1 00:00:05,050 --> 00:00:06,470 Speaker 1: Welcome to Money Making Conversations. 2 00:00:06,690 --> 00:00:08,910 Speaker 2: It's the show that shares the secrets of success experienced 3 00:00:08,950 --> 00:00:12,420 Speaker 2: firsthand by marketing and branding expert Rashawn McDonald. I will know. 4 00:00:12,580 --> 00:00:14,700 Speaker 2: He's given me advice on many occasions. And in case 5 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 2: you didn't notice, I'm not broke. You know, he'll be 6 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,750 Speaker 2: interviewing celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. It's what 7 00:00:21,790 --> 00:00:23,950 Speaker 2: he likes to do. It's what he likes to share. 8 00:00:24,410 --> 00:00:27,270 Speaker 2: Now it's time to hear from my man, Rashawn McDonald. 9 00:00:27,530 --> 00:00:28,650 Speaker 2: Money Making Conversations. 10 00:00:29,010 --> 00:00:29,380 Speaker 1: Here we go. 11 00:00:32,180 --> 00:00:34,700 Speaker 3: I am Rushawn McDonald, and I host the weekly Money-Making 12 00:00:34,740 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 3: Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this show 13 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,100 Speaker 3: provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading other 14 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,270 Speaker 3: people's success stories and start living your own. My next 15 00:00:45,300 --> 00:00:49,210 Speaker 3: guest is Georgia native Elia English. She has an indelible 16 00:00:49,250 --> 00:00:53,250 Speaker 3: career in television, theater, film, and the jazz clubs. And 17 00:00:53,270 --> 00:00:57,490 Speaker 3: from her memorial television roles as Auntie Ray on HBO's 18 00:00:57,530 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 3: Curvy Enthusiasm, love her. Anne Helen on Jamie Foxx Show. 19 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:02,180 Speaker 4: That's where I met her. 20 00:01:02,860 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 3: Mary Lou Wentz on Disney's Good Luck Charlie. And as 21 00:01:06,420 --> 00:01:10,470 Speaker 3: Henny on Lifetime movie of the week, Petals on the Wind. 22 00:01:10,870 --> 00:01:12,330 Speaker 3: She was on the show to talk about her career, 23 00:01:12,650 --> 00:01:16,430 Speaker 3: upcoming YouTube show, and the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. 24 00:01:16,770 --> 00:01:21,339 Speaker 3: Please welcome to Money Making Conversation Masterclass show, Elia English. 25 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 4: How you doing, my friend? 26 00:01:22,810 --> 00:01:25,510 Speaker 1: I'm doing wonderful. Thank you for asking. How are you, 27 00:01:25,550 --> 00:01:26,030 Speaker 1: my Richelle? 28 00:01:26,050 --> 00:01:28,170 Speaker 4: I got my legs crossed. I'm ready to talk. I'm 29 00:01:28,190 --> 00:01:28,830 Speaker 4: ready to talk. 30 00:01:29,690 --> 00:01:30,190 Speaker 1: I'm ready. 31 00:01:30,370 --> 00:01:30,950 Speaker 4: I'm ready. 32 00:01:31,090 --> 00:01:32,289 Speaker 1: It is a pleasure. 33 00:01:32,810 --> 00:01:33,350 Speaker 4: Well, thank you. 34 00:01:33,610 --> 00:01:35,569 Speaker 3: It's really exciting to have you on the air because, 35 00:01:35,590 --> 00:01:37,890 Speaker 3: you know, you and I met way back in, I 36 00:01:38,170 --> 00:01:40,860 Speaker 3: want to say about 98, when I was co-executive using 37 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 3: the Jamie Foxx show, watching his career and watching your 38 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,700 Speaker 3: career grow and blossom and grow to diversity. You know, 39 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,830 Speaker 3: when I say diversity, it's I just knew you as 40 00:01:49,870 --> 00:01:53,530 Speaker 3: an actress. Now, I didn't know you could sing. You've 41 00:01:53,550 --> 00:01:58,340 Speaker 3: become an author. Talk about diversifying yourself along the way, 42 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 3: along that path, this journey of having a career. 43 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,980 Speaker 5: OK, well, for me, Rashawn, I know that when I 44 00:02:06,420 --> 00:02:09,620 Speaker 5: first moved away from home, from Georgia, a little small 45 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,930 Speaker 5: town outside of Atlanta called Covington. And I moved to 46 00:02:12,990 --> 00:02:16,570 Speaker 5: New York. I went there to begin my career in theater. 47 00:02:16,970 --> 00:02:18,570 Speaker 5: And so I started out in theater. And one of 48 00:02:18,590 --> 00:02:21,530 Speaker 5: the things that I learned during theater, you had to 49 00:02:21,630 --> 00:02:25,180 Speaker 5: be what was called at that time a triple threat. 50 00:02:25,460 --> 00:02:27,420 Speaker 5: You had to be able to act, you had to 51 00:02:27,460 --> 00:02:29,700 Speaker 5: be able to sing, and you had to be able 52 00:02:29,740 --> 00:02:33,220 Speaker 5: to dance if you wanted to work on Broadway. And 53 00:02:33,330 --> 00:02:36,130 Speaker 5: so I had to immediately, thank goodness I had already 54 00:02:36,230 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 5: started theater, Before I left Atlanta, I did two projects. 55 00:02:40,620 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 5: One was called, I feel my goodness, it was Manhattan 56 00:02:43,580 --> 00:02:47,910 Speaker 5: Yellow Pages. And the other one was called Blackbirds of 1978. 57 00:02:47,889 --> 00:02:51,350 Speaker 5: I was still in school then. when I did those 58 00:02:51,410 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 5: projects in Atlanta, but they helped me to launch, I guess, 59 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 5: what I realized at that time was going to be 60 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 5: my acting career. And then I went to New York, 61 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 5: ended up being on Broadway doing Ain't Misbehavin', the Fats 62 00:03:04,620 --> 00:03:07,100 Speaker 5: Waller musical, which was awesome. 63 00:03:07,139 --> 00:03:09,500 Speaker 1: Yeah. And then from there, go ahead. 64 00:03:09,540 --> 00:03:12,370 Speaker 3: Let's slow down a little bit because small town. 65 00:03:12,870 --> 00:03:16,100 Speaker 4: Yes. And I come from Houston, Texas. I love it. 66 00:03:16,150 --> 00:03:17,150 Speaker 1: I know Houston. 67 00:03:17,810 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 3: I started as a stand-up comedian and- But I wasn't 68 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,380 Speaker 3: in New York and I wasn't in L.A. You know, 69 00:03:23,820 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 3: those two markets people say you got to go to. 70 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:31,350 Speaker 3: So what was the mentality? Was there any fear translating 71 00:03:31,410 --> 00:03:35,190 Speaker 3: from a small market, small town personality to a big 72 00:03:35,350 --> 00:03:36,430 Speaker 3: place like New York? 73 00:03:37,610 --> 00:03:41,850 Speaker 5: Ooh, that's a great question, Rashawn. And I'll never forget 74 00:03:41,970 --> 00:03:45,059 Speaker 5: that day when I arrived, you making me go back 75 00:03:45,100 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 5: and relive some moments. But the blessing for me, thank 76 00:03:49,900 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 5: God for my parents. My dad, at that time when 77 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 5: I was moving away, my dad actually had become a pastor, 78 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 5: a minister of a church, but I grew up in 79 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,970 Speaker 5: the church. And so faith was one of the things 80 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,350 Speaker 5: that I did learn growing up and I had to 81 00:04:04,410 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 5: hold on to it. 82 00:04:05,230 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: But yes, There was great fear. 83 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:12,150 Speaker 5: And when I was traveling to New York from Georgia, 84 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,770 Speaker 5: a situation happened where the producer that I'd done the 85 00:04:16,710 --> 00:04:20,270 Speaker 5: Manhattan Yellow Pages with and the Blackbirds of 1978, he 86 00:04:22,370 --> 00:04:25,030 Speaker 5: was supposed to be bringing me my final check because 87 00:04:25,070 --> 00:04:25,990 Speaker 5: I was getting ready to travel. 88 00:04:26,029 --> 00:04:28,290 Speaker 1: And he was late and he caused me to miss 89 00:04:28,350 --> 00:04:28,990 Speaker 1: my flight. 90 00:04:29,290 --> 00:04:31,090 Speaker 5: Which caused me to miss the person who was going 91 00:04:31,110 --> 00:04:33,250 Speaker 5: to be picking me up when I got to New York. 92 00:04:33,570 --> 00:04:35,979 Speaker 5: And so when I arrived in New York, he couldn't 93 00:04:36,020 --> 00:04:38,100 Speaker 5: get back to the airport in time to get me. 94 00:04:38,140 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: So he was like, I want you to go out 95 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:40,619 Speaker 1: and you're going to take this bus. 96 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 5: And this bus landed me on a street that I 97 00:04:44,140 --> 00:04:47,140 Speaker 5: was so not prepared for. Trust me, I was green 98 00:04:47,490 --> 00:04:51,650 Speaker 5: beyond green. I mean, I was so naive, young at 99 00:04:51,670 --> 00:04:52,169 Speaker 5: the time. 100 00:04:52,550 --> 00:04:54,890 Speaker 1: I was on 42nd Street. 101 00:04:55,029 --> 00:04:58,430 Speaker 5: But all I kept singing to myself was, And saying 102 00:04:58,470 --> 00:05:01,490 Speaker 5: to myself, first of all, was I don't believe you 103 00:05:01,510 --> 00:05:02,790 Speaker 5: brought me this far to leave me. 104 00:05:03,010 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: And there was a song that I learned that I 105 00:05:04,540 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: used to sing in the church choir when I was little. 106 00:05:07,260 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: And it goes, I don't feel no ways tired. 107 00:05:11,779 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 5: I've come too far from where I started from. 108 00:05:16,830 --> 00:05:23,210 Speaker 1: Nobody told me the road would be easy and I 109 00:05:23,510 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: don't believe you brought me this far to leave me. 110 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: That was my mom. 111 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,099 Speaker 4: I'm going to tell you something. 112 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 3: 42nd Street, for people who go there now, the 42nd Street, 113 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,870 Speaker 3: because I saw 42nd Street in 88. So I know exactly. 114 00:05:40,930 --> 00:05:43,909 Speaker 3: I mean, the cops seen it. They had bigger guns 115 00:05:43,930 --> 00:05:47,650 Speaker 3: than I've ever seen. You couldn't walk two feet without being- 116 00:05:48,529 --> 00:05:50,070 Speaker 3: a lady of the night or the man of the 117 00:05:50,110 --> 00:05:53,470 Speaker 3: night approaching you. You could walk two feet without somebody 118 00:05:53,490 --> 00:05:54,890 Speaker 3: wanting to sell you drugs. 119 00:05:56,010 --> 00:05:58,710 Speaker 4: See, and I was from Houston, Texas. I was stunned. 120 00:05:59,070 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 4: So I know from covering in Georgia, you were really 121 00:06:01,820 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 4: taken back. 122 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,380 Speaker 1: Taken back. I'd never seen anything like it. 123 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,620 Speaker 5: And even though I'd lived in Atlanta for a while 124 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,020 Speaker 5: before I moved away, I never got in those communities. 125 00:06:11,100 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: I never saw anything like it. It was so crazy. 126 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,090 Speaker 5: And I was blessed because Right after I got off 127 00:06:17,110 --> 00:06:19,750 Speaker 5: the bus and I looked around and saw where I was, 128 00:06:20,330 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 5: a taxi driver. 129 00:06:21,870 --> 00:06:22,380 Speaker 1: Pulled up. 130 00:06:22,430 --> 00:06:23,970 Speaker 5: And when he pulled up, he pulled up in front 131 00:06:23,990 --> 00:06:27,830 Speaker 5: of me and his tires screeched. And he was like, hello, 132 00:06:28,270 --> 00:06:30,070 Speaker 5: you're not from here, are you? And I went, no, 133 00:06:30,170 --> 00:06:31,970 Speaker 5: I'm not. He was like, where are you going? And 134 00:06:32,010 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 5: I told him where I was going. I didn't realize 135 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 5: it was really right around the corner. And he said 136 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,180 Speaker 5: to me, get in this taxi and get in here now. 137 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:40,940 Speaker 5: And I jumped in the taxi and he just drove 138 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,220 Speaker 5: me around the corner and got me to the apartment 139 00:06:44,260 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 5: complex that I needed to be in. I said, that's 140 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 5: when I went, okay, angels, thank you. My angels were 141 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:51,020 Speaker 5: truly watching over me that day. 142 00:06:51,589 --> 00:06:54,310 Speaker 3: Well, you know, I can remember that, you know, my 143 00:06:54,390 --> 00:06:56,710 Speaker 3: New York experience was very similar to yours. 144 00:06:56,490 --> 00:07:01,170 Speaker 4: Because it's so many people. It's moving so fast. 145 00:07:01,670 --> 00:07:03,690 Speaker 3: When people are watching this show or listening to this show, 146 00:07:04,150 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 3: any advice that you can give them about, you know, 147 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 3: an opportunity you went for, but you need to be 148 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:16,860 Speaker 3: a little cautious, better planner for that situation that you 149 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,340 Speaker 3: walked in, like I walked in, you know, because every 150 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 3: plan doesn't go correct. 151 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:22,150 Speaker 4: What would you suggest? 152 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 5: I would truly in this day and age, I would 153 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:31,740 Speaker 5: tell young people get informed. We have access now to 154 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 5: information that you and I didn't have at the time. 155 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 5: I mean, when I had to go look something up, 156 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 5: we still had to go to the library to get 157 00:07:38,380 --> 00:07:42,220 Speaker 5: this information. But we have information at our fingertips now 158 00:07:42,500 --> 00:07:44,740 Speaker 5: with the Internet, you know, where you can. And then 159 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 5: we've got our Google. We can go in and Google anything. 160 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 5: Be informed. make sure you learn, make sure you, and 161 00:07:51,780 --> 00:07:54,550 Speaker 5: the good part was I did have contacts when I 162 00:07:54,610 --> 00:07:57,130 Speaker 5: came out. So I wasn't coming out just on my 163 00:07:57,370 --> 00:08:00,870 Speaker 5: own and being alone. I actually had some actors that 164 00:08:00,910 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 5: I had worked with who had come to Georgia And 165 00:08:03,380 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 5: that show that I did called the Manhattan Yellow Pages. 166 00:08:06,340 --> 00:08:07,780 Speaker 1: And they were there as well. 167 00:08:07,860 --> 00:08:10,170 Speaker 5: So they were there to help me, to guide me, 168 00:08:10,510 --> 00:08:12,430 Speaker 5: to tell me, you know, what I needed to do, 169 00:08:12,530 --> 00:08:14,870 Speaker 5: how to get to the auditions, how to ride the trains. 170 00:08:15,150 --> 00:08:18,060 Speaker 5: So you do you need like, I guess, not necessarily 171 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,300 Speaker 5: a village, but you do need like your core, a 172 00:08:21,420 --> 00:08:24,490 Speaker 5: core group of people that you can trust. When you're 173 00:08:24,500 --> 00:08:27,410 Speaker 5: there and that who's lived in the community and they 174 00:08:27,510 --> 00:08:30,510 Speaker 5: know it and they can definitely steer you the right 175 00:08:30,550 --> 00:08:33,140 Speaker 5: way and in the right course. So I would advise 176 00:08:33,179 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 5: people to make sure you stay informed. 177 00:08:36,620 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: Right. 178 00:08:36,780 --> 00:08:40,020 Speaker 4: I'm speaking earlier English. on Helen on the Jamie Foxx show. 179 00:08:40,059 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 4: I'm going to leave with that. 180 00:08:41,540 --> 00:08:43,179 Speaker 3: We're going to get to Curry on Tuesday, but I'm 181 00:08:43,210 --> 00:08:45,130 Speaker 3: going to go back to when I first met her. 182 00:08:45,150 --> 00:08:48,170 Speaker 4: You know, this beautiful personality. It was 1998. 183 00:08:48,170 --> 00:08:51,870 Speaker 3: I was co-executive producer of the Jamie Foxx show. Jamie's 184 00:08:51,929 --> 00:08:55,070 Speaker 3: on fire. He just finished Any Given Sunday. The show 185 00:08:55,110 --> 00:08:59,209 Speaker 3: was like one giant party. It was an amazing time 186 00:08:59,250 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 3: because black television was taking off. You know, you had 187 00:09:02,620 --> 00:09:05,780 Speaker 3: the WB, you had the CW, and the UPN, and 188 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:07,860 Speaker 3: all these things that were carrying black programming. 189 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:10,470 Speaker 4: How did you get cast on the Jamie Foxx show? 190 00:09:10,950 --> 00:09:13,530 Speaker 1: Oh, that's a great question. We had a mate. 191 00:09:13,570 --> 00:09:15,869 Speaker 5: First, we started out with this open call and it 192 00:09:15,929 --> 00:09:22,250 Speaker 5: was every black woman that was in California was definitely 193 00:09:22,450 --> 00:09:25,860 Speaker 5: at the audition and they were auditioning for all the roles, 194 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 5: you know. And when they started to do the, you know, 195 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,380 Speaker 5: the weeding them down and bringing the callbacks, I'll never 196 00:09:32,460 --> 00:09:36,550 Speaker 5: forget my final callback. And actually, Rashawn, I don't know 197 00:09:36,590 --> 00:09:39,250 Speaker 5: if you know this. I was actually the youngest of 198 00:09:39,350 --> 00:09:42,410 Speaker 5: all the women that were auditioning. They were much older 199 00:09:42,590 --> 00:09:44,819 Speaker 5: and they so they all they all knew they had 200 00:09:44,860 --> 00:09:46,500 Speaker 5: the role because they were like, ah, she's too young. 201 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,410 Speaker 1: She can't do it anyway. Right. but I'll never forget 202 00:09:49,550 --> 00:09:53,630 Speaker 1: when I got an opportunity on that last callback, Jamie 203 00:09:53,809 --> 00:09:57,750 Speaker 1: was there and I got the opportunity. He, you know, 204 00:09:57,809 --> 00:09:59,090 Speaker 1: Jamie took me off script. 205 00:09:59,170 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 5: First we had, you know, we had a script that 206 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:03,140 Speaker 5: we had to learn, but Jamie took me off script 207 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:06,699 Speaker 5: and it was so wonderful. It was like going on 208 00:10:06,740 --> 00:10:09,199 Speaker 5: this little roller coaster ride with him. 209 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: And wherever he went, I was right there. And wherever 210 00:10:11,740 --> 00:10:14,180 Speaker 1: I went, he was right there. And we had such 211 00:10:14,220 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: a great chemistry in that audition. It was just an audition. 212 00:10:18,540 --> 00:10:19,380 Speaker 1: It wasn't the show. 213 00:10:19,750 --> 00:10:22,530 Speaker 5: And I believe that was where the blessing came in 214 00:10:22,550 --> 00:10:24,730 Speaker 5: me being able to be the one. And I am 215 00:10:24,929 --> 00:10:28,970 Speaker 5: so grateful. I can never thank them enough. I can't 216 00:10:28,990 --> 00:10:29,630 Speaker 5: thank them enough. 217 00:10:29,950 --> 00:10:33,140 Speaker 6: Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more 218 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 6: Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making 219 00:10:37,340 --> 00:10:40,460 Speaker 6: Conversations Masterclass hosted by Rashawn McDonald. 220 00:10:41,510 --> 00:10:43,910 Speaker 3: Now let's get back to why she came on this show. 221 00:10:44,890 --> 00:10:48,490 Speaker 3: My show, Money Making Conversations, Elliot English. You know, she 222 00:10:48,510 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 3: really came on it for one reason only. Curb your enthusiasm. 223 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:53,860 Speaker 4: Yes. 224 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, yes. 225 00:10:55,460 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 3: Created by Larry David, who also created the Seinfeld show, 226 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 3: which was a tremendous hit on NBC. How did you 227 00:11:01,780 --> 00:11:05,580 Speaker 3: get cast in the role of Auntie Ray? Is Auntie 228 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:06,109 Speaker 3: Ray correct? 229 00:11:06,300 --> 00:11:08,670 Speaker 1: Auntie Ray, that's correct. Oh my goodness. Thank you. That's 230 00:11:08,710 --> 00:11:09,510 Speaker 1: another great question. 231 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 5: The audition that I had for that show was. 232 00:11:14,900 --> 00:11:16,949 Speaker 1: I mean, really amazing. 233 00:11:17,570 --> 00:11:20,770 Speaker 5: I had an opportunity in that particular audition where I 234 00:11:20,830 --> 00:11:25,610 Speaker 5: had to attack Larry David. And so this is my 235 00:11:25,690 --> 00:11:28,940 Speaker 5: first time meeting him. I mean, this is the legendary 236 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 5: Larry David. Like you said, he's done Seinfeld. I mean, 237 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,980 Speaker 5: he's he is amazing. And so I had to and 238 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,670 Speaker 5: he was and he was saying to me, don't feel bad. 239 00:11:38,730 --> 00:11:41,020 Speaker 5: Don't just don't hold back. Just go ahead and do it. 240 00:11:41,450 --> 00:11:44,570 Speaker 5: And I truly did. I can't remember what our dialogue was, 241 00:11:44,610 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 5: but I know it was a scene about. him doing 242 00:11:47,220 --> 00:11:49,750 Speaker 5: something that I had to stop him from doing. And 243 00:11:50,070 --> 00:11:52,470 Speaker 5: I truly did. When it came time for me to 244 00:11:52,530 --> 00:11:55,550 Speaker 5: have to come and take him down, I took him 245 00:11:55,630 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 5: down and everybody in the room lost it. 246 00:11:59,490 --> 00:12:02,470 Speaker 1: They laughed so hard. And then after we were done, 247 00:12:02,490 --> 00:12:04,270 Speaker 1: I was like, are you okay? Are you okay? He 248 00:12:04,290 --> 00:12:06,390 Speaker 1: was like, I'm fine. I'm fine. He says, I'm glad 249 00:12:06,429 --> 00:12:09,930 Speaker 1: you went for it. And that I believe might be 250 00:12:10,270 --> 00:12:13,350 Speaker 1: exactly why I was blessed To be Auntie Ray. 251 00:12:13,910 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 3: Let's work down the show because I know Kim Whitley, 252 00:12:15,940 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 3: a good friend of mine, has done the show and 253 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 3: I've had on the show talking about the structure. Before 254 00:12:21,980 --> 00:12:24,709 Speaker 3: we get into other characters, J.B. Smoot character and Vivica 255 00:12:24,750 --> 00:12:27,790 Speaker 3: Fox character, we're memorable characters on this series as is 256 00:12:27,809 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 3: your character. How does it work? Because they say it's improvisational. 257 00:12:33,780 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 3: How do you get a script at all to do 258 00:12:36,450 --> 00:12:37,630 Speaker 3: the show, Curb Your Enthusiasm? 259 00:12:37,830 --> 00:12:42,010 Speaker 5: No, we do not get a script. They tell us 260 00:12:42,110 --> 00:12:44,390 Speaker 5: what they want the scene to be about. So we 261 00:12:44,429 --> 00:12:45,990 Speaker 5: at least have an idea of what we're going to 262 00:12:46,010 --> 00:12:47,730 Speaker 5: be doing and what the scene is going to be about. 263 00:12:48,050 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 5: But once we start the scene, once they say action, 264 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:53,219 Speaker 5: it's dialogue that is. 265 00:12:53,220 --> 00:12:55,179 Speaker 1: Coming raw from us. 266 00:12:55,260 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 5: However, what I love about that is my training ground 267 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 5: for improvisation was in theater. And I'll never forget, I 268 00:13:03,540 --> 00:13:05,780 Speaker 5: think I was, was I still 19 or maybe I 269 00:13:05,820 --> 00:13:08,339 Speaker 5: had finally turned 20, but I got to work with 270 00:13:08,420 --> 00:13:10,730 Speaker 5: this woman who, she's a legendary actress. 271 00:13:10,990 --> 00:13:14,090 Speaker 1: Her name was Peggy Cass. And Peggy Cass I'd. 272 00:13:14,010 --> 00:13:16,590 Speaker 5: Seen also growing up as a kid with those old 273 00:13:16,630 --> 00:13:19,729 Speaker 5: black and white movies when she played in Auntie Mame. 274 00:13:20,710 --> 00:13:22,890 Speaker 1: She was the secretary, Agnes Gooch. 275 00:13:23,460 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 5: And so I actually got to star in a production 276 00:13:26,420 --> 00:13:30,550 Speaker 5: called Nonsense with her. So first of all, the intimidations 277 00:13:30,630 --> 00:13:34,590 Speaker 5: of playing opposite this legendary actress. And then we were 278 00:13:34,650 --> 00:13:38,870 Speaker 5: at the Ford theater in Washington, DC, that they kept 279 00:13:38,970 --> 00:13:42,730 Speaker 5: exactly the same as it was. And the, the, the, the, 280 00:13:42,850 --> 00:13:46,150 Speaker 5: what is it? That balcony where president Lincoln was shot. 281 00:13:46,250 --> 00:13:47,870 Speaker 5: I had to play to that every night. So that 282 00:13:47,910 --> 00:13:50,650 Speaker 5: was like really intimidating. But the one thing that was 283 00:13:50,710 --> 00:13:53,670 Speaker 5: happening because she was an older actress was She started 284 00:13:53,710 --> 00:13:56,670 Speaker 5: going up on her lines and I had to be 285 00:13:56,710 --> 00:13:59,310 Speaker 5: the one because it was most of our scenes were 286 00:13:59,330 --> 00:14:02,420 Speaker 5: together to bring her back. So I had to learn 287 00:14:02,500 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 5: how to make sure I did my dialogue, but created 288 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 5: dialogue to get her back on track and make sure 289 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,070 Speaker 5: that the audience was none the wiser. No one knew 290 00:14:13,090 --> 00:14:16,210 Speaker 5: that I was doing that. And that was my training ground. 291 00:14:16,610 --> 00:14:19,270 Speaker 5: for improvisation. And then when we were doing the Jamie 292 00:14:19,310 --> 00:14:22,140 Speaker 5: Foxx show, you guys would let us do the script, right? 293 00:14:22,180 --> 00:14:24,740 Speaker 5: And once we got the script landed, you let us play. 294 00:14:24,940 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 5: And that was so much fun. That was my next 295 00:14:29,100 --> 00:14:32,210 Speaker 5: experience of improv-ing. And like I said, I also did 296 00:14:32,230 --> 00:14:36,490 Speaker 5: the improvisation with Jamie for the audition. And so when I, 297 00:14:36,550 --> 00:14:40,570 Speaker 5: by the time I got here, this, he gave us 298 00:14:40,650 --> 00:14:44,980 Speaker 5: the playground. It was just a playground to just improv 299 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,670 Speaker 5: and Larry David is so generous. I mean, he is 300 00:14:47,710 --> 00:14:50,790 Speaker 5: so kind and he just he lets you go. He 301 00:14:50,810 --> 00:14:53,510 Speaker 5: doesn't stop you. He lets you go. You just keep going, going, 302 00:14:53,550 --> 00:14:57,150 Speaker 5: going until he says stop sometimes if it's too far. 303 00:14:57,490 --> 00:15:00,710 Speaker 5: But it's wonderful to do that improv. And I noticed 304 00:15:00,750 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 5: that even when we were doing the Jamie Foxx show, 305 00:15:03,260 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 5: a lot of the things that we were able to 306 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 5: do with our improv, you guys ended up having it 307 00:15:07,900 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 5: in the cut. 308 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,580 Speaker 1: And I was excited about that. So we know. 309 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:12,500 Speaker 4: It's a couple of things I want to bring up, Elliot, 310 00:15:12,660 --> 00:15:13,140 Speaker 4: about you. 311 00:15:13,180 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 3: There are a lot of people out there who want 312 00:15:16,950 --> 00:15:19,050 Speaker 3: to not just act, but want to do things in life. 313 00:15:19,130 --> 00:15:25,370 Speaker 3: And they tend to allow fear, the unknown. Like moving 314 00:15:25,390 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 3: to New York, you change your comfort zone to move 315 00:15:28,740 --> 00:15:29,250 Speaker 3: to New York. 316 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:30,100 Speaker 4: You know what I'm saying? 317 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 3: Because it wasn't like I had to move to Houston, 318 00:15:32,340 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 3: New York. I didn't want to move to New York. 319 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:36,780 Speaker 3: I didn't want to move to L.A. But I had 320 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,770 Speaker 3: to for my career. And then you talk about improv 321 00:15:39,790 --> 00:15:42,370 Speaker 3: and with Jamie Foxx, you talk about improv and the L.A. 322 00:15:42,410 --> 00:15:45,050 Speaker 4: Red David. Those are uncomfortable moments. 323 00:15:45,550 --> 00:15:49,510 Speaker 3: How could you advise people to push past those uncomfortable moments? 324 00:15:50,190 --> 00:15:52,820 Speaker 1: Wow, that's a great question. 325 00:15:54,260 --> 00:15:59,260 Speaker 5: Most of us who find ourselves in this entertainment, especially 326 00:15:59,500 --> 00:16:03,070 Speaker 5: acting career, we've been doing it all of our lives. 327 00:16:03,370 --> 00:16:06,010 Speaker 5: We've been play acting since we were kids, right? 328 00:16:06,570 --> 00:16:09,979 Speaker 1: And so... you let yourself go back there. 329 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 5: You revisit that time when you were playing with your 330 00:16:14,460 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 5: siblings and you guys created this scene or you created 331 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 5: this story. 332 00:16:18,820 --> 00:16:20,180 Speaker 1: It's like, I'm going to play this character. I'm going 333 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:20,420 Speaker 1: to play. 334 00:16:20,460 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 5: But we didn't call it that because I didn't know 335 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 5: that back then. When I was growing up in our backyard, 336 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:28,710 Speaker 5: the one thing I used to do, we would play 337 00:16:28,750 --> 00:16:31,130 Speaker 5: what was called church. And I would always be the 338 00:16:31,190 --> 00:16:34,930 Speaker 5: preacher and I would give the sermon. And so all 339 00:16:34,950 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 5: I was doing was mimicking what I saw, mimicking what 340 00:16:38,020 --> 00:16:41,990 Speaker 5: I saw. So when children that are very, what do 341 00:16:42,010 --> 00:16:42,300 Speaker 5: you call it? 342 00:16:42,310 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: I guess observant. Because we watch the adults. 343 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 5: And oftentimes for me, too, when I was growing up, 344 00:16:47,340 --> 00:16:49,580 Speaker 5: you know, there was this rule of children should be 345 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,900 Speaker 5: seen and not heard. So because we couldn't talk a lot, 346 00:16:52,940 --> 00:16:54,380 Speaker 5: we had to watch a lot and we got to 347 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:55,060 Speaker 5: listen a lot. 348 00:16:56,380 --> 00:17:00,690 Speaker 1: And just do that, observing. And then just let yourself 349 00:17:00,810 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: be free and have peace. It is so wonderful. 350 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:08,400 Speaker 5: If you go in thinking, I got to think this 351 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,239 Speaker 5: through and you're going to feel it'll, it'll, it'll block you. 352 00:17:11,300 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 5: It'll block your creativity. You got to let your creative 353 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,820 Speaker 5: side come through and just have fun. 354 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 1: It's not easy. I'm not going to pretend it's easy. 355 00:17:20,780 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: It is work. 356 00:17:21,980 --> 00:17:26,770 Speaker 5: It is definitely work. But if you let yourself go 357 00:17:26,980 --> 00:17:30,270 Speaker 5: and let go of the inhibitions and just have fun. Now, 358 00:17:30,330 --> 00:17:33,939 Speaker 5: I remember here, here's a story. See, when I was 359 00:17:33,980 --> 00:17:35,889 Speaker 5: growing up, of course, remember I said my dad was 360 00:17:35,930 --> 00:17:39,510 Speaker 5: a pastor, right? So we couldn't curse. Now, before my 361 00:17:39,530 --> 00:17:41,929 Speaker 5: dad became a pastor, we heard our relatives cursing all 362 00:17:41,950 --> 00:17:42,210 Speaker 5: the time. 363 00:17:42,410 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 1: So we knew curse words. And so we would practice, actually, 364 00:17:46,140 --> 00:17:48,340 Speaker 1: when our parents left home, we would practice cursing on 365 00:17:48,380 --> 00:17:50,020 Speaker 1: each other. So when I. 366 00:17:50,060 --> 00:17:53,980 Speaker 5: Did Curb Your Enthusiasm and I had to do that line, 367 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:56,810 Speaker 5: F you, Larry David. When we were out there just 368 00:17:56,869 --> 00:17:59,850 Speaker 5: carrying on, when they said cut, I would go back 369 00:17:59,910 --> 00:18:02,270 Speaker 5: in a room and I was shaking and nervous because 370 00:18:02,290 --> 00:18:03,570 Speaker 5: I was like, okay, I'm going to get in trouble. 371 00:18:03,609 --> 00:18:05,670 Speaker 1: I go, Ellia, you're a grown woman. You're not home. 372 00:18:05,710 --> 00:18:07,370 Speaker 1: Your parents are not going to get upset with you. 373 00:18:07,810 --> 00:18:09,150 Speaker 1: It's okay. It's not you. 374 00:18:09,490 --> 00:18:12,510 Speaker 5: You're portraying a character. It's not something I run around 375 00:18:12,550 --> 00:18:14,380 Speaker 5: doing every day of my life, right? 376 00:18:14,970 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 3: But you know, when you raised a certain way and 377 00:18:17,020 --> 00:18:21,620 Speaker 3: you talked skill set and being respectful I admire that 378 00:18:21,730 --> 00:18:25,340 Speaker 3: and so and I can understand you saying you didn't 379 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 3: want to make them believe that all that training all 380 00:18:29,859 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 3: that work they get and pour it into you that 381 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 3: you went out there and just forgot about it and 382 00:18:35,420 --> 00:18:36,580 Speaker 3: became disrespectful. 383 00:18:36,820 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 4: That's what you was talking about. And I understand that. 384 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:41,380 Speaker 3: But you had some characters on the show that you 385 00:18:41,420 --> 00:18:43,890 Speaker 3: worked for, did not care about what they said. 386 00:18:43,930 --> 00:18:45,149 Speaker 4: I'm talking about J.B. Smoove. 387 00:18:45,470 --> 00:18:48,270 Speaker 3: I'm talking about Vinny Capac. And I want to just 388 00:18:48,310 --> 00:18:53,170 Speaker 3: talk about the importance of you guys' character on Curvy Enthusiasm. 389 00:18:53,710 --> 00:18:58,310 Speaker 3: I always knew about Curvy Enthusiasm. But it wasn't until 390 00:18:58,350 --> 00:19:01,010 Speaker 3: you guys got on the show that I started watching it. 391 00:19:01,460 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 3: Do you realize the impact of what y'all roles or 392 00:19:04,859 --> 00:19:07,900 Speaker 3: y'all characters played in the success of Curb Your Enthusiasm? 393 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:08,300 Speaker 1: Do you know? 394 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,770 Speaker 5: Probably not to the greatest extent, but I have heard 395 00:19:12,890 --> 00:19:17,970 Speaker 5: people say that, that he definitely got a bigger audience, 396 00:19:18,050 --> 00:19:21,260 Speaker 5: especially of the African-American community, right? When he brought the 397 00:19:21,300 --> 00:19:22,980 Speaker 5: Blacks on, and I love it, and we. 398 00:19:22,900 --> 00:19:23,880 Speaker 1: Were called the Blacks. 399 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:25,350 Speaker 4: Don't get me wrong now. 400 00:19:25,850 --> 00:19:30,510 Speaker 3: You know, coming into his house, not wanting to move. Y'all, 401 00:19:30,850 --> 00:19:34,649 Speaker 3: it was like, it was unbelievable. But Larry David played 402 00:19:34,690 --> 00:19:36,750 Speaker 3: the straight man so well. 403 00:19:36,770 --> 00:19:37,389 Speaker 1: And J.B. 404 00:19:37,550 --> 00:19:41,170 Speaker 3: Spoo and Vivica Fox and the relationship. 405 00:19:41,590 --> 00:19:44,909 Speaker 4: I'm just saying is that it was so funny. 406 00:19:45,150 --> 00:19:49,410 Speaker 3: It was needed because, you know, in this business, as believers, 407 00:19:50,410 --> 00:19:53,490 Speaker 3: actors and actresses, we tend to get typecast. 408 00:19:53,820 --> 00:19:55,740 Speaker 4: We tend to not be in these type of roles. 409 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:58,740 Speaker 3: And this is a show that not only broadened their audience, 410 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:00,300 Speaker 3: but broadened your audience, correct? 411 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 4: Yes. 412 00:20:00,980 --> 00:20:02,780 Speaker 3: Your level of respect in the industry. 413 00:20:02,820 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 4: Talk about that. 414 00:20:04,619 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 1: Oh, my goodness. It was absolutely amazing. First of all, 415 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: working with J.B. 416 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,369 Speaker 5: Smoove, That, you know, not only was he Auntie Ray's nephew, 417 00:20:12,410 --> 00:20:13,550 Speaker 5: he's like my next nephew. 418 00:20:13,609 --> 00:20:16,750 Speaker 1: Remember when Jamie was my first television nephew? Now J.B. Smooth, 419 00:20:17,070 --> 00:20:20,630 Speaker 1: my nephew. I loved working with J.B. Smooth and still do. 420 00:20:20,650 --> 00:20:24,659 Speaker 5: Because we, as the Black family, we instantly became a family. 421 00:20:24,700 --> 00:20:27,660 Speaker 5: Like you said, I had Vivica Fox, who played Loretta, 422 00:20:27,700 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 5: my niece. I had, oh my goodness, J.B. Smooth, who 423 00:20:30,420 --> 00:20:32,540 Speaker 5: played Leon, my nephew. And then I had a great 424 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:36,020 Speaker 5: niece and nephew. I think his name was Nick Nervies, 425 00:20:36,060 --> 00:20:36,580 Speaker 5: I think was. 426 00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 4: The baby's name. 427 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 5: And he played Daryl. And then the little girl who 428 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 5: played Keisha, her name was Carla Jeffrey. And we became 429 00:20:43,859 --> 00:20:47,570 Speaker 5: an instant family. Because what I loved was when Larry 430 00:20:47,869 --> 00:20:54,730 Speaker 5: used that opportunity. Remember, Hurricane Katrina was an atrocious thing 431 00:20:54,750 --> 00:20:57,430 Speaker 5: that we had to go through. And so he took 432 00:20:57,550 --> 00:21:01,230 Speaker 5: an experience and decided, let me take a displaced family. 433 00:21:01,250 --> 00:21:03,350 Speaker 5: Because that was what was happening at that time, too. 434 00:21:03,690 --> 00:21:05,609 Speaker 5: A lot of people were displaced. A lot of people 435 00:21:05,650 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 5: lost their homes. and they were having to move or 436 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 5: people were having to take them in. And so, and 437 00:21:10,619 --> 00:21:14,350 Speaker 5: it was truly two different cultures. You talk about a 438 00:21:14,450 --> 00:21:17,790 Speaker 5: culture clash, you know, the blacks, they were coming from their, 439 00:21:17,830 --> 00:21:21,150 Speaker 5: you know, Southern town where they had just had just 440 00:21:21,210 --> 00:21:24,550 Speaker 5: something that, you know, a traumatic experience for them. And 441 00:21:24,570 --> 00:21:27,390 Speaker 5: they were being saved by this guy who brought them 442 00:21:27,430 --> 00:21:28,209 Speaker 5: into his home. 443 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:30,180 Speaker 1: And the beauty of J.B. 444 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 5: Smooth's character, Leon, Leon didn't come from the Southern town 445 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 5: that they came from. He was already living in California, 446 00:21:38,900 --> 00:21:41,780 Speaker 5: but when he found out that his auntie and his cousin, 447 00:21:42,100 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 5: they were living there, he moved into, and that's when 448 00:21:45,540 --> 00:21:48,140 Speaker 5: it really just became amazing. 449 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,500 Speaker 1: And yes, Larry David. Oh my God. God bless him. 450 00:21:51,859 --> 00:21:52,340 Speaker 4: Awesome. 451 00:21:52,700 --> 00:21:53,660 Speaker 1: Awesome. Awesome. 452 00:21:53,980 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 3: I mean, I remember the hurricane Katrina and I was, 453 00:21:57,930 --> 00:22:00,650 Speaker 3: Going through my memory back, and I forgot JB was 454 00:22:00,890 --> 00:22:04,350 Speaker 3: really the one who sandbagged. Because Larry was trying to 455 00:22:04,390 --> 00:22:05,530 Speaker 3: do a good deed. 456 00:22:05,990 --> 00:22:06,950 Speaker 1: It was JB. 457 00:22:06,869 --> 00:22:10,290 Speaker 3: Who claimed in and messed it all up for everybody. 458 00:22:10,490 --> 00:22:11,990 Speaker 3: Because he was scamming everybody. 459 00:22:12,570 --> 00:22:12,830 Speaker 4: Yes. 460 00:22:14,170 --> 00:22:16,869 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, and yes. And then he ended up being 461 00:22:17,450 --> 00:22:19,159 Speaker 1: Larry's best friend. Can you believe it? 462 00:22:19,230 --> 00:22:19,610 Speaker 4: Thank you. 463 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: Larry ended up dating my niece. She's an advisor. 464 00:22:24,260 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 4: She's an advisor. 465 00:22:25,740 --> 00:22:27,180 Speaker 1: I loved it. I loved it. 466 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,070 Speaker 3: When we talk about this industry and having longevity, then 467 00:22:30,109 --> 00:22:31,740 Speaker 3: I want to wrap this up. I want to thank 468 00:22:31,790 --> 00:22:34,570 Speaker 3: you for allowing me to discuss your journey and the 469 00:22:34,609 --> 00:22:37,310 Speaker 3: final season of Curvy Enthusiast. I'm going to miss you. 470 00:22:37,330 --> 00:22:39,550 Speaker 3: But right now you have a new series, a YouTube 471 00:22:39,590 --> 00:22:43,150 Speaker 3: series called My Sisters and Me, a half-hour multi-camera comedy 472 00:22:43,650 --> 00:22:46,869 Speaker 3: that crosses three distinct generations. Tell us about that and 473 00:22:46,930 --> 00:22:47,710 Speaker 3: why are you doing it? 474 00:22:48,750 --> 00:22:49,470 Speaker 1: Oh, my goodness. 475 00:22:50,150 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 5: Maddie Carruthers, who you know, she also worked on the 476 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 5: Jamie Foxx show. And when Maddie was working on the 477 00:22:55,380 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 5: Jamie Foxx show, she and I became very, very close 478 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 5: and very good friends. And we used to talk about 479 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,940 Speaker 5: all the time, often about wanting to create a project 480 00:23:03,980 --> 00:23:06,160 Speaker 5: for me. I wanted us to create a project that 481 00:23:06,270 --> 00:23:09,250 Speaker 5: she and I could work on together. And so we 482 00:23:09,430 --> 00:23:11,670 Speaker 5: ended up being able to do that. And I'm talking 483 00:23:11,690 --> 00:23:12,390 Speaker 5: about Maddie. 484 00:23:12,450 --> 00:23:16,050 Speaker 1: It truly is an awesome director, Rashawn. I mean, she... 485 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 1: She started her career. 486 00:23:17,900 --> 00:23:19,459 Speaker 5: I don't know if you know that she started her 487 00:23:19,510 --> 00:23:23,930 Speaker 5: career with the iconic Norman Lear. And so when she 488 00:23:24,010 --> 00:23:27,350 Speaker 5: got us, she's talking about directing us with that show. 489 00:23:27,530 --> 00:23:29,189 Speaker 1: It was just amazing. 490 00:23:29,550 --> 00:23:33,109 Speaker 5: And the storyline, which was wonderful for me, was that 491 00:23:33,310 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 5: there were these black sisters, vivacious, ageless black sisters who 492 00:23:38,300 --> 00:23:42,020 Speaker 5: had to live under the same roof without killing each other. 493 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,900 Speaker 5: And my character, I play the me in. 494 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 1: My sisters and me, right? I'm the baby sister of 495 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: the bunch. 496 00:23:48,220 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 5: So my character who thought, you know, now that my 497 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:53,780 Speaker 5: older sisters moved out, I can now have my life. 498 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:56,590 Speaker 5: My bossy sisters are no longer around and I can 499 00:23:56,670 --> 00:23:58,910 Speaker 5: go on with my life. Well, then they come back 500 00:23:59,109 --> 00:24:02,510 Speaker 5: into my life. And now they are with their bossy 501 00:24:02,630 --> 00:24:05,870 Speaker 5: attitudes and everything else. And then it goes on from there. 502 00:24:05,910 --> 00:24:08,330 Speaker 5: Guess what? I feel like I'm a kid again. I 503 00:24:08,369 --> 00:24:11,600 Speaker 5: feel like I can't do anything. So everybody, I know 504 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:13,940 Speaker 5: everybody can relate to that. Whether you've got a big, 505 00:24:14,020 --> 00:24:16,260 Speaker 5: even if, even I know a guy was telling me 506 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,740 Speaker 5: about his big sisters when he was a little boy 507 00:24:19,100 --> 00:24:21,379 Speaker 5: and he, his mother told him, you're going to be 508 00:24:21,420 --> 00:24:22,679 Speaker 5: the man of the house and you have to go 509 00:24:22,740 --> 00:24:23,960 Speaker 5: be the man of the house. And so he goes 510 00:24:23,980 --> 00:24:25,950 Speaker 5: to his sister's And tells him, I'm the man of 511 00:24:25,970 --> 00:24:27,770 Speaker 5: the house. And he says she punched him and knocked 512 00:24:27,810 --> 00:24:32,550 Speaker 5: his teeth out. So everybody has gone through something with 513 00:24:32,570 --> 00:24:33,929 Speaker 5: these older siblings. 514 00:24:34,010 --> 00:24:37,290 Speaker 1: And so that's where the real beauty and the fun 515 00:24:37,369 --> 00:24:39,149 Speaker 1: comes in. And then we've got to figure out how 516 00:24:39,190 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: to live together without killing each other. And so I'm 517 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:43,120 Speaker 1: excited about that. 518 00:24:43,430 --> 00:24:44,149 Speaker 4: What is the future? 519 00:24:44,270 --> 00:24:48,330 Speaker 3: What is the future for you, a young, small girl 520 00:24:48,430 --> 00:24:51,850 Speaker 3: from Covington by way of Atlanta through New York and L.A.? 521 00:24:52,350 --> 00:24:55,120 Speaker 3: You know, you've done the ambience behavior. You've shown that 522 00:24:55,150 --> 00:24:57,500 Speaker 3: you can do Broadway. You've shown you can do sitcom. 523 00:24:57,540 --> 00:25:01,420 Speaker 3: You've shown that you can handle the mainstays of improv 524 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 3: and scripted theater. Now you're producing and launching your own 525 00:25:06,020 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 3: YouTube show in January. 526 00:25:08,140 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 4: What is the future? 2024 is here. 527 00:25:11,450 --> 00:25:12,050 Speaker 1: Oh, my goodness. 528 00:25:12,230 --> 00:25:17,109 Speaker 5: And I'm excited about 2024. OK, thank you so much 529 00:25:17,130 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 5: for asking that question. And I will preface it with 530 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:25,199 Speaker 5: I don't know if you knew that in 2018, I 531 00:25:25,260 --> 00:25:27,860 Speaker 5: dropped everything because I had to come home and make 532 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:29,100 Speaker 5: sure my mom was OK. 533 00:25:29,340 --> 00:25:31,389 Speaker 1: I had to take care of my mom. And I 534 00:25:31,890 --> 00:25:34,389 Speaker 1: ended up becoming, it changed. 535 00:25:35,109 --> 00:25:36,850 Speaker 5: I thought I was just going to become here, make 536 00:25:36,869 --> 00:25:39,410 Speaker 5: sure I was a companion, make sure she didn't wander off, 537 00:25:39,470 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 5: make sure somebody was there with her all the time. Well, 538 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 5: she ended up getting an infection in her toe, in 539 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,879 Speaker 5: her big toe. And the whole trajectory of why I 540 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:54,100 Speaker 5: came here changed. I ended up becoming her nurse. I 541 00:25:54,140 --> 00:25:57,100 Speaker 5: had to learn how to change dress wounds. I had 542 00:25:57,140 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 5: to make sure she was at the hospital. I was 543 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,810 Speaker 5: staying in the hospital with her. However long she was there, 544 00:26:02,010 --> 00:26:04,470 Speaker 5: I was there. I never left her side. And so 545 00:26:04,510 --> 00:26:09,659 Speaker 5: my mom transitioned in 2020. And so- I had to 546 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:13,300 Speaker 5: take the rest of 2020. And that was when, thank God, 547 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:17,189 Speaker 5: it wasn't COVID. And so, yes, it wasn't COVID that 548 00:26:17,230 --> 00:26:19,429 Speaker 5: took her out. And we were able to keep her 549 00:26:19,470 --> 00:26:23,619 Speaker 5: protected from that. So then in 2021, I needed to 550 00:26:23,650 --> 00:26:28,159 Speaker 5: process that. And so in 2022... I was blessed with 551 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:31,350 Speaker 5: the opportunity. I am a member of the Sigma Gamma row. 552 00:26:31,660 --> 00:26:33,380 Speaker 5: I got to give my sisters a shout out. 553 00:26:33,570 --> 00:26:39,669 Speaker 1: So we had our boule in 2022 and it was 554 00:26:39,830 --> 00:26:41,869 Speaker 1: our 100th anniversary. 555 00:26:42,690 --> 00:26:45,210 Speaker 5: And so thank you so much. And so I sort 556 00:26:45,250 --> 00:26:47,830 Speaker 5: of like decided to get my feet wet. I ended 557 00:26:47,890 --> 00:26:51,010 Speaker 5: up being able to go. We had it in Indianapolis, Indiana, 558 00:26:51,070 --> 00:26:55,050 Speaker 5: which is where the original for started the sorority. 559 00:26:55,670 --> 00:26:58,500 Speaker 1: And I did workshops. I did workshops for the kids. 560 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:01,890 Speaker 1: I was also, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. 561 00:27:01,910 --> 00:27:03,850 Speaker 5: My sister was saying something to me. What happened to Seventh? 562 00:27:05,109 --> 00:27:07,830 Speaker 5: Original seven. She said, she corrected me. She's a Sauron. 563 00:27:09,210 --> 00:27:12,449 Speaker 5: She corrected me. She said the original seven, not the 564 00:27:12,490 --> 00:27:14,170 Speaker 5: original four. So forgive me. 565 00:27:14,270 --> 00:27:16,310 Speaker 4: I'm going to keep this in there. I'm going to 566 00:27:16,330 --> 00:27:18,570 Speaker 4: keep this moment in there because this needs, because on 567 00:27:19,109 --> 00:27:22,470 Speaker 4: screen Sauron checking, on screen Sauron. Get it right sister. 568 00:27:22,490 --> 00:27:24,930 Speaker 1: Get it right now. I'm going to keep this moment 569 00:27:25,010 --> 00:27:25,209 Speaker 1: in there. 570 00:27:25,270 --> 00:27:26,490 Speaker 4: Don't worry about it. 571 00:27:27,130 --> 00:27:29,590 Speaker 1: I love this vote. Excuse me. 572 00:27:30,150 --> 00:27:31,090 Speaker 4: Seven, not four. 573 00:27:33,890 --> 00:27:36,460 Speaker 1: Yes, absolutely. I'm a member of Megan's High Five fraternity, 574 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:38,200 Speaker 1: so I know. Hey, so you know. You got to 575 00:27:38,220 --> 00:27:41,160 Speaker 1: get those facts right. You got to get those facts right, Rashawn. 576 00:27:41,180 --> 00:27:44,580 Speaker 5: You know what I'm talking about. Not four, it's seven. 577 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:49,050 Speaker 5: So thank you, my sorors. So don't let me lose 578 00:27:49,090 --> 00:27:51,790 Speaker 5: my train of thought, though. Anyway, what was happening at 579 00:27:51,869 --> 00:27:54,950 Speaker 5: that time, Rashawn, was Curb was looking for me. 580 00:27:55,369 --> 00:27:56,090 Speaker 1: And I didn't know it. 581 00:27:56,170 --> 00:27:58,880 Speaker 5: The moment I stepped out to do something, they were 582 00:27:58,910 --> 00:28:01,359 Speaker 5: looking for me. And right after I finished and I 583 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 5: came back from the Boulay, our 100th anniversary, which was amazing. 584 00:28:05,940 --> 00:28:06,660 Speaker 4: It went awesome. 585 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:11,060 Speaker 5: I ended up going in and filming this season of 586 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:16,210 Speaker 5: Curb Your Enthusiasm. So when you ask that question, what's 587 00:28:16,310 --> 00:28:20,149 Speaker 5: next for me? You know, my mom was still my heart. 588 00:28:20,190 --> 00:28:23,300 Speaker 5: She's still my everything now. And for her, she tells 589 00:28:23,340 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 5: me the sky's the limit. She's like, and you can 590 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,580 Speaker 5: go beyond the sky. Go ahead and shoot. 591 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 1: So I'm back. I guess what I would say, Ellie 592 00:28:29,780 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: is back. Like Auntie Ray is back. 593 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,420 Speaker 5: And I'm ready now to embrace it and to really 594 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 5: do what I love. Every aspect of it, my singing, 595 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,870 Speaker 5: my acting, my dancing, my writing. I still love to write. 596 00:28:43,220 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 5: So as long as my heavenly father gives me breath 597 00:28:47,180 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 5: to live, I want to be everything he created me 598 00:28:51,380 --> 00:28:55,330 Speaker 5: to be and do everything he created me to do 599 00:28:55,430 --> 00:28:58,050 Speaker 5: so that when it is done, all said and done, 600 00:28:58,070 --> 00:29:01,190 Speaker 5: I get to hear my father say, well done, you 601 00:29:01,210 --> 00:29:04,770 Speaker 5: good and faithful servant. And I am looking forward to that. 602 00:29:04,870 --> 00:29:06,110 Speaker 5: So thank you so much. 603 00:29:06,470 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 3: Content is king. But more importantly, you are a queen. 604 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 3: You've got longevity in this business. 605 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:13,540 Speaker 4: And good luck. 606 00:29:13,580 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 3: And I can't wait to see Curb Your Enthusiasm. More importantly, 607 00:29:17,420 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 3: Sisters and Me, premiering in January on YouTube. 608 00:29:20,660 --> 00:29:22,820 Speaker 1: January 18th on YouTube. 609 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:27,620 Speaker 5: We're going to be releasing webisodes of the show on YouTube. 610 00:29:27,900 --> 00:29:29,330 Speaker 1: January 18th, 2024. 611 00:29:29,330 --> 00:29:32,010 Speaker 3: Thank you for coming on Money Making Conversations with Masculine. 612 00:29:32,030 --> 00:29:34,190 Speaker 1: Thank you for having me, Rashawn. It's been a pleasure. 613 00:29:34,230 --> 00:29:35,690 Speaker 4: Good luck and God bless. 614 00:29:36,370 --> 00:29:39,980 Speaker 1: Thank you, you too. God bless. Thank you. 615 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:44,180 Speaker 6: For joining us for this edition of Money Making Conversations Masterclass. 616 00:29:44,580 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 6: Money Making Conversations Masterclass with Rushawn McDonald is produced by 617 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:54,469 Speaker 6: 3815 Media Inc. More information about 3815 Media Inc. is 618 00:29:54,530 --> 00:30:00,510 Speaker 6: available at 3815media. com. And always remember to lead with your gifts.