Yourcinemafilms.com | Mohammed Mansaray (For Black Boys, Gassed Up, Boarders) shares how he accidentally did Musical Theatre for 3 years, auditioning for the iconic play ‘For Black Boys’ and how Marvin Humes paid for his scholarship to train!
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FunTranscript
00:00:00 Now everyone's making it in film and TV, but we don't really know how. Here we uncover
00:00:07 the truth. Welcome to the Your Cinema Podcast.
00:00:12 Welcome to the Your Cinema Podcast. Today is the place where we explore the truth about
00:00:18 film, TV and theatre and we hear it directly from those who are smashing it in their areas
00:00:25 as well. Today we've got an actor who's supremely versatile and building very good ground for
00:00:32 his career. He's been in Barbershop Chronicles, acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company,
00:00:37 as well as being on your TV screens in Borders on BBC, as well as also featuring in the recently
00:00:47 released feature film, Gastop, and has also been announced in the new cast for the critically
00:00:54 acclaimed play for Black Boys. We have Mohamed Mansouray. What's going on, bro?
00:01:01 I'm very good, Pierre, man. I'm very good. I'm not going to lie, I was hearing you say
00:01:06 all of that and in my mind I was just like, "I've never been introduced like that. This
00:01:12 is crazy." But thank you for that, bro. Thank you, man.
00:01:16 Do you know what, right? A lot of people say that and really, like my response is usually,
00:01:23 and will continue to be, "Do you know what? I've only said the truth." But with you saying
00:01:28 that, right, it made me think that I've only said the truth, but is it that we sometimes
00:01:39 maybe don't realise the magnitude of the work that we've done because we're always on the
00:01:46 go or we don't want to accept that we've done really good stuff because it might mean that
00:01:52 we're leaning towards being big-headed? I just, yeah, just open question.
00:01:56 Yeah, no, you know what? I think it's a very good question. It could be that. I think it's
00:02:01 half and half. Sometimes it is you're in the midst of something, so you don't know if it's
00:02:07 going to turn out to be whatever it is you envision it to be in your mind. So it's like,
00:02:13 "Let me just keep my cards close to my chest, you know, just in case there's that." And
00:02:18 then I do think also there is that thing of like, growing up, my mum was always like,
00:02:23 "Yo, don't show off. Don't be a show-off." She's from Syria. Well, I'm Syrian-Leonian,
00:02:29 so I'm born here, but I'm of Syrian-Leonian heritage. And my mum always used to say, there's
00:02:33 a saying that they have in Creole, it would say, "When your yams are white, you should
00:02:36 cover them." So for me, I think it's that. I have those two things in my head. It's like,
00:02:44 I just like to cut through, do what I'm doing. And sometimes the work can feel precious,
00:02:50 so you don't really want to, I don't know, man, you don't want to jinx it, whatever that
00:02:55 means. But I think it is good for people to learn to accept compliments and take their
00:03:02 flowers as well. Because I say that to my friends, you know, if they're doing something
00:03:08 and they're doing it very well, it's like, "No, you need to hear this. You need to accept
00:03:11 this." I need you to know that you're representing yourself. You're doing very well at the moment.
00:03:19 So yeah, hold that. So yeah, man, so thank you. I appreciate that.
00:03:22 - Oh, thank God. Yeah. That's it. Only reflecting the truth. And yeah, I think I get your point,
00:03:29 which is helping me understand something actually, because it's like, if someone was always reeling
00:03:35 off those facts about themselves, we'd get put off by it, if they were doing that all
00:03:40 the time. So yeah, it makes sense for someone else to say that about you. Yeah, yeah. Makes
00:03:45 sense. It makes sense. So, like, I know that you've been acting, but what's really interesting
00:03:54 is that you're really, like, it's like a lot of your projects are coming out all at once
00:04:01 and they're all quite significant, et cetera, which is exciting to see, man. But I want
00:04:07 to take it back straight from like an earlier point, right? Just so people can get more
00:04:13 understanding and context about you. And very simply, like, when did you start acting?
00:04:21 - So I started acting eight years old. Yeah, I started acting in primary school, like early,
00:04:28 early, early. And from the beginning, I remember I was watching "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,"
00:04:35 right? I was watching Will Smith. And I remember going to my mom, going, "Mom, I want to be
00:04:39 like him," you know? And I think I kept on banging on about it. And we were living in
00:04:46 Camberwell at the time. We were living in Camberwell. We'd just moved and my mom was
00:04:52 working a lot. So when I was pestering her, she was like, "Okay, cool. What I can do is
00:04:56 I can put you in this improv drama class once a week on a Wednesday. You go there." But
00:05:04 that was also her doing that so that she could work a bit later. And, you know, rather than
00:05:07 me being at after-school club or after after-school, like, you know, I could, I'd be there, like
00:05:13 someone, like a cousin or someone would take me from school, take me there. They'd go off
00:05:17 on their way. And then she'd pick me up from there and take me home. So yeah, improv classes
00:05:23 started there. I loved it. And after a few months, the people that were running the place,
00:05:29 so it was D&B, D&B Theatre School in Bromley. After a few months, the people that, the ladies
00:05:36 that run it, Donna and Bonnie, they were like, "Oh, your son is very good. We have an agency,
00:05:40 a kids agency. We'd like to sign him." And yeah, you know, we just, yeah, we'd like to
00:05:46 sign him. So at this point, I don't know what it means. My mom don't know what it means,
00:05:50 but she's just like, "Okay, if you say he's good, then he's good. Yeah, let's do this
00:05:53 thing." So they signed me. And then from there, I think one of the first jobs that I got was
00:06:01 the bill. I was young and I did that with Danny Mosley. That's where I met Danny, like
00:06:08 way back in the day when I was a kid, like I must've been like maybe 10. Yeah, no older
00:06:14 than 10 years old, like nine, 10 years old. And I was lucky enough to have a few other
00:06:20 opportunities, like stage opportunities as well, like some musicals as well. So yeah,
00:06:25 it just, the ball was rolling from then. But it's funny because like even way back then,
00:06:33 you're just doing it for the enjoyment. You're not thinking about like character or like,
00:06:38 you know, method or this or that. It's just, you know, you enjoy it. Like I came from improv
00:06:42 class, so I'm used to just making stuff up on the spot. You're now on set with a camera
00:06:47 there. It's kind of, "Oh, that's cool." But I'm giving it more attention to the actors
00:06:51 that I'm working with rather than the camera. You don't even realize that you're getting
00:06:55 paid at that time, like, because you're a kid. Do you know what I mean? And it was kind
00:07:00 of funny as well. I think my mum, she was like, I think she was happy, of course, but
00:07:06 it kind of backfired on her because where she put me in them classes so that she could
00:07:10 stay later at work, it's like now she had to leave work earlier to take me to auditions.
00:07:15 You know what I mean? So it kind of, it was a journey. But yeah, I started at eight years
00:07:20 old. I did that. Yeah, so the bill, a few episodes of The Dumping Ground, some musicals.
00:07:29 Like there was a musical called Daddy Cool that was going on in the West End that Shost
00:07:33 Bifid or Oliver in the West End as well. And from there, like opportunities just kept coming
00:07:40 my way. And I caught a bug from there. So yeah, left primary school, went to secondary
00:07:46 school now. And in my mind, it's like already, it's like, I know what I'm going to do when
00:07:52 I leave here. Because I was academically gifted as well. Like I was in all the top sets at
00:07:57 school. I was very smart. I was like, yeah, like, you know, I was, I think I'd like to
00:08:04 say that I did well. But because I'd been introduced to this thing called acting so
00:08:10 young when it came to GCSEs, I'm not going to lie, I didn't really revise like that because
00:08:15 in my mind it's like, I don't need these. Like I'm going to be an actor. And yeah, like
00:08:21 I think everyone that knows me, all my friends, like they've always known that from young,
00:08:25 I think this is what, this is what I've, this is what he's going to go on to do. And it
00:08:29 wasn't a thing of, it wasn't a thing of like, it's not that I didn't work towards it. I
00:08:40 did, but I think it was always just something in my heart or in the back of my mind of like,
00:08:45 yeah, this, this is, this is what's going to happen. And similar to what we was talking
00:08:48 about earlier of just trusting that the way certain things have happened, the way certain
00:08:54 jobs have come our way and the way certain opportunities have just been laid out for
00:08:56 me. I just go, even if I was, even if I did have like a proper stage mom, cause my mom
00:09:01 wasn't a stage mom. Like she'd come to watch all my shows, you know, when they said that
00:09:06 you have to pay this much for the costume for the end of year showcase, like she'd be
00:09:10 like, ah, this is this thing again, but like she'd do it, like she'd pay for all my classes
00:09:15 as well. But you know, when it came to, I think the first few jobs that I had, she'd
00:09:21 sat, she'd sat there, she'd sit there with me and help me to learn the lines and stuff.
00:09:24 But after that, it's kind of like, well, you know, you wanted to do this thing. So however
00:09:28 you want to go about it, go about it. Like, you know, you, I'm assuming you know what
00:09:31 you're doing cause I'm paying for all these classes for you, you know? So it was kind
00:09:36 of like, I don't really, my son's doing this acting thing. He seems to be doing okay. Um,
00:09:41 but she went like, yeah, yo, I'm giving you extra this classes and extra that classes
00:09:46 that I just went and did my thing. And yeah, so I say all of that to say, I feel like even
00:09:50 if I did have like a stage mom like that, I don't, I don't know if it would have changed
00:09:55 anything. I just feel like, I just feel like it's like, it's, it's God really. I'll be
00:10:01 so real. And her prayers, my mom's prayers is what I think has kind of put me in this
00:10:06 state. And obviously like opportunities being in the right place at the right time and the
00:10:10 agency as well. Like there's a loads of things that have contributed to how things have gone
00:10:14 up until this point. Um, yeah. So, and then I went to DMV, I was lucky to get a scholarship
00:10:21 there. Uh, I trained in musical theater. A lot of people don't know that.
00:10:25 - Ooh, so this is, so this is like after secondary school, yeah?
00:10:28 - Yeah, 16, like I was out of there, school finished, like went straight to DMV. I was
00:10:35 lucky to get a scholarship to go there. Um, started to audition, got a scholarship.
00:10:40 - So that's no fees, right?
00:10:42 - No fees, no fees. And there were fees, but yeah, I was lucky enough to where like the
00:10:48 things that I had to pay for were very, very minimal, like compared to a lot of people
00:10:52 that I was training with. Um, and I don't think I wouldn't, I wouldn't have been able
00:10:56 to go there otherwise, like to be honest with you. Um, it was the Marvin Humes scholarship
00:11:00 that I got. So Marvin Humes from JLS, he used to go to DMV way back in the day. And, um,
00:11:07 after JLS's success and all of that, he wanted to do something to give back and to, you know,
00:11:13 to just continue that bond. So yeah, I got, he's the person that paid for my scholarship
00:11:17 to, to train there.
00:11:19 - What? So have you hit him up? Does he know? What's going, that's, that's huge.
00:11:25 - To be honest, I haven't spoken to him in a while. I haven't, I haven't touched base
00:11:28 with him in a while, but like, I think every so often, if I, I think I do need to, to be
00:11:33 honest, I've just, yeah. But after I graduated, the first couple of things that I did, like,
00:11:40 I think he'd see it and he'd be like, yo, like big up, that sort of thing. So yeah,
00:11:44 yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, big up Marvin. Big up Marvin.
00:11:48 - Do you know what, sorry, that stuck out at me, yeah, because so many people love to
00:11:53 give back, right? And like, you know, like, I'm sure like up and coming actors probably
00:11:59 like DM you and ask you this and da da da da da, and you probably like drop advice on
00:12:04 them, whatever, and then keep it moving, yeah? But then imagine like 10 years later or something,
00:12:11 someone comes back and is like, yo, you see, like, I'll give you an example. So there was
00:12:16 like some Q and A's and stuff that we used to do, right? Especially during lockdown.
00:12:22 And in one of them we had Javan, Javan Wade, right? So then he's come on doing the Q and
00:12:28 A, and then this actor was like, asked him this question about like, ah, his, his agent's
00:12:38 not really getting him work. And so he's thinking about dropping him, right? Javan was like,
00:12:45 it's lockdown, no one's getting any work. Like, you like, especially if you're emerging
00:12:50 right now, the fact that you've got an agent is a good thing. And the fact that you are
00:12:53 even getting auditions in this climate, because I think it was around January as well. And
00:12:59 what he broke down was like, look, around Christmas, everything shuts down, January
00:13:04 people are still off. So like, if you're getting anything right now, like keep your agent.
00:13:09 And I remember thinking, and the guy was like, oh, okay, cool. But it's like, I just imagine
00:13:16 like little things like that, that are like second nature, or it's like, all right, cool.
00:13:20 This is what I think, you know, if you want to take my advice or whatever, they can be
00:13:24 some like really pivotal changes and moments in people's lives that we don't even realise.
00:13:32 So then when you said that, I'm like, oh my days, because the stuff that you're doing
00:13:36 now is like, if he played a hand in that, I'm like, wow, that's a huge thing, you know?
00:13:44 It is, it is like, 1 million percent it is. And it's what we said at the beginning as
00:13:52 well. Sometimes you're just like, quieting through, quieting through, quieting through.
00:13:56 And it's like, I'm the kind of person where, because obviously we follow each other on
00:14:03 socials, like he sees, I'm sure that he sees, you know, see what I'm up to. So for me, I
00:14:09 think the best way for me to like, say thank you or whatever, is to do what I'm doing now.
00:14:15 Of course, like I'm doing a scholarship and like I've decided to work for Face of the
00:14:19 Earth, you know what I mean? It's like, what have you done all that for? So yeah, hopefully,
00:14:25 hopefully I'm doing whatever it is he thought he saw, like fulfilling that potential. But
00:14:31 yeah, to that point about Jovan as well, and giving that advice to that young actor, it's
00:14:37 what you say, hindsight, isn't it? It's like, only experience, only like going through certain
00:14:42 things, that's when you'll be able to sit back and go, you're good, man. But when you're
00:14:47 young and when you're, when you're like first starting out, you don't know, you don't know.
00:14:51 A lot of the people around you might be actors that are in the same position. So it's like,
00:14:56 it's, you know, talking to each other, have you got a ticket? What about you? No, but
00:15:01 I heard my man got one and da da da da da. We've all been through that. We've all been
00:15:05 through that. And I think I'd be remiss to say that even now, like, people still go through
00:15:11 that. So that's why it is always good to have someone that has a bit more experience or
00:15:16 has been there and done it. To give that advice, that is a blessing. Yeah.
00:15:22 - Wow. So D&B, so you've come out of secondary school, D&B, yeah, like what, what, what happens
00:15:30 after for you?
00:15:33 - So first and foremost, like it was musical theatre training, which is, I didn't actually
00:15:45 know that it was a musical, this is going to sound so mad, but I promise you, this is
00:15:50 the truth. I didn't know that it was a musical theatre course because from when I was eight
00:15:57 to 16, I'd graduated from doing, so it was the, it was the improv classes on the Wednesday.
00:16:04 And then after signing to the agency, it was, you know, theatre school on a Saturday, which
00:16:10 is nine to 12, acting, singing and dancing every Saturday. And then at the end of the,
00:16:15 at the end of the, at the end of the year, you have like your summer showcase and whatnot.
00:16:20 So it was doing that for years. So I was used to the acting, singing and dancing part, but
00:16:25 I only ever really liked the acting or like, not that I didn't like the others, but like
00:16:31 my favourite bit was the acting part. And while I was in the agency, I'd done a few
00:16:35 musicals, but majority of the jobs that I had were acting jobs. So anytime I go into
00:16:41 the office, I talk to them about acting, not like musicals and that. So when they say come
00:16:46 to the college, I think it's because at this point, they're like my, they're like my professional
00:16:50 family. Like I know everyone in the office, I can go in and speak to them. It's like,
00:16:56 when they like come to the college, in my mind, it's like, I didn't even question it.
00:16:59 It's like, yeah, like, where else am I going to go? At this point, I didn't even know about
00:17:03 like traditional drama schools. Like I didn't know that there was like the Riders and the
00:17:07 Guildhalls and all of that. The art scenes, I didn't realise. The only place I'd heard
00:17:13 of at that point was Brit school and I tell you the conte, because I'd met some of those
00:17:17 kids on some of the jobs that I'd done, like the musicals and whatnot. So I didn't know
00:17:22 about all the rest of them. So when they're like, yeah, cool, come audition for the scholarship,
00:17:26 I've got the scholarship. It's like, yeah, cool. No brainer, I'm going in. Even in the
00:17:30 audition, everyone had come up, come in with their, so we had to do like a ballet. Now
00:17:36 in hindsight, now I think about it and I've got all the signs were there, how could you
00:17:39 not? We had to do like a ballet audition and everyone's gone in there wearing their uni
00:17:46 tards and whatnot. Like I've gone there in like shorts and I rolled my socks underneath
00:17:55 my feet. So it's like, it's like my socks are half on half, so my heels on the floor,
00:17:59 but like my toes are covered in it. So, but you know, I'm just doing, I'm doing, I'm doing
00:18:06 new auditions like that. Cause it's like, I hadn't done as much as I did the acting,
00:18:10 the singing and the dancing on the Saturday. I didn't do any of the ballet and I hadn't
00:18:13 really dabbled into that. So I've done new auditions now, I've got the thing, I'm at
00:18:19 school, I'm at college. And after the first week I'm saying to some of my friends, I'm
00:18:22 like, why are we doing so much dancing? Why are we doing so much singing? How come we're
00:18:27 not doing, like how come the acting, like we're doing more dancing and singing than
00:18:32 acting and then like, well, it's kind of, you know, it's musical fear. I'm like, so
00:18:37 what, is it always going to be like this? And they were like, yeah. And I was like,
00:18:41 oh, all right, cool. And I'm here now anyway. Like I'm, I'm, I'm here. It wasn't a thing
00:18:46 of like, I didn't appreciate it. It was just the, oh, okay, well this is a bit different,
00:18:51 but I'm coming from being in school and, you know, only acting on the, only like doing
00:18:59 training on the weekends to now in class every single day, like ballet, two hours every morning.
00:19:06 So for me it was like, this is it. This is, I'm going to take everything that I can get
00:19:11 and, and yeah, man, just soak it all up, which I did. I graduated in 2016 from D&D and everything
00:19:22 that they taught me in that college has served me right up until today in my career, I'll
00:19:27 be so honest. So after that, I signed with an agent and I was auditioning for stuff and
00:19:35 there was a job that I was offered, but I was also, I'd also auditioned for National
00:19:40 Youth Theatre's rep company at the same time. So I've gone into the audition for National
00:19:46 Youth Theatre's rep company and, you know, like, thank God they came back. There was
00:19:50 that, yeah, we'd love you to, we'd love you to, to join the rep company. I think they'd
00:19:55 heard about, they'd heard about like the opportunity that I was offered. And they was like, at
00:20:01 the time it was like, to be honest with you, I feel as though, cause it was a musical.
00:20:06 And they were like, in terms of where you are right now, we think it would better serve
00:20:13 you to come and do like, to train, to continue training rather than doing, rather than doing
00:20:21 a job, rather than doing this specific job. And it was Wendy Swan who was part of the
00:20:26 casting team at the National at the time. She was the person that was like, to me, in
00:20:30 my professional opinion, I think this will serve you way more than doing that. And on
00:20:35 top of that, rep was straight like crash course, like drama, theatrical training, which is
00:20:45 what I was kind of, in my mind, it's like, this is really what I want to delve into.
00:20:50 So yeah, we did, I think it was six weeks of training, learning different techniques.
00:20:55 So that's like animal studies. We're learning about like, Myasna, we're learning about Stanislavski,
00:21:01 we're learning about all these different things in the first six weeks. We're learning about
00:21:05 going to the zoo, pick an animal, then for the week, you have to like work on that animal.
00:21:10 And at the end of the week, there are people that come in and watching that you just do
00:21:15 a performance and everyone's doing, you know, their animal, but you don't say what your
00:21:19 animal is. Like you just have a monologue that you deliver in the style of your animal.
00:21:23 And I was a penguin. I don't know why I saw the penguins at the zoo. I was like, yeah,
00:21:27 I'm going to be a penguin. - And did you have to write the monologue?
00:21:31 - Did we have to write it? I think I did. I think we did, you know, I think we did.
00:21:35 Yeah, we did. We did. We did. We didn't have to be too, because there's, I think there's
00:21:40 nine of us in the group. - Okay.
00:21:41 - But you didn't have to be too long, but yeah, we had to pen the monologue ourselves.
00:21:46 And after the showing, I remember a director that was associated with National Youth Theatre
00:21:51 came up to me and he was like, "Oh, I really liked what you did there. I could see that
00:21:54 you was a penguin." And I was gassed. I was like, "Oh, thank you, man." But not in the
00:22:00 way of like, you know, there's the physicality of it, but then it's like, you know, like
00:22:05 he got here and I was like, "All right, cool." I feel like I'm learning something. So yeah,
00:22:09 trained for six weeks. And then we rehearsed for six weeks. We have two different, three
00:22:15 different shows that we put on. We rehearsed two of them first. So we did "Jekyll and Hyde,"
00:22:20 which was directed by Roy Alexander Wise and written by Evan Placey. And then we did "Othello"
00:22:26 with Frantic Assembly, directed by Simon Pittman. And then we did, what did we do? I know Thomas
00:22:38 Bailey, he was like the, Brian Forbes, we know for that, yeah, he directed us. We did
00:22:43 like a Virginia Woolf play. We did a Virginia Woolf play, I believe. I've forgotten the
00:22:48 name of it, but yeah, we did those three. And then we, yeah, we went, we then have six
00:22:54 weeks at the Ambassadors where we perform these shows and rep. And yeah, after that,
00:22:59 I was lucky enough to get another agent. And yeah, I'd say from there, that's kind of when
00:23:05 it was like the training is kind of not finished because, you know, you still always have to
00:23:10 train. Like even doing tapes for me is like training in a way. But yeah, I think from
00:23:15 there is kind of when things started to move a little bit. Yeah.
00:23:20 - So, you know, I'm going to take it back. When you finished at D&B, what's the reason
00:23:27 that you switched agents? Because the, like the school had an agency as well, right? So.
00:23:32 - Yeah. So D&B had, it's like a, predominantly a children's agency.
00:23:38 - Oh, okay.
00:23:39 - It's on the agency as well.
00:23:41 - Yeah.
00:23:42 - But it's predominantly a kids agency. When I say kids, I say like kids to like young adults.
00:23:50 Because they've been around so long, they have adults there. So like, yeah, there are like
00:23:55 performers, like actors that have graduated from the college and are on their books and are working
00:23:58 and are doing very well. I just felt like I'd been there for so long that I need to, it's time for me
00:24:03 to, it's time for me to switch, you know, to, to, to see what's out there. So I signed with an agent
00:24:10 then. And then when I was offered National Youth Theatre's rep company, that agent was upset that
00:24:16 I didn't go, I didn't take the job that I wanted at first. So they were like, all right, cool. Well,
00:24:24 if you're going to do this rep thing, then cool. Like, whatever, that's fine. I was still on their
00:24:30 books, but obviously because I was training for the next nine months, they couldn't send me to
00:24:34 any auditions. So, and at the end of it, there was another agent who, she's retired now, the agent
00:24:42 that signed me to the agency I'm at now. She was like, yo, I'd really, I think, I think that we
00:24:48 could do good stuff together. And, you know, like, yeah, she was, I think our end of year showcase,
00:24:54 she came to, she came to watch and we met and chat and she was like, yeah, I'd like to,
00:24:58 I'd like to sign you. And at that point, everything that I'd gotten up until that point with the agent
00:25:04 beforehand was like musical theatre stuff. And it's like, as much as I do, I'll admit, I like
00:25:10 the musical. Like there's some actors that don't like it and I hear it, but when you train in
00:25:15 musical theatre for three years, you learn to appreciate it. Do you know what I mean?
00:25:18 So, but I knew that there's other things that I wanted to do and I felt as though
00:25:23 this, the new agent was a lot more, could facilitate that for me.
00:25:31 That's how I ended up with the agent that I'm at now, off the back of National Youth Theatre's
00:25:35 Rare Company. - Wow. So then you've done, I was going to say three years and nine months of training,
00:25:44 but then you were like, you've been training for years and years. So then, yeah.
00:25:51 That, do you know what, that's a beautiful thing to be able to say, you know, because
00:25:59 one thing that I find very interesting is that a lot of people from our backgrounds, right,
00:26:06 like it's difficult to fully pursue a creative career just because of the realities of life.
00:26:16 Like parents may be like, you know, coming over to this country and being like the first wave of,
00:26:24 first wave of, of, of immigrants. So then it's like, look, we just need to make sure everything's
00:26:30 stable. So, and we know how hard we've worked. So we would want you to, you know, not rock the
00:26:39 boat for yourselves. You know what I mean? And some, some parents are forceful and some aren't,
00:26:44 but it's like, look, the creative thing, we don't even understand this. So I love the fact that
00:26:53 you have even been able to, look, it didn't even feel like it. That means that you've been playing
00:26:57 for it for like years. - Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:03 - Which is, that is, yeah, that's such a blessing, man.
00:27:06 - It is. And I think, when I think about it, it kind of informs the way that I work,
00:27:14 like now, the way that I work now. I think that it is very
00:27:21 instinctual, the way that I like to approach things.
00:27:23 - Okay.
00:27:24 - Because there's definitely technical elements and you have to do more research and you have to
00:27:28 do your homework. But when it comes down to you in the room, you've got your script, like,
00:27:34 and your lines and you're delivering them. There's techniques that, you know, your actioning and,
00:27:40 you know, your larven techniques, there's all of that. But for me, it just comes down,
00:27:44 and all of those things can help you to get somewhere. But if it doesn't feel,
00:27:49 if it doesn't, if you don't feel it, then it's not, it's not that. It just, it comes from,
00:27:58 it comes from here. And I think I'm learning to, I think that's a skill that you have to kind of,
00:28:05 like, hold, exercise and hold in on more. So I'm learning to listen to that. But I think that comes
00:28:11 from the fact that when I was younger, it was improv and it was playing and it was like,
00:28:17 off the cuff. And it was, you are just, you're saying, there's no script, you're just saying
00:28:21 whatever you feel to say in the moment. And it feels true to you in the moment. And it feels
00:28:25 correct, you know? So that's something that I feel like has followed me, that has continued to,
00:28:32 has carried me all this way, to be honest. But then the reason why, I remember I said that,
00:28:38 that my training at D&B helped me, and has also carried me, like, the musical theatre training is,
00:28:44 like, we said Barbershop Chronicles at the beginning. That job, I auditioned for it before,
00:28:52 like, before I got the job, I had auditioned for it. And I didn't get it. I auditioned,
00:28:56 I auditioned for a different role in the play. I didn't get it. So months have gone by,
00:29:03 and my agent calls me, she's like, "Oh, Barbershop want to see you again, but they want to see you
00:29:09 for a different role this time." I'm like, "Oh, okay, but haven't they started rehearsal?" She
00:29:12 was like, "Yeah, at this point they'd started rehearsals, but something had happened and
00:29:16 someone wasn't able to do it, so they needed someone to fill in." But they were, like,
00:29:20 two weeks in to the rehearsal process. So I've gone in, I've done the audition.
00:29:26 I've gone in one day, Stella Odenlami, who was the Associate Director, big up Stella,
00:29:33 I've auditioned for Stella, and she's like, "Yeah, really good. You've got your recoup tomorrow
00:29:39 with the director, Bijan Shabani." So I've gone in the next day, done the audition.
00:29:44 And I've gone to this audition, I had work after. I was working at a mini golf place,
00:29:50 the junkyard golf and shortage at the time. So I had my white uniform and my bag, everything. So
00:29:54 I've gone in, done it, and ended the audition. Bijan's sitting there and he's like, "That was
00:30:03 really good. So we're rehearsing next door. Do you want to join? How do you feel about joining
00:30:11 the production? We go to America next week. Do you want to do that?" And I'm sitting there,
00:30:16 going, "This guy's asking me this question a bit too calm. I don't know if you're joking,
00:30:19 if you're being serious." I'm like, "If you're serious, he's like, "Yeah, no, no, sure. We're
00:30:23 just literally next door. So if you've got any phone calls you need to make, I suggest you make
00:30:27 them now and you can join us." So I'm like, "Yeah, no, definitely." So I go outside, I call my mum.
00:30:34 Mum, I booked it. And then I call my workplace and I say, "Yo, I know I'm meant to be starting
00:30:40 working an hour in a bit, but yeah, you're not seeing me today, mate. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
00:30:46 Yeah, I went next door. And the whole point of that is the fact that they were two weeks in.
00:30:53 So I had maybe 10 days to learn to get myself up to speed with what they were doing.
00:30:59 And for me, that training, the training of course, you know, Barbershop, it had a lot of movement
00:31:07 incorporated and dancing. So the fact that I had been doing dance for a good three years
00:31:13 meant that I was able to pick all of that up and it didn't throw me, it didn't phase me. I took it
00:31:19 in my stride and I was then able to just focus on, you know, I was able to like slot in basically.
00:31:27 - Yeah, straight. - Yeah, yeah.
00:31:30 - Wow. So what was Barbershop Chronicles like for you? Because it's an iconic play,
00:31:39 do you know what I mean? - It's different. It's different. It was
00:31:44 a revelation. It was a revelation. I'd say that, like, you can work with guys that,
00:31:50 it's a group of 12 black men, first and foremost. I think that's the first time I'd met an actor,
00:31:58 I'd met an older actor of Sierra Leonean heritage. And that was like, "Yo, like, you're this,
00:32:06 this is that. You're like my dad's generation, like, even older. And you've been doing this for
00:32:12 years." I didn't realize, I didn't, if you were to ask me, "What Sierra Leonean actors do you like?"
00:32:17 The only person I could really say was Idris Elba at that point. And when you're young,
00:32:22 like, he's so far out of reach that it's like, "One day, I might get there, one day." But then
00:32:28 you join a production where one of the eldest statesmen is Sierra Leonean and they're a
00:32:32 fantastic actor. And it's like, yeah, I think it just, it made me go, "Okay, one, I can be myself
00:32:40 at work." Do you know what I mean? Two, it's a story that speaks. I'm Sierra Leonean, but
00:32:46 like, they talk about, they go to Nigeria, they go to Ghana, they go to Zimbabwe, they go to Uganda,
00:32:51 like, we're talking about the diaspora, so I can relate. And it's just a fun show, man. And it was
00:32:58 just, it was just like, "Okay, I didn't realize that work could be like this." That's what that
00:33:02 was. That's what that was. Yeah. And just getting to watch people work, like, just getting to how
00:33:11 people, how people access their characters. But I think most importantly was that the experiences
00:33:22 that I'm learning from, you've got guys that have been doing this for 20, 30 years, and they're
00:33:27 on your next job. If you ever work with someone, you know, make sure you ask for parity.
00:33:32 That means that you're going to be getting the same pay as like your co-worker or someone,
00:33:37 even if that person is of a higher standing to you, then you can, you know, if you ask for that,
00:33:41 it should level things out a little bit. They're just giving you gain like that, you know? And
00:33:46 it's, yeah, it felt like a brotherhood, to be honest with you. That's what it felt like.
00:33:52 It felt like more than just a job. So that's a privilege because you don't get that on every
00:33:57 contract that you do. You know what I mean? So, yeah. - Wow. No, that's amazing. That's amazing.
00:34:06 So, right. Like in the midst of like your journey up until this point around like Barbershop
00:34:17 Chronicles, right. It sounds like things have been, you know, fairly straightforward in terms of
00:34:26 training, cool. All right. I've done another acting course. That's another string to my bow.
00:34:31 Okay, cool. I've got this pivotal iconic show, which you probably, you don't know at the time,
00:34:35 but it's like, okay, cool. This is cool. And then it comes out and it's done really well.
00:34:41 But what was like some of the rigor or challenges like in the midst of the journey?
00:34:51 - Hmm. Challenges. There's many. Like there's many. I think,
00:35:01 as we were saying before on the outside looking in, things can look straightforward, but
00:35:07 of all the things that I have auditioned for and of all the jobs that I have done,
00:35:12 there's so many that I went up for and I didn't get naturally. It's the nature of our industry.
00:35:19 Also, you do have to look at yourself. You do have to get to know yourself on a deeper level.
00:35:29 If you're going to be playing characters, if you're going to be playing people, you are your
00:35:35 base. You're the conduit through which these characters or these people are allowed to live,
00:35:40 breathe, speak. You put them out to the world. So if the base isn't settled, you don't know what your
00:35:47 morals are. If you don't know what your, let's just say like your manifesto to yourself,
00:35:55 like this is where I want to go. These are the things that I stand by. If you don't have that,
00:36:02 then I think it's easy to get lost. So I think I'm blessed that, as I've said,
00:36:11 outside of acting and my friends, my bredrens that I've grown up with,
00:36:17 they most definitely helped me to just feel grounded because it's like they're not seeing
00:36:22 it like, "Oh, acting, it's a respect thing." But it's like we see more as more. We know where we're
00:36:29 coming from. We know what our morals are, sort of thing. So I think that is something you have
00:36:34 to get to grips with early on, especially when you're mixing with different people at the
00:36:39 beginning that are coming from different backgrounds and stuff like that. It's understanding
00:36:45 that people are different to you and respecting that, but also understanding who you are as well.
00:36:52 I think balance as well. One of the rigmaroles or the challenges or the rigmarole is you can
00:37:00 get to a point sometimes where it's like work, work, work, acting, acting, acting, auditions,
00:37:04 auditions. Like, "Oh, it's my friend's birthday today, but I'm not going because I've got a
00:37:08 self-tape to do." Or it's this family function, but I'm not going because this thing has just
00:37:12 come on and it's a Netflix thing and it's BBC or whatever, and it could change. It's like,
00:37:17 "Come on, man." When all of this is done and forgotten about, who's going to be there? Your
00:37:24 family, your friends. And also discipline, discipline as well, because when you do leave
00:37:32 an institution or an organisation and you don't have a timetable anymore, it's like, "What are
00:37:39 you going to do? What are you going to do?" If you're not dancing for how many hours a day,
00:37:47 five days a week, sometimes six, depending on what's going on, your fitness, how are you going
00:37:53 to keep that up? Your nutrition, what are you going to do about that as you get older? All of
00:37:59 these things where you go, you really have to start to organise yourself in a way where
00:38:06 it benefits. One, it helps you as a person, but it benefits the work. Because if a role comes in
00:38:13 where you need to play a sports person, you need to play a footballer, or you need to play a boxer,
00:38:20 you have to prepare for that. We've heard stories of actors being like, "Yeah, I've got a PT and
00:38:27 this and that." If you're not there yet, where you can't afford to get the PT or production
00:38:34 staff for your one, then what are you going to... You need to be able to make that happen.
00:38:39 You wanted to be an actor, so this is it, acting it, transforming, it's part of it.
00:38:44 I think it's all these things, man. I think it's just being self-sufficient as well. Money,
00:38:50 learning how to handle your finances. Also, when you do get certain rejections,
00:38:56 like when you do have your heart set on certain jobs and you do get the no,
00:39:03 you can be upset, but I think...
00:39:06 - It can't eat you up kind of thing.
00:39:08 - It can't eat you up. I've learned that if I didn't get it, it weren't for me.
00:39:14 It weren't for me. As much as I may have wanted it, it wasn't for me. Then on top of that,
00:39:20 there's some jobs that I have done where on the CV it looks fantastic, but then the experience
00:39:28 of being there, it's the complete opposite. It's like, if only, if I knew it was going to be like
00:39:33 this, would I have done it? Nah, probably not. I've learned. It's definitely taught me something,
00:39:39 but yeah, this isn't what I thought this was going to be.
00:39:42 - Could you... That's a really interesting point, right? Because Purcell Ascot has touched on this
00:39:51 in the past, where his preference in terms of productions are more like grassroots,
00:40:01 like shorts and stuff like that, because of the camaraderie that you tend to have. But then on a
00:40:08 lot of big shows, I guess, obviously depending on the production, you can feel like a cog in a wheel
00:40:14 and that it's like, all right, cool. Like you're just a tool kind of thing. What sort of tips
00:40:20 could you give or examples of things that may not have been that great without obviously going into
00:40:32 the details of what the productions are, et cetera, to just give an example of like, okay,
00:40:37 you know what? These are some things that I have not found great on set.
00:40:43 - I think...
00:40:47 Cool. I'd say different people work in different ways, right? So one of the first plays that I did
00:40:58 out of rep, I was up north, I was working up north and it was a small role that I had in it.
00:41:12 So I liked that because I was able to watch what was going on in the room. And it was a play that
00:41:19 dealt with a lot of mental health issues. So I think it was, I think that was the first time
00:41:28 that I'd seen an actor that sit in a rehearsal room and the director goes, "Oh, what do you think
00:41:32 about this? Or what's your thoughts on this bit?" And the actor was like, "I don't know. I haven't
00:41:38 figured it out yet." And I was like, "That's crazy. I didn't even know you was allowed to say that."
00:41:42 I was like, "You can say that." And it's the fact that when she said, "I don't know," the director
00:41:49 was like, "Yeah, cool. When you figure it out, let me know or just, yeah, take your time."
00:41:53 But in that production, one of the lead actor, I'm not sure what happened to, I don't know what
00:42:01 he was going on outside of, you know, but he didn't make it to the end, basically. He didn't,
00:42:08 something happened and I think there was a day we had a two-show day, we've done the matinee.
00:42:13 After the matinee performance, this guy is like, "We've come off stage. We're going to our
00:42:20 dressing rooms." He didn't come out for the bar firstly in the matinee. And I was like,
00:42:25 "That's a bit weird." But the performance up until that point, we could kind of sense this,
00:42:31 there's something not right with him, like something's happening. He didn't come out for
00:42:35 the bar. By the time we've done the bar, gone off stage, we see him with his stuff, like walking
00:42:41 out of the theatre. And that's the last time we saw him, he didn't come back. So they had to
00:42:46 cancel the evening show. One of the other actors had to, you know, they had to rejig stuff. One of
00:42:51 the other actors stepped into his role, went on with the book for the rest of the run. But for me,
00:42:58 I think his way of working was kind of, you could say, method in a way. And I don't think it...
00:43:05 I just don't... If that's the case, understand how to do that and when to rein it in,
00:43:12 you know, leave the room a bit. And I was just lucky that I just know how to...
00:43:21 I didn't have to interact with the guy that much. - Got you.
00:43:26 - You know what I mean? I didn't have to, like, yeah, a lot of my scenes, I had scenes with him.
00:43:31 - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - The scenes that I had with him. I don't
00:43:35 know if it's just me being like where I'm from, it's like certain offers would be made in the room
00:43:40 and I'd be like, I wouldn't say anything. But I remember there was one time the director said to
00:43:46 him, "I'm not sure if you doing that would be wise. I'm not sure Mo would be very happy with that."
00:43:54 And I'm just so happy that the guy could just see the look on my face of like, nah, you're not...
00:43:58 This is crazy, bro. I understand what you're trying to do here, but you don't have to do that,
00:44:05 you know? And I think that's also when I learned about you need to know yourself because I don't
00:44:08 know what it was about the role that triggered him, but yeah, it was obviously... It brought up
00:44:13 some stuff, you know? And it was bad actually, to be honest. It was sad. So that was a time,
00:44:20 just how different people's processes can clash. I think on set,
00:44:24 there's certain things you can't learn through training. There's certain things you just have
00:44:29 to learn on the job. And with certain jobs, I haven't really done a massive... I don't know what
00:44:41 to... A massive production like that. That's what was big. It was big. There was loads of people on
00:44:50 set, but we had the boys and we were a tight-knit group. So we always... If anyone had a problem or
00:44:57 whatever, the guys, it's all for one, one for all sort of thing, you know? But on set, I just think
00:45:03 it's like, we all like a cheeseburger or some people like cheeseburgers, but it's like,
00:45:11 you're now going into the factory to see how the cheeseburger is made. And it's not as glamorous
00:45:15 as what the cheeseburger looks like at the end of it. But that's how it's made, isn't it?
00:45:20 Like it, hate it or love it, that's how it's made. So it's like, you kind of have to adjust
00:45:31 in a way. I feel it's a thing of feeling uncomfortable. Then, you know, you just have to...
00:45:37 Hopefully there's people there that you can speak to. And like, for instance, Hester on Gastop,
00:45:42 one of the best producers that I've ever worked with, one of the nicest people that I've ever met
00:45:46 as well. We're lucky that we had someone like Hester at the helm of Gastop. So we could always,
00:45:51 if there was any problem, you know that you go to her and she always listens to you, you know?
00:45:58 But I think advice, I'd say... The work, man. Try and do the work. But if it's like a...
00:46:09 If you do, yeah, use your voice in it. You have a voice for a reason. You do. You have a voice
00:46:13 for a reason. For me personally, I'm just lucky that I haven't been in situations like that.
00:46:20 But friends that have been in situations like that in the past, yeah, they know who to talk to.
00:46:24 They'll go and speak to the producer and be like, "I don't like this for X, Y, and Z reason."
00:46:28 Contractually, look for your contract. If there's certain... You know, not understand what you're
00:46:32 getting involved in, what you're getting into, or just ask people that have been in those situations
00:46:36 before or have more experience than you on set, and they'll be able to point you in the right
00:46:42 direction. But nine times out of ten, if something doesn't feel right, if your instinct is kicking up
00:46:46 saying, "Yo, there's something going on here," I'd say, "Listen to it." I'd say, "Listen to it."
00:46:52 - I love it.
00:46:53 - That was kind of difficult to answer without... Do you know what I mean? But I hope I was able to
00:46:59 talk.
00:47:00 - Nah, nah, nah. You did. You did. Yeah, yeah, nah, nah. You handled that well. And I think,
00:47:04 yeah, it's really helpful. Even what you said about the actor saying she hadn't figured it
00:47:10 out yet. That's like... Because a lot of the times, people are so eager and hungry to work that
00:47:20 it's like they want to please, or they want to just call, "I've done everything. I've read the
00:47:29 lines. No, I know where..." It's like to almost say that you aren't where you think the director
00:47:38 wants you to be is like, "Oh, I'm not good enough." And yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think that's a great
00:47:45 eye-opener that you shared.
00:47:48 - She... That... Because at the end of the day, then when you... If you make it about you,
00:47:54 if you start to think like that, "I need to please. I need to... I've learned the lines,
00:48:01 and I need to act like I know what I'm doing," then it's not about the character. It's about you,
00:48:06 your self-esteem, and your ego, and how you're perceived in that room at that moment in time.
00:48:09 Whereas if it's really about the work or the character or the story, then you'll be honest
00:48:15 and be like, "I'm not sure what's going on here," or "We've rehearsed the scene this way, but after
00:48:22 running it a couple of times, something's not working for me. I don't know what it is, but can
00:48:29 we revisit it?" And yeah, there might be people in the room that go, "Oh, come on, man." But nine
00:48:35 times out of 10, if you're working with people that you work the same way, they'll understand
00:48:39 and they'll be like, "All right, then. Let's go back to it." So I think, yeah, you kind of have
00:48:43 to... It's difficult, but you have to try and take yourself out of it, and your ego, all of that.
00:48:50 Take all of that out of it and just be honest about the work that you're doing. And if you don't know,
00:48:55 it's better to not know than to pretend like you know. You know what I mean?
00:49:00 - Yes.
00:49:01 - There's a myriad of things that can come from not knowing. There's so many
00:49:04 discoveries that can be made. There's so many things that you can explore from not knowing
00:49:08 together, rather than, "Yeah, I don't know, but I'm acting like I do know." Because then it's just,
00:49:15 you're not helping anyone. You know what I mean?
00:49:17 - Yeah. I love that. I love that. So, Gassed Up, right? Talk to me. What was that like for you?
00:49:27 Was that your first feature film as well?
00:49:28 - As an adult, yeah.
00:49:31 - Yeah. Okay. Okay. Okay.
00:49:33 - As an adult. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:49:35 - So, yeah, man. What was that like? You know, Amazon, like, yeah, man.
00:49:40 - That was... Gassed Up was crazy. Filming that was mad. It was so mad. Because it was down the
00:49:47 road from where I grew up in Camberwell. I used to live on Brandon Estate. So, we filmed it at
00:49:55 Camberwell, the old magistrate's court. So, it's like, I don't know why, just having to go to set
00:50:00 every day knowing that I lived like a stone's throw. I used to live a stone's throw away from
00:50:04 there. That was like a... It was just like a nice feeling. It felt like coming home a bit.
00:50:09 - Like a full circle moment.
00:50:11 - A full circle moment. Yeah. It made me feel proper nostalgic at work, man. But I loved it.
00:50:16 The guys as well. Like, just the team, the guys, like everything. Everything about it was...
00:50:21 It was just different. We had to learn how to ride motorbikes. We had to go get our CBT licenses.
00:50:30 Some of the scenes that we had to film, I don't know if people have seen that at this point, but
00:50:35 some of the robbery scenes and this and that, and how we filmed those, it was different. But I think
00:50:42 at the crux of it, at the nucleus of it, it was the fact that
00:50:46 on screen you see all of these group of players, they have a relationship, right? And they go
00:50:52 through their trials and tribulations. And that's what the film's about. Obviously,
00:50:57 starring Stephen Odubola and Taz Kano, Craig Middleburg, Tobias Joway, myself, Mohamed Mansoury.
00:51:03 We're the group of guys that go through it. But being led by Stephen, you see what his character
00:51:09 is going through. There was so much that we just didn't have to... In that audition, when I met
00:51:18 everyone, it just felt like, yeah, this feels correct. This feels correct. And then, yeah,
00:51:25 the challenges of filming some of those back scenes, some of those robbery scenes,
00:51:31 some of those emotional parts, every day was different. Every day was so, so... It was just
00:51:39 different, man. Yeah. Yeah. What was it like? It was... Because there's so much that happens in
00:51:46 that show. It was fun. It was also... It was fun. It was definitely challenging. But I think it was...
00:52:02 Yeah, it was... How can I add that to fun? It was challenging. And it was just...
00:52:14 Yeah, it felt right, man. It felt right. It felt right. I don't know. There's no other words that
00:52:18 I can feel like... I can think of to describe it. I love that. You know, like when you're saying
00:52:26 like it felt right, one thing that is like ringing through as you're speaking is that
00:52:33 there's a... And maybe it stems from like improv, right? There's this aspect of... Because, you know,
00:52:42 like acting is... It's Heather Bassett. She's like, you know, it's about the truth, isn't it? So
00:52:47 you can learn lines and have all the techniques in the world. But if it's not truthful, it means
00:52:55 nothing. And a part of the truth is just... You can't describe it. Like you just feel it. And
00:53:08 more time the truth is revealed when it doesn't feel truthful. Because as we're speaking now,
00:53:16 we're not feeling like, "Oh, no, the conversations are like... What are we talking about?"
00:53:21 Like it's just because it's truthful. So for you to say, especially like
00:53:26 the topic is something very real and relatable, especially to
00:53:36 - not like our community, but it's like, it's not like a high concept fantasy or something like
00:53:47 that. You know what I mean? It's like, so for it to feel right, it's so important for the
00:53:54 authenticity that we've all seen in it. So that makes a lot of sense. - I get exactly what you're
00:53:59 saying. It's not too... The story is not too far removed from where we are at, where we have
00:54:09 that come from. Like, you know, it's not foreign. It's not foreign. - Yeah, that's it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:54:15 - The characters as well. So I played Cabs in the film. Does deliveries. He's like a delivery driver.
00:54:22 He's got a young baby on the way. He's got his missus that he's looking after. And he needs
00:54:27 a bit of... He's looking for something on the side to help sustain himself and his family.
00:54:32 You know, and I think I just, I like to break things down as simply as possible when I'm
00:54:38 working. And I think, cool, you have your family that you need to provide for.
00:54:45 That's your why. Your ways and means that this opportunity has come your way, working with
00:54:53 Dubs, who's played by Taz. That's your how. That's how you're going to do it. And then,
00:54:58 obviously, you have the script. You have what happened. And it's like, now it's just down to
00:55:03 filling in the blanks for the rest of it. And because everyone played their position so well,
00:55:11 it just made what I had to do even easier. - Yes. - You know what I mean? It's like, cool, I get
00:55:20 what I'm doing here. I get what position I'm playing here because everyone is playing their
00:55:25 position. It's like, if you've got every man on the pitch, you could just... I don't really watch
00:55:29 football like that, I'll be honest. So if I butcher your position, please forgive me. But
00:55:33 if you've got your midfielder, you've got your wingers, you've got your defenders, and you've got
00:55:39 one more man that's on the pitch, and it's like, bro, everyone is in their position, bro. Like,
00:55:43 go up top. That's where we need someone now. You know, it's like, you know, that's what you've got
00:55:48 to do. - Straight. - Yeah, yeah. And just, it's an Amazon film, but it's an independent film at
00:55:57 the same time. So that came with the challenges as well in terms of like, when you're trying to
00:56:00 work on the fly, certain locations that we might have been on location, and all of a sudden we
00:56:06 can't shoot in this location anymore, so we've got to change it. And we, like, obviously the crew,
00:56:12 they were on job, but us, the boys as well, when that happens, it's like, you might not have as
00:56:18 much time to execute that scene as you thought you would before. So you've got to be on your
00:56:22 Ps and Qs. You need to know what it is that you're doing. And when it came down to the wire, everyone
00:56:26 stepped up, and everyone supported each other to deliver. But yeah, I think the reason why I think
00:56:33 it was, why I knew the filming was going to be fine is because the audition process, like, we had,
00:56:39 we had, I think it was two rounds. I had the first audition process, like, the first audition,
00:56:46 no, I taped, did a soft tape, sent it off, then I had a recall. And that's when I met all the boys
00:56:52 that I was going to be working with. I met them that first recall audition. So we've done it,
00:56:58 and, like, we've done the scenes. Stevie was in there as well, some improv as well. And it was
00:57:04 just like, it felt, you know what I say about, it didn't feel like I was training when I was young.
00:57:08 That same feeling, because you're doing improv, so it's like, we're in the room,
00:57:12 we're just flogging, and it's like, I remember leaving there thinking, I'm not going to lie,
00:57:16 that was kind of fun. Like, it didn't feel like an audition. It just felt like, you know,
00:57:22 felt like a cheeky improv, cheeky 30 minute improv with people that you don't know,
00:57:26 and it's like, you're on your way. But seeing what everyone brought to it from then,
00:57:31 and how that translated onto set was different. And even working with Taz, who wrote some of it,
00:57:39 as well, who, like, co-wrote the film as well, having him on set helped. Because if there's
00:57:45 certain things that we were like, yo, Taz, I'm not sure if this is as true, or I'm not sure if I
00:57:52 would say this, or I'm not sure if this would happen, then we was able to collaborate and get
00:57:57 it done, man. So, yeah, big up George Anponsa, our director, for leading us, the team, like,
00:58:06 everyone, I think it was, yeah, man, it was a proper mixed bag. Like, no day was the same.
00:58:15 But that's what I love. - I love that. I love that, man. You know, now, for Black Boys, now,
00:58:24 I did not get a chance to watch it. And when I did want to go and see it, it was too late,
00:58:32 basically. And it's come back. - Yeah, it's back. It's back. - This play has, you know, it's,
00:58:41 from what I've heard and seen, and the way it's regarded, is so, so, so important. How did,
00:58:51 I want to know, right, so, like, just to let everyone know, you are in this play, which is big.
00:58:59 How does that feel for you? - It feels like a responsibility. - Interesting. - It feels like a
00:59:09 big responsibility. It feels like a blessing. And it was another, it was a situation where it was,
00:59:21 it was like, yeah, this is, this has come, this is, audition came around, like,
00:59:32 this has come my way. It's like, all right, good, I'm going to do this thing. And
00:59:37 just helped me to, that just shepherded me in this. Like, shepherded me in this. I think,
00:59:46 I saw it the first time. I saw it twice, actually. Took my little brother to go and watch it with me
00:59:51 the second time around. And yeah, I just think what the play talks about, the characters that
01:00:00 you have in it, the story that Ryan's written, and what it's based on as well, like, it's,
01:00:10 the play is based on, and I'm going to make sure that I get this correct. So let me,
01:00:16 because we need to, no, seriously, seriously, seriously. I need to make sure that, you know,
01:00:23 that we get this correct. So there we go. So the play is based on, for black boys who have
01:00:34 considered suicide when the hue gets too heavy, for colored girls who have considered suicide
01:00:41 when the rainbow is enough, yeah, by Tezake Shange. I'm sorry if I've butchered the name,
01:00:47 but I had to make sure I get that in there. And we're talking, you're talking about the experiences
01:00:51 of six uniquely different black boys. They're in therapy. They're all in therapy for different
01:00:59 reasons, but obviously the title explains it. And yeah, they told their story. And by the end of the
01:01:06 play, they get to a point where they're able to, like, they allow their imaginations to travel to
01:01:13 places that are darker than their perceived reality. And that is the thing that allows,
01:01:18 that encourages them to move forward, but in their power, rather than in the judgment,
01:01:26 the fear, the embarrassment, the pain, the hurt of what they have been through and the hurt of
01:01:32 what society has kind of put onto them. And I think when you're doing a play like that, it is
01:01:38 big, it is a massive responsibility, because even if you yourself haven't been through something
01:01:43 like that, I'm sure that we will know someone that has. You know, and I think the reason why
01:01:49 the play was so impactful is because there's some plays that you watch, there's some plays that are
01:01:54 put on, and when you go and watch it, you see loads of actors there, like people of the industry there.
01:02:00 But I think this play is, you go and watch it, and one, you see a lot of Black people,
01:02:06 some Black people, a lot of them that haven't been to the theatre before, or they may not be,
01:02:10 like, regular theatre goers like that. And a lot of young Black boys, like my brother,
01:02:16 as well, I've taken my brother to the theatre, I drag him along with me when I can. But it's like,
01:02:23 it's for a young Black boy that hasn't been to the theatre before, to go and watch something
01:02:31 like that, and hopefully see yourself represented on stage. And even deeper than that,
01:02:37 to relate to the experiences of some of the characters on stage.
01:02:43 I think that it allows people to go, okay, so I'm not by myself in this, so if I am feeling this way,
01:02:52 if I have been through certain experiences, if I don't have that support, if I haven't had the
01:02:57 support, this thing, this play, this story is showing me that it's not just me. Because nine
01:03:03 times out of ten, we all go through things where we go, that's embarrassing, I'm not telling no
01:03:08 one about that. You might be talking to a friend about it years down the line, and they go, the
01:03:11 same thing happened to me, bro. You know? And I think, if this play is the start of the journey
01:03:17 for someone to get to the start of someone's healing journey, or their journey of just self,
01:03:24 just their journey of self, getting to know themselves, or getting to rebuild themselves,
01:03:30 I think it's a beautiful and it's a powerful thing. It's a beautiful and it's a powerful
01:03:34 thing. I know that some people have the resources to go to therapy, and it's funny I say that,
01:03:41 because the characters are in therapy in the play, but for people that aren't, and they so
01:03:46 happen to come to the theatre and see this, I think that it's, yeah man, I feel like it can
01:03:53 be life-changing. I feel like it can. - Oh, that's amazing, man. I love that. I love that. I love that.
01:03:59 In terms of, like, what was the audition process like for this play? - It was a bit wild, you know?
01:04:09 It was a bit wild, because when I, so I wasn't in the country, when I got, I had to sell tape for
01:04:16 it at first, but I wasn't in the country at the time of the self-tape. I was doing another project,
01:04:22 so I was coming through, and I've done it, and they were asking for
01:04:28 a speech of one of the characters, and also, like, some singing as well. So I was like,
01:04:36 all right, cool, I can do this. Sent that off, and then my agents come back, it's like, they want to
01:04:41 see you in the room, or they want to see you for a different character. I'm like, all right, cool,
01:04:46 no problem. I've gone into the room, and Ryan, the director, he's very, Ryan's very straightforward,
01:04:56 he's straight down the line. So when I've gone into the room, he's like, all right, cool, do you
01:05:00 understand what we're doing here? And I had to say to him, like, Ryan, I've seen the play twice,
01:05:04 of course I understand what we're doing here. Like, yeah, and, you know, it's like, we got into it,
01:05:11 did the scene, and I'm not gonna lie, when I left, I was like, I wasn't too sure,
01:05:16 in terms of what I had done in that room, I weren't too, I weren't too sure. And I don't
01:05:22 know if that's because I'd seen the play before, and, you know, it's like, because of, like,
01:05:31 the speech or the text, it's like, I know how it felt, I know how it felt to watch it,
01:05:39 and I don't think it helped me in that moment, because I'd, you know, I'd seen it, you know,
01:05:43 so it's like, not that I'm trying to emulate what Aruna had, Aruna Jalloh, who was the actor that
01:05:48 played, I play Obsidian in the play, Aruna had played Obsidian before, so I was trying to emulate
01:05:53 what Aruna had done, but it's like, one, that's my, like, my good friend, and two, it's, I don't
01:06:01 know, man, I just think it was, I'm not, I'm not too sure, but they obviously saw something, like,
01:06:08 they, they, they saw something, and after, so after we did that, we did, we then had another
01:06:15 group, like, there's group scenes that we, that we did, so everyone came into the room,
01:06:20 there might have been a one by one, everyone came into the room, like, read the scene as a group,
01:06:25 and then sang a bit, and then, yeah, so it was just very, I think it was quite rigorous, actually,
01:06:31 I'd say it's one of the more rigorous, like, auditions that I'd had that, that I've had in
01:06:36 a while, like, like, in terms of what they were looking for, like, like, and how specific the
01:06:41 notes they were giving, where, and the amount of times people sang, and the amount of times we did,
01:06:46 like, the group thing, I was like, I came out of it, I was like, they worked us a bit in there,
01:06:50 I'm not gonna lie to you, but I understand why, because we've, we're, we're open now, we've had,
01:06:56 we had our third preview on Saturday, and tomorrow we've got our fourth preview, so we're still,
01:07:03 you know, we're still working the show, and yeah, doing it, but yeah, to, to, to say to you, it's
01:07:08 been somewhat of a boot camp up until this point, and I'd be an understatement, it's been, it's been,
01:07:13 it's been work, man, it's been, it's been good, it's been good, but yeah, man, like, putting the
01:07:19 show together, especially as it's a new cast, where the creative team, they've done it before,
01:07:24 even though we've seen it, I'm approaching it like I haven't seen it, I'm approaching it,
01:07:30 like, from ground, from ground zero, so yeah, like, all of those,
01:07:40 like, all of that work, all of those discoveries that we're trying to find, it's been, it's been
01:07:44 interesting doing so, and I think also, we know, like, what the play did beforehand,
01:07:48 we understand how popular it was beforehand, and that's fine, that's good, but it comes to a point
01:07:55 where you have to kind of disregard that and go, that, that, that doesn't matter now, because
01:07:59 - Yeah, I hear you. - It's a different show, and big up the man for what they did beforehand, but
01:08:04 you know, for us to tell the story in the best way, and do our jobs to the best of our ability,
01:08:08 we can't be thinking about what was before, I have to think about what I'm trying to do now,
01:08:14 and that's what everyone has done, that the cast, the creatives, like, we've had to lock in and
01:08:20 really hold each other down to, to get it together, but yeah, yeah, man. - That's amazing, man,
01:08:30 you got your head screwed on, I have one last question for you, so, like, obviously,
01:08:38 being an actor, landing roles is key, like, it's key for so many reasons, it builds your career,
01:08:45 puts money in your pocket, and this is what you're doing, innit? But, in addition to that, right,
01:08:51 like, landing jobs, landing roles, how important are the stories you tell in those roles, like,
01:08:59 for you personally? - It's very important, it's very important,
01:09:07 because I think if you, how can you tell a story that you don't really, like, believe in,
01:09:21 you know, for me, personally, I think you can have your, like, you can question things,
01:09:30 I think that's perfectly natural, and you can, you know, you can,
01:09:36 you can have your doubts, but I think, or you can have your, my doubts, I mean,
01:09:44 there's so many actors that talk about, you know, that they offered me this role,
01:09:49 but I turned it down, because I just didn't think I was the right person to do it,
01:09:52 and I hear that, like, I understand that, or even,
01:09:57 it's, I don't know, man, there's this thing, people say you have to climb the ladder to
01:10:03 change the ladder, right, so, sometimes, there's that mindset of, okay, where I am now, I may not
01:10:11 be able to affect the change that I want to affect, but I need to get to a certain point,
01:10:15 and then I'll be able to do, put certain, like, implement certain things, and it's not to say
01:10:19 that I'm compromising myself, my morals on the way there, but it's just, I understand that I
01:10:23 have to humble myself and do, put the groundwork in to get to a certain point, I think when it
01:10:28 comes to telling certain, like, certain stories, if someone wants, if someone is, like, if you're
01:10:33 telling a story where you go, I'm not sure I, I understand this fully, so let me educate myself
01:10:40 on this before I go into, before I go into, to read through this thing, and, okay, I'm at a place
01:10:46 now where I've got a bit more of, I'm, I'm, I'm getting to grips with it a bit more, yeah, I
01:10:54 understand that, because that's what theatre is, there's people that are going to come and watch
01:10:57 things that don't agree with it, but, you know, that, it's a conversation that's being had,
01:11:03 but, long story short, to answer your question, yeah, I've been blessed at a lot of the, a lot
01:11:08 of the things that, the jobs that I've done has been issues that, or stories that have spoken to
01:11:14 me, and stories that have represented not just me, but the people that I've grown up around,
01:11:19 the people that, yeah, just the people that are in my life, and I think it just makes me hold it a
01:11:26 bit dearer to my heart, but it also, it kind of has that added pressure, because I know that if I do,
01:11:32 if I don't do a good job, then forget about what people out there are going to say, there's people
01:11:38 that I speak to and talk to every day that are going to be like, what, what, then, what, what in
01:11:42 the world was that? You know, you know what I mean? So, it's like, it helps to keep you accountable,
01:11:50 but just on a basic level, it's like, as an, as an actor, as an artist,
01:11:56 our voice is powerful, you get to a certain level, your platform becomes powerful,
01:12:01 life imitates art, art imitates life, so it's like, a lot of these stories that we're talking
01:12:06 about, it's not just entertainment, it's, it's real, so, you know, with what's going on in the
01:12:12 world right now, I feel like if there is, if there is ever a time to, if you're gonna do work, you
01:12:18 better believe in it, like, you better, you know what I mean? You better, if you're gonna say them
01:12:24 lines on the stage, you need to say them with your chest, because it's, it's quite, we're blessed,
01:12:30 but it is quite dire out there right now, and I think it's things like art and it's things like
01:12:36 what we do that can help to change, that affect some sort of change, so, yeah, I think it's very
01:12:43 important, I believe that it's important to, to, I believe that it's important to do stories that
01:12:50 you, that, that you believe in, and sometimes doing that project is the thing that will test that,
01:12:57 and yeah, that is a journey in itself. - I love that, I love that, I love that, I love that,
01:13:06 thank you, man, bro, I hope everything goes well, I know it will, and yeah, I'm excited to see what
01:13:16 you do next, man, because, yeah, this is only the beginning. - As I said, bro, one day at a time,
01:13:24 I just focus on, you know, what I've got in front of me, so right now, this play, trying to,
01:13:32 you know, to do the best that we can with that, and yeah, whatever comes next, we'll see, but
01:13:40 yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm excited as well.