1 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: I'm a homegirl that knows a little bit about everything 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: and everybody. 3 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 2: You know, if you don't lie about that. 4 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: Right, Hey, y'all, what's up. It's Laura la Rosa and 5 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: this is the latest with Laura l Rosa. This is 6 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: your daily dig on all things pop culture and a 7 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: timid news and all of the conversations that shake the room. 8 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 1: Now today I'm bringing you, guys, another conversation that was 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: guaranteed to shake your room, but also shake your faith 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,840 Speaker 1: a little bit, your motivation a little bit. I'm sitting 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: down with Marcus Callender, who is not only an actor, 12 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: he would actually be a He would be so annoyed 13 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: if I only called him an actor. 14 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 3: But he is a creative. 15 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: He's a multi hyphenate, an actor, director, writer, all around 16 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: storyteller who has been able to make impact both on screen, 17 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: behind the camera and now behind the script with his 18 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: play Spades Spae's The play is Everything Black, bold conversation, 19 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 1: nuance comedy, put into one Spades game and put on 20 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: a live stage. You guys will know Marcus Calendar who 21 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: played Power, who played Oliver Power grant On Wu Tang 22 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: in American Saga. He also played Ray ray On ghosts 23 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,559 Speaker 1: from Power book two. Y'all remember we lost Raino because 24 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: of Ray Ray. But if you don't know him, or 25 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: if you're just finding him, I'm so happy to introduce 26 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: him here in conversation on the Latest with Lona Rosa. 27 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 3: This is part one. 28 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: First of all, let's let the people know who you 29 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: are and who these voices are that they're hearing and 30 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: you know, for the visual people seeing. 31 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 3: So introduce yourself. 32 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 2: Marcus Calendar born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Yeah, 33 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 2: and I am the writer and director of Spae the play. 34 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: Some of y'all might know me from Power. I played 35 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 2: Rey Ray. I was the guy that killed the little girl. 36 00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 2: I know you're gonna ask, why did you have to do? 37 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 2: It was in the script. Some of y'all might know 38 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 2: me from Wu Tang and American Saga. I play Power 39 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 2: Oliver Grant, who's one of the co founders of Wu Tang, 40 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 2: And I've done a bunch of other stuff, but those 41 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 2: are the like, the main two things people recognize. 42 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 3: They stop you on the street about. 43 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. 44 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: So when people ask you why did Real Ray kill 45 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: Tarik's sister and you say it was in the script, 46 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: how does the conversation go after that. 47 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 2: They'd be like yo, man, like, but you did your thing, 48 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 2: you know, like for real, for real? Can I get 49 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 2: a picture of you? You know, like yo, like I 50 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: hated you for a long time, you know. But I 51 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 2: take that as like, look, you know, if people see 52 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 2: me and still think that I'm that character, I guess 53 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 2: I did a good job in portraying that, you know 54 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 2: what I'm saying. So but I think also to the 55 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 2: beauty in that is that people get to meet me 56 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 2: and you know, sense my energy because I'm a pretty 57 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 2: down to earth person, I don't you know. I know 58 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: some celebrities give off that whatever, but I'm a pretty 59 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 2: down the earth person because you know, I understand what 60 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 2: the journey is in this kind of career, you know 61 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 2: what I mean. This wasn't handed to me. This is 62 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 2: something I had to work for, work very hard for. 63 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 2: So I'm cool, I'm approachable. I'm from Brooklyn, you know 64 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: what I mean. I'm in New Yorker still at the 65 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 2: end of the day, So like, don't come at me 66 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 2: too crazy, you know what I'm saying. 67 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 1: But that era of power is like cemented in so 68 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 1: many people's Like like I remember waiting for Power to drop, 69 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: like the new episodes, and I mean there's all these 70 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: different iterations of it and chapters of it now, and 71 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: I think there are still some people that do that. 72 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: But I feel like those early days of Power, when 73 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: we had Tarique and Raina and Tasha and ghosts like 74 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: y'all was really in people houses for real, people's homes 75 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: for real, for real, had us waiting all talking on 76 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: Twitter together. 77 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 3: You know what I'm saying, Like watch parties in there 78 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 3: one hundred percent? What was it like for you? Because 79 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 3: you're on both sides. 80 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: You're your creator of you know, these conversations and film 81 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: and theater and all these things, but also you're an actor. 82 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: What was it like being that like intertwined with culture 83 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: where people lived and breathed for your next episode? 84 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 2: Oh man? Well one it was power where I started 85 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 2: being recognized on the train or like everywhere I went, 86 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: and like especially when that episode dropped, like I literally 87 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 2: had to like hide my. 88 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 4: Face all the time, you know what I mean? 89 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: Because Yo, you the dude from Yo Way, Yo. That's crazy, 90 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying. And I remember when it 91 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 2: happened because the episode leaked Effort and you know, so 92 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: people saw it before it officially came out, and I 93 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 2: remember being I was in LA at the time, and 94 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 2: like some friends hit me like, yo, yo, son, I 95 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 2: saw you on this episode. That's that's you killing the 96 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 2: little girl that I said, Wait, how the fuck you 97 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 2: know that? 98 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 4: That's not supposed to be information yet. 99 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 2: So I came back to New York. I got invited 100 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 2: to some watch parties and shit, and you know, going 101 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:57,479 Speaker 2: there and like experiencing the people and whatnot was kind 102 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 2: of like a surreal moment for me. 103 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 4: Like it was, as I said, it was the it 104 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 4: was time. 105 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 2: Like Okay, now I'm being recognized outside of you know, 106 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 2: I'm being recognized on the street, you know what I mean. 107 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 2: So like getting used to that and acclimated to that, 108 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 2: because you know, as I said, when you're from New 109 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 2: York and you can see somebody staring at you, the 110 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 2: first thing you're thinking is like, yo, what you're looking 111 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 2: at you? You know what I mean. So like for 112 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 2: a while, it's like, Yo, why people keep staring at me? 113 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying. It's like, oh, yeah, the show, 114 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying. So that was that was 115 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 2: an adjustment period. But at this point I'm used to it, 116 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 2: and you know, I show love all the. 117 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: Time, and you know, so now people aren't recognizing you 118 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: can't go on the train because people want beef, they 119 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: want to step on your tims. And for you as 120 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: an actor at that point, does it put pressure on you? 121 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 3: Because you know, we. 122 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: Had you for some time, but then we didn't have 123 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: you anymore and a certain point in the eend season? 124 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, pressure, what kind of pressure? 125 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 3: Pressure? 126 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: Like I mean, because you know more about the script 127 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 1: than where the story is going than we do. Right, So, 128 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:01,559 Speaker 1: you know, people are getting to know you, they're starting 129 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: to recognize you, but you know that you're not gonna 130 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: be on the show forever eventually or did you know 131 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: that at that point when people were recognizing you know. 132 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 2: I knew. I mean even before we shot the episode. 133 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 2: Courtney Camp she she called me personally and was like, look, 134 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 2: you know this is what we're gonna do with your character. 135 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 2: We're gonna kill you off, damn right, you know what 136 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 2: I mean, Because I'm like, I could have you know 137 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 2: what I'm saying, I could have been Rainy having for 138 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 2: another season. She was like, yeah, we're gonna I mean, 139 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 2: I didn't know. I didn't okay. So I didn't know 140 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 2: I was gonna kill Raina until the table read of 141 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 2: that episode, because they, you know, they're pretty top secret 142 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 2: about the script, like you don't see it until the 143 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 2: table read. 144 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 3: And the table read is how far out from actual 145 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 3: shooting we shoot. 146 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 2: We do the table read probably like a week before 147 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 2: we shoot it. So I came to the table read. 148 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 2: You know, I'm highlighting my lines before and I'm reading 149 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 2: the thing and I'm like, oh shit. I remember like 150 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 2: looking up and like everyone was looking at me like yeah, 151 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 2: everybody's gonna hate you now that I said, Yo, what 152 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:05,239 Speaker 2: like me, okay, okay, cool, this is interesting. All right, 153 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 2: I'm gonna be a villain. Okay, I'll take it. But 154 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 2: I didn't realize like how much of an impact it 155 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 2: was gonna be. So, you know, we did the table 156 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 2: read and then right before we started shooting. That's when 157 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 2: Courtney was like, yeah, so we're gonna we're gonna be 158 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 2: cause I think I did like two more episodes. It 159 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 2: was an episode where I killed her and then the 160 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 2: next episode Get Comfortable, Yeah exactly. She's like, look, we're 161 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 2: gonna kill you off, but look we love the work 162 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 2: you're doing. 163 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 4: Da da da da da. 164 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 2: I said, okay, cool, you know, like it was honor 165 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:39,239 Speaker 2: the that y'all chose me to even do this part. 166 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 2: Because that's another thing too. I don't know if a 167 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: lot of people notice, but originally I was supposed to 168 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 2: just do one episode in season three. I did the 169 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 2: I was in the last episode of season three. I 170 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 2: was just supposed to do that episode. But Courtney liked 171 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 2: my work so much that after we filmed, she said, look, 172 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 2: I want to bring you back for next season. And 173 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 2: you know, in this business, you hear that all the time. 174 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 2: You know, people say hey, we're going to bring you back, 175 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 2: and it's like, all right, cool. So I didn't necessarily 176 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 2: believe her until you know, my reps hit me, hey 177 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 2: they want to bring you back. I said, all right cool. So, 178 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 2: you know, coming back to it, it was like, all right, 179 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 2: you know, now I got some time to like really 180 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 2: develop this character, see where I want to take where 181 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 2: I want to take it, you know what I mean. 182 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 2: And that's when I you know, I was shooting that 183 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 2: with Anika Noni Rose was in that because she played 184 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 2: jukebox and you know, so that was cool to work 185 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 2: with her. And I mean, fifty is in it, So 186 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 2: that was cool to work with them. But you know, 187 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 2: I approached it in the best way I know how 188 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 2: I tell people all the time, every character is in you. 189 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 4: But what makes it was going to make it different. 190 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 4: It's simply you. 191 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 2: There's only one you on the planet, you know what 192 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 2: I mean. So for me, it was just kind of like, okay, 193 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 2: like what's my version of this? 194 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 3: Right? 195 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying. 196 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: What happens in actor's mind when you get that moment 197 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: and it's big and everybody's talking about it and your 198 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: phone's ringing crazy, and then you're not on the show anymore. 199 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: So now it's like, I mean, you're not new kid 200 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: at school because you got the work under your belt, 201 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: but you got to figure out what's next now, Like 202 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: how does what's that mental journey? 203 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 2: Like that's a great question. 204 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 3: You know, this is my job. This is the latest one. 205 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 3: Laura the Rosa the podcast. 206 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 2: No, that's that's real ship right there. Because there is 207 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 2: pressure if you, especially if you allow it, because that 208 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,719 Speaker 2: you know, in our community especially, it's all about what's next, 209 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 2: what's next, what's next? What's next? It's like, damn, I 210 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 2: just shot this shit? Can I you know, let it 211 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 2: breathe for a second. So yeah, there was that pressure 212 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 2: of like, okay, what's next. Fun fact, I didn't work 213 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 2: for about a year after I shot Power, and I 214 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 2: was confused by that, you know what I mean, Because 215 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 2: here I am like, okay, like I did this role. 216 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 3: It's fifty everybody's paying attention to that exactly. 217 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 2: You know, everyone's recognizing me. But I was not booked. 218 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 2: I couldn't book a gig for shit, why not, I don't. 219 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 2: It was out of my control, you know what I mean, 220 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 2: Like because I moved to La shortly after thanks to 221 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 2: Courtney Kim when I finished. I finished filming Power on 222 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 2: my birthday of that year. I forget what year that was. 223 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 2: I think it was like two thousand and like seventeen 224 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,559 Speaker 2: or something like that. Yeah, and it was my birthday 225 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 2: on the last day of filming, and I remember she 226 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 2: came to me, she was like, you should move to La. 227 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 4: I said, yo, people tell me that all the time. 228 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 2: She said, no, you should, Like you will work a 229 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 2: lot out there, like you know, there'll be a good 230 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 2: city field. This is when La was La. La ain't 231 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 2: the same no more. 232 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,359 Speaker 3: No, I was living there during that time, and. 233 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 2: So I was like, okay, I'll think about it. And 234 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 2: then I wasn't working. I'm you know, in not working. 235 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 2: I was depressed, you know what I'm saying. Because it's 236 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 2: like yo, like because I had just finished shooting Power 237 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 2: and I was doing a show called The Breaks. I 238 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 2: was literally shooting both these shows at the same time. 239 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 2: Like one day I'm on Power, one day I'm on 240 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 2: So I was booked. So for all of it to 241 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 2: just come to a halt, which was extremely confusing to me, 242 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 2: and I couldn't fathom it. And I was at home 243 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 2: one day I took a nap. I took a nap. 244 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 2: Right before I took a nap, I said, Lord, I 245 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 2: need a sign something like what is going on? So 246 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,160 Speaker 2: I took a nap and I woke up to this 247 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 2: offer to go do a workshop in Connecticut for a play. 248 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 4: And I was like, okay, all right. 249 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 2: It's something, you know what I mean. I read the script. 250 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 2: I liked the script. I realized that the playwright who 251 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 2: wrote it I worked with him on another workshop like 252 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 2: a year or two ago, and he just remembered my 253 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 2: work from there. That's why you always got to bring 254 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 2: one hundred percent to whatever you do. Don't ever think 255 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 2: that something is too little or too small to give 256 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 2: you all because you never know. So when I realized 257 00:11:58,400 --> 00:11:59,680 Speaker 2: it was him, I was like, oh shit, this is 258 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:03,560 Speaker 2: the guy he remembered me. Wow. Okay, So I said, 259 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 2: all right, cool, I'm gonna go and do this workshop. 260 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 2: At this point, I hadn't done a play in a 261 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 2: very long time. I was just doing TV, so getting 262 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 2: in that environment again was an adjustment. But I remember 263 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 2: the day I got there. I like, I was like 264 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 2: staring into the abyss and something just hit me, like 265 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,199 Speaker 2: a ton of bricks. You need to move to LA. 266 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 2: Like it just it just hit me. I feel like 267 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 2: it was this guy speaking to me. It's like, you 268 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 2: need to move to LA. And I immediately called my manager. 269 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 2: I said, yoah, I think we got to do the 270 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 2: LA thing. She said, all right, cool, I'll set up 271 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 2: some meetings boom. I said, all right cool. So I 272 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 2: did the workshop. The workshop was cool. That was a 273 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 2: dope experience. And then shortly after I came back from 274 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 2: the workshop, I went to LA to take some generals, 275 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 2: like some general meetings with like casting directors, producers. I 276 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 2: was supposed to be there for two weeks. Two weeks 277 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 2: turn into a month because you know, one meeting followed 278 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 2: up with another meeting, followed up to another meeting. I 279 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,360 Speaker 2: signed with a new agent, Like I got all these 280 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 2: things on this La trip. And that's when right before 281 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 2: I came back, that's when the power, the episode of 282 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 2: power leaked. So it was just a lot going on. 283 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 2: And you know what I'm saying. So I came back 284 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 2: and you know, Basket and all of that. But in 285 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 2: that trip to LA was when I decided, Okay, yeah, 286 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 2: I'm definitely gonna move out here. Because like every person 287 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 2: I was meeting with there like you're moving out here, right, 288 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 2: I was like, yeah, I didn't know how I was 289 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 2: gonna do it. I didn't have the money to do it. 290 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 3: That's the La story, man, I didn't know how. That's 291 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 3: how it be. 292 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 2: That's how it be. But at the same time, too, 293 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 2: it's it's but at it's it's about trusting, trusting that 294 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 2: that intuition, you know what I'm saying, Trusting what God 295 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 2: placed in me, you know what I'm saying, Because in 296 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,680 Speaker 2: my head, I'm like, there's no way I had that 297 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 2: epiphany to move to LA and he ain't gonna make 298 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 2: a way. And lo and behold. You know, I got 299 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 2: the money to go out there. I had just enough 300 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:57,839 Speaker 2: to you know, to survive for a couple of months, 301 00:13:58,080 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 2: thank god. You know. 302 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 4: I got some friends out there, you know. 303 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 2: I was able to stay with family, you know, people 304 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 2: who I love. So you know, I went out there. 305 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 2: I was there for the pilot season of that year, 306 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 2: and I tested for two pilots. I'm thinking, okay, cool, 307 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 2: I'd have moved out here. I'm about the book show 308 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 2: up exactly. You know that show New Amsterdam or NBC. Yes, 309 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 2: I was almost on that show. I was tested for 310 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 2: that show. I thought I was gonna get it. I 311 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,040 Speaker 2: was convinced I was going to get that role because 312 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 2: when I did the screen test, the producers were like, Yo, 313 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 2: how'd you make that look? They literally said, Yo, you 314 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 2: made that look easy. So I'm walking out like, yeah, 315 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 2: I got this. And then I didn't get it, you 316 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 2: know what I'm saying. So it was you know, and 317 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 2: that's the thing too, It's true what they say. There's 318 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 2: way more nose than yes, it's you know what I'm saying. 319 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 2: So I didn't get that. I was up for this 320 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 2: other show on the c W. I didn't get that. 321 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 2: I mean but that show didn't end up going forward anyway. 322 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 2: But you know, I had I had these two shows 323 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 2: that I was up for didn't get I was almost 324 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 2: up for this other show, but they weren't with Lorenz Tape. 325 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 2: But understandable. I love Lorenz, you know what I'm saying. 326 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: But that's a good Like, oh, they didn't book me, 327 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: they book Lorenz. He's a legend, you know what I'm saying. 328 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: So like the fact that the casting directors and producers 329 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: or whoever are debating between you and Lorenz Tate a 330 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 1: lot of times too. 331 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 3: For us as talent, just being in a conversation in. 332 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: The room is a win, even though you can't pay 333 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: your rent with that exact you know what I'm saying, 334 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: But I mean, that's a great either or to be 335 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 1: in exactly. 336 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 2: So it was like, okay, cool. I mean I didn't 337 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 2: get the rolls, but like I'm like this close and 338 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 2: that's but okay, I didn't book these jobs, but I'm 339 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 2: still in LA, you know what I mean. 340 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 4: One thing people don't tell you about LA. 341 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's all Sonny and all that, but when you 342 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 2: ain't doing shit, that shit really gets to you, you 343 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 2: know what I mean. 344 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, it feels like, especially because you're so far away 345 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: from like the people you know and like the ways 346 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: that you were just like, you know, real quick, I 347 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: could go do this real quick if I'm back home 348 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: or like whatever. 349 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 3: It feels so lonely. 350 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: It's like you're in a room and it's like echoing 351 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 1: and you're trying to figure out, like what do I 352 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: do to turn the noise down? 353 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 4: Exactly. 354 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: I was in that space when I first moved to 355 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: LA for about like six seven months, and I was just. 356 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 3: Like what is going on? And then people the move 357 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 3: to La itself. People you're just like, oh, look at 358 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 3: God got a move to LA. 359 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 2: You made it. 360 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, so you it's like, you know, opening up about 361 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: it not going the way that you wanted to go. 362 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: It's tough and explaining to family why it's not going 363 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 1: to the way you wanted to go. It's tough having 364 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: to act for things in the meantime. It's like such 365 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:43,479 Speaker 1: a process. But I think for anybody that has done it, 366 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: it definitely is like survival to fit this. But it 367 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: makes you a different type of hungry about your career exactly. 368 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 2: That's a good word hungry. Yes, I feel like a 369 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 2: lot of folks ain't hungry, you know what I mean. 370 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 2: People just want the result. They want the end goal 371 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 2: as opposed to and understanding what the journey is. Journey 372 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 2: is way more interesting than the goal, you know what 373 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 2: I mean, Because every time I reach the goal, I'm 374 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 2: I'm mostly thinking about what it took to get here, 375 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. It's like, Okay, yeah, this 376 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 2: is great, but like, man, I did this, I do this, 377 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 2: do that to get to this point, and it allows 378 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 2: you to appreciate it more. I feel like when people 379 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 2: get things too quick, they don't understand, you know, they 380 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 2: have they don't have an appreciation for it, so they 381 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 2: fumble it, you know what I mean. They think they're entitled, 382 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:29,400 Speaker 2: or they think it's just always going to be that way, 383 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,359 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. So at the same time, 384 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 2: it is a blessing that I had to go through 385 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 2: the journey that I did. But in that time, after 386 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 2: you know, not booking these gigs, I'm still in LA 387 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 2: and I'm like, Okay, well, what the hell am I 388 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 2: going to do? Because after pilot season, it's a little 389 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 2: slow in terms of auditions. It's mostly like independent films 390 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 2: and all of that. So I'm just like, okay, well, 391 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 2: what the hell am I gonna do with all this time? 392 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 2: I started dating this girl. That's a distract action, you 393 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 2: know what I'm saying. 394 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 3: And it's expensive, and it's. 395 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 1: It's expensive so especially in LA, like twenty five dollars. 396 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 4: Yo. 397 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 3: I know she wanted to go to town. Come on now, 398 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 3: I like room on a Wednesday. 399 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 2: You know she's on TV now funny enough, Well, what's 400 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 2: show that's that's that's an off camera conversation. 401 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 3: Were y'all auditioning together? No? 402 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:25,439 Speaker 2: No, no, no no no, I mean I wild help her 403 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:29,399 Speaker 2: with auditions and stuff like that. She knows anyway. 404 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 3: You watch the show she's currently on. Oh so it 405 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:32,240 Speaker 3: ended bad? 406 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 2: I didn't. I don't watch it because she's on it. 407 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 2: I just that's just not my kind of show to watch. 408 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 3: Okay, so it's like a Zeus network then no, okay. 409 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:50,360 Speaker 5: I'm sure you watch it though, No, a TV show, 410 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 5: scripted show that they they're in. 411 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,120 Speaker 2: They're like fifty six seasons. 412 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: It's not Dear from Detroit. Then that's like second season. 413 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:00,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna figure this out. 414 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 2: Beautiful girl, amazing woman, you know, nothing bad to say. 415 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 4: About it, Just and work out. And she's a scorpio. 416 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:09,679 Speaker 4: You know what I'm saying. 417 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:13,959 Speaker 2: Anyway, So I'm in La. I'm like, okay, what am 418 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 2: I doing. I go to this party. It was on Easter. 419 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 4: As soon as I walked in, I saw people playing space. 420 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 4: I'm like, oh shit, hm. 421 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 2: I need to start. I need to get back into 422 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 2: this script because I had put the script down for 423 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 2: like almost two years. 424 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 3: So you wrote the script when you were in LA 425 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:34,919 Speaker 3: or before you moved to LS. 426 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 2: I started writing the script in twenty fifteen, so ten 427 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 2: years ago. I started writing the script. When I first 428 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 2: started writing it, it was just a one. 429 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 3: Act, I explained to the regular people with all that means. 430 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:49,439 Speaker 2: So typically in a play, you know, you'll have like 431 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 2: two acts and a play and a full length play 432 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 2: you'll typically have two acts. So one acts is just, 433 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,440 Speaker 2: you know, kind of like just the first half of it. 434 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 2: I didn't think it was gonna be a full lend 435 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,239 Speaker 2: thing when I first wrote it. It was just something that 436 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 2: I was inspired to write because I was learning how 437 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 2: to play spades at the time. Yes, when I started 438 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,719 Speaker 2: writing it, so I was inspired to write it. I 439 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:12,959 Speaker 2: wanted to I knew I wanted to get into writing 440 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 2: at some point, but I didn't think I could do 441 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 2: it because I didn't go to school for it, and 442 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,199 Speaker 2: you know, like you know what I mean. I had 443 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 2: a bit of imposter syndrome. But I just started writing 444 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:26,119 Speaker 2: it and it just kind of poured out of me. 445 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 2: So I did a stage reading of it. This is 446 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,119 Speaker 2: in Brooklyn at the spot at the time it was 447 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 2: called the Kimberley Project in Bedstide, and we had a 448 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 2: pretty big turnout. This is before like Instagram was Instagram 449 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 2: for real, you know what I mean. So the fact 450 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,640 Speaker 2: that we got so many people there off of word 451 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,880 Speaker 2: of mouth was a really big deal. So we did 452 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 2: the reading and like the biggest feedback people like we 453 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 2: want more, we want more, Like it's gotta be longer. 454 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 2: So I was like, all right, cool, I'm gonna do that. 455 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 2: But then I started filming something else, so I kind 456 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 2: of put it to the side where I started filming 457 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 2: the breaks. So I started filming that, so I got 458 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 2: caught up in that, and then power came along, so 459 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 2: I was just all in that. So with this downtime, 460 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 2: I go into this space and I see the script. 461 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 2: I mean, I see people playing space. I'm like, okay, 462 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 2: this is gonna give me something to do, because I 463 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 2: was tired of like running into people like what are 464 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 2: you working on? That's the number one question people are 465 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 2: going to ask you in Los Angeles? What are you so? 466 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 2: What are you working on? 467 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 3: What are you working on? Or what do you do? 468 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 2: What do you do? You know what I'm saying. So 469 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,159 Speaker 2: I was tired of not having anything to say, so 470 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 2: I said, you know what. Literally the next day, I 471 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 2: went back to the script. At the time, the script 472 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 2: was like one hundred and eighty something pages. There was 473 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 2: a lot of a lot of pages, and I had 474 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 2: some friends over to read it. I said, look, you know, 475 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 2: I just want I need to hear this out loud 476 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 2: because I need to see where I want to go 477 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 2: with it. They read all one hundred and eighty something 478 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 2: pages of it, shout out to y'all. And from there 479 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 2: I just kind of like started diving into that. Like 480 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 2: that became my focus. You know what I'm saying. I'm like, okay, 481 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 2: I'm I'm going to employing myself, you know what I'm saying. 482 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 2: So I said, look, so I'm a dive into that. 483 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 2: So I started working on that. I did. I did 484 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 2: a reading of it in LA and I want so 485 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 2: I was going to produce it in LA that was 486 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,879 Speaker 2: going to be like where I first produced it. But 487 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 2: then I booked a play in New York. See that's 488 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 2: another thing too. I went so long not working. The 489 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 2: minute I dive into my own shit, now all of 490 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:27,959 Speaker 2: the opportunities come. 491 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 3: Which play, did you? 492 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 2: I did a play called Fabulation, written by Lenn Knowledge 493 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 2: at the Signature, really big off Broadway Theater company. It 494 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:40,640 Speaker 2: was actually like my dream theater company. To work at. 495 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 2: The Signature is where I got some of my first 496 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 2: bearings into theater, you know what I mean. So you know, 497 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 2: I was like, oh shit, I'm about to go do 498 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 2: this play in New York. All right, cool. So the 499 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,120 Speaker 2: plan was to go do the play and then come 500 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 2: back and produce Spades. While I was doing the play 501 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:58,160 Speaker 2: in New York, that's when I booked the Bo Tang. 502 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 2: So it kept me in New York York. So I said, 503 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 2: all right, well, shit, okay, I'm gonna stay in New York. 504 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 2: So I kind of once again put space to the. 505 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:08,960 Speaker 1: Side, because now Wu Tang is like that after when 506 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: that series dropped too exactly, people were also very tied 507 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 1: to it, just because people wanted the story exactly, and 508 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: it was timely and it was all the things. So 509 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: now your star is, you know, rising again because of 510 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 1: Wu Tang. And what was that experience like because you 511 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: were going through this like very mental depressing period of 512 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 1: like why is this not? Like God, am I supposed 513 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: to be here? And then boom you're back up again. 514 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: So you're high up on the hill now, So what 515 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: is that like for you as. 516 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 4: Town Let me tell you something. 517 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 2: It was December twenty first or twenty second when I. 518 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 4: Got the cold that I got that role. 519 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 2: It was how I approached that entire process was like 520 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 2: unlike how I approached any other show that I auditioned for, 521 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,359 Speaker 2: because you know, sometimes you know we'll get apart, but 522 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 2: we're getting audition, We're like, well I want this, Like 523 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 2: I'm gonna make sure I know all my lines for 524 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 2: the audition. I'm going to be perfect. Those be the 525 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 2: ones you never get, the ones where you're like, man, 526 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:02,920 Speaker 2: i'm gonna just you know, I'm gonna just do it. 527 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 2: So with this one, when I read the script, I 528 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 2: was like, oh, ye, I could do this in my sleep. 529 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 2: It's New York niggas, I'm from New York. Yeah, I 530 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 2: could do that. I didn't know Power was a real person. 531 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 2: I thought it was a fictional character. But I was like, okay, cool, 532 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 2: I could do that. It's funny his name is Power 533 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 2: because I was on Power. Okay, that's cool. So I 534 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 2: did the audition, I did a I sent the tape. 535 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,719 Speaker 2: I sent the tape. I was also but I was 536 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 2: also up for another you see what you see? You 537 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:33,440 Speaker 2: see the theme here. There was a lot going on. 538 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 2: I was up for another role. They were going to 539 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 2: bring back NYPD Blue on ABC. Remember that show. Yes, 540 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 2: so I was up to be on that show. I 541 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:45,399 Speaker 2: wanted to be on that because it's ABC. You know 542 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 2: what I'm saying, Like, who's cool? Network television? 543 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 3: We're talking about which is normally a bit more stable. 544 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 2: It's more stable. Just more money, yes, just more money. 545 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:58,680 Speaker 2: So I wanted that, and it would have kept me 546 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 2: in New York still. So I was like, okay, cool, 547 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 2: I want that shit. So the same day I found 548 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 2: out that I didn't get that, I found out I 549 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,960 Speaker 2: had a call back for the Wu Tang shit catching. Okay, 550 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 2: all right, well something. I went to the callback for 551 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:15,920 Speaker 2: Wu Tang and I remember going in there. We had 552 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,919 Speaker 2: to do it, and this is before twenty twenty. I 553 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 2: had to do it to a computer to Rizza in 554 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 2: La So I go to the office to catching directors like, okay, 555 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:28,160 Speaker 2: so you know we have Riz on the laptop. 556 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 4: He's coming in through zoom, so you gotta do the 557 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,120 Speaker 4: audition to the computer. 558 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,199 Speaker 2: I'm like, what you know what I'm saying. Like at 559 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 2: the time, it was like I ain't never done that. 560 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:39,399 Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying, and it's Rizza. But like 561 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 2: at the same time, like I thought it was. I 562 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:45,119 Speaker 2: thought I was at a disadvantage because I'm not in 563 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 2: the room. It's always different when you're in the room. 564 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 2: They could feel your energy and all of that. I'm like, 565 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:51,879 Speaker 2: there's no way this is going to translate over a 566 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:56,640 Speaker 2: computer screen. But I did. I did it. I only 567 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:58,520 Speaker 2: had to do each scene once. I didn't even have 568 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 2: to do it again. I remember after the casting director 569 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:02,160 Speaker 2: was like, really, good job. 570 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 4: I was amazing. I was like, thanks, all right, cool. 571 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 2: I left. I went to my friend's house. As soon 572 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 2: as I got off the train, my agent calls me. 573 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 2: This is like forty five minutes later. My agent calls me. 574 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:14,959 Speaker 2: She's like, hey, they want to test you. I was like, 575 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 2: I just left the motherfucking aut that shit right. But 576 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 2: I knew in that moment that I had to roll 577 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,360 Speaker 2: because I was like, I've never gotten. 578 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,760 Speaker 4: That's not true, that's not true, New Amsterdam. 579 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 2: I found out they wanted to test me probably like 580 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 2: fifteen minutes after my got you, I was in. 581 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 3: The room test you. For those who don't know, the 582 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 3: talent side of TV means. 583 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 2: What okay, So when you do a screen test, it 584 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,719 Speaker 2: basically means, hey, we love you, we want you for 585 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 2: this role, but we also want this person for this role. 586 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 2: Also considering this person, We just want to see how 587 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 2: what makes the most sense on camera? You know what 588 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:51,199 Speaker 2: I mean? Visually? 589 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 3: Who else were they to the role of power? 590 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 2: They were testing? It was me, this cat named Antoine 591 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:12,960 Speaker 2: Harris who I did the breaks with, and I don't 592 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 2: remember the other person. So we did the test. They 593 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,640 Speaker 2: said they wanted me to test, So I was like, okay, 594 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,159 Speaker 2: but I'm doing a play. How the hell am I 595 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 2: gonna make it to LA Because you know, when you're 596 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 2: doing a play, it's eight shows a week. You only 597 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,639 Speaker 2: have one day off, which is a Monday. So I said, yo, 598 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 2: I mean, do they know I'm gonna play? I can't 599 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,919 Speaker 2: how am I gonna, you know, because what they do 600 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 2: in those scenarios, if you can't be there, they'll use 601 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 2: your audition tape as the screen test got you. 602 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,160 Speaker 3: But that kind of is it's you know what I mean, 603 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 3: I'm like, I wanna be Yeah. 604 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 2: So they worked around my schedule, which is another test. 605 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:51,480 Speaker 2: That was another sign. I was like, Oh, they want 606 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 2: me for this. They scheduled it. It was so I 607 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:58,920 Speaker 2: had two shows that Sunday. I did the two shows. 608 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 2: Then after the second show, I literally went from the 609 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 2: theater to the airport to LA I flew on a 610 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 2: red eye and did the test the next morning and 611 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:11,199 Speaker 2: flew back to New York that same night. It was 612 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,159 Speaker 2: just like, man, I felt like a rock star, you 613 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 2: know what I'm saying. So, but I remember how I 614 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 2: felt going into the test. I wasn't nervous, I wasn't 615 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 2: trying to put on I kind of just knew it 616 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 2: was mine, you know what I mean. I walked in 617 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:28,760 Speaker 2: said it up to Rizza, said it up to Kim Coleman. 618 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:30,880 Speaker 2: Shout out to Kim Coleman. She was the casting director. 619 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:33,719 Speaker 2: I did the scene. I only had to do each 620 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 2: scene once and I left. I didn't you know, like 621 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying, Like, I hope I did 622 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,840 Speaker 2: the screen test, went back to New York to do 623 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 2: the play, and you know, but that also helped too, 624 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 2: because I was locked in on that, so I wasn't 625 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 2: too distracted about are they gonna pick me or that, 626 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 2: because I already had something to do. So I remember 627 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:57,800 Speaker 2: the day I found out I got it. It was 628 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 2: like December twenty first second or something like that. I 629 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 2: went to lunch with a friend of mine. Shout out 630 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 2: to Megan. I went to lunch and I was telling her. 631 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 2: I was like, yeah, I'm supposed to be finding out 632 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 2: today if I got the roll. But I was so 633 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 2: jaded at the time because you know, I had just 634 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 2: I've been through so much. The year's been crazy. I'm like, 635 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 2: you know, it was raining that day too. I got 636 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 2: a little trauma with rain because the day I found 637 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 2: out I didn't get New Amsterdam, it was raining in 638 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 2: La in La, it on rain. 639 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 3: Like that in l a number lie it rains in 640 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 3: southern California. 641 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:31,800 Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying. It was just like, damn, 642 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 2: it's raining again, damn saying, go get it. So I 643 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 2: left lunch and as I'm walking. It stopped raining. The 644 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 2: sun's coming out, and shit. 645 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 4: I'm like, okay, okay, okay. 646 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 2: I remember I went to team. I went to the 647 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 2: T Mobile store to pay my phone bill. While I 648 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:52,720 Speaker 2: was in line, my manager at the time, she calls me. 649 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 2: She goes, she calls me. She's like, hey, I got 650 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 2: so and so and so. My agents they you know, 651 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 2: they're on the line too. They only on the line 652 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 2: if you got the throw. So I said, wait, hold 653 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:04,480 Speaker 2: on a second, let me step out side real quick. 654 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 4: What's up? 655 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 2: What's up y'all? I said, just give it to me. 656 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 2: Don't try because sometimes they'll try to like play with 657 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 2: you and be like it's so unfortunately psych. 658 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 4: I said, just give it to me. They said, look, 659 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 4: they went to offer you this. I said, get the 660 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 4: fuck out it. 661 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 2: I was on it was like mid town, like fifty 662 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 2: something street. I said, Yo, get the fuck out. I said, yeah, nigga, yeah, 663 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 2: because it was just it was the it was that 664 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 2: moment of like, yo, I've been through so much this year. 665 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 2: This year has been so hard. So they ended on 666 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 2: this note was like here I'm about to be a 667 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 2: serious regular yo crazy on the Woo Tang joint. 668 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 3: This is crazy, right. 669 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 2: So more distraction to take me away from Spades, you 670 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 2: know what I'm saying, Because remember the plan was to 671 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,480 Speaker 2: go back to La and produce it. So I just 672 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 2: kind of dived into Wou Tang. I did that. We 673 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 2: did that for three seasons. I was still working on Spades. 674 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: And the guys were really really involved with you guys 675 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 1: to like, you know, developing the characters and on set. 676 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 3: What was I mean? 677 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 1: Because you say distraction, but I'm sitting here like all 678 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: this stuff you're learning in real time from all these 679 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: great people that didn't bring back to your players. 680 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 3: I'm looking at it. But in the moment, I get it. 681 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:13,480 Speaker 3: I don't feel like that, right. 682 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 1: But like talk about, you know, showing up on setting, 683 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,239 Speaker 1: you have Rizza and whoever else would come, and you 684 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: were like, these are superheroes to us. 685 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 2: I mean I was in a unique position because I 686 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:26,240 Speaker 2: wasn't playing one of the rappers, right, you know what 687 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 2: I mean. I was playing the behind the scenes guy, 688 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 2: the business guy who a lot of people don't know about, 689 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 2: you know what I mean? So for me, it was like, yeah, 690 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 2: you know, meeting the you know, meeting the Wu Tang 691 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 2: was cool, but I need to meet Power. Where's Power? Never? 692 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 2: Like he would never show up to Sad. I'm asking around, like, 693 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 2: Whi's bo. You haven't met pe? You gotta meet pe? P? 694 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 2: Is this P is that? I'm like, all right, well, 695 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 2: where are you at? Where you at? I'm playing on 696 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 2: one day, we were like seven episodes in, so the 697 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 2: season's almost done. We like seven episodes in. We shoot 698 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 2: season one. We shot all of that in stat Island, 699 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 2: so we had to pause because it was raining theme 700 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:10,800 Speaker 2: with rain. Yes, it was raining crazy, So we had 701 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 2: to pause filming for a couple of hours. And you know, 702 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 2: I get a knock on the door and the PA 703 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 2: is like, yo, you know you have a guest there. 704 00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 2: I said that Loland. He peeks his head over and 705 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 2: said what up? I said, oh shit, what suck y'all? 706 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 2: What's good? He came into my trailer. Our first conversation 707 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:33,920 Speaker 2: was like three hours. We spoke for like three hours 708 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 2: just shooting the ship. Like we got along immediately, and 709 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 2: once we met, we've been locked in even to this 710 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:42,680 Speaker 2: to this day, we're locked in. 711 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 4: You know what I'm saying? 712 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 3: What was it like? 713 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:48,640 Speaker 1: Because on on Power, the show Power, you're playing a 714 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 1: person that we don't know, this isn't a real person, 715 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:51,200 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. 716 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 3: But then on Wu Tan, you're playing. 717 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,480 Speaker 1: A person in power who is a real person, and 718 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 1: you have played him for almost all. 719 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 3: Of the season and then you get to meet him. 720 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: So how does your direction as an actor change when 721 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 1: you go from something that is based on a real 722 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: person or something that's not based on a real person, 723 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: to based on a real person, and then even after 724 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: that it probably changes because you didn't meet the real person. 725 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 4: That's another great question. 726 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 2: So season one is all about who these members are 727 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 2: before the group was formed, So it's just a lot 728 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 2: of like just backstory stuff, you know what I'm saying. So, like, 729 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 2: I was kind of pretty the performance I was given 730 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 2: was pretty solid for what was asked to me that 731 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 2: season because we hadn't gotten into like Wou Tang yet. 732 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 2: So when I met him, it's like, Okay, the timing 733 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:48,959 Speaker 2: is good. So once we finished filming season one that summer, 734 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 2: I spent a lot of time with him. I mean 735 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 2: we went to you know, I went to DC with 736 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 2: him with Miami, Like I was just traveling with He 737 00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 2: was just inviting me out, Yo, come to this, come to. 738 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 1: That he's doing now because well, first of all, I 739 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 1: guess explain a bit for anyone who may not have 740 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 1: seen the series Power's role in the Wu Tang and 741 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 1: then kind of where he is now, like what his 742 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:10,160 Speaker 1: life looks like now. 743 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 2: Power. Power is the executive producer of Whu Tang as 744 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,360 Speaker 2: well as the co founder of Whu Tang. He was 745 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 2: a party. He was there from the very beginning, you 746 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:21,640 Speaker 2: know what I mean the show. You see that. You know, 747 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 2: Power is the one that basically fronted the money for 748 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,759 Speaker 2: Rizza to make this album. You know what I mean? 749 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:30,040 Speaker 2: Because Power, you know, Power was a street nigga. Got 750 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,399 Speaker 2: what I'm saying. He was a getting money nigga. And 751 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 2: you know, especially in the rap game, a lot of 752 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,319 Speaker 2: the time we go to the you know, when when 753 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 2: when we need that bread, going to the street nigga, 754 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:41,759 Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying. So that's who Power was. 755 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:45,400 Speaker 2: Power already had a name for himself, he was already established. 756 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:49,000 Speaker 2: So it was kind of like he recognized what Rizza 757 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:51,280 Speaker 2: was doing and said, Okay, cool, I'm I'm gonna invest 758 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:53,400 Speaker 2: in that. That's gonna be my flip, you know what 759 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 2: I'm saying. So Season two is when we got into 760 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:01,279 Speaker 2: all of that. So before we started shoot shooting season two, 761 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:03,920 Speaker 2: you know, I got to see because he's still i mean, 762 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 2: thank is still very much his brand, you know what 763 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 2: I mean. He has who Wear, which is the clothing 764 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 2: line as well that he started. Yes, so you know, 765 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:13,840 Speaker 2: he would do pop ups a lot, so he would 766 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,800 Speaker 2: invite me to these pop ups. So I'm meeting people, 767 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:20,200 Speaker 2: I'm seeing him like at work in action. I'm talking 768 00:35:20,239 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 2: like down to like how he counts money. He counts 769 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:24,520 Speaker 2: money like a minute, you know what I'm saying. Like, 770 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:27,880 Speaker 2: so I'm like just taking note of all of that. 771 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:31,160 Speaker 2: So in spending time with him, now I'm able to 772 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,360 Speaker 2: refine my performance because now I can add details, you 773 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,239 Speaker 2: know what I mean, specificity. I'm big on specifics. You 774 00:35:38,239 --> 00:35:40,960 Speaker 2: know what I mean. I don't like general you know 775 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:42,719 Speaker 2: what I'm saying. So, like I was able to pick 776 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,920 Speaker 2: up on little things how he dresses, how he you know, 777 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:50,480 Speaker 2: like power never ties his shoelace, he always his kicks, 778 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:53,880 Speaker 2: is always super clean, fresh out the box linkss. You 779 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 2: know what I'm saying, don't boy shit, you know what 780 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 2: I mean. So I was able to pick up on 781 00:35:57,719 --> 00:35:59,880 Speaker 2: all of that. He sacks his pants a lot, so 782 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,600 Speaker 2: like even down to like my wardrobe and how I 783 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 2: wore it. I'm picking up on all of these things. 784 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:07,280 Speaker 2: Sometimes I'll be at a fitting and I will FaceTime 785 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 2: I'm like, yo, is this something you will wear? Like 786 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,239 Speaker 2: how you feel about this? Down to like how I 787 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 2: wear the chain. He never wears his chain on the outside. 788 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 2: He always has his tough thing, you know what I mean, 789 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 2: Just like little things. So I was so in that 790 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:22,360 Speaker 2: I was able to bring more to the role, which 791 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 2: I think paid off because now when I meet people, 792 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 2: you know, they're like, Yo, you got billy damn. Like 793 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 2: to the yo, you got pee damn. You know what 794 00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:33,960 Speaker 2: I'm saying. And I heard that from Wu Tang members, 795 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:35,759 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. So, like to even get 796 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 2: their blessing was a big deal. 797 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 3: Right. 798 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:41,040 Speaker 1: So then, okay, so Wu Tang has happened, or at 799 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 1: this point put spades on the back end your play, 800 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:45,799 Speaker 1: which is honestly what we're here to talk about. 801 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 3: But this all is a part of the journey. We're 802 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 3: gonna get there, y'all. 803 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: So at what point, so Wu Tang happens, that's done. 804 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 1: When do you say, okay, I need to get this 805 00:36:57,480 --> 00:36:59,359 Speaker 1: play happening. And you're gonna be New York. 806 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:04,360 Speaker 2: Okay, So finished shooting Boutee. We finished filming in twenty 807 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:10,680 Speaker 2: and twenty two, the end of twenty twenty two, and 808 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 2: then was it twenty twenty two three, twenty twenty two, 809 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:19,400 Speaker 2: and then the writers strike happened right after we finished filming. 810 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:21,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was like what the fuck? 811 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:24,840 Speaker 2: It was like, Yo, we just finished shooting this show. 812 00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:27,879 Speaker 2: We finished, like okay, cool, we off this show. What's 813 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:28,440 Speaker 2: the next thing? 814 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:30,840 Speaker 1: Did you have things on the table, like conversations and 815 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:32,919 Speaker 1: stuff for other shows that weren't coming round. 816 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:35,280 Speaker 3: It was finally like, okay, this show led to boom. 817 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:39,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was doing I was doing this film and 818 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,399 Speaker 2: we had to stop production because I think I think 819 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 2: production I think they ran out of money or something 820 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 2: like that. But it was like, but it was supposed 821 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:48,839 Speaker 2: to be this like really dope indie film that they 822 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 2: offered me this role, and I was gonna body this role. 823 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 2: We had a production on that, and then I had 824 00:37:56,560 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 2: a meeting. 825 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,200 Speaker 4: With this producer for this other film. 826 00:37:59,239 --> 00:38:01,279 Speaker 2: So it was just like okay, okay, and then the 827 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:03,840 Speaker 2: writer strike happened, So everything kind of just came to 828 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:07,320 Speaker 2: a hole. So it's just like all right, okay, what 829 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:10,160 Speaker 2: do I What do I do with this information? So 830 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:13,759 Speaker 2: it put me in another depression again because it's just 831 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 2: kind of like when you're an artist and you and 832 00:38:16,239 --> 00:38:19,600 Speaker 2: you're not doing your art, folks with you. 833 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:21,640 Speaker 3: You know what I'm saying, are you doing anything actively 834 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:24,239 Speaker 3: for the depression? Like are you? Because I know, like I. 835 00:38:24,239 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 4: Was doing the things I'm not supposed to be doing, meaning. 836 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:28,279 Speaker 2: You know. 837 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 3: What tell us we want to know. You can't just 838 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:34,360 Speaker 3: leave us hanging like that. 839 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:36,640 Speaker 2: Look, man, I was I was. 840 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 3: You're leaning into your vices? 841 00:38:40,680 --> 00:38:42,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I was leaning into my vices. You know 842 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 2: what I mean. I was, you know, messing with you know, 843 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:50,480 Speaker 2: messing with young ladies. I shouldn't be messing with just 844 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:53,120 Speaker 2: kind of just I was just all over the place. 845 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:55,799 Speaker 4: So I was indulging in that. 846 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:58,440 Speaker 2: But that wasn't good because you know, here I am 847 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,839 Speaker 2: not really staying focus then letting distractions kind of get 848 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:04,680 Speaker 2: to me. And then I had my birthday party in 849 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:07,719 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three. I'll never forget that day. I have 850 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:11,520 Speaker 2: my birthday party. I invited everybody. I've invited, all my friends, 851 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:15,400 Speaker 2: all my little joints, all everybody came out and I 852 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:20,919 Speaker 2: remember I didn't even like it. It was at this spot, 853 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:21,959 Speaker 2: remember the grill BK. 854 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 3: Yeah. 855 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:25,520 Speaker 1: I wasn't here during the time of all of that, 856 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:29,319 Speaker 1: like popping off. I just started coming around breakfast club 857 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:31,759 Speaker 1: guest hosts and started in twenty twenty three, so. 858 00:39:31,719 --> 00:39:33,200 Speaker 3: I was a little new, but I knew of it. 859 00:39:33,239 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 3: I would see people there. 860 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:37,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, my homegirl Melissa, she owned that spot. So I 861 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:39,880 Speaker 2: had my birthday there. It was an open bar. Like 862 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:43,000 Speaker 2: I basically threw my birthday. I threw a party for 863 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:46,640 Speaker 2: people on my birthday because I wasn't even really like 864 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 2: I was literally sitting at the bar the whole party. 865 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:52,319 Speaker 2: Everyone's like, yo, this is your party, Like, why you 866 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:55,439 Speaker 2: not chilling? I said, I don't know. I'm just kind 867 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:57,959 Speaker 2: of chilling because it was one of It was another 868 00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 2: one of those like my spirit told me like, okay, 869 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:02,239 Speaker 2: I should throw a party from my It was my 870 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 2: thirty third birthday. 871 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:05,560 Speaker 4: I was like something told me I should, I should 872 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 4: throw a party or something. 873 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:09,279 Speaker 2: So I did it, and I remember sitting it. 874 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 4: I couldn't even enjoy it. 875 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:13,879 Speaker 2: Really. All I did was like watch people. That's all. 876 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:14,239 Speaker 2: I did. 877 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:16,920 Speaker 4: Some shrooms, you know what I'm saying, My little shrooms. 878 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:18,279 Speaker 3: I saw you were sitting at the Star. 879 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 2: But but you know that was like I love shrooms, man, shrooms. 880 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:23,319 Speaker 2: That should opened your mind. 881 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:26,280 Speaker 3: Y'all got that. That is not my ministry. 882 00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:31,359 Speaker 2: You would love it. Stick thing. So I'm shrooms, I'm 883 00:40:31,440 --> 00:40:34,319 Speaker 2: sipping my rum punch and shit, and I'm just like 884 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:36,520 Speaker 2: staying at people and just like watching people, and I'm 885 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:40,160 Speaker 2: just thinking to myself, I'm like, yeah, like I feel 886 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:43,000 Speaker 2: like most of these people are here just because you know, 887 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:45,439 Speaker 2: I'm on TV, and you know, I don't know if 888 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:47,960 Speaker 2: like all of these people actually fuck with me, you 889 00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:49,520 Speaker 2: know what I'm saying. But that was something I was 890 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:54,279 Speaker 2: thinking about. And then you know, after that party, I 891 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:58,960 Speaker 2: ended up like I ended a lot of friendships because 892 00:40:59,120 --> 00:40:59,959 Speaker 2: it was it was stuf. 893 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:02,640 Speaker 4: You know, people are starting to show their ass, you 894 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 4: know what I'm. 895 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 3: Saying, Like off the rum punch that night or no, 896 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:06,480 Speaker 3: no, no not, I'm. 897 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,680 Speaker 2: Like, oh, it happened at the party, but just following 898 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 2: after that, you know what I'm saying, like, yeah, people, 899 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:15,200 Speaker 2: it's easy people. It's easy to be around people or 900 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 2: to be with you when you're up, you know what 901 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:20,440 Speaker 2: I mean. When things are up, it's that's when it's easy. 902 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:23,080 Speaker 2: But when when it's not like that. That's when people 903 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,360 Speaker 2: start to show their true colors. And for me, I 904 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:27,000 Speaker 2: kind of was just like, yo, I need to kind 905 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:29,600 Speaker 2: of like clear space because I feel like some of 906 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:31,920 Speaker 2: this energy is not helpful for me. 907 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:32,840 Speaker 4: It's not conducive. 908 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 2: It's distractions, you know what I mean, just energy I 909 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:39,920 Speaker 2: shouldn't be around. So twenty twenty three was a really 910 00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:41,799 Speaker 2: tough year for me because it was a lot of 911 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:44,400 Speaker 2: purging a lot of it and a lot of like 912 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:50,080 Speaker 2: realizations of like, oh shit, this motherfucker's been like this 913 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:52,880 Speaker 2: this whole motherfucking time. I couldn't see it because I was, 914 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:56,040 Speaker 2: you know, I just spent the last three years, you know, 915 00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:59,360 Speaker 2: living on a high that I didn't I didn't have 916 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:03,520 Speaker 2: the moment like really dissect and like really. 917 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 4: Understand what was around me, you know what I'm saying. 918 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,600 Speaker 2: So in that, you know, twenty twenty three, I was, 919 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:11,960 Speaker 2: you know, I was also in a relationship, so I 920 00:42:12,040 --> 00:42:15,760 Speaker 2: was just kind of like feeding into that more than anything. 921 00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:19,160 Speaker 2: I wasn't really feeding into myself as an artist or 922 00:42:19,239 --> 00:42:21,000 Speaker 2: because I didn't know what to do, you know what 923 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:25,040 Speaker 2: I mean. I still had space, but I wasn't inspired 924 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:27,480 Speaker 2: to keep working on it. During the like when the 925 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:32,600 Speaker 2: writer Strike first hit, I recorded the first two scenes 926 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:34,839 Speaker 2: on audio because I was going to try to sell 927 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:37,799 Speaker 2: it as an audio as an audio book kind of thing, 928 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:39,399 Speaker 2: because that was like one of the things we could 929 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:42,520 Speaker 2: do in the writer Strike. So I did that. 930 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:44,640 Speaker 4: I was supposed to meet with some people. 931 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:47,960 Speaker 2: They never responded back to the email. So it was 932 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:51,040 Speaker 2: just like it just kind of felt like, Yo, nothing 933 00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:54,520 Speaker 2: is like going my way, man, Like nothing, you know 934 00:42:54,600 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 2: what I'm saying. So then a friend at the time, 935 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 2: we were supposed to do a reading of Spades in Detroit, 936 00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:11,279 Speaker 2: and that ended up not happening because it was a 937 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:13,880 Speaker 2: lot of it was more like funny business happening, you 938 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:16,440 Speaker 2: know what I mean. It was another moment of like 939 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:19,480 Speaker 2: kind of like seeing of someone who's supposed to be 940 00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:21,560 Speaker 2: your friend, they true colors, you know what I'm saying. 941 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:23,720 Speaker 2: It was starting to feel like she was she wanted 942 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:25,640 Speaker 2: to take my work and put her name on it, 943 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:29,160 Speaker 2: take the credit for my shit. But in hindsight, I'm 944 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:31,880 Speaker 2: glad that happened because it lit a fire under me, 945 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:35,920 Speaker 2: you know what I mean, Because even before that, you know, 946 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:38,400 Speaker 2: like I try to pitch this play to like different 947 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:41,440 Speaker 2: theater companies. You know, these are all white institutions, you know, 948 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:43,880 Speaker 2: that are going to take our stories and kind of 949 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:47,560 Speaker 2: dilute it and not really give it that authenticity that 950 00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:50,640 Speaker 2: it needs when it comes to our stories, black stories 951 00:43:50,640 --> 00:43:53,279 Speaker 2: and how we tell our stories. And that's a whole 952 00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:55,920 Speaker 2: other thing I'll get into later. But so, you know, 953 00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:57,719 Speaker 2: I'm pitching the to these theater companies. They're like, we 954 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:01,600 Speaker 2: love that, okay, but what's what's up? Oh, you know, 955 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:03,960 Speaker 2: we're gonna do this other play. We're I'm tired of waiting. 956 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:08,640 Speaker 2: So after that whole Detroit thing fell through, I said, 957 00:44:08,640 --> 00:44:11,360 Speaker 2: you know what, I'm just I'm gonna do this myself. 958 00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:14,200 Speaker 2: I'm gonna do this myself. And I said, you know 959 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:17,160 Speaker 2: what I mean. It woke something up in me. It 960 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:20,760 Speaker 2: woke something up in me. So I did a reading 961 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:23,640 Speaker 2: of so where the play is now? I did a 962 00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:28,080 Speaker 2: stage reading there last year last September, same kind of 963 00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:31,200 Speaker 2: formula with the whole theater and around at the table, 964 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:34,160 Speaker 2: but you know, except they had scripts. And that was 965 00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:36,480 Speaker 2: kind of like the launching of like, okay, like I'm 966 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,880 Speaker 2: gonna commit to producing this play. Like I'm just gonna 967 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:41,680 Speaker 2: commit to it, you know what I mean? Because I 968 00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:45,000 Speaker 2: got all this downtime, I'm not filming anything. I need 969 00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:46,960 Speaker 2: to do something, you know what I'm saying, Like, and 970 00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:49,920 Speaker 2: what better way than to employ yourself, you know what 971 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:53,600 Speaker 2: I'm saying. So from that moment, I did the reading. 972 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:57,240 Speaker 2: Then after that we did the reading at Dumbo House, 973 00:44:57,640 --> 00:44:58,280 Speaker 2: and then from. 974 00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:00,480 Speaker 3: Oh so that was still relatively like knew when I 975 00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:01,399 Speaker 3: saw that Dumble House. 976 00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:05,439 Speaker 2: Okay, cool, exactly, so you know, But because the point 977 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:07,560 Speaker 2: of doing these readings was to like get the word out, 978 00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:10,360 Speaker 2: I wanted people to start knowing about this play so 979 00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:12,959 Speaker 2: that when we produce it, it's like, oh, that's the play 980 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:14,440 Speaker 2: that I you know what I'm saying, So it's not 981 00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:17,080 Speaker 2: like out of thin air. But some people thought, I 982 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:19,680 Speaker 2: think I just wrote this play, you know what I mean, 983 00:45:19,719 --> 00:45:21,720 Speaker 2: not knowing, Like, No, this was a ten year journey, 984 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:23,000 Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying. 985 00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:26,160 Speaker 3: Now, y'all stay tuned because this is only part one. 986 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:27,080 Speaker 3: But if you're feel an. 987 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:30,200 Speaker 1: Inspired, if you're digging a story in this conversation, I 988 00:45:30,239 --> 00:45:31,680 Speaker 1: want to hear from you, my low riders. 989 00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:32,640 Speaker 3: Make sure you at me. 990 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:36,360 Speaker 1: I'm Lauren lo Rosa everywhere and check out Spades, the 991 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:39,720 Speaker 1: play now playing in New York. Visit Spades to play, 992 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,680 Speaker 1: on Instagram or on paj 993 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:45,040 Speaker 3: For your tickets.