The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme: Robert Townsend Part 1

Episode Date: February 7, 2024

For 2024 Black History Month, QLS has some special programming. "This is the greatest episode ever," Questlove says during this two-part discussion with Hollywood revolutionary Robert Townsend. Part 1 includes his Chicago upbringing, gift for impersonations, and pursuit to become a working actor in New York. Robert touches on his ascent from minor roles in Cooley High and The Warriors to nearly becoming an SNL cast member. A focal point of Part 1 is Robert detailing how Townsend financed Hollywood Shuffle with a credit card and his word. This conversation with a true visionary is both funny and impactful.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I bowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends.

Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I got you, everyone, I'm Ago Vodam. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit.

If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft.

And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins, but the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice in so much, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

Greg, a lesbian, Michael Mancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is love trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. Let's go, kids. Suprema, Sa, Subrema Roll Call. Suprema, Submina, Role Call. Supremma, Submina, Role Call. Supremma, Sa, Sa, Supremma Role Call. Supremma, Sa, Sa, Supremma, Role call. My team Suprema?

Yeah. Ain't no half stepping. Yeah. Robert Townsend? Yeah. Ain't he got no weapon. Supremea, Submina, Role Call.

Supremma, Subrema, Subrema, Role Call. My name is Fonte. Yeah. And I'm feeling cool. Yeah. I finally graduated. Yeah. From Black Acting School.

Role call. Supremea, Submma, Submina, Submina, Role call. Suprema. Subrama Roll Kong My name is Sugar Back on the hash Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait

Did I see you on MASH? Roba! What? Supremia Supremia Supraima Roll car But it's Laia Don't need no bib

Yeah Robert Towson Can I get one rib? Roca Cobra Suprava Rocks makes his. Suprema, sub, sub, supremer roll call.

My name is Robert. Yeah. I'm in town. Yeah. And getting down. Yeah. With this crew in town. Roll call.

Supremma. We shoot the balls clown. Supremma, Role call. Supremma, So I messed up. Yeah. And, uh,

Zuh. Yeah. And someone tell me, where is unpaid bill? Roll car. Oh, uh. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, subprima, roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, subprima, sub, subprima, sub, subprima. Sorry about that.

You keep cheating. Huh? You keep taking two. Well, you know, I forgot that Bill's not here, so I should have did it for five people. But instead. Wow. Yeah. So.

Way too many references. This was a pressure. I was like, I want to put the bold, the black and the beautiful. Like, it was just too many. It was too much. Okay. Can we, can we? I'm worried about the MASH thing, right?

Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Good. Just checking because otherwise. All right. So, can we just collectively have a meeting? Yes. Okay.

Okay, let's go. Because we have a tendency. We're not going to embarrass you. Yeah, to sing people's songs and act out. I can't promise you that's not going to happen. I'll just let you know. Oh, no. If I feel moved.

to sing a heart as a house for love. That's what happened. I'm just saying. I wish that rain drops would fall. Listen, don't come on. Nang. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, my ears falling on the table.

Did you just fall off the table? I did. I did, and I'm so sober. I'm sorry. It's Robert Townsend. I'm excited. I'm sorry. I have questions.

I've been wanted to ask you since I was eight years old, bro. You don't understand. Yes. What you mean to us, bro. like straight up let me let me introduce our guests first yeah we know who it all right so ladies and gentlemen in case you don't know where you uh landed this is called quest love supreme i'm your host quest love and team supreme of course is strong pontigolo what up how are you brother i'm with robert townson that's all the matters let's talk about him steve uh i am robert tounson

all right look ladies and gentlemen look i will just say that maybe or maybe not in the thompson household times weren't that happy, I will say that this gentleman single-handedly alone probably provided 85% of all joy and happiness that happened at, I can't say my older address, right? Because there's a new, there's a new right. O'Sage Avenue in West Philadelphia. I've probably, you know, probably second to coming to America, I've never, quoted a film more than our guest and his debut movie as a director, Hollywood Shuffle. All of his films have touched our lives.

Fonte's looking at me like, if you just don't say his name. Ladies and gentlemen, Robert Chousin is on Quest Love Supreme. Thank you for coming on our show. Thank you guys for having me. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay, and we should also note, Robin last night reminded me 42 times. She said, you're welcome, you're welcome.

Robin Fidi wants to, you know. Oh, she hooked this up? Yes, yes, because of my daughter's Sky. That's right, just she's on black ladies' sketch shows. Yes, yes. So every 12 seconds, Robin wanted to come up to let me know that, thank you. Thank you, Rob. Shout out to her and all the writers.

Yeah, congratulations. Yeah, congratulations. Getting their money. Yes. So, I'm at a loss of words right now. Yeah. Oh, thank you for having me. Just thank you for having me, guys.

Because I want to start crying. I feel the same. I know I feel emotional. Yeah, this is- I feel emotional. Come on, man. You got a podcast to do. Let's go.

All right, you are a direct line to like our childhoods, man. And like, you know what the mirror was saying? In our memories. Yeah, memories. Like, you know, HBO, like the Partners in Crime episodes, like, dude, like that was an event. Like, that was something like that would come on me and our family. We be on the floor, like, I'm on the floor watching and like, all of that.

Are you wiping your tears with the script? I don't know what you are. I'm sorry. Yeah, because he's right. I'm listening to the Fonte, and I'm like, yeah, that's show in itself. That changed. Yeah, that changed. The way was the black people on screen.

That changed us. We had Patrice Russian on the show like a couple of years going. Like, we talked to her about, you know, musical director. The musical direction, man. It was really just pioneering in so many ways and hilarious. All right, let's get the initial stuff out the way. Where were you born? I was born in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois on the west side of Chicago.

Why did we come to LA to interview 10 people from Chicago? We've had Sally Richardson, Hannibal Burrhus. Yeah. So why has Chicago been chosen as the epicenter of comedy? Even for like sketch shows, for writers, for acting, for comedy workshops, Chicago is where that starts. Is that just an S&L thing where, you know, as a kid, I just remember West Side of Chicago, you know, black folks, we always been funny, funny, funny. But then I studied at Second City when I was like 14, 15 years old.

I started really young. When did Second City start? It's been around since the 60s. Second City was like a 80s thing. No, no, it's been around a long time. And they had a kid's program. They had, because back then my teacher was Joe Forrestberg, but Dale Close was like Jimbleucia.

and all those guys. Everybody came out of that class? No, I wasn't in that class. I wasn't in Dale's class. I was in the other class. Okay. Yeah, but I started at Second City. I started doing improv,

but I started in theater. I was like the youngest member of Ex-Bag, experimental black actors Gil, and it was like, you know, one of the actresses that came out, Mary Alice, who was in Sparta. She came out of there, and a guy named Felton Perry

was one of the writers, but my first mentor, so I started when I was 14-15. So that's when I started, and I did my first. first movie I was in Cooley High I had two lines I was doing a play at X-Bag and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs Michael Shultz the director and Glenn Terman came to see me in the show and I got a few so that's when I started and then I was an extra in

mahog and he with Billy D and Dina Ross so I've been like as a baby I started you know back in the game but in terms of comedy there was always comedy going around but then I discovered like Rush Street had all the comedy clubs I started performing like when I was 16 doing stand-up 17 yeah What's your domestic situation into in your childhood, your parents, your siblings? You know, here's the thing. I have four, there's four of us. I have two sisters, one brother, and my mother raised four kids on her own.

My father wasn't. He was in our lives, but he was in and out. Right. Were you the baby or? I'm the second oldest. Oh, okay. Like, what are the aspirations of your life in your childhood? Are you?

I wanted to be a basketball player. Okay. I mean, like, I just went back to Chicago recently, and all my boys were. still friends but we were all like my nickname back then was left because I got a sweet left-hand jump shot and so then my other friend his name was ape because he had long arms and we used to call him ape and then you had Brown Chris he had he has two sons that were in the NBA Shannon that's his dad and so we were all like little kids loving basketball and Dennis Olive we were all like just kids and we used to go to the Chicago stadiums with the friends from your childhood oh yeah

Oh, yeah. That is rare. And how does that happen? Let me say this. Through the years, we always stayed in contact. And then let me say this. When you have a dream as a kid on welfare on the west side of Chicago and you just want to do something with your life,

you need to have a circle of people that believe in you. And back then, even though my nickname was left, they were like, you know, I said, I could do voices and characters when I was really young. And so they were like left you got something you got something left and they always believed in me and we just stayed We just stayed in touch and so and then and Carl eight you know his name is Carl Brinson He's the president of the West Side in AACP and so we were always we always had like a righteous mindset We got to do something we got to take action, you know So so so were just neighborhood friends or were you connected through some sort well I mean it was basketball

It was basketball. Everything was basketball and we met on a basketball course like a Jack and Jill thing or some snacking cheese. I mean. In the hood. Whatever. Right. No, I'm just being like some sort of, you could be church circles, the club,

or whatever. Yeah. Yeah, but it was basketball. We would play on the basketball court, and we played at all the different tournaments and stuff. And then I played in high school on different teams. I went to three different high schools. So I played at Weber Catholic,

then proserficational. And then I graduated from Austin. For me, like oftentimes, especially with black success and black stories, once you transition to another platform, the temptation to try to take everyone with you. Right. I mean, we can give an example, like maybe an Allen-Nuyvesant or whatever, like, try to take everyone with you is a hard thing to do. And sometimes you can't go to these places

and maintain what was beforehand. So, well, it was for, you know. And oftentimes your people might see your success as their success, and that's hard. So I'm really impressed that you still maintain childhood friendships. Yeah, yeah. But they were real friends. There were a lot of people, you know, that are not in my life. That they, you know, because there's certain, you know, you have frenemies that are friends and they part enemy, and you just learn eventually to clean house and you surround yourself

with the right people, and so I've been blessed. That's what's up. Did you know it was acting or were you just the thing where like I'm a fan of television and I can imitate these people or how do you know acting as what your true calling is if? So let me give you the story. So I am 10 years old. I live on the west side of Chicago. Neighborhood is surrounded by gangs, the vice lords, the executioners, the disciples, the Sinister 6. And my mother is afraid at 10 that I'm going to get recruited by one of the gangs.

And so she goes, when you get out of school, run straight in the house. I run straight in the house and all I do is watch television. I watch so much TV, they nickname me, TV Guide. And they're like, TV Guy, what's on tonight? And I go like, NBC, they got a really good lineup and then ABC, they're kind of cool, I think so and so and so. And then we were on welfare and it's like, when you're on welfare, you can't buy soap because it's not food. It's food stamps. And so you always had that problem.

And so I would always try to make my mother laugh. And so then I discovered that God had given me a gift to do the shows. Because there was a time for the youngsters, there was a time that television went off. And when television went off, you know. We're all of age in here. You don't know about that. Oh, yeah, no, no. Okay.

I thought it was 12. I heard it was wrong. And television went off. And so if you missed a show, you missed a show. And so I discovered that I could do every show on television. So back when I was 10, 12, I could do voices and characters. And like if I saw a movie from, you know, French film,

I'd, you know, I'd walk around the house. My brothers and sisters love the Wizard of Oz. I would do all the characters. I'd have never gotten my brains if it wasn't for you. What, the square root of one? I would do Alfred Hitchcock. Good evening. They found the body in the alleyway.

I would do the Westerns. Well, Dave, David, no brand is fixed. You gotta be out of town by San Diem. I was so good. I could do Lel Lassie. Timmy's in the hood. Some of hips got Timmy.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,

this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of The Girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist.

I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe.

on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone, I'm Ago Wodam. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent.

He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, The cat, just hang in there.

Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects.

From hidden traits, teams look for to the best. biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story.

This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in someone, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfectant. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

Greg Alespian and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.

Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here's a story. I got discovered in the fifth grade. There was a teacher. His name was James Reed, tall white dude, you know, big nose, and he was just this beautiful man. And he wanted these little kids in the hood to learn about Shakespeare. And so he gave us three pages to read. And I just remember I got so nervous because it was like, me, thinks and thou and though and thus. And so I went to the library and I stole all the Shakespeare records because I wanted to get an A. And I listened to them on our stereo at home, like, Richard the third. And I was like, a horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse. All he wants is a horse. And then like, oh, Othello. And then I listened to all of them. And we had to read in class. And that's how I got discovered, because we had to read a scene from Oedipus. And I remember he was like, Deborah Jenkins, you'll be Ophelia, Willie King, you'll be Oedipus and Robert Townsend, you'll be Teresius, the blind prophet, let's read. And they read like kids, Debra read like a kid in the hood,

Edapis, you will marry our mother and kill our father. And I had seen shake, you know, I was listening to the Royal Shakespeare Company. So I was like, Eterpice, I pray not the rage upon night there will be creatures, they not. And so I went deep and the kids was like, woo, your ass is crazy. But the teacher after was over, he was like,

where did you learn that? Come here, Robert Towns. Where did you learn that? And I said, well, there's these records. You know, they was in the library, but not they in my house, but that's how they do it in England at the Royal Shakespeare Company. And that teacher took me under his wing.

And he was the one who was the first one to say, you could be somebody. And I was like a little boy, and I was like, be somebody. And he was like, you could be somebody. So my journey started there. He planted the seed in you. He planted the seed. And he came, it's like, I won my first award in 1968. So it was like the, you know, like I remember doing the news from my mother when Martin Luther King got killed.

I was that, you know, she says, what happened again? What happened again? at 1240 toll, Martin Luther King was leaving. And then Martin Luther King said, Mama, Martin Luther King said, we have been to the mountaintop, free at last, free at last. And I would do all the, I was a look, a little magical kid. And did you realize in that moment, too, that like,

although the amazing part was, yes, that you found these records and that you also mimic these records, but the also amazing part was that you knew, unlike all your other classmates, that there were these records at the library and to even do that. Because most kids, I didn't even know. That was, I'm just saying even that part to know. All right.

So I'm a library kid. Same thing. Not necessarily games, but I grew up in the crack 80s. So really I wasn't, it wasn't favorable for me to go out. So thus, I always stayed indoors. Right. And we had a gazillion records. So that's how I ingest all the music.

And I knew four blocks away on Chestnut Street in Philly, there was a library. And I would just go there, listen to all the records, all the Rolling Stones, all the, you know, music books and whatnot. So I too would do that as well. And like the local library is one of my favorite spots. So was that like a destination for you if you weren't allowed to go out or? No, you know, you know, the truth was that I don't know. I was because of television, I was always curious about stuff because it was kind of deep. Outside the house was like pimps and gangs and drug dealers and then I'm watching Leave It to Beaver. And so then I'm got this world and I'm watching the Andy Griffith show and then outside,

it's like, if you don't have my money, I'll knock your motherfucker. And I'm like, oh, oh. And then I was like, what is the reality? So when I would go to the library, I would just look through all the aisles at all the different things. And I saw those Shakespeare records. And I was like, oh, that's interesting. And it was just, I just remember listening to it on our little stereo, and we had the little stereo that had the blinking lights. Yes. That, you know, had all the disco music kind of things on it. And everybody wanted to listen to the temptations or Gladys Knight and stuff like that.

And then I was like, no, this is my homework. And everybody around the house of listening to me listened to Othello. And I understood it. I'm just mad I didn't think of that as a kid. I would have understood Shakespeare even more if I even thought that there were albums that I could just listen to instead of reading the work. Even in crazy or full circle, because even in that, like, 20 seconds, scene in Hollywood Shuffle where you guys are recreating, was it Macbeth or, or was it Othello?

It was King Lear. At that point, that movie was such a revelation to me that when you got to there, half the time I was like, well, I don't know if we will ever do that sort of thing. But then I thought about it like, wait, what would Black Shakespeare look? So that one scene in particular, like everything else was for humorous. Yes, yes. You know, like, and I took it as humor, but that was like one of my rare moments where I was like, hmm, like, I wonder what that life would look like. In other words, like opening the palate and expanding my brain to accept the fact that we can do anything.

So, yeah, that's a weird full circle moment because even me watching Hollywood Shuffle, based on your life experience, that even planted to see for me, like, oh, we can, we could do much more than what we're doing. do it now. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yeah. So that's amazing. So what are your next steps? How did you know about a second city? So I'm in theater. So I'm at X-Bag and then I went to the Lamont Zeno Theater on the west side of Chicago. Is this high school or is this college years? This is high school. Okay. And so I find my way to theater. And so then my first director, Paymun Rami, who's in Chicago now, is a powerful brother, him and his wife, Masiqua. they were my first mentors.

And so when you're around actors and people, and he was a casting director, so he cast me in Cooley High. He did the extras casting for mahogany. And so you're constantly around, like, oh, that's an agent over there. Well, that's what, you know, and you get this information. And when you're hungry, like, you know, music for you, you're a sponge. And so I would just kind of, you know, like, okay, you know, what's an agent? Okay, where, acting class, okay, I'm going to take an acting class.

I'm going to take another acting class. acting class, okay, how do I do a movie? If I could just say one line in the movie. And so I was just hungry, hungry, and I wasn't going to have anything stop me. I have to tell you this story, I really wouldn't be in show business. I went, I was going to college at Illinois State University in normal, Bloomington, and I was in the theater department and I love theater, and then I'm down there, and on one side of the theater is John Malkovich. and what's her name, Lori Metcalf.

They were on the other, those are the actors. But for the black actors of the school, we had like little small parts. And so then I was like, oh, there's nothing. So there was this one teacher who, you know, because I was fascinated with New York and I was like, what are the actors like in New York? I mean, all the best actors come out of New York.

Even as a kid, I was like, oh, James Earl Jones is there. Cecilie Tyson is there. Sydney Portier, they all come out of New York. And I was asking. asking her questions about New York this one day. And I was like, well, tell me about New York, you know, the actors in New York. And she looked at me and she said, stop asking about New York.

You don't have what it takes to make it in this industry. You won't make it. You don't have it. Are you done? Are you through? An actual adult said that? Teacher, yes. And the way she said it to me, but let me explain something. No.

She hit me so hard, I left out of that, out of her office, numb. And I was like, I'm not going to make it. And I wondered the camp is just like, And I was like, you know, when an adult says something like that to you, it's an adult, going like, you don't have it, you're not going to make it. And I was wondering around the campus like, what the, what? Oh, man, I'm not going to make it. And then I had a moment. And I had this moment where I go, she doesn't know me.

She doesn't know who I am. She doesn't know what my talent is, what's inside of me. And I shook it off. And I said, I got to see for myself. So I was so lost wondering the campus. I didn't even know where I was. I was just like, I'm not going to make it. my dreams and then I stopped and when I shook it off I looked up and there was a sign that says

transferred to exchange with any student in the country exchange program and I was like I went in that office and I want to exchange with a student in New York and when I have a school in New York we have a school in New Jersey I say I'll take it and I transferred to William Patterson College in Patterson, New Jersey. Close enough close enough and so I would get on a bus from Port Authority and go to Manhattan on the weekends after I left school. And, you know, but that teacher, if I saw her. This is 76.

New York, New York. New York, New York. And so that's when I met Denzel. Okay. You know, it's like, but. Did you see that teacher again? But see, here's the thing. If I saw that teacher, I'd give her the biggest hug.

Right. I'd give her the biggest hug because, like, a lot of my friends never left Chicago. And she broke me down so hard that day. that I, you know, like the part of Robert Townsend, it goes like, wait a minute now, who am I? What am I? And at that point, I called my mother right way. I said, I'm leaving the school. I'm going to New York.

I'm going to be in New Jersey, but I got to get out of here now. But if she hadn't said that, I probably would have still been there. And I wouldn't be Robert Townsend. It was that one defining moment that she pushed me so hard that I was like, what am I going to do? And then I said, well, maybe I don't have. And I said, well, you know what? I'm going to see for myself. So I'm going to bet on me. And I, you know, and I was like, and then I was in New York and I was studying with Marlon Brando's acting teacher, Stella Adler. So I started studying with her. I started studying at the Negro Ensemble Company. And how quickly did these things happen?

Well, once she said that to me, I was only at USC for one semester. Once she said that to me, I got out. because I was in the theater department and I was enjoying myself but when she had that conversation because it's like I'm a kid and so if somebody says that to you and you like you hurt my feelings you physically feel it yeah

I felt it and so then I was like I gotta get out of here so then I was gone but then the Stella Adler part like how once I got to New York it's kind of like you know I say this to artists all the time you gotta have a blueprint and so I was like okay to get to the next level

I want to study with the best Stella Adler's Marlin Brander one of my favorite actors. I would watch all of his movies, you know, when I was that little boy, TV guy. So then I'm studying with her, and then I go. Wait, but how did you know to go to the top? Like, how she take you?

Like, she took you. Like you said, I need the best acting teacher ever. Where is she, oh, how did you even know? Well, so let me say this, you know, because it's kind of like, if you're hungry for it, if you really want it, then if you go like, I really want to be an actor, I want to be an actor, you know, yum yum yum yum, you know,

who's the best acting teacher? Then, you know, Marlon, you know, and so that's Marlon Brando. And so I'm like, that guy. And so I just started, and then you know, you ask actors in New York, who's the best acting teacher? Oh man, so and so. It's like if you went on the street right now

and went on Hollywood Boulevard and he says, who are they actually just, then somebody would say, Ivana Chubbik is really good and so and so fine is good. Right. So I ask and then you got to audition to get in. And so when I audition to get in, I just did characters for you just, And I wasn't even thinking about doing characters today.

Back then, when I was really in character boy mode, where I would perform, you know, I would go in. I made a living doing dog food commercials because I could do that invisible dog. They would bring me in and they would say, okay, a little chihuahua. A big dog. He's excited to see her. And I made money being a dog. Yo, this is the greatest episode of all time. So anyway.

Sorry, Jimmy, Jam, you out of here. Yeah, yeah, it's a rap, Jim. So anyway, when you say the whole thing of that teacher, I would hug her because in that moment, she challenged me so hard that I was like, no, I got to see for me rather than like, you're right. I'm nothing. I was like, no, no, no.

And I think a lot of people get squashed like that all the time. Doug. And so. That's your teacher. Imagine if some of your family. I remember saying that to you. Oh, yeah. I know that it's squash feeling, so Jesus.

Can you answer the question now? What's the difference with a New York actor? What do they like? You know what it is, is that it's not a New York actor. What it is is that actors from all of the country that are really hungry go for the dream. They don't sit in, like, I'm in a little small town in Iowa. They go like, I want it, and they're all hungry. And so they all have that same DNA of we want it.

So, like, when you see people, it's like, a bunch of eagles all come together and you've left all the pigeons. And so all the eagles are standing there. And it's like, hey man, you want this? I want this too. You want it too? Yeah, I want it too.

And so then all the eagles are together like this. So when I, you know, like when I, all the people that I met, like I remember, you know, when you talk about half the talent in Hollywood, they all had that eagle eye. They weren't sleeping. They were up. You know, like we want it.

How bad do you want? Like, hmm, m m m m m m m. You're like today I'm coming to talk, but I really, you know, I like you and I'm meeting you today. And I'm like, oh, this brother, like, you're about something. So I don't do podcasts, you know, you're about something. And so when I see, it's kind of like when you talk about people's work, it's like millions of people can hear this.

You can plant seeds. Like I've been in everybody's house, but I wasn't really in your house. But I was in your house. And I was planting seeds of like, okay, if you see, you know, like say amen, me and Howard Hewitt, if I believe in God, I have faith. And so I said, let me plant this seed. Boom. a variety show, but let me plant the seed. Hey, you know what? I'm going to put a mixture of stuff in here.

Okay, I'm going to do the bowl, the black to beautiful. We've never seen black people dressed up. And I said, you know, the Trojan horse here is going to be that we're going to see black people being funny and everything, but we're going to see them in the best clothes and the whole thing. And so there was always an agenda. You know what I mean? Like everything is, you know, you're planting seeds. There's always an agenda behind it. Do you want some tissues like I'm sorry. I do need some tissue. I'm sorry. I'm so good. I'm so sorry. I'm having a real black moment. I don't know. It's a lot because everything you're saying is everything that we feel, but you articulated that.

All right, let's get some tissues and we'll take a break and then we'll come back with more Robert Townsend on Questleap Supreme. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations. stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And Rule 2, never mess with her friends either.

We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands.

I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his... Slare's target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodom.

My next guest, you know from Stepbrothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with him one day, and I was like, And dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet.

Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be.

Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players

flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story.

This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in someone, correct? I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

Greg, the Westby and Michael Marincini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.

Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right. So we are back at Quest Love Supreme with the man, with the master teacher, Robert Townsend. Okay. So I have a theory about why New York, because you raised a question like what was it about New York actors. Is it simply because in the acting world, like the math elites or the snob actors are, their trial by fire is the Broadway stage, like, you know, I'm an actor and I've done Broadway. So is that kind of, well, not the good version of the Scarlet Letter, but a badge of honor as opposed to just going straight to, like what was it about L.A. that didn't call to you, that New York was calling to you? Well, you know, what it is is that New York is about craft, like to get on stage. Like, when you're on

stage it's just you and the stage and you don't get to go cut you know like for me what I love when I do you know perform or go in I love theater like when I was doing stand-up and all of that there's something magical like so when I see the actors in New York they live it they eat it and where actors like I work with some actors when I'm directing that you know like you got two takes you got three takes that's it Robert four takes and the really great actors They go, how many more you want to do 15? Let's go again, Rob, let's go again, Rob.

Let's go again, let's go again. Now, I love those actors. Now, when I have actors, you have it. Robert, I think you have it. And I was like, no, I ain't, I mean, I fought with the, you know, don't get me started. Because the thing is that, you know, so let me say this. You're like, okay, coming into this room today, all this love. So first, let me just say thank you for all the love.

Oh, you know. I create what I create because at the end of the day, if we get a shot to create something special. Why not strive for a classic? Why not strive for a hit? Why not strive? And it's not an ego thing, but it's kind of like when... It's taking the full advantage of the opportunity that you have. That's all, you know, the thing for me is that I love what I do. I really, I love what I do. So, so part of the thing for me is that I have to give it my all. And I think with New York actors, you know, and it's not all of them. There's a, there's a, there's a, there's a, select group that they focus on the craft like nobody's business. And I think it's like with comedians

the same thing. There's certain artists that just focus. Like Richard Pryor would focus as all the demons he had, he would always raise that bar in terms of comedy. And so I think anytime I, you know, I try to put, you know, put my heart and soul into my work that people would want to watch it again. People would want to remember the lines, you know. I told your story was a good example of that, right? Because that was a lot of New York actors. Oh, yeah. That was a crew. That was all of, you know, it's so funny because that was all of us from New York coming together because Denzel, you know, and we were talking, you know, the other day, we were, we would be at the

unemployment office together and we would be at the actors lounge together, actors equity lounge. And so we were all like, Norman, you know, Norman Jewson, you know, directed it, but Ruben can and cast it. And he was like, I want the best. He did the color purple. He did the color purple as well. And he just wanted the best actors that he thought for the part because Hollywood would go, hey, we're going to cast so-and-so in this part and so-and-so in the casting could be all wrong.

And he was like, no, no, no, I want David Island-Grid to play this part. Adolf Caesar is going to play this part. Howard Rollins. What was it like? Wait, wait, okay. Before you ask that, did he cast you in the color purple? Ruben Cannon? I was in the color purple.

I was an extra in the color purple. Okay. I was like, I mean, I was five or six. You know what I mean? But, yeah, I had to. auditioned in front of him. Yeah. And so I got cast as an extra.

I was a kid. They shot it in North Carolina. That's my home. And so I went and auditioned and he was there. And I had to read what I wasn't reading. But the scene they gave us was we had to act like you were hungry and that you were angry. So it was like, give me some jam. I'm hungry.

Like you were telling a parent. Right. And I'm like six years old. And so the girl I was going up against, she was nine and she was bigger. And she was like really angry. I was like, shit. She's saying hungry for real. You know, she played it up so fucking big.

I was like, what the fuck? And so I came out to audition. And again, I'm six years old. I have no idea what the fuck any of this shit is. Like no one has told me anything. And so I came out and like, you know, I'm thinking I failed. I'm like, okay, I don't know what this is, but I feel like I did a very bad job at it because I wasn't as animated as her, but I got it.

And looking back on it, I think what it was was that I was so young and my fear was like kind of palpable. So being one of Mr.'s kids, this big Danny Glover just running around beating the shit out of everybody. That worked in my advantage because I was so young and I was so small and actual scared. So I ended up getting the part as an extra for a couple of years. But I remember Ruben Cannon, man. I had to audition for him. Good man, good man.

Yeah, man. I know that your experiences in trying to get to a particular platform led you to document and sort of hone it into a script that will eventually become Hollywood Shuffle. Yes, sir. Can you talk about... That is still relevant today. Right. Can you talk about the experiences you had as an actor?

During the shuffle, the audition shuffle, the trying to figure out where you fit in and all those things. Well, you know, so back then I'm living, Keenan, Ivory Wands. Keenan moved to L.A. first. And then Keenan says, hey, Rob, these people are moving. and slow. I'm living in New York at the time. How did you two meet? We were both at the both comedians at the improvisation in Manhattan. We were auditioning. We were online to audition and we were the only two brothers online and Keenan was coming home from Tuskegee because he was in college at Tuskegee. And so we were auditioning and

he was there that summer and then we were hanging out like, yeah bro, I'm trying to do it. I'm trying to do it too, man. Yeah, you know, and then Keenan was like, He goes, I got to do this from my family. And then he took me into the Chelsea projects one time. And I go in there and it's like, it's a four-bedroom house. And it's like all these kids. And I see Marlon. I see Sean.

I see Kim. And they're all like these babies. And we used to walk from 45th and 9th Avenue, the improv to Pearl's Place on 96th on the east side. Walk? And we would be talking about our dreams. And it's like, man. And then one day, I'm going to be on a Tonight Show. Man, we're going to make movies.

He says, I'm gonna get my family, my whole family out of there. And it was like, you know? So that's how we met. So we had this thing about family and just success and winning. Winky dinky dogs. Man. So you made that first movie Hollywood Shovel credit cards.

Yes, sir. Talk about it, man. So let me explain the route there. Yes, yes. I want to go to the route to Hollywood Shovel. So I'm a young actor in New York now. I'm doing dog food commercials making money. I'm doing extra work.

I was in the Warriors. I was in the Whiz as an extra, one of the citizens of Emerald City. Welcome back. You're going to come back to that. You know, and so, you know, I'm having these experiences, and I'm like an extra. And then I...

Do you have an agent? I hate to interrupt you. I'm sorry, but you're driving so many times. Do you have an agent by this point in there? Well, see, in New York back then, you could have many agents because whoever got you to job first. Hell yeah.

Whoever got you the job first, so you'd be registered with this agent, that agent, that agent, that agent, and then whatever the job came in, whoever got to you first, because they didn't want to sign people, like, you're signed exclusively. So they go like you could freelance, and so you've got nine agents or seven, six of the top people and commercial, theater, film, television, whoever got to you. What is it like showing up on, because you're talking about like Mahogany and Cooley High and the Wiz and all these things. What's going through your mind, like your first day on the set, like looking at it? at, are you at all talking to the actors? I just remember the first day, like when you talk about Mahogany, that was in Chicago, we were into Cole and it was Billy D. doing this speech, and then I was behind, and then I was in another scene behind Diana Ross in the welfare line.

She's like, I want to get my old man back. And then, but I just remember being out there. And it's like, you talk about being, you know, like, like, my impressionist skills kick in because I was watching Billy D. And it was like he was like I was watching his mouth and then I was just studying him and it's like, you know, the polls say we're way behind, you know, the polls say we're way behind. And then it's like, you want my arm to fall off? You know, it was like the way he talked with his mouth. And so. How do you channel someone? How long does it take before you actually nail them? Like, because that's that's a gift where you it's not, you know, you know, it's so funny. It's like I can watch and listen. And then there's a certain, like if I really study, like I haven't done it in. years, but back then, you know, it's kind of like, like Jimmy Stewart, there's a certain sound in his voice or Bill Cosby, because you see there's a sound, there's a sound. And so I would hear different things. And so when I watched, I was out there in the cold watching him,

and I just remember that whole speech, and I would just do it. And then when I got home, you know, I would do it like James Earl Jones, you know, like, you see, the daddy got to be the breadwinner, Claudee, the welfare and the here dare fraud. Wait, what is stopping you from being just black, rich little? That was the thing, that was the thing in the 70s and 80s. You could have been in that. You know, here's the thing, I enjoyed, so let me say this, I've been working on a one-man show about my life.

Yes, yes. I did it in Berkeley, you know, because of Richard Pryor, because Richard Pryor broke away and went to Berkeley. and went to Berkeley. And my friend Don Reed was like, you know, Rob, there's a theater up here in Berkeley. So I was working the show up there. And then now I'm going to take the show, you know, and workshop it in New York, you know, at the public. Jesus Christ.

So I'm in the middle of that. I will follow. Okay. You know what I mean? So anyway, it's all the stories about my life. But I was, you know, I'll just say it like this. God has blessed me with a lot of talent. So I can write, I can direct, I can produce, and I'm a performer.

But when I was doing the stand-up, You know, when I was doing all of that, then I started doing movies and I started, you know, so then Hollywood Shuffle came out of that. How good is a living being in the extra in the 70s and the 80s? Like, as far as survival's concerned, like, what is, is the pay good enough for you to say, okay, I, or do you also have to, like, work at a bouncing in a nightclub or, you know. Well, see, I was, I was hustling. I was such a hustler back then. I still am, but it was like back then I was like hustling really hard. So I did my extra work.

I did television commercials because I would always say I could have dignity in 60 seconds. So I could, you know, like one of my commercials, somebody just put on social media. And it was like, this is Eddie. Eddie's trying to get a job. Eddie's trying to get an education. He's working hard. That's why we're working with Eddie, you know. And I was playing.

And I was Eddie, you know. And so it's just somebody just posted it like two days ago. You're the original Calvin? I was the original Calvin. I was the original Calvin. I was the original Calvin. I was the original Calvin. I was like, yo, like, what are our expectations?

He's working at McDonald's. I was the original Calvin. So I did TV commercials. I would do theater every now and then. And like I said, my dog few commercials. And then I was doing, you know, I would do the demos for Bill Cosby for the Ford back then. So I would, they would say, Bill Cosby's not coming in. Can you do the voice?

And it's like, there's something about Ford Motors. that I like, you know, and I would do all the voices. So I was like doing different things and auditioning for the movies. And then I was auditioning for all that stuff. So, yeah, I was, the extra work didn't pay, but I got to tell you, okay, this is one story, is that when I was doing the film called The Warriors, Warriors come out and play, I was in the riffs. So if you don't know the movie, there's a gang summit in New York City, all the gangs come

together and then the leader of the gang Cyrus is shot and then they go who did it the Warriors and the whole movies about the Warriors trying to get home to the career guy so anyway I was in his gang Cyrus's gang so we were in Central Park shooting for five days in Central Park in the middle of the night now here's the thing they had like 700 800 people out there now there was there were probably a hundred actors and the rest were real gang members oh and so here's how here's how I changed my life in one night. So anyway, so they've got all the gang members and everything.

And the prop department hands out chains, bottles, sticks, and all of this stuff. And so then you heard the first AD goes, when you hear the gunshot, then start running and use your weapons. And people were getting hurt. You know, people were like, where is the SAGREP? Where is the SAG REP? And I was seeing people get hurt. And the gang members, they was loving it.

It's like, I'm going to hit somebody else with this chain next take. I'm going to knock somebody out with this chain. And so then I was like, oh, man, I don't want to get hurt. So then this is where the writer-director, Robert Townsend, was born. Cyrus's body fell over there. And so I was like, you know what, I'm going to be the one soldier that won't run. I'll just run to the body and protect the body. So then that way I won't get hit by nothing.

So then they go, camera A, camera B, camera C, and action. and everybody starts running chaos, and I run to the body, and I stay near the body, and I stand near the body, and I'm standing near the body. And then all of a sudden, I hear over the speaker, the first AD goes, the guy near the body, stay near the body. And so then they go, cut. First AD runs over to me, he goes, what's your name?

I go, Robert Townsend, he goes, the director, love what you did. You just got upgraded. Now, I was supposed to make $66, then I made $266. That was rich back then. That was rich. And so then the other actors are coming over like, why didn't you run like everybody else was supposed to run? And so then something strange happened.

Then all of a sudden we took a 20 minute break. And then they go, okay, we're coming back. And then when I came back, I was standing where I was standing, and then they had everybody standing around me. Because Walter Hill, the director, love what I did. And then all of a sudden he goes, oh, wait a minute. That's right. There would be somebody that would stay with the body. Not everybody would run away. And then it looks like, you know, it's not in the film, but I got steals from it because I pretended to be my own business manager.

Right, right, right. Mr. Chalzin would like to get some stills. He was in the film. They cut his part out, but he'd like to, can we come over? I'm going to send a young black guy over there to take a look at it. And I pretend to be myself, you know. And so I went over and I got photos of it. But that day, I was like, I changed the scene. I said, I changed the scene. And so then it was like the seed of being a director was planted because, and he says, you get upgraded. And I was like, upgraded.

And he was like, yeah, you're going to make. And I was like, and I was like, and so then every time I walked on the set, even though I was an extra, I walked on like I was a director. What are we shooting today? What's the first shot? A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't

always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.

And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit here. by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get

what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Everyone, I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, you know from stepbrothers anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give

this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up-and-coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit.

If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to thanks dad on the IHeartRadio app. Apple Podcast or wherever you get your

podcast. This week on the SportsSliced podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects, from hidden traits teams

look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in so much, correct? I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for.

Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg, a lesbian, Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police.

As the season continues, news, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, I got to ask since you're in New York and you're sort of a degree of comment.

Well, that's the thing. Like, because you're also talking about stand-up, which I think is a whole other animal besides theater acting or acting. At this point, is what's happening at 30 Rock in your radar at all with Saturday Night Live? Like, by this point, I'm assuming it's the late 70s, early 80s. Yeah. Yeah. You know that Saturday Night Live's a thing. I auditioned for Saturday Night Live.

What year? So you don't know the history. Okay. So here's the history. I am at the improvisation, and back then Jay Leno's the host, you got Billy Crystal, you got Rodney Dangerfield, you got Robin Williams, everybody's there, and I'm one of the few brothers there,

and I do my characters. And Silver Friedman, who just recently passed, she got the club from Bud Freeman in the divorce, and so she runs the club, and I am doing my stand-up and doing it, so Saturday Night Live is looking for somebody to be on the show. And so I put together all my characters, and they go, you got to have an audition,

and I go into the audition, and I'm just like, today you're filling my characters and what I do, but then, you know, like I'm a kid, and I'm like, Pampaign, Pomp, Pound Pound, Pah, pow, pow, pow, pow, and so I get done with the audition, and I'm like, I think I smoked it, I think I really smoked it, and so then they go, you didn't get it. My agent calls and says, you didn't get it.

I said, but, you know, I said, it felt good in my spirit, I felt like I was doing it. And they go like, well, they're going to go with this guy named Eddie Murphy. And so Keenan knows him from Long Island and from Roosevelt Island. And he goes, you know, like Eddie's really good. And I said, oh, okay, okay, okay. I said, I guess I'm done.

So then cut to a book comes out about Saturday Night Live. Right. And so Gene Dominion or I think her name is she's... The oral history of Saturday Night Live? Okay, yeah. I think she wrote a book or something. So then I started seeing all this stuff on social media. Like, Robert Town is supposed to be on Saturday Night?

Robert Town is supposed to be? He lost out to Eddie Murphy. And I was like, what, what, what is this? In the book, I guess I really did give a great audition. And there was a big war in the room because they were like, no, he can do the voices and the characters and da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. But, I mean, here's the thing. It can only be one, no. We can only pick one.

We can only pick one. So in the book, it came out. out that that's really that that I was up for it and then in the ninth hour I guess this guy Neil said no we should go I mean but here's the everything worked out but it was just you know like how you have something and you go like I think I really did good in there and then later on when the book came out they says like they were debating on this new comedian named Robert Townsend so you found out how close you would have came yeah that's crazy all right so I totally interrupted your story from yeah Hollywood Shuffle yes yeah making making now

now what what's the straw what's the straw what's The straw that breaks the camel's back that leads to, all right, I got to do this. Is it a string of close-but-no cigar, like lost rolls or that sort of thing? No, it is the day I have the worst audition of my life. And so there is a director from England. He's doing a movie about pimps and hustlers. And so I go in to audition and... I'm depressed already.

Right, right. And so anyway, he humiliates me. He goes, no, no, no, no, you get out of the Cadillac. He's a bad mofo, you know. Shondaquandena, I know you're holding out on me, ho. And then I want you to say, b'otch, b'och, bioch. Oh, no. And do it again this time, and this time stick your ass out.

Can you stick your ass out? You black guys have big ass. Can you move your big ass around? Oh my God. You know, okay, okay, you want me to do it? Okay, hold your cock. Do you call Dick? Do you say Dick, cock, cock, dick?

What? Is that a direction, Robert? This is real. And so then... What is this director, director before? I didn't know. I was just going... So anyway, I finished the audition,

and I'm outside the room, and I'm, you know, like you're a sellout at that point. You just want the job, and you're selling your soul, and I had sold my... Because I was like, you know would you like see a dick adjustment you know anything you can I could do differently you know I was like selling and he was like no no no it's fine it's fine no no no don't apologize don't apologize and so I walk out and the door is cracked

open and I can hear him talking and he goes he's all wrong he's all wrong I need a nigger I need a nigger wow and he's just screaming and so and so I leave And I'm like damn that's what they think of me. Damn. So then I go to Keenan's house and you know and Keenan sees a look on my face and you know Kenan because he has ten brothers and sisters he would always cook and he could cook his butt off. So Keen is in there cooking and he goes and he goes cockballs. And I was like so mad I was like Keenan this week we're going to die doing this bullshit man. I said fuck this man we got to do something and then that thing came out of my spirit and I was

like we got to make our own movies and what year is this in which you declare that this is 83 wow this is 83 and so Keene goes Rob you never directed anything you never made a short film you know you're talking about making a movie and I was like if we don't do this we're gonna die we'll figure it out let's make a movie And I had done, you know, I was making money on my dog food commercials, so I'd make a lot of money. And I had just done a soldier story with Denzel. And so I had like $60,000 saved in the bank. And I was like, you know, and everybody was like, you know, you're going to get a Porsche, you'll get a Jag, what you're going to do with that money.

And I was like, let's make a movie. And it was like, but you never did it before. And I said, that doesn't, it doesn't look hard. I've been on enough sets. I could do, we could do this. We could do this. And I basically taught myself how to make a film. And everything we did, the film was shot in 12 days, the whole film, 12 of the hardest days of my life.

I'm co-writing with Keanin. He walked me with, from all the things. From soup to nuts. So I have 60,000 in the bank. Right. And so then I go, let's just make, and Keenan and I, you know, we start writing and we're like, let's just make a movie about our lives. You know, like people say, write what you know. Let's just start writing.

And it's like, let's do that audition. Let's do that part. Okay, hey, you know what? And let's show them who we are. So I says, I want to always play a detective. And he goes, yeah, we can play a detective. And then I can play the bad guy. Why don't we call him Jerry Curl.

Oh, dude, that'll be perfect. So then I'll be Sam Ace. Like Humphrey Bogart was in the movies. Instead of Humphrey Bogart, I'm Sam Ace. And I'll be cool like saying, and we do it in black and white. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then it's like, there's no point in which you're just like, we're in over our heads.

Who are kidding? Like no because because you know I call it the salami theory a salami is a piece of meat like this and you just cut off one little piece one little piece and so I just knew to cut off one little piece at a time I wasn't trying to go like I was like okay this is how much I have for my rent and my gas and my car we can't touch that so we don't take everything else and put it on the table so then how much does it cost to make to catering we could do pasta we could do chicken. We could do so on and so on and get it, you know, da-da-da-da. We could get the pastries and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So craft service taken care of. Hey, back then you could rent the camera on a Thursday, say you're going to shoot for one day, and then you go like, I missed the deadline. I'll bring it back on Monday. So then you shoot for your whole weekend. And then you shot with Shortyance. So I called Norman Jewison from a soldier story, and Ron Sworee, the producer, and I said, I'm going to make a movie. Can I have a movie? Can I have a movie?

the leftover film from a soldier store and he goes you know they call me bobby take it all bobby take it all take it all so then i get the left over film and if and for those of you don't know short ends right okay if a short end so the concept of short ends for those of you that understand film is that a magazine to shoot to load on the old school cameras was 10 minutes long if the scene is seven minutes you have three minutes of film left over you can't do the whole take again so you just have three minutes you go get another mag so that three three three minutes of film nobody can really shoot anything with three minutes I go give it to me so if I've got to do one scene and go like sometimes I only had like a minute of film and I just say just say

winky-dicky-dicky dog and it was like winky-dicky dog we got it it's rolled out okay let's go moving on and so reload reload reload and so it would just be going that fast and that quick and uh short-end short-ins we couldn't afford the high editing places so keenan is always like this is where we got into that brain thing because Kenan was like he says Rob, where do they edit pornoes at? Because if we go to a porno place, we can really edit over there. And so I hear in Chad's where they got porno places. So we went there initially. What?

Got a deal to edit porno. It's me and 16 porn editors. And I had never heard anybody, I had never heard anybody direct porn. So then you hear like, you're like, I'm walking down the hall waiting on my cut. And then I can look in other people's room. I look in a room. And then you see the editor there. And he got a cigarette and he's editing and he's doing the whole thing.

and you can hear the director's voice, put your leg down, put your leg down, enjoy it, enjoy it, put your head back, put your head back, put your head back. Look, and I'm like, and they're just, yeah, cockballs. Cockballs. And so the actors, you know, my whole thing was, look, I'm gonna make this movie and I'm gonna take you through boot camp because I started in theater when I was a kid,

so I said, we're gonna do acting exercises. That's I was wondering what you do. And we did, we acted exercises, warm ups and all of that, rehearsing, rehearsing. Wait, how did you even rally the troops? Everybody. Wasn't Amory Johnson sort of established? No, nobody was established. I've seen her on extras and... No, not back then. The first time I've ever seen her was Hollywood Shuffle?

I mean, she had done little things, but not really like popping. Okay, but even like John Witherspoon and... No, John hadn't really... John had done stuff, but it was, you know, it was like, there was a time when it was like the black exploitation, which was not exploitation, It was just movies where we were the leads. You had that period with Melvin Van Peebles and all of them and Michael Schultz and Cooley High. And then there was like a little bit of pause

where there were no movies like where we were. And then Spike was in New York doing She's Gotta Have It while I was in LA working on Hollywood Shuffle. Okay. So that was that time. And so there were actors that were working, but the work wasn't consistent. So then the thing for me was to say,

look, I don't have any money to pay you, but when you're going to have a great time, we're going to make a movie, we're going to make history, you know, and work with me. There's some chicken over here at the craft services. That was right. That was right. And so they were like, he's going to feed us and he's going to do this. And so, and I will have respect for your time. I will always.

They all have day jobs, right? They all have day jobs. And so we shoot on the weekends. So I will get you in and get you out. And so the one thing I learned early on was I know how to plan. And so I was, I was. I did the call sheets and I knew we had to be invisible so that people wouldn't shut us down.

So I go, we're going to shoot at this house but park three blocks away. And here's where you can park and then walk over. And hey, don't hang out in front of the house, hang in the back, please be quiet so that we could shoot, shoot, shoot, and then we're gone. And then by the time we shot all of our outdoor stuff like the Black Acting School Sunday morning. Sunday morning people met in my house at 5 o'clock. We went to Nicholas Canyon, Nichols Canyon and laid everything out.

jumped into the mountain where we go like you know yeah so so and and so by the time well what about like the the the beauty shop where Amory Johnson worked at like that that was in we made a deal where we said hey we will pay a hundred dollars plus clean up you know for a couple of weeks if you let us shoot and that was like on Crenshaw so we just you know it or the movie theater I'm sorry the movie theater was the old Baldwin theater that's not there any more and it was owned by these two brothers and basically we just said you know hey we don't have a lot of money to to pay you you know but we'll clean up we'll

mop the floors and I think I mopped that theater for about a couple of weeks after it was done and they said hey you can shoot but you got to be out before the movie starts at 11 o'clock it was an active movie theater yeah and you guys would shoot on the off hours what we shot before the movie started like like back then in the morning in the morning we shot in the morning we shot in the morning so we'd get there I think we got there like at four o'clock set up started shooting we had to wrap out by 1030 and then the movie started at 11 dude the same way that the disaster artist was made about the room oh yeah yeah I need a movie made about how this movie got me this the first met a movie

about making a movie about someone who didn't get to make movies yeah continue so everybody that I had ever auditioned against you know because because the other things thing is that you go like, oh, that guy's really a good actor, or, oh, I've seen her and stuff before. She's really good. And so everybody I ever auditioned again, say, hey, I'm trying to do this movie. Do you mind being in the movie with me? And they were like, sure. Have you ever directed I said, no? You know, I said, but they knew coming out of the theater, I knew what I was talking about because I had been in theater. So everybody said, yes. And I said, you know, I won't take my money first. Your money will be the first money. As soon as the money comes in, you will get paid

first and so that was the best day of my made a spec deal of like if this goes to the theater and makes money whatnot well i didn't there was no deal it was my word it was my word because i we didn't have a lawyer or anything so it was just my word like i go you have my word there's nothing on paper there's nothing on paper you know so so so basically so here's here's the deal so that was the happiest day of my life because when the film is done i'm just going to jump ahead a little bit and come back but when the film is done I say to the Samuel Goldwyn company, Sam Goan says, I love this film, I want to distribute it.

And so then I say, hey, can I get my check like now? And he goes like, why you need it? He says, I said, well, I charge the rest of the movie on credit cards. And he was like, you charge your film on credit cards? And I was like, yeah. And so then I go, it's like $40,000. And I need that money like now.

And he was like, you did. And he says, this is the best story ever. And I told him, I said, hey, I couldn't pay for, you know, food, but I could charge it. I said, I couldn't put, you know, so I went through how I did all the charging. So then he goes, he goes, we'll do that and we'll take everything. I said, but the first thing is that I got to pay all these actors because I said, I told him. And so he says, okay, he says, how soon do you want to do it?

We're going to sign a deal. And I said, how soon can you do it? And he goes, you know, it's Thursday. He says, it's going to take me some time to get it together for Friday. I said, can we do it Sunday at my house? And so Sunday at my house, I was living on Orange Drive. and right off of Melrose. And I said, told all the actors meet me,

meet at my house. At this time, the accountant from the Goldwyn Company is gonna be there. I have a one bedroom, you'll sign your contract in the bedroom, you'll wait in the living room, I have drinks and food and everything, and they got their checks before I got mine, and they all did it, and came in my bedroom, and they signed their contracts.

And that was the happiest day, you know, of my life. It's the first time I'm applauding on my own podcast, you know, what actor I specifically want to ask you about, about Ludi Washington. Yes, sir. What role was he? Winky Dickey Dog. He played Donald and Winky Dickey Dog.

Oh, no, and that's... And in a house party. Hey, peanut, fix me somebody that Dick Gregory. Right, right. Like, he's just one of them actors that... Ludi showed up, you know, because there were certain people that... Jackie Brown was the casting director because there were certain people that we knew

and people that we didn't know. And Ludi showed up and just... And here's the thing. I worked at a place called Yankee Doodle Dandy in Chicago and Kenan worked at McDonald's in New York and so we both combined our experiences and so Lutie was one of the cats

that we used to work with it was like that? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, nah, I always love to. Whose idea was it about hoe cakes? Because the only person I ever heard mentioned hootakes was James Brown on Live of the Apollo volume three

where he talks about... That was John Weatherspoon. That was Spoon. Spoon was improvising. And here's the thing. Again, when you ask these people, hey, I'm going to do a movie and you haven't done a movie before. And they were like, what is the hell? Who do you? And so he was like, man, whatever you want me to do.

And John Weatherspoon was like, he would just give you the world. And so when I said, okay, this is a flashback now. He's down and out and so and so and so. And John just started going off. And I had never heard Hokeeks either. And I just thought it was just brilliant. At that point, did you know who Melvin Van Peeples was, and that that was his exact experience making Sweet Sweet Beck's badass on?

You know, I didn't know anything because I, you know, I kind of knew some directors, but I didn't know because I wasn't like, I'm going to be an independent filmmaker. I was just so fed up that I just go, I'm not going to complain. I never complain. It's like, let me just do something about it. Let's take action. And so then later on, I discovered who he was in his films.

Well, probably the most established person of that ensembles, maybe Patrice Russian, who by then was a platinum-selling. Yes. Artists. So how did you get her involved in the scoring of the film and all that stuff? Well, you know, what it was was that because I love movies, I know that music is really important. And so I was looking for different people and then, sending stuff to different people's agents, you know, because even though we were small,

it was like, it's a small film, but at that point we had something in the can that people could look at. So her agent reached out and sent us her real, because she had never really composed. She had done music, but then it's like, you know how people go like, and even Sam Golan, you know, they were like, wait, you know,

you got an artist, maybe they can't compose, maybe they, you know what I mean? Because they are two different skills. They're two different, like songwriter versus that. So I met with her and she was like, I'd love to do it. And you know, it's just kind of like for me, there aren't a whole, back then, they might be a little bit more now, but there weren't a lot of black women composers or black women musical directors.

So when she said, hey, I want to do it, you know, I knew her music, but then I saw her passion to like, I can give you some music underneath here, and I can do this, and I can do this. And then when I did Partners in Crime, I said, you could be the musical director and come up, you know, give me the play-ons, playoffs. And so, and then she went on to do the Emmys and everything. So, you know, it's just like, but it's just seeing it, just seeing it.

So what's, is there a moment of for you, like, like completion? Is it after the first screening of it, at whatever, I don't know if you guys did a premiere or not. Is it when Eddie Murphy hears about this and rinse out the theater to see it? Like, at what point do you realize that, holy shit, this is going to be a thing? You know, let me say this. When we were putting it together editing and doing the whole thing, you know.

Kenan and I, it made us laugh. We don't, it's like if we really laugh, like, oh, this Jerry Curl stuff, we were laughing. And it was us laughing, having a good time. So I wasn't really like, everyone's going to love this. It really doesn't, you know, there's a part that you want to be loved. And then there's another part, like, I just want to do what makes me happy. I just, period. And I think we were being true to that.

Okay, QLS, fam, this is where we're stopping part one. And I know you heard Amir said during the episode, but I have got to reiterate. This here episode is top 10 Quest Love Supreme episodes of all time. Okay? And you know every year Quest Love Supreme celebrates Black History Month. You know, I do it every day. But anyway, Robert Townsend is Black History, which means what class?

He's American History. So make sure you come back for Part 2 next week or check out the podcast feed. In the second part of this conversation, he speaks about Media Man and his talent and now Emmy Award-winning daughters guy and so much more. Okay, can y'all tell?

I really love this conversation. Make sure you come back. Westlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. For more podcasts from IHeart Radio, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, They take matters into their own hands. I vowed I will be his last target.

He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wood.

My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me a lot. the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to thanks dad on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft,

and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make, to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode.

Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Ellen's, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

Greg Gillespie and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.

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