from the glove being raised celebration and 79 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: instead of celebrating with his teammates the moment and not 80 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: making it more than that. Um. And you know, recognizing 81 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: his place and his position and and always being happy 82 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: to be a part of something positive is an asset 83 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: that my father definitely demonstrated and passed on to me 84 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 1: is as something that's very valuable. Congratulations because I guess 85 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: what what I thank you, you know, because I guess 86 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: what what individuals do when you have so few role models, 87 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: and you know, back then, you know you have a 88 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: lot of role model because of social media, because of media, 89 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: because of the way the system works nowadays, that relationships 90 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: can be expanded on and back then you limited on 91 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: who you can talk to, on how you can talk 92 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: to him, and what you can And because of the 93 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 1: fact that he was featured in a market and Boston 94 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: had a lot of success with a lot of African 95 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: American talent, but he was definitely in a market that 96 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: was perceived to be not favorable to the African Americans 97 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: and he exceeded and stuff so very much. So and 98 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: what he what I think that the lesson at the 99 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: you know, when I look at the when I reflect 100 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 1: from now in hindsight, what Dad didn't do is he 101 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,799 Speaker 1: he didn't talk a lot. He walks off and carried 102 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: a big stick. And so in the beginning of his career, 103 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: he came in hungry to prove himself as worthy of 104 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: the number one draft pick, and as soon as you know, 105 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: they got a ring um she started the Jojo White 106 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: Growth League and his foundations and started the speaking tours 107 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: and started doing the things with red support at that 108 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 1: point that we're quote unquote appropriate. And just what it 109 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: taught me was a lot with the social media era, 110 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: where everybody leads with how great they are, when you 111 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: know they haven't really accomplished anything, and instead, instead of 112 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: being great, they're worried about being famous or being recognized 113 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: for that greatness. And and that's the opposite of the 114 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 1: approach that I was shown and demonstrated by my father, 115 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: and and the approach that I tried to apply to 116 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 1: my craft currently, which seems to be the opposite of 117 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: you know, the motto or the credo. Not really, not really, 118 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: because every role you play I watch, your credit or 119 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,799 Speaker 1: your career is your is dignity is strength. Uh you know, articulate, 120 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: you're a good looking guy. Uh, and you always come 121 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: across as a strong, a strong, independent person and no 122 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: matter how extreme your characters are. And uh, I just wanted, 123 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: I just wanted to talk about your father, and we're 124 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: gonna move on, but I want to just bring up 125 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 1: the fact that was referencing his dad, the legendary Boston 126 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: Celtic star Jojo White, and how the impact he played 127 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 1: on the community as a player and also on in 128 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: his personal life. But more importantly, when I look at 129 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: your characters that you play now, it explains a little 130 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 1: bit about you, know, your your physicality. It also explains 131 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: your daring nous. You know. Is one of the favorite 132 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: characters that you that I recently saw you play was 133 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: on Ray Donovan and uh, and how do you prepare 134 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: for a crazy character like that? I'll let you in 135 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: on a couple of secrets. David Hollander, Uh, the creator 136 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: of Ray Donovan, gave me the opportunity in season one 137 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: to to join the show. And Uh. As season one 138 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: went on, we had a lot of fun and he 139 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: came to me and he said, hey, you really seem 140 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: to get the black comedy that is Ray dount of it. 141 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: And I said, that's how I saw it, you know, 142 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: when I made my audition tape. You know it's it's 143 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: it's very dark, but there's an underbelly of humor um 144 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: in a lot that they do. As dark as they get, 145 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: you have to laugh at it. And he goes all right, exactly. 146 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: So I have some things in mind for season two 147 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: and you know, just so, are you open to play 148 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 1: and to go with me if I get pretty crazy? 149 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: And absolutely, man, I'll be Huckleberry. And uh, you know, 150 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: he back to me over the summer and said, we 151 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: don't have a lot of He actually said this, he said, 152 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: we don't have a lot of writers of color on 153 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: the staff and they don't have any. And he said, 154 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: we'd like to you know, I would never uh be 155 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: so outlandish, has to try to create the dialogue for 156 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: you in this type of arc, and I'd like your input. 157 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: I'd like you to help us. And so we did 158 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: a table read with all six with six scripts at 159 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: the time you usually do one, and I got a 160 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: chance to read them and submit some some feedback, some 161 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,199 Speaker 1: basic feedback, some thoughts to them that they then incorporated, 162 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 1: uh to help shape some of my dialogue. And it 163 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: was really an honor and a privilege that's you know, 164 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: uncommon to be involved at all. And it helped me 165 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: prepare for and be aware of what was to come 166 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 1: and try to help ground it a little bit more 167 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: because it was it was outlandish. But you know, Pooch 168 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: and I and Donald phase on coming out of season one, 169 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: wanted to try to take this and run with it 170 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,679 Speaker 1: and make it as entertaining and as stought provoking and 171 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: as conversational, like a conversation inspiring as possible, So hopefully 172 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: you know it was it was taken with with all 173 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: that laughed with and and thought about and uh, you know, 174 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: feel a lot of conversations about a lot of what 175 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: johns Waite was saying. Why how life is for people 176 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,559 Speaker 1: of color like Pooch in not only a black world, 177 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: but the black man inside that family. It's a microcosm 178 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: of the world. How to be not equal footing when 179 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: his father feels like that. You know, that's that's the 180 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: kind of stuff that we wanted to that We sat 181 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: at dinner and lunch and talked about trying to make 182 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: people think about um as they laughed at some of 183 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: the things that that, uh, that my character and his 184 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: character were talking about saying to each other, and it 185 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: was saying a lot and I think I enjoyed the 186 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: most goods Pooch his character. We talked about the show 187 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: one of the shows you started in uh showtimes Ray 188 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 1: Donovan Um and the character was this this high profile 189 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: actor and he uh him and play this role and 190 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: they did something very Uh. They saved him because he 191 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: he kind of his character kind of lost his mind 192 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: one day and they because it was a samurai sword 193 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 1: and uh, they come in the house. He cried, he cried, 194 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: you know, and they and they cover for him. And 195 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 1: so I don't want to give with you. So even 196 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: they should go back and see it. But his character 197 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: is one of the dynamic characters they play. And the 198 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: thing about this is that when I looked at your 199 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: resume and and I kept going, I see them on this. 200 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: I see them on this, and I've seen on this. 201 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: Now they surely we want to talk about coming up 202 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: on on own premier in this model, specifically on June eighteenth. 203 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: It's called Ambitions. I know, I got a shot window 204 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:41,719 Speaker 1: by the minute left in this break, and got ten 205 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,599 Speaker 1: minutes coming up in the next break. Just set it 206 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: up real quick and then we're gonna go in more 207 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 1: details when we come back, all right. Ambitions created by 208 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 1: our executive produced by Will Packer, cras by Jamie Gideon's 209 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: brought to you by Oprah Winfrey on Own UH is 210 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: basically a modern day game of Thrones and about five 211 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: powerful families, all vying for the land. In this case, 212 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: land is Atlanta. You have the Parahoids, the billionaire white 213 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: pharmaceutical giant family. You have the Carlisles, which is my family, 214 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: blue collar black folks Atlanta. I've made my way up. 215 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: I'm now the mayor of Atlanta. I've married into blackwealth. 216 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: The three generational black billionaire family was wealthy and black 217 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: Wall Street before it and after it, and kept their 218 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: wealth after the government show it. You can now have 219 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: even more. We're gonna bring the rest back on this 220 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 1: next break. We're right back with my man Brian White. 221 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: I just Rashan McDonald and you're listening to Money Making 222 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: Conversations on the phone for with me today on my 223 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: show money Making Conversations. It is a very very talented 224 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: actor Brian White. He's discussing the new show that's own. 225 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,319 Speaker 1: It's produced by Will Packer. It's called Ambitions and it's 226 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: based in Atlanta, Georgia. Now, he was wrapping up some 227 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: a little bit more tidbits about the show before we 228 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: had to go the break. It's gonna continue to do 229 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: your thing, my friend. Yeah, all I said is it's 230 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: like Game of Thrones, modern Day five families vying for 231 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: the land. In this case Atlanta. You have the the 232 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: pure Boys billionaire white family, UM pharmaceutical dynasty, the Carlyles, 233 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: which is uh, Robin Gibbons family black billionaires were wealthy 234 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: before Wall Streets, still wealthy after the government took their money. 235 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 1: Meet my family, the Lancasters, middle class. I'm married into wealth. 236 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: I'm the governor, I'm an excuse me, the mayor of Atlanta, 237 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: so I'm ambitious. Um. The true Hillo's Mexican Americans striving 238 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: their blue collar family looking to elevate in one generation. 239 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 1: And then the Hughes. Uh, they are middle class lawyers, 240 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: um elevating up to white collar as they have taken 241 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 1: big jobs and moved to Atlanta. And hand Essence Atkins 242 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:00,239 Speaker 1: is one of the Hughes, and she is the soroy 243 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: sister of Robin Gibbons, my wife, and they have a 244 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: sordid history. So that's the uh, that's the playing field game. 245 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: It's Ron's tone is the backdrop. May sense some melrose play, 246 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: some Dallas and dynasty with a little empire and some 247 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: power for good measure. You threw out power. Now that's 248 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: that's some gangster stuff. About the canna be some killing 249 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: going on on this show? Now they kill on the 250 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: killer not not everybody's gonna make it well nobody. Not 251 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: all made it on Game or Throngs either, my friend. 252 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: So when you know, when you walk into a show 253 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: like this and you see there's so many layers and 254 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: you playing a mayor, are you are you gonna say? 255 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: Are you looking at the character you already know? Are 256 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: you looking to develop that character for this particularly show 257 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,079 Speaker 1: we talked about ambitions that is on premiering on their 258 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: own network in June. Talk about that character the very 259 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: tier answer, three tier answer. I worked as a surrogate 260 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,080 Speaker 1: for Barack Obama, worked as a surrogate for Eric gar said. 261 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: I took notes, it's too how the process worked realistically. 262 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 1: Um Secondarily, I worked with Kevin R. Katie, our show runner, 263 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: and Sheila Duxworth, the head of television for Will Pecker TV, 264 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: on a show called Media two years ago for TV one, 265 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: where I played a character that was running for the 266 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:16,719 Speaker 1: Mary of Atlanta. We did a lot of research. We 267 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: shot in Atlanta down there, had a lot of lunches 268 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: with a lot of folks, and then Will and Sheila 269 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: came to me with this project with an offer. UM, 270 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 1: and about thirty minutes after I had fainted, I woke 271 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: up on the floor with them still on the phone line, 272 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: and UM asked them to send me the script so 273 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: I can actually read this this role. Because you never 274 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: get an offer on a job, you know, it's always 275 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: a thousand auditions been on this one. I was very 276 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: blessed to be asked to come to the party. I 277 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: was on the guest lift and uh, and we really 278 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 1: started developing it further from what they you know, they 279 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: gave me note someone we've done previously, what we had 280 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: talked about, and uh, you know started from there and built. 281 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: And that's true, That's really true. Like as I've been 282 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: a writer, a producer, done some acting, stand up comic 283 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 1: and when they when they when they call and ask you, 284 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: this is always a different field because you're always in 285 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: the hustle, you're always in the ground, you always going 286 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: to the room, competing against so many people. So when 287 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: that so you say, you know, the call came to you, 288 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: the offer came to you. What was running through your 289 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: mind when they were offering you and you and after 290 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: they pitched the bigness of the series, well, The first 291 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: thought was, I need to get a towel because all 292 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: these tears on my face, because you know, it's just 293 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: sometimes you can get really hard and discouraging, so to 294 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 1: get positive affirmations or encouragement from friends and and powerful 295 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: industry folks like Will and Sheila, who are dear to 296 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: your dear friends who we worked together before, but they 297 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: cannot hire you for everything. You know, when they when 298 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: they can come to you with something great, it's it's uh, 299 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: it's it's liberating, it's empowering, it's validating, it's it's you know, 300 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: all those things that you shouldn't need, and you know, 301 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: we really affirmation, affirmation don't need. You know, it feels 302 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: good to get them, and so that particularly that I 303 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 1: just remember it feeling really good, and uh, you know 304 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: really uh that I had to get to work and 305 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: work harder on this because for some reason, I'm being 306 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: given a blessing which means you know, to who those 307 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: who much who much is given, much is required, and 308 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: so you know, I got to work. Now, how does 309 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: social media play player role in your life? You know 310 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: how just because we talked about it, you just said 311 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: your dad was around, there was no social media you 312 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: know the land lines. So now you are, you have 313 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: a family, you have a career. I see out you know, 314 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: if you follow me, what you do? You know? I 315 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 1: use social media to do two things. Celebrate my family 316 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 1: and promote my jobs. You know. The producers tell me 317 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: what the show, you know, and what I can give 318 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: me the materials to talk about what what's what's coming up? 319 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: And other than that, I really try to affect the 320 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 1: world positively and celebrate my family, so you know, show 321 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: you know what we're doing, how we're doing it, and 322 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: then and you know, silently give examples and and and 323 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: you know, be a role model like my dad was. 324 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: He didn't talk a lot, but you know he gave 325 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 1: a grade example always of the time. And that's just 326 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:14,919 Speaker 1: one of the things I think I can do with 327 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,159 Speaker 1: social media and try to do. Just understand this, Brian, 328 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,400 Speaker 1: He affected me, okay. And I always say that those 329 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: a little, those a little, those a little moments that 330 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,439 Speaker 1: in your life you need encouragement, you need you need 331 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: the option to be aba. Yes I can. He did 332 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: that for me. And so I noticed you're doing that 333 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 1: with two charities. One is called helping hands. It's a 334 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 1: helping hand celebrity Weekend. It's in St. Thomas and Black Carpenter, 335 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: Please explain those to me, uh, well, Black Carpenter and 336 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: helping hands or foundations that I've had over the years 337 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: that have evolved into our new UH pursuit, which is 338 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: black just called black. It's a retooling or reimagining a 339 00:17:55,720 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: Black Carpenter, which is a youth development platform. Black ends 340 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: for the acronym stands for be lucid about cultural knowledge UM. 341 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 1: And the idea is if you know where you came from, 342 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 1: nobody can take that power away from you. And UH 343 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: in this day and age, as I watched the government 344 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,120 Speaker 1: try to erase, you know, stuff Like I mentioned Black 345 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: Wall Street. One of the things that Will and I 346 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: talked about was, UM, the the Carlisle family in Ambitions 347 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: is so important because we have never seen any family 348 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: like this on television and they exist in the world. 349 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 1: And what I mean by that is this family was 350 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: rich before Black Wall Street. In our current textbooks and schools, 351 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: Black Wall Street isn't talked about, it doesn't exist. UM. 352 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: Black Wall Street in tuls Oklahoma is where a wall 353 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,120 Speaker 1: street like the New York Stock Exchange existed, owned by 354 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: black folks. Back in the thirties, the United States came 355 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: in and bombed and burned the town in a partnership 356 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: the US government, in a partnership with the k k 357 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: K came into that town and burn and took all 358 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: the money. Some folks were able to keep their certificates 359 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 1: in their money and get out. This story directly translates 360 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:10,120 Speaker 1: to one of those families now being rich down in Atlanta, 361 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: all being lawyers and controlling the state of Georgia and 362 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: the United States and playing politics on that you know, 363 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 1: Trumpian global you know sometimes dirty level that that we 364 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 1: see ourselves as outsiders too. There there were plenty of 365 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,360 Speaker 1: us inside the game. This is one of those stories, 366 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: and to my knowledge, the first one ever told on 367 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: national television by black producers and writers. So I'm excited. 368 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 1: You know, not all characters to see things that way. 369 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: My character is blue collar raised, being an independent. He's 370 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: the mayor of Atlanta. We don't say he's Republican, we 371 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: don't say he's an immocrat. You know, I'm saying he's independent, 372 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: and he is very much like James Brown. People also 373 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: haven't seen a character like him outwardly speak about his 374 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: politics behind those closed doors in public. He won't. He'll say, 375 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: what ever, get them to votes behind the closed doors. 376 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 1: In this show, you're gonna hear his real thoughts. Example, gentrification, 377 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: if it's done by black known companies, is a good thing. 378 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 1: Now you brought up HBCUs we're sending kids to HBC 379 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,159 Speaker 1: used to be more educated than their parents, to make 380 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 1: more money than the generation that came behind them. So 381 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 1: if they go off to school and some other state 382 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: and come back with more money and buy a house 383 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: and elevate the property value, that's gentrification. That is a 384 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,439 Speaker 1: good thing. That's not how we currently think about it 385 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: because we haven't, as people of color, been in the 386 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,880 Speaker 1: positions to do that over the last few generations. It's 387 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 1: always been white people that have gone out and made 388 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 1: more money in us that you know. Sale, If Nas 389 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: and jay Z decided to go back to Marcy Projects 390 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: where they're both from and buy it and then let 391 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: all the tenants in the building buy their units from 392 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,439 Speaker 1: them so they own them and no longer rent, that 393 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: shifts in entire generation. Is that a bad thing, because 394 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,440 Speaker 1: that's gentrification, Just like Furious Styles talked about in The 395 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 1: Boys in the Hood, And that's one of the things 396 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,639 Speaker 1: that Evan Lancaster wants to talk about through Own so 397 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: that people start talking about it again and recognize people 398 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 1: like Marshawn Lynch in Oakland and doing just that, the 399 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:11,160 Speaker 1: football player for the Raiders buying up homes and then 400 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: reselling them so the black families can now be in 401 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 1: power and lower income neighborhoods and those incomes to be 402 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 1: lower income neighborhoods become middle class, just like Nippy Hustle 403 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: was trying to do. My man, we're talking to Brian White, 404 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 1: the star of the new series on the Own the 405 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 1: network that premiers this month in particularly pacifically on June eighteenth. 406 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: It's called Ambitions. He plays one of the major carried 407 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,880 Speaker 1: the mayor, an independent mayor, five generations of family. He's 408 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: proclaimed it to be the game of Thrones, and it 409 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 1: did and it has been really I really appreciate you 410 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: getting on the call with us today. It's one thing 411 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 1: they said, you just landed a new movie. You can't 412 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 1: give the details, but I should ask you about it. 413 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,640 Speaker 1: Can you give me some some background on the new 414 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: movie that just landed? Brother, Uh, Well, there's a new 415 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 1: movie coming out that I can mention to you. It's 416 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,640 Speaker 1: called Dear Frank. I co directed it, Start Myself, Columbus Short, 417 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: Claudia Jordan's Uh, Nick de turo, Um, Little Dirk and 418 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 1: Uh and co directed by Josh Weber and Um. It's 419 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:19,439 Speaker 1: a murder mystery. My character and Claudia's characters married for 420 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 1: twenty five years. On our val renewal ceremony date at 421 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: the church, and after the church ceremony at her house, 422 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 1: she drops dead. Um. I'm cleaning out the house, packing 423 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: up boxes. Columbus, my brother is a cop, comes over, Uh, 424 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: says you need to clean out everything of hers. Um. 425 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,159 Speaker 1: I find a diary when I'm cleaning out the stuff 426 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:39,919 Speaker 1: and find out she has been cheating on me all 427 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 1: twenty five years, and everybody in that diary is a suspect. 428 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: And I go interrogating one at the time, following the 429 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 1: clues like a trail of bread clumbs. And I'm just saying, 430 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: I might have to kill a few people in this movie, 431 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: UH and get some answers and find out what happened. 432 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: It's a It's a dark thriller, somewhat comedic, could definitely dramatic, 433 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 1: called Dear Frank. It will be in theaters in November. 434 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:02,920 Speaker 1: Well you you gotta come back, Brian, you gotta come 435 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: back again. We're talking to Brian White. Great series, good friends, 436 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: Sheila duckwork. That's my girl, Brian, Brian Willpacker, you know 437 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,680 Speaker 1: that's my boy. Please check out the new series called 438 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,120 Speaker 1: Ambitions on the own Network