Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset - Tommy Davidson Opens Up: Pain, Comedy, and the Fight to Belong

Episode Date: May 19, 2025

Tommy Davidson went from being abandoned as a baby to becoming a comedy icon. In this powerful conversation, he shares how love, identity, and perspective shaped his journey, and why staying true to yourself is the ultimate comeback. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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I confirmed it. A whole society determined. What's up everybody? Welcome back. I'm your host Sean French. And today have with me a legend, a comedic legend, an amazing individual who's had an amazing career, someone that I've been following and watching ever since I was young boy. In fact, I used to sneak out of my room on Sunday evenings because his show was on

after my bedtime. You may have heard of it in Living Color. Absolutely epic show was raised on it. Hysterically funny. This man is still going. In fact, BET, just greenlit, Varnie Hill, a spinoff of Martin starring our own author of Living in Color Tommy Davidson. What's up, baby? You got it all right. You got it all right. Dude, I mean, it's like, you know, it's kind of like it's my job, right? Yeah, it is. It is. I look for that. I look for that. But no, man. I truly, I'm so excited. Yeah. Thank you.

I'm excited, man. It's, you know, like I told you off air, I've, you know, been, and I just told the whole audience of the world that I've, you know, been a fan of you for a lot of years. And so, you know, when Val talked to me about you, I was like, oh, this is a no-brainer. I love it. And you've had such a great career, man. And, you know, from what I can already tell. from what I've heard, you're an amazing person too. Thank you. Thank you. It's been a life's work. You know, it's been a life's work.

Yeah, man. For sure, dude. Yeah. For sure. So you have an interesting story, right? And you've been pretty public about it, right? Your childhood. If you don't mind, can you give the audience that may be a lot younger that didn't get to watch

all those years of amazing things of you, just to peek behind a curtain of who you are and how you've become where you're at right now? I didn't know my life was any different than anybody else's, you know, until I was five, you know. When I turned five, I found out that I was black and my family was white. But I never looked at people as black and white. So that was my brother, my sister, my grandmother, my uncle. That was my family. You know what I mean? And I found out years and years.

Years and years later that I had been abandoned in a trash in Greenville, Mississippi in in 1966. And my mom and my then dad were students at Colorado. I think it was a Dionne, Deon Sanders, Colorado. She found me random. They were there. They heard Kennedy's speech, John F. Kennedy had a speech during all the racial unrest.

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We were hated, despised, killed, you know, all kind of stuff, you know. Everybody was, by the way, got here to be the U.S. anyway. So, so, so they go down there to work on a project. They end up coming through there a year later or something. And we're looking for a young lady that worked with them. on immunizing children and doing voting drives in Greenville, Mississippi.

She said she's gone. She left. She took her kids. But I think she left her baby at this house over here. And so my mom went over there being nosy.

Walked in the house. People in there doing drugs and, you know, drinking. And so she got out of her fasting. She said, something told me to look under this tire there was on a pile of trash.

And I saw, saw your foot. And so then I pulled the stuff away and you were there laying unconscious. You got a red shirt on this that said, I will be president in and then the rest was ripped. You know, and I was in a coma, was stars, happened physically abuse, had contusions in my head and stuff. And I lived. I lived. And they took me back to Fort Collins, Colorado, where I grew up. up and where I was grew up until I was four or five, you know, which is, you know, I'm basically a Midwest white boy, I guess, you know what I mean? Yeah, man.

Horses and, you know, rivers and just meadows and farms and, you know, and, you know, and we moved to Washington, D.C. when they broke up, and that is when I found out I was black, you know, white, because we came into Washington, Washington, D.C. during the riots. You know, me and my sister didn't know that. We were five, so it was just like, spoke everywhere. And my mom told him it was lay on the floor. And, you know, there was just Army men. You know, I said, there's Army men, you know. And when that cooled down, I was in Washington, D.C. where I grew up, you know. I ended up growing up in Maryland, but that was my first impression was D.C. where we moved. and they asked my mom makes friends with anybody so they said you know the kids are playing over at the pool and so why don't you have them go to the pool so we were so excited man to go to the pool and we got to the pool and man the black kids kicked our ass so bad man all the way home and really every time they saw us man they would beat our ass boy and and they were saying white cracker white cracker

my brother and my sister. I don't see anybody would beat them up. They, they were so nice. They wouldn't do anything anybody. You know, my brother was like, if I was five,

six, and he was like eight. You know, my sister, we're like twins, but you can't tell because she's blonde. So,

um, they were, so I went to my mom. Oh, and they were calling me white cracker lover. White Cracker lover. Right.

So I went back to my mom and I said, why are they calling me a white cracker lover because I like graham crackers? You see? Come on. And I was like, I don't even like white crackers. It's dry. You can't swallow them. You got to have big tuna or something on them that you don't even like, you know,

some soup. Yeah, man, some soup with it. You know, a graham crackers is apple juice. You know, you're at. Graham crackers are giving, bro. They're good. Yeah, man. Them cinnamon ones?

Yeah, man. Put a little peanut butter on them, too. boy, you got it. Yeah. Come on. Got it. So, especially in the s'mores, too. Okay, so anyway,

and that's when this is explained to me. You know, you're, that's what people, your color call people my color when they don't like them. I was like, what color are y'all? She said, we're white. I was like, no, you're beige. You know, because I, yeah, I know the colors from crayons. Yeah.

You know, I never understood why I saw one career and said flesh, you know. Like, what is this? This is kind of pink, but it ain't, you know? But anyway, I was a little even saying that. So we moved from there because it was a bad neighborhood, really, actually. And we moved to the suburbs. That's the first time I heard the word nigger because grown men were chasing me. Like, kill that nigger.

Like teenagers be in a truck and just jump out. And I, like, barely got in the house. You know, they run pat my sister, man. You know? And that was scary. So I asked my mom, like, who are these niggas? Because we got to stay away from them. You know, they must be some pretty bad people.

Yeah. Yeah, and that's when she said, well, that's what your people, your color, call people. That's what people are color called people are your color when they don't like them. I tell this story like it's the first time every time, man, I'm telling you. because it still confused me what the color, who said what, you know? And I said, well, what color am I? She said, well, you're black. And I said, no, I'm not black.

I'm brown. Mm. She said, but that's what people call you and they don't like you. Wow. You know. Um, and it split my whole brain at five because I, I was just like, this is the stupidest thing ever. You know, how am I?

Well, who do, where am I? What, you know, it's an atom bomb up here and here, mainly because I thought that we were like animals. Mm. Because I grew up with animals, man. Especially litters, you know. We couldn't wait until the horse had a coat or the dog would have puppies because we have like 10, little things to play with, man, you know. And they were, the cat could be a brown cat and have two white ones, a black one, a speckled gray one, you know, a speckled, a speckled brown, gray and

white one, you know, whatever. Yeah, sure, of course. Brown horse and have a black coat, man, you know, so I thought we were like that. Mm. You know what I mean? That makes, so that's an interesting, man. Let me, let me stop you real quick, because that's perspective, right? It's like the innocence of a five-year-old, right, or an eight-year-old, however you were at that time, you just thought like, okay, cool, it's like a horse. Like, my parents got together, they had me, and I came out brown. I'm a brown one. I'm a brown one.

I'm a brown horse. Right. Like, right. Right. You see? So that was like crazy because people were seeing the color that wasn't there, really. You know what I mean? So I'm like, this is stupid, too.

Wow. So that was, you know, just started the spark in me, you know, because I'd never, I don't think I really ever changed as a kid, you know, the only thing I changed. The only thing that really changed me was, was the black fact, you know, because, you know, there was certain realities that came with that as I got older where I was like, well, wait a second. You know, why, why is this? Mm-hmm. They like us, you know? And then started looking into that. I think I looked into that way earlier than most kids should.

You know what I mean? Yeah. But I started reading a lot and, you know, I had James Brown, I'm Black and I'm Proud, you know, that was the song that was out. So I loved music, you know, and, but I mean, you know, we went to folk festival. and I'm like a little hippie too, the folk festivals and square dances. I mean, I got it all, man. You know what I mean?

I got it all. Yeah. So it all just kind of, I guess it all just stuck to me, but the main thing that was really cool about me was, you know, I always loved a lot. When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp.

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he's going to hang out with me and watch football. And I'm like, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Hey, go do that over here. I'm going to hang out with grandpa. Yeah, yeah. You go work. You go work.

Why is he going to clean up the thing, thing, thing? It's like, nah, man, we're watching the game, you know. Yeah, and he was going to take me fishing and just really, you know. That's awesome, man. You gave me my first camera, you know, when I wanted to be a, photographer you know he was my he was my guy boy he uh would make me um learn the the names on the jerseys and match him with where the person was the country they were from you know walk me through that how did you distinguish i mean that that's that's some critical thinking right

there so walk me through that um it's just was on the spelling and stuff you know yeah just Anytime you see like Polanski or whatever, he's probably Polish, you know, if he's here in America. You know what I mean? Yeah. You know, maybe Russian, you know, or, you know, Brown. You know, he's, he's, he's American. Yep. You know, he's American, you know.

Bredor, something with the X or something. You know, something he's, and it's just weird, if it's spelled really weird, he's French, you know. You know? It was like, you know, that was my thing, you know. Yeah. He played the Cowboys Indians and, you know, he'd get down on the ground and he go, all right, man. You're the Indians, man. The Indians are the heroes.

So you guys better come out on top, man. Yeah, that's right. And he was right. You know. Okay. Wyoming. Yeah. Good old middle of America right there, man.

Yeah, but I got it all. Got it all. He, was it, was it, he went, um, to Bolivia when my mom was like eight or something and worked at a coal mine until she was like 13 or something. So she knows fluid Spanish, you know. Plus, you know, they were close to the Chicanos in Colorado. I had this other thing coming in, you know. So eclectic, man.

Like your experiences. Yeah. wherever we lived, whoever couldn't speak English, she was the one that they came to, you know. That's cool. Guatemalan, you know, Mexican or whatever, Puerto Rican, whatever, you know. It do my mom is home. Yeah, come on. You know what I mean?

Yeah, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's interesting because, like, I'm hearing all this stuff, like all your experience, right? And it's, it, I don't know everything yet, but, you know, and it would take years to know that, right? But I could, I could just, I could seriously tell just like these experiences have molded you into the intelligent and hysterical individual you are. Right. Like, yeah. I mean, heck, man.

And then, you know, you, you are in living color, you know, in the 90s. That had to have been an experience too, right? because you're a young man that didn't know he was black until he was five. Now you're in a show in your 20s called In Living Color. And then you wrote a book, Living in Color. I know. I know. Man.

Yeah. You start to, you know, outside of our, you know, primitive self, you know, like all the, you know, other animals that are here, whatever. you know, when you start to think of, you know, the miracle of it all, then it all is. That's one to come from that and then have a book named that, but the title's true. You know, and the title's true both ways because the title was true for the show. Like, come in a place where we're living in. color, you know, where we're not seeing all that. It's about it.

It's about instant happiness, laughter, you know, observations that feel good, stuff that makes you go, man, wow, whoa, let me get to school, what the hell. You know, and then everybody's talking about it. You know, we get on the radio and everybody's like this and that. and that and that. And it's all types of radio. It's not the urban radio and, you know, rock and roll is every station. Cross the board, every kid, you know, and I credit that to how a lot of us grew up on the show. Because we were privy to grow up in the 70s, you know, in the late 60s. where, you know, we're, like in someone else's culture was actually hip.

It actually was cool. Mm. Everything was. It's, it's, you look at that cast, right? And it's like, well, the show is epic and legendary, right? And I think that if I were to put that show on in my house, my kids would binge the heck out of it. They wouldn't want to stop watching it. because to me it transcends all generations, right?

Given the opportunity, put it in front of somebody, someone's going to watch it and be like, I'm never watching anything else if I want to laugh. I'm going to watch this. This is genius, but you look at the cast. It's like most of everybody who somebody came from that cast. You know, you, Jim Carrey, right, Jimmy Fox, J-Lo was one of the flight.

Huh? Jennifer, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's just, it was incredible. You know, it was just absolutely incredible. How did working with all that, all those people shape you the rest of your career? What it did for me was, you know, every other actor on TV or movies or anything, every other performer knows like karate.

But I know Kung Fu. Really? Yeah, it's like the advanced form of performing, where you can morph. You got the ability to shape change. You have the ability to empty out. When I say empty out, the other person is doing some things where you're supporting them by absorbing what they're doing. You know, you actually can be funny as the guy. that's not funny in the thing.

You know what I mean? Yeah. And so when, when, when I say to Jim, you know, are you all right? Yes. I am now right. You know, yeah. You know, but it's me going, you know, it's, it's, but what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, are, are, are, are you all right, you know. because it says what the hell you know and that's what we do yeah you know

see something we go oh my god you know what what we're not the same whatever we saw is extreme but it was nothing to him right you know what I mean so so it's it's a little bit of everything at one which which is what you want You know what I mean? It's what you want. Genius. Yeah.

You know? Yeah. It's what we want is it. It's like a life balance. You know, we only get in life balance when we're in a situation where we're all to be killed quick, you know? You never see anybody being mean on the plane unless something's wrong. Right.

You know what I mean? Because everybody's going, you know, hey, you have a school and everything. But we're going to need each other really bad, I think, you know, at a point if, you know, at a point if, you know what I mean? So it's like. You know? It's like one of those things that that I noticed when I was a kid and it was, you know, I made observations, man, about stuff that I don't think people, other people were thinking

about. You know what I mean? Yeah. Because of, you know, being on both sides, you know. And I never really felt like the white people that call me that really really hated me, really. No, right, right, right, right. Okay. You know, I, I knew that they were taught to. Learned. Yeah, because my behavior, man. Because of my friends. You know, all my friends when I was a kid were from somewhere else and we had a backyard where we lived and we all played and stuff, you know.

So, you know, for a person to say, you know, you're a nigga and really mean it, they can't. Right. because if they were in a car and the car's on fire and they're pinned, you know, they're not going to say, come and help me. You know what I mean? No,

they're not. Yeah. And so that's, I had a common sense about it. Like a common life and death kind of sense. You were able to disconnect the emotion of the word to what it really didn't mean, right? Yeah, what it did to the person.

Yeah. Yeah. That's, not all the people have that perspective. Yeah. Obviously, if you got this blindness that my mom is describing where you're calling me black and other things and I'm calling you a cracker, obviously you got that certain kind of blindness. Yeah. You can't be happy. Like, you can't be happy with other colors. You know what I mean? Yeah, I do. It's interesting.

It's a parent. It's a parent. Yeah. Because when I was growing up, You know, it wasn't just black people that were beautiful to me. Mm-hmm. Just white people. It was all people. It was all. Yeah. Remember, I was on the sidewalk one time and there's a guy from Vietnam and leaned down, you know,

and on the sidewalk with me and my sister and started doing little magic tricks, you know, made it look like he ate a rock, and we thought it was really, you know, and I went to try to swallow him. You said, no, no, no, no. You know, just the little things. Yeah, man. The little things, man. You know, my, my math teacher, Ms. Coleman.

She wasn't even my math, man. I just sucked in math. You know, she was. Like me, I did too. Yeah, man, bad. God awful, bro. God awful. Yeah, and she was one of those teachers that were sub for other teachers in the school.

Mm-hmm. And they didn't. And so she, her house was actually. on the way to my house. And she said, why don't you come over? And we'll work on math. We work and we work and we work and we work and we work and we work and we work and I wasn't that much better in math.

But, you know, I missed her. So, you know, once in a while I come by the house and just knock and say, I said, hey, hey, you want to be scanned or something? I'm gone, you know? And years and years and years and years later, I went back to knock on as Collins to her. I don't, you know. And it wasn't in living color yet.

I was working at a hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, and I was probably about 19. When I realized, wait a second, she helped me. Like, I don't have to know the math. Right, exactly. She impacted your life. Yes, she helped me to let me know

that I care about you to learn something. It's the care part that you need to learn. Very good. Yeah. Right? Because she was like, because if it wasn't, she'd be like, you got to get this. You have to, this is what you need. You know, she was never like that.

Yeah. Yeah, man. It's all amazing, man. Like I'm, I'm just, I'm entrenched in this because, you know, a lot of people today, right? And I would imagine over the years, you know, something happens to them. They have a trauma when they're little. something that happened that they can't control, but they let it define the rest of their future, right?

And you had, and Tommy, like, straight up, dude, you could have let that childhood, you know, of how you were found, impact your mind and your soul, the rest of your life, and you would not have become what you've become as a human being, first and foremost, and then as a professional, right? So what my audience loves to hear is, like, they need help, man, because we all kind of get stuck in our ruts and they love to hear perspectives of how someone has chosen to overcome those

adversities. So like give them a little peek behind how you, you know, because it seems like you've always had perspective on it, but were there certain checkpoints that you went through daily to be like, all right, man, you know what, Tommy? You may have been there. You have great parents, but I'm going to get way up here. And I'm going to show everybody what is possible for people that counted out. Mm-hmm.

It was more like getting to that level was more like just being on a, holding onto a train, you know, making its way through, you know. Because, you know, life in general, not that I know it. Like, here it is, guys, let me tell you, you know. Nah, man. Nah, man. You know, you get shaped as you go. Yeah. shape as you go. You know, you do things that you don't even understand as you go.

You know, you get hurt by people that you didn't intend to hurt. I mean, you get hurt by people who didn't intend to hurt you. And you get hurt by people who intended. And you do the same thing. Yeah. Wow. Finding out who I, who I am as I go. You know, I was, I can only tell you, that I got to the point when I was 17 that I didn't want anybody to control where I went in life. I like that. And I could tell you that that happened. I was at the bus stop, a bus stop in like February freezing, right? We had moved from the projects that we lived in, from the apartments that we lived in.

to a house. So I wasn't hanging out in that neighborhood. That was kind of bad neighborhood. People were so drugs, whatever, right? Yeah. And I finally got a job at a hospital, you know, and I got that job through a friend of mine, who was one of my best friends, who I wanted to be in high school with, because I got thrown at high school because I was crazy, throwing a junior high. There's a lot of anger problems and, you know, the early fighting and being hurt changed me because I was like a fighter. Yeah. You know? So I hung out with my friends that I met when I was nine.

You know, they were all from the city of D.C., from in the city. because my neighborhood changed. And my little friends in the backyard, you know, they didn't count anymore because you can get your butt whipped. Yeah. Right. So I wanted to be, I got thrown at junior high.

I wanted to be back in high school so bad with my friends. So I went to summer school and did all the stuff and went to behavioral school and all this. And I got back and they dropped out the first week. You know? ones that I hung out with. And one of them had a job, an OJT job at a hospital.

He said, man, you know, after school, man, you want my job, man. I was like, yeah, I do. Yeah. The reason why I like jobs because of my mom threw me out of the house when I was 14. He said, I cannot come back and did not let me come back until I had a job. Wow. And that's, you know, so I was like, well, the job I have at a fast food place, this is a better one. Mm-hmm.

You know? And so that's how I got that job. The job started changing me. Mm-hmm. Because people on the job weren't, were saying, you know, you can have a car, right? You know, they're workers. Mm-hmm. People that worked.

Not college or nothing that, you know. You can get a used car, man. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you can get a used card. Come here. See this one?

See that one? Look, how much you get paid? A week? And they tell me, you know, if you just do that and do that, you have that. Okay. I'm serious. Little time you can have it. You can't spend all your money, but you can have it.

You know, so it was that. These things started catapulting me ahead. You know, I ended up. up, you know, dropping out of college. Mm-hmm. Because I didn't get the radio gig at the university music station. And I interned. I had two jobs. I'm a little apartment, you know, and they gave it to the frat boy when it came,

and I cleaned up for months, you know, in there, getting the food, you know. And so I was like, I'm out of here. and a counselor liked me for some reason and she would call me in her office and she just sit and talk to me. She thought it's pretty interesting. And when I came to her, she said, I don't think, I don't think, I don't think, I don't think college is for you, man. You got two little cars. You got an apartment. You got a cat.

You know, I think there's something out there for you, you know. And so I just went with that. Eventually, 25 years later, I was in the lobby of a hotel in Miami. I'm gigging as Tommy Davis in a comedy club. And she walked up to me crying, man. And the first thing she said to me was, you remember me? I said, of course, I remember you. She said, I was so afraid because I never told any student not to go to school.

And I was so afraid of what would happen to you. And her husband's with her. He said, yeah, she thought of you often, man. She said, when I saw me and doing that stuff, it just warm my heart, you know? That's incredible, dude. So it's what went on with me, you know? But I'm no singed or less scarred than anyone that just reacts out of what has shaped you. You know, I went through a lot of hard times.

you know, once I got there. Oh, I bet. You know what I mean? Yeah. And so now what? You got what everybody said was good. This makes you, you know, okay and all of this. And I wasn't.

I had some stuff to know. I had some stuff a journey to make, you know. I stopped doing all the things I was doing in my neighborhood and drugs and stuff like that. And I never really looked back on that. And it started to permeate, you know. And it wasn't anything that I did on purpose. And it wasn't, it wasn't anything that I did, uh, uh, it wasn't anything that I did consciously. But it was, it, it just became to get really hard, like life, you know.

Yeah. And that was tough. And I had my own downwards viral. I had to get into recovery and get myself together and, you know, get back on the path. And it wasn't, it wasn't an easy thing to do. You know, and I had to realize, I had to realize at a point that this is not something that I just do. It's a way that I must live. Yes, yes.

Because this is the way that I live, you know. And it gets me in balance doesn't mean that I'm going to live perfectly. The best thing that came out of it was that it's okay that I'm not perfect. Yep. Yep. But what was haunting me was the fact that maybe I think I'm not. Because how can I be black and white at the same time? But that's my own personal issue. Sure.

just like a Vietnam non-vette who goes out into the field at 19 years old and wanted to be there. And bam, loses the leg. You know? And then there he is. Yeah. You know, carry. You know what's... You know what I mean?

You know what's a... The one thing that I want the audience to really key in on as they're listening to your story is going back to hanging on to the train as it goes, right? because I think we all get in those modes. How I'm on my own train right now and it's going fast as hell and I'm holding on, right? And I'm becoming who I'm becoming in the middle of it, right? But I also think it's super important to understand that those are the moments, right, that you grow as a human being and a professional. And the one thing that I loved about your story outside of all the obvious things and hopefully the audience that's really tuned in picked up on this. You can't judge your journey of where you start and where you're going to be because if you say, hey, you know,

you're acting career. How did that happen? You know, how did you become, would somebody mention a hospital? No. Would somebody mention, you know, a counselor, right, saying, hey, college isn't for you. Probably not. So all that, this whole journey led you indirectly to where you're at now. And so that's the beautiful part about life, man, you know. And, and, and like, I just, I just want them to really key in on that because people are going

through shit, man. You know, they, they, they want to be this, you know, a certain thing. And they think that, well, if I go over here and do that, it's not going to leave me there. Brother, I played baseball in college, right? At Louisiana State University, playing the college World Series. Then I sold mortgages. And then I, and I lost everything. And then I, and then I was a teacher and a baseball coach. And then I have my first child. I have three now. And I'm like, I need to make more money. So I'm going to go sell payroll. So I'm talking to all these different types of people, doctors, dentists, construction workers, you name it, traffic controllers, whatever. And I'm having all amazing conversations with these people. I'm like, man, this isn't getting me anywhere. And then I went to the medical

industry, right? And so I'm having all the eclectic style of talking to multiple walks of life. And then all of a sudden, one of the top shows, right? Podcasts. Well, it's because all those moments that I was judging was actually building me for this. Right. Right. It's just, it's a, life is beautiful, man. It is.

It just really is. It really is. But, you know, some of the facts, you know, some of the, the, the true facts, have to go along with, for me, have to go along with me. You know, one of the facts is that, hey, I can't control something that I already did.

And I can't change. Yeah. I can change my behavior. You know, I can say I'm sorry. But if it's not followed by, if it's not, you know, followed by atonement, it doesn't work. That's it. Right there, man. Even if the person is gone, never see him again.

whatever. You know, the change and the behavior is the key. Yeah, I mean, for sure. Ain't nobody got one behavior that ain't going to keep following them, you know. But the thing about it is one of the best things that life that God has created, I will call it that, you know, people don't, and that's okay. I do. is the moment is the moment is the moment is the moment give the moment a minute

and it's hard to give the moment a minute how am i going to give a moment a minute when i think a thought every second i'm me i'm me yeah so putting on the brakes had for me had to be grooved into a habit. Grooved, grooved into a habit. It had to be a routine and all that to get this to be a reflex that when I start going, no, man, this don't mean about, man, I can't, what the, you know, man. Mm-hmm.

Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, you know. Listen to the air condition for a second. you know, you know, lean your head against the jet, you know, and just listen to the engine for a minute. Don't listen to you for a second. Mm-hmm. To something that has something that you don't, you know, something that has something that has continuity and will not stop. They borrowed, they borrowed little print.

They borrow little, we borrow little things from what we saw and created this air conditioner that will not stop. And we created this jet that can fly and with the engine will not stop. But we're not what makes everything go forever. So why don't I just take a chip of it real quick and tap into that power. Yeah, man. It's because to tap into that other energy and feel it, right? And get your mind off of what's going on.

I you know, it's respectful of your time. Before we land the plane here, I started a jet. I always started. I love it,

man. I honestly can sit here for two hours with you, man. I really could. Dude, I want you to talk about Barney Hill, man.

Von Hell Hill was an idea that I brought to Martin. Mm-hmm. Because I was like, too. There's no black talk show homes on the air anymore.

like they're having all the fun you know so i thought of a way we can get one on there he said what's that i said why don't we take the character varnel hill who's a late night talk show host on your series and make a late night talk show host for real yeah you know and the tv show will be about the tv show at the same time as being a tv show Oh, wow. You see, so we have real guests. You know, it's in the same time slot. You know, we're having fun like everybody else.

But when I leave, when when I leave the chair, they walk back with me to the dressing room and see me in conversations with people who work with me and da-da-da-da-da-da-da. I am Varnel Hill. It is the Varnel Hill show. It's the people that work there. It's the world that we're in. You know, it's about our world, right? In real time.

Yeah. See? Love it. But it took five years, man. Five years. We closed the contract. He loved the idea. And then, wham!

Five years, man. And what faith can do. Huh. What faith can do, you know, just a little bit every day. Just a little bit. Just, you know what? They haven't said no. Right?

It ain't ever yet. Yeah, they haven't said, no, George Lucas taught me that. Yeah? Yeah, man. George Lucas called me, sent somebody to my hotel room randomly during the Aspen Comedy Fest and said, and they said, George Lucas wants to have lunch with you. I'm like, nah, man, get out of here. George Lucas wants to have lunch with you.

I'm like, kidding me. And he did. You know, and we talked for like an hour and a half, almost two hours. And it's almost like he was sharing with me. Yeah. What helps him get, helped him and what helps him, you know? And we, it wasn't like a strike of lightning.

We were there celebrating living colors, color at the Aspen Comedy Fest, along with American graffiti. So we had these big supposiums where everybody came and talked to the cast and questioned the answer. So we went to American graffities, right? Harrison Ford, Howard, the whole cast, right?

And so they come to see us, you know? And in that particular, at that particular time, for some reason, Keenan kept saying, Tommy can answer that. You know what I mean? So I answer all the stuff, you know, and he said, you know, I was listening to you and impressed, you know. So after that, the friend of mine is a friend of his, and he said, want to open a maybe a, he turned to her and went,

if you're going to do that production company, I think that he would be good for you guys to join forces. And that never. You see. So, but that happened. And what he told me was, and it's stuck. He said, Tommy, no one's ever. to this day said yes to any of my projects.

So you're about to make a trade based on a friend's text. But which you do you listen to? Is it, we could buy a house in Tulum? Get optioning those options. We could lose everything. Or let's do a little research. Get your head in the trade and make the investment decision that's right for you. Learn more at finra.org slash trade smart.

Jaws Freaking Not Jaws That's Spielberg Star Wars I said Jaws because him and Spielberg did Indiana Jones

Yeah Yeah That's what I meant to say Indiana Jones They were like you're crazy It's a swashbuckling architect man You know

And we just kept going and kept going And kept going And kept going See the way that I got Where I am they didn't want to do Star Wars. But I called, I think he's called Scorsese, one of them,

that had supported him in film school. I think it was the Godfather dude. And he had a deal 20th century, and they owed him that because he had a contract and all this. And he just simply called him and said, can you call them and have them honor my contract? And they said, yeah. And they said, here you go.

You can have your movie, whatever, here. And he said, I want 100% trademark. And they were like, sure. So he said, whatever you have an idea. And they, you know, are messing around with you. You get to that final, you know, negotiation. Ask for 100% of your trademark. You know, they don't really care about that.

if they don't think anything is going to make any money. They might say, well, you know, you get 50%. He said, that's a lot, man. That's a lot to have your creativity out into the world. You're going to touch more people than you're going to touch money, you know? Yep. That's it. It's interesting, man.

It's interesting. We don't know when something's going to hit, right? We just don't know. And it's so funny. He's like, you know, they haven't said no yet. Right? And I think that it's a good lesson because, you know, you sat there, like you said, for five years. And then just overnight, overnight, I mean, for the outside looking in, obviously, right?

Overnight, it was like an explosion. I think it was like a week and a half ago or something like that where the internet just blew up about your show. And I'm just like, yeah, okay. I was like, I'm jacked about this one. And then Val and I talked about it. I'm like, dude, like this guy, I'm telling you, man. And she's, you know, obviously loves you. And, you know, so it's just, it's just one of those things, man.

I think it's a, it's a testament for people that are listening that, hey, it may suck. It may feel like you're walking through hell and your clothing drenched in gasoline. But you know what? Hey, walk through it anyway. It's going to be hot. But one day, something's going to happen, right? If you stay faithful, you have a sliver of faith in God and anything. And even in yourself.

Like, like, yo, come on. What are we doing here? You know, kindness, kindness helps. Hmm. It just is your disposition. You know, you, you're apt to, you know, you have to lean towards, you know, the side that the gravity is heavier. Yep. You know, I hate this.

I hate that and hate that and hate this and that. These son of a, you know. Yeah. You know, this is not going to happen because I don't think. whatever, you know, instead of, you know what? You know, I didn't put that daggone son up there. I didn't make an orange, but it's sure I could just pick one. Anytime.

You know what I mean? Yep. You know, the amazing thing about my children when they were born and it was only, it was my observation, man, was that they loved everything here. right away. They love everything right here right away. Water. Yep.

You know, a piece of bread. You know, I remember I gave my son a piece of cotton candy and he was liable. And I just gave him a piece like that. And he's just going... His eyes got huge. We like what's already here. Yeah, yeah.

So I'm going to say you must have been put here for them. And so does a monkey. And so does a fish. I mean, they're just like having their way, man. You know, those little turtles are just going to the beach. They're just like, well, you know, that part's over. Let's go to the next thing.

The gift of being present. That's why it's a gift, right? That's called the present. Yeah. Presence, man. Like, to be present is a massive gift, right? because every moment, every moment is so precious if you allow it to be, right? So, dude, thank you so much for coming on.

I just, I'm, I'm so excited to watch more of your work. And I know it's going to be awesome. These are the important things. Yes. These are the important things. When, when we traveled far as clans and we got a little bit colder than where we were from or whatever, you know, it was us ready. into the next clan, man, that was living there already, man. You know?

And then you said, man, you guys are what's going on? You don't have any, you don't have one of these. You know, you need one of these or, you know, water, you know, or whatever. And it's this. We think it's something else. No, no, it's this. Yeah, for some reason, we think you can buy your way there. And then, but trade changed.

You could trade. lumber someone who has meat because you can do it to build and keep your family warm and you can eat that. Somebody one day said, no, trade is this rock?

Trade is this rock. So if I get the rock, if I got this rock, you give me, this rock, you can give me five of those big old logs and you can give me three of those cows.

And they're going, get out of here. They're going, no take the rock yeah and give me that then currency began you know yeah i mean as a kid i started looking at things like that because i was like how does this happen how does this happen and all just that made sense to me yeah you know where the human race racing for resources racing for power racing for this and we have abandoned being mankind. What's right now, Tommy?

Yeah. So the jet parallel that I drew is just as real as hell. Yeah. Because in the pandemic, nobody was hating nobody. Mm-hmm. Everybody did what they had to do together. You know, it's when I was watching a movie with Keanu Reeves that I just, I just love, man. and the guy

the aliens come and they take over earth and you know they and they take all the animals off where they they slaughter us you know right and um there's this professor that says man just don't do it to us man

you know we we know now we know okay it's that's when only the only time we change is that when we were at the precipice of our survival hmm you know that's impactful man you know what I mean mic drop it's a mic drop Tommy hey man my man my man I appreciate you dude hey no I can't wait for it's come out I know there's

not a date yet but uh I got your cell number so I'll be texting you I'm like bro give me some inside info dog hey I need to know this hey you got a great podcast so you know this is this is these these are the ones that count yeah you know we can have a this could be about the area this person did that. Now, what do you think of that? You know, this person, this person just, you know, their marriage, you know, you know, if I already was cheating anyway, you know, this show's not that, man. Yeah, let that. This show's not that, bro. That would be the thing. You know what I mean? That'll be the thing, you know, instead of, you know what? Sometimes relationships don't work out.

You know, we don't know what really was really going on with that person. You know, it makes everybody want to be like, you know what I mean? Yeah, I do. I get you, man. I get you. But I'm going to land the plane here, big guy. And I just appreciate you so much. And I can't wait for just a lot more of Tommy.

Right. And to the audience, I really hope you do three things. One, first and foremost, share the show with somebody you know, love and trust that this story his story would resonate with them. And then go check out his book, Living in Color. And then ultimately, ultimately, when that show pops, Barnell Hill, I need y'all to go watch it because if you haven't been exposed to Tommy's work, you need to go back and binge all the cool stuff he did.

And then watch how he hasn't missed a beat. It hasn't missed a beat. And so, y'all, thank you so much for listening. Until next time, stay determined. Sure, French, what else? Let the pain inspire me. I'm from all and everything I'm doing up until his. Telling I'm me for the entirety.

I'll put it in no for time. I'll be working. Just know I'm a go for mine because I earned it. They watch and I know it's time. I confirmed it. A whole society determined. Determin's a story. Next up is a little song from CarMax about selling a car your way.

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