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Chest Candy, A Veteran’s Quiet Battle to Come Home

• Larry Zilliox • Season 4 • Episode 139

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A 17-minute film shouldn’t feel this big, but Chest Candy lingers like a conversation you’ve needed for years. We sit down with writer-director-actor Robert Golphin to unpack the story of a Black Army veteran fighting PTS, the collateral grief his family carries, and the cultural scripts that keep too many people from asking for help. Robert didn’t wear the uniform, but he built this film shoulder to shoulder with veterans, military family members, and mental health advisors—so the details ring true to those who live them.

We walk through the film’s origins, from a small acting scene that wouldn’t let go, to years of research and revisions, to a production that embraced constraints. A lost location became a horse farm in Spring City, Pennsylvania, and that tight, lived-in house gave the movie its heartbeat: a palpable sense of being boxed in. Casting pulled the story deeper—Lauren Michelle Morgan’s quiet resolve as the spouse, Ariana Pratt’s presence as a military child, and Joey Collins’s haunting embodiment of the commanding voice that never fully leaves. Along the way, we confront systemic hurdles around veteran benefits, the particular weight Black veterans can face, and the generational divide between “push through” and “get help.”

This conversation isn’t about a Hollywood ending. It’s about honesty, dignity, and leaving space for hope without pretending recovery is linear. If you or someone you love has navigated PTS, hypervigilance, or complicated reintegration, this story will feel familiar—and seen. Chest Candy is free on YouTube, and your share might be the nudge that gets the right eyes on it. Watch, pass it to your battle buddies, and tell us what stayed with you. If the episode moved you, subscribe, leave a review, and share this with someone who cares about veterans and families.

Larry Zilliox:

Good morning. I'm your host, Larry Zilliox, Director of Culinary Services here at the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run. This week, our guest is Robert Golphin. He is the writer, director, producer, and star actor in an amazing short film that I saw called Chest Candy. This is a story about a veteran who has trouble coming back from his years in service. Just a fascinating look at his trauma and how his family tries to deal with it. He's a black army vet and a father, and he just spirals into this quagmire of depression and PTS, I'm sure there's TBI in there. And it's it's all too common and it's all too real to uh veterans. And it's a 17, just 17 minute short. And it's on YouTube, and we're gonna link to it in the show notes. But I really want to get into um how this uh this came to be and how we can get the word out about it. So, Robert, welcome to the podcast.

Robert Golphin:

Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate the invitation and space to talk about this film. And I I want to say it's an extra honor to be on the podcast because I'm not a veteran, but uh, you know, I've never worn the uniform in real life, but I come from a large family where military service runs deep. My grandfather served, and I have many cousins who are retired or currently active in different branches. So uh I'm I'm very honored to be here.

Larry Zilliox:

You're not prior service, so how did you get the idea to make a short film about such an important issue?

Robert Golphin:

I I really am inspired and was inspired by a lot of different things uh in my life. Uh, you know, in addition to my family history, I was also deeply affected by unhoused people that I encounter in everyday life. And many of those individuals served and they fought for freedoms that we all benefit from. And yet they're often forgotten about, or they at least feel forgotten about by society, by government, by their loved ones. I was also inspired by so many people who have served that I've met through life, you know, through through formal conversations and informal conversations, just telling me about their lived experiences, sometimes without even realizing they were consulting. Um, you know, they talk to me about their reintegration process, their hyper-vigilance, always scanning public spaces and you know, going to the mall and reacting to loud noises and things of that sort. And those details really shaped the behavior in the film for me. I've always felt that our military, they don't have egos. You know what I mean? Like they serve, but you you you might not even know that they served if you didn't see them in uniform. Right. And I don't want to, you know, jump through the conversation, but I'll just say that a lot of conversations that I've had with people after they've seen the film, it would be on the tail end of the discussion that they might say, Oh, by the way, I serve. Sometimes it was an actor in another project, sometimes it was a filmmaker, sometimes it was the person working at the box office. And I and my mind is just always, I'm taken for a loop when I when I find that out.

Larry Zilliox:

Yeah, no, I think you're right. Veterans are a very humble group. They they don't uh they they're not one to promote, self-promote in most cases. Um, the fact that they're a veteran or what they did during service. Uh I mean, we have members of our community here and part of my American Legion that are true American heroes that did extraordinary things. Of course, we have Medal of Honor winners that uh I know that are uh down-to-earth people, the Navy SEALs that I know. You wouldn't know what their background is. They're not out there telling you who they are, they're just uh members of the community who are veterans and did uh in some cases extraordinary things on behalf of their country. So I I do get that. I get where you're coming from there. I will say that without you know giving the whole plot away, this really hit home for me. Your your story. When I first came to the Washington, D.C. area, um, I worked in high-end hotels. I worked in New York in security, what we called house officers, which are special police officers, privately employed by the hotels, um, kind of a plain clothes kind of thing. I worked at at the plaza in the Ritz-Carlton in New York, and then I came to D.C. and I worked in high hot high-end hotels here. And we had a guy who we hired who was a former Navy SEAL, and I'm not kidding you when I say he looked a lot like you and your character in the movie. And this is in the early 90s. He was in Vietnam and the war didn't end for him. And he would not show up for work sometimes, and finally was let go, and he just he just took it upon himself to go down at night and guard the Vietnam War Memorial. He was afraid somebody might do something to it, and so he would go down and patrol it, and he would go down and make sure nobody vandalized or nobody came around and was disrespectful. That was a priority to him over his job, and unfortunately he lost his job. But I just remember for him the war wasn't over. And your um your film really caught that for me. I mean, um, our listeners, I I'm gonna direct you to this. It's at uh it's on YouTube. You've got to watch it. There'll be a link in the show notes, or you could just go to YouTube and search chess candy. The name of the film is Chess Candy, which we all know refers to the middle medals that mean a something to you when you're in the service. Rarely do they mean anything to you after you get out. But tell us a little bit about how you developed the plot. I know that you had a number of veteran consultants um and um some professional mental health folks, but how did this plot develop?

Robert Golphin:

Well, interestingly enough, years ago, I needed some material for an acting reel, you know, a role that wasn't really in my body of work yet. And so I did a 30-second scene with a s with a different version of the character that I play in Chess Candy. And it and I would say, you know, in hindsight, probably a more stereotypical version of what you would expect to see, but it still struck a chord with a lot of people, including service people that reached out to me and said, you really should expand on this. And so I would say over the course of three or four years after that point, occasionally I would sit down and jot some notes and say, okay, I'm gonna expand, I'm gonna expand. And it just continued to grow. And then one day all of the stars started to align, all the pieces of the puzzle came into place, and I realized what my story was. And by that time, I had had more conversations with loved ones and just passers by that turned out to be service people. And and you know, I'll I'll answer your question in a second, but I just want to add that one of the other things that I experienced with some people who have served about me not knowing what their background is until maybe the end of the conversation, if at all, is also some veterans are tight-lipped as a form of self-protection. You know, I'm not gonna understand what it's like to walk in your shoes. And sometimes you may not want to have to even try to explain that to me. And I, as a civilian who has never walked that path for real, have to respect that. Um, so I I had a lot of these kind of conversations, and I started developing the script. I spent several years trying to get funding through traditional means, which is next to impossible for a short film because there's never going to be a great return on the investment.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Robert Golphin:

Um, you know, unless it's unless maybe the short film wins an Oscar, but even then it may not be a great ROI. Right. Uh, but during that time, you know, the script went through revisions, and then in the year leading up to production, I immersed myself in military and mental health material daily. I watched every documentary I could find, every interview, films, news stories, war films, probably to an unhealthy degree. But even that was nothing compared to what real service members endure. I put on that uniform, and it was an actual uniform previously worn by someone who served. So I had a lot of respect and responsibility in that moment. But when I was, you know, putting the story together, I knew that I wanted this to be a story about family at the end of the day. I've seen some pieces that are with the veteran the whole time, and and they're great, you know, they they're very powerful in their own way. But I really wanted to show that when we're talking about mental health, it's not just the mental health of the veteran, it's the mental health of the of the entire family unit. Everyone in that that veteran's orbit is is having to navigate the mental health. You know, I I want to say that mental health has always been relevant. That's not new. But since the pandemic, mental health has become an unavoidable topic of conversation, and people from all walks of life, you know, during the pandemic, the pandemic were forced to kind of sit in that isolation and and everything that they were going through, the anxiety, the grief, the loss in ways they never had before. I didn't make the film to, you know, chase a moment, but the struggles have always been there. But I really wanted to contribute something in the art space that I ask people to slow down, be more empathetic, be more compassionate, be more loving, especially when it comes to veterans and military families, because their daily realities are often unseen.

Larry Zilliox:

The struggle that takes place and starts to really impact the family in dangerous ways too. I I you know, without giving away the plot, but do you see this as an issue for black veterans that are not receiving the same level of treatment that other veterans would get? Or w what was your take on why this character was not getting the treatment that he deserved?

Robert Golphin:

So that's an interesting question. You know, I feel that Chess Candy is definitely universal in its in its themes, but there are certain aspects of the journey of this character and his family that are unique also. You know, I think it's okay to give away a little bit of the film. I I can say that this character is not necessarily getting all of the benefits that he he and his family feel are due to him. And there is a systemic issue with that statistically. I don't have all those stats in front of me, but in preparing for the film, I, you know, it was staggering to see how statistically that is a problem. Um, and interestingly enough, I was just at a funeral service for the mom of one of my film's consultants several days ago. And so I was crossing paths with quite a few veterans, and one was telling me about the very same issue. And she had not even seen the film yet, but she was currently fighting for uh certain uh benefits that were due to her that she hasn't received. So, in that regard, there's a specificity with the characters in this film, but also it is in the in the black community, there's a there's a I mean, I suppose there's a stigma with mental health with any community, but specifically in the black community, it has been something that you are told you have to push through. You don't talk about it, you don't seek help. Um, you know, and and and it's also generational in that regard. And so I show the difference between, you know, the grand matriarch of a family compared to the matriarch of a family, and how the grandmother is representing this old school mentality of endurance, whereas the wife has a more contemporary understanding that you know help is vital, it's not a shameful thing. So that has been something that is definitely in uh the black community. And I wanted to shed a little bit of light on that in this piece, but it's certainly a piece that that has a universal approach to it, I think.

Larry Zilliox:

Sure, absolutely. Listeners, again, it it's the short film, 17 minutes chess candy. You can find it on YouTube. I encourage everybody to go and watch it, and you I guarantee you'll you'll relate. It's clearly a story about a veteran who has trouble assimilating back into his community and with his family and suffers from PTS, as well as he's super hyper-vigilant, and um I know many of our listeners can relate. It's just a a really, really great short film. Um how did you find your the actors that portrayed these characters? Because they're really uh they really, you know, struggle in their roles. They really struggle with the situation.

Robert Golphin:

I am so proud of my cast. You know, we did it the traditional way. We put out audition notices, breakdowns, uh, on actors' access. And uh, I'm told the casting went out to backstage as well. I don't know how that happened, but they it got out in a few different places. And so we had a lot of people that submitted headshots and reels and resumes. Um, the only person that was attached to the project, aside from myself from the very beginning, was Lauren Michelle Morgan, who plays my wife in the movie. Uh, she's also a co-producer of the film, and I've known her for almost a decade. I cast her in uh some projects back in the day, and I knew that, you know, I I actually wrote the role of the wife for her. So I knew that she had to be uh involved. The way that she emotes, the way that she speaks volumes, even if she's not speaking, um, I knew that she would be a formidable force and cause me to be uh better at what I do. As for the rest of the cast, I'll start with one of our most brilliant talents, which is the young lady who plays my daughter. The name is Ariana Pratt. She was about nine or ten when we shot the film. She's out of the planta. And she is a dynamo beyond her years, as both a performer and a person. You know, she's a sweetheart in real life. To the point where during the casting process, we were like, well, is she gonna be able to do this? Because it really requires some heavy lifting. But when she stepped into that role, there was a presence and precision and depth that it it would rival some of the most seasoned performers. And the remarkable thing about this is that we had no idea until later in the process that she is a military child. Her mom is in the army, uh, her other parent, the Marines. And for me, you know, it wasn't, I don't really believe in coincidence. I think it was just that word I've said already in the show is alignment. And then ultimately her mom became one of our onset military consultants. So their experiences and guidance was invaluable in in helping shape some things. Uh, Antoinette Green plays my mom. I saw her work specifically. She starred on a show on HBO, she was a recurring character on the HBO miniseries We Own This City. And I saw her work in that, and I said, wow, she's she's great. You know, it'd be great to get someone like her. Little did I know that she would actually submit. So she submitted and we cast her. And then finally, uh Joey Collins, who is a Broadway actor, he's done film and TV, he's always on a stage somewhere. He submitted, and you know, right off the bat, we knew that he would be fantastic as big boss, if you will.

unknown:

Yeah.

Robert Golphin:

Uh Sergeant Fiat.

Larry Zilliox:

Yeah.

Robert Golphin:

You know, I'm I'm just really proud of him. I really am.

Larry Zilliox:

Yeah. No, I did um he was perfect for that role, I thought. He keeps coming into the scene as kind of in the back of the your head, kind of trying to tell you, you know, you you what's going on here. You gotta pay attention. And it's almost like that, you know, that dual role of uh the good angel, bad angel kind of situation. It was really, really something. Um, yeah, the cast was was great. The setting was was it was it more of a rule setting or or or was it a suburban setting? I I I didn't really I thought it was more on the rule side.

Robert Golphin:

So the interesting thing is that we went through uh quite a bit in the in the last month leading up to production because we lost um, I don't even think the majority of the casting crew was aware of this, because these are the kind of things you don't you don't tell them when you're in the midst of it. But we lost our location, uh our filming location about two or three times leading up to filming. So we finally ended up over the course of a single weekend, 48 hours uh in the spring of 24, shooting on a horse farm in Spring City, Pennsylvania. And uh it it was a it was actually a great experience though. And you know, the crew was intentionally intimate. Our cinematographer was fresh out of film school, working alongside a film professor and two of her students and a small group of dedicated collaborators. And we shot inside of a beautiful but very tight residence. And that physical closeness, uh, I think actually wasn't a limitation. It really. was an asset because the the sense of claustrophobia the the lack of space and being boxed in really mirrored the state of my character and in many ways the whole family. You know it's it just became part of the film's DNA. So yeah you know you didn't see it in the film but if anyone watches any of the you know dozens of behind the scenes clips that are out there you'll see chickens and hens and horses running around it was but it was it was literally the best kind of environment to shoot such a heavy film in though because those in-between moments you could just look out and just see and and hear beauty. And and I can say you know I won't speak for anyone else in the cast but I will say for me having to navigate uh directing producing and acting at the same time was probably the most no not probably was definitely the most challenging on this project than any other project I've done multiple roles on because there were times when I was so disconnected from reality I didn't know some of the things that happened in what we filmed until I got back to the edit room and started putting the film together.

Larry Zilliox:

Well I think that's one of the things that you know sometimes people think well it's a beautiful location why can't this veteran just kind of snap out of it because look at their they're in a beautiful location beautiful place and they got a great family what you know just cowboy up and you know deal with it but you know mental health doesn't cure itself this is such a great kind of window into what happens what happens to the family and really how it's dealt with and I you know I just I again I'm gonna urge listeners please go to YouTube check it out the links in the show notes search chest candy on YouTube if that's easier for you and do me a favor and send the link for the video the film to everybody you know put it all over your social media especially send it to your battle buddies all the veterans that you know and their family members because this is really a a a story about not only the veteran but how the family is impacted by his mental health issues. And uh I know so many of our our listeners can relate really this is uh extraordinary I I I just especially for me personally I remember Charles who we had worked with who was the Vietnam veteran who the war really never ended for him and I saw the toll that it took on him you know I I don't know what became of him but uh I hope he got some help somewhere from the VA or somebody hopefully so Robert what as we kind of wrap up what's the one thing that you you want our listeners to know uh the most about the film?

Robert Golphin:

Well I will say very quickly that I you know this film centers on obviously a character who has seen combat but I do want to make clear because I think it's important to respect all service people and what they endure that you don't have to see combat have mental health challenges from serving you know there's there's all sorts of reasons why people may be navigating certain things in their lives and and so I just want to you know respect that as well but at the end of the day when people leave chess candy you know it's not my job to tell someone how they should perceive it or or or take it but I do want people to leave reflected I want people to feel seen I want them to feel empathetic. I want them to feel honored I want them to feel compassionate based on who they are you know I I think uh once the film is released and out into the world it it doesn't belong to me anymore. I think viewers bring their own experiences to it and they're gonna see things that I didn't even intend or I didn't even comprehend. And that's what really makes the film even more powerful and and interactive in a way. I didn't want a Hollywood ending but I also didn't want hopelessness. I think that the ambiguity allows for hope and and I think that's a beautiful thing. But the reality is we don't know what the situation will be like for uh any particular veteran or soldier or their families and I think it's important that this film respected that you know my intention was to be as raw and authentic as possible without being exploiting or sensationalizing it. And I and I think that we did a pretty good job with that. I'm really happy that the the many of the feedback uh much of the feedback that we've received particularly from veterans and their families has been favorable and and you know folks thinking that I actually served after watching the film I mean that's been the thing that that matters so much to me. I just wanted to make sure that I got it right. So hopefully this is something that you can watch and feel moved by and feel like someone has actually understood what you're going through. This film might not have the answers but I hope it just makes you feel seen and I hope it makes others feel a little bit more love unconditional love because that's that's what everybody needs.

Larry Zilliox:

Well I don't doubt that it's gonna do that. I mean it's I it's just a great a great short film and uh as a veteran myself I really appreciate that you you did it. I know it was a lot of work a tremendous amount of work actually yeah I I think uh listeners again go to YouTube watch it chess candy like it and share it and comment on it do all the things that the YouTube uh logarithm likes and get the word out on it uh the more veterans and families that see it the better it is because it'll bring some understanding to people about maybe their loved one or just a relative so share it with everybody you can and they might get a better understanding of why Uncle Bill was the way he was or their cousin is struggling and maybe they need to pay more attention to what their needs are it it really could hit home for a lot of people for a lot of different reasons. So Robert uh can't thank you enough for uh coming on and and uh explaining to us uh about the film it's just great my honor my pleasure thank you so much for having me thank you to your listeners and um you know happy new year to everyone well thanks a lot and listeners we'll have another episode next Monday morning at 0500 you can find us on all the major podcast platforms we're on YouTube and wreaths across America radio so until next time thanks for listening

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Larry Zilliox | Veteran Podcast Host

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