Original Air Date: February 13th, 2019
Award-winning actor and producer Michael B. Jordan discusses his skyrocketing career and why he says his life has already "exceeded his dreams.” Michael’s breakout performance came in 2013’s “Fruitvale Station,” directed by visionary Ryan Coogler. The duo teamed up again for the “Rocky” sequel, “Creed,” and then for the mega-blockbuster “Black Panther,” which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Michael says after playing superhero villain Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther,” he went to therapy. “As a man, I think we get a lot of slack for … what it is to be masculine,” he says. “I don’t really subscribe to that because I feel like everybody needs to unpack and talk, whether it’s with a therapist or a close friend or family member.”
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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well good. To see you
I wonder now if the dream
you dreamed about. Having this career has already exceeded the dream
or you living the dream? Did it look like this exceeded the dream it acceded to do
I see thirty. Two a few days exceeded the dream. Yeah happy belated birthday by the way. Happy. Thank you have a problem.
So now you gotta dream a bigger dream. Yes, I think over time it's always been small success to small success, to small success, and we set these goals, and you know guys been giving me everything. I want
and an extreme rate. So it's ok. I gotta recalibrate, I gotta figure out what the next benchmarking, as was the nets,
set of goals, and I wanna accomplished so at thirty two it's been on
Already the dream, no dream, I oh yeah. I think that's so interesting because you say god's already exceeded any expectation that you had
and when you are starting out, you just happy to get a role right, yes, yeah about it, we would, on as they are in the process of acting in congo, not audition process or.
you know when you first start out, you kind of are at the mercy of which recast
and yet in a position to be able to say no to things are causing nothing with wood. Acting you become way more famous unpopular than you are
Nearly stable suffer so so people think you're richer than you actual
for sure, particularly in the beginning, especially in the beginning, especially in the beginning, coming from newark new jersey. They see you on. You know on a commercial or ad, and you know the sunday newspaper and they think you're a millionaire
yeah, good rail. They wouldn't allow this button bright. I was going to say, and do you find that people asked for money in direct proportion how much they think you have what they meant, what they think? I had
yet when they think you- because I remember I was working in baltimore, your body only need a five hundred, ok cool, yes, who about it's cool there. As soon as I was? U cargo, it was five thousand now people would just call me up. I need fifty thousand
yes. No, if there we ve been a thing. Is you know how you know the announcements and trades in everybody's announcing the things that we have gone on the equate? That's, who uphold different yeah financial situation? What are you catching up now?
You know you're catching up a bit more. You know costly reinvesting into the dream in on. You haven't been really materialistic person, so I think
family was always been the first order of business and now ass. I guess that kind of thing, kara dance like I used to living it
and we're still living together, we're still living together, yeah yeah, we're together, really works for you, mama here, somewhere yeah there, you go your mind,
well mama, because I saw your mom remember, I saw your mommy to bed late december yup. Your mom gave me a rum cake that she did. We she gave me a run cake. I took their room cake, hold stupid.
that will give for breakfast. I saw the videos, whereas we think he's in which he made her whole. You may nonetheless rum king we ve ever had in our lives. Thank you so much if you like
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not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. This product is not intended to diagnose tree cure, prevent any disease, so obviously was a turning point. Yes,
for me as a man as an actor? You know I've always been a part of ensemble cast. I never had a chance to you know. You have very talented actress.
there that can open up a movie. I can't be the lead,
I film and I really wanted to know what type of actor I was going to be. If I had the ability, if I had the skills to open up a film in fruitvale station, was the first one. I had a chance to be the lead and know the success that we had at sundance
yeah critically did very well now you and ryan kubler have this thing. You know it's like an sorkin has
Daniels and the corn brothers have frances
when a new and ryan have this. What is it symbiotic? Yeah things of brotherhood,
It's a yeah, we're the same age, we're from similar places, no he's from oakland, I'm from northern new jersey, and it's a what does it feel like to be in his care, like you know, he's he's there directing and feels like what
it's okay, trust in our being comfortable in our being able to, he says, run
brick wall. You know, I'm a I'm a trust and I'm a I'm a go for it. You know it. You know it's not going to hurt just run through that brick wall, okay, cool! Let's do it because I know he won't put me in a position. That's good! That's going to be
It's going to that's going to hurt me or damage meaning type of way. We have an understanding of of what we're trying to build and what we're trying to
Do you know any movie that I want to do that now that we want to say something we haven't you,
we provide meaning to it and really, you know have a have. A message to come across. Ryan is the guy. For that you know he
it's not going to get into something that he doesn't fully have his heart into. So that's when it started to take off, and did you say hmm, this is good
This is good right here,
Then along comes creed and then create two did what did? What did you say
don't be perfectly
honest when before we
shot. One frame of progress station rhine already, pissed me, creed, one! We are and was,
like a do. You want to go see this movie about apollo creed's son and I was like cool. Let's do it and this is before we even started filming for the station, so it was that type of trust that we had from the beginning. That's great, so it was like okay. Let's do it. That's also great.
I know a lot of actors when they're in the starting out, particularly there's this feeling. Like. Will this be my last film and what will be the next film and how will I build?
this? So you didn't even have that already have that, though, because
It's already know you're going to work, but he didn't sly didn't even say. Yes, you know one of those things that was in the infancy stages that we didn't. I it was nothing was guaranteed and I think that's how I always approach everything that nothing's guaranteed and I got to treat every situation that I'm in like it could be my last just because the fear of you know lack of opportunity. So I think that's what kind of really got the gears turning towards production and ownership and being able to write and create
So I could be able to control our own destiny a little bit more on that not wait on the incoming phone calls. You ask your book a little bit
you pay. The next page enter a book. Michelle obama talks about the intense responsibility she felt as being apart of the first african american family to occupy the white house. Now you're, not the first black movie, star, no nope, but you are part,
a very elite group, and so I guess I'm wondering if there's a place where race and art intersect for you like. Do you choose things based upon something bigger than whatever whatever is going on in the moment? Yes, I think you know, that's it complicated questionable from me. Always farmers have been the trojan horse with the mass over as like, the guy who
Could infiltrate and and kind of keep the door open? You know any kind of opening up as much as I can. So there was a time right after fruitvale station, where I only wanted to go out for roles that was written for a white males caucasian males. I didn't want anything that in the breakdown, if it came up as african american, I didn't want to do it because I felt like there was a certain bias
You know from writers that were writing from what they experience that what they say they re media they never early hadn't you no contact with black and brown people, so they were right from their experiences, which came research.
You wanted to say I can do it all. I can do whatever it is. I want the roles that LEO's plan that time you know bread.
recouping or whatever that guy you know, and then you know riley and Ben and Matt. Those are the people that kind of took me. You know in and gave me advice very early and and kind of encouraged me to continue to do the things that I'm doing so my mind. State was like okay. If I could do a role that was written for them
No inherently, of course me playing. The role is going to make it that it doesn't need to be in a breakdown that is african american from X, x, x, Y and z, and I'd read that there was also some consideration because
When your mother was on the set of wired, you were killed that your mom had like a little breakdown thinking. It was actually a cry, she's, a quiet cry.
so you decided you were not going to do roles where you're killed any more, but you are definitely dead as a killmonger in black panther definitely did in that movie. Yes, yes, and it's one of those things where it's something that Denzel said you know he wanted. He was like you know he. He wanted the audience to view him as somebody that survived it.
That was the hero, so they can get used to seeing you as the lead as the hero characters. Oh ok, that makes sense. I'm tired dying. I would love to make it
So, let's, let's switch it up a little bit so yeah. My mom had a lot to do with that and then also kind of giving me that little piece of advice that I felt like we'd helped me out in the future. So, even though you died, it was worth it. It was worth it and he's ryan signed on to do that.
version hope like ever so, will you be resurrected? I know nothing. You know nothing you're crazy as they everybody. It assumes me arena so closely. He tells me everything he could.
Things for me, like I literally have to like trick him in answering certain questions. Were
He doesn't he doesn't vivaldi procedure. Ok, he can keep us they. Wouldn't you like to be revived. I would say there before
who, I think, has spoken to any thought it has anything. Ok, I heard a rumour there's been this buzz. You're gonna be the next superman. Yet I wasn't those
When I heard that I heard that I heard heard, I heard a few rumors
buzzing around. I think just being those conversations, its flattering very humbling that they would. What would you like to be super man? It's how you know why
I have been a businessman also and like understanding both sides of of the situation, I think there's a huge upside to it, but then there's just being under that microscope of just being picked apart and compared to so many different versions of superman. I would I would rather do something original really, but but the chance to be superman gets cold in your skin I'll be I'll, be Calvin Ellis. You know, there's a there's. Another version of super
is that from earth. Twenty three, I'm a comic book guy. Okay, so Calvin Ellis is, like you know, earth twenty three you're talking about, but I just had a little moment where I'm like. Am I going to act like I know he just do that kind of oh yeah, tamblyn yeah, there's there's another version of superman in another dimension. That is black already in the comic books that exist and I think the the the the the comic book you know peers can accept that more than me being
no clark, kent from cans and that's a different, that's different- that that's it. That's a very different there very different thing. So I read somewhere- and I think this is really important for anybody that you had said it's more important. What use
day yeah cause. We can reuse them that little straws and quota that you've said that what you say no to is equally as important as what you say. Yes to, I think that's important for everybody in their life but in particular in choosing roles, yeah sure it's one of those things where you know you can't you can't do everything yeah. You know I don't want to be over saturated. I don't want everybody to see me
twenty four seven, three, sixty five- you know you know ye after a year. You know I wanna do things
really more, the needle in one way. I want to be very in our strategic about the most that I'm making that and that the other roles that up
because you are immortalized forever. You know once you get in front of that camera, you know and you shoot a film, that's something that people can. You know go back to and dissect over and over again. So if you want to do things that you're proud of- and you really know you have skin in the game- let's talk about the day, the nominee
She came out and black panther with its one point: three billion dollar grows being around the world.
Has changed everything. He said. People wouldn't watch films in different parts of the world, and then you see people in all over the world who are lined up for that film. How are you feeling, then, first of all
they will get to the feeling win, win win people were lined up, do you saw it was how it was unsafe redress and up there,
we're from thought they were from the condom, yeah yeah. No, I mean, I think he was crazy to see like all the memes and videos, the home videos from the fans at home, and just everybody like you know what their their permanent markers,
no longer beer, yeah yeah, dad I thought inspired, I felt like I was really part of something special. That was a lot bigger than me. You know it was lot bigger than the movie itself. If it was it was given, it was given kids and generations a chance to dream again. You know dream not even again just to see yourself in a way that you never even imagine exactly. Yes exactly so for me, the whole black panther movement before
you know before the box office numbers and another good stuff witches anxiety, nervous, proud
When will when will it in? When? Is it going to start when it went windsor?
when you were unsaid doing it I mean I just saw your get those screen actor skill the other day as an ensemble ya. Look so
The initial gonna, because, like this,
the family, all over yeah yeah yeah
when you're doing it, you gotta move the closest. We got to move a little closer hey when you're doing it. Do you know that this is going to be as big as it is? Do you feel some kind of something energetically like this is different than other stuff? We felt like we had all the pieces needed to do something special and if we did our job every day, and we didn't take it for granted that we could do something special, but there's no way that we could assume that it was going to do what? What? What are you waiting for get? No not at all. We were just making sure that we took care of the opportunity. You know that if we thought about, if this doesn't work, when will there be another one? If we don't do this right, we can't we can't mess this up. I think that was kind of the thing that
that really drove me personally, and I know some of the other. You know actors as well kind of thought about it, a lot it's like we can't mess this up, don't go anywhere more to come after this short break
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I c h, I n e t dot com, so this is the first time your film is nominated for best picture this man. How does that feel different? Does the actual an acknowledgement from the academy? What does that mean? I think
Of course, you know if you're an act of your and our industry, you know, obviously being able to be nominated for an oscar, is on the list of things that you want in all. You would be amazing. The grab that I think with this movie, in particular with the case that we have in the impact
its main culturally. That is already one. You know it
I think it is one for the box office what it's doing to the industry as far as the way people think about films moving forward, especially people of color, you know, and and and and it it it it one day so now this is like the icing on the cake. You know now it's everybody else's and everybody else is putting the pressure on us of how it feels and we're.
really happy and excited that we ve come this far. You know armed acknowledgement, of course be cool, but I think we were already one. Ok, so you're going out his sleep now we know what you were in figure figuring out. Will you take an estate.
I don't know you obviously per mamma. You want to go.
you thought about my you? Wanna go.
I would just say that it would be pretty hard for you to date about now being you at this point, why do we always gotta give
we gotta god. It is hard when we got we gotta get here. Otherwise people will say I did not do my job, I'm. How do you find someone who can step into this ride with you at this particular time? That's a great question. I don't I don't know how I don't. I don't I'm where you need a nice church girl, good girl.
I don't know what I mean honestly, you know it's it's an our!
What do we need? What do we need? What am I, what am I I don't? I don't know. I think for me is hopefully she'll reveal herself when, when I'm ready for that? Yes, that's what will happen, but here's the thing you're. Turning thirty two
We- and I remember it
and we're not going to stay on that long. I just think everybody wants to know okay, so I remember so well turning thirty two cause. It's the year we launched the Oprah show that it went national, okay and my life took off like a rocket and here's the thing. You know this when you're riding the rocket
life becomes like a blur that you literally don't even know where you're going. I remember so many days it. I wouldn't
need itinerary till I came home because to read it before would like given so much yet when was it I work here. I just go: where do people tell me the gum so
you're on that rocket right now. How do you keep things from blurring and keep from not going numb? Two things around you? Ok, how did because I can look back down
my life and think there's so many things that happen only remember. I was there, I can see a tape. I say it looks like me, people its own, you bob moments. Newest
sound is mostly people who say open. Remember me down here so thoughtfully, please don't with pressure, and we also say that I think they were they say. What's my name,
yeah yeah and I think that's why I always go a pleasure to see you again, it's nice to meet you. I just go whew, that's you
Look at you! Nobody would nobody
I have a you have done,
because no one call you up.
Let's go call me get called out about relic. Remember me behind it. I think that so rude by the way, a little unfair for its enough. If we act in like
No, u so, just take the take that just be gracious. Take that instead of what's my name okay, so the question is: how do you in the midst of all this? Are you working on, and I I would say I wished- I had done more work at the time on centering and taking it in because so much of it is a blur. So what are you doing now to to manage that? For yourself? It's the meditation, it's the spiritual kind of connection that you have to be able to ground yourself and center yourself that you're protected moving in these spaces that
are costly, taking things from you, your energy, you know you know just as good as draining throw so when I am on the role- and this is something that
I need to work on and I need to do it more more often because things are getting a little bit more intense for me larry that gets blurred because you are you are you said you said it perfectly you're, going from one place to another, you know,
people are you know pushing here answer this question you coming in the back door. You don't even know what a hotel you in to get up and ask look at the you.
looking through a mall and be like we're, doin and you're in your on again so-
just finding moments to sending us off the ground yourself,
you said meditation, so does that mean you like actually do that that has like meditation has a lot of baggage to it. I think there's a lot of you know, stereotypical. You know you're sitting there. You know legs crossed and essence burning, but you are setting a scene and creating an environment for for energy to to come to you and for you to kind of center yourself. So you are, you know, taking deep breaths, you are holding thoughts of what you you want to happen. You are sending your energy out.
The universe to take care of whatever needs taken care of. So when you physically walk into that space, it's already done yeah. You know that I'm still a baby at and I'm still learning know, but I've surrounded myself and have family and friends. You know that that believe in that that protect me that I was just going to ask the prayer question. Are you
prayer or arm or a meditator both in goes hand in hand, yeah yeah hand in hand? So I think it's prayer and meditation. It's it's it's both, and do you think that you live the life that you do
when prayed up. One thousand percent has nothing to do and that's why I think sometimes I get uncomfortable, I'm still learning how to take a lot of compliments and appreciation for things that I do, because I'm just the vest
well for a lot of things, and I realize that I gotta stay out my own way and kind of stick to what I'm doing so. When people say you know,
You know the gimme a lot of compliments and it's like cool, but I just I I try not to really listen or just feed into it that much because I know it's just
are going to cause it's so hard when you are on the rise and you're surrounded by everybody who says yes to you and just wants to know: do you want sparkling or flat or water
yeah yeah yeah, where everybody is just like. What can I get you what can again with regard to stay centre? So I would say this my assess,
and of you having watched you is that you are a young man who we can see has been raised. Well, you been
facebook, so what is the lesson the mama going? Yes idea, yeah. So what? What is the number one lesson from your parents? Are the lessons that stuck. I know it's not one thing, but what is the essence of it like how you were raised that allows you to be at thirty two to stand inside yourself? The way you do great question, I think my parents are very different, but very much so
so I think for my dad, I kind of always gotten the the life lesson of at a very young age. You have to find something you're serious about something you care about something you're, passionate about and take it seriously just just find something and take it seriously put the the time and the effort as where I get a lot of my work ethic, for whom I seen him go to work. You know work nights. You know when I'm going to school he's like
are you the past hour. China, like you, know, wake up on the couch to see me off, or you know he sleep, but if I might get home he's goin out the work like I've seen him put the time in, and I know what it takes,
I know what goes into in being a man and and and and and being its impetus beer of household
also seen so I think that's what I kind of got my you know from my dad. That's the lesson that I take with me that everything that I do the work F as the work ethic taking some
something the necessaries about and be serious about. You know in really in really you know hone your craft.
What are your lane and your business or whatever it is, and that's kind of where I got my work ethic from I think my mom is our heart. Is the the humanity my ability to feel I'm an empath? You know what I'm saying so I think the the ability to feel people in in in interact with energies and in finesse and just
have a game. That is a lesson that I'm costly learning in china in I'll get better at, but I think I get that from my mouth for sure. Is that you no porn on him?
cushions. You know. I think it helps me out a lot with my acting. I think it helps a lot with me ass, a person. You know
just trying to be genuine to the universe minutes of people. You know we're all living here and you're just trying to yeah. I know it's going to come back to me. You know,
in a way yeah. That's my religion is the third law of motion. What you put out is coming back. I live my way, my life. That way. What is the defining value system that you hold for? How you lead your life that you're going to get what you what you you're going to?
back, which would you put out as broad and vague is, as that is, I think, is very specific to a lot of things that you do throughout throughout your life. You know a thing when it comes to business when it comes to personal
recent shifts when it comes to yourself know what you put into yourself is what you're going to get out you know, and so do you work on giving yourself good stuff? What are you
feed yourself, I'm furiously emotionally. I've always put myself last and that's what I'm workin on honestly failing a word on. Thanks must go myself now, because I think I've gotten by
on youth and pure energy
example. Maybe the dimples are working for a for.
For who
I feel like? I need to start reinvesting in myself more and taking time. For me, I've always known in europe in your mind, is like when I get to this point I'll start working on myself or when it gets to that point, and you just always keep going because you don't want things to stop or you remember a time where
you weren't, didn't incoming from cars in europe at home. You know not knowing what to do so. I think I've been in this kind of
global gotta keep working, canst, thou canst, thou canst up was: are you there,
What you like didn't didn't? I just read: you just did a deal with amazon. You just did a deal with warner brothers, everybody's knocking on your door knock knock
a boy? Look, I'm almost the back up what are put down a certain things in place there. I saw it already I've seen a couple years ago, someone! Ok, I need this in place. Any damn please, I need this and you have like a physical vision board, or do you physically manner, but have a vision for where you want it
well, both yeah. I daydream all the time you know I'm always I'm always daydreaming. I'm always you gotta see it first steps yeah. I, like I like seeing where I want to go and then reverse engineering the steps how to get there and of course things are going to change, and you know you have to adapt to you know life and things that come at. You see yourself in a one point: three billion dollar movie. I did it
I saw myself in a superhero film in a film that impact you didn't know. I did, I always told them. I think I was it might have been like right around two thousand and thirteen or so I I said I wanted to be black panther,
I know cause. I was the only character that I knew that was like black and I'm like man I want to. I want to play back plant the black panther one day. That was what I saw. That's what I told myself now wasn't black panther, but I was in black panther
yeah. You know what I'm saying so, like things are going to change from how you see it, but I just didn't want to play the villain is it is? It is a lot of fun. Where did you go to get all that nastiness? When I was, I was by myself, I isolated myself. I just kind of I spent
at the time alone cause I figured Erik, you know his his childhood growing up was pretty lonely. He didn't have a lot of people that he could talk to about this place called. What kind of that you know didn't exist, but he was told these stories is kind of similar to I dunno the stories that I was told as a kid you know about africa and how it was, but I haven't been there. My parents haven't been there none at the time. So who knows this?
even exist or you know that's not would be in time he had. We. Both schools now would be in thought anywhere
So how do I know this place really exist? Sulphur Eric? You know how to keep all of this. All this
mason into himself, and so he kind of planned and, of course, is an extreme.
saturated version of you know the afternoon the afghan diaspora from african american perspective so to be
Take that kind of pain and rage in an arm.
And all those emotions that Erika represents from being blocked.
brown here in amerika, I was able to kind of put that into a character.
On screen so that something I didn't take lightly and I kind of I kind of I do have a problem:
molly that these, like one know some people met. These are people this that I
did whatever I felt I needed to do, or whatever
that was right in the moment, every step of the way so was no real plan. I didn't have a I: don't, have an escape planning
so like every day was just going into this place. Many try to stay there as long as I could and then, when it was all over, I think I think
this being in that kind of were that mine state that that day,
an apologetic. You know just just real lagging you. Whatever all the kind of cap, a court
when a and like I got a little, a little depressed was tough for me for a minute,
adjusting being around the people that care about me getting them
oh, that I shut out for a long time. Like I shut out love, I didn't want love and affection. You know I wanted to be in this lonely place
as long as I could in order to kind of capture the essence of what error now Stevens was working longer was so when, when we wrapped the film
I'm like, in my mind, is that okay cool go back to what you know: regular life and get back to l a be cool, but it was a little tough for me at first, I kind of like hard just to lay him down and be done with it. How did it take you a while it took me
me. You know I mean I don't really know exactly when I came out of it, but you know I went to therapy, you know as soon as I started, talking to people started unpacking a little bit and I in in you know
it's interesting. I find it so interesting because I think the body doesn't know the difference. I remember having this conversation with a famous actor once about anthony hopkins. I was saying Anthony hopkins. I feel for you, because you know all this stuff, you're taking
and you do so well and he said I need you should not think about it. But as I've got an older, I do think about it because you say saying that he has just done a foam and he had said to the director he was
one wide shot and one close to him cause he had to have a heart attack because he didn't want to put his body in that state too many times, because your body doesn't know the difference when you get yourself into that state, and so that's why. I think it's interesting for people to hear that, even though you're playing this character
sometimes the essence of that the energy of that still remain. One thousand percent will remain in, like you,
and is so powerful you're mine will get your body pass. A threshold that it would have gave given up one way before, like you're blake like there were moments, were physically. I probably should
I have continued, but my mind was like no we're. Almost at the finish line. You gotta get past that you gotta get past that line, but as soon as I got past that line my buddy said. Okay, we can shut down now
and then that would it would it was shut down after that. So I think I think I therapy you just talking. Somebody was something there really help me.
A lie, and as a man, I think you know we get a lot of slack forward of you know. Yo yo
I only talk to nobody, you know what I'm saying that whole Matt. You know what it is to be be a masculine. You know you know that you know that. Doesn't I don't normally subscribe to that, because I feel
I think everybody needs to unpack and top in hot weather is added therapists or, as you know, a close friend.
In our family, member or somebody at the you know the real thing so you've named your company outlier, yes, ma'am. Why, after
one of my mentors. I mean I don't even know if he knows he's a mentor, but I can think of Malcolm Gladwell's latest. You know like yeah. I was wondering that but yeah it's it's awesome to me and in the what he thought went into success, ten thousand hours- yes, ma'am yeah, so it was almost ten thousand there's almost ten thousand our society, but it just didn't come off right yeah. I thought it sounded better, but that's where you know I kind of got the name from because I didn't want to be put in a box. I didn't want to be stereotyped. I wanted to go against the grain
represent the people that felt like they were, outsiders like they were outliers, so I kind of want to create a society doesn't mean you feel like you're an outlier, or does it an outlaw? Definitely, yes, okay, yeah. So I wanted to create a society of like minded individuals, so your company incorporated one of the first actually inclusion riders
used in the industry, explained what an inclusion writer as to the audience and how that works on. Why you did it
inclusion. Writer is pretty much a tool or historically
in film. You know I people of color,
women become analogy between community are under represented,
they don't really have a lot of opportunities? Are fine camera behind the camera, so you know
in an in hollywood people
are used the hiring with people high people that you know, people that you work with before you know people that
you have a connection with you know it's a cycle in more, not that circle of those people that you that they, that are often being they look like you again, they dont look.
Paypal they look like they were like that. I don't want you hire the people, they look like yours proportionately. You know why I'm in ST in mail in that's that's kind of the world that we live in so was
friend can come up with the closure
in a normal out was actually at ask. Is that better and housing
well, there's a does a title for this there's a tool as it is a policy that could be put.
place and I they all immediately. We have to do that. We have to. We have to include that in
outliers, you know nonnegotiable in all mobile phones me
means that have partners are going to have. You know that that is a tool that holds people.
more than ever, a costly remind them of this that you're not gonna, you're, not united, have company. When people say we couldn't find
We buy shaggily, you costly, romania. People are the pool of talent.
That are under represented, like women, people of color people from the bids, which means you
We're work every time, one thousand percent, so any partner that I work with a warner brothers collaborating with warner brothers
we want a media, so I'll write their inclusion policy for all of one of media and that's a huge win.
I feel like a there
it's money, and you know any of these big companies and these big corporations. Nobody wants to be the first to do anything, but when you have arguably the number one studio in the world say that we're backing behind this vision. You know you'll see other studios
production. Do anything you want. This is the moment because everybody's like Michael says and inclusion,
I don't know yes and kudos to amazon for willingly and open arms, welcoming you know outlier society and our inclusion rider also in that deal. So my my my t v. First, one deals at amazon and they've accepted that as well. So pretty cool
pretty clever, but I'm really excited about the trajectory of your life. Is, is astounding right now and you are playing a role next year. I think it's coming out, hopefully Joseph mercy. What do you mean? No, no,
we remain alive is with how it is film dates and got today on its whining. Ok over those things
I don't know if you know that all so is just morrissey of your heart. You have heard of the book if you hadn't it's one of those ports that as an american citizen, you have to read its based on the life of our defence attorney brian Stevenson and it's a bull
I think, as every human being should be particularly view, an american it because it lips everything, you thought you believed about the criminal justice system and criminals. Brian is dedicated his life to providing free legal representation to inmates who may have been wrongly convicted or denied affair
ok, so you are playing him. I am certain the ladys early nine jamie foxes play is playing the the boy in may.
it was clear that I am not trying to write off trying to defend on a different home, belarus, but he's you know
illegal coworking that kind of help the brian's vision kind of come to fruition. So it's a it's an incredible. Is it a different kind of challenge to play, somebody who is a real life person and still very much alive? Yes, yeah that that the pressure I put on myself to play this person that is so beloved yeah? That is
nobody's perfect, but man pretty close, close yeah. So I think after meeting the guy and seeing how he was
and how everybody kind of you know you know really looked up to him and the impact that he made. I kind of I was a little nervous about this one honestly getting it right. I didn't want to do. I just wanted to get it right honestly, so I spent a lot
I'm with whom it easy. I genetically identical down an album on the museum, endlessly resumes incredible, and I encourage everybody. Did we haven't seen a museum where, where it's called the peace and justice memorial where they have all of these kings, still rod from the ceiling that has the name of every black person language
in that count in that cat in that particular allowing any other encouraging. You know that the merits of the county to claim their memorial to bring it out because we haven't had that we had a mega, hasn't had their closure that we haven't had that healing process done here. Yet enough, eleven in Brien's adios
behind that. As you know, we had here what you don't acknowledge actually and until we have we're acknowledging the dirty deep.
Pass before so that's another reason why I really wanted to get behind this project and play him to be able to give that give the story. Some light needs to be seen. We were looking forward to that january, twenty, twenty okay! Now here's the deal world domination. What does that really look like for you? You know. I always believe that every human being is looking for the same thing. It's one of the reasons why I always felt such a connection to my audience.
cause, even as my life progressed- and you know I was you know, wearing better shoes, my feet were still on the ground cause. I understood that every human being is looking to fulfill the truest highest expression of themselves as a human
being and you're doing that. If you are a doctor lawyer, if you're a fireman, if you're a clerk, you're looking to fulfill the truest highest version of yourself as a human being, what's that going to look like for you, the truest highest version, I'm still working on it, because I like that work, I was telling you I kept putting myself last yeah. I want to start defining exactly who that person is.
and I think you know the goals of instead of being costly change for me and involving world domination is abroad,
all that I want to have, but I don't really know, but you do recognize this. May I say this to your thirty two year old self, one that it isn't just it isn't the thing that you're looking for, because if something terrible were to happen to you today, your life would already have had meaning and purpose. It's not like purpose is coming purposes already here, you've already defined purpose by the way you've lived your life, so there's more
this, but you already have purpose just man yeah. Thank you, okay, just letting you know the. I guess the thirty two is because in a world dominated for me is, I guess, all of the things that I want to have happen in all the future things
I haven't even thought of, yet you know I enjoy creating things and put in other people on a like, seeing the good and people like say in the entrance, and you like, how can I maximized at work
Did you go? How can I give you a being who wore a lane in order for you to go, be the best version of yourself I enjoy that selfishly. The highs art is gonna, be surrounding yourself with people who not only share the vision, but can also execute division. Just yet right, trial and error going through you going
I know what that's like this, and I wish you the back this way. I feel like I'm Ober winfrey,
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Transcript generated on 2023-06-15.