1 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: Welcome back to those amigos with Freda Rodriguez and yours 2 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: truly with my mother. 3 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 2: And in our last episode, we teased. 4 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: You with a very very exciting journey, very exciting. For 5 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: this episode, we we we wanted to focus on on Freddy, 6 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: but not like the Freddy the actor when he got 7 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: the break, like I want to bring it all the 8 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: way back, man, I. 9 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,200 Speaker 2: Want to start with your grandparents. I want to start 10 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 2: with your grandparents. 11 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 3: Okay, you know, we you know. 12 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: And and this is also I called to everybody out there, 13 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: like you know we somebody when I when I was 14 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: writing my memoir, my book, somebody said to me, go 15 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: ask your parents they were before you? Oh interesting, we 16 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 1: know so much about our parents after we had a 17 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: sense of memory right that we rarely go back to 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: ask the questions like who were you before mommy you 19 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: got pregnant, or or Dad you knew you were going 20 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: to have a son, like you, you never asked these 21 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 1: questions because your life is what you're being introduced over 22 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 1: and you're seeing new things all the time. So so 23 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 1: that exercise really changed so much for me to appreciate 24 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: what my mom was right from bringing a full circle, 25 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: you know, understanding the trajectory or who you before you, 26 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: or even a possibility like who was the Rodriguez family 27 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: right right, you know, and and then and then walk 28 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: us straight into you know, into into your adulthood. But 29 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: I but I love to start with like what are 30 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: your grandparents' names? And what did they what did they do? 31 00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I didn't really know my grandparents. They they uh, well, 32 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 3: my grandparents. Both of my parents are from San Lorenzo, 33 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 3: Puerto Rico, which is in the middle of the island. 34 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 3: There were farmers that they grew crops and malangas and 35 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 3: beluras and tavaco and had cows and chickens and all 36 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 3: that stuff. And then around the fifties and sixth so 37 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:28,839 Speaker 3: my parents were both neighbors and they had fincas over 38 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 3: there right as we know in Lalomne Campo Edambsino, and 39 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 3: that's how they met. And so on my mom's side, 40 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 3: I had thirteen uncles and aunts. On my father's side, 41 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 3: I had eight, and surprisingly they were the only two 42 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 3: that got together for them being neighbors. And this was 43 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 3: around the time that there was a program in place 44 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 3: called Operation Bootstrap, where the factories were alive and kicking 45 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 3: in Chicago, in New York and Detroit, and this program 46 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 3: was in place by the government to encourage Puerto Ricans 47 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 3: to come to those cities to work the factories. Now, 48 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 3: my parents weren't necessarily a part of that program, but 49 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 3: it was definitely inspired by that program. And so they 50 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 3: migrated from Puerto Rico to Chicago, and my dad came 51 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 3: as a teenager and worked the factories in Chicago until 52 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 3: he made enough money to go back and get my 53 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 3: mom and marry her, and they both came to Chicago. 54 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 3: We had an aunt and an uncle who lived in 55 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 3: Chicago already, and they were in the Lincoln Park area 56 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 3: in Chicago, which, for those who know Chicago, Lincoln Park 57 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 3: now is a pretty affluent and prestigious area, but back 58 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 3: then it was predominantly Latino and black. And for those 59 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 3: who have seen the TV show Good Times, the Kabrini 60 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 3: Green projects are in Lincoln Park. No one knows that 61 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 3: because that area is like the Beverly Hills now. And 62 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,279 Speaker 3: so they migrated in the sixties and work the factories. 63 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 3: And I have two older brothers and they were born 64 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 3: and my brothers are a lot older than me. They're 65 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 3: like eight and seven years older than me. I was 66 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 3: kind of the mistake that came later. And so, you know, 67 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 3: my parents had the American dream. Although Puerto Rico is 68 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 3: technically a part of the United States, you know, they 69 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:27,679 Speaker 3: had the American dream like everybody, right. 70 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: Well, you know, leaving your pueblo for something different is 71 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: the American dream. I mean, you could be leaving you know, 72 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: you can be living in Arizona and going to Texas 73 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 1: and making it there, and that's the American dream too, 74 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: So I see why. But for us culturally, it's a 75 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:43,920 Speaker 1: major leap, you know, because you leave what you are 76 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: to acquire a new way of life, right, Like, it's 77 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: an interesting departure from where you start and where you're 78 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: gonna end up. 79 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 3: To acquire a new way of life, a new urban landscape. Right, 80 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,799 Speaker 3: think about it, Right, You've been to Puerto Rico, Paradise 81 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 3: where they were at, and then all of a sudden 82 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 3: you come to the harsh winners of Chicago. Two seasons 83 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 3: to see, two seasons, you get fall, you got winter. 84 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 3: You gotta wear a coat, right, you know. I remember 85 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 3: I would have cousins that would come from Puerto Rico 86 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 3: and they'd be like, we can bring a coat you know, uh, 87 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 3: you know, to have to take the bus to like 88 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 3: a factory job where you're working like ten hours a day. 89 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 3: I mean it was it was rough. 90 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: But what was dad like at home for a young 91 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: Freddy when you were a kid, right, you had your 92 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: older siblings, but you seeing your dad doing what he 93 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: was doing and all that. 94 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 2: What was it? What was your house like? 95 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 3: I remember one time and you asked me about my grandparents, 96 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 3: and I'll get back to that because it'll inform that. 97 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 3: I remember one time I was visiting. I was in 98 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 3: Puerto Rico. I was doing a movie there actually, and 99 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 3: I was visiting my grandfather before he passed away, and 100 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 3: my other grandfather was on a horse going up a 101 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 3: mountain and my grandfather goes, you see that over there, 102 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 3: that's your grandfather. He said, that's the hardest working man 103 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 3: in the village, and everybody knows that about him. And 104 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 3: I remember it was with the one interaction I had 105 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 3: my grandfather, I'm wrong. I was like ten years old, 106 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 3: and he took me around the village and I saw 107 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 3: the respect that was in place for my grandfather because 108 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 3: everybody knew he was the hardest working guy in the 109 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 3: entire village. And so that translated to my dad, you know, 110 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 3: And you asked me how it was in my house 111 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 3: in Chicago. My father was a direct reflection of his own. 112 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 3: Father just was all about work, all about pride in 113 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 3: your work, all about integrity and your work and who 114 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 3: you were as a human being and your moral compass 115 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 3: and your values as a person. And although we were 116 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 3: a money poor, we were moral rich, you know. And 117 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 3: that was really important to him, really important to everyone 118 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 3: in my family. And so that's the way me and 119 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 3: my brothers grew up. And I feel that's something that 120 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 3: I've taken with me and as I approached our industry, 121 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 3: whether I'm on a TV show or a movie, I 122 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 3: bring that same hard work. 123 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 2: I was gonna say. 124 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, So seeing that statement that is the hardest working 125 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: man in this village? 126 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 2: Did that mark you? 127 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: And you was like, what, you know, I should never 128 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: have an excuse, So, like, how did that affected you 129 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: as a young man? 130 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 3: It just it all made sense. It made sense why 131 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 3: my dad was so hard on us, It made sense 132 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 3: why your work and the quality of your work was 133 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 3: so important. It all just made sense because it was 134 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 3: ingrained in him as a kid, you know. And then 135 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 3: he ingrained that in us me and my brothers, and 136 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 3: my cousin and my uncles. And he had a brother 137 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 3: and a sister who lived in Chicago, and I had 138 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 3: a bunch of cousins, And so you know, that's saying 139 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 3: it takes a village to raise a child. It was 140 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 3: very much a village of like, you know, the Rodriguez 141 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 3: household in Chicago. 142 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: How did your dad infuse that in you? Like, what 143 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: were the words, what were the moments, what were the lessons? 144 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: Were the things that he he made you experience so 145 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: you could put it together that says, Yeah, that's the 146 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: anthem of my life. 147 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 3: You know, I don't know if there was ever any 148 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 3: like words, but it was expected in anything that we did. 149 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 3: It was like, oh, you're fifteen, sixteen, now you got 150 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 3: to go get a job. You know, you got to 151 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 3: contribute to the house man, You got to contribute to 152 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 3: paying a bill, right, you know what I mean? Like 153 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 3: it was just expected of you in everything. 154 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: That Yeah, you inherited, right, you inherited the houses, you know, 155 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: guardian and safekeeping and thriving you know. 156 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 3: Yeah. When my dad would have like he'd be like, 157 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 3: oh I have I have a week off of work vacation, right, 158 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 3: Like the normal thing is like I have a vacation, 159 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 3: Let's go somewhere, Let's fly somewhere. I'm like, Dad, what 160 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 3: are you doing for your vacation? He goes, I'm gonna 161 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 3: go help your uncle paint. That was his vacation. Go 162 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 3: to what it'd be like, Oh, your cousin needs to move. 163 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 3: We got to go help the move. I'm like, that's 164 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 3: how you're spending your vacation is helping somebody move, helping 165 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 3: somebody paint their house. Like they they didn't know anything 166 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 3: else but like work, that's it right. 167 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 2: What what was your first job? 168 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 3: Oh? Man, my first job. I was fifteen years old 169 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 3: and I was a busboy. 170 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: At Dude that was buzzboy, go ahead, A bus boy 171 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: at Bennigan's. 172 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 3: I don't know, do you remember Bennigan's where Benigans was 173 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 3: a chain restaurant kind of like I don't know how 174 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 3: you would Chili's or whatever. 175 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:55,079 Speaker 2: I was a sisler guy. 176 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: You weren't, no, but I but you talk about these 177 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: restaurants For me and I it was a sizzler guy. 178 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 3: Was it was? It was? 179 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 2: It was that that change. 180 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 3: Where were you a busboyad? 181 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 2: Well? I was a busboy. 182 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: Uh at this place called Cafe Beju and Sherman. 183 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,839 Speaker 2: Yeah it was still there, Yeah, yeah, still there. Yeah, 184 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 2: And I was a bus boy. 185 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: I was the guy, you know, leveling the butters and 186 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: and and bringing the dis wash. But but this is 187 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: not a conversation. 188 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 2: Okay, So how did you get that job? 189 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 3: I just applied. I needed a job, you know, and 190 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 3: I applied for it and and it was, uh, it 191 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 3: was crazy because I wasn't even old enough to work there. 192 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 3: I had to go down. I was fifteen fifteen and 193 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 3: I had to go down and get a work permit. 194 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 2: I was fifteen two. 195 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 3: Was that like that here in l A. You had 196 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,079 Speaker 3: to get a work you know? That was enough. 197 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 2: They hired me from the back I was. 198 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: I applied through the alleyway, I see, you know, I 199 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: went through the alleyway. 200 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 2: I applied and then I had a black T shirt. 201 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 3: No. Man, Chicago was like, you got to get a 202 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,439 Speaker 3: work permit because we're going to keep you here a 203 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 3: certain hour. And like, man, I remember working toil, like 204 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 3: I don't even know if it was legal at that time, 205 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 3: working till like ten o'clock and having to go to 206 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 3: school the next day, and. 207 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: Like well, there was no hours there, and there was 208 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: no such thing as made him wage, and there was 209 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: no such thing as you know, hours and extra hours 210 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 1: and in late hours, there was such thing as that. 211 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 3: No, especially back then. But but yeah, you know, work 212 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 3: was really important. And I had two older brothers who 213 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 3: you know how it is like in Latin families, like 214 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 3: you know, although they were my brothers, there were more 215 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 3: like father figures. 216 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 2: You know, how much older were they? 217 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 3: The oldest is like eight nine years older than me. 218 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,839 Speaker 3: My oldest brother, William, and my middle brother, Hector is 219 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 3: about six seven years older than me. 220 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 2: And what do they do. 221 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 3: My oldest brother is doctor William Rodriguez and he's the 222 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 3: uh he works, he's the assistant dean at Loyola University 223 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 3: right now? Wow? 224 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 2: Cool? 225 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah. My middle brother, Hector, has been in the 226 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 3: supermarket real estate business forever. So now what you expect. 227 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 3: I'm like migrant Puerto Rican, you know, four three. 228 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,960 Speaker 1: Were guys took three very different paths and made it 229 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:09,599 Speaker 1: real life strengths. 230 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 3: Right yeah, yeah, And you know, you know what's really 231 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 3: interesting about that is like especially in our culture, right, 232 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 3: Like I heard Benicio del Toro talking the other day 233 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,319 Speaker 3: and he was like, all my brothers were lawyers, lawyers 234 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 3: and doctors, so they expected me to be a lawyer 235 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 3: and doctor. 236 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 2: Right. 237 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 3: Like My family was like all like that. They were 238 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 3: all super studious. All my cousins are all accountants, you know, 239 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 3: and I was the knucklehead who was like an artist. 240 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 3: You know. But but but but then they don't understand, 241 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 3: you know, when you're when you're trying to go down 242 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 3: that path, you know, it just doesn't compute to them 243 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 3: because it's very sort of one track mine, you know, 244 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 3: you know one plus one equals too and you got 245 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 3: to follow that. 246 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: Paath, Well, you have a memory of working as a 247 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: buzz boy that you were like, yeah, I gotta figure, 248 00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 1: I gotta figure you gotta figure it out. 249 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 3: I remember was a busboy. Uh I had started acting 250 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 3: by then. And I remember one of the waiters. 251 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 2: Souse, that's why because you started so young. 252 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 3: Ye started on thirteen. 253 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 2: Yeah you started performing thirteen. 254 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. I remember one of the bus I remember one 255 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 3: of the waiters brought a headshot to work and he 256 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 3: was like, I'm an actor and I have a headshot. 257 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 3: And I was like, whoa, he is a head shot. 258 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 2: He's an actor. 259 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: The black and white headshub where they're just looking off 260 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: the commercial head show where you're like cheasing so hard, 261 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 1: and then the drama sup where you're like obviously. 262 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 2: Going into internal turmoil. In the picture, oh, would be like. 263 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 3: The composite shot where it's like four different shots, like 264 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 3: the studio did you stayble your your resume in. 265 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 2: The back of the of course? Of course. 266 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 3: I remember coming to work and being like, he was, like, 267 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 3: I just came back from an audition. You get auditions, man, 268 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 3: he's got an audition. Yeah. No, But I started I 269 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 3: started really young, you know, I started really young in Chicago, 270 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:55,439 Speaker 3: and you know, I know I had said this in 271 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,079 Speaker 3: the previous episode, but a lot of it stemmed from 272 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 3: like I wasn't and I'm this literally, man, I really 273 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 3: wasn't good at anything. You know. We talk about my brothers, 274 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 3: you know, they were so studious and my cousins. You know, 275 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 3: they would come from school with like a straight A 276 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 3: report card, and I was I was a terrible student. 277 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: I think it was kind of like you were like, 278 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: they're so good at that, and you kind of reveled 279 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: against like wanting to be as good as them, or 280 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: like do you feel pressured? And then therefore you kind 281 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: of like forfeited to something else, Like what was that contrast? Like, 282 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: you know, they were going after studies, And. 283 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 3: I truly wanted to fit in, really, I mean, in 284 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 3: all honesty, I wanted. I wanted to be a good student. 285 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 3: I wanted to be a good mathematician or whatever it 286 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 3: was that my family. I just did. My brain didn't 287 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 3: work that way, and I couldn't figure out why I didn't, 288 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 3: you know. And so it tends to happen when you're 289 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 3: that age and you don't relate and you don't feel 290 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 3: like you fit in, you start to figure out other 291 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 3: ways to fit in, you know, in my neighborhood. You know, 292 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 3: Chicago at at certain years is the murder capital of 293 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 3: the United States, you know. And and I grew up 294 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 3: in Bucktown on the northwest side of Chicago, which is heavy, 295 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 3: heavy gangs, heavy drugs, heavy heavy graffiti, a lot of 296 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 3: graffiti crews in in my neighborhood, and dance cruise and 297 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 3: you know, and so it's very easy to see the 298 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 3: allure of that when you have nothing else that you 299 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 3: relate to, you know. And I certainly found myself gravitating 300 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 3: towards that, you know, and It wasn't until this independent 301 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 3: theater company came to my school that that I auditioned 302 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 3: to get into as a fluke when I was like 303 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 3: thirteen years old. 304 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: So before that theater group came to your school, were 305 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: you part of that community like where you're b boying, 306 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: where you're tagging. 307 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 3: Or yeah, man, I was, I was hard, hard bet boy, 308 00:15:58,880 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 3: I'll tell you. 309 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,359 Speaker 2: So my this is in exclusive. Yeah. 310 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: I don't think anyone can realize the friends that the 311 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 1: great Freddie Rodriguez was actually a boy. 312 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 2: I was. I was always a. 313 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 3: Kind of a good dancer, right. And so my oldest brother, 314 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 3: who is now doctor Rodriguez, was a pretty popular. 315 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 2: DJ in Chicago, what kind of parties like. 316 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 3: Like Chicago created house music, right, so he was he was, 317 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 3: you know, transition from disco to house music. So as 318 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 3: far back as I could remember, he's like eight years 319 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 3: older than me. There was always turntables in the house everywhere, 320 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 3: final everywhere, like every weekend, my brother coming home and 321 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 3: bring like carrying speakers inside the house, you know, And 322 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 3: and he would always recruit me to help him, like 323 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 3: carry alcoas and all that. Yeah, and my middle brother, uh, 324 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 3: you know that's when breakdancing was at its apex and 325 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 3: he was in a breakdancing crew, and so I learned 326 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 3: how to break dance really really early on. So with 327 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 3: my brother djying and my brother breakdancing, they would sneak 328 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 3: me into these clubs when I was like nine, ten 329 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 3: years old, and the guy at the front, I never forget. 330 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 3: The guy at the front was like, no, man, he's 331 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,439 Speaker 3: like nine years old. And my brother'd be like, no, no, no, 332 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 3: I'm gonna have him behind the DJ booth. It's all good, 333 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 3: you know, back then when you could do that right. 334 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 3: And so I remember being in the back of the 335 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 3: DJ booth and peeking out and seeing all these like 336 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,719 Speaker 3: teenagers dancing and all that. And then when my brother's 337 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 3: crew was ready to battle another crew, they bring me 338 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 3: out from like the DJ booth and some little nine 339 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 3: year old kid would be there battling some other crew, 340 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 3: you know, which, let me tell you something, Man, doing 341 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 3: that at nine years old, with like two three hundred 342 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 3: people watching you as you're there, it does something to you. 343 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 3: I feel helped me later in life because I would 344 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 3: go into auditions like that because I was so used 345 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 3: to it. I was so used to like somebody watching 346 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:11,879 Speaker 3: somebody watching. I was so used to like getting ready 347 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 3: to fight for it, yeah, stepping into the ring, and 348 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 3: and and and I had that since I was like 349 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 3: nine years old. You know, you. 350 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: Have that when you walk into a room. I'm like, yo, man, 351 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: we're not trying to fight. Relaxed man' remember me, it's 352 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: t Wilmer man, It's Tilmer man. That's that's amazing. I 353 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: didn't know that story that you were such a b boy. 354 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I know that you have love for the end, 355 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 1: you know, for for the days, you know. 356 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:38,400 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, there was a big. 357 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: Question and somebody in the room out here where we're 358 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: talking about, what is the story when you got your 359 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 1: first uh uh, your. 360 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 2: First Jordan my first? 361 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 3: Okay, I'm gonna tell you. The first time I got 362 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 3: my first Jordan's was probably like ten years ago. And 363 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 3: here's why. I was too poor when I was growing up. 364 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 3: And I grew up in Chicago, in the land of 365 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 3: Jordan during the time that he was winning, and I 366 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,160 Speaker 3: was just too poor man. I couldn't afford freaking Jordan's 367 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 3: back then, you know. And so when I got older 368 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 3: and I started making money, I tried to get everything 369 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 3: I couldn't get as a kid man. You and I 370 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:13,880 Speaker 3: have had a very and this is a whole other episode. 371 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 3: We've had a very extensive G I. Joe conversation. And 372 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:19,919 Speaker 3: when I first started making money, I would go on 373 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 3: eBay and buy G I Joe's I could find back then, 374 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 3: you know transformers back then. 375 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's increating. Did you have a B boy name? 376 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 3: No? No, no, they just what do you think if 377 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,199 Speaker 3: you tap back into that Jan Frederdriguez, what do you 378 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 3: think it would have been like Little Freddie probably or 379 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 3: something Little Freddie. 380 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 2: Well, they used to be like, and gentlemen, help me 381 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 2: welcome Little Freddy. 382 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:46,800 Speaker 3: Well, they used to be like, yo, that that's like 383 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:50,199 Speaker 3: Hector's my brother. Actor, that's that's Hector's little brother, you know, 384 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 3: because Hector used to dance and as Willie's little brother, 385 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 3: you know, I was always referred to as like my 386 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 3: big brothers. 387 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 2: They were already in the scene. They were the scene. Yeah, 388 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:01,959 Speaker 2: some believab And then so then you were to school 389 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 2: and then this theater group comes. Yeah. 390 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. So by that time I was in the eighth 391 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 3: grade and I just I just felt really lost, you know, 392 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 3: at that age, and you know, the Chicago public school 393 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:19,399 Speaker 3: system at that time, unfortunately wasn't great. And so this 394 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 3: independent theater company came to my school and offered the 395 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 3: arts for a semester. And you know, at that age, 396 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 3: at thirteen, you're just trying to be cool and you know, 397 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,159 Speaker 3: you know, want to like look dumb in front of 398 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 3: the girls or whatever. And so they were like, we're auditioning. 399 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 3: We want people to come down to audition, and no 400 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,919 Speaker 3: one wanted to stand up to audition, and my math teacher, 401 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,919 Speaker 3: missus Algani, said, Okay, whoever auditions and goes down to 402 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 3: do it, you don't have to take the math test. 403 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 3: And then me, being like the opportunist I was, I 404 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 3: was like, yeah. 405 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was gonna fill it anyway. 406 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:55,959 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I was already kind of dancing and I 407 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 3: was already like you know, So I went down and 408 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:04,719 Speaker 3: I auditioned and I got in and the program completely 409 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:09,200 Speaker 3: transformed my life. So every Saturday, we had to take 410 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 3: the train downtown Chicago to Roosevelt University. So it's the 411 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 3: first time I was out of my neighborhood. Really, it 412 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 3: was the first time that I was like downtown, that 413 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 3: I had to take the train on my own. The 414 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 3: first time I was at a university. The first time 415 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 3: I was in some real, like a real program that 416 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:31,399 Speaker 3: was structured, that had real actors and real teachers. And 417 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:33,639 Speaker 3: so every Saturday we went and we did that and 418 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:35,880 Speaker 3: at the end of the program we wrote our own 419 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 3: play and I ended up starring in the play at thirteen, 420 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 3: fourteen years old. We performed it at the Blackstone Theater 421 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,959 Speaker 3: and it was called City of Neighborhoods. I remember it 422 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 3: was just about like kids, like we were all like 423 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 3: little kids, you know. I don't really recall the narrative 424 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 3: of it, but it was like I remember starring in it, 425 00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 3: and then we performed it at the Blackstone Theater, which 426 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:02,679 Speaker 3: was kind of a big theater at the time, and 427 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 3: I remember after that first performance it was like I 428 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 3: had an epiphany. Man, it was clear as day to 429 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 3: me what I was going to do for the rest 430 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 3: of my life. Really, I mean that was like God 431 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,159 Speaker 3: was showing me, like it was that clear to me. 432 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 3: And so that play led me to this other independent 433 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,919 Speaker 3: theater company, this wonderful director named Ray Moffatt. It was 434 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 3: called MOI. I was about fourteen, and then it led 435 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,360 Speaker 3: me to a two year scholarship to the National College 436 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 3: of Education. Theater program, which was another pivotal moment in 437 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 3: my life because it took me out of my neighborhood 438 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 3: and it took me to Winnetka, Illinois, which was this 439 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 3: really rich suburb and a prestigious school. It was the 440 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 3: first time I was ever around other ethnicities. It was 441 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:55,120 Speaker 3: the first time I was around people of other economic backgrounds, 442 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,640 Speaker 3: kids whose parents paid a lot of money for them 443 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 3: to go there. And here I was was this kid, 444 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 3: Puerto Rican kid from the hood who was going there 445 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 3: for free. And it was kids who were like you 446 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 3: know that that kid you see who's like ten years 447 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 3: old and who's playing the piano flawlessly, and like, yeah, exactly. 448 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 3: And I was amongst these, like, you know, really well 449 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:20,959 Speaker 3: trained artists, you know, at fourteen years old. And then 450 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 3: the following year it was my time to go to 451 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 3: high school, and I auditioned and got into the only 452 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 3: public theater program in Chicago, which was Lincoln Park High School, 453 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:33,159 Speaker 3: and I was a drama major there. I was a 454 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 3: drama major chorus minor, and I kind of dabbled in 455 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 3: dance at the time, and which was a wonderful program, 456 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 3: a four year program where we learned how to build 457 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 3: sets and we performed and I did I did a play. 458 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 3: I did the Lottery, I did to Kill a Mockingbird. 459 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 3: You know, so many plays that we got to do 460 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 3: during that time. And so this was from like fifteen 461 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,879 Speaker 3: to like eighteen, and I was doing that. I was 462 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 3: doing independenteater. I dabbled in music. You know, I thought 463 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 3: I could rap back then, you know, I was. I 464 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 3: was trying to. Yeah, yeah, we won't get into the listen. 465 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 3: I'm going to tell you the story that I've never 466 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 3: told before. So you know, back then, you know, I 467 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 3: was a big, big hip hop b boy head, right, 468 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 3: and back then, hip hop is not like now now 469 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 3: you turn on the radio. Hip hop is everywhere. Back then, 470 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:31,639 Speaker 3: you had to find it. And so there would be 471 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 3: a lot of these underground clubs in Chicago where you 472 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 3: would go to get hip hop, you know. And I 473 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 3: must have been around sixteen seventeen years old, and I 474 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,119 Speaker 3: used to see Kanye was there. And so if I 475 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 3: was sixteen seventeen, Kanye was like fourteen. I see Common there. 476 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 3: Common was like if I was seventeen, Common was nineteen. Wow. 477 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:59,400 Speaker 3: We're all kids, man, We're all kids in the underground 478 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 3: hip hops in Chicago. Yeah, it was wild man. I remember. 479 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,800 Speaker 3: So Kanye used to be in this group called State 480 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:10,879 Speaker 3: of Mind. It was him and these other two guys, 481 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,840 Speaker 3: and he started producing, and a guy for my crew 482 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 3: was producing, and I was the only guy with a car, 483 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 3: and so it was my job to take my guy 484 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 3: Marco to Kanye's house, who lived all the way on 485 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,479 Speaker 3: the South Side. And so I used to drop him 486 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:27,959 Speaker 3: off at Kanye's house on Friday and come pick him 487 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,680 Speaker 3: up on Sunday, and then we would have our beats, 488 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:32,640 Speaker 3: you know, and they'd be like, all right, man, we're 489 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:34,199 Speaker 3: gonna go perform this. And it used to be this 490 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 3: club called Lower Lynx and the Elbow Room, and so 491 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 3: the whole concept of the club was very much like 492 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 3: that movie that eminem did. And you go, you spend 493 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 3: all week making your beats. You sign up, give them 494 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:49,360 Speaker 3: your tape. When it's your turn, they call your name, 495 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 3: you go up there, they play the thing, and you 496 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 3: get up there and you perform. You know. So Kanye 497 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 3: be doing it, I'll be doing it, you. 498 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 2: Know, so you win in your battle this business. 499 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 3: No, we would just performed them, you know. And man, 500 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 3: I tell this other story. 501 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 2: Do you have any of these songs. 502 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 3: I think, so. 503 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 2: It all happen somewhere breaking exclusive hear some of these kids. 504 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 3: Man, I'll tell you something, you know, and I've never 505 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 3: told the story. I remember it, and God bless him 506 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 3: and his mother is Kanye's mother had passed away. Uh Man. 507 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 3: I remember going to his house when I was like sixteen, 508 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 3: seventeen years old, and it was the first time that 509 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 3: I had ever gone to a friend's house where their 510 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 3: parent was genuinely interested in who I was. You know, 511 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 3: his mother was a professor and it was an education. 512 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 3: But you know, you go to your friend's house and 513 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 3: you know, the parents will say hi, and then you 514 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 3: lock yourself in the bedroom with a friend and you know, 515 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,359 Speaker 3: you sit there and you mess around. But it was 516 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,040 Speaker 3: the first time I had went to anybody's house where 517 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 3: his mother came down and like and like spoke to 518 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 3: me and like wanted to know who I was and 519 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,879 Speaker 3: where I was from, and like where my parents were from, 520 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 3: and what kind of music went why I was interested 521 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:13,400 Speaker 3: in that music. And it had such a profound effect 522 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:15,879 Speaker 3: on me as a parent, and. 523 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,120 Speaker 2: What you probably felt seen to your feel it. 524 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 3: Was just a different style of parenting that I had 525 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:26,120 Speaker 3: never experienced before, and I learned that from his mother, 526 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:29,679 Speaker 3: and I took that with me when I became a parent, 527 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,159 Speaker 3: and I and I became that way with my friends, 528 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 3: with my children's friends, and that all stemmed from her, 529 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 3: my encounter with her. 530 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: So then you have all these influences, the hip hop 531 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: scene to be voice seen, yeah, Chicago and all that, 532 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:53,360 Speaker 1: and you started getting on stage and you were going 533 00:27:53,359 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 1: to this place as well. He's like you said, a 534 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:57,040 Speaker 1: lot of people invested a lot of money for their 535 00:27:57,119 --> 00:28:00,879 Speaker 1: kids to follow the world of artistry. Interesting to see 536 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: where any of those classes or any of those studios 537 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: went after, you know, after you being in the same 538 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,679 Speaker 1: kind of generation of students coming up and learning and 539 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 1: shopping in their skills and you know eventually what it 540 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:12,919 Speaker 1: turned out for them. 541 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 2: That to me is. 542 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,719 Speaker 1: You know, it's a great example of saying, I am 543 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 1: going to equip myself with the tools I need, you know, 544 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: some of us, like for example, for me, I, I 545 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 1: you know, I went to a couple of classes, but 546 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:35,560 Speaker 1: you know, I had to really self teach myself, you know, confidence, 547 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 1: because I never had the hours of flying, you know, 548 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: so as soon as I got thrown into it, it 549 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 1: was it was really it was like learned by you know, swimming, 550 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: Like throw you in the in the pool and I'll 551 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: swim to the shore, you know. But there's like there's 552 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: the commonality. I think the connection between our stories is 553 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: that we decided to swim into the unknown, and no 554 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 1: one in our family has swimmed in that direction, right. 555 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 1: And to think about, you know, from your grandparents to 556 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: you know, to your parents, to the trajectory of your 557 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 1: family heritage coming to Chicago, embracing a new way of life. 558 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 1: You also stay in Puerto Rican while being in Chicago too. 559 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 2: It's such a. 560 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: Great example of what I think a lot of Latinos 561 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 1: are experiencing today. You know, sometimes they're being asked to 562 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: be one or the other and the two things like 563 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: we don't have to pick right which we should be, 564 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 1: you know, a topic later on like you know, you know, 565 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:40,000 Speaker 1: can you be a two hundred percenter? 566 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 3: You know? 567 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: But but I think, you know, hearing your story is 568 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: such a validator that it really it doesn't matter where 569 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: you start, It matters where you believe you can go, right, 570 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: because if you believe you can go in that direction, 571 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: you're going to start walking it and eventually you find 572 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:04,480 Speaker 1: your way into an opportunity that you know. But look, 573 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: being an artist is it's one of the most difficult professions. 574 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: It's uncertain, it's not consistent. The mirage of success it's 575 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 1: part of the allure, but the truth is, you know, 576 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: to be a performer, you got to stay human. You know, 577 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 1: you're not a celebrity, You're not a famous person. You're 578 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:32,080 Speaker 1: an artist who's telling stories that are very real, like 579 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: the ones that you and your family you know, had 580 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: to experience. Without you staying human, you can be effective 581 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: or you can't invite people to watch your story on screen. 582 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 2: You know. 583 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,760 Speaker 1: That's why I feel like you going into those classes 584 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:52,080 Speaker 1: where all these young people who you know, have hadn't 585 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: had the opportunity to experience what you did, probably was 586 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: a secret weapon for you. 587 00:30:57,880 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 2: Was the missing ingredient? 588 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 1: Was the secret you know, sauce for saying like, oh, 589 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: this is why I'm effective on screen because I am 590 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: what I am. Yeah, you know, and being on stage 591 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: with that energy just made you a performer that could 592 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: really bring his characters to life. 593 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think it's a combination of that. And this 594 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 3: is a lot of the advice I give to sort 595 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,120 Speaker 3: of the younger generation now, they always ask me like, 596 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 3: what can I be doing? What could I be? You know? 597 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 3: The advice I always give them is you got to 598 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 3: just be doing it right. And here's what I mean 599 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 3: by that. The perception of doing it, especially to the 600 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,239 Speaker 3: younger generation, is like being on a TV show like 601 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 3: you and I, right, And that's not always the case, 602 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 3: you know. And when I was at that age, although 603 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 3: it was a different time a different era, the thing 604 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 3: that was incredibly important to me was that I was 605 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 3: always doing it in some capacity, whether that was in 606 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 3: an independent theater company, whether that was doing music, whether 607 00:31:57,880 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 3: that was I mean, I was a choreographer, I was 608 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 3: backup dancer, I was, you know, whether it was in school, 609 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 3: I was doing it in some capacity. Because when you're 610 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 3: doing it in some capacity, either either someone's going to 611 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 3: see you right, or you're going to continue to as 612 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 3: you your analogy sharpen, sharpen the skills, sharpen the blades, 613 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 3: you know, and so you know, as it equates to 614 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 3: now in today's age, right, whether that's like making YouTube videos, 615 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 3: whether that's in class, whether that's starting your own independent 616 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 3: theater company where you and a bunch of actors just 617 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 3: get together and and and put up scenes and run. 618 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:39,120 Speaker 3: You got to continually be be tuning the instrument though, right, 619 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 3: and and I think that sometimes people get boggled down 620 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:46,000 Speaker 3: by this, by this perception that the only way to 621 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:49,479 Speaker 3: tune the instrument is to be doing it on CBS. 622 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 2: Right on that. 623 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know that that whole uh teenage year was 624 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 3: was My teenage years were very formative for me. And 625 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 3: you know, all all of that stuff that I was 626 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 3: doing ultimately led me to my first agent in Chicago. 627 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 3: Which a fun fact, Jeff Garland's wife was my first 628 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 3: agent when yeah, my first real agent when I was 629 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 3: like fifteen, sixteen years old, okay, And it was at 630 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 3: this agency called Suzanne's A Plus in Chicago. And here's 631 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 3: another fun fact. The only other Latin person that was 632 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:29,480 Speaker 3: at that agency was Justina Machado, who played my wife 633 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 3: on Six Feet Under. Yeah, and so I met Justina 634 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 3: when we were kids. We were like seventeen eighteen years old. 635 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 2: And how miraculous are they under in the same show? Crazy, 636 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:42,960 Speaker 2: This doesn't really happen, it's crazy. 637 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,280 Speaker 3: And I remember going to that agency and Marla saying, 638 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 3: we have another Puerto Rican here for in that case 639 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 3: where you two should meet, you two should beat and 640 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 3: you know, so we had we known each other since 641 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 3: we were like kids, you know, because because of that agency. 642 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 3: But but you know, getting an agency pounding the pavement 643 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 3: doing commercials all through my teenage years. I did a 644 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 3: Kentucky Fry chicken commercial. 645 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,040 Speaker 2: I did a while you were doing this thing, what 646 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:12,360 Speaker 2: was your job? What were you working? 647 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:15,160 Speaker 3: I was making money on entertainment. 648 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 2: Oh so you were booking stuff, dude. I was booking stuff. 649 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 3: Man. You know, there would be productions that would come 650 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 3: through Chicago, right Like John Wells did a TV show 651 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:28,600 Speaker 3: called Angels Street with Robin Gibbons and Pam Gidley. I 652 00:34:28,640 --> 00:34:32,800 Speaker 3: did an episode in nineteen ninety two ninety three. Remember 653 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 3: The Intouchables the movie, So they did a TV show 654 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,880 Speaker 3: The Intouchables. Well, yeah, where William forsythe played the de 655 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,959 Speaker 3: Niro character. I did an episode of that. You know, dude. 656 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:45,840 Speaker 3: By the time I was my senior year of high school, 657 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,240 Speaker 3: I was I was on a TV show as a regular. 658 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:52,919 Speaker 3: I did this Saturday morning for y'all enough to remember 659 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 3: with Saturday morning TV shows were I did. I was 660 00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:58,200 Speaker 3: doing a Saturday morning TV show called Energy Express on 661 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:03,320 Speaker 3: WGN in Chicago. I had a national Kentucky fry chicken commercial. 662 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 2: Dude, dude, that's crazy. 663 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 3: I was a superstar by the time it. 664 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,000 Speaker 2: We used to call it a ghetto superstar. I was 665 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,680 Speaker 2: a ghetto superstar, you know, by the time. 666 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,520 Speaker 1: To reflect, to reflect it when you're saying, is you 667 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: think about when this audacity started for you started at thirteen. 668 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:26,759 Speaker 1: By the age of eighteen year were already really doing it, right, 669 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:28,919 Speaker 1: Think about like that, you know how how many years 670 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 1: it really takes for you to like really feel not 671 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: just the confidence, but half the hours of flying. So 672 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: to your point to your advice to young people, like 673 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:38,239 Speaker 1: you got to do it any way you can, you know, 674 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:41,280 Speaker 1: and nowadays people have so many more ways to perform, 675 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:41,759 Speaker 1: you know. 676 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:43,240 Speaker 2: They can shoot on full. 677 00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:46,399 Speaker 1: Encircling you know, and shorts on an iPhone, I mean eatery. 678 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,960 Speaker 3: Like, think of how many people have done these these 679 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:53,799 Speaker 3: shows on like YouTube that have spawned into like some 680 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 3: major television show. They were just doing it. You got 681 00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 3: to do it in some way, and I was just 682 00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 3: doing it. And because I was doing it in my 683 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 3: small way, it led me to an age and it 684 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:07,399 Speaker 3: led me to a TV show, a local TV show 685 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 3: in Chicago, which ultimately led me to my first movie 686 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 3: and when I turned pro when I was when I 687 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 3: was nineteen, Well, our lives are. 688 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:20,799 Speaker 1: I didn't know probably a third of that story, and 689 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 1: specifically the beginning of your story, which I don't know. 690 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:28,359 Speaker 1: I reflect on the beginning of my you know, the 691 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:31,440 Speaker 1: beginning of my of my life, you know, specifically, I. 692 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 3: Want to hear it, you know, I want to hear it. Yeah, 693 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:35,799 Speaker 3: I know there's a book out. I know there's a 694 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 3: lot of info. I know, maybe you don't want to 695 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:40,799 Speaker 3: divulge as much so that people actually buy the book. 696 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:44,160 Speaker 1: No, no, no, but I want I want those egos 697 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: deserves the story. 698 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 2: No, I thank you. 699 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:49,359 Speaker 1: I'm excited to share with you because I think you're 700 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:51,839 Speaker 1: going to find so much commonality between the stuff that 701 00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 1: we had to endure, see become, you know, and evolved into, 702 00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 1: you know, in order to have you know, the shot 703 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:02,600 Speaker 1: that we had. But yeah, it was nice to hear 704 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,400 Speaker 1: how we connected on that level, because my story is 705 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,239 Speaker 1: is quite quite similar, you know, and I don't know 706 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:12,360 Speaker 1: how many people out there have the same similar story. 707 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:15,160 Speaker 1: I think I think about, you know, who my grandparents were, 708 00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:17,680 Speaker 1: who my parents were, and you know, like what they 709 00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:19,800 Speaker 1: had to do in order for me to come America 710 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:21,359 Speaker 1: so that I can learn and speaking is like all 711 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:24,400 Speaker 1: these things like really uh fascinated me. 712 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 3: Wilmer, thank you so much for hearing my story. Now 713 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:30,520 Speaker 3: I am interested in hearing your story. I mean, your 714 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 3: your book is wonderful again, and people know a lot 715 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:36,560 Speaker 3: about you, and I don't want to divulge too much 716 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:39,480 Speaker 3: so that everyone could go and buy Wimar bald Ramo's book, 717 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:42,239 Speaker 3: But I want to hear your story, my brother, and 718 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,440 Speaker 3: I know that there's a lot of similarities and commonality 719 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:47,360 Speaker 3: and I'm just so looking forward to hearing it. So 720 00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:48,279 Speaker 3: maybe on the. 721 00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 2: Next episode, to the next episode. 722 00:37:56,200 --> 00:38:00,120 Speaker 3: Those Amigos is a production from WV Sound and iHeart 723 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:04,920 Speaker 3: Media's Michael Thuda podcast network, hosted by Me, Freddie Rodriguez, 724 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:06,640 Speaker 3: and Wilmer Valdorama. 725 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:11,680 Speaker 1: Those Amigos is produced by Aaron Burlison and Sophie Spencers Zebos. 726 00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:16,800 Speaker 3: Our executive producers are Wilmer Valderrama, Freddie Rodriguez, Aaron Burlason, 727 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:19,240 Speaker 3: and Leo Klem at WV Sound. 728 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:22,880 Speaker 1: This episode was edited by Ryan Posts and Aaron Burlison 729 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:26,880 Speaker 1: and features original music by Madison Devenport and Halo boy. 730 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:30,360 Speaker 3: Our cover art photography is by David Avalos and designed 731 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:32,680 Speaker 3: by Deny Holtzklaw and. 732 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:36,200 Speaker 1: Special thanks to every single interview for joining this journey 733 00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:37,920 Speaker 1: and I hope you continue to enjoy us. 734 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:41,080 Speaker 3: For more podcasts from my Heart, visit the iHeartRadio app, 735 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:44,560 Speaker 3: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 736 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 1: See you or hear us in a week or so.