The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Emayatzy Corinealdi, McKinley Freeman & Joseph Sikora Talk 'Reasonable Doubt' S3, Career Roles +More

Episode Date: September 18, 2025

Today on The Breakfast Club, Emayatzy Corinealdi, McKinley Freeman & Joseph Sikora Talk 'Reasonable Doubt' S3, Career Roles. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hey, everybody. This is Matt Rogers. And Bowen-Yang. And you're never going to guess who's our guest on Las Culturistas. It is Elle Woods, Tracy Flick, herself. Reese Witherspoon. It must go in a girl's trip.

I have to have a tequila. We must. Oh. Whoever said orange is the new pink. We seriously disturbs. Listen to Los Angeles. culturalistas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jorge Ramos.

And I'm Paola Ramos. Together we're launching The Moment, a new podcast about what it means to live through a time, as uncertain as this one. We sit down with politicians, artists, and activists to bring you death and analysis from a unique Latino perspective. The Moment is a space for the conversations we've been having us, father and daughter, for years. Listen to The Moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos. on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Short on time, but big on true crime. On a recent episode of the podcast, Hunting for Answers,

I highlighted the story of 19-year-old Lechay Dungey. But she never knocked on that door. She never made it inside. And that text message would be the last time anyone would ever hear from her. Listen to Hunting for Answers from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Fiorio, and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast.

Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet, we've got the insight to help you crush your opponents. Listen to the NFL. fantasy football podcast on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL.

Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The breakfast club. You're all finished or y'all's done? Yep, it's the world more dangerous morning show The Breakfast Club. Charlemagne the guy, just hilarious. DJ Envy is not in today, but Lauren LaRosa is, and we got some special guests in the building.

the cast of season three of reasonable doubt yes how are y'all feeling man fantastic jose jocara mckinley freeman and i always messed the name up i'm a yatsi i'm a yatsi emma yatsi girl he was messing up you know he got a little list so it's like you're feeling this morning we feeling fantastic excited to be here yeah season two of a uh a scripted show is a very hard season three season three yeah of a very scripted show is a very hard task how does it feel Man, it's good to be working. I'll tell you that. And I also be working with such amazing collaborative people

like Emmayazzi and Joseph, Carrie Washington, Larry. It's been a blessing. So hopefully the fans love it because we definitely put the time in, you know what I mean. Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. It's been a lot of fun. And so to get to do it three times, you know, and to feel that love from the audience and everything

and then, you know, meet additional just people who come on the show and bring great energy, you know, it's been cool. When have you not worked? When is the last time you've not worked? When is the last time you've not worked? I've been super lucky and grateful. in the Tommy role, but legitimately, Charlemagne,

and we were just talking about that, that it's like, it's, I was, I started, we started the journey when I was 37, I'm 49 right now, so it's like 12 years or something. Damn. Not damn that 49 is old, but you just don't look 49, but damn, I wouldn't have guessed. That you were 49.

Talk about how long you've been working, especially in that role, power, right? How hard is it when you go into other sets for people not to just see Tommy all the time? Well, it's funny. I think that the power show is so pigeonholed in a lot of ways that, like, when I was on Ozark, people had no idea. Like, the crossover audience wasn't there. However, on this, this is going to be the one where Tommy plays the lawyer, which is fine with me, too, because it's so well-written that Ramallahama Muhammad does such an amazing job at making a 360-degree character, that it's regardless of how you feel about Bill Sterling, my character on Season 3 of Reasonable Doubt, it's a different character and it's a real human being.

because she writes real human beings in real situations. This is only the second time in my career where I joined a cast where I was a fan of the show. I mean, I came from Michael Ely. I stayed for Emmiazzi. It's like she's a brilliant. She is everything that a number one on a call sheet should be. She's ultra-prepared.

She's ultra-kind. And you can't put anything in front of her she can't tackle and conquer. So it's been amazing. And I learned a lot, but being around her. You know what? I wish people at my job would hype me up like that. That is amazing.

See what he just did that show on? Well, she's always on set, I'm sure, every day. Okay, she doesn't miss him a lot of days. Oh, man. Oh, my God. All right. He loves you. He loves you.

He loves you. You said something interesting, though. You said that, you know, when you did Ozark, there wasn't a lot of crossed over there. So I wondered, does that hinder you from getting certain roles? Because they feel like, oh, that's Joe that people might think this is a, you know, power franchise spinoff. I don't even think about that. I feel like my job as an actor. I don't think about that.

Getting more and more into producing, those are some of the factors. I mean, I think you're spot on, Charlotte. I mean, thinking that people are, people love to categorize stuff because it makes it easy. One thing I've learned in this business is that nobody likes to work hard and everybody likes things that are easy. So I feel like to break out of the shell, you have to do both of those things. You have to do things that are difficult and you have to want to work. So that's all I want to, all I do is I try to progress and keep working.

Nope. Does working on a Lawsonnet show challenge your views of, like, the legal system? Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, because for one, I've just learned a lot more about law, you know, as each season has gone on, you know, you learn a lot more. And again, the writing, it makes you kind of dive into that. You know, but just the system as a whole, you know, each season brings a new case. And with the new case, you have different challenges and, you know, how the law is working with you or against you and those kinds of things, you know, so it really does highlight that. And that's one of my favorite things about the show is that it makes people talk about it, makes people talk about, you know, the justice system and why. it's working or why it's not and that's again one of the one of the benefits of a show it's not just this simple legal drama you know you have this woman who's a lawyer there's so many more layers to it and oddly like over the course of shooting the last few seasons there's always been something interesting happening legally so there's always something in the world where we're like

they come together yeah so season two and season three so definitely you know shed a light on that topic for sure yeah so the last season before this one you end on like a high you bring your your friend home and all the things and then this season opens and it's like you want more drama. Yes. But you also end the last season with a lot of drama. Yeah. You know, we don't understand.

We as women. I was about to have it. Oh, you know. We want to have it all. I think Jacks as a character, she is a woman who does thrive in a lot of ways on the adrenaline of things not going the way they're supposed to go. She likes the mess of all of that. In her

professional life. Yes. You know, but when it does bleed over into the personal, that's where things get a little tricky, but she's been missing that, you know, from the last season. She did get a girlfriend off and everything. And now she's just, you know, everyone's pleading out. There's nothing really happening. She likes to be in that courtroom, you know, so I can understand that. You know, at work, you want a little, you want to feel like you were doing your best. And for Jacks, she's at her best when she's in that courtroom, standing right in front of someone and letting them know how they're not, she's going to win this case. So that's where she wants to be.

She lives in that space. I've had conversations with my friends because of reasonable doubt just about how like as women at work or black women at work, we always feel the need to like be the like successor in the room or we're figuring it out. How does your role and what you do going into this new season with all this new drama speak to you that, like that I need the mess because I need something to figure out so I can look like I'm accomplishing or really accomplish. Well, see, I think it's almost the opposite.

I don't know if I would say that I feel like Jacks needs the mess to feel like she's doing something. I think there's more so she's already feeling like she's not valued at her job. You know what I mean? So she knows that she can get in these rooms and obliterate anyone who's in front of her, you know, and she really

fights for the people, the clients that she believes in. So I think she wants to have more of those opportunities to do that. And when we open up in season three, that's not where she is. You know, everyone is pleading out. She's kind of more so just in her office and that kind of things. So she wants to have a bit more of the excitement so that she can make money for the firm,

be her best, you know, show everyone what she's capable of, because again, that's why she's a partner. You know, her name is on that building. So she's not at her best, just, you know, helping clients plead out in that kind of way. You know, I always wonder, like, what parts of Jacks resonate with you personally, and does that change from season to season? Does it feel like you're covering new territory? Yeah, I discover something new about this woman each year. year for sure you know every every episode it's like oh jacks you know what i mean it makes it makes me have those conversations with myself um there are a lot of ways that we're alike you know in her in her ability to get things done you know she's about her business she's very strong

straightforward you know i can relate to her in that way um the the the way she goes about it at times you know we may differ a little bit you know what i mean she said may differ a little bit you know But that's the fun part of being the actors. When you get to peel back all those layers and not judge this woman, okay? Why does she decide that she's going to stay with this man after he didn't win and had this whole side baby? You know, it's tough. It's tough. But it happens.

And people do that all of the time. And so that's what makes it exciting. Well, Miasia was telling me about the research that she did and found the group chats of these women whose partners had stepped out or had been given a little leeway. He's find a side baby group chat. They're there. They're there. I had to dig. I was there.

I did it. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Side baby. I didn't have a baby. I didn't have a baby. I didn't have a baby.

But I got back with someone who had a baby while we were like in a weird space. And you do find that there are a lot of women who do it. They don't talk about it because you have to deal with people being like, well, why would you do that? But it's a whole community out there. Yes, there is. And I had to find it. Because I couldn't. make it make sense, but I can't judge this woman.

We all, you know what I mean? And so when I found it, it made sense and I understood. And then I could portray it from a real perspective. What was the reason? I want to know, like, what did you find in that group chat that you could tap into to say, okay, this is why I would take them back? Oh, well, that's easy. I mean, you find that outside of there still being loved there and all that kind of stuff,

it's more so things that other people may not understand. You know, they may not understand that I have history with this person and all these things. But beyond that, especially the women that I've, found that we're married, you know, when this happened, not in just long-term relationships. They really felt like, you know what, I made this vow, I have children, I'm not going to let him take this whole thing down. And also, I believe this is something that this is a mistake, you know, and we can get through this. We can get through this, you know. And when you have marriage that's been, you have years invested in this, you can understand why people will feel like,

you know, I'm not going to throw this whole thing away. And it's just not that easy. It's not that easy. It's a walk away. Yeah. McKinley, did you have a thing? You had a thought? I felt the thought.

You know, you know. I've been a side person. I've been the guy. I'm not, no, no, no. No, no. I think the thing is, it's just funny hearing Emiyati talk about it because I think about all the conversations that I had on set and in comment sections about Lewis and the baby and Tony and what's happening with Jacks. And the thing that I find interesting is the divide.

where there's a line that women won't cross where it's like, oh, Lewis is wrong because he had a baby, not because he cheated. I'm like, wait a second. So, Jack spent the whole season with Michael Ely. Then as the, see, but this is the thing. With Damon, not with Michael.

Exactly. But my point, though, is that like, it's interesting to see how conversations evolved because Charlemagne asked a great question. It's like, what do you look at this season that's evolved? And I think one of the thing in this relationship is like, how do you stand in the face of all the things that you've built up in terms of the ideas that you will and won't do? And are you willing to knock those down to keep the thing that's most important, which is what you vowed with?

So it's like, it's interesting to hear people reconcile their choices, but also still make the most of the present to recognize the opportunity they have to change things. And this is the level of intelligence I have to deal with. It still come off like I'm smart. I often wonder if love really is the deciding factor in all of those things. because if you really loved the person, you probably would have been more careful. You wouldn't have cheated to begin with. You can say that about a lot of things.

That's what I'm saying? Cheryl, man, go a little bit further on that. Is she really cheated? What happened? What? Women cheat. I got you, sis. Women do their thing is different. Why?

That's convenient. Just because I love Jacks, that's what I'm saying. I love it too, but cheating's cheating. Cheating is cheating. Cheating. Cheating. Cheating. They were separated.

You forgot. Right? They were separated. This is what I'm talking about, Sheldman. It's mess and fast. Like, we can't do that though. They were separated. But they were separated.

Right. Oh, yeah, he was that wrong. Now she pointed that. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Listen. Okay. But, no.

So with the progression of the show, right, all the way from, you know, season one, it seems like y'all, well, y'all were already, like, melted into your characters. Do y'all have anything to do with the, like, writing, writing process? process like after season two or anything like that oh well we cannot take any credit for the right that's romola mohamma in the fantastic writing room that that she has a symbol they do all of the writing what she does allow is room for it to breathe if something doesn't come out of the mouth right you know she's open to that to changing and that kind of thing but yeah the the base core of it that's all she allows us she definitely allows us to settle into a true perspective for

sure and like if something doesn't seem right in the words before we get there we can have There's phone calls and conversations She makes such a safe space that I, you know, without name and names or, you know, looking at resumes or anything like that. She is so unbelievably open to saying if you have a question, I just didn't totally trust it at first.

She's like, is everything okay? I was like, yeah, I just, you're so, like, open to this stuff and yet so incredibly intelligent in a master storyteller that's still open to saying, like, maybe I, maybe there's an even better way to do it. Yeah, she's incredible. Because you find on sets, they don't usually do that.

Right. something, no, you stick to it. This is what I wrote. This is what it is. I love that, though. I know, you know, being on power all these years has been a blessing, right? Amen. But do you ever feel like, you know, I don't want it?

I love the character Tommy. I just don't want to get boxed in as the character, Tom. Yeah, again, it's like, I don't even think about that. Like, I had spent so many years, as we talked about before, like 25 years in the business before I got the Tommy role to get, I got me out of that, paid my bills. I still love Tommy, too, because he's a complex character. And again, talking about writing, Gary Lennon. and who writes the Tommy character for the Power 4 show

and was the co-show runner the original Power Show is a son of Native New York son of Hell's Kitchen and he just writes such a real character and is this it's endlessly entertaining for me to discover new parts about this character and still as a guy that comes from the theater that's a classically trained actor and all that stuff it's like I still never I don't think about myself

as being pigeonholed and I think that that's the most important thing that I'm like, I can't still play Bill Sterling. I can't still play Frank Jr. I can't still be all of these other things. So in my mind, I don't feel boxed in at all. Even though if other people judge me, again, it's like, what other people think about me is none of my business.

That's it. Because that's probably part of the gift. You know, as an actor, you want to have a character that resonates with people, that they just, they identify you with that and that you can live with and then still go on to do other things, but that's a part of the gift.

Yeah. There's probably more parts of Tommy that, there are more parts of me that are closer to parts of Tom. than parts of me that are closer to Bill Sterling. Well, I mean, I think in terms of emotional, not dealing copies of amounts of marijuana and wetting people up, that's it.

But it's fun to try to stretch, to have a guy who is special forces in the Coast Guard and this wonderful backstory of going to Georgetown for law school and really kind of diving deep in there. And also kind of like trying to restructure my body and losing like 20 pounds for the character to be a guy who was in the military and trying to work out the way that people in the Coast Guard Special Forces

would have to see if that physically changes the body to the character to let the vessel be something different. So it's a lot of fun. Great challenges. McKinley, is it true that you started off in corporate America, right? Yeah, absolutely. So you got into the industry late? That's, well, yeah, I got into late. I was, I got a bachelor's degree in finance and MBA in marketing and information technology. So I was working for like a Fortune 5 company traveling around the world, building marketing program, sales programs for stuff. And then I just started modeling and got bored. And then that was kind of the introduction to it all. And then just kind of like Joseph was saying, I'm a bit of a student to everything, whether it's jujitsu, acting, whatever.

So I knew that there was a lot that I didn't know. And I just took it as an opportunity to kind of learn and see where it could go. But it's very much about, for me, it's like a lifestyle being present. Like, what is it that I can do today to get me closer to tomorrow, which will get me closer to my destiny? But yeah, but also not being afraid to pivot, you know. Can you speak to that? Because it's like, you know, you accomplished so much, right? I don't know if I've accomplished so much. I mean, from an educational perspective, definitely, right? But what is it in you?

What's that nagging feeling that's like, no, you should be doing something else. You should be doing this. I think there's a voice on the inside. There's a thing that's like, there's a point where you can check all the boxes and things could be going right, but there's still something missing. And I think the voice of the, the whisper of something missing is louder than the screams of the things that you have. So for me, the opportunity is to kind of dive in there to see where it could go.

because to me the biggest thing is Martin Luther King said the two greatest words that the two most powerful words in the English language are too late. So like, I don't want to get to the end and be like, damn, I wish I would have tried. So I'm going to leave it all on the table wherever it is, whether it's acting, business, whatever.

But yeah, the willingness to be free and to see where the waves go. That's where I'm at. McKinley, how important has it been or was it to show Lewis's grieving process from the loss of his son? Yeah, I think the, the you know grieving is hard anyway and I think sometimes we all just kind of put it in the bag

and keep moving I'm never really thinking about how much it weighs and I think specifically for Lewis in this situation with grieving the loss of a of a son there's a lot of things connected to that I mean we we think about things in a vacuum but one son is connected to another son the Spencer still alive like oh man this this young this young man could have grown up to be this age and there's a I think there's there's a there's a there's a weird stigma when it comes to expressing how we feel as black men and there's there's definitely a weight weights that we're not meant to carry and my biggest piece of advice is to put them down because you don't that weight could cause could cost you your life um so I think

for me grieving being honest about how a person feels being present with our feelings and um learning to be a clear communicator of of that so that other people around are aware um to me that's important and it also makes you more of a vessel for other folks as they're going yeah I've been exploring that a lot right like you know there's a black man, this is a man in general. I think the hardest thing for men to say is something hurt their feelings. It's hard to say that to another individual. It's hard to look at another man to be like, yo, you hurt my family.

Well, I think the bigger thing is, I agree with that. But I think one of the things is dangerous is camping in feelings. My bigger thing is what is the foundation that the feelings come from? There's a root of it. What is the root? Because that root might not be something. My root may very well be something that we weren't supposed to have, right? Whether it's fear, insecurity, whatever it is.

like deal with the root of that because then you don't have to deal with that area of the garden anymore once you get the weeds out. And that space was a challenge storywise on the show for Jacks as a character to allow him to have the space to do all of that without her feeling some type of way about, well, is he, did he really want to be with her? Is he really, you know, all those questions and realize it's not about you in that moment. It's really about him having this opportunity to grieve what happened. Well, it's interesting and that's actually how beautiful the story is it's actually it is about me and it's about us so it's like sacrificing something for the bigger picture even if it doesn't make the most sense on paper you know because we read scripts and it happens just like when y'all see it like wait a minute what's happening me and imayyatu would be like wait a minute what is this wrong where is this going right so it's always yeah well listen it's uh the cast of reasonable doubt season 3 premieres september 18th here's 18th Thursday tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow

One time you're flying. And I want to say, and I want to say, I did something for a reason. Oh, yes. Jess is the only. Yes. What? How many episodes you do, Jess? I'm the person that you hear on the radio.

Oh. Yeah. I'm paying attention to the case, you know what I? I love that. I'm the voice that pay attention to the case. Yeah. Listen out for me. Okay, y'all.

Yeah, period. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Very much. Every day I wake up Wake your ass up The Breakfast Club

You're all finished or y'all's done Hey everybody This is Matt Rogers And Bowen-Yang And you're never going to guess Who's our guest on Las Culturistas It is Elle Woods Tracy Flick herself

Reese Witherspoon It must go in a girl's trip I have to have a tequila We must Oh Whoever said orange Is the new pink We seriously disturbs.

Listen to Las Culturistas on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jorge Ramos. And I'm Paola Ramos. Together we're launching The Moment, a new podcast about what it means to live through a time as uncertain as this one. We sit down with politicians, artists, and activists to bring you death and analysis from a unique Latino perspective. The moment is a space for the conversations we've been having us, father and daughter, for years. Listen to The Moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos On the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Short on time, but big on true crime. On a recent episode of the podcast, hunting for answers, I highlighted the story of 19-year-old Lechay Dungey. But she never knocked on that door. She never made it inside. And that text message would be the last time anyone would ever hear from her. Listen to Hunting for Answers from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Marcus Grant.

And I'm Michael F. Florio, and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a rookie manager or a game. fantasy vet. We've got the insight to help you crush your opponents. Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL, visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. This is an IHeart podcast.