Killin It
Comedians London Brown, Justin Hires, & BT Kingsley converse with top people in entertainment and culture that are killing it in their life and career.
Killin It
KAREEM GRIMES
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Actor, Kareem Grimes, discuss working with Jamie Foxx, acting in 'Boyz n the Hood', casting directors and challenging audition processes, networks & streamers diversity issues, and more.
Hosted by @RealLondonBrown, @JustinHires, @BTKingsley
YouTube (Full Episodes): @KillinItPod
YouTube (Clips): @KillinItPodClips
Instagram: @KillinItPod
TikTok: @KillinItPod
Facebook: Killin It
Website: KillinItPod.com
Executive Produced by London Brown, Justin Hires, BT Kingsley
Engineer: Aaron Brungardt
I done passed though somebody that's how many scenes do they want me to do? Yeah, so there's five in past. I'm not doing it. Why the f are you wasting people's time like this? So you now you got people who actually care. Memorizing four scenes, four scenes.
SPEAKER_00Eight pages. Eight pages. Eight pages. I got eight pages due in the eight pages.
SPEAKER_02No, I had eight pages right before the new year.
SPEAKER_00Pages is.
SPEAKER_02I'm not doing it. I'm not doing it. I don't care about your show that much. I don't care about your show. Your movie. I don't give a I can understand sometimes. You may need two scenes. There might there might be a different dynamic. Something comical might have happened, and then something tragic might have happened. Three, four scenes. That's a little bit too much.
SPEAKER_01Respectfully, disrespectfully go f yourself. I don't mean it disrespectfully. I mean it respectfully. Respectfully go f yourself.
SPEAKER_03Enjoy yourself.
SPEAKER_00Alright, uh, ladies and gentlemen, these episodes just keep getting better and better. The level of people, the talent of the the guests we have on, man, there's something that we can learn from everybody, man. Just the inside game, the journey, how they got here. This guy, man, just continues to work and has been working since we were all kids. Himself included, man. Going all the way back from Boys in the Hood. We got Grayson Anna. We got SWAT. I want you to know we got some actors and people on here that are not just doing black stuff. Alright. Um, all the way to All American, to the Vince Staples show. All the way from Inglewood, California, man. Put your hands together for our next guest, Mr. Kareem Grimes. I'll let him hear it. Hey Kareem! Man, a living legend around here.
SPEAKER_02Man, how much of a pleasure and an honor. I think I share at least three instances with you guys in this business. Yeah. And it's all been positive. Like literally positive watching you do your thing just as a comedian and an actor. And I've seen you at auditions before. And you getting the TV show, bro. You got that TV show when a lot of us really wasn't working. That's a fact. Super facts. We was looking at him like, damn, he. Network TV. Okay, right. Let me tell you, and not to cut you off, I'm gonna let you get back into it. I knew Rush Hour was getting picked up because at the time there were no black led shows other than Scandal. When Blackish got picked up, I said, oh, CBS has to pick up Rush Hour. Because if it didn't pick up Rush Hour, it would have been the only network now without having a black lead on their network. So when Blackish got picked up, I knew Rush Hour was getting picked up. And then they canceled my blackish immediately. They was like, we did it now. We took it away. No, but man, like literally seeing that, you know, for me, just looking at, I was like, oh yeah, this dude's out of here. You know what I mean? And then London, seeing this brother do his thing for so long. Um, I I I really didn't know you were a comedian. I just saw TV. Wow. You know what I'm saying? Yep. Um, and then just seeing your work, bro, just like, I was just like, yo, this dude is crazy. And then knowing that you do the comedy, I was like, of course. It makes sense. And then BT, man. I've been hearing about BT for a very long time, between Tangerine and CT. All I would hear about is BT Kingsley, BT, BT, BT, BT. And I went and saw this brother, man, and I was just like, yep, well, there it is. I I see why, man. So uh a pleasure and an honor, man, to just share this space with you guys, man. So yeah, thank you very much. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00Well, first of all, you just gave us our intro. We're your host, man. I'm up blending the ground.
SPEAKER_03Nice, thank you. Absolutely. Oh man, we gotta get into it, man.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, dude, man. So let's let's talk about it.
SPEAKER_01They canceled Vince Staples.
SPEAKER_02Right, yeah. Crazy. How do you deal? Because we actually got that in comment. I actually did see that they canceled Vince Staples um yesterday. Yeah. And I was like, luckily for you, your face isn't on the um the article. Notice. So like when they cancel Rush Hour, my face was next to Kermit the Frog. That's crazy. Because they canceled Rush Hour and the Muppets. Muppets had a new TV show the same day. And so it was me and Kermit both. That's why ain't on the variety Hollywood Reporter and deadline article.
SPEAKER_03With a big canceled across in your face. That's crazy. Yeah. But I put you next to Kermit, bro. That's put me next to Kermit. I'll never forget that shit. Wow.
SPEAKER_01Me and Kermit was sad as we were canceled. We were canceled. We were canceled.
SPEAKER_02How do you feel? Because I I I know what that experience is like, but how does it feel being on a show and dealing with a cancellation?
SPEAKER_00On a great show at that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, man. I think for me, this is really I I've been on a show. I I did a pilot and it didn't work. Um this one this one particular was really blindsided, you know, because being out in the in the streets and and people coming up to me and talking about the Vince Staple show, and I'm like, oh, okay, yeah, for sure. We should definitely get a third season. And then seeing how the second season is and how people are reposting clips. And then Vin Staple goes on this uh promo where he's on like Zwee and the whole nine, and these clips are going viral. So I'm like, oh yeah, for sure. And you know, it just made me think, like, man, sometimes it's just it's individuals in these high positions that have no clue of culture on what's going on. You know what I mean? And it's sad, you know what I mean? So at this point, as an actor, just being in this business, it was just like yes, I'm a little salty, um, but at the end of the day, it's like God don't make no mistakes and he has something bigger and better, and we just keep it pushing, you know what I mean, and we'll let the people, we'll let the people speak on our behalf. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's such a uh it feels like such a uh like a ball drop because yeah, y'all, y'all you guys had the LA version of Atlanta pretty much. Yes. I say the critical acclaim is there, the audience loves it, everybody's tapped in. It's a very LA show. And not for nothing has um like New York as a as a city tends to have things around it that feel very New York, and we consistently are like it's in our face. Yes. LA doesn't have that as much as it should for it to be LA. Right. And this was another representation of that for it to be gone as a side. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02It was just like really wow. You know what I mean? I you you hit it, you hit it right on the nose. I think it was a version of an LA that we've never seen before. You know, something that is the the writing on that show is not it's like Atlanta. There is no structure. And I think that's what made Atlanta popular. Yeah, because it was something new, it was something fresh, um, and at the same time it had its little nuggets, you know, in in there. Uh but yeah, man, it was just, you know, I at first I was just tripping. My manager said, you know, the manager would be the first one to get that info about it. So there's some news for y'all. Yeah, they for they send that clip, and then the call comes. And then it was just like, ain't this a big you know, you said something which is true, is like they don't have usually it's like they don't have people from our culture in our community in those high power positions. Yeah in the room, DI, right? Yeah, DE. Yeah, and then they'll wonder why we ask for DEI is because you all don't even get it. Like the fact that, let's say for this this, the fact that Godfrey, the comedian, right, super popping right now. Netflix didn't come to him. It's like, are you crazy? It's like he's one of the most popping comedians right now. Yeah, but you give these um stand-up specials to some of these other other people, and it's like, well, who are they? Like, I don't even know half of these people. And then you got somebody like Godfrey who's killing it for who has a hell of a following.
SPEAKER_00Big voice on social media.
SPEAKER_02Big voice on social media and stamps from Dr. Dre. That's a fact. Like a bunch of people. Everybody fuck with them. Y'all don't see this? Yeah, and so, but again, that comes from when you don't have certain people in these offices and in these rooms who can't speak up for you. Man, I I was just developing a show for three years, finally pitched it to the uh a studio, and they was like, Yeah, we we just didn't identify with any of the characters. Well, of course you didn't identify with any other characters because you and nobody that looks like you also works in this office, right, can even look, you can't uh connect with anything that I'm saying or any other people, this entire world. Absolutely and if you hired at least one person from the goddamn culture, yeah, but the problem is what I see, they don't even see our value until it's at such a level that they're like, oh, oh now we want to get on. Now we want to get on.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, even like, but even based on what you saying, like with the specials that go out, not only are you missing somebody at the pinnacle of like a Godfrey or Ali or people here. Or Ali. Yeah, it's like not only are you not only are you missing that, but the you're putting on quote unquote unknowns or whoever, and they're not even I'm not gonna say they're not good, but if you was if you was gonna get unknowns, there's unknowns that are killing them. There's unknowns that that'll that'll that that they couldn't follow on their best day that that'll you know I mean dog walked them. It's like it's like this is a a very you're catching them, you're doing them a disservice at some points because you're catching them before they even find their voice. Well, a killing it special, I'm not even saying this because it's us.
SPEAKER_02The three of us, if we each did a a 30-minute set and called it the killing it special, we'll eat up half of the niggas that's on Netflix. Point blank period. Ain't no question about it. You know, but when they don't see your value for whatever reason, it just is what it is. Alright, I'm off my goddamn soapbox. No, no, for real. Like, and and then also, too, what stuck out to me, the uh the brother from uh Grits and Eggs, Eggs and Grits, he was just like, bruh, nobody should be validating who we are, our culture. You're just a spectator. Period. We we don't need your validation because we are culture. Right. Anything that we touch, we say, we do, yeah, is culture. Period. And we really don't need your validation. Right. You know what I'm saying? We're doing you a solid to say, hey, this is this is hot. You may want to jump on this as a solid.
SPEAKER_00As a solid.
SPEAKER_02You know what I'm saying? It's gonna make you money.
SPEAKER_03And we wouldn't even be having this conversation with with those people because it's your money, do what you want with it, create what you want. But we don't.
SPEAKER_02Create your own shit. Create your own goddamn platform. You fuck things.
SPEAKER_03But then, yes, and they will then put out something trying to tell us that this is what it is. Right. And we're like, no, it's not. No, no, it's not. We saw what you did. You tried, you it's not like there's not black people on there, or it's not. It's like, no, it's just like this ain't. If if you're wondering why you're gonna have to cancel that, also, it's because we're not gravitating.
SPEAKER_02Pop the balloon, perfect example. Everybody was like, oh, I was happy for him. Netflix is, and then I looked at it, I said, nah, let me go back to YouTube. That's what about say this ain't pop the balance. This ain't balloon, this ain't it. And shout out to Yvonne. Yo, yeah, big shout out. It ain't about her. No. It's about who they was casting as the daters. Yeah. And you like, well, y'all trying to make Pop the Balloon some MTV from the 2000s type show. Yeah. And that ain't what Pop the Balloon is. And the people spoke. Oh, well. The people spoke and was like, oh, we heading right on back to YouTube.
SPEAKER_00There you have it. You know, but it is it's always that thing. YouTube number one. It is, and and and killing it. Um it's always been that thing because we hear the stories about actors that are we hear these stories about actors. Uh, like, you know, these stories of where Kareem will go in to read for Kareem. We we we're looking for Kareem Grimes. I'm him. What are we doing? What are we doing?
SPEAKER_02You had it happen? Bruh, I've had it to where it's you. What you mean? That's funny. Character ish. And I'm looking like, I know in my mind, I'm like, I know he's probably going in for this. I I know this is a brand new information. No, he's going. I know he's got the call that he's gonna show up and be in this, and it's gonna be like, Ta-da! Right. And it's gonna be just uh, you're just the what you call them? The ring, the ring, the ringer. The ringer. Yeah. Man, I'm telling you, man, see, that be the bullshit. People be wondering why people be frustrated sometimes. That's why, like you said, I said it. We did the Underground Lounge podcast, and on that, I said, like, why am I auditioning for people that I'm more talented than? Like, I it get to a point where it's like, I could understand back in the day when there was only three networks and we had to go through these gatekeepers. But now when it's social media, it's like we don't need you. Look at Drewski, look at Country Way, look at DC, Yum Fly. You can look at any of these people, B. Simone, Jess Hilarious.
SPEAKER_00Desi All in there.
SPEAKER_02Desi, it's like they've shown you Kev on stage, Nate Jackson, Matt Reif. They're showing you it's like, yo, you don't need them anymore. It's like your validation is cool if you want to give it. Right. But if you don't give it because you have bad taste, then cool. Yep. And I'm gonna just get on social media and make a name for myself.
SPEAKER_03And you know, and this, I think this might be a part that we always leave out because if if somebody hears our frustration, our irritation, or with the industry, what they might be missing is we want it to work. We want the industry to put out good work. Because we're we're all fans of TV, we're all fans of good content, we all love a good show to tune into, type into. As much as we want to work, I want to see my people work, I want to see my friends work. Yeah, we want y'all to get it right. So it's like, listen, we're gonna keep doing what we're doing. You're not stopping that. This is too late. It's too late. The wave is already happening, it's too, it's too much, too much, too, it's too much money to be made and too many outlets to get it in. So, so, but don't put out something trying to prove to us what it is and be wrong again. Right. You could have just got it right if you just would have listened. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02Wait a minute. This was my last point. No, go ahead. Then we're gonna get to get into all your backstory. My last point was they're always surprised when our shit do well. Right. They always think it's a fluke. Right. Like Black Panther did well. Oh, but that was that was Black Panther. That's that's it was Marvel. Okay. One of them days do well. Oh, well, uh, we just don't know. Maybe it was Kiki. Yeah, you know, sinners. You see what I'm saying? It's like if you fucking invest in us, we will show you what we can do. But but Blade is the reason why Marvel is Marvel today. Like, we forget about that.
SPEAKER_01They'll say it was the Iron Man.
SPEAKER_02Right, right, right. They'll say it was Iron Man. It was Robert Downey Jr. So good we had to bring him back twice. You know, they can give that role to somebody else. No disrespect to uh Robert Downey Jr. And I'm like, god damn, he just played Iron Man. We need him as Dr. Doom, too.
SPEAKER_03Anyways, I'm listening to him. So, I mean, I'm doing it. No, we're now we we here. This is a another version of them not knowing. Yeah, for sure. Even if let's let me take myself out of it. Let me take me and my black ass skin out of it. Comic book movies killed the movie star. People show up to the movie theater. I'm going to see uh Wolf Rain. I don't give a damn who's in a costume. I'm gonna be there. Yeah. And they didn't even they they're still fighting up that. You hear Will Farrell, yeah. You hear somebody be like, yeah, I'll be there. Let's see what he do. Yeah. It's like you you like they they'll see, they didn't want to believe in that either. Like a perfect example. Doomsday and Dune are coming out on the same day. I don't know if they understand what's about to happen. In their brain, oh yeah, the comic book thing is over, fatigue, so on and so forth. But if you're in the no, you're like, no, no, no, you guys. This is the X-Men. This is this is the the sequel to Endgame. This is 20 years of legacy and a bunch of stuff. This isn't stopping anytime soon. Oh, no, no, it'll be fine. No, Doomsday is going to bomb. Dune is not going to do well in comparison to the numbers of Doomsday. It might, maybe you'll get the Oppenheimer Barbie bleed over. It's like, because people are in the theater, they might go see this. But the excitement level, it's like you guys are not paying attention to what's happening, especially with so many niche markets. If we're telling you something black is great, don't, and and you see the audience responding to it, keep it going. Don't cancel Vince Stable show. Don't cancel rap shit. Don't don't cancel the shit that we love and we're all in tune to.
SPEAKER_01You you fucking up.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_01Go to Tubi, nigga, and shut up.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Tubi gonna keep rising up the rank. We've been we you know we build out networks. You saw what happened with Fox, you saw what happened with the Living Colors.
SPEAKER_02Like, I'm gonna keep it 100, 1000. Niggas, niggas better get on Tubi while they can. Because in five years, it ain't gonna be no niggas on Tubi. Because they're gonna treat Tubi the same way they treated WB and UPN. I mean, well, you know who owns Tubi. Fox. Right? Rupert Murdoch's son. Yeah, they have it. They gonna fall too far from the tree. So they they using all the content creators, applaud them. Fantastic. Get the check while you can. Yeah. But know what the grand plan is. It's the same thing how they built up the Fox Network with Inliving Color. CW in Inliving, exactly, and the Wayne's brothers and Jeremy Fox. And then when they get it to a certain place, they go kick your black asses off. Justin is just a bit of a nigga.
SPEAKER_01Somebody gotta start talking real shit out of here, man.
SPEAKER_00Everybody, stop what you're doing right now. Make sure you subscribe to Killin' the Pie. Boom.
SPEAKER_02Kareem, where you from? Where you from and how did you get into acting? Man, born in Inglewood, California, raised in South Central LA, man. So true LA native through and through, man. And uh, yeah, I started I started in the business in the 80s. I had friends, uh, my buddy Marlon, who was in It, the first It, Stephen King's It. I just watched out my daughter. Yeah, so my buddy Marlon, uh my boy Benji, uh, my boy Sean. These were all child actors when I was coming up who were already on. You know what I mean? And just it just so it was so crazy that we kind of lived within a couple of blocks from each other, if not down the street. So watching them and seeing them going auditions and you know, having them to learn lines, I was just like, yo, and then I was a kid who always watched a lot of TV. You know, I was watching the Jefferson. Same as Chris Christian said the same thing. You know, uh Silver Spoon. Chris Lofton, yeah, yeah. Uh, you know, so I was that kid who watched a lot of TV. So a lot of my comedic timing, I, you know, I found on, you know, All in the Family, the Jeffersons, and you know, uh Mel's Diner. I'm over here dating myself, but Flip Wilson. You know, so for me, that's what my family used to call me, baby flip, because I I used to imitate family members. And from that point on, I was just like, yo, this is something that I want to do. And my mom, my mom and my family wholeheartedly supported me and got into acting class, which was uh Angela Gibbs and Marla Gibbs acting at the crossroads. Oh yeah. So that was my first introduction to acting class right on Crenshaw. And my acting teacher was Whitman Mayo, who played Grady on Sanford and Sun. Wow. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03What is it like being a LA native doing the Hollywood thing? Because it's like you live in, you are you really from LA like London is. Yeah, it's like, you know, blood, sign over there. I mean, there's this thing, they're making those shows right over there. What is the what is that like?
SPEAKER_02Man, it's um uh for me, it was just, you know, just normal, I guess. I mean, you know, it was like we we can come out our neighborhood depending on where you were geolocated and look up and be like, oh, they go to Hollywood sign. You know what I mean? So for me it was it was, you know, it was something that was obtainable because one of my classes, we went to a taping of A-Man at the at the Paramount lot. And I'm just like, yo, to see this on TV and it's 20 minutes, 30 minutes from my house, I'm like, yo, yes, this is possible. It's right in my backyard. Of course I can do this. And then, like I said, having friends who are already in the business and tagging along with them on audition. I was like, yeah, I can do this. So what do you have? An agent? Okay, how do I get that? Okay. I need to get that. Okay, but I have to start off doing extra work. Or as well. He called him uh uh what do you call them? I know you're talking about fed actors or something. Fed background, fed fed props. Fed props was great.
SPEAKER_00Yo, was that guy with a guy who's a good thing? I just guy too.
SPEAKER_02Props was hilarious. But uh, but yeah, I started doing extra work, you know. Um that was really how I really started, and back then you had to get three vouchers to get in the sag. You know what I mean? So that was that was the whole thing, you know what I mean? And you get a voucher each project, and you know, um I find myself on the set of boys in the hood because they were looking for young black boys who skateboard, and at that time, that's what I was doing. Damn, two weeks into shooting, we're just throwing the ball around, and then John, and if you see there's other kids single, single thing. There's other kids that were yeah, that were in the scene. I could have given any one of those kids lines, but he was just like, Yo, I'm gonna give you some lines, you cool with that? And I was like, Yeah. And literally, from that point on, I was like, I had my little honeywagon. They gave me the paperwork to sign for uh for SAG, and that's how I got a SAG, and at that time, SAG was 500 bucks. Ooh, that's I wish it was still that. Now it's 40,000. Man, but 500 back then was like, Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? Like, that was my check. You know what I'm saying? I did want to ask you, you have any other memories from the boys in the hood? Yeah, tons. Every time I watched that movie from when they were younger, I knew exactly where I was at. Watching, um watching, you know, Trey talk to his pops, leaving, getting dropped off by Angela Bassett. I was there for that. I saw Ice Cube rap, How to Survive in South Central, a couple of bars of it. Because this was lunchtime, and Cube had on, he had on Levi jeans, some high top air flights, and it was the shirt that Ricky got shot in, the polo shirt. Ice Cube had it on, and he had on a Raiders hat, but it was like a Raiders hat I'd never seen. It was like the emblem was like metal and it was 3D, and I was just like, I ain't seen that hat before. You know what I mean? And then he was telling John that he was working on a song for the movie, and people just started to gather around, and you know, I'm this kid, I'm inching my way in, and he was just like, How to survive a South Central? And I was just like, And Q was cute, Q was Q, Qur, like the cadence, everything, and I was just like, yo, this dude is like, and I was saying this before, this is the first time I saw a rapper rap live. And I was just like, yo, this is crazy. Like, my friends not gonna believe me. And they did, and they was like, nigga, you ain't in no movie.
SPEAKER_01You know, your boys, they be like, nigga, you ain't in no movie, bruh. Stop lying.
SPEAKER_00How old are your friends? How old are y'all at the time? 13. Oh, yeah, that's funny. This is junior high. And I know it's hard for them to believe as well because it's like, you're the same one off the block, you're the same one in class.
SPEAKER_02So that's that's they was like, man, you lying, you ain't in no movie until it come out. And see, back then it took almost a year for a movie to come out. That's a fact. So when the premiere came, I saw myself, I was like, yo.
SPEAKER_00On that screen.
SPEAKER_02And I'm talking about it, it was the big, I forgot where they had the screen. It was probably either at Sony. Man, I saw myself on the screen, I was like, yo, this is crazy. And then I went to school when that joint opened up and it was a rap. It was like, you really was in there.
SPEAKER_00Were you did were you a kid star on the campus with the friends? Did they did they understand?
SPEAKER_02Or you just I was my friends who knew me that I was close to, they were the ones like, yo, yo, he was at boys' hood.
SPEAKER_01My boy, he was at boys' hood.
SPEAKER_02I thought I was cool. I went and got myself a rhinestone K hat. I thought I was a man, boy. I'm throwing that joint on every day, man. But yeah, man, so that's literally that's that's literally my intro. That's crazy. That's how you got your sad card. Yeah, that's how I got my sad card, Boys in the Hood, man. I still have the M the uh the Boys in the Hood. So back then, when you when they did movie premieres, they would have a book of the the uh the movies cover or whatever. You open it and it literally has everybody that's in it. I still have the Boys in the Hood booklet from the from the premiere. You could have told Ricky the Zig and Zag. Right. You know, you was there, man.
SPEAKER_01You just let Boris Chester run straight. You could have said, nigga, you got a crap! You gotta saved him.
SPEAKER_02God damn it, Kareem. Yeah, man. So yeah, that was that was my um that was my intro, man, and it was just you know, as a young kid, man, you just happy to be out of school on a set working. That's what it was for me.
SPEAKER_03You know. So uh we got we gotta talk about working, man. You're one of the actors that I know the the You be working, bro. You what are you doing within your auditioning, within um your training that keeps you cooking? Because I feel like I feel like there's a short list of actors. When something comes up, you kind of know who's going out for this. It's like all these people, I feel like all the casting people know these people gonna send in good tape. Now, what they the industry and all the other politics that happens, but we know they're gonna give good tape. I know Jessie's gonna give me good tape. I know Kareem's gonna give me good tape. I know Lendon's gonna give me good tape. I know uh that that there's gonna be good tape that comes out. What are you doing in your auditions and uh in your uh in your practice to make sure that you're what's broke, don't fix it, man.
SPEAKER_02If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'm literally a creature of habit, man. For me, it's you know, being as present, knowing what's going on in the scene. What can I bring to this that's gonna make it different? Do you improvise in your audition? Yeah. I always do. I think for me as an actor, you always have to have a beginning and an end. I mean, you have to have something that you're doing before you even say your line. You know what I mean? Because you doing it, you having something before the audition that already invites the casting director to be like, oh, whether if I'm shaking my, if I'm doing this and be like, it's cold. Now you know I'm outside. So I have something I I have to give you first before I go into the meat of the scene, and then I usually have a button at the end.
SPEAKER_00Also, I wanted to, and as far as um, I think we spoke about do you guys prefer to be completely off booked when you audition? What you're not with the commercial process. Do y'all be completely off booked? Or if if they say you don't have to be off book, do you listen to that?
SPEAKER_02Yeah. It's different because back in the day when you had to go in the office, I would try to be as I would try to be as comfortable with the material as much as I can. I may have it in my hand. Um but now since we're in the day and age of self-tape, I try to be off book. Because for me, off book, I'm able to, you know what I'm saying, mold it into what I want, use space, to be able to figure things out as I go. So I try to be off book as much as possible. You know? I'm I'm the same way. I I'm off book. As a matter of fact, when I did my rush hour callback, it was still a self-tape, my callback for rush hour. And I said, I need to make sure if I want to book this, I need to make sure I'm off book because I just wanted to be as free and you know as possible. But I a part of me when I do audition for things and I'm off book and I don't get a call back, see, that's why he's bitter. Nigger wasn't getting comeback.
SPEAKER_01Nigger wasn't getting comeback! We got him. Yo, this is hilarious.
SPEAKER_02Hilarious. A part of me is like, well, I'm wasting my time. A part of me feels like I'm wasting my time being off book. And I'm like, well, if I wanna go get a call back, I should have just fucking had the shit in my hand and just still did it as best as possible. Because I feel like I done spent all this time and energy like trying to make sure I know these lines. Yeah. But and it's interesting you say that because I'm a student of the game. That's what I wanted to say too. Like, I'm studying other actors. I'm constantly on YouTube looking at round table interviews, actors on actors. You watch shows too? Yes. Hey, actors.
SPEAKER_03I'll be way too many actors like, yeah, I can't watch TV.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's that's that's total bull. Like, like, I don't I don't get that because how you not how how you're not gonna watch a TV perfect example. How you're not gonna watch Grey's Anatomy when there is a timing thing that's going on in the show. If you are and if you are in this business, how you're not gonna watch shows because if you're really working, you might end up on that show. Right. And there's a whole timing with I went out for the pit, and they were like, before you even got the size, it was like, listen, actors, yeah, there is a certain criteria that we are looking for. If you're not on camera, you need to you need to be acting as if you were on camera. Like you have to be doing something. You know what I mean? So if you're not watching a show and you go into the audition, you're going in blind, and then you wonder why you're not getting no call back or whatever, and it's just like, yo, watch these shows because you might end up getting a call to be on that show.
SPEAKER_03So there's a timing. Yeah, I had a call back from uh Mrs. Mazel, and I know it was it was in that same world. It was like, because I understood the rhythm of the show, because that show they talked about really, really fast. I was like, I was like, oh, I watched the show a lot, so I I kind of understand that process now. But would to answer your question, La DeFore, commercials would be totally different. I'm totally off book, but commercials is a gamble for me. Commercials, I am, I don't be doing they script at all. Oh, yeah. I stopped caring.
SPEAKER_02That's the key to booking commercials. Like, bruh. Don't care, you book them. I mean, I would go in there and be like, ah. Nothing. And then I just stopped caring. I just go in there and just have fun, man. It is, it is, it is gonna be what it's gonna be, bruh.
SPEAKER_00I think we realize that too. What happens is ultimately, I what I'm realizing is that cast nerve vectors, well, one, a lot of them do want to do well, makes them look good. They want to find something different. But I think sometimes we the nerves beat, because I remember hearing this from Alfonso McCullough. Shout out to Alfonso. And he was talking about, I asked him this early on about how'd you look out, fat Albert and all this stuff. Said, man, I just stopped caring, man. I just just and it there is something of there's a certain confidence that comes off when you really go in there like, yo, this is what I'm doing. Y'all good? We everybody? All right, cool. The energy of that, of really just I'm gonna do me and leave it on the table because we put so much pressure on ourselves with these auditions, man.
SPEAKER_02See, dude. And and and and and that goes in on TV and film too. Is that you're not going in like, ah, I gotta book this. It's like, yo, I'm gonna give you what I feel this character is, and that's what you're gonna get. Period. If we if we get a call back and we get the notes, I'll make the adjustments. I'll make the adjustments. But other than that, I'm giving you what I, my interpretation of the two pages that you sent me that I'm supposed to make out what this whole show and movie is about, with these two scenes, this is what I'm gonna give you. Let me let hold on, hold on, go on. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Because that got me to another point. These two pages. I am sick of auditious. Come on. Of these niggas doing four scenes. Yeah. And you know good goddamn well, you know, after one scene, after two sentences out of my mouth, whether or not. I'm gonna fast forward or I'm gonna stay and be like, let me write his name down. I done passed, I done passed on some audience. I said, How many scenes do they want me to do? Yeah, so there's five in pass pit. I'm not doing that. Why the fuck are you wasting people's time like this? So you now you got people who actually care, fucking memorizing four scenes. Four scenes.
SPEAKER_00Eight pages, eight pages. Eight pages, I got eight pages due in the eight pages.
SPEAKER_02I had no, I had eight pages right before the new year. Nigga. I'm not doing it. I'm not doing it. I don't care about your show that much. I don't care about your show, fuck your movie. I don't give a shit. Nigga. That be pissing me off. It's like, fine. I can understand sometimes. You may need two scenes. There might, there might be a different dynamic. Something comical might have happened, something tragic might have happened. I understand two scenes. I get that. Three, four scenes. That's a little bit too much. Go fuck yourself.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01Respectfully, disrespectfully go fuck yourself. I don't mean it disrespectfully. I'm mean it respectfully. Respectfully go fuck yourself.
SPEAKER_03Enjoy yourself. Go enjoy it. Don't watch the porn. Get some loop. Get some loop.
SPEAKER_02Make it happen. Don't be having people do this shit when you know damn well you probably only watching two minutes of the tape. There was a video that went viral of that casting director that was like in Atlanta. Y'all remember that shit? She said she cut it off after like two seconds. Two seconds, yeah. And it's like, and I'm sure all casting directors don't do that. Shout out to all the good, dutiful casting directors that love what they do and do their job. But it's like, come on, man. Two scenes is all you really need to see if the actor is something you're looking for.
SPEAKER_03I heard a casting director say they can watch it with the volume off. I heard another one say they let their kids watch. And then it and it's a baby. They say they let their kids watch, and if if their kids get excited by somebody, then that's who they can. Then that's who they bring in.
SPEAKER_01Is this my camera? You've got to be kidding me. You mean to tell me I'm taking three days? Three days, two and a half to three hours a day trying to get this down. And you put take it to your kids who have a short extension span already.
SPEAKER_03See, and and so Okay, a couple of things. You said the the not caring thing, and I'm this would be happening for for me, and I don't know if y'all deal with this or not. All right, boom, I get the sides. Now, I'm in a I'm in my brain comfortable enough to not give a fuck anymore. Right? And that's not booking nothing because I don't book TV and film. It's it's just a lot of commercials outside.
SPEAKER_02Hey, listen, you gotta you got some big commercials outside. I'm just saying right now. You got the big ones.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but the commercial commercial. You got Lakers season tickets. I don't got no Lakers season tickets. Yeah, yeah, for sure. So it's like, all right, I'm going in for the stage, boom, I'm gonna read. So now I'll do a take that I love. And then I'll go do the take that's like very on script, where it's like, oh, one for y'all, one for me, but I really don't want to give you the one for you. I really just I really just want to do the one for me. And it and now I feel like I'll be that's where the hesitation be. Like, I just went out for a commercial and it was some money on the table. It was so much money on the table. I said, everybody's gonna be coming. People that don't normally do commercials come in for this one. It was like a quarter million a quarter, something outrageous.
SPEAKER_02ATC?
SPEAKER_03Yep. But they tell you, they tell you your this was December.
SPEAKER_02I put my I was supposed to do it, but I was doing Nashville 911, and I was like, nigga, I'm already working. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But they normally, yeah, everybody.
SPEAKER_02So much money, I put myself on Twitter. I remember Cass that was that was uh on the show that I was doing, who flew in just like me, was doing it in the hotel. And I was just like, Yep, I got some for show right now. I'm doing for show money right now. Yeah, I saw that. I don't need no hope money, I need some for show money, and I'm doing it.
SPEAKER_03So I I saw it, boom, I got the call back. I know that I'm gonna get that every time. It's like, yeah, uh I was like, I I know, I don't even have no question, man. I'll get that call back. And I get in the room, and you know, it's it's a normal setup, and now I'm thinking, them us. You know what I'm saying? And it's like, it's making it, it makes it. What you mean, them us? Yeah. Like one for me, one for one for them. It's like it makes it, it makes your delivery murky. So for actors or people that are watching this that are taking the tips from me, when we're saying don't give a damn about the script or kind of freestyle, it's like also we're well versed in what the scene needs for sure or what the performance needs or what the story needs, and then working within those parameters to deliver like that. Yeah. But but that is a you have that in in spades, you guys all do. It's like, because there's I can't think of a world where you would deliver good bad tape. Uh seeming too much, you give a shit. Yeah. It's like, no, no, no. Every time it's I'm looking, I'm I'm screw this is me through your IMDB guy. Damn. Wait, that's only six years.
SPEAKER_01Two weeks ago.
SPEAKER_00It was the worst audition.
SPEAKER_02Oh man, I'm and why and why was it? I wasn't off book, but it was one of those um technical shows, and I had to be this computer guy, and I was on this screen, and I had the size in my hand, and I was it was a lot of dialogue, but it was just like and I was just like, bitch. Were you making that noise about you? Yo, and it was it was probably one of my worst uh auditions, and I I literally, it took me about a day, two days to be like, Kareem, this never again will you ever have this feeling again to go into a room like that. So I'm saying that was it was bad, dude. It was it was maybe some like NCIS, C S I kind of show real wordy. I was a tech guy. You gotta know that dialogue. Right, right.
SPEAKER_03You know what I mean? We gotta talk about one of your greatest works ever, one of the biggest things you've ever done. The only movie I ever did, which Lima's God to Mary.
SPEAKER_01Oh, bruh.
SPEAKER_03We did this this movie together. Uh and I but I have the name of it? Muslims got to marry. Um but I I have to streaming now on Tubi.
SPEAKER_02Maybe possibly. It might be a good idea.
SPEAKER_03Possibly. Yeah, or Amazon.
SPEAKER_02You never know.
SPEAKER_01The shit, but don't watch it.
SPEAKER_02You never know. Hey man, I'm a comedian. I just be throwing out jokes at you. Some of these motherfuckers are gonna hit some of them, ain't man!
SPEAKER_03Fucking Robocop one is on Tubi. It should be on Tubi. What is your what is that that difference for you when you're doing independent versus more network? What is your process like? What is that? How's that journey different for you? The process Because you work in both worlds.
SPEAKER_02The process is still a process. It's I prepare the same way. If I'm doing network, the same way for independent. You know, for me, it is all I ask is when I do independence, is be mindful of my time. You know what I mean? Independence, it feels like they got a backpack here, papers falling out. Hey, we're gonna get to you, but we got another shoe.
SPEAKER_01We're gonna get it to the shoot to the minute.
SPEAKER_02Like, oh hold on, like my bad.
SPEAKER_01Uh, we're gonna get to you in a minute. Like a public defendant, like a public like number two.
SPEAKER_00When you're ready. I think everybody has one of those, and it feels like it feels unorganized, especially, and you guys will notice being on set. But when you I'll say this, when I'm working on with ballers and raises cannon, but when you work on professional sets, it's real clear when you working with people that ain't absolutely in the same zone.
SPEAKER_02It's like it's little things wherever you don't want to say, you don't, you, you don't want to come off and be like, that's wrong. You need to do that. Get your get your get your establishment shot first. They're going for your coverage. You know, you don't want to be that guy. You know what I mean? So they'll be like, we're gonna start on the insert shot. You'll be like, um, we're gonna start in this paper clip. Like, let's get to the meat of it. Yeah, you know what I mean? Especially if you gotta cover it a bunch of areas. I said, let's get into that. But I try not to, I try not to be that person. Um, I think it's just more of I'll just say, hey, hey guys, what about this? You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I I prepare the Same way as if I'm doing network film, the same way uh for independent. Because at the end of the day, you're on camera. That is your work at the end of the day. And you know, I just want to be able to do good, solid work.
SPEAKER_00What's your favorite project and and why thus far?
SPEAKER_02Thus far.
SPEAKER_00Or your favorite experience on one of these.
SPEAKER_02I mean so many. I mean, Vin Staple, bruh. You know, all American. You know. Vin Staple allowed it allowed people to see the comedic side of my bag. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Because I didn't even know till till today. You know what I'm saying? Even though I've done shows comedy-wise, but this really showed people like, oh, this dude, oh, okay, he can, he can, okay, he can do that. You know what I mean? And then having All American be so serious, it was just like, all right, y'all get both. Y'all get the drama, y'all get the comedy, y'all know I can do it. You know what I mean? So those are the two things that stick out as far as my my favorite projects. I I wanted to ask about some you've been doing acting since the 80s. And now here we are in 2026. Damn. I know. Delivered to yourself. Right. Thank you, brother. Um how how are how are you dealing with the changing of the landscape from TV to social media? And like, how are you feeling as a thank you very much? How are you?
SPEAKER_01I prayed about this interview.
SPEAKER_02I told myself, but how are you feeling about like where the industry is and your your place as an actor dealing in this? Especially right now. Yeah, man, it's it is it is to be honest, when the social media stuff really started to happen, I was low-key, like, because I would hear friends like, oh, I had to go on this audition and they were asking what my followers were like, and I didn't have followers like that. I was old school, like, yeah, the work is there. Look at the work. You know what I mean? And to be honest, it was just one of those things to where I looked at it like, oh, social media is a fad. It'll be gone. You know what I mean? And a part of that is true because at a certain point, it was a bunch of social media people that were on, but it didn't transfer, it didn't transfer to what TV and film. TV and film like their acting and stuff. Exactly. What Hollywood thought it was gonna be. Um Hold on, not to cut you off, not just the acting, but how many viewers they were gonna get because this social media person was in this project. Continue. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01You know, I say a lot of stupid shit. But I'll tell you something else in the box. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02We're listening. No, so uh for me it was uh, you know, it was that feeling that's good. It was that feeling of just like uh I think I'm gonna just continue to do what I do best, and that's do the work and make sure that I put out good work out there. Um now it's still like you know, uh I I feel because I've I got tenure in this that it's just like still, man, like the work is gonna speak for itself. It's and shout out to one of my acting teachers, Susan Batson. It's about the work, man. Like, I can't stress it enough. It's about the work for me, and that's how I've always approached it, and that's how I look at it. I don't give a damn how many followers you have. If you get in the scene with me, I'm going to tear you up. You're going to be embarrassed. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Because we've worked too hard to study the craft of it to let somebody who has 10 million, 6 million, whatever it is, come in and think that they're going to do this. And you're not going to do that. And I'm going to tell you in your face, you're not going to do that.
SPEAKER_00Right. And then also on camera, you know, as a photographer, when I shoot people, like the camera has a special way of capturing the truth. Where can I go to Book of Session? Right. But you know, the camera, it doesn't lie. You can't pretend, man, that you got if you trying to do trying to come to the come on set dishonest. That camera's gonna read, right? You read flat and it's just not it's not connected.
SPEAKER_02It's going to tell the truth every single time. So for me, it was just like, I still have that struggle of the social media and things that nature. I know it's a part of it, it goes hand in hand. Um, but I just also too, I just refuse not to put myself out there just to be putting stuff out there on social media. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like it has to be-do it on, and I'm a piece of shit. Continue. No, no, I'm gonna kill myself. No, no, no. No, no. If you're gonna do it, have it have some substance, or at least, you know, I'm to where you're like, yo, that is funny. And you know, everybody goes in and be like, yo, this is gonna be funny, or whatever, and hope the world takes it. But I think some of the I think we're we're just in a space where everybody just wants to go viral. And they're selling their soul, and or they're stepping outside of who they are, their character, and just to get a laugh, yeah, or to do something stupid and ignorant just to get the clicks, just to get the likes, or whatever. And at the end of the day, we've seen that taper off. You know what I'm saying? To where they got mental problems because they really were like, that's not who I really was. That's what I'm about to kill myself. No, no, dude. Like, like, yeah, like as as as a as a as a as a fellow actor and a fan, the stuff that you've done online is very smart and funny. It's never been like I'm not I'm not looking at you sideways like, oh, he's really trying to, he really reaching. You know what I mean? It's always been yeah, no. It's always been like I respect it and it's funny. No, with that. You know what I mean? So yeah, there's a uh I hope I answered that question. No, no, no.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you got it. The um, but what would the ideal role for you, because you you spoke to uh uh being able to let those other versions of you be seen when you're on the Vince Table show? What would be an ideal role for you where you could sink your teeth into and you feel like it would be the perfect showcase for the video?
SPEAKER_02I think it would be a match of comedy and drama. You know, um what was the movie that came out two years ago? Um it was up for an Oscar, it was written by a brother. Uh one of my favorite actors, Jeffrey Wright, was in it. Oh, and American American fiction. Was it American fiction? About the author? Yes, yeah, American fiction. That's American fiction. Perfect drama. It was comedy and it was also drama. You know what I'm saying? Um, so that for me would probably be the perfect role to where I can make you laugh and I can make you cry. You know what I'm saying? Um, so yeah, that that that's what it would be for me.
SPEAKER_00What have you learned since being in the game for this amount of time?
SPEAKER_02People who say they rock with you really don't rock with you. These episodes have been speaking to you. So I showed. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00I mean, what in what way mean as far as industry-wise or personal industry-wise, I think it's industry-wise.
SPEAKER_02Um and, you know, for me, because I came up in the business in the 80s, I just operate different. You know what I mean? And as I was coming up, I saw early on, you know what I mean, just my peers to where it was just like cast was really like once they got a little bit of something, it was just like they for us LA Cast, we'd be like, oh, niggas move straight to the valley. I'll start. All go to the valley and start acting real different. You know what I'm saying? But um, it was just like I started in the valley.
SPEAKER_01I'm straight from St. Pete to Bourbon. But we're not from here. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's for sure. But I think for me, it was just seeing people just change. And and it's just like, oh, your people around you change. No, I've seen individuals change to where it's just like, yo, you can't return a call, or you know what I'm saying, if we're out and about and somebody is like wanting a picture and people like, oh, I don't, I don't, I don't do pictures. It's just like knock it off.
SPEAKER_00Knock it off.
SPEAKER_02Like, like, like, come on. You're you're on a medium right here, you're on a platform that's broadcast to billions of people. What do you mean you don't want to take a picture? You know what I mean? Nobody is saying you gotta have a whole chat with them. I for me, I always look at if you took 30 minutes to an hour out of your life to watch me on TV, I can give you a couple of seconds or a couple of minutes. It's that simple. You know what I'm saying? And I think it gets twisted, and also too, a lot of social media influencers have kind of twisted that around too, to where it's like they shit don't stink. You know what I'm saying? And it's just like and that's the part I don't like. You know what I mean? It's just like we we you get on social media and then you are allowed into this fraternity in Hollywood, and it's just like you just muck it up, you don't care, you treat it a different way, you know what I'm saying? And it's just like really you know what I mean? Um so that that part of it is it's disheartening, but um you know, I I I try to be as personable as as much as possible, man, and you know, like I said, really appreciate people for watching me on TV and you know, because at the end of the day, if they don't watch, the show is not popping. Right. You're not popping. Man, I used to tell try to tell that you would be on these shows and like the actors don't promote the show. And I'm like, Man, yo, if if you don't promote the show, no one watches, we don't have a show. So I don't even understand the idea. They they're sending you materials to fucking post. Yeah, yeah. Just post up. And you may have a they have a million followers, don't even post nothing. Don't post nothing. I'm like, all right, well, I guess you don't give a fuck. They just care about the work. It's like, alright, man, that's cool. That's but that's part of the job. That's part of the job. Part of the job. Now we're in the day and age of social media. Like back in the day, when you get on TV, you either made some cards and you mailed them off, or you told your friends. There was no Facebook, no Instagram, no Snapchat, no TikTok, none of that. You literally had to be like, yo, I'm gonna be on CBS, or I'm gonna be on NBC. Make sure you tune in. You know what I'm saying? Now it's like, yo, you have these social platforms to where if you're booking or if you're working on something, you have it to disseminate in front of everybody for them to be able to tune in so you can be able to get those eyes, so you can be able to get those views, so you can be able to get those clicks to continue to work in this business. To get another season. That's how it works. What was the name of that movie y'all did again? Muslim's guide to marriage. Well, we got word from Aaron, the engineer. It is on Tubi!
SPEAKER_00Hey! That's a research team.
SPEAKER_01We got a research team. We're getting up there. We're coming up. We're coming up.
SPEAKER_00Where would you be had you not followed your dream, man? What do you what are you where would you go? What was your projectory, or what do you think you would be doing?
SPEAKER_02That's a good question. Damn. I don't even know, bro. Like, I started in this 11, 12 years old. So that's all I thought about. You know what I mean? Of course, you have your your young visions of, oh, I'm gonna go to the NFL, NBA, da da da. But for me, it was like to be an actor, that's what I wanted to do. Or just to, I think to be honest, I had days of just like, yo, I just want to have a regular nine to five job. You know what I mean? But the vision has always been clear as just to being an actor. But did that come from when you guys went to go visit the TV set? Man. That went that moment. That moment. I do, I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a late field trip. I think we got there probably like around three or four o'clock, like right after school. Um, and we drove there, and we're literally on the Paramount lot. So I'm looking at like who's shooting on this, there, and we get into the audience, and there it is. The show that I've watched on TV is right in front of my face. As a kid, I was like, yo, this is insane. And then they go through rehearsals and then they shoot the show. That moment, bro, I was on cloud nine. That that was it. Well, that was it. I was like, I want to do this, I want to do this. You know what I mean? And literally, a couple of years later, I book a show called uh uh what was it called? Not in Living Color, it was called based on a show about a black man who married a white woman. It was with Claude Brooks and his brother. It was literally the sound familiar, I just can't get it. It was it was on Fox and it was a three-camera show. And I found myself on set because I watched a three-camera show. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? And then to actually be in a show that was three cameras, I was like, yep. This is where I'm supposed to be.
SPEAKER_03What what uh somebody has an idea, has a dream, decides to make the move or lives here coming up from South Central, like what would you tell them? What what what advice would you give them?
SPEAKER_02Make daily deposits, man. Like literally make daily deposits, whatever it is that you want to do in life. Make sure you're doing something towards that goal, towards that what you want to do in life. Because the more daily deposits that you do, the greater your return will be. So when it's time to cash in, you be like, yo, I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this. Now I can reap the benefits of making those daily deposits. And literally, I'm a I'm a big person of like vision boards and writing the vision down and making it plain, and you know what I'm saying, and really praying about it, and just going forth and just doing the work. You know, faith without works is dead. So we can pray all day. I want to do this, but you gotta do the work. You gotta do the work.
SPEAKER_00I talk about that, which is a lot of times how the same thing is also what I live by, which is all of that, which is uh, but I say um do something every day that puts you closer to where you want to be. Come on. And but in addition to that, a lot of people I think do that, which is they'll pray, they'll manifest their vision boards. But I'm like, also, I think a lot of people aren't getting what they feel sometimes they deserve because there's something about doing the work that happens with us and building character while we develop the stuff. And I think sometimes the character of people isn't in a position to receive the things that they're asking for. So it's like, man, if you did get that Yeah, how would you treat it? How would you you haven't been but there's something about doing the work that allows you to as you put those deposits in, because that's work, because a lot of stuff, that's a lot of unwork, that's a lot of work that isn't seen, nobody knows about, and it's just putting in those reps. And we know this from doing clubs. We do a lot of free clubs, yeah. For sure. Um but when it's time to when it's time for you get up there, you could tell real quick, especially with stand-up, you could tell real quick who's been in the gym and who's kind of understands what's going on, man. That's a dope game, man.
SPEAKER_02No, I uh and and and to really parallel with you guys, I was doing a lot of plays out here. So when I wasn't working, I was doing you know, I was doing local theater. Oh, really? Oh yeah. Oh man, I've I've worked with Ted Lange, who played Isaac on a Love Boat. I've I've been directed by the him, you know what I'm saying? Iona Morris. Like, I I did a lot of plays. I I did one play for almost like three, four years. Oh wow. Wow. You know what I'm saying? It was called North on Central Live, and it was based on a true story about uh the jazz scene on Central Live in Los Angeles, was one of the biggest uh attractions for entertainers to where blacks couldn't go to Hollywood, but the whites wanted to come down to South Central and play, you know, Biddy Mason. You know what I'm saying? This is a real woman who, you know, I mean, these streets are named after of. So, you know, I did that play, yeah, at least for three, four years, and Stan, Stan Williams, who's on Abbott Elementary, yeah, was in the play with me. Wow, that's the degenerator. So when I see Stan, when I say I am beyond happy for this man, because we've been in the trenches. We've been in the trenches, and Stan was always like a big brother, big mentor of just stay focused, you know, even if you didn't book it, it's okay. And just to see him now get his flowers is amazing. But you know, these are individuals that I've been on stage with.
SPEAKER_03Because that counts as what what do you think were um the necessary steps for your training? Because you I feel like you're extremely well trained. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02A lot of theater. Yeah, a lot of theater. Um, you know, theater is for me is really the best training because I've got to couple. Ain't no, ain't no, I messed up. You gotta figure it out. You know what I mean? And you're going to make sure that you study because you don't want to get out on that stage and embarrass yourself. You know what I mean? So that's what it is for me, theater. Um, like I said, I study with Susan Batson, who is uh maybe I think she still is Nicole Kidman's uh acting coach, black black lady. She used to have an acting class out here called Black Nexus. Do she be teaching Nicole Kidman how to fuck in every movie? Y'all realize Nicole Kidman gets bust down in every movie TV show she does. I need to watch more Nicole. Oh, you do, you definitely do. If you want to see Pew, every younger uh nigga, I'm talking about every show. Nicole Kidman is in. Nicole Kidman on my way, baby. Nigga.
SPEAKER_01And I'ma tell you, I done I done seen a little bit of me making a burger.
SPEAKER_02Just no other catty patty. This is what I'm gonna ask you. You were this is my last like legitimate question, is you you did Jarhead. Yes. With Jamie Fox. Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_00Forgot about that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You have any worked a lot. What? Oise set stories with working with Jamie. I this is the time when Jamie was doing the Ray Charles run when he won the Oscar. So we were on set when he was doing the interviews and the whole nine. Wow. And I and me and Jamie Foxx became really good friends because at that time when we were, we were, that was probably, I got a story. Uh let me rewind and get to that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was on my second interview for FedEx when I got that char head. I was literally on my way to my second interview, and my agent was like To be clear, you're talking about just the regular FedEx, not the not a movie.
SPEAKER_00FedEx job.
SPEAKER_02Working at LAX. Yeah. Out on the tarmac. Um, and my agent hit me, was like, yo, because I had auditioned for Deborah Zane. I auditioned for Deborah Zane for a bunch of stuff, but big shout out to her. Um They were like, uh Sam Mendez wants to have a meeting with you. And I'm like, yo. Those calls, oh, don't they feel so promising? Listen, they feel good when it's like, yo, they want to have a meeting with you at his office on the Universal Lotch. So he's in the Amblin area. Director, right? Sam, okay. Who won an Oscar for American Beauty, Sam Mendez. Who was married to Nicole Kidman, too? They're not no more. No, no, no, no. Because Nicole was getting busted down. Let me stop. I don't know. Were they married? No, I don't know. Well, he bust down. Let me take it. Anyways, we listen. So I get the uh I get the call. So I have a meeting with Sam Mendez, and we're just talking, and he's just like, yo, this is this is gonna be very physical. This is what we're doing, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, as an actor, you like, yes, yes, yes, I can do it. Yep, no problem. Yes, whatever. And um, he was like, Sky die with a bomb? Yeah, yeah, absolutely, I'll do it. And he was like, All right, well, welcome. You know what I mean? And that's how I got wait. You did no audition? I did an audition. But it was like, yeah, it was like I did the audition and then it was just like a couple of weeks later. Then he had the meeting. Yes. Just from our research department, Sam Mendez uh was with Kate Winsley. Kate Winsley, that's who it was. Yes. Shout out to Aaron. Shout out to Aaron, you know. Y'all official. Y'all official. We ain't fucking around no more. Y'all official. And um, yeah, so I get the I get it, man. And um six months of my life. We shot that for six months, bro. That was and it's so funny. Sometimes I'll be like, it's so much stuff that I just really want to say, but I'll be like, let me just calm down. So part of while we were shooting at, they flew us private to one of the locations. So I got on a PJ, went to the one over here in Burbank, and you know what I mean. I got a picture of it. You know what I mean? So that stuff counts, man. You know, but uh, but yeah, so six months. And where where were y'all where were y'all shooting? We shot um Backlot of Universal, uh, we shot in Mexico and Yuma, Arizona.
SPEAKER_00Uh uh.
SPEAKER_02Um, you know, I'm still friends with uh half of those guys, Laz Alonzo, Jocko Sims, and Laz, we just found the yard together. Yeah, so Lazo. Yeah, and this is like I said, this is the this is the run of Ray. So Jamie Foxx is on set, you know, and I'm like, yo, this is like yo, this is Fox. I have a video. I don't even know if I have it anymore. Dude, Jamie Foxx was doing Ray Charles as a drill sergeant. That's dumb.
SPEAKER_00That's that's that's that's so cool.
SPEAKER_02And I'll leave it at that. I'll give you your imagination and you can run with it from there, bruh. That's funny. All of that. Like all that, bro. There we go. Listen, man. And we had so much fun, and like I said, me and him built a cool relationship because after each day of shooting, uh, because we found out where Jim was, and we would go play basketball. So we would play 21, and that's when I knew like Jamie Fost and like play basketball. Like he got a cold jumper, you know what I mean? And um just to see him, to see him making this run, come to set, and like give a hell of a performance, bro. That was a great moment. Man, it I learned so much. I learned so much from Sam Mendez. When they say an actor's director, I really didn't understand that until I got with an actor's director to where each and every day before we shot a scene, Sam Mendez would literally thoroughly go through what's taking place. You're on the highway of death, as you guys know, people die, blah, blah, blah, blah.
SPEAKER_00Them directors, they know that they know it through and through.
SPEAKER_02And we had and we had homework. Like this film was the first time where it was just like, oh no, you just ain't just coming up in here and learning lines. Nah, we had uh, I think we had a week boot camp. One week intense boot camp. This this guy named Sergeant Major Devers was a lifer. And he was like, I'm not uh I'm not gonna prepare you guys to get on screen and f around and make the Marines look crazy. He was like, I got brothers and sisters who just passed away from this, so we not doing that. So it was a week of training, intense, rough sack, doing humps, uh weapons training, being able to take apart your weapon, put it back, clean it. We did a sniper class. Um I remember I still have it. It was a thick book like this of just marine terminology. We had folders, like it was it was it was a real deal, bro. Like that was the first movie where I was like, oh yeah, you you wanna be in this? Right. You wanna be an actor? Okay, yeah, you got the there's some homework that goes along with this.
SPEAKER_03Your life is outrageous. You was about to go get a job at FedEx, but you're coming off a bunch of work to then be flying on a private jet to boot camp. Yeah. Sheesh. Hooping with Jamie. Hooping with Jamie.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So it was fucking bitches with Jamie. Didn't get invited to the house parties.
SPEAKER_02I did go to the house parties, but it was it was like like I learned, like I said, I learned so much. Like Jamie Foxx is one of those ones cracking a joke. All right, camera rolling, sound, and then Jamie just like a light switch, bruh. Right. Cut.
SPEAKER_01Oh, what's up?
SPEAKER_02I was like, yo, that was crazy to me. But that that like that's what I learned from him, man. And like I said, working with the actors, directors, the great Sam Mendez, just being prepared as an actor, knowing what what scene you're in, what's taking place, so now you as an actor can get prepared and ready and bring the best performance out.
SPEAKER_03Is there is there any other uh actors that you worked with that you was like, I'm picking up some stuff like that?
SPEAKER_02Oh, for sure. Um you know, Tay Diggs is one, he's funny. Um who else? What's something you picked up? Like name somebody, and what's something that you kind of picked up from? Tay Diggs is like very relaxed. You know what I'm saying? And um he picks up very quick. You know what I mean? He picks up lines very quick. Uh so I definitely learned that from him. Yeah. Um, but still, I I still love my way. I still I gotta prepare. What is your I gotta prepare, bro? I'm just saying I gotta prepare, bro. Like, no, I'm I'm I'm literally in my sleep the night before going over my scenes. I'll I'll say my lines to myself going to sleep. Because like I said, I don't want to be the one holding up production. Because if you're an actor and you're on a TV show, especially a TV show, they only give you an X amount of hour or time to shoot one scene, and then you gotta move on because you're shooting what, five, six pages a day, and you don't want to be that actor to where they like they pull you to the side and be like, listen. Listen up, yeah. They pull you to the side and be like, listen, you know, we really need to get this scene together. People don't, that's thousands of, that's, you know, maybe $50,000 a day. You fucking up. Yeah, you're messing up. Yeah, you're messing up. And two things are either gonna happen. You're not gonna be there tomorrow, or your character is just gonna mysteriously pass away. So he's gonna disappear. You know what I mean? So I still do the things that got me here. Yeah, you know what I mean? Usually in this business, and I've and I've been around and talked to where they get to a certain spot, they they're not doing a studying, they not doing, you know what I mean? They learning lines the day of. I know I cannot do it. Me either. I will not do it. I'm not gonna. I want to be the one to where they know when I step on the set, he's gonna deliver. He's on the city. What's your process of memorizing lines though? Repetition.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And having somebody run it through. Me too. You know what I mean? For me, if we run it, if I know, because you know, we we get the scenes, we know what we're shooting the next day. So I literally run through all scenes. And I get each scene in my system to where it's just like, if there's a slight change, not a problem. I know what the context of this scene is.
SPEAKER_00Is that the same way with a like an overnight audition where they they they dump on you X amount of pages?
SPEAKER_02I I I still go, I still uh have somebody that I go over it with to where, like I said, I'm very comfortable. See, that's why I ain't on no TV shows right now. Because you try to send me an overnight audition. Pass, nigga, pass, nigga. Don't even try me with the disrespect, my nigga. You know, you telling me y'all gotta hold y'all spending five million dollars on this movie, ten million dollars on this show, whatever the fuck. And you telling me you didn't know till the day before that you was you had to send out sides, besides the script, the audition script. Fuck out of here. I'm not doing it. I'm doing killing it. I'm gonna be the set of mom. But also, but also to annihilate you go, I'll I'll say, hey, I need more time. I say that. I'll always be like, how much, how much time do I can I get? I do say that. Respect. Yeah, yeah, I respect. You're not gonna get it overnight unless it's one page. If it's one page, you'll get it. If it's more than two, three pages, give me, I need a day or two days, and I got you.
SPEAKER_03Let me let me ask this because I now I just I see you. The uh getting our book is actually fairly easy for me. I took a class, it was expensive as hell. Uh, but it was uh Wendy Davis does this class called the Audition Days. And I and the her process, uh it was a bunch of stuff, but it was like it was catered, like it was for auditioning for like you to um audition better, but in reality, it was more like script analysis for me. It was like I would go in and it's like you we me and Tangerine played a game two times, I'm off book. And it literally I could get off book within a very short amount of time. Here's my issue. I do the take, I do the audition, I get to the house, I didn't thought of 14 hilarious different takes. Yeah, it's like it's like now I man, I should have said, Yeah, man, I could have.
SPEAKER_02You gotta trust, you gotta trust yourself to make the choice. Yeah. Because it's all about a choice. So you have to be steadfast in that choice that you make. If I'm gonna make this choice, I'm going all the way with it. Period.
SPEAKER_00Commit, commit.
SPEAKER_02You know what I'm saying? Because here's the beauty of it. You book it, you got those 14 that I'm about to give them 15 of them every tape. Okay. You know what I'm saying? So just make a choice and stick with it. Okay. You know what I mean? That's why I always tell people, take your time. Don't just go, okay, I'm ready to go. Like, no, study the script, break it down. You know what I'm saying? I think Tangerine shared that with me too. Another way of like, she did it to where it was like, if we're to memorize lines, it's a phone call.
SPEAKER_03Yep. Yeah, that's what I do. Because I would do, because I would read with Tangerine and she would get off book. I was like, she would see stuff in the scene I didn't see. And I was like, and then after I took the class, now we both see it. Yeah. And it's literally like uh the it's like a beginning, middle, and end. It's like a question you asked, it's like a positive, negative. It's like a I don't want to give the game away. But it's like nine steps, and I mean three reads after that. I I could not even look at it, I can read it backwards and forwards. But you still gotta make the choice, you still gotta do the work. You still now I gotta infuse me into it, and that's where it's repetition. Right.
SPEAKER_02It's repetition, it's those tips and tricks to where, yes, I can read it three times and then I'm like, all right, let's test me on it. You know what I'm saying? And go for it.
SPEAKER_03Y'all disagree, Wendy Davis. Y'all go for it. For sure.
SPEAKER_02We got a game on we got No, no, yeah. We got a game on the show called Kill It or Let Live. Yeah, for sure. I love it. I've watched it. That's what I'm talking about. Absolutely. Um anybody that haven't seen it, we go kill it means you know, he's not messing with it. Let it live. He it's all good. I'm gonna throw out a topic. Kill it or let live. Another actor shitting in your trailer.
SPEAKER_00Kill it. Wait, you we don't want you to do it. We just ask you, what would you prefer?
SPEAKER_02Nah, that don't have that actually happened on your head. Who did it? It it was it was a couple of cats. Like it became to where, oh, you do me, I'ma do you. So it was like it was a never-ending story. And then sometimes they cut the heat on. You know, but that's just, you know, that's the jokes that you know you play on set, but yeah, that happened on dry head. Kill it or let live? Hooking up with a cast member. Mm. Depends on who it is. Sonal laytham. No, I think, but but I think I think um So that's a let it live. Yeah, that's a let live. Okay. Uh no, kill it. Because it can, it can, it can cause problems. Yeah. You know what I mean? And for me, I've like I said, for me, I've never I've never hooked up uh with uh with a castmate, so kill it. Hey, man. Yeah. Kill it or let live. Starring in movies for the rest of your life, movies and TV shows of your desire for the rest of your life, but they could only be seen on Tubi. Kill it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we got some serious actors in here.
SPEAKER_02That's why. Serious actors ain't playing with it. These actors ain't playing with it. Kill it, man.
SPEAKER_01It has been all the actors.
SPEAKER_02Kill it. Yeah. Why? We don't want to be on Tubi. No. Okay. I mean, I'm on Tubi with projects, but I can't. Yeah, I don't want to only be on Tubi. Nah, man. Well now, nigga, you'll never be on Tubi. You're talking about canceled. Uh, all right. I got I got two left. All right. Kill it or let live. Um. Mm-hmm. Yep. Kill it or let live. Uh, you have a hundred. No, no, no. I'm gonna do this one with you. Kill it or let live. You get to experience time travel. All right? You get to experience time travel. You're known as the inventor of time travel. But every time you go back in time, before you get to explore, you have to witness your parents conceiving you first. Ooh. Kill it. Kill it, though. You don't wanna talk. I don't wanna listen. Listen, if it's time, it's gotta be in the future. Cause I don't wanna I don't wanna go back. I don't wanna go back to the 40s and 30s.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna do the last one and get over. You gotta do an enemy top.
SPEAKER_00But you get to go back to the boys in the hood.
SPEAKER_01But you gotta kill the last job. Kill it. I can't do it. I can't do it.
SPEAKER_02Last one. Kill it and let it live.
SPEAKER_01Holdie but goody. Kill it and let it live. You are the richest man in the world. You got all the money in the world. But you have to eat ass once a week. And you can't choose who ass it is.
SPEAKER_00Oh, jeez. That's another level.
SPEAKER_02Double down. You don't know who it is. Or what it is. The richest. But you the richest. Kill it. Once a week. I can't do it. Who it is. So yeah, you got a trillion dollars, but you over here eating Greg's ass. Who's a plumber? I can't do it, bruh. My morals wanna kill it. Kill it.
SPEAKER_03We had nothing to eat ass in a minute. Got damn near demonetized API episode. The um uh top five most underrated actors. Jeffrey Wright. Off top. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Love Jeffrey Wright.
SPEAKER_03Off top. Darryl Lindo. Yeah. Lindo. Yeah. Um people think that scene in that show is a real thing. We just said, go ahead and say it. Say the word. Yeah, yeah, say it. No, no, no. You can say it, say it. When you try to get the uh the white dude to say it.
SPEAKER_00It was a a news anchor who was asking him about the in-word screen.
SPEAKER_02You guys say it? Why? Why? You guys just say it all the time. It was like, well, go ahead and say it. I did see that. Yeah, okay, okay.
SPEAKER_03I thought you were talking about a movie scene, but you were just talking about an interview he did. No, it's a it's a scene from a TV show.
SPEAKER_01Oh.
SPEAKER_03But it looked like it looked like a real, it's so he's so good. Oh, I'm sorry. I gotta go back and watch that. Okay. All right, we got uh Jeff Wright uh Lindo. Lindo, um Let me see.
SPEAKER_02Uh I mean, because and the thing is the reason why I'm saying this, because I have to speak for my culture. You know what I mean? Um because these are the people that I you know I admire. Um Clarence Williams III, bro. When you talk about that camera, bruh, and Clarence don't even have to say nothing. It's in his eyes.
SPEAKER_00That's another level.
SPEAKER_02You know what I'm saying? Uh when he did um the joint with Denzel Washington, he was bumpy, he was bumpy. Johnson? American gangster. American gangster. Like when he was dying, bro, it was just like grief.
SPEAKER_00He brought all of that.
SPEAKER_02He brought all of that, right? It was right in the eyes, man. Um who else? Uh big shout out to Vanessa Bell Callaway. Yeah, man. Vanessa Bell Callaway. She killed it in the second season of uh then Staple Show. Um, and then um I'll I'll end it with another uh young lady, is uh Regina Hall. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_03I can't wait till we get Regina's opus. Because I don't think we've seen it yet.
SPEAKER_02I I I feel you on that. Regina is a beast, bro. Comedy and drama. And beautiful. And beautiful. Like, to be beautiful and funny, like, yo, Regina is she can hold her own, man. So that shit. I can't wait to see Scared Movie Six. Right. Yeah, man.
SPEAKER_03Anything she's in, I'm I'm all in. Um last one, man. You are killing it, man. It's exactly how you want it to be career-wise. What does it look like? Uh the acting, the directing, are you behind the camera, are you in front of it? Is this amazing road? 19th seasons.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, man. I definitely, you know, I definitely want to get into the directing bag. Um, I I directed a long time ago, man. Um I directed with a good friend of mine, and we had we had a uh film. And we actually did it during when I was doing baby boy. And I definitely want to get into directing for sure. Like that's the next phase of my career. But also, you know, still acting and just creating, man. Really just creating opportunities for, you know, other actors, um, creatives to jump in and make it happen, man. So yeah, for sure, definitely directing. Man, we did it, baby. Do dirty here, man. Hey, man. We appreciate y'all tapping in with the culture around here, man. Learning how to kill it in your life in Korea. Continue to watch Killin' It. Make sure you like, comment, subscribe to our page. We on Audible, we on Spotify, we on Apple, we on YouTube, we on all platforms. And uh, and we've been your host, Justin Hyas. London Brown. BT Kingsley. And this has been the one and only Kareem Grimes. Yeah!