April 19, 2021 • 26 mins
In the mind of an athlete, champions are made with practice. Once an NFL hopeful, Omari Hardwick used the grit he learned from the game in Hollywood to follow his dream of becoming an actor. This week Omari Hardwick gets Naked with Cari Champion.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You've been, You've been Australia, right, I have Australian open.
I think it's been. I'm sure it's a whole another
phrase because of COVID, but I hear it's better there
because yeah, exactly, you know you can walk around in
the mall and live free and like all of that stuff.
Was kind of crazy for me to be able to
consider the fact that we just said that far behind
as a country in the world, were vulnerable considerably come
(00:34):
and remote available entertainment elite. It's the differest tween what
it's real and with the public seas. So here's your
favorite celebrities behind the scenes. It's refreshing up. Then the
whole story, specific life all to rendevent to shake the
person that you hear we got a champion and carry champion.
The girl did it. It's the greatest of sports and entertainment.
Connect you with Hey, everybody, welcome back to Naked. It
(00:55):
is carry Champion. It has been for me and I'm
sure for many of the folks. It has been a
rough week on top of a rough few months of
one and then a rough period um. If you've read
the news or if you are paying attention to what
is going on in the Derek Schalvan case that so
(01:17):
many people refer to as the George Floyd trial. You'll
realize that life is really really hard, and it's disappointing
and it's exhausting. I say all that to say that
I really believe we need some context, We need some perspective.
And what that means is we have to realize this
(01:41):
is going to be a long struggle, a long fight
for equality. I believe it can happen, but it's gonna
take some time. I feel like so many of us
don't even know our history where we come from. We
know a little bit, but we don't know really why
we're in the spots that we are in, or why
the world feels the way it does today. This week's
episode is with Amary Hardwick, and I truly believe that
(02:04):
his naked quality is perspective. Context. Omari talks in a
way that forces you to really pay attention because he
gives you a history lesson. He explains why he is
where he is today. He sees it from the beginning,
the middle, and the end. And to me, that's a
(02:25):
beautiful quality. That is a special quality. It takes someone
to really learn themselves, to learn their surroundings, to learn
how to move in this world, to appreciate a beginning,
a middle, and an end. As a journalist, I love
to tell stories that way. Meanwhile, Omari is telling us
some great stories. He's dropping some gems, but I really
(02:46):
appreciate his ability to contextualize and give us good perspective.
That is his naked quality. Now I gotta mention this.
I talked about, you know what's been going on this
week and how tough it's been. I do believe that
this will be a welcome reprieve. It's another way to
show us that we have to keep pushing, keep moving,
(03:07):
doing what we need to do. I do appreciate that,
you know, MARII. The other thing that I want to
point out is he has this amazing term that I'm
going to start cheuse. It's called getting crafted. Omari has
been through a lot, but he said that it was
because he needed to become crafted or getting crafted, learning
(03:31):
what you do, learning your trade, learning your art through
and through. I was once told you're not good at
your job unless you put in ten thousand hours. Imagine
whatever you do for a living, have you put in
ten thousand hours? All right, you good at your job.
I might be it in the nine th spot. Meantime,
in between time, take a moment to not pay attention
(03:55):
to what's going on in the news. Don't be frustrated.
Just listen to the story that gives you great context
and great perspective. Welcome to this edition of Naked. You know,
I understood what every cast in director ever saw when
I walked in a room of like, I can't put
my finger on it, but there's so much grit and
(04:15):
there's edge, and he's but he's equally sensitive and it
is you know, and I didn't see it a lot
of times. And people that look like me that were
on screen like me, Um, Denzel for sure, as I
know you're significant Denzel for sure. He was somebody that
made sense to me when I was trying to figure
out how to make sense out of whatever. Amari was
(04:37):
a Mari latif Hardwig, born in Savannah, Georgia, but raised Indicator.
That's what he'll tell you. That's Ticator, Georgia. Amari early on,
and I think actually at his birth, had a trajectory
placed on his life, had a a tone set aside
for him, given by his parents Joyce and Clifford. Hardword
third omri means most high latife, meaning gentle. He describes
(05:02):
himself as a male feminist who knew early on that
he had a special way with the ladies. And I
also see rooms quickly. And I don't know how great
of an actor I am, but I don't really want
an attorney to get out of the mood that she
might come to work in. I'm odd like that. I
don't fight against it. So I go with ship. If
(05:22):
that's where she's at, let's use it. I'm just different,
you know, and I'm very aware of it. And I'm
equally aware that light and darknes't mix. And so you
said it best those rooms, those colleagues, those men that
at times we don't realize that as men, even those
of us that are beautifully sensitive enough and equally can
be street enough, and all of that amalgamation that maybe
(05:44):
women are attracted to, whether they say it or not,
the mix the hybrid man equally, that hybrid man who
does see women. There is always sexism somewhere in there.
And so the mission from a former publicist, knowing how
big I was and also being a big woman, she said,
you need to be one of the the prominent male
(06:07):
feminist within this industry. After graduating from high school, Omar
went to the University of Georgia. He played football there. Now,
you would think, because he wanted to go to the pros,
this was a perfect fit. He's at this D one
school known for turning out some pros. Some of the
grades have went there. However, when a Mari graduated, he
did not get drafted. So he went to San Diego
(06:28):
to try out for the Chargers, and as we all know,
it didn't work out that way. However, just consider this
for a moment. He went to a school that was
producing so many grades and he thought he was among them.
Enter a guy by the name of Champ Bailey. Anyone
who knows sports knows that Champ is one of the
best corners ever to do it. He also went to
(06:49):
the pros and he was also thriving while Omori was
struggling trying to figure out what he wanted to do
in sending in this Champ. And now, if you and
I have this interview, what two years ago, he's coming
into his own after the Redskins or now the Washington
football team. Let's be politically correct and then then one
(07:10):
day he becomes one of the greatest dbs of all time,
and he's still you know, Champ. He's grounded and simple
and hell complex but simple and very much an activist
and just I don't know, one of the fastest dudes
you ever play on the football field and one of
the great defensive acts. And so I looked at my
life at that moment, new Champ was going where he
was going. But I'm at the age when Champs going
to the league, when all of a sudden, the league
(07:31):
is saying no to me. So I'm very afraid, not
only of the unknown, but that he had a definitive thing.
And so I'm looking at it going ship. I'm such
a guy about discernment, being definitive, not being passive aggressive,
say what you feel, skip stephen A put carry on,
stop doing that bullshit, Like I'm so definitive, I'm so period.
(07:52):
I don't have a lot of question marks, but I
got a million question marks and then I throw them
all the way and then make a decision in front
of the camera equally, So at that time, I just
didn't know what action was, I didn't know what cut was.
I just was lost, and I went real quiet. The
unknown is one thing, but not having support while you're
in this very gray period of your life could be scary,
(08:14):
which is why Omar knew that obviously football was not
a thing, So why not pursue acting? Why not give
it all you have? Because at this point he didn't
have much. Oh, Marie is hesitant. He describes this story
so well. He is hesitant to tell his father, Listen,
(08:35):
I'm gonna give up on this thing called football, and
then I'm gonna go and try this thing called acting.
Imagine the scenario, father and son scenario, and which you
have to reveal what you really want to do and
hope and hope that your father understands that football is
no longer the dream. And I said, I really want
(08:56):
to pursue. And I said, now, I'm afraid that Pops.
It's not gonna be down with that act on money
in college. But it was repaired enough to get a
free agent spot or shot, and all of a sudden,
here I am, and I gotta go tell him I'm
still young, my niece together, and he's probably thinking, you
keep trying out, and uh, he didn't. She said give
him a shot, and she was right, and I brought
(09:16):
it up to him one day in his room in
front of the TV and he was watching something, an
old Western or something. He's always watching movies, and when
he wasn't working, I brought up to him. He said,
when you want to go? And he knew it was
New York because he knows how much about the craft
I am. And I would ask him, when you know,
doing a forty two quick trap as a half back
in the backfield, like why these coaches on me, pops?
(09:37):
And we're talking about white coaches obviously, and I was like,
you know, the white high school. So I'm like, why
when I when I'm there in a nano second, whereas
the white boys are taking five freaking steps to get
where I get in the nanto second. He was smiling
and go, you gotta do it the right way, over
and over and over so that when you add your
natural talent to doing it the right way. And he
would say all of that, and then I thought about
(09:58):
that in that moment of unknown, like, okay, so doing
it the right way is to go get crafted, literally,
get on stage and learn the craft of actor. You
know what time it is. We gotta pay some bills
back in a moment with more of Omary every champion
and carry champions, to be a Champiana Champion and carry
Champion and carry chapianta Champion and carry Chappion and carry
(10:20):
Chappi and sports and then the team making naked worker, Omari,
the actor, the activists, the poet, the writer, the thinker, Um,
the singer. He had so many talents, Poky let you
feeding for his poem rather be that brother shooter aiming
(10:41):
for the go. And when you have so many talents,
it can be confusing to decide where to go, where
to live, where to become famous, and not necessarily famous
in his case, but really to make your presence known.
It ultimately ended up being acting, as we all know.
That's how we know him. But there was a one
when a Mari talks about he was just hustling, trying
(11:03):
to figure it out. There were couches, a lot of them.
There were cars. I mean, I was sleeping in cars
like for real. I remember telling Dylan McDermott on Dark Blue.
I was laughing just out loud. He said, what's funny?
And really like that like close Jays carry making like
a scene. He said, what's funny? And I said, bro,
I used to park the car right over there where
(11:24):
we're shooting that scene right now. He said, what do
you mean? I used to sleep in the park car
right there, and now I'm shooting the scene with you.
During that time, you know, there was some cool people
at the y m c A That would let me
over over stay and extend my welcome and um sometimes
for real, like they would lock up the y m
c A. And I would sleep at the locker room.
(11:46):
That's a true story. I really got to a place
where it was too much couching. I definitely had apartments.
I got jobs. I worked at the school actually that
of course housed you know, most of the time spent
with John David. It was a private school in the valley.
I definitely sold shoes at North Scrimster Women. I definitely
worked security guard work at night, particularly when I still
(12:08):
had to wait, which I had all the way to
movie number two, Great Game before the Weak finally came off.
And I definitely did a thousand other jobs that made
me Hello Jamaica. But what I kept thinking was, but
I'm supposed to be out here to be an artist.
And then used that stage and platform and trampoline to
jump back into the community and also the world and
(12:29):
make it better. But I don't really know if I'm
supposed to be doing it, because this ship is too hard,
and I never forget with the chair reclined and one
of those spots where I was kind of like living
at the time in the car and going, this can't work. Bro.
I had reached out to moms and pops and they
fiscally helped that moment of discomfort out by giving me
like two two thousand dollars. Paul let in Denzel gave
(12:50):
me fifteen hundred sort of car didn't get repolled. She
had asked for Denzel's you know, obviously get it clear
by him, and he said yes. And I gave him
that back one day and he framed it and whatever.
But there was a moment where I was really like,
I'm not doing this ship. This ship is too hard.
I'm like really not in a place. This is crazy.
I'm lonely. Charlie's lonely. New York was lonely. Fuck it,
this is all lonely. And I really was at that
(13:11):
place and Adric said one thing to me. He said,
yours is a marathon. Oh, yours is a marathon. You
can never be trying to pace it in the way
that maybe other people have done what they've done, And
I think that was the biggest crafting that I could
ever get. Mari's first big break, if you will, came
in two thousand and three. He was in Spike Lee
(13:33):
Sucker Free City. Two years later he landed a feature
in The Guardian that was back in two thousand and six,
Gridiron Gang. The list goes on. He had a lot
of various roles, but if you're like me a MARII
became known when he landed the role as ghost in Power.
I appreciated that role. We didn't talk about it much,
but he does explain what it takes to get to
(13:55):
that point. There's the thing of getting crafted to that
which you are trying to make a living at, which
is one level of craft. It is digging deep into
your soul and figuring out the tools necessary whatever that
specific thing that you are called to do. And it's
a calling. Learn it, learn it, learn it until you're
(14:15):
so tired you scream out to the mountains. Stop. Then
there's the crafting of your person because the reality is
new levels, new devils. So as you start to graduate
within that craft, which undoubtedly you will. If you craft
professionally in a correct manner, you will start to grow
and these new devils will come in with each new level,
(14:36):
and when they come in, your soul has to equally
be crafted. But before was all of this and all
of that, he's very very very clear that it wasn't easy.
And people that he looked up to, people that he
came in contact with, what he lived in l A,
the people who he admired, really try to let him
(14:57):
know this was not going to be an easy game.
And if you are going to have this gift, if
you are going to be received, if you're going to
be able to carry out this message that you have
in your heart and use it through your art, you
have to understand it's hard knocks out here. The biggest
lesson was taught by one Denzel Washington. He told me
(15:18):
to go be a coach in college. As he told me,
go coach college football. Pault Us said, come on, and
he has a dream just like you. Don't do that.
But I always got what he was doing, really and
it was basically testing me in so many ways, and
he was like, he really believes that if you really
have the markings and the makings to be different, to
be unique, to be hashtag special, then you gotta go
(15:41):
through some special ship. Equally, he would want me to
be crafted at whatever I chose to do. But what
he was also getting at was these are things that
you will add to your tool box. Whether you pass
these tests or not is up to you. And think
about it. I could have absolutely dropped my head, lowered
my shoulders, been that dude and being like, man Derek
(16:03):
got a shot on Antoine fisher Man, Nate Park on
Great Debates, Yo, what's up? Man? No? I never did.
I always got what he was doing, and it bothered
the ship out of me. But I got it. And
then one day carry I stopped wondering and I said, man,
this is I get what he was doing because I'm
on sets now and he was basically saying all those
years and this is what he means to me. You
(16:24):
got it, you got it, you got it, baby. I
remember walking into an audition with Michael Beach and Eric
Lostuti were teaching an acting class and I just run
out of money to pay, you know, for the other
acting class or whatever. And I tried them out and
I was not only always told that I looked like
Michael Beach, a young Michael Beach at the time, but
also I loved what Eric Lost was bringing the r
(16:46):
and I loved him as an actor, and I love
what they did with the earl manicgoat story and shout
out to my friend and brother and don Cheeto, you know.
And so I walked in did the audition in a
theater I used to spit poetry had ironically they were
hosting the class there. And I walked in and I
and I, you know, I might have waved or whatever,
but I walked down to the stage and it was
one of those it is where you you're going to
decline to get to the stage. And I walked down.
(17:08):
I got on the stage and I did this play
called zoo Man or an excerpt from it. And as
soon as I started, they let me go. But as
soon as I started, I felt a look between the
two of them, but they played it off enough, stayed
very professional. I finished, I walked up, this is coming here.
I sat between both of them, looking at one dude
to the left maybe Mike was on the left, I
can't remember, and Eric to the right, looking like we
(17:30):
all could be related. And I'm looking at these negroes
and I'm like, yo, what I do wrong? In my mind,
I'm thinking that I didn't ask it. And Mike Beach
and Eric Lasal said, Yo, the guy that walked in
was way more interesting than the dude who started acting.
I said, so I started to give myself permission at
that point to just like damn, oh, I guess that's it.
(17:52):
And what Denzel means to me is the overriding incredible,
not more valuable than Pops or La sal or Beach,
but he gives me that real umbrella of you got it, baby, stop,
just come eat, Parletta made food, Just take care of John.
David helped me out be an uncle figure to him
or big brother whatever it's gonna be. Just but you
(18:13):
got it. God did that. God was reminded me like, oh,
some people see you, and I'm gonna put you around them,
and you can fold up the tent and fly the coop. Well,
you can figure it out and quietly, with reverence, appreciate
that which they're giving you, even if it feels uncomfortable,
even if they give you some some hard knocks while
doing it. After six seasons of starring in Power and
(18:36):
I would say, arguably one of Starr's most successful show.
So Marie Hardwig had made it and whatever, since that
means to you, however you would describe making it. But
he now gets that phone call from Denzel Washington saying, kid,
he did it. It didn't take that long, but you
did it of course, So mariy it feels like, you know,
arriving it took forever, but Denzel says, no, it was wick.
(19:00):
Now with that being said, I'm curious and I asked, Omary,
you are a man of means. You have a successful
acting career, you have a family, you have friends, um,
you have mentors. You're giving out advice like Denzel once
gave you. When do you see yourself vulnerable naked? And
(19:22):
I asked him to take a moment to really think
about that, because Omari, for the most part, shares his
soul with many definitely the kids. I think it's because
you know, I've definitely been vulnerable obviously with their mother,
but it's the kids in the sense that there is
(19:44):
still a mystique and it should be to that between
a couple because you're ever growing. I would say an
actor doesn't do a character's service if they claim to
have the character down. Um, when they're in the production,
you know, they can say to the I think I'm
ready to go, but I mean years later you go,
oh ship. That's what Ghost was talking about, Like you
(20:04):
shouldn't really know because we're ever evolving, and so as
adults where ever evolving to the place where we sometimes
don't know ourselves enough that in between the interaction with
me and wife you for example, or past relationships, or
even moms and pops, there becomes at times enough of
a mystique so that you can still earn those moments
(20:27):
of wanting to be around each other. You feel me
like you want to be around each other. So there's
built in instinctual, perhaps subconscious moments of being that that
person that still puts on enough airs so that you
haven't earned that thing of excitement or challenge or growth.
Otherwise you get bored and you move on. Especially as
big as people, you include it. That's my point to you.
(20:48):
I'm always always talking to you. I'm talking to you.
I hear you, Omari, I hear you, my friend. Um.
It's interesting because I said at the beginning of this podcast,
he talked about getting crafted. I truly believe that he
has put in his hours and he's still putting in
(21:09):
his hours. But his ability to really see through people,
to really give you a beginning, a middle, and an end,
now that's a special quality. That's why he's a poet
as well. We may know some of his poetry. Will
play that before we go, but I'll use an example
when this podcast was over. When we finished taping the podcast,
(21:30):
he talked to me about how he met me when
I first started my career in sports at ESPN to
where I am now, and he gave me a beginning,
a middle, and an end. And he said a few
things that just hit my spirit. And I was like,
do you know me that? Well? Why are you speaking
so honestly, sir? But he did say, you know, we're
good friends, Cary, and we're going to have friends. For
(21:52):
him to call me Car and you know, I don't
mind that Car's a nice name. People do it all
the time. But I digress. He told me that I
was going to be bigger in rooms and that would
be hard for people to accept. He told me that
it takes a special king to be with me because
of how I move in rooms and I accept all
of that. And when it was all said and done,
(22:14):
he told me he reached out to me during the pandemic,
at the very beginning of the pandemic because he knew
he just felt my mind. You we don't talk on
the phone, we don't text, we don't do any of
these things, but he felt it necessary to reach out.
And that is an incredible perspective. That is an incredible
ability to contextualize what someone is going through if you
(22:35):
just look at their surroundings, and that is what he does.
It made me think, It stirred my spirit. It caused
me to stop fooling around with some guys like I
broke it with some bass because he was right, it
takes a certain king to be with me. I'm getting crafted, guys,
(22:56):
and it may not be just in what I'm doing
for a live being right, podcasting, hosting shows, being a
sports reporter, being a journalist, because I do believe I
put in my hours, but I'm getting crafted and being myself.
That takes work. Takes work to be vulnerable, takes work
(23:17):
to purposely not choose violence and instead of reveal yourself
as to who you are very very grateful for or
Marie Hardwick being on this podcast, and as many of
you know, I mentioned this, he is a poet, so
we're gonna leave you with one of his poems that
most recently went viral. I hope you enjoyed this edition
(23:37):
of Naked We carry Champion, every champion and carry Champion
has to be a Champiana Champion and carry Champion, and
carry Chapiana Champion, and carry Chappion and carry Chappion Afraid
the sports and then the tay making naked word. Dear
score has still raised the dear God with a hood
(23:59):
as still blast. Not in the same cause I'm all
good black, just slipping in and out and got a
nigger asking for a redo on this old horse, still
grinning somehow and maybe even winning about still pinning this
ship down, devil think he got a brother about the fall.
Dear God, make me a new star x man dog
(24:20):
illuminated by these stars. Text back guy who I'm waiting
to do his part. Respect to all of y'all who
knew I made it from my dog. One more road
across them, resurrection from my flaws, then all the whites connected,
and yet still I got the section of flaws, winning
from yankers. I drove from Barker's doll. The monsters I've
(24:43):
been battling since I was small ship. I'm still the
boss microphone to the sky, and I'm still wrapping like
a nigger on call. All them poems I killed got
me a lie like I'm bigger than Biggie Smalls. Lord,
give me a sigh because I feel him happened like
I'm the applause. I've been here before this time. No
(25:04):
matter what happens, I'm always be here for all of y'all.
Maybe got a brother break it bad, so you better
call Saul. Maybe I'm dreaming, awaking and sleeping giant. I
used to have let him do the fighting for the
last round. I ain't had, But I ain't scared, Maybe scared,
just a bit worn from the fears I don't want,
(25:26):
and all the pears I don't want. Dear God, all
them years got me torn their scars. I ain't ready
for my kids. The morning I'm keeping steady toward these outlives.
Be heavy in the morning, Dear God, let me be
reborn like a broken man upon his knees. But he
hoped with a soul about a thousand degree to all
(25:46):
my strolls across prodigal Leads got the crowd shouting while
I try to get to my goal of following the
new me, because sometimes who we be when I'm nothing,
feel like Damien three? But did God make me something?
Please let the world know. Let my boys and girls
have some more time with the man who helped them
(26:07):
to grow. Did God give me a sigh? In me?
A sigh? Tell me the rain gotta go and that
I'm the same untouchable me as I was before. Dear
God and their scars, I'm thankful you made me so,
gave me so
You've been, You've been Australia, right, I have Australian open.
I think it's been. I'm sure it's a whole another
phrase because of COVID, but I hear it's better there
because yeah, exactly, you know you can walk around in
the mall and live free and like all of that stuff.
Was kind of crazy for me to be able to
consider the fact that we just said that far behind
as a country in the world, were vulnerable considerably come
(00:34):
and remote available entertainment elite. It's the differest tween what
it's real and with the public seas. So here's your
favorite celebrities behind the scenes. It's refreshing up. Then the
whole story, specific life all to rendevent to shake the
person that you hear we got a champion and carry champion.
The girl did it. It's the greatest of sports and entertainment.
Connect you with Hey, everybody, welcome back to Naked. It
(00:55):
is carry Champion. It has been for me and I'm
sure for many of the folks. It has been a
rough week on top of a rough few months of
one and then a rough period um. If you've read
the news or if you are paying attention to what
is going on in the Derek Schalvan case that so
(01:17):
many people refer to as the George Floyd trial. You'll
realize that life is really really hard, and it's disappointing
and it's exhausting. I say all that to say that
I really believe we need some context, We need some perspective.
And what that means is we have to realize this
(01:41):
is going to be a long struggle, a long fight
for equality. I believe it can happen, but it's gonna
take some time. I feel like so many of us
don't even know our history where we come from. We
know a little bit, but we don't know really why
we're in the spots that we are in, or why
the world feels the way it does today. This week's
episode is with Amary Hardwick, and I truly believe that
(02:04):
his naked quality is perspective. Context. Omari talks in a
way that forces you to really pay attention because he
gives you a history lesson. He explains why he is
where he is today. He sees it from the beginning,
the middle, and the end. And to me, that's a
(02:25):
beautiful quality. That is a special quality. It takes someone
to really learn themselves, to learn their surroundings, to learn
how to move in this world, to appreciate a beginning,
a middle, and an end. As a journalist, I love
to tell stories that way. Meanwhile, Omari is telling us
some great stories. He's dropping some gems, but I really
(02:46):
appreciate his ability to contextualize and give us good perspective.
That is his naked quality. Now I gotta mention this.
I talked about, you know what's been going on this
week and how tough it's been. I do believe that
this will be a welcome reprieve. It's another way to
show us that we have to keep pushing, keep moving,
(03:07):
doing what we need to do. I do appreciate that,
you know, MARII. The other thing that I want to
point out is he has this amazing term that I'm
going to start cheuse. It's called getting crafted. Omari has
been through a lot, but he said that it was
because he needed to become crafted or getting crafted, learning
(03:31):
what you do, learning your trade, learning your art through
and through. I was once told you're not good at
your job unless you put in ten thousand hours. Imagine
whatever you do for a living, have you put in
ten thousand hours? All right, you good at your job.
I might be it in the nine th spot. Meantime,
in between time, take a moment to not pay attention
(03:55):
to what's going on in the news. Don't be frustrated.
Just listen to the story that gives you great context
and great perspective. Welcome to this edition of Naked. You know,
I understood what every cast in director ever saw when
I walked in a room of like, I can't put
my finger on it, but there's so much grit and
(04:15):
there's edge, and he's but he's equally sensitive and it
is you know, and I didn't see it a lot
of times. And people that look like me that were
on screen like me, Um, Denzel for sure, as I
know you're significant Denzel for sure. He was somebody that
made sense to me when I was trying to figure
out how to make sense out of whatever. Amari was
(04:37):
a Mari latif Hardwig, born in Savannah, Georgia, but raised Indicator.
That's what he'll tell you. That's Ticator, Georgia. Amari early on,
and I think actually at his birth, had a trajectory
placed on his life, had a a tone set aside
for him, given by his parents Joyce and Clifford. Hardword
third omri means most high latife, meaning gentle. He describes
(05:02):
himself as a male feminist who knew early on that
he had a special way with the ladies. And I
also see rooms quickly. And I don't know how great
of an actor I am, but I don't really want
an attorney to get out of the mood that she
might come to work in. I'm odd like that. I
don't fight against it. So I go with ship. If
(05:22):
that's where she's at, let's use it. I'm just different,
you know, and I'm very aware of it. And I'm
equally aware that light and darknes't mix. And so you
said it best those rooms, those colleagues, those men that
at times we don't realize that as men, even those
of us that are beautifully sensitive enough and equally can
be street enough, and all of that amalgamation that maybe
(05:44):
women are attracted to, whether they say it or not,
the mix the hybrid man equally, that hybrid man who
does see women. There is always sexism somewhere in there.
And so the mission from a former publicist, knowing how
big I was and also being a big woman, she said,
you need to be one of the the prominent male
(06:07):
feminist within this industry. After graduating from high school, Omar
went to the University of Georgia. He played football there. Now,
you would think, because he wanted to go to the pros,
this was a perfect fit. He's at this D one
school known for turning out some pros. Some of the
grades have went there. However, when a Mari graduated, he
did not get drafted. So he went to San Diego
(06:28):
to try out for the Chargers, and as we all know,
it didn't work out that way. However, just consider this
for a moment. He went to a school that was
producing so many grades and he thought he was among them.
Enter a guy by the name of Champ Bailey. Anyone
who knows sports knows that Champ is one of the
best corners ever to do it. He also went to
(06:49):
the pros and he was also thriving while Omori was
struggling trying to figure out what he wanted to do
in sending in this Champ. And now, if you and
I have this interview, what two years ago, he's coming
into his own after the Redskins or now the Washington
football team. Let's be politically correct and then then one
(07:10):
day he becomes one of the greatest dbs of all time,
and he's still you know, Champ. He's grounded and simple
and hell complex but simple and very much an activist
and just I don't know, one of the fastest dudes
you ever play on the football field and one of
the great defensive acts. And so I looked at my
life at that moment, new Champ was going where he
was going. But I'm at the age when Champs going
to the league, when all of a sudden, the league
(07:31):
is saying no to me. So I'm very afraid, not
only of the unknown, but that he had a definitive thing.
And so I'm looking at it going ship. I'm such
a guy about discernment, being definitive, not being passive aggressive,
say what you feel, skip stephen A put carry on,
stop doing that bullshit, Like I'm so definitive, I'm so period.
(07:52):
I don't have a lot of question marks, but I
got a million question marks and then I throw them
all the way and then make a decision in front
of the camera equally, So at that time, I just
didn't know what action was, I didn't know what cut was.
I just was lost, and I went real quiet. The
unknown is one thing, but not having support while you're
in this very gray period of your life could be scary,
(08:14):
which is why Omar knew that obviously football was not
a thing, So why not pursue acting? Why not give
it all you have? Because at this point he didn't
have much. Oh, Marie is hesitant. He describes this story
so well. He is hesitant to tell his father, Listen,
(08:35):
I'm gonna give up on this thing called football, and
then I'm gonna go and try this thing called acting.
Imagine the scenario, father and son scenario, and which you
have to reveal what you really want to do and
hope and hope that your father understands that football is
no longer the dream. And I said, I really want
(08:56):
to pursue. And I said, now, I'm afraid that Pops.
It's not gonna be down with that act on money
in college. But it was repaired enough to get a
free agent spot or shot, and all of a sudden,
here I am, and I gotta go tell him I'm
still young, my niece together, and he's probably thinking, you
keep trying out, and uh, he didn't. She said give
him a shot, and she was right, and I brought
(09:16):
it up to him one day in his room in
front of the TV and he was watching something, an
old Western or something. He's always watching movies, and when
he wasn't working, I brought up to him. He said,
when you want to go? And he knew it was
New York because he knows how much about the craft
I am. And I would ask him, when you know,
doing a forty two quick trap as a half back
in the backfield, like why these coaches on me, pops?
(09:37):
And we're talking about white coaches obviously, and I was like,
you know, the white high school. So I'm like, why
when I when I'm there in a nano second, whereas
the white boys are taking five freaking steps to get
where I get in the nanto second. He was smiling
and go, you gotta do it the right way, over
and over and over so that when you add your
natural talent to doing it the right way. And he
would say all of that, and then I thought about
(09:58):
that in that moment of unknown, like, okay, so doing
it the right way is to go get crafted, literally,
get on stage and learn the craft of actor. You
know what time it is. We gotta pay some bills
back in a moment with more of Omary every champion
and carry champions, to be a Champiana Champion and carry
Champion and carry chapianta Champion and carry Chappion and carry
(10:20):
Chappi and sports and then the team making naked worker, Omari,
the actor, the activists, the poet, the writer, the thinker, Um,
the singer. He had so many talents, Poky let you
feeding for his poem rather be that brother shooter aiming
(10:41):
for the go. And when you have so many talents,
it can be confusing to decide where to go, where
to live, where to become famous, and not necessarily famous
in his case, but really to make your presence known.
It ultimately ended up being acting, as we all know.
That's how we know him. But there was a one
when a Mari talks about he was just hustling, trying
(11:03):
to figure it out. There were couches, a lot of them.
There were cars. I mean, I was sleeping in cars
like for real. I remember telling Dylan McDermott on Dark Blue.
I was laughing just out loud. He said, what's funny?
And really like that like close Jays carry making like
a scene. He said, what's funny? And I said, bro,
I used to park the car right over there where
(11:24):
we're shooting that scene right now. He said, what do
you mean? I used to sleep in the park car
right there, and now I'm shooting the scene with you.
During that time, you know, there was some cool people
at the y m c A That would let me
over over stay and extend my welcome and um sometimes
for real, like they would lock up the y m
c A. And I would sleep at the locker room.
(11:46):
That's a true story. I really got to a place
where it was too much couching. I definitely had apartments.
I got jobs. I worked at the school actually that
of course housed you know, most of the time spent
with John David. It was a private school in the valley.
I definitely sold shoes at North Scrimster Women. I definitely
worked security guard work at night, particularly when I still
(12:08):
had to wait, which I had all the way to
movie number two, Great Game before the Weak finally came off.
And I definitely did a thousand other jobs that made
me Hello Jamaica. But what I kept thinking was, but
I'm supposed to be out here to be an artist.
And then used that stage and platform and trampoline to
jump back into the community and also the world and
(12:29):
make it better. But I don't really know if I'm
supposed to be doing it, because this ship is too hard,
and I never forget with the chair reclined and one
of those spots where I was kind of like living
at the time in the car and going, this can't work. Bro.
I had reached out to moms and pops and they
fiscally helped that moment of discomfort out by giving me
like two two thousand dollars. Paul let in Denzel gave
(12:50):
me fifteen hundred sort of car didn't get repolled. She
had asked for Denzel's you know, obviously get it clear
by him, and he said yes. And I gave him
that back one day and he framed it and whatever.
But there was a moment where I was really like,
I'm not doing this ship. This ship is too hard.
I'm like really not in a place. This is crazy.
I'm lonely. Charlie's lonely. New York was lonely. Fuck it,
this is all lonely. And I really was at that
(13:11):
place and Adric said one thing to me. He said,
yours is a marathon. Oh, yours is a marathon. You
can never be trying to pace it in the way
that maybe other people have done what they've done, And
I think that was the biggest crafting that I could
ever get. Mari's first big break, if you will, came
in two thousand and three. He was in Spike Lee
(13:33):
Sucker Free City. Two years later he landed a feature
in The Guardian that was back in two thousand and six,
Gridiron Gang. The list goes on. He had a lot
of various roles, but if you're like me a MARII
became known when he landed the role as ghost in Power.
I appreciated that role. We didn't talk about it much,
but he does explain what it takes to get to
(13:55):
that point. There's the thing of getting crafted to that
which you are trying to make a living at, which
is one level of craft. It is digging deep into
your soul and figuring out the tools necessary whatever that
specific thing that you are called to do. And it's
a calling. Learn it, learn it, learn it until you're
(14:15):
so tired you scream out to the mountains. Stop. Then
there's the crafting of your person because the reality is
new levels, new devils. So as you start to graduate
within that craft, which undoubtedly you will. If you craft
professionally in a correct manner, you will start to grow
and these new devils will come in with each new level,
(14:36):
and when they come in, your soul has to equally
be crafted. But before was all of this and all
of that, he's very very very clear that it wasn't easy.
And people that he looked up to, people that he
came in contact with, what he lived in l A,
the people who he admired, really try to let him
(14:57):
know this was not going to be an easy game.
And if you are going to have this gift, if
you are going to be received, if you're going to
be able to carry out this message that you have
in your heart and use it through your art, you
have to understand it's hard knocks out here. The biggest
lesson was taught by one Denzel Washington. He told me
(15:18):
to go be a coach in college. As he told me,
go coach college football. Pault Us said, come on, and
he has a dream just like you. Don't do that.
But I always got what he was doing, really and
it was basically testing me in so many ways, and
he was like, he really believes that if you really
have the markings and the makings to be different, to
be unique, to be hashtag special, then you gotta go
(15:41):
through some special ship. Equally, he would want me to
be crafted at whatever I chose to do. But what
he was also getting at was these are things that
you will add to your tool box. Whether you pass
these tests or not is up to you. And think
about it. I could have absolutely dropped my head, lowered
my shoulders, been that dude and being like, man Derek
(16:03):
got a shot on Antoine fisher Man, Nate Park on
Great Debates, Yo, what's up? Man? No? I never did.
I always got what he was doing, and it bothered
the ship out of me. But I got it. And
then one day carry I stopped wondering and I said, man,
this is I get what he was doing because I'm
on sets now and he was basically saying all those
years and this is what he means to me. You
(16:24):
got it, you got it, you got it, baby. I
remember walking into an audition with Michael Beach and Eric
Lostuti were teaching an acting class and I just run
out of money to pay, you know, for the other
acting class or whatever. And I tried them out and
I was not only always told that I looked like
Michael Beach, a young Michael Beach at the time, but
also I loved what Eric Lost was bringing the r
(16:46):
and I loved him as an actor, and I love
what they did with the earl manicgoat story and shout
out to my friend and brother and don Cheeto, you know.
And so I walked in did the audition in a
theater I used to spit poetry had ironically they were
hosting the class there. And I walked in and I
and I, you know, I might have waved or whatever,
but I walked down to the stage and it was
one of those it is where you you're going to
decline to get to the stage. And I walked down.
(17:08):
I got on the stage and I did this play
called zoo Man or an excerpt from it. And as
soon as I started, they let me go. But as
soon as I started, I felt a look between the
two of them, but they played it off enough, stayed
very professional. I finished, I walked up, this is coming here.
I sat between both of them, looking at one dude
to the left maybe Mike was on the left, I
can't remember, and Eric to the right, looking like we
(17:30):
all could be related. And I'm looking at these negroes
and I'm like, yo, what I do wrong? In my mind,
I'm thinking that I didn't ask it. And Mike Beach
and Eric Lasal said, Yo, the guy that walked in
was way more interesting than the dude who started acting.
I said, so I started to give myself permission at
that point to just like damn, oh, I guess that's it.
(17:52):
And what Denzel means to me is the overriding incredible,
not more valuable than Pops or La sal or Beach,
but he gives me that real umbrella of you got it, baby, stop,
just come eat, Parletta made food, Just take care of John.
David helped me out be an uncle figure to him
or big brother whatever it's gonna be. Just but you
(18:13):
got it. God did that. God was reminded me like, oh,
some people see you, and I'm gonna put you around them,
and you can fold up the tent and fly the coop. Well,
you can figure it out and quietly, with reverence, appreciate
that which they're giving you, even if it feels uncomfortable,
even if they give you some some hard knocks while
doing it. After six seasons of starring in Power and
(18:36):
I would say, arguably one of Starr's most successful show.
So Marie Hardwig had made it and whatever, since that
means to you, however you would describe making it. But
he now gets that phone call from Denzel Washington saying, kid,
he did it. It didn't take that long, but you
did it of course, So mariy it feels like, you know,
arriving it took forever, but Denzel says, no, it was wick.
(19:00):
Now with that being said, I'm curious and I asked, Omary,
you are a man of means. You have a successful
acting career, you have a family, you have friends, um,
you have mentors. You're giving out advice like Denzel once
gave you. When do you see yourself vulnerable naked? And
(19:22):
I asked him to take a moment to really think
about that, because Omari, for the most part, shares his
soul with many definitely the kids. I think it's because
you know, I've definitely been vulnerable obviously with their mother,
but it's the kids in the sense that there is
(19:44):
still a mystique and it should be to that between
a couple because you're ever growing. I would say an
actor doesn't do a character's service if they claim to
have the character down. Um, when they're in the production,
you know, they can say to the I think I'm
ready to go, but I mean years later you go,
oh ship. That's what Ghost was talking about, Like you
(20:04):
shouldn't really know because we're ever evolving, and so as
adults where ever evolving to the place where we sometimes
don't know ourselves enough that in between the interaction with
me and wife you for example, or past relationships, or
even moms and pops, there becomes at times enough of
a mystique so that you can still earn those moments
(20:27):
of wanting to be around each other. You feel me
like you want to be around each other. So there's
built in instinctual, perhaps subconscious moments of being that that
person that still puts on enough airs so that you
haven't earned that thing of excitement or challenge or growth.
Otherwise you get bored and you move on. Especially as
big as people, you include it. That's my point to you.
(20:48):
I'm always always talking to you. I'm talking to you.
I hear you, Omari, I hear you, my friend. Um.
It's interesting because I said at the beginning of this podcast,
he talked about getting crafted. I truly believe that he
has put in his hours and he's still putting in
(21:09):
his hours. But his ability to really see through people,
to really give you a beginning, a middle, and an end,
now that's a special quality. That's why he's a poet
as well. We may know some of his poetry. Will
play that before we go, but I'll use an example
when this podcast was over. When we finished taping the podcast,
(21:30):
he talked to me about how he met me when
I first started my career in sports at ESPN to
where I am now, and he gave me a beginning,
a middle, and an end. And he said a few
things that just hit my spirit. And I was like,
do you know me that? Well? Why are you speaking
so honestly, sir? But he did say, you know, we're
good friends, Cary, and we're going to have friends. For
(21:52):
him to call me Car and you know, I don't
mind that Car's a nice name. People do it all
the time. But I digress. He told me that I
was going to be bigger in rooms and that would
be hard for people to accept. He told me that
it takes a special king to be with me because
of how I move in rooms and I accept all
of that. And when it was all said and done,
(22:14):
he told me he reached out to me during the pandemic,
at the very beginning of the pandemic because he knew
he just felt my mind. You we don't talk on
the phone, we don't text, we don't do any of
these things, but he felt it necessary to reach out.
And that is an incredible perspective. That is an incredible
ability to contextualize what someone is going through if you
(22:35):
just look at their surroundings, and that is what he does.
It made me think, It stirred my spirit. It caused
me to stop fooling around with some guys like I
broke it with some bass because he was right, it
takes a certain king to be with me. I'm getting crafted, guys,
(22:56):
and it may not be just in what I'm doing
for a live being right, podcasting, hosting shows, being a
sports reporter, being a journalist, because I do believe I
put in my hours, but I'm getting crafted and being myself.
That takes work. Takes work to be vulnerable, takes work
(23:17):
to purposely not choose violence and instead of reveal yourself
as to who you are very very grateful for or
Marie Hardwick being on this podcast, and as many of
you know, I mentioned this, he is a poet, so
we're gonna leave you with one of his poems that
most recently went viral. I hope you enjoyed this edition
(23:37):
of Naked We carry Champion, every champion and carry Champion
has to be a Champiana Champion and carry Champion, and
carry Chapiana Champion, and carry Chappion and carry Chappion Afraid
the sports and then the tay making naked word. Dear
score has still raised the dear God with a hood
(23:59):
as still blast. Not in the same cause I'm all
good black, just slipping in and out and got a
nigger asking for a redo on this old horse, still
grinning somehow and maybe even winning about still pinning this
ship down, devil think he got a brother about the fall.
Dear God, make me a new star x man dog
(24:20):
illuminated by these stars. Text back guy who I'm waiting
to do his part. Respect to all of y'all who
knew I made it from my dog. One more road
across them, resurrection from my flaws, then all the whites connected,
and yet still I got the section of flaws, winning
from yankers. I drove from Barker's doll. The monsters I've
(24:43):
been battling since I was small ship. I'm still the
boss microphone to the sky, and I'm still wrapping like
a nigger on call. All them poems I killed got
me a lie like I'm bigger than Biggie Smalls. Lord,
give me a sigh because I feel him happened like
I'm the applause. I've been here before this time. No
(25:04):
matter what happens, I'm always be here for all of y'all.
Maybe got a brother break it bad, so you better
call Saul. Maybe I'm dreaming, awaking and sleeping giant. I
used to have let him do the fighting for the
last round. I ain't had, But I ain't scared, Maybe scared,
just a bit worn from the fears I don't want,
(25:26):
and all the pears I don't want. Dear God, all
them years got me torn their scars. I ain't ready
for my kids. The morning I'm keeping steady toward these outlives.
Be heavy in the morning, Dear God, let me be
reborn like a broken man upon his knees. But he
hoped with a soul about a thousand degree to all
(25:46):
my strolls across prodigal Leads got the crowd shouting while
I try to get to my goal of following the
new me, because sometimes who we be when I'm nothing,
feel like Damien three? But did God make me something?
Please let the world know. Let my boys and girls
have some more time with the man who helped them
(26:07):
to grow. Did God give me a sigh? In me?
A sigh? Tell me the rain gotta go and that
I'm the same untouchable me as I was before. Dear
God and their scars, I'm thankful you made me so,
gave me so
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