Michael K. Williams Career Retrospective | SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations

hello everybody thanks for all being here first of all I'm Jim Hodgman the West Coast bureau chief for TV Guide magazine you know when you talk about the career of today's guests it's filled with projects like on film the road 12 is a slave I think I love my wife on TV so many good shows the wire Sopranos Boardwalk Empire the night of community of course when we rise was on earlier this year and he's on happened Leonard on Sundance so many things talk about let's bring out Michael K Williams a very warm welcome for you sir yes good to see some familiar faces thank you thank you very much I'm humbled that doesn't why I love doing these AG panels because we don't just talk about the projects but how you approach them and I think that's why everybody's here and you've done such a great Bodyworks we're going to kind of start the beginning well born in Brooklyn correct what you know when did performing come into your life when was it that you know I feel like that the bug hits somewhere either younger older one and when did you kind of first start thinking about it I knew something was up when I was by myself in the bathroom using my mother the feminine washed the old school on the rubber bag and I was put on her wig right and I was saying Michael Jackson songs I knew that something was wrong I knew that not normal um I say that to say you know on a serious note out my first my first time up you know my first love was fantasy you know addicted to fantasy and I had a very low self-esteem of my self love reservoir was very low and so uh I just used to just it was always to be something else something others so you know it came from uh you know my love of craft came from something other you know I've only been blessed now as an adult to finally be able to use it is they trying get painted a profit to use is for good but you know that's I would say that was that's when I first you know started to recognize that the first time I realize I can make money at it you know was own it was a tough few music videos you know um anybody know y'all know I got you know the when I got just cut in my face I went from just being the background dancer to now you know photographers and you know found me interesting and I'm you know they wanted me to play these he's been yet in various music videos and it was on the set of the George Michael music video was working with a director by the name of Marcus knispel you know I know Wow yeah Marcus list but that's right he has started a lot of careers of that you see now he's a very quiet um very talented of director from the music video world in New York City and he was like one of the biggest production companies in New York City it gave a lot of you know town that you see now coming out of New York like people like myself gave a lot of us opportunity so it was on the set of the earth George Michael video he's German right knispel Reiser he was screaming in his own in his thick German accent amor Michael give me been involved and I was like you know no you know he's you know I put one in one the guys like it's acting without words and that was the first time I went and I used it's like the I deliberately used the pain I felt from the scars on my face and you know because that's what I you know that's just what I do I access something in my past whether whatever connection I had to it and that that brings that once I find the truth that brings and I've used those dark twisted memories to bring life so those were the first times I did that but we've got to film some details of what was the Michael Jackson song you sang in the mirror okay I need to know oh man how much 100 let me show you let me show you the way to go that you know I was I was one of them I'm not going on uncle dances dances there we're talking like the you know early 70s is this everybody was still with his brothers you know so I was very impressive also like exactly a huge impression on me then thank him John Travolta oh my god Annie and the George Michael video with George Michael video George Michael video was he actually wasn't in it um it was he took a song that was originally done by seal called killer and he fused it with the papa was a rolling stone all that the other are the [ __ ] the blanket the temptation yeah and he fused those two songs together new you Dolly's like interesting phases of noises from Street kids in New York land and you know the catalyst in that video that was the that was the light bulb for me and I and I thought I watched Madonna's secret video yes sir it's fantastic right here so I was idly guy you miss me no it's Mary they're gonna think of it you know that's that video um head up was also too you know I'm a big believer in people basically sound cliche following my dreams so I remember that when that video came I was asked to go to your audition I went and I was a roomful of like we call them Bowery Boys in New York you know like nice little Spanish boys from Lois side but neglect you know the Fabio hand you know white feet on I'm you know bald-headed buck-toothed skinny you know you know and I just didn't think that I would get called and so I left after having signed my name and then the casting director she uh she called me back and said you know whatever so I go back on the callbacks and um you know I was just axed to be myself you know just you know she asked me a few questions and um you know I booked it um unfortunately the video filled on the same day as a I was slated to go on a to really total crystal waters um 100% pure love video which is also directed by Marcus Nick missile he uh um she had ministered said either you know I asked if I can stay back one day and film this this video with Madonna and then travel on and meet them out there and that wasn't home that was not going to work for the production so I should have a nice life okay stayed home and it was on I felt something as needed to do that video that video felt important to wherever I thought I may have been going had no clue with you to told me this would be the outcome of what was what was being born then but it was from that music bit of the secret music video Madonna bedtime story I think it was called it was a how I got seen by um Matt Maher and Matt Mahone was a photographer had done a multiple of a time magazine covers he had gotten a lot of flack for doing the OJ Simpson cover when the pigmentation at dinner that whole thing and he used his film mugshot as his Redemption song in my opinion to say look I'm not racist I just am drawn to dark neutered images is this is just my my way i express my art and this movie was in omar's to that and I got lucky to be cast robert knepper and um that's my first starring role and had I not been in that music video they would not have seen me Matt my heart without have seen me and got the Catholics and all these interesting faces or the Schuster New York I've been cast and evideos so that was how things start to get boring for me when you're on the sets of those videos and doing music and choreography that sort of thing in the back your head were you thinking I want to act I want to do that instead of this or how did that kind of really it literally did not happen until the george-michael video that's when you know a couple of Taylor Dayne videos I remember Taylor Dayne dating myself she was a big pop star back in the day I'm like everything humming everything I did a couple of Taylor Dayne videos and it was one video where I oh I had this lace and you know Randy st. Nichols another major director from the music video world I respect a lot and she uh she said to run the white cloth across my face and with a sad song and all of a sudden I got caught up in emotion I was like damn I feel like crying right now I don't say dead guy just focus this date I told her went back to yo you know I felt like crying I had a whole bag of tea she's like no you should have cried whatever whatever beautiful you know um that that that was on oh yes I got a screen again ever acted right you know so it was a you know it was the George Michael that was the table oh you actually what would I be doing on those music videos every thinking about wanting to act no I was not okay but something instinctively told me to um you know as I called the spook by the door I was not the kid like you know a lot of it I come from when they would yell at you on the big bull horns in the middle like the eighth the first atheism is I was the extra in the music video back in the like the early 90s it was like you know cold Pete's in the church basement and so you know if I was either playing Spades it was kind of like the yard in prison we played spades are you working out are you talking about girls that was what you did in the basement wait until they would call you to be the extra in the music video right so I just I went upstairs I was just something just said it was there the whole oldest just this whole world upstairs and I just I was fascinated by that and so I would just I would just hang out like a little fly on the wall and just watch watch people work it was there that I learned um you know what cut meant what action meant what back to one man what check the gate meant it all of that dialogue the basics of how to you know you know how to know pace yourself on set stay away from the craft service table that will make it back and it will kill your energy battery you know I learned that all on the music video set you know you know by the time I got to the world window again when the light bulb went over I call it on that you know George Michael said I had been you know I've been paying attention a little bit how did Butler come along oh wow great tupac shakur on again the music video world it was a time when the right video would make you a star so you know you just go and you go to audition you know for 440 laughy I was one of the big places we have hold auditions and they would put you in a wall white wall just Polaroid you you know you don't get people the room you know that that was not my my best moment right before oh oh hey and dog scared this is not or hurt all right so I don't know man did you know you go around telling you audition for these you know different whatever whatever they need you for whatever cook we had these things called the int of these industrial projects like commercials for you know it whatever this it was just was a vibrant time to be on the streets in New York looking for work as an artist and um Tupac was in New York doing a movie called bullet with a Mickey Rourke and um at Donnie Wahlberg I think Julian temple Julian temple directed it and he must have went by the office they was Oh cast in the role of his little brother yeah he saw my picture the Polaroid I was it was I got a purple sweatshirt on with the word gravy on it cannot make this up that's the picture he saw and so and um he was able to see that oh I had this you know scar on my face and he he he acts you in temple to have the office look for me because it in his words he said I looked [ __ ] out enough to play his little brother and he um he went back and once they know that I was casted he went back and all he had right writing in that um he maybe had to rip the richter bum though the other patch like what's my dude Oh Slick Rick he had a Slick Rick spats are on sale and on P has he acts the the writers to write that is that we can play brothers they no one got the scar the other one got it got it got I taking that we both bald-headed they little crazy you know that was pretty much you know his word okay well then when you when you started getting more work I mean when something like the Sopranos comes along I mean have one how did that come along and then what were you think I mean I said that they were like a huge show you know Sopranos was definitely a defining moment of booking that show you know um there were a lot of shows that kept New York City actors working again you know I believed in always you know I made a lot of dumb mistakes in life but I I had a knack for listening when I wanted to grab information off I knew I did my mother would say stick with the winners right so you know Kayla point time my career stops hanging around so many dancers I started hanging on people who were aspiring to become actors and they would say these strange things along like pilot season and [ __ ] [ __ ] is that I'm not joking narrative the first thing I remember hearing were people going with you on policies are like some of them go SiC but you put that like a ranch or something then sag such a collar to say I'd comment what I really was so ignorant and so on there was a fertile to the first thing then you know I'm by the time like you know that you had Lauren order you had near going to cover you had NYPD blue these are the show that kept New York City actors young actors working and but then you had your feed review drink you got good looker did you have top-shelf right so premise was top show there's gotta get the role that little [ __ ] fair Sopranos Maris Tony you know so long I Oh every time I would you know pilot season frighten me the thought of coming to New York sort of leaving everything exactly loves going to LA with no one just scale just putting it out there frighten me I didn't had the ball to that so but in other words I would try to like you know what how come his coffee and just I'm just going to see right I would try to book the ticket and I just booked a job in New York so you know like them okay so but then the three job that really they came kind of consecutively it was a it was I had a guest starring role on Law & Order we portrayed the Rae Carruth story the football player who at that that dog story betrayed that of my first guest starring role on Law & Order right then I did um then I booked a guest starring role on Sopranos right you know black males pounding get killed off right at home the Jackie jr. when he tried to you know do that robbery that went awry and then I got the cream of the crop which was home I booked bringing up the dead with a opposite Nicolas Cage with mr. Scorsese right Marty I did the car I get the call audience yeah I mean so um yeah I pretty much thought a star was born I am I packed my bag and said Elly is gonna be calling for me any minute any minute and um two years straight the phones were dead I I couldn't get anything it got real scary you know I'm ever getting really bitter angry and just like I did you know didn't have to you know I just didn't have the tools of how to do this to finish up you know highs and lows peaks and valleys I didn't have that that um that science yet so I went to a sword just really dark place Ryan got a little negative and I left the business right [ __ ] you and um I ignorant you know I was ignorant and uh but you know sometimes I I knew enough to know that I needed this sedan I was just I would just I felt like I was chasing my tail on it just didn't know what I was doing anymore and so on I went to work with my mom's in the daycare center and I worked there for all of 2000 and 2001 was not October of 2001 I asked her to lend me some money cuz um I was sitting in my house my apartment in the projects in Brooklyn and um you know we doing someone know something under the highway whooping all right um I just uh you know I I was new to television we'll have it on and then play the music and I am remember you sitting there and Lorna behold the episode of Sopranos comes on and I'm like something's wrong with this picture ha ha ha I'm like something wrong with this picture like what are you doing I know I asked my mom's would lend me some money and I put together my new real new package I sent them out for Christmas presents you know Tiffany's pins and um you know this just folded just over the top Gordy you know unnecessary in our situation I just sent them for Christian presence I'm going to in turn out that I'm coming back into the business you know and I was and that was when you did have to send things out it wasn't sending emails online so I was really little I did the money I borrowed this is before Apple I'm with my friend out I'm single but I love in York City actor New York City brother been doing it for a long time he showed me how to you go to computer shows you can build our own computers and he showed me how to make my own resume and scan the picture and buy the Kodak paper like you just know he's from Harlem in the projects I'm from Brooklyn president that's how we we shared information we didn't keep things from each other and that's how we grow Todd found mine it wasn't I didn't just not in get here by myself asked a lot of questions I was aware I'm still a work in progress and people helped me you know you didn't do it by myself so you know I'm back to them around advance I've never had long-winded but um yeah so I um I thought us up together I sent them up for Christmas and I thought maybe okay kid we'll open the presents and um I wouldn't know by January the phone off the hook ringing and uh you know March came around and you know my mom's was like Negro away is my money years oh oh and oh you know 9/11 it happened and um it was just just it was just so much sadness and darkness and I you know I'm sensitive I'd loved all that and it just again had a very negative effect on me and um few weeks I was out no months but March I was on from penalty presents you know he's trying to get it together and that's when I got the call for Omar Devon middle and difference did that come from me you're sending out your resume your real how did that come about how'd you get that call Alexa focu god bless her man she she um remembered me yo she has a mind like I mean you know she just remembered me from two years ago when I took myself off the scene and she was like wait a minute you know wait a minute and she's scoured the streets in New York she turned over the rock that I was hiding under and um she had me come in difficult through a lot of auditions and how did that play just one one audition one character um she had me read that scene it's single season one where Omar knows he's being followed by bunk and and kima and he deliberately drives into the graveyard and said like so because he no that can't be no uh no nothing you know you can't could call him in the graveyard so and they had that talked about you know the dead body of bubbles and that's not the first time that homie bubbles is the characters introduces to this this dialogue between Omar and uh McNulty in the graveyard that was my audition scene I read that three times on tape in her office in New York and always been told to report to Baltimore Baltimore in those early days what was your understanding of Omar did you do a lot of thinking about who is this guy you just going by what was on the page what was your I mean just process to get inside the guy and who he was Omar was the first was extremely fallen to me because he didn't read you know all that detail indeed you know you know and he don't know curse words I was like wait a minute okay and so that was the first and it was falling about him um once our you know I you know said okay this is what it is I've made it the only real decision I can remember making is not to have him sound like a dude from Brooklyn that much I knew I'd been in Baltimore a couple of weeks whatever that was whatever Sulli walk the streets you you hear that sound of very vibrant and colorful city that I love dearly so I immediately knew that I had to capture that that essence of how to sign it took me about first two seasons about 2003 in my mind I felt in the pocket but the first two I come in and out on certain words but everything else is pretty much on the paper you know how I found him was on I just told them to that city it's such a I mean maybe you know you know black I think we hear about these these these these utopia places called bad chocolate cities you know I've heard about these chocolate cities I actually like a really been to one it was like wait a minute they believe this is like okay [ __ ] you know and it was you know I never saw that type of I fell in love with both of my I just couldn't run that fast I was you know the food crab cakes I've you know my days that I was off you could set your clock way to find me out you know I hit the little little gym thing whatever do my thing and I would walk down the block till total Lexington Market and I was sit in the back Fraley and I would have the double crab cake with the French fries and coleslaw crab cakes mustard right and I would just sit there and just listen to people talk and watch people walk and talk and interact with each other with their families and a you know don't get it twisted you know Lexington Market sits on the corner of Saratoga and Utah my first time walking up on that corner in the afternoon I thought that I was on a movie set it was like there's no way this many people could meet a full or not at the same time if this three o'clock afternoon the whole corner you know just all you know all brown people is I never seen that type of despair you know just a corner like good I buy a bus stop on that circuit it'll be about a twenty some more people spread about within this intersection for daylight knowing there's no no like I do my mind a lot you know I started deep dive into that more into that what is that you know and on you know a lot of times I would walk those alleyways at night on my days off I had some downtown I was you know between hi oh I don't know never I just I didn't know I just wanted to just walk around in Baltimore this I didn't absorb you know I remember two o'clock in the morning I'm driving some roof was off and and I heard the first time I heard a arrow it was didn't someone was talking it was just it was quiet I was driving and I heard that out the window and it came actually came through the sunroof at my Maxie also what was that earlier evening laughed at me got a new whatever tried to accident in that a yo but um it was things like that that I would do you know that started no the more I did the more I embraced that city like that's how I found the top Felician on it might be just being in a local club doing with local people doing the local club at 145 in the morning rushing for last call Felicia by bracing the city and the people you know did you feel at the time that Omar and the wire that it was revolutionary in a way because we were seeing gay characters on TV but we weren't seeing them the way the wire portrayed them it just felt different I know I remember when I was watching just didn't feel like what what we had been used to seeing on television did you think about that at all at the time or did you think it was something different a revolutionary oh well it regards to all Mars or sexual orientation I knew I approached never seen nothing like that in the paper or know anywhere personal television before so I know but I was determined to not play that card at the same time like so what you know it yeah I mean I was more interested in y'all believe in that I could really know what to do with a gun that was my I was more afraid about that then that stuff you know me but um um again I came into into the process of the library ignorant I didn't know one stand about the business I definitely had no knowledge of the inner workings of David Simon's that that brain of his you know so you know you pull the kid from the hood my first job I got you know I get down there you know I'm told that you know I'm guarantee seven episodes but they didn't say do this you know so I'm thinking I thought the worst right now this guy he's living on the edges weren't they must be going to kill him the killer's first to his homeboys lover something it always you know he's got to be going soon you know and the whole season goes by and nobody did not write them out but they made them you know destroy wrote them and stronger and I was like so on you know act I just you know I got a job I love my co-workers I love this city I can't run that fast well you do you move down to Baltimore right that's what you do I moved to Baltimore I thought it was you know and I'm you know waste a lot of money because when I realized that David was gonna take the story line to the docks which would then employ a Caucasian cast and you know which would make my Volvo you know and I just I didn't understand that now I do you know season two was for me I know a lot of stuff what happens in season one three four and five because I lived that on one level it's been much of my community I don't know what the [ __ ] happens on the Dyson's about why that season two I don't know that I don't live in a port city I don't have family having long shorts Longshoremen's for family members you know so I learned the most from season two but looking back I was on ignorant and I was mad and getting bitter and I thought David was I'm taking something that we had made um I say we I mean black people my community and was giving it to white people and I know how ignorant is that right you know when you look back at what David is doing now what they was thinking with the why and I was never a white or black thing it was it was a it was an American story it was wrong with our cities you know white or black and um I didn't get that until season three you know something clicked with me in season three and I was like Mike this is you know this is so not about you this is not about your career or how much strain time you think you should be getting you know it was not about that and then it made me so grateful to be just a small part like I tell people man don't watch that show just for one particular character you miss you miss you don't waste your time you got other go go could always the time with disagree if you're watching the wife or any one particular character you waste your time you miss the magic and when I realized that it's humbling she's grateful you could get grateful you know to be a part of something so when when a show like that does come along how does it have to change their career how does it change you and what opportunities kind of open up well the wire changed me on the number of reasons I grew up number one oh you know I learned money management you know decide to begin to learn money management you know to the wire or I had to learn how to pace out of character you know um before the why I was just like you got to create something new I get this one job the killer of next job knows Chris up new and you know so when I came back to season two I remember like like stressing myself out like you know trying to alright wait a minute just build on what you started last year and grow with that the why over the first time I had that that revelation is if you will you know um but most importantly I learned you know I my method you know if anybody's answer that you know first I use Meisner for repetition purposes I for me is like Meisner helps me find the truth right and I just keep doing it just keeps a so just keep going over it again and looking at until you find what the computer called the written word to choose what did the writer really mean and that put my what I think it is just come to the truth and oh the layers many fathers you can take as deep as you can get it once you've gotten there to the decision where you think the level of whatever it needs to be or I think it is then you got to create it right you got to make it real AK to make it real the way I do that is by accessing you emotion from sense memory mostly that's where my music comes in you know a great deal but one of my early teachings of books I read about the method it spoke about two things not using things that are too close trauma that is too close that could send you down the wrong path and then it spoke about being able to put things back like to wash that off and I was I had no clue of how to do that on the wire and then you mix that with the fact that all the lines of reality gotten blurred for me with you know um the Kony care you know I wasn't the most popular or growing up for the reason that maybe of all more or what was considered what a young man should be popular for my neighborhood I was not popular for those names I was indeed you know soft what we call they call basically I mean so um Omar in my mind the whatever insecurities or feeling are not accepted in my community whatever feelings I harbored from whatever set instance going to be a child OMA freed that and mate and I believed that that was for me so it was when the showing the character ended it was on I felt like I had been chopped off by the knees I had nothing to stand on because it was not the work that I needed to do on so to keep my persona and my state of mind healthy I wasn't doing that you know and I often tell people particularly people who say Omar I dare say the character Act I say thank you I say you know just never forget you know the state of mind that how dark Italy you the state of mind one must be to pull a character like that off I didn't play with him I didn't you know I kind of like I went in with him I went into the fire with that character and didn't really have your tool to pull myself out and I you know didn't ask you know a lot of self-destruction destructive behavior came from from that but you know we live it we learn it right yeah how did you approach you know job like Boardwalk Empire because by then you had been through this and all that was that an easier and I'm gonna say easier but was it easier for you not kids so I'll say sucked in but just you know to play that character but not maybe inhabited quite the same as you did with Omar with them with chalky I had a different job that didn't even allow me to think about Omar was it was close to my childhood in a lot of different ways I can't explain it but on chalky I had no clue who that dude was because I'm with someone in 1920 I thought looked like I was alone um yeah so I got to do something really beautiful with chalky which was on I got to hang out with some from some dead people my ancestors and like you know I uh chalky gave me a window to who my father was the man that he was well my father Booker T Williams my godfather jr. Pettway um my my um my uncle J hue my uncle Tommy and my uncle Paul and all of those the three uncles or my Phil my fathers brothers and then my mother had one of uncle Paul and I could tell you each personality that I remembered that they all deceased right and I would you know like for instance um when chalky and Nucky is they go season one where um with the the that they go brothers a thing at caught he's they called him a [ __ ] and spit on his shoes and chalky choked him that was my mother's brother uncle Paul you know on that that switch that when it just it was just you know he had that you know sweet as apple pie but he had that switch that just it went like that you know and it's just like bare hand type [ __ ] wasn't really no big thing he just grabbed you and just you know like this it would be that kind of thing you know I remember the way he was clothed that's my dad my dad had a love of a swagger and style of class right you know but that walks and that snow that was my godfather my god were a little bit of a gangster god bless him you know I mean he that was that was that was Godfather you know jr. you know when he wasn't his children I was my uncle Jay and on the daily silliness laughing I had all these different personalities and and I would just bounce from all five of those men of itami uncle Jay Hugh Godfather jr. my father Booker T and my uncle Paul and in any given scene and um it was on I tell you man the the honest Club you can't tell me man like you know spirit ain't real my dad was there because that was his dream you know just you know he loved chicks you know means pop do blood shake on the last 10 yo I heart to blur the ladies and so on and that that atmosphere you know the finger pop in the music that was my dad and like I would swear to God you could look at some of the corns and sets because the production was so elaborate so they pay so much attention to detail that was the first time that I've seen that much attention to detail especially for something that I had to do with like wet levator this is my mother [ __ ] is that you kidding me like and Boardwalk Empire here that was a little dream job I call it sometimes I think my iPad myself like mic with that real to death that really happened with a really show called Borg in my eyes when you were pulling pulling people from your past your family different family members was that conscience or a little bit more instinctual whether it just would kind of pop in their little house that with causes okay I had to die with the homework I did to find them and I got that that technique from a interview that Denzel Washington had did about ancestral energy in the characters he praying out to the ancestors for the character I heard him speak about that in an interview and I said wow what a perfect time to practice that that technique and I like it I like it a lot is actually fun you know you got a again it's a individual thing you know I'm just my process but for me though it feels real mansoureh Gary I just a rock with it when these characters you players are so not just memorable but they're you know they're real people I think to the audience's at watch they get really sucked into the characters do you let them go when the jobs over or do they all kind of still live inside of you to say Omar still in there or do kind of part ways with them when you move on I think the only character sometimes I still feel a connection to is is Omar in the live problem you know absence learn how to to own keep a bit of myself you know for myself you know I'm studying this new process now of how to reach characters call them um dream assignments if you will it's connecting with your inner voice you know you um you know not it's you know makes our hocus pocus just my thing I believe in you know when you write things down the process of writing things on the paper meditating on them and then taking that into a slumber state conscious up to consciously take it into a slumber state that um that um that has a effect on uh on that that energy that thing that we can't see with the physical I know my own my friend and coach Goldie Sammy who's in the audience she's been helping me a lot with that and we practice that for them for we can use it for the Atlantic piece that you see dream assignments we also use it for a home for this up-and-coming Star Wars I'm really proud of that I had to character that I play is not a hundred percent human I'll leave it at that so I gave me the one this time I could do from Brooklyn right hey Rick um all right well um so um yeah it was really interesting to use these new techniques and new new ideas of how to reach the truth and um I'm just I'm just really soaking it up right now how do you juggle between projects that are really grounded in reality like a Boardwalk Empire or the wire and then with things a little more like sci-fi and fantasy where the to Robocop or Star Wars type project is do you approach it differently or is all the same approach yes sir the approach is the same for me number one it first and foremost the truth I always have to the truth and truth is always real so even in a you know the comedic state off of whatever I am constantly the character what is the truth what's really going on and I approached that seriously um even in a comedic a situation and my main tool my main ingredient that you will always see me with no matter what it is his music I approach I arrive and all my characters driving some sort of musical vehicle like little music songs and doesn't have the potential particular era or whatever if that song invokes the emotion in me that I need to bring the truth to that particular scene that particular character that's what I do you know you know for any given arm know I even name the playlist when I got a big day um most likely something that that calls a little more of an emotional situation I have all I name my playlists you know honor and I I go at it and uh I stayed at in the music you'll see me on set you know I'd pound um you know like I am you know I don't really depending on the particular scene how heavy maybe are intense involved I know there's not much contact with Mike I stay there wherever there is and um not much contact with Mike and uh music it travels all the all the noise out for me so I'm just constantly in a state of music and the character just for all the heavy stuff that you've done in your career heavy mean just the dramatic roles then you do an arc on community which is a straight-on sitcom very funny but talk about that was that a big relief for you that was actually something a little funny or it wasn't quite as heavy or some of the stuff you've been doing Oh collective was not my first believe it or not that [ __ ] is not as easy kind of look I told you man I have great respect for improv actors comedic actors you know that timing you know that that wait that it has it and you know I give it about you got about maybe five seven seconds or me Tim prodding and I'm going to say something very inappropriate offensive it's a muscle to do that right any first time I saw that was on the community I was like like again like wow like easier to see how you know they all bounced and its width and a lot of that stuff all that stuff it on the paper not on the page you know I got to with that again with them on a sport before dying with Kristen Wiig and and and uh and and Kate McKenzie mckennon and God Maya Rudolph you know it was on some chick Van Gogh the dishes cake risk a problem quickly Kristen Kristen's letting Kristen Wiig should come with a warning sticker we're in this thing work and I knew was on the page right ice okay Mike we got together people festival laughing [ __ ] see right so I'm like me going on so now it's me and her right and then the two cops and she is he played a drug addict she baked this strawberry banana cake right that didn't have no strawberry and no chocolate over that her and she put like pills opiate pills on top of the cake right and the just forcing was pulled a mint strawberry right so so we feel it because they're so we all eaten a cake in the conflict but if you say you ain't understand stare so they finally gets the world you said there's no [ __ ] elaborating the cake well how is the cake mr. Waide look like strawberries and she said it was just like again is it that thing that they do I don't know how to do it y'all but she says oh I cut my finger and that meant the blood sure things gonna be alright I think this I like that a fear yo that it was a fake that I know the pain right and I'm like really [ __ ] up they going on and I'm sitting there I'm trying to hold like a good and I almost saw you know that thing went through the stomach like I rocked it with them there but I'm sitting there like this time it's laughs but that was on there that ain't as easy as it looks that that better that timing so I'm um every time I get around them it grows you know from Ghostbusters you know even you know that stuff that little banner in the mayor's office you know I had a hat raise my hand I had put an idea into uh a Melissa because you know we know you got actual as the holiday homey right did over there check it out right idea and she was like and then first person was like [ __ ] about you ask you who yeah right but then they thought about it and this is all right let me see what the kids got when you got Ryan ends up going with it they let me do it me rock with it you know but um it's the muscle and it's a it's a it's very intimidating if you don't really come from that I don't come from that world so I have a great deal of respect for the comedic actor and the improv and I would I would love to do it again you know what i'ma put it out there may Jenny Fox go and do a movie together happen and put it out to Jamie okay now got a happen look sorry that's a good no don't apologize okay it show like captain Leonard which is on Sundance you guys haven't seen it wonderful show it's I guess I would call it almost a dramedy because there's comedic stuff that happens but then there's also some really dark just human stuff going on on the relationship with the father all that there you see play out talked about working with James Purefoy because it is very much a two hander at that show how did that feel different doing a project like this where it really is I mean the two of you are driving pretty much everything going on that show yeah you know I know it seems like I had was this long awesome career actually I do but um it's very short and uh happen Leonard and the spoils before dying were actually the first time the credits read starring Michael K Williams so um very um it's a blessing you know I'm I'm leading a show you know and and and it's a I get to go to work with someone who I love and respect James P boy and I happened to be from real friends in real life I've known him since 2008 we went on in South Africa together on the philanthropist that was all for all of like five minutes but on yeah man you know all the you know I'm learning a lot it happened Leonard and the spoils you know people I know I didn't really give it much thought but you know and my question what you know how would it be stole I want to be leading after I'm worth it second directed to the work right and all that belly aching I forgot one small situation that know that that that [ __ ] that title comes with a schedule right a schedule schedule over you is like let me tell you something no wonder leading people are crazy you've got to be you got to be bro this [ __ ] woman you got to be focused it's like you got to be driven at least I find it's like exactly you know you're talking you know like I watched like Amelia and and I forgot blanking on his name right now how does these my co-workers out there woody out there instead of star wars India I've met them then I left them there we're talking like 13 14 15 out you know cuz London the rules are different so they go a little longer we talking French French French ours for lunch you know on you know like they call they talk about the fridge showers your half hour and to keep it moving not just you have to have a stamina for that will break you down mentally and physically and I learn how to pace myself the stamina physically take care of the instrument you know on it I learned that in another level being on on half a letter and the spoils you know and on the most important thing I've learned is on how valuable my energy is like what I bring to the set you know it ain't just about you know my acting my ability to to breathe life into a character that that's important too but it's all it's all encompassing like when your name is on the top of the call sheet I find that comes with a responsibility and you know I'm learning how to be a leading man what that really means to me is being a human being treating anybody with with kindness and and respect and you know being on time not you know not you know because there's no I've been there where there's been situations where you know the other actor I had to do lines with the stand-in you know and things of that nature and I just I remember how I made me feel right so I'm an opportunity to not make someone else feel that way so I don't write so I'm having those experiences than having James there you know like we have a got a little stage so now we're at the point I'm in what buiness game about 20 years I get to UM I get to hire a few friends you know I get to hire a few friends people who are seeing grinds for years like more recent Marable who directed the first segment of season two this is a man I see I know when he had his first child um I've watched him you know grind to do the work in and just work as a director not be given his opportunity I can say you know you know I gave him a shot as and he's coming back again this year you know so happy Leonard's affording me those opportunities and you know you can't put a price on that I'm talking about your experience what yes right [Applause] like I've talked about the night up which was you know kind of a eight episodes yeah and it's kind of you know it is what it is it's not something that I don't think will you know come back it so it does think so definitely think it'll be its these earlier and richer price you know again Class A guys you know um there's no amount of money you can throw at them that would be the primary purpose by the way this back would have to be for the right reasons and that's just with with that um the night of took me down a bit you know dark row um again I I use the situation I think was kind of close to me I based Freddie or my nephew's been incarcerated Dominic DuPont who's been incarcerated for twenty years he just made 20 is incarcerated for very bad situation that he was defending a twin brother for but um a life was lost in the process right so um he's making noise chooses for you know he he is Freddie I mean this bright light who made a bad mistake a lot of potential um and it's very powerful behind the wall had a lot of a lot of respect behind the walls they just use it for different reasons my nephew was doing the right thing mentoring young men coming behind him and those kids in the prison we he that right you know Freddie had a more of a manipulative agenda you know any was he was he was sick yes disease you know that that that that heroin serious that you know him and I mean so um those two worlds you know me my past with you know with that darkness of addiction and then you know being having them getting this glimpse into what my nephew must be heaven heaven door for twenty years it was like was he went as a young man kid you know just like um yeah it was just kind of like again you know uh you know Steven his attention to detail can really trip you up if you're not careful we talk in a hundred and fifty days and in this remote area honkers in a very cold winter on this on the base camp looked like the yard like ice was on his rock and it was like a snow room full of dudes and it was just too dark colors and you know what I'm doing my thing I am that was a painful job I got you know very painful job I needed to go sit down after that job but instead I wouldn't shot a few episodes of black market exactly like a little black market to cheer up right those roles come along and you can't say no even if you do need a mental break or a physical break you know like black market or when we rise or any these other projects like you can't take a break I'm gonna go out me yeah right I'm blessed I'm fortunate I get to tell stories I get to UM I get to give people a voice duty arts people like you know what I do I consider me and the service works I am a service you know it means a lot to me when a particular community or or you know comes as you know or you know I go deep in I get to you know bring the truth out you know the truth seeker in a fictitious fictitious situation um it means something to me when when people get touched by that in any direction you know so that puts me in the service business when when we rise comes along which you were amazing and I was big fan um and you have Ken Jones who's you know could be standing right over there as you're doing scenes playing him with there a luxury in that or was there intimidation because you know the guy you're playing is literally just off camera I know he was there a lot of the time yeah you know I would request him every chance I get you know but then one small little detail he had a life of his own well we were making a movie about your life [ __ ] your job right um I couldn't I couldn't like I was like a like gum on his shoe I couldn't he couldn't get rid of me he does invited me to come be with him you know for pride him and Jonathan to play young kid right we was trying to see the get all three of us to come and celebrate ride with him in San Francisco but I can't um that's what I got out of out of that like I get this man is um you know first you know I wasn't real intimidate it uh you know they know who what kind of person he would be you know and then once I got around him and I asked you know we had so much in common on you know just his his just either very either kind of guarded right and I'm not very emotional that that we don't have it come because I'm like right crime it but uh he days he'd be on set there were times you know this man has been through hell and to be on the set to watch no meet reenact his life I can only imagine what that must have been like but there were a few times he would come from behind me on the monitor and you know he would like he he would just he had this to clash look in his eyes right is a special to that god man I'm sorry he just been to a lot people do so much I'm sorry but he just he was given thumb he did be like you know and you just know that thing you know he's a military man he ain't giving you too much right but uh I really owe that job changed me forever Oh getting to play him and to have him there you know he's a he's a special human being I'm cooking BAM a better man for knowing him I was on set I don't think the day when you were there they're shooting the younger cast them the ken was there and there was something about talking to him and having him look you in the eye I your thought about cuz I was like he's looking right into my school don't work but they would that accurate because I felt like he just was just there with you and it was sharp yeah it was a good feeling yeah like he likely cute he text me for the invite not big early not a big caller right this is this 60 plus every gotta build a didn't know hey delay my both of my girls are their pride come down me enough I said all Mac in the big to little speech about why I can't make it nobody hit me back with peace wow that's kids over I love that we're gonna get the audience questions in just a second um I want to ask you to okay just doing my research for this you know you use your platform to help other people I know you've worked with ACLU talk about your charity a little bit so I don't have a charity that you you are behind oh yeah well the charity that I'm behind right now would be the urban arts partners on mobility was trying to bring a chapter to LA 24 hour play um Rosie Perez um she bought me in a few years ago and I'm I'm on the creative board of directors with that right now where I'm at you know if I would call it charity or whatever I'm just I'm just all about solutions right now I'm sick and tired of crying I am sick and tired of complaining I'm sick and tired pointing fingers and it just doesn't it just doesn't work for me right so I got this opportunity with this platform and I got some things that bother me so like you know so um you know the short version of that is um I got this bright idea you know at um a friend of mine Jimmy Roseman who's incarcerated right now for fighting for his life he asked me to do a favor for him and take a few meetings and speak on his behalf and a few months later I found myself in the White House talking to um then President Obama and I'm in a room with 20 people somewhat and on he was looking they sent me directly across from Handy's asking me my opinion on our criminal justice reform and uh you know they were freaking out like you know you know like what you know they they don't and um you know Michael Skolnik another good friend of mine he says um you know it is his discovery that people who are closest to the problem are usually the ones closest to the solution Oh should I'm your guy I'm around I'd be ideal with the product I'm around the problem I'd be like you I'm stood on the hood a little bit right so I know that song it gave me a voice and I came out from that with like Mike what do you do with this like you know I looked at my life and then it hit me open you've been plagued by the judicial system or your life from visiting from friends being and you know just is just whatever you just and I took five names my nephew one of them cousin who did 24 years in prison just came home you know Jimmy right now I'm a friend of mine their wives who who um did like 13 15 years um a nonviolent drug charge um and I took these stories and uh Matt Carl Horowitz who was one of the top producers over at HBO he found this line and just did it pulled together this common thread of all these people is in my life communities these crimes were um all adolescents but 3 3 out of 5 were adolescents and um we just had to dig into that and then we found out how you know how messed up it is to put an adolescent mind in adult situation even though they do an adult thing you know by the time that child has done something that to that magnitude there's been so much trauma in the kid's life we don't wait to address that as well too so you know nothing good comes from throwing a malleable mind you know away like that in a maximum-security prison just doesn't work and so we started getting those just telling these stories we started to wait a minute so there's some science to this right like science facts of what happens when you lock a young miner we create blue monsters that doesn't work we put in his kitchen nothing they should get away what they're doing but we still to allow for the fact that the mind can still change within a young mind and we could deal with the trauma at beforehand if we did they may have a fighting chance we can't kill someone for crime they did when they were a child just not fair but that that was going on things go so when we enjoying that this I got introduced to all this information as crazy amazing what you finally you just [ __ ] go look for it right I thought if finding all these grassroots programs all throughout the country from Richmond California to Toledo Ohio to Newark New Jersey like people just saying or Nothing enough you know no one had to into hazard of the president's air no one has a celebrity they can call to be the face of some said dang situation it's just no one is rich it's just taking the resources which is already there the community finally how we could you know redirect and create some buffers because there's always create some [ __ ] roadblocks between sudden the kids to the day in prison it just variation so it's just and we call them solutions so this piece that we are documenting it's working title diamond in the rough we are we are we hope to shine a light on all the good that's going on because we all know that [ __ ] don't sell papers right so I must shine some light on some grassroots situations that I found and my journey to do this documentary that you know maybe you might want to get with that situation maybe you might be like oh honey honey we could do that and of course what to do is that I'm hoping to inspire some of that and the crown jewel of this pieces on the Burrell prisons in the state of New York gave us permission to take HBO cameras behind the prison wall to interview my you you know um because I didn't get to tell you is the man he's become in there is and I wish I had an ounce of that you know he's he's such a life he's such a bright light and he grew up in and he did the right thing with his time in there you know and his you know he says things like you know UNK you know I realized that the minute the cuffs went on me that began that's the day I started my reentry I started thinking about how to like reenter and not when I reinter but how do I want to reenter how strong do I want to come back and 18 year old well he started you know and you know and only utterance it just you know so you know we got to take the cameras in there man On June 5th and that was the actual date to the day he made twenty years I mean and concentrated and we didn't plan that he had started this organization they're called Exodus and it's a program that you know because when you do times all about the program's you got to give it the program that's how you pass your time how you stay positive and you know he created a program there go Exodus and he's mentoring young men and just bit of all ages I walked in a room in prison a maximum-security prison or in a room of like 50 60 inmates and they all hanging off every word clan my nephew's mouth I was like yo you kidding me you know so on we call him his story the crown jewel because you know everybody's not is you know everybody's behind those walls are not like it's you know just a lot of good people want to good people are doing the right thing people that are toning for their mistakes and you know deserve a second chance right now we are in the last type of [ __ ] I mean you know if you know my story so I'm I'm all about secondary forces I mean I don't know mean so yeah that's that's what I'm doing right now with it as I met with it right now it's beautiful I get some audience questions before we have to wrap up Victor would like to know what would you have done different if you weren't an actor I'll say performer as well what would you have a plan B oh the only career I ever thought about was of being a pediatrician I thought about that once and you know one of my friend's mother was a nurse and she took me to a crack crack baby ward and I was okay or next kamandalu um um when I should have been dreaming about what I could do you know you know young minds should be thinking about that I was on you know drugs have played that time you know drug addiction a plague that time kind of took over situation so you know when the average an adult should have been thinking about what they want to be in life I would think about how do I get this [ __ ] monkey off my back every second and so I um I don't know you know you know these scars you know I was just in the stage dr. my juggler no I'm gonna I just yeah when I was out there and active addict and just you know I don't know if I would you know be here if I didn't have the arts if it really saved my life and still to this day it gives me something to focus on it keeps me positive you know um I still have an inclination to do something stupid and I think about you know all that I have to do you know all that I'm responsible for in my life and you know people that depend on me to be on time and to be present that you know all these no rule full of people I get to come and run off at the mouth and I don't take this for granted this is this all helps to keep me by my focus I don't take this for granted so I'm still life I'm living today okay okay um number they did not leave their name but how did you get involved with Vice 'land oh wow um but uh Spike Jones I'm kidding I got a call from spike jello City wanted to talk to me I was like [ __ ] tell Spike Jonze no like oh my god oh Santa Monica and he um he mentioned black market and I was like okay this sounds great but what do you want with me that would apply I don't I don't know what your median and Spike Jonze this is vice you know by slantwise no you know it's just for intelligent people's we know we want with me and he I again just like what Michael skully did spike said you know well black market is basically when the system fails you you create your own system and that immediately made me like I understood we was coming from I immediately saw my mother you know cut my first generation bohemian so like you know who got the green card was I was like they don't package but that's better than a green card you know and that's what you did yet you know so and you did whatever you had to do to get that green card you know like things you know so my family members got with back in Dayton in the marriage was a big thing you know pay for marriage and you know you know you know what I whatever we got to do man get the green card and so I remember that hustle I remember my mother telling stories about how she had good like you know duck and run early days in Brooklyn because immigration was after her you know and so it made me have empathy it wasn't just you know sex drugs and you know child pornography and if know that stuff they know what it's like you know just would have scarred me was about that was about people just trying to make it trying to not to fall between the cracks and unfortunately you know doing things that was named as illegal or dysfunctional but it wasn't they weren't doing it for those reasons you know people and everyone that I met on the journey to black market had the same thing in common if you gave them an opportunity to have a better way of life they would take it in a minute Kevin Anderson would like to know which character are you the most like that you play you talks about how you put a lot of yourself and your family your family I guess in two-year-olds but which one do you think is closer to you you'll [ __ ] you goalie really Ashley's [ __ ] effector because I do what you say I don't know if I would answer that question now I've been told that I have a lot of conduit lithic believe it or not Leonard let it time for after Leonard um did apparently um I have an alter ego that my friends called him um grandpa Jenkins at home yeah good is this is like me being brutally honest right hug the public oh yeah so I've been told that home I have in mind people a lot of on letters then it reminds people a lot my friend my close friend Lisa they see me we all gotta up besides others this this is you know they st. all is you know might get a ugly side you know know I could be grumpy times I guess you know but I say let it blended his own I get up in here in a lot okay does that make it easier or more difficult to play um she's the one was difficult season one was difficult because I didn't realize how how watching that was actually true um and then I think of me crossing the line you know that I kind of um I recommended that James Purefoy if we could get him repeat she'd be good to get the call and he and I on his wife we we know sit down to a few bottles of wine without his life but back to his girlfriend we sit down over a bottle of wine in South Africa and just like you know the conversation went all over the place you know we know you know I've days now I've been together for two inaugurations President Obama and you know yeah I'd be trying to stay away from that y'all but the moral of story is James and I've been through a lot together you know a lot we've you know you know couple of hours and once again it gets ugly we've had a few arguments you know pompous break you know around the way do from Brooklyn it bothered me some cultural clashes in there for me but but that's what friends friends work it out we argue we fight the educational make up and we had that dichotomy that's the plank word and our personal friendship and I thought that they came walk to bring that to the job and then season one actually had it had a like a negative we don't we real we had to read it we had because you got a land right in his character and it it was a lot and to help you know arm I realized you know it had been a few years since he and I worked together we had different processes you know in just the fact that he and I was we're hanging out but good friends and brother knows give our show to each other doesn't mean we could together we work we get along in the work he's almost you come it would look we had to redefine our friendship and we refined each other you know I you know I know for me I had a lot of them I had a lot of growing up and not in a little selfishness he the one little like you know just you know grandpa Jenkins I and he called me out he called me out season one you know and it made me a better man you know and uh we just haven't we got a dirty no season - yes yes last season was was really a step in the right direction I'm really I'm reducing I'm just I'm kind of like a fat I can't wait to see you active season three is happening have you already shot or oh no we go to production in September September in Atlanta okay looking forward to it I'll be great Sean I would like to know with everything you know now what would you tell your younger self if you could very good question before um I would tell younger Michael to know your self-worth don't play your work cheat don't play yourself cheat you know your self-worth be humble stay humble but know your self-worth good words you might talk about this a little bit do you still go to classes or coaching or with your acting I think you touched down a little bit but you still work on just learning more because some actors I know they get to a point they don't think they need to do it nothing you're not at all this is still you know again it may seem like I've been around full of it in my mind like I just got here and I'm you know um and you know the type of work the type of a way that I reach my truths and characters depends on my personal growth so much their hand in hand almost you know I guess like a gift and a curse if you will I get to I get to get I get to get paid to grow up you know my work my work my work of benefits when I am my best self on a personal level right so it's a win-win for me so I'm constantly before idols ever existed know I could get to my goodness about something who can cliche here like you know evolving and I'm growing up I'm a late bloomer you know I got to the party late in life about being responsible and being of no no so whatever a present parent you know I'm a son friend you know I'm like been selfish for a lot of years you know just chasing what it matter to me and so I'm learning how to you know be a little more responsible with myself and with the people that are in my life that loved me you know that that translates into my work we do better thank you for sharing everything today be your whole journey [Applause]

Channel: SAG-AFTRA Foundation

Views: 36,881

Keywords: SAG Foundation, SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Acting, Actors, Conversations, Michael K. Williams, Jim Halterman, The Wire, Omar, Hap and Leonard, Boardwalk Empire, Chalky White, The Night Of, When We Rise, The Spoils Before Dying, Bullet, The Road, Gone Baby Gone, Life During Wartime, Brooklyn’s Finest, Wonderful World, Snitch, 12 Years a Slave, The Purge, Ghostbusters, Black Market, Kill the Messenger, Inherent Vice, Triple 9, The Land, The Gambler, Bessie

Id: JJIJJfvQ0YE

Length: 79min 9sec (4749 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 16 2017