The Breakfast Club - John Boyega Talks New Films "Breaking " & "Woman King', Star Wars, , Halle Bailey & More

Episode Date: September 16, 2022

John Boyega Talks New Films "Breaking " & "Woman King', Star Wars, , Halle Bailey & MoreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Sleep tight, if you can. Listen to Haunting on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show, Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence,

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On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy, Elian Gonzalez, was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzales wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him.

Or stay with his relatives in Miami? Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's good, man? Good morning. Morning, morning. Welcome, welcome, welcome. You good? Great. Peace King, how are you, brother?

I'm good, man. I can't complain. Absolutely. Now, you're from England? From London, yeah. London, London. Yeah, yeah. From London, Southeast, Peckham.

Okay. Yeah, yeah. Now, you got two movies coming out. Well, one is out already. You got more than two coming out. The Woman King, Breaking, the clone Tyrone. Yeah, yeah. You got a lot of stuff moving, huh?

Yeah, man. We're just trying to Come back with the Madness after the pandemic Especially you know What happened to our industry So yeah we're just Coming back with the Projects now

So for people that Don't know who you are Tell them who you are And how you got started Into acting Yeah so I'm John Boyega I'm 30 years old I got started in a

British movie called Attack the Block Didn't really do well In the UK But got really appreciated In the States So that expanded My opportunities Came down here And then auditioned Failed Tried again Didn't really do well in the UK, but got really appreciated in the States. So that expanded my opportunities.

Came down here and then auditioned, failed, tried again. And then I got Star Wars. And then from Star Wars, that's where I kind of got the opportunity to be on the main stage. All commercial and shit. What got you into acting? Like, what was the act that I said, I want to do this because of that? You know what? It started off as a social thing.

I didn't really fit in into all of the groups. Wasn't smart enough for the academics. Wasn't smart enough for the academics. Wasn't tough enough for the big boys. And at the same time, you know, wasn't skillful enough for football and shit. So I was then just with the performance kids. And they had girls too. So I was just like, yeah, this is better anyway. It's more chicks.

So I was just like, yeah, I'm just going to chill here. And from there, actually, the passion came after that. I actually started to take it seriously after going through a few things and then just making some decisions that's when i was introduced to you uh via star wars like do you feel like that whole conversation about you know a black person being a lead in star wars do you think that overshadowed your actual abilities that you that you showed in that movie um yeah yeah to a certain extent actually i think um with episode seven with force awakens i think um people thought I was that guy, which I found kind of hilarious. Like they thought that I was the character. And that was kind of confusing.

And then you've got two more movies and then people like yourselves are introduced through the franchise. It's hard to kind of have that separation and that detachment. But I don't blame you. I think that's the natural kind of, that's how the process goes with franchise films. It's hard to detach yourself from the character. So yeah, that was definitely a struggle. It's an important conversation though, because you see what's happening with Halle Bailey, with the Little Mermaid.

I saw that. I've just put a comment on her page. I'm so proud of her. I left her a message. I'm so proud of what I saw in that trailer. Yeah, I can't imagine what she must be going through to have so many people leaving. Yes, and I can.

Yes, and I know that's what I'm saying. It's important that you spoke up and spoke out about it because it really did bring attention. I feel like I spoke up about it and in the aftermath I've been seeing a lot of corporate companies speaking out as well, showing support and love because I think it's important for the companies actually to back the people that they cast in the movie just so that they feel safe and feel protected. But yeah, it's tough. But I suggest this time,

rather than fixating on the negative, for her, we need to celebrate it and just blind out the negative noise. That's what we need to do this time. Yeah, I saw you say that you were the only cast member whose experience with Star Wars was based on their race. Yeah, especially during the time of episode seven, just being the only, like everybody else,

it was kind of like, you've got this role, you've got this first role, congratulations. Whereas with me, it was what Hayley's going through. It was the backlash. And you find yourself, when you look at yourself and your opposite Oscar Isaac, your opposite Daisy Ridley, you go, wow, I'm different. Like my introduction into this industry is different.

How come Oscar's not getting this response? How come Daisy isn't? And that just, you know, sets you apart a little bit. I like what you said about celebrating it, right? Because I think sometimes we tell ourselves sometimes that, hey, maybe I'm just being used as a pawn for diversity, right? It feels that way sometimes.

Really? It does. Because, for example, if you look at my movie that I've just done Breaking if you look at when you go and see The Woman King

I hope that you will find that rah this kid can actually act and when I mean act I mean acting as a skill set different roles you can change your accent

you can change the way you walk and talk and stuff and then when you look back at the Star Wars movies it will confuse you because you're probably going to be like rah why didn't they use this guy's ability and that's where the porn feeling comes from you feel like well on set they're not really using my ability but at the same time you want to put me in all the marketing posters just to get the black people excited

but then when the black people come see it it's like half excited they always give us these half roles like yeah damn man i thought he was going to be the hero it's always a debate about we thought we were going to be the one whereas in you know the other side they put the cape on the brother he's killing it you know he's he's got the story lines he's got the moves and all that kind of stuff so you know it's sometimes it's a struggle how did you get star wars for people that don't know break down you know how that whole process came about um so it's actually funny I was a shooting a movie called Imperial Dreams with rotimi and rotimi rotimi Atlanta Falcons fan I wrote to me man I like the way he responded to that song man but we're gonna we're gonna have a conversation about that anyway but we we worked on a movie together a

great guy that's my bro and and he got he got an audition for a secret project and I put him on tape secret project and i i put him on tape for it i helped him help put him on tape now when i looked at the paper i was just like wait this is sounding real star wars-esque like how come i ain't got a call back for me like what's going on with that so i called my agent said what's going on and they're like they haven't come to london yet because it was this kind of worldwide search and then they came out came to london randomly i got a call from my agent femi and he's been with me since i was 16 and he was like yo you've got the audition i I was 16 and he was like,

yo, you've got the audition. I was like, the one? He was like, yeah. And then I was catapulted into nine months of just back-to-back auditions.

I had to lose weight and stuff because I was a bit chubby coming in, you know. Nine months of auditions? Were you a Star Wars fan? Yeah, I was into that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was into the prequels, I had the Darth Maul figures. So I was just like, nah, this is legit.

I'm about to be rich. You know what I mean? You know that feeling? You know, when you get the first call. Do you get a piece of the merch? You don't get a piece of it? We don't get none of the merch. Damn.

Even when they use your likeness and everything? Even your face? None of the merch. Damn it, man. Damn. See, they said, you want free movies? You better be appreciative that we gave you this opportunity. And you know me me then I was hungry

you know white crust in the corner of the mouth that type hungry and I wanted the opportunity so I was like okay cool free picture deal

and then one thing led to another such a long process and then I ended up getting the role but it was like yeah it was it was a daring time

because it's like the options of your life you're either gonna be somebody or you're gonna go back to the hustle you know it's just so interesting of your life. You're either going to be somebody or you're going to go back to the hustle. You know? It's just so interesting to me

because you know how racist you got to be to see race in a fantasy movie? Whether it's Star Wars or The Little Mermaid. We're talking about fucking mermaids.

It's a mermaid, bro. It's a mermaid, bro. You know what's so mad? Sebastian, Sebastian, the crab was from the Caribbean. So, you would be thinking like anybody else around there is probably going to be black in that Caribbean so you'd be thinking like

anybody else around there is probably gonna be black in that Caribbean scene but I don't know man it just... But even in Game of Thrones prequel the brother that's in it now they killing him right now But it's nuts that you know it just reflects about how they would love the world I mean what the world that would be good for them man you know if you put the hair that's too tough in their movies, they go, oh, my God, I feel so intimidated by it. I don't know what to do about it. And it gets to be a big frenzy.

And I think this time for her, especially because it's a big Disney, you know how it is, man. This is they probably going to have to change the merch and make Ariel Brown on the plush toys and stuff. We have to celebrate what that is for her and it's a big move how did that make you feel I'm sorry how did that make you feel

when you've seen the posters out there and you've seen your face up there but you know it's not going to live up to what's expected you've got to play

the game man but as you know I was brewing a little bit salty about it but then again it's the process of it I was kind of like you know know, maybe on the last one,

you know, they're going to do something with my character. I'm going to do something, maybe on the last one. But, you know, that was a struggle as well to a certain extent. Did anybody from within Disney reach out to you after and have any comments or say, you know what, you were right, anything? No, no, no. In retrospect. But I heard that's their kind of policy.

We don't respond to nothing. But when I see them, man, I'm going to talk to them. You're not going back to, I read this, you're not interested in going back to any of the Star Wars franchises? No, no, no, man. I think my time is done and the contract's done. To be honest, it's not even a conversation. I don't even think they're even curious about me coming back or anything like that so

all right now we're here to talk about breaking and the woman king those are both based on two stories correct um the woman king to a certain extent breaking yes okay yeah so tell us the story of breaking i saw michael k williams is in that yeah yeah yeah williams he's a fellow brooklyn brooklynite like myself so um can you tell us about breaking and what your role was in there? You were a Marine. Yeah, yeah. So I play a war vet called Brian Brown Eastley, who comes back to society after serving.

And then when he comes back, he's going through several different issues, financial, can't seize his daughter, can't afford much, he's accommodation issues, and then he's also suffering from PTSD. And then he makes an extreme decision in the crescendo of all these stresses to go into a Wells Fargo bank, hold it up and try to get his money back from Veterans Affairs. Because as you know, when the vets come back home, they rely heavily on the Veterans Affairs for checks and clearances for their day-to-day needs. And unfortunately, through admin, through mistakes, you know, Brian's case is kind of dismissed. And then he's left in this position where he's kind of like i don't know i don't

know what to do and with the ptsd with the bullying what's been going on with looking thinking back to the stuff that he's been through he goes into that wells fargo and holds it up and how can you not understand that as a human being how can you not understand what that man is but we aren't we in our bubble though we're in our bubble and we have our own stresses. And sometimes it's hard for us to have that sympathy and perspective, right? But with this man, he wanted to be heard. That was the main thing. And even the bank tellers that were in there, they were like, this was the nicest man.

He'd done a bank heist in the right way. There's a scene in the movie where a real customer calls the Wells Fargo. Yeah, he takes the call because he doesn't want to, you know, he's a different kind of bank robber in that sense. And the media might be like, man holds up bank. Oh, they were that. And it's time for us to learn. They packaged it in that way. Whereas in this movie goes into the nuances and the details of that.

And blessings to Michael K. Williams. Like, I requested him to come onto the film, sent him a letter, begged him to come to join. Because I know, like, we ain't got the coin to pay for Michael K. But this is just a small little bag. Come down and do a few weeks of work. And he was like, yeah, bet.

I'll come down and do it. How did you know him? I didn't. I watched him in The Wire. Oh, you've never met him before. You just, okay. I just like his work. I watched him in The Wire.

I watched him in Boardwalk Empire. So I was just like, yo, bro, like, I would love to have you. Because watched him in The Wire. Oh, you've never met him before. You just, okay. I just like his work. I watched him in The Wire. I watched him in Boardwalk Empire. So I was just like, yo, bro, I would love to have you. Because he's an amazing person. Isn't it great to work with people who you like in real life too? Yeah, and he's chill and he's giving and he's open and honest.

You know, for me, you know, the work is better when we all kind of get along, you know? How was working with him? Tell us some of the stories on the set because, you know, we missed a brother. Yeah, my daughter. The first time I worked with him, well, the first time I saw him after he came on set, he walked into my trailer accidentally the stories on the set because, you know, we missed the brother. Yeah, my dog. The first time I worked with him, well, the first time I saw him

after he came on set, he walked into my trailer accidentally because he thought he was his. You know, and that low budget kind of picture, man, the trailers look all the same. And he walked in and he was like, yo, bro. And he was like, yo, like, oh shit,

you're on the project. He was like, yeah, man. I was like, brother, thank you so much for coming down because you didn't really have to. And he just told me about, you know, the speech that I had done at the protest. And he told me that he messaged me.

That's the reason why it came down. Like, it's a strong message for the movie and he just wants to do the work and be a part of it, man. And it was all love from there. What impact did playing that role have on your mental and emotional well-being? I think it gave me perspective. I've never had anybody in my family that's served perspective. I've never had anybody in my family that's served

and I've never had anybody in my family that's made that commitment to any western government. My family, they're a bit black as hell and they've got opinions and so in that I can't relate directly to certain things they went through but after being in these shoes

yeah man, the intensity of being on set was what it was because we had to have like a theatre approach. Like, you know, our director, Abby, was like, you know, the space is yours.

Do you. Like, you're the one owning the space. The cameras will follow you. And so you had to have that kind of approach to it. But apart from that, man, I think it was chill.

I was actually going out a lot during the filming process because the days would be... Yeah, on purpose. The days would be intense. Right. And I'd be like, when I come Yeah, on purpose. The days would be intense. Right. And I'd be like, when I come back,

make sure my boys are in the crib, come back home, chill with them for a bit and have that balance so I'm not... I can take off the character and I can just enjoy my life a little bit.

Ooh, let me talk to you about that for a second. So a lot of times when people get that deep in character, they want to stay there until the role is over. But you chose to release it

like, what, every other day or every day wow every day every day brian brian has to go and the funny thing is is that it kind of impeded into your when it impedes into your life is when i had to shave my hair down every day because that's what brian was doing and you know shaving the hair down you're trying to go out and stuff you've got the bulldog hair like that don't really match up sometimes so i had to put the hat on just to be you know put the chains on make sure i'm just different from who brian is and just to have that balance and then just having the house for my best friend was there my two of my boys were there we were all there and just in the house together um and that just made the process

a little bit more easy i'm not bringing that home how hard is it to get back into the character of brian once you do that um the environment was set man it's like there you see the set you see the cameras man you're seeing the cobra hurry like you know preparing and you're like yeah nah i gotta get in mode and get in action and the story's about him so we jumping in and out is a skill set you should definitely what do your parents think about you uh wanting to be an actor when you were younger um definitely some concerns um well mainly because in school my behavior at school was a bit was a bit tricky. So there was some concerns.

Imitating those white people too much, huh? No, no, I wasn't imitating those white people. I was just doing my thing. But you know how it goes, man. You just get a bit too cheeky for your own good. So they were worried that it'd be a distraction. You know, if you're not taking it seriously, it's just going to be a distraction. But then after my dad started to see I was consistent,

he started taking me to the auditions and he took me to my first agency meeting and he was like a full supporter. And then I got Star Wars brought to my house

and then he was like, shout out, man. That was it. You know what I mean? It's that moment. It's that moment. So, you know, we're good to go from there.

You know, I hate how this country treats its veterans. I can't stand it. You know what I mean? You know, just to go off and fight for a country

and then come home and don't even have a place to stay is just ridiculous to me, right? What light do you think this movie is going to shine on war veterans? What's the message you hope to send? I think we need to understand the complications of that position and we need to understand what happens mentally to people when they go to war and they experience

certain things. And that integration back into normal life is a deep struggle and it affects all aspects of their life including mentally and for a lot of us we can't relate, we ain't been in the front lines like that and that in itself means that I hope there's empathy and I hope that also they go

to see it for the entertainment qualities of it it's a great performance isn't it? I think Abby our director does a phenomenal job and it's one of Michael K. Williams' last roles. And I think it would be great to show the man. Show the man love. Where were you when you found out that he passed? And what was your initial reaction?

I was in London. And Abby, the director of Breaking, had texted me. And I just didn't believe it. I thought there was probably a little bit of a confusion. You know how it goes sometimes. I think they've said I've died like twice during my career. For real? Yeah, you're going to die twice digitally.

That's just going to be it. You're going to die. You're going to die twice. But that's how you know you're successful though. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're going to kill you and they're going to say you're part of the Lumi. So those are two things. Once you get that, you're making that money, money.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You get that Lumi. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. You're on top. But, you know, it was shocking to me just to hear his demise. And I didn't know anything about his personal life like that. So for me, it was just a bit of a shock, yeah.

Did any of the stances you took during, like, the whole BLM movement, that moment in time, did that impact you in Hollywood? Absolutely. Definitely. But I say I matured a little bit through the process because, I mean, you got gotta think about during summer we was at home

we were seeing black bodies consistently being harmed or injured in a certain way and then I spontaneously went out to the to the protest and made that speech

you know there's gonna be some people in Hollywood that don't necessarily get it and are probably gonna be like yeah we're alright they're not gonna come to you

and say we're not working with you you just might not hear nothing you know i mean you might not see the audition come in um and i think and i think definitely that that happened but i'm not i'm not mad at that because i'm not hearing this industry to exist that way no more but how i was existing during episode seven force awakens like i was playing doing everything by the rules and i was you know clean cut and and trying to be you know good to everybody you know i worked beyonce he can't be nice in this all the way all the way you'd face a star wars yeah i mean but to a certain extent you you get to you get too comfortable with everybody you um they can take the they can take the mic you know so definitely there'll be much more of a right now there's much more of a specific um gratitude for now attracting the people in hollywood that are for me

which is what happened you know creating your own too yeah yeah because they break in i'm a producer on that um i've got my own production production company and we develop a good few projects and now i'm just like okay you know after after that happened jamie fox calls my phone now now we mess with you right viola davis calls me now we mess with you it brings the right gina prince battle yeah we mess with you come on they don't like come on to the black sets man come in come and film with us and that i just felt i just felt the love from that i was gonna ask you like what's more fulfilling doing you know a role like in uh the woman king or like doing a role in star wars the woman king man okay the woman king you gotta think about this in Star Wars? The woman king, man. Okay. The woman king.

You got to think about this, bro. I know you as well. You come from a brown skin, dark woman. You see how that's happened, you know, in terms of the disparity in roles, in terms of the opportunities and roles for the dark skinned black woman. That in itself has been a struggle.

So for me sitting on a set where I'm seeing the top 10 or even 15 to 20 women in this picture are black and dark skin specifically was special to see and they went in. It's not like just a propaganda kind of stick the black people in. They were trained for six months. They transformed

their bodies. I mean I came in just being the king. I didn't have much to do physically. They were handling everything and it was inspirational to watch. It's like our 300 for black women. Yeah. And you know, that's a good thing. It's a good thing.

When I saw it, I was like, I thought it was a new Black Panther trailer. I'm not going to lie. But that's what, I get that. But that's what we're used to but that's what we're trying to break.

That we deserve the full buffet. That's right. We deserve to have the Tyler Perry's of the world and then have the other side. Then have the woman kings and that, the woman kings based based you know loosely based on a true true story so it grounds you more into the realities of our world but you

know it begs the question why can't we have both what is that story for people that don't know well it's about the a good year the all-female military unit in Dahomey who are basically tasked with protecting their kingdom there are a very difficult time because they're their involvement in the slave trade and their involvement in the negativity of the times as times change. The King Gezo has just risen to power and he's trying to decide how to, you know, how his nation can move forward. Do we continue to be part of this negative slave trade or do we kind of like diversify

and go into palm oil and all these different things? And that comes with internal civil conflicts and it just shows you the the journey of that but viola davis oh my gosh yo beast hey viola davis beast is madness is a transformative role for a lot of people and it's got tucson bedu lashana lynch sheila at him um it's a it's a big boy project. I can't even lie. It's a budget too, Charlie. Wasn't that the regime you just discussed? Isn't that who the Dora Milaje is based off?

Well, no, no, no. Well, yes. Loosely based off? They said they were loosely based on them. So, I mean, which is cool to see how those references go. But this is no fantasy. I mean, this is, yeah yeah this is real swords and spears and just you know you don't get a suit in this one what was the training like for you getting

ready for this role luxurious he said he had to do much you didn't do much i was the king yeah yeah robes you know picking through robes i got the blue one the gold one running or nothing i didn't have a running for what they were wrong they were wrong they had to do it so they they done they're running for what they they've done most of what? They done most of the work, you know. What was the most challenging part, you know, playing the king? Picking the ropes. Picking the ropes, right?

There was no part that made you emotional in the movie? Well, that's not a challenge. That's great. Definitely, there's a part of praise and adoration that the black women have to do and they were singing and they were dancing. And that's another thing I want to say. This movie is not, you know, slave porn.

It's not. It has moments of togetherness, sisterhood, dancing, singing. And those moments were definitely emotional. Seeing them sing, seeing them dance. And, you know, I'm Nigerian as well. So I'm like, yeah, I love the vibe of the culture in it. Why did you think the king didn't want to fight with the foreign country at first? I think that's just the,

what do you mean? The foreign enemy, I'm sorry. Fight with? Fight. Why do you think he did not want to fight with them at first? What do you mean? Didn't he want to fight them?

What, the, the king? Oh, no, it was a negotiation at that time. Oh, okay, okay. Remember, they're involved in the slave trade, so it's like... Is that the part where he's talking about when I think...

Going to war. And she goes like, do you want to go to war she was like well sometimes we have to fight for something yeah but i asked when you go and watch the movie it is so nuanced it's very nuanced it speaks to the diaspora it speaks to multiple different um tribes and cultures it speaks to internal civil war so when he's saying go to war it's not always just white people it's like black people too oh gotcha gotcha this script is way more nuanced than people think it is man you know the marketing strategy you just gotta get them happy with the spears and the ah you know viola get the action but when you come in and watch it it's a whole more it's a more nuanced take

would you say this is the favorite movie you've done to date? Yeah. Really? Yeah, man. Yeah, I enjoyed my experience. It took me back to first starting out. And I like being on a set where it's black women and stuff. They tell you when you got crust in the corner of your lips and stuff. They tell you when your elbows are dry. It's because other cultures, they be leaving you to hang out there. You know what I mean? So there's something nice and homely about having a cast of women

that reflect on how you were raised. Let me ask you a question, right? You played the king in that movie. This is something I've been exploring. Like, you know, I feel like patriarchy is a system. I feel like the divine order of things is women are really the leaders in the foundation. That's my personal opinion.

When you do a role like that and you see them in their position and you in your position, what does that make you think of the power dynamic? I think it's a reciprocal energy that we need. And then you need to get into more of the specifics of who the woman is. Can't just go woman and then a man and then place them in positions. I think everybody has unique skill sets that could be utilized or used.

And that's what you see in this movie, that even in the court of chambers, you know, with opinions, there will be females there and there will be males. And to get that sense of a different perspective. But what's funny is some females and males will agree, you know what I mean? And they differ in their opinions still. But it made me think, like, we just got to work together. Like, we got to come to this point where there's a level ground

that you can collaborate to make society better. Society starts with families, good families. So, yeah, it just makes you think about that that when did you decide to start a production company um i think it was bubbling from being on set of star wars and not being involved in the big boy conversations that were kind of cool to hear though like i would hear jj abrams and kathy talk about movie moments that i knew would be historical for the for the world but they're just chatting about it in a tent like it's casual. And I was just like, rah, I would love to be part of the creative process. And then I was like, you know, if I wait for the phone to ring, movies like Breaking and all these roles that I've been able to do,

even They Clone Tyrone, like, it can't just happen that way. I have to actually have more of a proactive approach to my job. You got to tell me about this They Clone Tyrone. The title alone sounds phenomenal. I know Jamie Foxx is in it, but what is that movie about? A pimp, a prostitute, and a drug dealer find out there's some white people doing some crazy shit under the ground in the hood.

That's all I'm going to tell you. The pimp? The prostitute? Jamie Foxx is the pimp. Tiana Paris is the prostitute. And I'm the drug dealer. And it's about, it's basically a hood Star Wars. It's hood Scooby-Doo.

It's a mystery movie about the last people, the last people you think team up, the last sort of people you think would team up is about them actually stepping up and handling a bit of a sci-fi mystery situation, which you don't get to see. And Jamie Foxx is hilarious. You know that's a real conversation going on though like that's been going on for some years like people think that there's actually folks getting cloned out here yeah i know some people who i thought i knew yesterday and then the very next day they were totally different and i'm like they must have got cloned i want to know where them facilities are though i don't ain't heard about nothing much from that you believe in it to a certain extent I mean you

never know that's how I believe it you never know but then I don't know facts now do I yeah you did what you set out to accomplish you did three completely different movies I just wanted to change and if you see that and if they clone Tyrone I play about four or five different characters one of them 78 so this is all giving me the opportunity just to do what actors do actors not supposed to be playing themselves so you get cloned in the movie I'm Tyrone yeah yeah yeah but so funny the movie strange it's not even about that it's just it's just it's just weird I just can't wait for people to people to see it now when people talk about diversity in Hollywood what does

that actually look like it means that you actually try and find the talented individuals from groups that have have been kind of forgotten and dismissed and not been given the right opportunities it does not mean you just put a whole bunch of black people quotas in it it means you actually try and actually find the homegrown talent people are passionate and who are working that don't get those opportunities that don't have the cousin or the auntie in there that says oh you can come and assist for this actor people that don't have that clean, that don't have the cousin or the auntie in there that says, oh, you can come and assist for this actor. People that don't have that clean-cut door, it means that we're struggling

with trying to bring in those people. And this is behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera. It's about bringing in those people who are skilled but who do not get the opportunities based on that disparity there. You got a very old soul, man. Because you're only 30.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm 30. You got a very old soul man but you're only 30. yeah yeah you got a very old soul like oh yeah yeah oh i was i was gonna ask i mean in a good way though yeah no no no yeah i heard that before i'm not cool how do you feel like how your art now is not being released in major movie places anymore sometimes you're just going digital sometimes just netflix sometimes hulu how does that you know because you grew up going to the movies. Yes. So how does that feel? And the Woman King is different because it's only in theatres, right, on the 16th.

I've been blessed. Breaking was only in theatres as well, the first two weeks, and then I think it goes to digital this week or so. So I've been uniquely blessed in that sense. I've been able to shoot three projects during the pandemic, and two of them have been exclusively released in in movie theaters and breaking got the big amc deal so we we were in a good few amc so i personally can't complain but i do think it's um it was worrying for a lot of people at the beginning of the pandemic it was like wait wait wait wait what's up they don't they're not going to come to see us they don't

want to come see us no more for one hour and 30 minutes. I'm like, damn. And it makes you think and it makes you respect what Denzel Washington has done, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, the old school box office money makers who would make movies an event

and make you leave your house if it's cold, sunny, raining. It makes you respect that more in an ever-changing time. But it's an adjustment. It's an adjustment. What do you prefer? Oh, movies. Yeah, I still like going to the movies. Yeah, I'm for movies. It makes you respect that more. I mean an ever-changing time, but it's an adjustment. It's not just what he before Oh movies

No, no, you you've got to see the woman king in in the movies I mean, there's this scope there's there's also them what it does to you experience the immersiveness into the menu you at home the Microwave going off, you talking to someone, you texting on Instagram, it's like there's much more of a focus and a fixation and an experience.

What are your thoughts about, you know, that whole conversation about how they say British actors playing black American roles, you know, what do you think about that? I think number one, the first approach is to listen to each other

because there might be a perspective that we are missing, right? Coming in, coming into the game. And we we are not coming into game to steal anything in fact it's impossible to steal a role by the way roles are only offered so we come in there to just work but sometimes you don't know whose toes you're stepping in if you don't actually listen to the people and the folk you know that are on ground to tell you but in that i think also on the flip side um i couldn't relate to the conversation because I'll be honest, African-American has been nothing but love to me.

I lost my accommodation in LA, my Airbnb in LA. I was staying in the streets for about two days off of Crescent Heights Boulevard. I went to some party. I met who is now my best friend, Asia, African-American young girl from Inglewood who was just like, yo, I loved your movie.

I got your movie on Redbox. And I said, I don't have nowhere to stay. She goes, you can come stay in my crib. I said, where's your crib? She goes, Inglewood. So I was living in Inglewood for a bit. And so for me, it's like I've met and connected with people who have helped me. The people who have helped me have mostly been African-American.

So I don't see that side of the conversation. So sometimes I'm not in the best position to communicate because it's been love. Like, you know, whether it's Lena Waithe, whether it's anybody, Jamie, it's just been love, you know, and support. And I think on set, we collaborate a lot. Even with roles as a black Brit that people will feel like I wouldn't understand the role.

Sometimes my African-American brother don't understand the role too. And we help each other. We're like, oh, because we weren't there. At the end of the day, we are actors. We have to portray something that we can't see. So I think that is a good conversation to have and we should each other we're like oh because we weren't there at the end of the day we are actors we have to portray something that we don't we can't see so i think that is is a good conversation to have and we should stay listening stay collaborating because the civil war shit looks weak it looks petty and weak especially when it comes to the to the mainstream game it

looks a bit it looks a bit dead but if we can talk and have a conversation about it and no one feels like it should be an attack thing you know let's let's let's keep it cordial so we can actually have the conversation and perhaps we'll we'll learn a few things absolutely have there been roles that you missed out on for scheduling purposes like man i really wanted to do this but i'm over here filming star wars or i don't know yeah during star wars yeah i mean during star wars it was like i say i say it as a joke but it was like luxury jail you know because it's nice it's nice to be in a movie like this it's nice to know your nice to be in a movie like this. It's nice to know your bills are probably going to pay for the next eight years.

It's nice to know that. But there are some roles where you're like, I can actually do that. They don't believe I can because I'm just, I have to do these Star Wars movies. No harm to Star Wars. It takes like eight, nine months to film one. So after that, I'm trying to go on holiday with the boys and just chill. I'm trying to go out. But yeah, you do feel like that.

You're like, damn, man, these roles are so nuanced. But if anything, I've been inspired. What are some things you wish you could have done during that time, but you just couldn't because of whatever reason? And you're like, man. I've forgotten now, but it was a good few things that had come. But they were mostly indies. They were mostly indies.

And I would have loved the opportunity to work with Jordan Peele a bit as well. I'm sure you will. Well, we've been speaking for a bit and I've always, you know, I took a meeting with him and went down to see him at Monkey Pool and I've always said, hey, Jordan, man, just put me in the far distance.

While Danny Kaluuya's putting his head to the side, I'll just, you know, wave or something. You know, just put me in there because I really like his work. Maybe one day. You know, we were talking in there because I really like his work. So, yeah, maybe one day. You know, we were talking about like the Little Mermaid backlash and Star Wars backlash earlier. How much of that do we know is real? Because I feel like sometimes...

That's what I've been thinking about. That's what I've been thinking about. I've also been thinking about these bots that pretend that they're black. Yes. We need to be careful. And I've been seeing it a bit more. So the journalists,

something that they're doing is because of the pressure that's coming from sometimes their editors, the clickbait is there to irritate you and make you angry. So sometimes an actor or celebrity will answer a question to do with race one week. They will release like several different parts

of their answer throughout a six week, like throughout the time of six weeks Just to have a steady story going on and sometimes it's not accurate to what the conversation is But I think we need to have an audience that's more aware of that Y'all need to be a little bit more smart aren't stop being triggered because some of these things as you said that it's fake like They're trying to To stir the pot to a certain extent so we need to we need to fixate on a celebration like we did with black panther like yes it was it like that celebration was so mad that anybody was talking any stuff that stuff that was negative was was you could dismiss that so let's celebrate because it's hard for me to believe that people care this much about a black mermaid because when i when i saw the

trailer come out on my on my algorithm it was all love let me tell you man her name ariel and she's been swimming to the surface man that sun been hitting her for a bit they've been hitting her she's supposed to have them them dreads that's how it was supposed to be in the first place and if you're black you should know stories like give me also let's talk about let's talk about her talent yeah she's amazing absolutely she's a mermaid okay you're a thing you're a thing she's like she's she's her full her falsetto she's amazing. I love her. She's her falsetto. She's up there, man. She's got it. So, you know, just love and support to her, man. Keep on doing your thing. I'm definitely going to go see that. I'm going to take all the

black little kids, go see it. Probably book out a date. You know how we do. We make it so easy for COINTELPRO nowadays, though. For what? COINTELPRO? COINTELPRO was an order. It was a system that actually used to disrupt, like, protests back in the day during the 60s, during the civil rights era. Like that's what they would do.

They would send people to these protests to be agitated. Yeah, yeah, to be agitated. It's so easy to do that nowadays with the internet. I mean, it makes sense that, actually copy and pasting that physical situation, it makes sense that they would do that online. And I've been thinking about that too

because sometimes I'd make the mistake of highlighting something that was triggering. But it's like, if you didn't highlight it, bro one would have seen that's right I had to go stupid so you know we have to we have to try and finesse it a little bit more they there is a game to it what's the biggest misconception about being black in Hollywood I don't know man I guess there's a lot but I know I keep myself to myself I don't really try to get into people's opinions too much. I don't really know.

I guess maybe you're an asshole. I mean, you always got to prove that you're not an asshole the first three weeks of meeting somebody. But I'm sure it's in your position too. Like, you know, you go on a date or whatever it is, and it's like the person's kind of like, are you one of them? You know what I mean? And the first three weeks is proving that you're not.

The date part now. You see this? Look, King. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. King. You married? Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

All right, all right, Charlamagne. I've been with the same woman for 24 years. I think that's fantastic. Is she black? Yes, sir. Hell, yeah. Is she black? I absolutely agree. No, because I've heard you speak before Is she black? Yes, sir. Hell yeah. Is she black? I absolutely agree.

No, because I've heard you speak. I've heard you speak before about your blackness and stuff. So I thought you were one of the ones that were going to sacrifice your loins to continue in this race. So I'm like, okay, cool. Let me just check in. Well, yeah, he said that to you, didn't he? He said it. So I'm like.

Explain that now, what happened? No, you speak about your blackness quite a lot. Yes. And then obviously I've seen your interview. So I'm like me just check that make sure he's oh yeah yeah no that's real though yeah yeah i judge brothers like that too i mean i'm not i'm not judging i mean anyone can do what they need to do but i feel like when you speak in a certain way black men gotta be with black yeah yeah and you've spoken that you've spoken in that way i'm like let me just check my man my man's devoted at home people that talk so black but then they sleep way i'm like let me just check my man my man's devoted at home

people that talk so black but then they sleep white i'm like i mean have you ever dated a white woman yeah i have once i once i dated one once um when i was younger um yeah it was all right but it was we were just chilling you know i mean we were just it wasn't nothing serious like that so but naturally you know could you bring a storm trooper home i've said it openly it's just a preference like i like i like my women black you know and and i feel um just just separate from you know a a political statement or anything like that it's just they fine as hell they you know melanin levels gotta be over 75 you know i mean thickness gotta be there style gotta be there we gotta laugh at the same jokes we gotta bump to the same music it's just gotta be a flow that's right i mean so yeah and you can't have conversations about white supremacy tearing apart black families but you don't even

you're not even trying to create i'm trying to have them conversations where i can say talk my behind closed doors i'm trying to say woman i don't know and she's like yeah baby yeah you right you right that's what i mean you know what i, you right. You right. That's what I need. You know what I mean? I need her to understand a black man's anger, frustration. I need her to understand when certain dudes walk into the room and their energy ain't right. And she's just like, calm down, baby.

Chill. I need that. I need me a black woman. Queen, man. I'm with you, King. You ain't got to tell me. We appreciate you. Don't you see just a little bit, just a little bit

of Mike Tyson a little bit the way he looks with the eyebrow and everything? You ever got that before? I got a whole bunch. You remind me

of Jonathan Majors. Oh, I've got that too. I like Jonathan Majors. Eyebrows and everything. Anyway, John Boyega, we appreciate you for joining us.

Thank you. Appreciate you, man. Woman King, breaking, definitely go check it out. They call him Tyrone coming in September. Well, soon, right? Yeah, yeah, soon for joining us. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate you, man. Woman King, Breaking, definitely go check it out. They call Tyrone coming in September. Well, soon, right? Yeah, yeah, soon.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you, man. Thank you for having me. It's the Breakfast Club. Welcome to Gracias Come Again, a podcast by Honey German, where we get real and dive straight into todo lo actual y viral. We're talking music, los premios, el chisme, and all things trending in my cultura. I'm bringing you all the latest happening in our entertainment world

and some fun and impactful interviews with your favorite Latin artists, comedians, actors, and influencers. Each week, we get deep and raw life stories, combos on the issues that matter to us, and it's all packed with gems, fun, straight-up comedia, and that's a song that only Nuestra Gente can sprinkle. Listen to Gracias Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, my undeadly darlings. It's Teresa, your resident ghost host. And do I have a treat for you.

Haunting is crawling out from the shadows, and it's going to be devilishly good. We've got chills, thrills, and stories that'll make you wish the lights stayed on. So join me, won't you? Let's dive into the eerie unknown together. Sleep tight, if you can. Listen to Haunting on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Marie. And I'm Sydney.

And we're Mess. Well, not a mess, but on our podcast called Mess, we celebrate all things messy. But the gag is, not everything is a mess. Sometimes it's just living. Yeah, things like J-Lo on her third divorce. Living. Girls' trip to Miami. Mess. Breaking up with your girlfriend while her third divorce. Living. Girls trip to Miami. Mess.

Breaking up with your girlfriend while on Instagram Live. Living. It's kind of mess. Yeah. Well, you get it. Got it? Live, love, mess. Listen to Mess with Sydney Washington and Marie Faustin on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people.

We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence. And we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other, so join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese investigative journalist who on October 16th, 2017, was assassinated. Crooks everywhere unearths the plot to murder a one-woman WikiLeaks. She exposed the culture of crime and corruption

that were turning her beloved country into a mafia state. Listen to Crooks Everywhere on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.