Yourcinemafilms.com | Do you want quick success as an actor? Critically-acclaimed actor CJ Beckford (Riches, Small Island, 'I Am') shares how he's built his career through careful role choices and why he's happy not tirelessly working as an actor.
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Are you ready for the truth?
Listen on:
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0K6ugRFXfgZ4B3jeWEWQTU
Apple podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-your-cinema-podcast/id1712678244
’Welcome to Your Cinema'
Follow us on socials:
Tiktok: @yourcinemafilms
Instagram: @yourcinemafilms
Twitter: @yourcinemafilms
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FunTranscript
00:00 Now everyone's making it in film and TV but we don't really know how.
00:05 Here we uncover the truth.
00:07 Welcome to the Your Cinema Podcast.
00:10 Welcome to the Your Cinema Podcast episode 2.
00:18 So excited that we got this off the ground.
00:21 The podcast, the Your Cinema Podcast is the place where we explore the truth about the
00:27 film and TV industry and we hear it directly from those who are smashing it in their areas.
00:33 This episode is no different to what we're going to see week in and week out.
00:41 We've got a very special guest.
00:44 I call him our Denzel literally because he's a craftsman and I see the...
00:56 It looks like careful steps to me but you know like good quality roles.
01:01 I feel like he's a very strong lead and we'll see more of that from him in the future.
01:08 He's been in a BAFTA award-winning drama.
01:12 Yeah he is someone that we're really really excited about and we're looking forward to
01:18 see more of.
01:20 He's been in Riches, he was in I Am, the Channel 4 Anthology series.
01:26 His episode was with Letitia Wright.
01:29 Being at the National Theatre, I could go on and on and on but it's a pleasure to welcome
01:36 CJ Beckford aka The Ghost to the Your Cinema Podcast today.
01:42 Wow what an intro, what an intro.
01:47 Amazing, thank you man.
01:49 I've only spoken the truth.
01:52 We appreciate you for your time as well.
01:56 How have you been bro?
01:57 I've been as you can see alive.
02:00 I think that's the first and foremost thing that I just want to say that I'm alive, I'm
02:08 healthy, I feel blessed.
02:09 I've got breath, I'm talking to you now.
02:13 So yeah, I feel right now, currently I feel good.
02:18 I think that question can be...
02:20 It's quiet, it's very broad because I think the short answer, the quick answer is like
02:25 yeah I'm good, do you know what I mean?
02:26 Because everyone's going to say they're good but deep down everyone has stuff that they're
02:31 going through.
02:31 But currently right now in this moment, me talking to you, I'm very well.
02:38 I love that, I love that.
02:41 You know that what you said and it's such a profound point in terms of like how people
02:46 answer that question right.
02:49 I'm aware of the glossed over answer of like yeah I'm good and I haven't really found the
02:58 balance or the way to not get too deep right but also be very truthful and transparent
03:08 and I think you encapsulated that amazingly and I'm going to take note because that's
03:14 really helpful.
03:14 Thank you, thank you.
03:17 So as I mentioned right, like for me you're right Denzel and I say that because I always
03:25 see you in like good quality shows and films right and it seems like you take care in the
03:33 projects that you choose which is something that I know Denzel's got that thing where
03:38 particularly like years ago when he was younger where it's like oh you know all the girls
03:42 like him etc etc but at the heart of it he takes the choosing of his roles very seriously
03:50 and his craft very very seriously.
03:52 That's why I always reference you in that vein.
03:57 But as I was kind of mentioning like before we started recording right, you know we can
04:04 see things that people are doing right and like the moves that they make and the roles
04:11 that they get etc and start to piece together our own assumptions.
04:15 I just wanted to know right, is that true in terms of the way in which you're crafting
04:22 your career or am I just reading too much into it?
04:25 No not at all, I think it comes down to the individual to be honest and how they want
04:28 to be perceived or how they want to like be in the industry.
04:31 I think for me I've always wanted, I never wanted quick success, success you know but
04:38 I've always wanted longevity because I cared about the work that I was doing.
04:41 I wasn't just doing it for the sake of doing it you know.
04:44 So like in my head I looked at the likes of like you know Denzel and the big roles that
04:50 he did and how much the black culture appreciated it you know and I was like right I kind of
05:01 like, I like that, I kind of want to take some of that and build that here in the UK
05:12 you know.
05:12 So then I was like yeah but from now on let me try and find a team which is really really
05:19 hard, it's very difficult trying to find a team to get together that can see my vision
05:26 and see what I wanted to put together.
05:29 So when I did find that team which was Denton Briley and more specifically Susie you know
05:36 being able to share the same vision really kind of gave me that confidence to be like
05:42 okay cool like things may take longer but at least we know that I'm doing stuff that
05:48 I like and that I want you know.
05:50 It's a representation of myself.
05:56 So yeah that was the process and now when I look back at all the things I'm happy I
06:05 stuck by that you know, I'm really happy I stuck by that because it shows kind of yeah
06:11 the work that I want to put out there you know.
06:12 I'm not just doing anything for the sake of money or for the sake of the work, it's art
06:18 you know, it's stuff that really resonates with me because I put my all into everything
06:26 I do, everything.
06:28 You know what right, you said something really profound right, you said that you made a decision
06:38 about the type of projects that you wanted to do.
06:40 And you said all right cool I need to find a team.
06:44 Now the reason why I feel like that's so profound right is it's a very mature thing to say
06:51 because effectively you're not saying I just want an agent, you're saying I want the right
06:58 agent and it's hard enough to get a good agent but you might get a good agent that is like
07:05 still not right for you.
07:06 So what was that like especially like you mentioned going from like going through a
07:12 different a few different agents, what was that like for you?
07:15 Bro it was difficult, it was so hard and the reason being it was hard was because prior
07:24 to, so I used to go to Sylvie Anna Shears part-time when I was younger back in secondary
07:31 school and I couldn't get an agent so then I was like right let me see if I can really
07:37 if I really want to do this as a career so I started doing extra work, tons of extra
07:42 work, get going on set and basically just feeling out how it is and then I would do
07:50 like a few commercials here and there and yeah commercial would land and I'll send my
07:58 CV to agents and they'll be like nah you don't have enough acting experience, you don't
08:03 have enough acting experience, you don't have enough acting experience.
08:05 So then I was like right I really need to build a showreel to show them my acting potential
08:11 so then I went on what was it I think it was called, is it mandi?
08:16 Mandi, is it mandi.com now?
08:19 Yeah I used to go on that and I used to like look at like student short films, the ones
08:26 that like the prestigious schools I was like right if I work with them maybe in 10 years
08:32 like they're going to be the future directors but they have the quality of the film so I
08:38 can be like ah cool so anyway I did that, built up my showreel and started sending it
08:44 around to like different agents and then one came back, a few came back and then it was
08:51 Denton and I was like cool I think that was it was Denton and someone else but then so
08:58 it was only two that got back to me after doing all of that and then when I sat down
09:02 with Suzie I was like yeah this is the right one but like I said prior to all of that
09:08 bro oh man when I it was it was it was difficult man because I remember seeing people back
09:15 then with like the Curtis Browns and the Hamilton Hoddle and I was like I want to be there I
09:20 want to be there this is where I want to be I know I've got the potential I know I can
09:24 I can be that person I can be that actor but yeah that wasn't my journey that wasn't
09:29 my path you know my path was to go the longer route to to find an agent to find the right
09:34 agent and I think it worked for me it worked for me so so yeah it definitely worked and is working
09:44 you know you mentioned quick success right what what do you like define that as and why
09:54 did you want quick success I think I think I'm only saying quick success now that I'm
10:03 older and mature you know maybe if I was younger I would have wanted that quick success if it
10:07 happened I probably would have been a different person you know but I think now in my career
10:12 I feel like that's not what I wanted and that's not what God wanted for me you know so and there's
10:21 nothing wrong with that you know but I can only speak about myself and for me I'm I'm a longevity
10:28 type of person I love especially because this art is special you can be here today gone tomorrow
10:35 so you're replaceable very replaceable you know so you have to make yourself an asset as opposed
10:43 to a liability so I'm trying to make myself an asset you're saying some deep stuff right so
10:51 you said you're replaceable could you unpack that for me please so let me just say that
10:59 nowadays you can probably book a Netflix series you know be a series regular and then
11:05 a couple months later you're not auditioning for or not getting any roles for you know
11:11 a year maybe four years two years however however long but then that kind of puts a lot of strain
11:19 on yourself you start to doubt yourself am I good enough I was just in this big league you know I
11:25 just got paid this much and and because you care about it so much you every actor wants to be
11:31 constantly working you know but like to have one project where everyone knows you saying your name
11:37 and then after like no one's saying the name everyone's forgotten about you imagine what that
11:41 can do to someone's mental health or do you know what I mean especially someone who cares about the
11:46 craft and doesn't want that it's not like they're gonna be like okay yeah just because you was in
11:52 that let's let's now put you in this series sometimes that happens but let's be real let's
11:57 be real this is reality you know this is this industry will chew you up and throw you out
12:03 so that's what I mean in terms of like you know it can it can just
12:07 eat you up and just and just throw you out so you just have to really know why you're doing it
12:14 you know and what you're doing it for so I cannot book a role for you know like a year
12:22 and I think I'll be so happy with that you know because I've got a life outside of acting
12:26 you know acting isn't my my core I love it don't get me wrong I absolutely love it
12:33 but you know I've got a life man look at the sun look at the trees the like look at the world it's
12:40 so big it's so big it's so big man like let's live our lives let's live our lives let's not put
12:47 ourself in a box I hate put I don't I don't put myself in a box there is no box for me you know
12:52 like people like like to live inside boxes like like that what straight line what's a straight
12:58 line like do you know what I mean like what's a straight line because yeah man people's careers
13:05 like like this it's like this it's waves it's waves you know it's never this it's never that
13:12 so so yeah I love that I love that I love that I love that you've you've segued perfectly right
13:22 in terms of like not putting yourself in a box and I think like a lot of a lot of the time now
13:31 one thing that I'm coming across is like there's a lot of talk about actors doing being more than
13:37 just actors these days um and so I wanted to know like do you dabble in like writing or producing
13:44 or directing or anything like that so you say that because like I've thought about it I've
13:52 I tried to write I've written something but that was like just to see if I could write
13:58 it never really tickled my fancy um producing however is something that is on my mind
14:06 um I kind of want to like look further into directing not so much um
14:12 what else is there yeah no a journal you know that's that's my writing so if that could one
14:22 day be turned into something then yeah great but like yeah the diary of cj a series I love it I
14:31 love it I love it I love it no do you know what that's I I love that honest answer right because
14:37 um it's it's honest and it's like we're in an age of like multi-hyphenates right
14:43 and it's like there's not one one way that someone has to be it's okay to be
14:51 like look no yeah do you know what right now I just want to act in it like that's just yeah yeah
14:56 yeah yeah do you feel like do you feel any pressure of like nah you should be doing like other stuff
15:04 not one bit and the reason being is going back to what I said before is that I've got a life
15:11 outside of acting so I've got many hobbies that I do I like to like learning how to snowboard you
15:16 know uh like playing tennis boxing uh what else like bike riding hiking like so all these things
15:28 now can try and progress into my acting do you know I mean all skill sets that I have that now
15:35 I'm not just tj betford I'm tj betford the hiker I'm tj betford the snowboarder um do you know
15:40 what I mean so like if a role comes up I can easily you know just do that but at the same
15:47 time I've got a hobby that I actually enjoy you know I used to play ice hockey when I was younger
15:51 I got ice skates like just on a random Saturday go ice skating like you know like so I've generally
15:59 have a life outside of acting so all my skill sets will just add to that um you know I love that and
16:08 it's like you you actually do those things as opposed to I'm doing it because it's another
16:14 string to my bow to help me get a role yeah there's a role yeah and that's that's the beauty
16:20 of acting that's the beauty of the we have so much time on our hands you know it's just it's how you
16:24 use that time you know um and I choose to use it wisely obviously everyone chooses to use it
16:30 differently but that's how I choose to use my time so um so yeah I love that I love that I love that
16:38 I love that I love that um cool so right um obviously been watching your career for many
16:45 years um and what I find interesting is like you're in like big shows but then you still do
16:54 shorts here and there oh yeah it's like it's it's mixed in between you know like a lot of the time
16:59 when someone's imdb or something like that at the beginning there's loads of shorts those
17:03 independents and then it comes that point where it's like just tv shows yeah yeah yeah yeah but
17:10 you still do both and oh yeah yeah like I just wanted to understand why I love shorts I love
17:18 shorts I love the and it it brings me back to the beauty of film because not everything is up there
17:24 like you can get so comfortable with you know being driven every way being catered for you know
17:31 but the pure art of film and some of the best storytellers are through short films I believe
17:36 so I feel like and I always want to no I'm not that I always think about
17:45 I feel like I'm five years or ten years ahead so there's only specific short films that or people
17:53 that I would work with when it comes to shorts um but every single short I believe in the project
18:00 I believe in them that they're going to be amazing that they're going to be great and
18:04 that's for everyone that I've done short films with have gone on to do amazing things you know
18:12 and it just again like it just really it checks me you know it checks me to be like yo you're not
18:17 you know you're not no one special you're not up here everyone's on the same level regardless
18:23 do you know what I mean and that's how I started so I know how it is that's amazing that's amazing
18:30 do you know what you're like so grounded like that is steep it's deep and I love it
18:37 so like for me and I'm sure countless others right you're someone who's
18:42 really gonna like fly the baton for for years to come
18:46 but like what do you find difficult about being an actor at this point in your career
18:52 hmm what I find difficult
19:04 I don't know how arrogant this is gonna sound but
19:06 at this point in my career I don't I don't find anything difficult because I know in my heart
19:15 that I'm gonna make it to where I want to wherever I want to go you know um I think maybe let me see
19:24 it's a bit difficult and I love the honesty by the way which I'm going to touch on in a minute
19:32 yeah I'm trying to be as real as possible you know don't get me wrong I've definitely
19:36 I'm trying to think of the downs that I've had with the industry I think it's
19:41 the downs I've had with the industry is just seeing how dark it is you know like um
19:47 and me just wanting to bring light to that industry but in terms of
19:56 difficulty difficulty I think the only form of difficult that comes to mind is when I was trying
20:04 to get an agent you know but being in the industry obviously like I said it's I had this perception
20:13 that oh my gosh it's rosy it's amazing you know it's so diverse it's it's but when you're actually
20:18 in it it's completely different how you're being treated sometimes on set is like right wow okay
20:27 like I'm not as special as you made me out to be you know or is that what is that because of
20:33 that because of race is that because I'm a male female I don't know but like it's um
20:38 there's definitely difficult things in inside of the industry I don't know if I face any of those
20:44 I don't put any of those labels on myself you know yeah because I know who I am and where I'm going
20:53 I love that I love that and the reason why I love that right is because it seems that in terms of
21:01 in terms of like the question of what have you found difficult about being an actor at
21:10 this point in your career it sounds like you've detached yourself from
21:19 a plan or an expectation of how your career is expected to go
21:27 and you just know that it will you'll get there you know like the squiggly line
21:32 you're like look I don't know how but we're getting there and each day I'm just gonna do me
21:38 I might do an acting class I might go snowboarding my heart is not in this thing like that
21:48 it's just gonna happen and I'm not gonna be lazy I'm still working
21:51 and you said the key word there expectation I have no expectations I have no expectations I live
22:00 off faith you know like that's a very hard thing to do like you expect like so much like so for
22:08 example let me break it down like so um sometimes uh when you drive for example like someone will
22:17 let you in and like some people be like okay that person is gonna say thank you because you're
22:23 expecting them because you've done something nice you're expecting them to you know just say have
22:28 some gratitude and be like okay thank you I don't I've let go of that I don't expect anyone to do
22:33 anything for me you know because like I am me and I have my I don't I I'm not letting anyone else let
22:41 me down you know I'm uh I'm in control of I want to be in control of myself and my emotions and my
22:48 actions um that's very hard that's very hard to stay conscious of you know very hard but but I'm
22:57 aware of it I'm so so I'm super I'm hyper aware of it of expectations so uh yeah I love that I
23:06 love that that yeah yeah I love that I love that I wish a lot more um actors would take that on
23:12 board because there's a lot of like like a lot of people feel like nah do you know what like they
23:18 were at the point of quitting before they just got their big break and it's like like what do you have
23:26 invested in in in this thing it's getting you down to make you want to give up so to speak um
23:33 but it sounds like you've got if you've solved that issue uh which is probably why you're always
23:38 smiling but let me but let me let me rephrase there have been times when I've been like you
23:43 know what I I can't do this anymore um I'm done like so I want to be real and frank do you know
23:54 what I mean the journey hasn't been smooth and like I said you do go up go through ups and downs
23:59 but you're like you know what is this do I still want to act like do you know I mean is this is this
24:03 you have that seed of doubt in your mind um and I've definitely experienced that for sure like 100%
24:11 so um but at the same time I think something will just I ain't gonna maybe this is maybe this is
24:18 God but it's just like there's something that will come in my life will be like nah you're not done
24:22 yet or there's a motivational video or podcast that I listen to that that someone will say a gem
24:29 and be like you're not quite done yet you're not quite done yet but like yeah I definitely have
24:34 that doubt of oh I can't do this no more I'm quitting and the people you have around you is
24:38 key as well like your support system your tribe I learned that from from Leticia and like Daniel
24:47 having a tribe that you know that that really champions you and sees where you're going so
24:53 when you fall down they'll pick you up um so that's that's very very key to have.
24:59 That's a powerful tribe by the way um so like we've seen we've seen like the Black British
25:09 Renaissance yeah where like people are like going over to America and it seems to really open up and
25:15 they appreciate our craftsmanship and you're definitely capable of of of making that exodus
25:25 right I just want to know like have you ever felt that pull to go to America?
25:32 um oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah a thousand percent I'll say that confidently yes I have no I have
25:42 I definitely have like I think again growing up watching so many American shows that was where I
25:47 wanted to like start my career what EastEnders? I don't want to be known as EastEnders. Coronation
25:52 Street? What? Come out here man. I'm watching uh Keenan and Kel like Sister Sister you know what
26:00 I mean those are my shows so like I felt like I was I felt like I was more American than I was
26:06 British so um it's definitely a place where and a big chunk of my career I wanted to go to
26:12 I wanted to go to America um and again I still do want to go to America you know but I guess when
26:19 that time presents itself I went there I went to go there just before Covid and it was amazing
26:25 absolutely I met some amazing people like it was ah yeah amazing so I know the next time I go back
26:32 is yeah it's just gonna be let me speak things into existence even even better it's gonna be
26:39 phenomenal you know so um it's just a matter of time so that the UK don't appreciate you as much as
26:45 the American the black Americans do. Industry wise. Why do you think that is?
26:53 I don't think we've got the content don't we have we don't have as much content um and I think
27:03 you have to be proper like a black British I don't even know what black British is but
27:12 I don't know I can't answer that no I don't have an answer for that to be honest I just see it
27:19 you know like sometimes sometimes everything deserves an answer but yeah you know
27:25 but yeah I just see it more than I can say it
27:31 Perfect, now I got you I got you I got you um now it's been a pleasure chatting with you I've got
27:38 one more question for you right um so like because I love the place that you're at I love this I love
27:48 this you might be the first person that I've come across right who is I think Adrian Lester had this
27:56 elk about him where he was really like like his one maybe his one was on another level right
28:05 basically like look I only want to do roles like where I actually want to do them and he was like
28:16 I don't yeah you can offer me this big thing and da da da da da da no I only want and when you look
28:23 at his career yeah he really does you can tell that it's like because sometimes it's like hold on
28:32 but you should be huge like so much bigger but that's from like I get like like I was saying
28:40 before it's like the optics of someone else 100% I want to do this exactly that and I do karate
28:48 outside and exactly family and I really don't care exactly exactly and again it's the expectation of
28:56 someone else projecting their vision onto you yeah you know when actually you're living your
29:03 true self as opposed to someone else's truth I love that that's how you stay it's the key to your
29:09 core and the question I had right off the back of that is what advice would you give to an actor at
29:20 the beginning of their journey right and they're looking for their like first credit or like their
29:26 first tv credit and they're hungry and they're like I need to get it I need to get it first of
29:34 all I say don't look just be just just be you know like if you know this is what you want to do
29:43 the universe god will take you through journeys and you'll get to where you need to get to you
29:50 know it's it's not a uh it's not uh it's not a race it's a marathon for sure um like as a as an
30:01 amazing quote from martin luther king if I can remember it says um uh not everyone can be famous
30:08 but everyone can be great because greatness is determined by service
30:13 so if that actor is doing it because they want to do it it'll happen you don't need to
30:26 don't need to look because they're just just just being I know that's very
30:31 it sounds very lovely on the tongue but like when you genuinely believe it you know
30:47 and you have like a faith system or something to to go to or abide by I think it helps
30:57 it definitely definitely helps you know but uh at the same time just enjoy the journey the
31:04 success is the journey the success isn't the destination so um so yeah just just just continue
31:14 being great man just continue to be in you that's what I would say I love that I love that I love
31:21 that and you know what yeah it's not it's not lofty it's not lofty and like convoluted it's like
31:28 wherever you are just be the best yeah extra wherever it's you know someone else's self-tape
31:36 just literally serve that moment literally if you want to find an agent you'll find an agent if you
31:43 really want to you'll find an agent you know if you really want to get this you'll find it you'll
31:48 do what it will take you'll do whatever it takes to to get to where you need to get to you know
31:53 um and if you know if you don't then it won't really work out but yeah just just be you man
32:00 Pierre you're a legend man you're a legend I remember when you first started this man
32:06 your little 100 and saying little followers now look
32:09 now look it's a beautiful though I love it I love it and one let me just say this there's only
32:16 I don't like interviews in it I hate interviews because I feel like the people interviewing you
32:21 can be so like fake and just there for one reason but with you it's just natural and I like that
32:29 and that's why um I'll do this 10 times over you know as opposed to like those dummy pks
32:36 when you're just there asking stupid questions
32:40 shut up man you're fake man you're only doing this for money well you're doing it for the art
32:46 and that's what I like so more stuff like this man more stuff like this big up to you thank you
32:54 oh thank god thank god bless you man like bro this has been an amazing episode and yes Denzel
33:02 I'm loving the in fact I'm not even gonna call you Denzel I'm just gonna call you CJ because
33:07 thank you you're you're you're a brand in in in your own right um like I can see it I I can see
33:15 I saw it then in the pride and pack um fields and we can all see it um so yeah we're all with
33:24 you man supporting you so thank you thank you