The Breakfast Club - The Breakfast Club REWIND (DEON COLE)

Episode Date: June 27, 2023

Deon Cole On Dealing With Grief, Netflix Special, Writer Strike + MoreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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We are The Breakfast Club. Of course, Jess Hilarious is here. Yes, I am. And we got a special guest in the building, Deon Cole. Hello, hello, hello. How you feeling, my brother? How's everybody doing?

Everybody good? Everybody's black and highly favored. Yes, yes, yes. I'm happy to see you. I can't, I'm just, yeah, I'm happy to see you. I'm so happy to see you as well. Thank you. Y'all know each other? Yeah. We stand up comedy. I know I'm highly favored, man. Yes, yes, yes. I'm happy to see you. I can't, I'm just, yeah, I'm happy to see you. I'm so happy to see you as well. Thank you. Y'all know each other?

Yeah. You mean they stand up comedy? I know I'm just joking, man. We're joking. Yes, yes. Yeah, yeah, definitely, man. Thanks for having me, man. Absolutely.

A lot to talk about. You got Average Joe. Aren't you in the new Color Purple too, right? Yeah. Okay. Absolutely, yeah, yeah. New Color Purple, Average Joe. We just talked about that yesterday. We were talking about they just released a trailer. What's your thoughts on the movie. Yeah, yeah. New Color Purple, Average Joe. We just talked about that yesterday.

We were talking about they just released a trailer. What's your thoughts on the movie? Because we were like, Color Purple, is that a movie that you do over? Hard to remake classics, man. Yeah. So the director, Blaise, I don't know, he did Beyonce's, remember when she was doing, like, The Lion King, where she was like, her and Jay, they was like.

The live-action Lion King. Yeah, but remember this video she had? It was like a 20-minute video where she was like, and cars and on the beach running, and Hun J had these, like, suits and stuff on, whatever. It was, like, very beautifully shot. Oh, Ape Shit. Yeah, yeah, all of that.

Yeah, yeah, he directed all of that. And so for him to take that vision and apply it to this movie is, yeah, all of that. Yeah, yeah, he directed all of that. And so for him to take that vision and apply it to this movie is like bananas. Plus, it's a different spin on it. It's a whole different spin on A Color Purple. So it's going to be way different than the other one. But still in its own right, you know, holding up to what it is.

But I ain't really big on remakes neither like that, but this one, y'all, is crazy because it's a different perspective. I was saying, in 2023, you can't do Color Purple. You have to be woke. Yeah, yeah. There's so much stuff. Yeah, it's a whole different look on it,

a whole different spin on it. But you know, some of the remakes, like, I didn't like Coming to America 2, right? I just, the first one was just classic. I don't think you touched that one. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't like Coming to America 2, right? I just, the first one was just classic. I don't think you touched that one. I didn't like, there was another remake that they did. But people told me White Man Can't Jump. I didn't want to go see that.

But people telling me it's really, really good. So I guess it can, if they come from a different perspective, a new way. House Party was another one I didn't like. I didn't really like that one. But when they do it from a different perspective or shot well, I don't think there's a problem. Who you playing? Yeah. I play Alfonso so i play uh sealy's father gotcha oh that's the one that said uh

take sealy you can't have you can't have uh i can't remember the girl name you can't have her but you can have yeah okay she ugly but she work hard yeah yeah exactly yeah, I play him. They kept that line in there? Nah, nah, it's different. Yeah, but you know, you still get it. You know, he's still that dude. Got you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You still call it ugly, just in a 2020 way.

In a woke way. Do you hate that hate that having to adjust like your content because of this new era I mean yo I do I do hate it

definitely that's why I don't understand why people who don't like that kind of stuff like why do you even come to the shows

you messing it up for the people that really pay to come see and hear bullshit you know what I mean? Like, why would you come in there with your beliefs and feelings about something that I thought of?

And you ain't in my world. You ain't in my tax bracket. You ain't around the people I'm around. You ain't not about my culture. But you come over here and try to tell me what I need to be saying and doing. It don't even make sense. Yeah. So, yeah, I hate that, that we have to kind of conform to that. And I heard somebody say that in an interview, that it don't even make sense yeah so uh yeah i hate that that we have to kind of

conform to that and i heard somebody say that in an interview that we don't and if and and it's not a problem and it is a problem i think honestly you got lenny bruce and richard and all these people who stood up for us to be able to say whatever we want to say and now we can't it's like it's crazy to take away from the whole thing it's like now you go to comedy shows and they tell you what they think you want to hear in order to be safe. Right. You know what I mean? But there's certain comics that are still out on the front line that get loose. You know, like Dave and Just don't give a fuck about nothing.

You know, so you got great comics that's still out here fighting for that voice that we all have and that people want to hear, except for certain people that don't. And your circumstance is unique because you definitely edgy on stage, but then you got all the corporate shit going on. Yeah, exactly. Sitcoms and all that. Yeah, I can't say exactly what I want to say. Yeah. That's my whole life, sitting back trying to figure out another way. exactly what I want to say. Like, yeah. I mean, see, that's what I, that's my whole life,

sitting back trying to figure out another way. That's what I, that's all I do. I be like, how can I say this another way? And still be able to say it, but, you know. It's wild. You the face of Old Spice, bro. Crazy. Like, that's wild.

If you really think about it. It's really wild. It's been a long time. I only think of two people, Deon Cole and the dude who used to ride the horse back with you. Yeah. Wasn't he a horse? It was something.

Yeah, yeah. No, he was on a horse. He was on a horse. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's crazy, right? Which is crazy. Yeah, I couldn't even. Even when they came to me about it, I was just like, wow.

So when they came to you and said, hey, we want you to do this Old Spice commercial. What was your thought? So at first, they came to me and they was like, I guess they had seen me do all these different kind of like quirky characters, like on Angie Tribeca and Conan and Black-ish, and I was doing all these trippy characters, and I guess they was like, yo, it makes sense,

where it was like, yo, you come in and yo, we can rock, and I was like, yeah, I was yo we can all we can rock and i was like yeah i was like yeah i can do that so they flew me to portugal man and i shot all of this basically how old spice get down you know what i mean like really wild in the woods your beard grow and throwing trees and you know i did all of that and then i came back to the U.S. And they was like, they ain't want to use none of that. So you did all that. They didn't want to use none of it. And then they came to me about something else.

And then me and this other guy, we was just sitting. I mean, this other guy, he was writing this whole new premise. And then when they came to me about it, and I was like, man, that's cool. And so we did it, and man, it took off. Yeah. You know, just me and my girl Gab. Yep, I love this.

Yeah, yeah, we just got it in. Yeah, we just, I went and grabbed Gab and was like, yeah, they're thinking about this thing where it's a relationship and it's a couple and you're trying to take your old spice. And, you know, they was like, yeah, let's do it. And I said, man, we did it. Because it's a storyline commercial.

It's a storyline. And I was supposed to be in one of them. I was supposed to be his little sister. Yeah, I'm glad he brought that up. I was supposed to be his little sister. Yeah, man. I'm not a mess. I don't know. Yeah.

I don't know. They picked Lala Anthony. Oh, they did pick Lala. They picked Lala. Oh, wow. You look more like Dion's little sister than Lala. I did. I did. I didn't know Lala was supposed to be your sister in the commercial.

I never thought about that. I never knew that. It made it seem like Lala's a family member. Yeah, yeah. And it was another person that, no, he was supposed to tell me, get your black ass hands off my something, right? And I gave it to somebody else. Uh-huh.

They never would have said that. Get your black ass hands off my whole place. I cut the TV off every time I see that shit, man. I be like, man, that's supposed to be me. I'm serious. I was supposed to be as little as you. Don't take that. I'm serious.

I was supposed to be in there. Because you're only supposed to almost be something. All right, I got a question. That's hilarious. I don't care. I didn't even know that. Yeah, for real. They ain't going to tell you.

You know, you at the top. That's dope. That's dope. So I want to know, are you Dr. Deon Cornell? Because I saw you just, you know, being honored. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Like, if somebody on a plane holla out they need a doctor, they're going to be assed out.

But it ain't that kind of doctor. But yeah, be ass out. But that ain't Jack kind of doctor. But yeah, yeah, I just got that. Just got an honorary doctor. Congratulations. Yeah, yeah, that's crazy. Philander Smith College, which is now about to be a university. Yeah, thanks, man. And they honored you for all the work that you did and everything?

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Charlamagne paid for his. Yeah, really? I got an endowment at South Carolina State University. Okay. Made me an honorary doctor. Yeah, well, there it is. And I gave a commencement speech.

Yeah, yeah, I did too. It was wild. I gave mine. They really didn't give two fucks of what I was saying. I thought I was dropping some gems, yo. They was all sitting out there on their phone and shit. I was like, they was out there like this. So they might have been taking notes.

They might have been taking notes. Yeah, they might have been. They might have been taking notes. I don't think so, yo. So you keep going when you see that? Do you cut it short? Man, I was bombing, like for real. I was giving it, and then it'd be like a couple chuckles,

a couple coughs, and then I'd just keep going, like just going on to the next topic or whatever but yeah, yeah, it wasn't I was thinking I was doing like stand up, you think you're in front of an audience like that, you're about to be ripping nah, they was out there like nah, I want to see my baby cross

and get her degree and that's what I'm here for. But that stand up muscle don't kick in when you see people like ignoring you cause you know, you'd heckle, you'd get at somebody for that. Nah, like nah, I'm quick to leave. I leave, I leave. I leave like a motherfucker, I leave. Man, I done left some shows.

In the middle of a show? Yeah. Oh my God. I try it and I keep going. If it ain't working, I just know that I ain't for them. And I go, I'm Trevor. Good night. I leave on a whole nother name.

I'm Trevor. I'm Sean. Peace out. Nashville. This fuck suck. He suck. You know, Dan, you got to be one of the most jacked comedians, too, because sometimes I'll come across a funny meme.

Like, it'll just be words, and I'll repost it, and then everybody will be like, that's Dion Cole. That's Dion. Like, I didn't know that was Dion. I didn't know this was Dion. This is me. Yeah, man. You know, you try to be different and just think outside the box all the time

and just try to make a career out of that and just try to always go left and you know think outside the box and you know just keep it as as as real as possible you know like when i'm on stage and i read off my paper like a lot of those jokes are written and used, but I always do one joke that isn't, that I've never done before because I want it not to work because it's funny not being funny in a sense. Yes. I think I made a craft out of that.

You ever watch somebody bomb? I love it. Yeah. You love it, don't you? I tell you. I say that all the time. If you see me laughing hard, it's because somebody bombed me. If somebody's killing, I'm really engaged.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like that, too. It's hilarious with that. I want to go see him one time. I know this is his interview and not mine. But I want to go see him in L.A. And that's the first time I've seen him in person. And he does that.

Like, he will tell a joke and if and it's so funny because he wants it not to work but it does and it's like yo stop trying to not be funny like you're just funny like and then he said he said when he really thought wasn't gonna work and it was like a couple chuckles and he was like no if it don't work don't don't force the laugh like no you don't have to force the laugh. That was so funny to me. Just seeing him doing that and then seeing it done so long ago when I first started watching comedy, it's crazy.

He still does it and it's still like the first time that I watched it. Yeah, I appreciate it. It's, you know, it's because people tend to forget it's about laughing. It ain't how you laugh. It's about you laughing you know what i mean i'm not here to have you laugh a particular way yeah it's like you're laughing if you laugh at

anything i do it's funny but i think it's funny not being funny so i make sure i do a joke that does not work and so people will laugh at it and it's funny funny to me to hear people laugh at it. And then when they do laugh at it, it's just like, I really know that I got that audience. But when they don't laugh, yes. When did you first realize you was funny? Like, I'm talking about, forget comedy. I'm talking about back in the day. I never did.

It was a friend of mine, this dude named Gwil. Like, we was on some ill shit in Chicago. And, you know, I never even thought comedy. But he used to always listen to me just have different outtakes on things and different views. And he would just always be like, you should do comedy. You should do comedy. And I used to be like, I ain't doing no goddamn comedy.

And one day he bet me to go on stage, and I went on and never looked back because I started realizing. Because I always thought comics was like you know slipping on bananas and pie to the face type motherfuckers and you know then I realized that there's comedians then after I did it I started doing research

and I started seeing like George Garland and then Ellen DeGeneres and all these other great comics that were like you know like I mean obviously I knew about Red Fox and you know Moms Mabel and all these other great comics that were like, you know, like, I mean, obviously I knew about Red Fox and you know, Moms Mabley and all them or whatever, but I started seeing comedians that wasn't throwing pies in their faces,

who was just standing there talking. And I was like, ah, you can be funny like that and not move? And I was like, yeah, cause that was my whole demeanor anyway like i wasn't like no people people come up to me this day i went to high school with they're like boy he was silly as hell in high school i'd be like i ain't even speak to you in high school like i wasn't silly in high school i wasn't even silly in school i used to just be quiet i was always a thinker being the only child you know so yeah that's what it was you're a writer

as well yeah how was the writing strike affecting you especially with you being on all these shows as well and just you can't do nothing i'm shooting this uh i was doing this thing up in uh toronto and the script was already in so we we working on it now shooting this drama. I had a question and there was nobody to talk to. Yeah. So what happened in that case? Could you just change the script yourself? No, you just go however you need to go about it. But hopefully you do it right.

But there ain't nobody to talk to. All the writers gone, everybody's gone. And I can't, even shows that I had on deck about to sell and about to do, they all been halted and can't do nothing. Just chill and stand up. That's it. Just go out and hit the road or whatever because everybody chilling. And L.A. right now, if you come to L.A. right now,

it's mad traffic, yo. Like, you can't go nowhere because everybody's off work. And everybody's just kicking it now. Like, all the writers and shit, everybody just partying and traveling. But, yeah, the traffic is terrible right now because ain't nobody at work. How do you feel like A.I. is going to impact the future of Hollywood?

Yo, I went to AI and I said, hey, just to mess around, I said, write a script about ladybugs. And that shit started off in the backyard of this one house over on the corner in Maryland. The trees are going. They wrote it. It was

writing an entire script about ladybugs. and that's all you said that's all i said to it wrote the entire script i wrote the breakdown first thing in the morning exit inserts i just wrote that motherfucker dude i was like yo that's crazy but yeah that's gonna that's gonna that's gonna really mess up everything right now. I heard that they're doing this now where they're calling people, and if you pick up the phone, you go, hello? It's your kids.

No, they get your voice, take your voice, and then reduplicate it. Yeah, and that's how they get you. And then use it to call other people and say, like, you need money and all that other stuff. Oh, yeah, they was doing that with kids, too. Like, they'll call your phone, and I guess they get your kid's voice and say like you need money and all that other stuff. Oh yeah, they was doing that with kids too. Like they'll call your phone and I guess they get your kid's voice from social media and your kid be like help, help, mommy, help, help.

And they ask you for ransom money. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's what they doing with that shit now. It's crazy as fuck right now, right? So it's like, yeah, that AI is going to tear everything up. On top of everybody being like kind of dumb as hell right now. Yeah, kind of. You see that?

I posted this video about these kids. They cannot read clocks. Did you see that? No. Like a round clock with numbers? They do not know how to read clocks. But then you start thinking about it. Am I old or are they like dumb

but it's a little but look it's it's they are so they don't have clocks how old were they they was like teenagers oh that's stupid but look they they man one man they honestly was on there like this i ain't never even seen one of those around clock dude they were trying to think about it you don't really see them you see digital clocks and there's no round clocks even i'll take it a step further i was talking to uh somebody that was late the other day and he was like my phone died and what you don't think about you know everything's connected to electricity back in the day i don't know but my dad used to have a wind-up clock so no matter what it would always go off he never would have to worry about being late if electricity went out or forget to save it so he was like these

kids know nothing about that so if the phone dies out or forget to save it. So he was like, these kids know nothing about that. So if the phone dies, they late. They don't, they have no idea. They was asking them, like, they was asking them, they was on there like, yeah, it's 976. Like, I was like, that's so crazy. Dude, they was trying to figure out the time. The dude was like holding the clock,

and he was like, what time is this? And it was like 976. And this is in America. This is in America. In America, y'all. But it had me thinking like, man, we old as hell where nobody know how to read clocks. No, it's just things get out of, you know, you just get out of touch with things. I mean, because honestly, just for real.

Clocks? Yeah, I have clocks all over my house, but I don't tell time on them. They wear them on their wrist, too. I know what they are. And don't set the time on their wrist. They just flood them out. They just flood it out. I wear this collier because it's nice.

I'm not about to, whatever time it is, I'm going to be like, 10, 15. I'm never. It's my watch face. Stop playing with it. I ain't doing nothing. Oh, yeah. You ain't going to be able to tell. First, you'd say 3 o'clock.

For real? Yes. All right. We ain't going to see us. First, you shit say three o'clock for real yes her shit say three o'clock and I be like two fifty seven so that's nothing to do with being old

we just got away from that yeah think about it people don't necessarily buy watches for time now it's more for as an accessory cause when somebody says

what time is what's the first thing you do you go pull out your phone and be like, it's 10-15. I don't know if I got a nice watch on. I'm going to show him.

It's so wild. You got to pay attention to that shit. Like straight up. It'd be little shit like that that you'd be like, whoa, the world changing.

Like right now, I'm looking at your face. You over there like, damn. Even with navigation. I thought you were talking about his face change because he got a nose job.

No, no. He did. He got a nose job. I didn't get a nose job. I removed some polyps in my nose. They didn't touch my nose. But even navigation. Think about navigation.

Right? Now, if I'm driving around, I can know where my house is. I still put it in navigation. Now, let's say the Waze app don't work or Google Maps don't work. I'd be lost. I'd be like, where am I going?

Right. Gone. And ain't no way to get there unless you like, like a lot of old people, they still be carrying maps and shit. Map quests and stuff like that.

I know people that still, well, they're older obviously, but people that still print off directions. But I think you rely on it because I do the same thing. We just rely on it because we know we got it.

If you ever just try to get home, you would get there. No, no, I'm not talking about home. Oh, never. Like other places. We just rely on it because we know we got it. If you ever just try to get home, you would get there. No, no. I'm not talking about home. But like other places. Like let's say you got to go from Baltimore here, right? Yeah. And you know you got to take 95 to the turnpike through the tunnel.

Now you ain't got no navigation. You're going to be like, damn, which way am I going in? Right. I'm going to eventually get home because I know what I got to take to get here, to get there. Read signs and all of that. But I would literally lose my mind just because this is easier. So sometimes we use it.

We don't even need it. That's crazy to hear y'all say that, though, because I've seen you, Jess, and I know you do. Y'all comedians have photographic memories because you're about to remember jokes and stuff like that. Yeah, but I don't know where the hell I'm going if I don't have no GPS. If I don't have no GPS. If I don't have no GPS.

I got in this old chick car. She had OnStar, you know what I mean? Oh, my God, yes. The button up the top. The dude is like, make her laugh. What? No. Oh, my goodness.

You got Average Joe coming out, too, right? Yeah, yeah, Average Joe, man. This was, thank you so much. Man, this was a labor of love. It's like a darkly comedic drama. It takes place in Pittsburgh. This dude, his father dies, and these mob dudes are looking for him. And Joe, he don't know what's going on,

but his father had left some money trying to figure out what's going on. And he had to make these decisions between family and money. But yeah, it's a super, it's funny, but it's dark, dark as hell. We was leaving set miserable. Just from being like a comic, you got to, you know, you can be good to do comedy,

but every day just to leave murdering motherfuckers and lying and deceitful and heartache and losing people. And every day you leave, you know, that was the first time I started realizing I understand how like people kind of break when they do movies and stuff. and every day you leave. That was the first time I started realizing I understand how people kind of break when they do movies and stuff. That was the very first time.

I used to be like, you ain't that deep into character. Nah, if you keep doing that, and you have to constantly be that person to do that, that shit wear on you. I used to always think like with Pac, they always say Pac became like. Bishop. Yeah, he became Bishop from Juice or whatever.

But at first I never really kind of like believed that shit. But yeah, and I saw Michael B. Jordan talk about how he had to go to rehab after. Creed? Fruitvale? No, he said. Fruitvale. I think it was Fruitvale or it was.

No, I think it was Wakanda. Wakanda? Yeah. Man, Killmonger? I don't know. But I remember him saying that he had to go to like rehab. I thought it was Wakanda. It might have been.

But a lot of actors got to do that. Anyway, that's how that show was, man. We was down there. We was shooting in the lineup, boy. It was like, we was doing like 16 hours, sometimes 20 hours, yo, shooting that shit. But we got a nice piece of work

and man, it's gonna be something. If y'all like murder and mayhem. Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. You're gonna love this. And you're a lead. Crazy, right? For the first time. For the first time. I know that's amazing. So see, we're actually looking at you talking about this like amazing because even as comics we we can still we can play any part we can do

anything you know i always think of robin williams yeah you know the comics especially going from comedy to drama jim carrey and you know and even like what you just said like how you 16 hours you got a status person and you got it. It's like you used to being, you know, but no, it's different. But the fact that you can do it. Yeah. But it's like I remember when I when I when I took the job, because usually I'm a type of cat. I go play my part and I go get my drop top and we rolling.

You know what I mean? Like that's what I did on Blackage for eight years. I did my part and I was out my drop top and we rolling. You know what I mean? Like that's what I did on Black-ish for eight years. I did my part and I was out, I was gone. When I signed on to do this and seeing like 60 page scripts and I'm in like 90% of it and I'm looking like. Like I got a real job. I'm like, I can't leave? They like, man, first one here, last to leave. I'm like I can't leave they like

man first one here last to leave you like what it was an adjustment cause I still had other things going on

and other businesses and other projects and trying to write that and do that and trying to do this I had to learn to I had to cut

all that out just focus dead on this and get it done but yeah being and being that you got to watch what you pray for you gotta know how to pray you know a lot of a lot of people don't know how to pray and you know that was one of the things that I learned you know yeah a person to ask man Lord can I have a man can I have woman, they'll get you one and they won't have a job. They won't have a job, I take it back.

I forgot to ask for a job with that person. Yeah, so you just gotta know how to pray, man. But no, it was an amazing, amazing thing that shifted my whole mind and mind frame as far as acting and just taking on those responsibilities. When it comes to comedy and drama, right, they always say it's a thin line. That's where the whole tears of a clown thing come from. So as a comic, you don't lean into trauma?

Yeah, absolutely. That's exactly what I did. You know what I mean? But it wasn't like that at first. Like another turning point, when we was doing The Harder They Fall, I was like, I walked on set and was like, yeah, what's going on?

Hey, what's going on? I'm funny and comedian, comedian. I remember Jonathan Majors and all them, they was just all sitting back and Delroy Lindo, they was all just quiet, just chilling. I was like, hey, what's going on? Deion, hey, so we gonna knock this out and we gonna, they was just like, and, what's going on with Beyond? Hey, so we gonna knock this out and we gonna... They was just like...

And then when we rehearsed, they was just like, so like in... Like it was so real and so... It just was like, man, I remember Jonathan told me, he was like, man, you shouldn't... Acting is the worst title for this job. This is what you should not be doing. You should not be acting. You should become.

You should become that person instead of acting. And so it made me be like, oh, really? So then I went back, changed my whole demeanor, man, just from that conversation and came back and was like, all right, we gotta just become this person.

And I remember that all the time. Just be coming. Isn't that dangerous, though, when you gotta just become this person. And I remember that all the time, just becoming. You know, and so. Isn't that dangerous though, when you gotta unpack that person? Like when you gotta finally disconnect? Like do you gotta unpack? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You gotta go home by yourself. Don't go hang out and kick it and all that, you know? Cause you don't know when you turning that off. That's if you get deep enough. A lot of people don't really get like that because they don't go deep enough. But if you go deep enough, you really got to go home by yourself

and you got to like just chill and like just have a moment to like just bring it down or whatever, you know. So, you know, I had to kind of learn that, you know, because I still was trying to kick it and go do stand-up. I'll go set and then go do stand-up, and I could see it in my stand-up.

I was up there gloomy as fuck, dude. I was like, yeah, so if you ever see a lady and she'll be like this, just staring at me and shit, I'll just be like sad as hell. I'm Sam. Good night, everybody. But yeah, yeah, you got to cut it off, definitely. What about when you're not in the mind state to joke all work?

Like, did you give yourself time to grieve after your mother passed? So I am, like, still dealing with that. Like, that's, like's like really with me still and i'm trying because i was the only child you know um no brothers and sisters no father yeah no thank you man and i'm still like that's why i try to stay as busy as possible because anytime i like have down time or anything good happen, that shit fuck with me because I be wishing she was here,

that she can be here and be a part of that. And people out there that's going through this, they know what I'm talking about. Anything good happen to you, it's like a bittersweet moment. Even with the color purple coming out, I'm not, like, in it like that, but I just wish my mama would have been there to see that.

And, you know, it's things like that. Even Average Joe being the lead, it's like, I wish my mama was here so she could see that and feel that because it was stuff we talked about. Even getting my doctorate, for her to know that her son was now a doctor, having a degree like that, that would have sent her, you know what I mean? So anytime these situations happen, it's like, it's nice,

but I also just get into like, like, and people don't, and people always be like, you need to go talk to somebody or something, and it's like, yeah, you can do that, but this just happened to me. You know what I mean? It's like, I don't know nobody who has something like this can just happen to you you go talk to somebody and you all good if anybody's like that they weird to me like you

should be able to grieve like you said and you should be able to have these moments and don't rush people in these situations you know just just be there for them, you know. And I had a lot of people leave me. Like, a lot of people leave me because I wasn't who they wanted me to be when I was good. Your mom just passed. Come on.

I know, but everybody left. And it was weird. And people out there that's dealing with death, they know what I'm talking about. Like, people leave you because you changed. And now I'm not the person that I was when they met me. And I understand that. But if you a good friend and you really there,

you're going to understand the severity of this. And you're going to understand that, you know, being the only child and not having nobody else and no mother, no father, nothing like that, that's going to weigh on you. You're basically in the world alone. You know what I mean? You really don't have nobody else. I mean, I got family, cousins, and stuff like that,

but immediate, it's hard, man. I go through it every day, and I try to be better. I remember this lady said this to me one day, and I was this guy, I was at this car lot, and I was sitting in the car, and I was crying, like looking at cars and shit, because they just come whenever, you know. And I'm sitting there looking at the car like, man, this is beautiful.

I'm crying. And the sales guy came over. He was like, you all right? And I'm like, yeah. And I told him I lost my mom. He just started crying, just crying. And he was hugging me. And I'm just like, man.

He was like, he lost his mom like 10 years ago, and it still affects him. And he was like, he lost his mom like 10 years ago and it still affect him. And he was like, he's a whole. He said, you around 50 years old. And I'm like, yeah. And he was like, welcome to the club. And I was like, wonder what he was saying. He was like, yeah, anybody around 50. It's a club of people who lose their parents because our parents is like 70 and 80 years old and he was like

when you hit about 50 that's around the age that everybody uncles, aunts, mothers fathers, mothers, fathers everybody started going away and he was like and so it's that club and he was like welcome to 50 and I was just like he was like welcome to the club

and I was just like damn and I started thinking about it. And it's like that. And so I try to advocate and tell everybody, man, if you got your mother, your father, any of that, man, take pictures of them, video them, talk to them. Even if you don't get along with them, just be around them, man, because you just never know. Because my mom died suddenly wasn't nothing

wrong with her just i came from audition calling her and they was like she didn't make it and i'm not thinking that she was going to an appointment and i was like an appointment it's like nah she make it and i'm like make make what i could not understand that shit like what do you mean she make it when he told me that shit i just like i was like i just. Like, what do you mean she can make it? When he told me that shit, I just like, what? I was like, I just talked to her. What are you talking about? You know, that shit was like wild. I didn't even want to like, even with my Netflix special,

I didn't even want to do that. That wasn't even something I was planning to do, but I got cornered into shooting that special on that day. You know, like the day that my mom died, September 10th, and I was looking for a spot. Usually when you tour, if you're about to shoot a special, you won't perform in that city. So I was going to do Philly. Philly was the city I was going to shoot my special in, but we were taking too long with

the deal, and I ended up doing Philly right now. I had nowhere else to go. And I wanted to shoot. I thought about New York, but I just was like, you got to be from New York in order to do New York. You know what I mean? New York is just different.

It's like you got to be from there. But when it came around to me shooting a special, Netflix was like, you got to shoot in September. And I was like, make sure it's at the end of September because I knew I couldn't shoot around a year later from the day my mom passed.

They came back not even knowing. They was like this, yeah, we got the venue. I'm like, man, let's do it. I was like, what day? They was like, September 10th. And I was like, I said, nah. I was like, I ain't going to do it. Then about days later, my mom was like, you know what?

Don't even mourn like that like celebrate her shoot on that day dedicate this to her and celebrate her because when people pass man you have to like make them live through you of course even if it's a password you know what i mean if you get if you set a password and you put their name in every day, that's making them stay with you every day. You know what I mean? So I was like. I hope you just didn't give up your password.

No, I did not. I didn't. No, I didn't give up my password. No, but yo, and I just was like, man, I'm going to shoot it. And I shot it like on that day. But I also was trying to show people and teach people that with comedians and entertainers, even y'all, people don't understand we got problems. And when we performing, you never know what that comic is going through.

So that was the whole deal with my Netflix special. It was that I wanted to perform without telling nobody what was going on. And then at the end of the special, let them know, I was up here rocking with y'all and not even knowing what I was going through. I had just cried right before I walked out on stage. I was backstage wiping my eyes, took a deep breath and walked out there, performed the whole special with them not even knowing

that this was like the one year anniversary of my mom's death. And I wanted them to see that us performers, we had to put aside whatever we going through. Even with y'all, y'all, man, y'all gotta come here and work. Every day. Every day. And the more family you got, more problems you got.

And so if you got six kids, you got six sets of goddamn problems. Then you still gotta come here and work. And so I wanted that special to show that, hey, while y'all see me up here performing, without even saying nothing, at the end of it, I want you to know this is what I was going through this entire time that I was filming this and shooting this.

And doing it in Brooklyn was like, they showed so much love, but I was so scared. I ain't gonna even lie, because I didn't know what Brooklyn I was going to get. I didn't know if it was going to be Biggie Brooklyn or Gentrified Brooklyn or Righteous Brooklyn. Righteous Brooklyn, if I said bitch, they was like, brother, come on now. No, the material ain't working like man I ain't mean it like that brother like you know explaining now you gotta explain what you meant and make the word b-i-t-c-h means something else yeah yeah it was too much or whatever but

collectively everybody came out and and rocked but uh yeah that whole that whole experience was something else and like i said i'm still dealing with anybody out there dealing with grief man don't be afraid i know you're a man or you're a woman you're a boss and all this other man let that out grieve learn how to grieve because it ain't gonna stop just learn how to do it control it and keep it moving and make sure that they live through you you said something powerful that i i would like for you to talk about just because that's something i struggle with when how do you show up as a friend when somebody has somebody they lose that's close to them like a parent or significant other like what

do you what would you have wanted your friends to do in that moment so if i'm now different and we ain't buying bottles and kicking it and i ain't in the club and i'm now i'm in the club with you but i'm but i'm daydreaming and i'm zoned out and i ain't helping you pull all the women in the club and all that shit or whatever. If I'm, now I'm boring to you. I'm not what you was. If you're a friend, you're going to be like, man, let's get out this club. Let's go chill.

Let's go get you together. Let's go chill. If you're any way different, even if I'm snappy, even if I'm not understanding, if I don't hear you correctly or any of that, understand that I wasn't normally like this. So therefore, you have to know that there's some kind of issue going on with

me, right? So therefore, you have to channel that and understand that and get to know who I am now or who I'm about to be because now I'm embarking on a new normal and that's what everybody has to do. They have to embark on a new normal

at this point. That's a true friend. Yeah. Absolutely. And once a true friend understand that yo, he's embarking on a new normal and I have to be here to learn that new normal in order to be there to be there for them. Right. That's real. You know what I mean? So once a person understands that and they'll be there they won't leave you and they're gonna be there for them. Right, that's real. You know what I mean? So once a person understands that and they'll be there,

they won't leave you. And they're going to be there and they're going to help you out and they're not going to leave because all of a sudden you don't understand them and all of that. And it's like, it's so whack or whatever. And I lost, not only did I lose my mother, I lost like other family members and friends. And so it was very, and I'm still in that kind of lonely spot right now.

But it's a lot better because I'm working and I got all these other projects coming out and about to pop and bubble and all that. And so it's taken up my mind frame and me working on a whole new hour to tour with and all of that so you know my i i'm not feeling as left out and lonely no more because you know i got a lot going on but as a friend that's what a friend does a friend understands that you change and they're gonna change with you and they're gonna be there for And they're going to find out how are you now. Find out what makes you happy now. What makes you sad now.

And they're going to be there for you. You know what I mean? But falling back, and it's a selfish move a lot of people go. Because they go, oh, you're not making me feel comfortable around you. And now it's about them. And not you. And not you. You know what I mean? So it's a it's a tripped out situation now i'm still learning you know what i mean and uh and my but but the friends that i do have man we've been rocking and you know we having

a ball and we're gonna keep it moving we appreciate you brother we and we love you brother yeah i love y'all man and i thank y'all, man, for this platform. I hate that it got serious like this and shit. No, no, this is real. You always give the best conversations. It's real conversations. It can be funny and it's serious. I love that.

Y'all the most balanced people. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I appreciate y'all, man. And y'all keep doing what y'all doing. Y'all are very, I just want to say, y'all are very powerful. More powerful than what y'all even probably thinking, though. And I want y'all are very powerful, more powerful than what y'all even probably think and know, and I want y'all to understand that and keep doing good with the positions y'all are in.

Thank you, man. Thank you, brother. Average Joe premieres June 25th on BET+. And thank you, brother, for joining us again. Thank you so much, man. Y'all check it out. Dion Cole. It's Dion Cole.

It's The Breakfast Club. Good morning. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? Thank you so much, man. Y'all check it out. It's Dion Cole. It's Dion Cole. It that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app,

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