Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - The Life of Michael K. Williams and Talking ‘The Wire’ With Felicia “Snoop” Pearson

Episode Date: January 10, 2022

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay welcome Felicia “Snoop” Pearson to discuss stepping in to complete voice-overs for the late Michael K. Williams in VICE TV’s 'Black Market' (1:28), how her relationship with Williams led to her legendary role on ‘The Wire’ (3:26), and her projects on the way in the future (10:10).  Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Guest: Felicia “Snoop” Pearson Producers: Trudy Joseph and Donnie Beacham Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anybody that knows me knows what a what a big deal this is for me right now. I was one of the co-hosts of the Ringer podcast way down in the hole where we recap every episode of the greatest television show of All Time, The Wire. And we have one of the most signature characters in the history of the Wire, the woman who played one of the most signature characters in the history of the Wire, joining us today. Felicia Snoop Pearson, thank you for joining us today on Higher Learning, Snoop. Thanks for having me, man.

Thanks for having me. Now, we all know your work from the wire, but before we, I get any of my wire nerve questions, I don't want to talk about what it is that you're doing right now. You're actually, unfortunately, we lost our brother Michael K. Williams, devastating loss. We talked about it here on Higher Learning.

He has an amazing show on Vice TV called Black Market, and you are stepping up to provide some voiceover to some of those episodes that Michael, unfortunately, wasn't able to do before he left us. The show premieres on January 10th, um, 2020, obviously.

And why don't you just take us through before you even get into the show a little bit about how you and him became so tight, how y'all relationship led to you getting on the wire and what it means to kind of step in for him and make sure. that this project is completed, that, you know, he couldn't do it? I mean, you know, my brother wear a lot of hats, man, you know. Like, he was an amazing man.

And for them to, you know, call me to step in, you know, just that I can't fulfill his shoes, but, you know, just to provide a little help, you know what I mean? and it was like bittersweet, you know what I'm saying? Because I wanted him to finish it. I want him to finish his project. I want him to be here. That's like my glue, man. That's like, it's my heart.

That's my brother. Like, there ain't no acting. They ain't no, just because we're on set. None of that. It's like two peas in a pot, man. You know what I'm saying? Like, since he first, introduce itself to me

because I didn't know who the hell he was in Club 1 in Baltimore and you know what I mean looks can be deceiving you know what I mean I thought he was a straight excuse me gorilla type dude you know what I don't know who you is I'm outside hustling I don't watch the wire

you know what I'm saying so I thought he was something else that he wasn't and then like I said looks can be the season because soon as he started talking to me, it was like, man, he's so sweet. You're like, so a pot of gold. You know what I'm saying? It's like a teddy bear or something. I mean, but, you know, Mike was all in all.

I mean, he was an activist. He wore a lot of hats. I'd be here all day trying to describe this one man. I mean, he was a king. He was legendary. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, for real. Did you know about one and three people with plaques psoriasis may also develop psoriatic arthritis,

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I mean, you know, like, not great things always happen in the club when you meet somebody. Y'all met and it just changed the entire trajectory of your life, you could say. Were you interested in acting in that at that moment? So he planted that seed. Yeah, talk a little bit about that conversation and how that came about. We ain't had a conversation about it. I mean, I just came to the set and I was just talking. and then, you know, I came to the set to see him.

The set was only, like, what, like two blocks away from my grandmother house because at the time I was living with my grandmother. And he called me, and my grandmother woke me up. I had a hangover. I just left the club. I don't know how he had at work. You know what I had?

But, you know, he's at work. I come see him two blocks away, and they heard me talking. and, you know, it just went from that. They just, I think you'll be able to, and, you know, my first words on national TV was about time. I never forget that. Yep. You know what I was that.

Your turn, girl. Your turn, girl. So let me ask you this. It was about time. So for people who don't know what was going on, Snoop's character was part of the Stanfield organization, the Stanfield organization, Snoop and Chris,

the deadliest team of muscle and was, but they never had a, they never had them, like they just wrote me in. They never had a roll for me. Oh, so they wrote you in after they met you, so you weren't,

oh, okay. Oh, crazy. That rope probably was for a guy or something, but soon as they hear me talk and they see that I could, read and remember lines or they were like ball game. Yeah. Right. That's incredible.

So that, so for people who don't know, they were in a bitter war with Omar who was a stick-up kid in West Baltimore. So this is your dear friend that you have a real life. And the whole time on the show, you're hunting

for him to try to put one in his dome. What was that like when you guys were going to do that? I wish Instagram was a That's one scene that we go to the hospital when he jumps out the window. You know what that? Yeah. I go to the hospital looking for him or whatever, but he outside.

He kept saying I'm right here. Like, it was funny. I mean, I don't know, man. Man, brother, me, man. I get a little emotional, but, you know. I feel you. I feel you. I feel you. Go ahead, Rachel. No, absolutely. I just wanted to ask one more last question about this.

Just obviously, you telling your story and the relationship that you had with Michael off's camera, shows the type of person that he is and the powerful person that he is. If you could just maybe share, because you said Instagram wasn't around, a social media at the time, share like a fun moment or a funny moment. What was that around then? MySpace. My space. And maybe like the start of Facebook at the end. If you could just share

a fun moment that just puts a smile on your face every single time you think about that and just reminds you of him. When season, I was just thinking about this because we had press all day to day. It was season four,

my first opener. I go to the hallway store. one of the greatest things in the history of the show. Shout out to the writers and shout out to me deliver. You aren't, no, man. You, you, you,

you, you aren't that bump like a motherfucker. And I didn't know how big the screen opener, like the first opener was. Like, and he kept calling me, like, should I be nervous? He was like, is you ready for this? You're ready. You're going to kill this.

I know you got it. I know you got it. I know you got. And he came from New York. No, he came from L.A. all the way to Baltimore. And just to sit down with me before I sat down with Ed Burns and David Simon and Nina and George. And he was like, you don't understand what's going on. And then his smile is just contagious. And I started smiling.

And I'd say, why we smile it? And he said, man, you're about to be a star. You're already a star, but you're about to be a star. My Lord says, I'm so proud of you. And so, you know what I mean? Just, I could go on and on days, days. This episode is brought to you by Spectrum Business. Fast, reliable Internet means everything for your business.

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and not only were you in the greatest TV show of all time, like you were one of the most memorable characters in television history. Stephen King says you are the most, perhaps the most terrifying female villain ever. I don't even think Snoop was a villain. By the way, I don't think Snoop was a villain. To me, to me, like Snoop was a gentle woman.

Like, you know, she was just about her shit. I don't think Snoop was... I don't know what you. She was looking like that good. Well, look, let me tell you why don't. You probably would have pushed up and snoop up and there. You probably would have got the head cracks. She, she killed.

Let me tell you, let me tell you why I feel, let me tell you why I feel like Snoop wasn't a villain. Let me tell you why. Because if you weren't in the game, I didn't feel like you had much to worry about from Snoop. And see, I feel like Marlowe was a villain because Marlowe just killing security guys and all this stuff, which y'all probably killed him. But is like when Snoop, see how Snoop treated the dude. the hardware store and Snoop was just in the game heavy. But I feel like Snoop was cool other than that. Anyway, so I'll ask you.

I have a little feeling, not a heart, but a little feeling. A little feeling. Like a little feeling. So let me ask you this. You got to, I read that you have perhaps a new limited series that you might be working with, that you might be coming out with you. and Ed Burns, who was one of the EPs of the Wire, about your life. Is that going to be similar to the tone of the show,

or is this something completely different coming to? See, you got to go and get my book, Grace after midnight. Word up. In my book, I talk about my trials and trip relations that I've been through. I was a, you know, what, starting off. My mother was addicted to drugs. and I died three times because the drugs was in my system when she was having me. And what came to all of the street, probably like a month old for real when the doctors was counting me out.

You know what I told the persons, you know, like don't get too attached to her. You know what, cross-outers. with the jail 14 and a half. It's nothing like the wild. I mean, you're going to see Baltimore, but this is going to get to the real gritty of Baltimore. This ain't no cut cards or nothing. And I'm a female going through them type of things.

You're out on the street, you know what? Like, just doing what the guys doing at the age of 10. You know what I mean? Learning the game. So, you know, it's not nothing to glorify. glorify or be proud of, but, you know what I mean? Like, I wanted to do them things. The person's mama and pop, they want me out in the streets, but they was older.

You got to think about I was adopted. I was thinking, like, the whole world against me. You know what I mean? Like, I'm thinking nobody gives, excuse my language, three fucks about me. And so that's what you're going to get. You want to cry. You want to laugh. That's why I got to be as a limit as well, a series.

because my life just continue on. It just keeps going. I mean, I'm just so hurt. And then my man, my brother, but he knew the situation before, you know, his demise. So, I mean, he gave me my flowers. He was so proud of me because Mr. Ed Burns and Philip Michaels, they helped me, well, Ed Burns, he helped me write my own own script.

See, I pay. somebody to write my script. And then Ed Burns showed me how to write a script. You understand what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, of course. So I'm ready to eat forever. You know, he showed me how to fish. So I'm going to eat forever.

And I'm so grateful for that. And then when I told Mike, and he was saying, he was like, oh, my God. Oh, like, you should have seen his eyes, man. Like, I knew I knew something was going to click in. Yeah, because, you know, y'all. make my own table.

You know what I'm saying? So, you know, and then I got Snoop it for love. I'm looking for love, man. I, this is, now this is, no, I'm lonely, man. Okay, now, Snoop. Okay, now, Steve. Well, before I ask you about the dating show, I love, man. I love this.

Before I ask you about the dating show, are you going to star in this limited series? Are you just going to be, okay, okay, you're going to star in it. Can I, I still get away with, you know what I'm saying? Oh, you look. Yeah. It don't look like nothing. No time has passed.

Exactly. I'd be real with you, Snoop. You popped on and I was like, God damn, that's Snoop. It looked just like the same thing. Absolutely. Did you know about one in three people with plaques psoriasis may also develop psoriotic arthritis, which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling? Does this sound like you?

Listen to what it sounds like to be a million miles away. Trimphaya, guselcomab. Taken by injection is a prescription medicine for adults with moderate to severe plaques psoriasis, who may benefit from taking injections or pills or phototherapy, and for adults with active psoriotic arthritis. Serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections and liver problems may occur. Before a treatment, your doctor should check you for infections in tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or if you need a vaccine.

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That's my will house there. I come from the Bachelor, Bachelorette. Let me see. Let me see. Okay. Okay. I'm, Snoop. Okay.

How you doing? Yeah. But I love that you're doing this for yourself because I wasn't sure if this was you looking for love or you were just behind this concept. So you're looking for love. What made you want to say? I want to put myself out there because you got to be a little bit vulnerable to do this kind of thing. And it's a different side of you people are going to see, right?

Yep, exactly. And that's what I want people to see the different sides of you. I mean, I'm not afraid. You straight, by the way. You are on my side. I found love on the show. But I don't care. Yeah, but I don't feel that you straight.

I still push that for you and ask you, I take it out on a date. You know what I'm saying? So, I mean, that's how my show coming, man. It don't matter you straight, crazy, gay. You know what I'm saying? Long as you're female, I got you. But you're just to love. So I got one more question for you.

Oh, I got one more question for you. All right. Now, we had Amari Harwick on here. He played a ghost on power. Right. We asked him to rank the three shows. Power, snowfall, and the wire. He put the wire first.

Good, good man, good man. He put snowfall, I think. He put the power second, and he put snowfall third. All right. What I got to pick out of them three? I mean, what do you think, what do you think the order is? Mom's had them three, though. Yeah, them three.

The wire, snowfall, and power. What's your order? Yeah, I go with, I go with his order. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. I go with the wire. I go with the wire, power, then snowfall. That's my, that's my, yeah. So that's that's what that's what he said.

Yeah, I fuck with power, yeah. Yeah, the wire, power to snowfall. Yeah, I'm fucking with 50. Yeah. That's the homie right there. Look, Snoop. Oh, I want to ask you one more question. Oh, one more question.

Yeah, you got, of course. You're building a foster home. Of course. You talk a little bit about that. Yes. So like I said before, you know, I'm a foster child. So, you know what I mean? I go with my heart at.

And my heart is with helping people, period. But kids is my dear to my heart. And Baltimore, I got to do a home. It's called Utopia, if you know what I mean. You know what I'm a lot? So, you know, like I'm just out here, man. I'm around, but I'm not around. but I'm around.

Word. That's amazing. Snoop. Yes, it is. The show is Black Market with Michael K. Williams. It is premiered on January 10th on Vice TV. Also, you feel like, it seemed like you got a full plate. You got the reality show you shopping.

You got the limited series. You got coming out. And then you're building a foster home for the kids in Baltimore. I am overjoyed. Pleasure to meet you. I think I know a little bit about your life story. you are truly a triumph. I'm going to come back. I'm going to mess with you, man.

Please. I got you. When everything start, I got you, man. I got you. All right. Appreciate you joining us today. All right. Thanks for having me.

Take care.