April 27, 2024 • 56 mins
Erika Alexander continues her incredible QLS interview with a candid conversation about how executives treated Living Single as compared to other popular 1990s sitcoms. Erika also speaks about her astonishing recent run, including a dazzling role in American Fiction and memorable performances in Get Out and Wu-Tang: An American Saga. This conversation is pure joy.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Questlove Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
What's Up Everybody?
Speaker 3 (00:06):
This is Sugar Steve from Questlove Supreme. We are back
with part two of our conversation with the incredible Erica Alexander.
If you have not heard part one, please check that
out before this. In that episode, Erica spoke about her
upbringing living in Arizona and New Mexico before moving to Philly.
She really opened up about her experiences playing cousin Pam
on The Cosby Show and Maxine on Living Single, two
(00:29):
very memorable roles.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
One thing I want to add too is that you
won't hear me or.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
One thing I want to add too is that you
won't hear me or unpaid bill in this part too,
because one thing I want to add too is that
you won't hear me or unpaid bill in this part too, because.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Theyre so here's the thing, when, of course it's revealed
that you know Living Singles main sort of influence, of
course being right, and you've talked about this time and
(01:09):
time again about friends, but I do want to know
because here's the deal. I had to go to the
Warner Brothers a lot, maybe like a month ago. I
did a cameo on Avid Elementary, which I think might
be on right now as we speak. And I remember
seeing an interview where you were like, yeah, you know,
we were on the same lot. You know, both shows
(01:31):
were Warner Brothers shows, and I go there now, and
of course you know, you'll you'll go past the wherever
what do you call it? Like the buildings that they
build sets, like oh, the house stages, right, you know,
I always wanted to know what sound stage you guys
(01:52):
were on, because they now mark off like this is
where Ozzie and Harriet and and Da Da Da and
friends and Da Da Da, And I wanted to know
where the living single one was, but we weren't there.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
We were on the ghetto a lot, I'm not kidding, right.
Speaker 6 (02:07):
So not even in that whole area, a whole different
area location address.
Speaker 7 (02:12):
You're saying, yeah, what's something.
Speaker 8 (02:14):
Called the ranch And they had all the big shows
or all the shows with white casts on the big
lot and we were on the ranch lot. We didn't
have air conditioning, wed No, we had to. We staged
a walk out because we didn't have craft service correct
(02:34):
or you know those types of things.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Yeah, we were hot in sale on that stage.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
So okay, I add when I asked the Avid people
that like, okay, so where's this in proximity to work
for it? They're like, we're right next door to them,
And they were like, that's a big deal to be
right next door to where they shot Friends, and I
briefly mentioned the whole living single thing, but then I
got distracted and never got the answer. But obviously, to
shoot any where in proximity to where Friends was means
(03:02):
that you're going to get treated better, like you're things work,
and so you're saying that a lot of those things
you actually wanted the stage a walk out, that's crazy.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
We did stay the watch on.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, really, yeah.
Speaker 7 (03:16):
I was very.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
Political even then.
Speaker 8 (03:18):
I wrote a letter and I said that you have
to understand I had to come off of the biggest
show in the world, right. I understood that we weren't
going to get those types of niceties to Cosby got,
but I understood what we were being treated like niggas
say that, yeah, so wait with the number one show
in America, Black and Latino Household and we didn't have
(03:38):
any air condition at the time, we need to that's
crazy advocate for it now. They wouldn't do those types
of things, and it's nice to be in proximity to
power and things that are, you know, in the zeitgeist.
But we were over there building still for the black
people who were on.
Speaker 6 (03:57):
Those sets, that's the same part of the stories that
I wish you would have been able to finish that story.
So they understood how much of a real big deal
it was to be there in that moment, and who
fought for them to be there, because that's fucking ridiculous.
Speaker 7 (04:11):
Yeah, real quick, what other shows shot at the Ranch?
Speaker 5 (04:14):
The Wayne's Brothers?
Speaker 7 (04:16):
Oh wow.
Speaker 8 (04:21):
For a long time it was mostly us, and then
season three or so, the Wayne's Brothers dropped in and
we had a good time with those young fellas. And
then the Waltons actually came to do like a limited series.
And I had done a series of something called Common
Ground with Richard Thomas and we had already won friends,
(04:43):
so we said, oh, there goes the neighborhood with all
these white folks. We all got along. We all got along,
We all joked about it, and they got it. But yeah,
that's who was on that lot before they fixed it up.
We were on the Ranch lot, and you know that
fountain it's on our lot that wanted to film around
that fountain, but they didn't let us.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
That's why we're behind the couch eight. That's some shit.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Wow, that's the things I learned.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Oh, was there any truth to the rumor that initially
NBC was going to pick up the show initially before
it went to Fox?
Speaker 8 (05:21):
Never because we are a Warner Brothers show and we
played on the Fox.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Okay, so Warren Littlefields.
Speaker 8 (05:30):
The story goes that when we made our first debut,
they said, is there anything show there was any show
that you saw that you wish it was yours? And
he said single And he was the head of NBC
and then the next year he created with a different
team France.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
I never heard of the cast members response to jay
Z's Moonlight video. Jay Z infamously uh Alan Alan Yang,
who who directed uh uh with with Disease and Sorry Yeah,
Masters of None, and also uh Maya's current series Lut.
(06:12):
Jay Z got Alan Yang to basically get the friend
set to actually recreate Do you remember this vine?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Remember it was it was? Was it was it? Four
four four? Was it? Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
The Moonlight song or four four four? What were your
feelings of that?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I guess.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Once that story broke out, and then jay Z also
gave a statement on it as well, what were your
Did you have a response to that video at all?
Speaker 5 (06:39):
No, I was unaware of it.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Oh okay, basically, when you're that story got out, jay
Z made a video in which Tessa Thompson, Uh, Tiffany
Hattish Hannibal and.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, yeah, basically I think I did see that. Just
wanted to know if you word okay, I think that.
Speaker 8 (07:03):
We're understand and I understand that in marketing that you
want to also speak to a wide audience. If you
have this huge part of the world that understands that
friends is this juggernaut. I'm sure that jay Z who
understands that you stand next to things you want to
shine on you and vice versa. I don't think he
(07:25):
needs to stand next to living single, okay, and and
and not that he needs to stand next to friends,
But I get it.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
I get it as a branding.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
Was that his homage to living single in a way
like was it the supposed to feel like, yeah, okay,
it was supposed to feel like this is we know
what the real truth is?
Speaker 8 (07:40):
And I guess so, But it could also be seen
in the opposite.
Speaker 7 (07:44):
Yes, it came right, you know, right, you're right.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
Yeah, So but I get it, you.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Know, at one hundred and eighteen episodes, I mean, that's
nothing to sneeze at for in most shows. Basically, if
we're really being honest with ourselves, most shows are at
their best during a five season arc, and then it
gets a little shaky with season six, seven, eight.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
You know they Fraser was consistent all I didn't watch.
Speaker 7 (08:15):
Yeah, yeah, I watched pretty consistent.
Speaker 9 (08:17):
Yeah, I mean I agree with that five season or
like the favor like I mean Breaking Bad or like
the wh Like five seasons is kind of it's perfect.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, yeah, but we're greedy, and so it's like what's
ringing for? All? Right?
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Like right now, fell down a suit hole and now
I'm a little upset that it ended that eight seasons,
even though two said it ended a season five or whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
But are you.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Satisfied with that particular arc, like those one hundred and
eighteen episodes or do you feel as though there was
more in it? Because I'm not I'm not too sure.
But by the time you guys ended.
Speaker 6 (08:57):
Max is pregnant, right ended, and with her gonad, I'm
gonna get together and and then Kadija goes on to
another country to be with Scooters.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
Yeah, well that was just them wrapping it up.
Speaker 8 (09:09):
We didn't even really have passed together, like was you know,
TC wasn't really there.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
That was my comedy partner.
Speaker 8 (09:17):
That's like I'm dancing with Redistare and Ginger and something
I ain't got nobody to dance with.
Speaker 7 (09:23):
I love watching y'all dance.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Yes, there you go.
Speaker 8 (09:27):
We had a Dallas and we had met Williams and
things like that. We're starting to be incorporated, and I
think that it was again it found its peak and
was starting to round over.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
You have you need everybody to be engaged.
Speaker 8 (09:40):
We're saying very intentional words of writers, and they are.
They're building these characters in these worlds, and if they're
not as engaged, then we can only.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Do We're like puppets. We can only do so much.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
I've uh one one last living single, which is totally
just off of character. But I gotta know one of
your directors of the show, John's first thing, JD Lube.
This sounds like a weird poor name. Are you familiar
with JD Lube? L o U l O b U
e okay, see, I would imagine that on a sitcom
(10:19):
there are a gazillion directors or whatnot.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
I wanted to know.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
I know you're looking like, well, no, no, he JD
was sort of the longest director of Soul Train, which
I'm absolutely obsessed with, and so the moment that I
felt that Soul Trained the shark ish, he had left
to go do living single. But you know, I always
(10:45):
just wanted to know what what was he like as
a director.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
But you don't remember, Sorry we ruined show.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
Right to go on listen?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
But but but my question is actually in that in
sitcom world or in television world, can you explain to
me it's weird that the director isn't consistent from soup
to nuts, Like in most comedies they have different directors
(11:16):
come in and direct one Do you know generally why
that's a rule, Like why isn't there just one director
and one writing staff? I know the staff writers can
change throughout the seasons or whatnot, but what does the
deal with like having multiple directors for.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
A series, Like why is that?
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (11:41):
I'm not quite sure, but I would imagine that it
keeps the show from getting stale.
Speaker 5 (11:47):
They're also performers favorites.
Speaker 8 (11:50):
Some people don't jail with the performers, and if they
notice a change or they might want to mix it
up so people don't get disrespectful and start just doing
what they want. Sometime it keeps you on your toes.
It depends on your cast. If you have a problematic
cast or somebody at the lead, that's a.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Tough when you mix it up. I don't know.
Speaker 8 (12:14):
I just think that that energy, that new energy, is important.
But our shows were mostly directed by Ellen Gettleson, and
she knew us very well, so I actually seen it
both ways. I've always been happy with new directors sometimes
because I know people are getting a chance to build
their resume. I really really to see somebody I have
(12:38):
worked with over and over again because I don't explain
myself and they know what you're capable of, so they
also pull you back if they're saying, oh, come on, Erica.
Like I wanted to do a whole scene on the
floor and they wouldn't let me, and I said, why,
you can hear me, but you know fine, I'll set up.
I was pissed, but that was a director I knew.
(12:59):
I kept I didn't feel like I was pushing it.
It's just that these things happen. So I think on
a drama, I would say it's because you get burned out.
You can't be the same director. You have to prep
and do each show, and each show you have to
prep them, so it's tough. But I think with comedy
you're more likely to get return directors who are for
(13:19):
the most part, doing most of the shows because the
casts and the writers know that they can pull it off.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Sometimes for you.
Speaker 10 (13:26):
As an actor, is there a particular like in terms
of comedic acting versus dramatic acting? Is one more exhausting?
What kind of strenuous than the other?
Speaker 5 (13:39):
No, I never thought about that.
Speaker 8 (13:42):
I never have. I haven't again. I don't have the
luxury of choosing my roles, and I think that people
think that you can. I took the roles that I got,
and if I didn't do well, I try to do
better the next time. So I got dramas at first,
and I was known as drama girl for a very
long girl a long time, excuse me. And then I
(14:04):
got comedy and suddenly people are like, oh, you were comedian.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
And I was.
Speaker 8 (14:09):
They didn't know I did drama. There was a surprise.
I'm like, you kidding, That's what I grew up in.
And then I do podcasts and I do this or that,
But what I'm really trying to do is make a
living and make a life preach.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
I do remember you and uh the book that Alex
Hilly didn't get to finish.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
Mama's by a Flora's Family.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Yes, okay, sorry, it was.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
You know, remember.
Speaker 8 (14:39):
One time and they gave me and Cecily Tyson a
Black Emmy and anybody that has it from that award show.
It never was done again. We have black I have
an Emmy.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
It's a Black Emmy, but it was a it was
a Blackamy show, right, a black Emmy section.
Speaker 7 (14:54):
It was a black Emmy show.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
It was a Blackamy Award show. Because they weren't even.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
He got I ain't got no. How come I didn't
know this?
Speaker 7 (15:04):
No, I remember, I remember.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
It's a real thing. It only happened once.
Speaker 8 (15:08):
I'm sure they got sued c distance letter, but I
got one.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
See.
Speaker 6 (15:16):
That's why we got to keep telling history and telling
these stories.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
You said that, I thought you meant like, yeah, yeah,
n w A C. People were I didn't realize that there.
Speaker 8 (15:25):
Was the great felicierer shod has no Emmy eight years
on the top show in the world created helped create
must see TV. They weren't given back any awards, they complained. Now,
I'm like, it was a drought and a durst, so
they created the Black Immys and I have one yo.
Speaker 7 (15:45):
Not to move fast forward, boss.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
But in my mind, I'm like, so when somebody said
to Erica, we got this roll for you and get Out,
she must have been like, hell, yeah, just get all this, Like, oh.
Speaker 8 (15:57):
I like to choose great material on the you find it,
great material chooses you. So I read the part and thought, oh,
this is lovely. But frankly I thought it was a
college students film.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Okayecond, so listen.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I often wondered more with Us than get Out. I
obsessed with how something looks on paper before it even
gets to the screen. Fante and I sort of had
this debate before, especially with US.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Yeah. I wasn't big on US. I didn't right.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
I liked US, but I also chose to invest eight
watch throughs. And if you have to watch something eight
times to see probably the Easter Eggs or whatever. I
still enjoyed it because you know, I like looking for
Easter eggs and mystery and whatever. But get out to
me on screen was amazing to be whole. But I
(16:56):
always wondered, what did that script, how did it look
on paper at the time, and did anyone see what
was coming? And the fact that you played such a
straight role in it. I was like, I'm glad she
because when you came, I was like, oh boy, this
is about to turn up now. But they didn't let
you really put your teeth into it. But I don't
(17:17):
know if you were fine.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
With that one thing. I thought it was a comedy.
It was. I remember, my scene is only between me
and little real.
Speaker 8 (17:31):
Outrageous story, and I bring in my team and we
laugh at him. But at first I am supposed to
look like I'm about to get into it. We're gonna
ratchet it up.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (17:42):
Jordan always told me when I came on the scream
beside people.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Going hey that's Max. Oh my god, they were like, okay,
now now something going to happen. That's gonna happen.
Speaker 8 (17:53):
So he would joke and say, we need to make
a Detective LaToya movie. Yes, that character, And that's when
I started thinking about the ping panther or somebody who
is a hapless person who stumbles into success. But it's
not because they're looking for it.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
So no, I do.
Speaker 8 (18:08):
On the paper it looked exactly like it looked. Only
Jordan knew how it was going to go. And unless
you were part imagine, you know, there were fantastic actors
they had all around, and they were cutting people's brains
open and you know what I mean, and replacing them.
(18:30):
So I wonder if they thought, hey, this is an
interesting thing, let's go do it.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
He's a great guy. That's that's what I thought. I
loved Jordan Peel.
Speaker 8 (18:41):
But I can assure you I had a call from
a friend, my co founder Ben at Color Farm here
and he.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Says, Yoe, I just saw the trailer. Didn't you say
you were in a comedy. This is a hard film.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
And wait, even then, you didn't realize where he was
going with it.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
No, because you didn't get to read the whole thing.
Did you just read your scenes?
Speaker 5 (19:04):
I read my scene? But not only that.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
It was during the election. I was Hillary Clinton's most
traveled surrogate, that's right. I was on the road Leicester.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
And so for your service, and I was doing.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
Also at the same time Queen Sugar and I was
playing there a bipolar.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (19:23):
So I had flown in from Baton Rouge straight to
Alabama in one night, did all of those things, then
went to Harlem for a rally for Hillary. I did
it all like this without even looking. Sometimes you just
have to go forward. And that was one of those moments.
Speaker 7 (19:43):
Wait wait, wait, wait wait.
Speaker 6 (19:46):
So did you ever get going sneak into a theater
and hear the reaction of people when you come on
the screen.
Speaker 7 (19:51):
Did you get to feel that?
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Yes? I did get to feel it once and it
was really once.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Yeah, okay once, Yeah, my first time seeing it. I
saw it in Detroit, so it was all the way
laugh very different, very different. Yeah. I was gonna say,
I think I watched that.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Film twelve times and purposely chose various I chose the
whitest theater in Denver, Colorado, where the film was absolutely silent.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
In parts.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
That and then I saw I went to Magic Johnson
to see say that evening Ready Dog, and that's when
I was like, oh, now that's where it's a comedy,
Like that's it's not a totally different movie.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
Different movie. Yeah, that's hilarious.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Now that I think about it, there's another iconic film
role you did. I'll be very brief, but can you
talk about Tony Braxton's You're Making Me High?
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Video? Yeah, let's go.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Can you just talk. I think that was maybe the
last time. Like, once you're in the industry, you just
watch things different. But I do remember well one I
was happy because if you were around in the nineties whatever,
Bryce Wilson's growth theory kind of yeah, Bryce Wilson his
uh uh and I'm understating this. His adoration for Tony
(21:26):
Braxton was well known throughout circles. So the fact that
he got to play in that video, like I was like, yo,
he like he he's made his crush in love for
the Stalk of on right exactly, very very much known.
And so when this sort of came to fruition in
a video whatnot? Like I actually found myself watching the
(21:50):
video as like a fan, not an industry person, even
though I experienced everything, listening to records, watching videos whatever
you do, like, you see different once you're in it.
But to me, that looked so much fun. I was like, wow,
like they were having the time there life.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
What was it? Like?
Speaker 8 (22:07):
I was pretty intimidated. Really, yeah, because I don't know.
Teacher Campbell once asked me about this. She said, Erica,
we don't see you out much. You don't go out,
and I didn't have. I came into business when there
were no Ange News, there were no going out, There
were no young women yet performing, and they didn't have
(22:31):
many roles for young women.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
So I didn't come in hanging out.
Speaker 8 (22:36):
And even though I came up in the hip hop
era and there's Wu Tang and this and that and
I'm in LA, it was dangerous to go out.
Speaker 5 (22:44):
You get captain the ads. Yeah, So you just didn't
hang out.
Speaker 8 (22:48):
And so that was the first time me meeting those people.
And so to me, I was a fan and that's
something here I am, and they're like, they want me
to be in that video with Tony Braxton and next
to the Vivica Fox and blah blah, and I get.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
I kind of shut down a little bit when I'm.
Speaker 8 (23:05):
Intimidated, and so I tried to just do what they
told me to do. I didn't necessarily know how a
music video was shot. It was a learning experience and
I was glad to be there, but for the most part,
I was if you didn't know I was in there,
wouldn't know I was in.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
Ye.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
When I think of it, I think of you first,
and maybe I think at tis Campbell like, but yeah, no,
when when you're there, we noticed.
Speaker 7 (23:37):
Thanks always, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
We noticed. I wanted to ask about Queen Sugar.
Speaker 10 (23:43):
You talk about, you know, shows that didn't get Emmys
or recognition.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
What was it like working on that show?
Speaker 10 (23:48):
Because that was just such a beautifully shot show and
beautifully lit, like you know.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
It was just a beautiful show to watch. Why do
they not announci you a while?
Speaker 4 (23:57):
Ara Angela blame Ralph angel for me now having subtitles on.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
Ava does everything with intention.
Speaker 8 (24:11):
Avid Duvenet came in this world with a black power
sign stamped on her breast in the front. It's her
shield and it's her mantra. And I think that you
see that as an expression of love, and she wants
(24:31):
to rebrand black people. That's what I want to do.
She wanted to show a family that had land. We
came in and we worked the land, but we didn't
own that land. And once we owned the land, we
were sharecropping for that land, and then we were thrown
off the land. And now they say, we're not country
and we are country. So there's all these things mixed
(24:54):
in to Queen Sugar. She's talking about money ownership, she's
talking about families, she's talking about generational trauma, she's talking
about politics, she's talking about real estate. She's talking about
all these things. And she did it. So I bravoed
to her. And that's what it was like. You knew
when you walked on that you were contributing to something
(25:14):
that had very little to do with you, but more
to do with how could we tell this story about
a generational family that owned land.
Speaker 10 (25:24):
Did you see your work in American fiction? You mentioned
kind of rebanded, rebranding black people. Did you see American
fiction as an extension of that?
Speaker 5 (25:33):
For sure?
Speaker 8 (25:34):
I mean, poor Jefferson is made for the moment. I
mean you have to understand American fiction is a satire. Okay,
let's mention the greater Jeffrey Wright. You just got one
of the best actors of all time to do it.
But that character wants to be free of a narrative
that's been keeping him in the cheap seats. He's a
(25:54):
spectator in his own life and his reality. Our reality
is much more complicated and plex then the narratives that
drive the market. And so we have a problem with
these stories that endure because black people have been amazingly
successful by catering to those forces, and they've successfully produced,
they've supported and these impoverished narratives. But this very durable
(26:20):
and very self sustained universe is rejected. So that's the question,
why do we see black people locked in these stereotypes?
And has blackness become a victim of its own success?
And that's what that that movie is about. When you're
playing a narrative that you don't own and yet you,
(26:46):
you know, push it out.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
So you could be successful.
Speaker 8 (26:49):
You it's I'm surprised we haven't all gone that shit crazy.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
We have, But I also feel like, well, I'm under
the impression that the reset of twenty twenty is what
actually allowed us to recharge.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
And come forth. But yeah, I too wonder that.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
Can I ask you something though, because it's been a
minute since a movie sparked any type of conversation use
especially with me, like I'll see moving like okay, it's
dope or whatever, you know, the ending of American fiction,
or at least I would and we should probably have
Chord on the show. We should have chord on the show.
(27:39):
So here's the thing with the last fifteen minutes of
the show without spoiling the movie for people was talked about,
and the thing was I told the group of people
I went to see it with, I said, look, they
could have easily did a Hollywood ending where all's well,
that ends well. Now, for me, the ending of that
(28:00):
was much akin to like you remember, like maybe the
first seven Spike Lee films really never ended right, it
never yeah, but even think of do the right thing
like it wasn't happily ever after No Better Blues was
QUI fied.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
He found love, but he lost his gifts right, And
for me, the ending of.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
American fiction was not only I felt the right choice
of an ending, but I mean as a person, and
I know I'm not alone like I often find myself
in that ending where sometimes you're just like all right,
fuck it, you know what I mean. And even though
(28:48):
it wasn't the ideal Hollywood ending, I felt that was the.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Most realistic, the realistic ending.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
And for those that were just like yo, man, what
do you think about the end? And I felt like
that's how that shit goes that was the truth and
it's the sad truth. Did you guys sort of wonder that,
like in the film of How It Ends? Because even
for me, I was wondering, like, okay, when the big
revelation happens, is, you know, is it redemption for all
(29:17):
of us?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Is in my mind?
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I started predicting houses sick going end. I can't wait
for this at the end, And when it ended, I
was like, yeah, I guess that's how it ends. How
did you feel about that at the time? And was
that ever a subject of discussion where their alternate ending
shot for it?
Speaker 8 (29:39):
Or I knew the one I was in. I was
in two of them, the happy ending and the more
tragic endings.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Wait, wait, time out you're talking about American fiction? Or yeah?
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Yeah, yeah, oh, because you also, I don't know if
you inadvertently know this. I didn't realize that Get Out
also had two endings as well.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Oh yeah, the we did, Yeah.
Speaker 6 (30:02):
But I didn't ours just like I felt like it
was clue yeah.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
Yeah, get it Out and never showed you other endings.
But I think we have to just take it from
the point of view of an author. Okay, and the
author has posited this question that And this could be metaverse,
by the way, and you appreciate this, You guys are
all nerds. When Jeffrey starts to sip his cognact and
(30:30):
write the movie, he goes into a matter verse and
makes me wonder what movie are we watching? Is it
still his real life or is it something he's writing?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Wait?
Speaker 7 (30:43):
Was that an Eastern third ending?
Speaker 8 (30:46):
Right?
Speaker 6 (30:46):
He's saying that was the third ending that we didn't win,
the fourth ending that we didn't see.
Speaker 8 (30:50):
I'm saying that there's a lot of things that switch
and start to be different once we see Keith David
and start before we started to get the idea that
he can manipulate his reality through his fiction.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
So I think we need to ask the original source.
Speaker 8 (31:09):
Material, Percival ever, because maybe in erasure exactly, maybe that's
where the true ending lies. But they shot the ending
you saw after we were all gone, so I was
surprised to see the ending. Oh okay, so Corty's to
(31:30):
come in here and stand and deliver he used this all.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (31:34):
One of my favorite things about that film was I
liked how it showed relationship, romantic relationships, black romantic relationships
with people of different ages.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 10 (31:45):
Yeah, generational. Yeah, that was so beautiful like you and Jeffrey.
But then also I forgot the name, but the Old House.
Speaker 6 (31:55):
Is a boss listen, I mean dead pull along. I'm
like the fact that she pulls American fixture the dead pool.
Speaker 8 (32:00):
She's fucking yeah, she's a back and I got to
share a green room with her and get all those stories.
These people are walking around with such genius inside of
it's such the blueprints to our lives and to the future.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
And she's one of them.
Speaker 8 (32:18):
So that's the other ones is excellent, And you're right,
that was remember the housekeepers.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
The housekeeper in the security Guard.
Speaker 5 (32:27):
But you know what, it's trying to give truth to
the lie that black people.
Speaker 8 (32:32):
Don't have generational stories, that we only exist inside of
the generation we're in and we're not having this back
and forth communication wisdom and also building and architecture in
our lives and it's so normal in that movie.
Speaker 6 (32:49):
Yeah, I really I literally got like emotional watching you
and Jeffrey because it's just something that we just don't
see seeing you in that role and seeing you get
a chance to show love in that way, like you
like seeing you as the actors that we know play
that role was so important and kind of I think
I'm not the only person that got emotional overseeing you,
(33:09):
just in that.
Speaker 8 (33:11):
You know, people have said that I get to meet cute,
I get to meet like and make Ryan. I dropped
my tomatoes and did he talk over Ryan? I imagine
that you're not jumping each other phones. I got lotion
afterwards after we do our little do.
Speaker 5 (33:29):
It's a seduction.
Speaker 6 (33:32):
And you think high enough of yourself to be like,
I don't have to be there here.
Speaker 8 (33:36):
No you confused, don't bring that king, don't disturb my peace. Yeah,
she's not pining for him. She just let go of
aok A relationship, and I'm sure it was difficult for her.
So what she took to regain that kind of stability,
She wasn't willing to give it up his drama and
(33:56):
that's self empowerment.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
And it was lovely. It wasn't mean or angry. It
was just sort of like, you gotta.
Speaker 7 (34:03):
Go, Erica.
Speaker 6 (34:05):
Please tell me what it's like going back and forth
and playing this game with Jeffrey Wright, Like, what is
it like in a scene like what he's just he's it,
He's it.
Speaker 7 (34:15):
And then talk about sterling.
Speaker 5 (34:16):
Okay, well, Jeffrey is a nerd too. He only watches documentaries.
Speaker 8 (34:21):
He doesn't watch TV, but he knows all for references,
so he would get along with all of you guys.
Speaker 5 (34:27):
It's from DC. You know those DC light skinned brothers,
me too and all there you go.
Speaker 7 (34:34):
But he's from Southeast though. He went to Anacostia High School.
Speaker 8 (34:37):
Okay, so you know who you are. He loves his
mother and he loves his auntie who raised him. He's
a great lover of women, black women, and he understands.
So he's not intimidated by me. He doesn't think that
I'm a thread and in fact feel like, yeah, well,
he feels like he's taking care of business. He is
(34:58):
a man that's perspected on and he understands what he's
there to do. But here's what he's not there to do.
He's not there not to make mistakes. So he's trying
things and experimenting. He's frustrated that.
Speaker 5 (35:09):
You can see. He wants a certain result and he's
going for it.
Speaker 8 (35:14):
So I like somebody who was expectation is high, but
he's like, that's your expectation. I came on here to
be an actor and make my mistakes like everybody else
and put it together and you it reminds you that
you have to give yourself grace. Everybody can expect you
(35:35):
to be perfect, but that's not what you're here for.
And that's who Jeffrey is. And once he gets permission
to do those things, he gives everyone else permission.
Speaker 5 (35:46):
And then the set runs.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
When you are paired with an acting partner that you
know that your your characters sort of connected to. Are
there conversations beforehand of what the chemistry is going to be?
Because I've heard, and I'm asking this as a new
director and as a director that hasn't done scripted yet,
(36:09):
I've heard. I've talked to a lot of directors and
they've told me ideal stories of like, these actors are
the ones who gravitates towards I've heard nightmare stories of
established actors who you know, this actor will only give
you two takes and if you don't got it, tough titties,
(36:29):
that's your fault. I don't give a fuck next scene.
That sort of thing. Is it a speed dating process?
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Like how long?
Speaker 4 (36:36):
Because the thing is is that one with Jeffrey, but
also your relationship with uh, what's his name? No, no, no, no,
I'm going back to to Bobby, to h who's playing him? Okay,
(36:59):
So I'm wondering how long is the speed quote air
quote speed day process between you and an actor to know,
like to at least get to know each other or
is this just like cold like you automatically know what
to do.
Speaker 8 (37:16):
So I want to first say something about the bad
behavior that they might be speaking to. I have not
experienced that, and I've been in Shobiz forty years, so.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
I've been a little bit. I don't know.
Speaker 8 (37:29):
I give a little side eye to the stories because
I think that people attract certain things because they put either, oh,
that person must be in that role, knowing that the
person is problematic, instead of giving somebody who can do
the role just as well and not give those type
of problems. And so everybody has a reputation. No one
(37:54):
is operating in a vacuum. So if they're experiencing that,
I think it's hard for you not to know where
actor lands, and you have to consider do you really
want that, because that could be that can ruin you.
A bad attitude can ruin everything, the crew, everything.
Speaker 5 (38:10):
So I haven't but I haven't experienced that.
Speaker 8 (38:13):
I've experienced some issue with younger actors because they haven't
been properly trained. And I'm not talking about on stage
because I only did a very small amount of training.
I mean, no one tells them the truth and they
get away with bad behavior and there's no consequences. If
somebody did that on my set, I would replace them
almost immediately.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (38:32):
So when you check after check a young actor, what
do you say, like, how do you check them?
Speaker 8 (38:36):
You take them aside, You don't embarrass them. You ask
them if there's something wrong, because sometimes they can come
to set and there's something wrong and you ask them
if they need help. You have identify somebody they can
talk to. It could be another actor who's willing to
mentor them and they can be open, honest with and vulnerable.
(38:57):
It could be a psychiatrist. They could just be scared
and not know how to say it. They may need
help with lines and they're freaking out. Get them a
dialogue coach, get them the help they need. They'll calm down.
They also need sleep, and some people these people sleep
(39:20):
working these kids, what's too they're more soft than not.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
We work that is actual and factual.
Speaker 8 (39:27):
Thank you, But I'm saying that all those things are
playing in part. So that's what I would say. I
first maybe see that, and then I might have a
conversation outside, whether their manager or agents, and not.
Speaker 5 (39:38):
To scare them, but they need.
Speaker 8 (39:40):
Warning that it is and they need to know that
you're on their side. If it continues, then you need
to start looking into it right away and reshift your
schedule to shoot things they're not in.
Speaker 10 (39:54):
Did you have any like any ogs who was who
did that for you?
Speaker 5 (39:58):
Like?
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Who gave you that need.
Speaker 8 (39:59):
To I came into the set pristine. I'm a preacher's daughter.
I know how to act, I cook, and I'm from
girls high studied. I know and I'm learned. And if
I was scared, I might not have known you talked
to That's true. I think I experienced a lot of
trauma because I couldn't really tell what I was feeling.
Speaker 5 (40:19):
But that came later on in life.
Speaker 8 (40:21):
But I didn't have problems showing up, knowing my lines,
being prepared. We did twenty six show a year. Now
people do ten and they freak out. I'm learning to
play a week. No, I ain't got no problem.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
All right, this is this hit me right now when
you started saying those words like it's something wrong and
can I help you? You know, sometime I just realized,
surely Ralph just sunned me. And I'm realizing it, right.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Baby, Oh yeah you.
Speaker 6 (40:55):
Are.
Speaker 7 (40:56):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
She pulled me to his side. She pulled me to
the side. Are you a little nervous right now? And
I was like, and just hit me. I got the
quasi defensive no no, no, I'm cool, I'm cool, I'm I'm good.
No no, no, listen, listen. You could just breathe and
say it is lower. No, no, no, and she like, now
(41:18):
do it.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
And I was like, and I just realized, oh shit,
I was fucking up.
Speaker 4 (41:22):
I was that perfect. I didn't realize it until you
said that.
Speaker 5 (41:26):
But a mirror.
Speaker 8 (41:29):
She did that with respect. What she was trying to
do is give you permission. And if you said to
her me, I'm a little nervous, then it goes away.
You know how if you say something, you could lean
into it because everyone's nervous.
Speaker 4 (41:42):
But the thing was that in my mind, like when
you said that, then I'm like, okay, you're an experienced actress.
You could tell what a newbie doesn't know any better,
or they might be doing something wrong, or da da
da da da. And I'm now realizing that maybe the
first three takes that I did, because you know, they
do ship over there like nine times in a row.
(42:02):
So now I'm realizing my first four takes were like
he's not getting it. And they kind of had this
magic circle thing, you know, when people were together and
they just look at each other and you know you're
being talked about, but no one's saying it, Like I
felt like maybe there's something on my teeth or it was.
It was rather significant nice and so she was the
(42:25):
designated She's the leader of the group.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Chat damn.
Speaker 7 (42:30):
That an elder sister who was like mighty queen because.
Speaker 8 (42:35):
Thinking that a lot of the I don't know if
you did a read through and all that, but some
of these things, yeah, and that's that's the issue. You're
fitting into their world and you're trying to take it
all in all at once, and you're also trying to
do all this other stuff. By the way, any guests
feature performer has that extra burden. So I think that
(42:59):
she was just giving you PERMISSI, but she wasn't sonning you.
Speaker 5 (43:02):
She was just sort of like a big sister going yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
Oh no, no, no cool.
Speaker 4 (43:08):
I mean, let me let me make it clear. Yes,
she wasn't sonning me disrespect. Yeah, but you know, I
think maybe because I only entered situations that I know,
like the back of my hand, like if it were
music or that sort of thing. Is like, I'm not
saying you can't tell me nothing, but you know, this
is definitely an area that.
Speaker 8 (43:29):
In your world you're king, it's hard to come in
spaces and you direct and you do all these things,
and then you're putting in a position where suddenly it's like, okay,
wait a minute, I'm not on you know what what again,
you're an artist, So she approached you as one, and
that's respectful, and she it wasn't a matter of whether
(43:50):
you could do it. It was a matter of sort
of saying, you know who told me that cely Tithe
it her cold breathe, breathe. When these sisters tell you
it sounds ridiculous, like I am breathing, but you know,
but she they're trying to remind you to be in
your body also to give you permission that you ain't
got to be perfect. And she I've been told that
(44:12):
by whoopee, I've been doing and these people are that.
I'm there for those Wu Tang kids to come up
and say, you're tired, you're not getting you sleep, okay,
so let's let's get you some water.
Speaker 5 (44:27):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 8 (44:28):
Stand up, stand up, shake your body, let's go outside
and get some sun. And I remind them that they're human,
They're not a freaking robot. But they're talented and that's
why they're there, and they need to not think about
the talent, just think about being present. And it's all
right to have that. But I do want to say
(44:50):
something to what you said. You asked about you know,
how do you how do you.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Talk to your scene partner?
Speaker 8 (44:57):
You don't usually it if when I say, you don't
usually if unless you need to. I'm at a point where,
for the most part, if somebody needs to talk to me,
they'll pick you aside.
Speaker 5 (45:09):
So, Erica, I'm not sure about this scene. I don't
know where it's headed, but I think this and that.
What do you think?
Speaker 8 (45:17):
And I said, I don't know. I don't know, Jeffrey,
but I'll follow your lead. He goes, okay, we'll work
it out and then it's just one of those things
where in a way he's just convincing that maybe hasn't
settled on how the scene goes or I and I
know to be ready for changes, and he's just putting
me on blasts, but also not on a blast. He's
(45:39):
giving me a heads up, but he's also telling me,
support me, look out for me.
Speaker 5 (45:46):
And I'm glad when somebody says that because I've said that.
Speaker 8 (45:48):
By the way, when I was on Queen Sugar, I
had medication because I have colitus, and sometimes it can
it's a steroid.
Speaker 5 (45:55):
It can make you feel like.
Speaker 8 (45:56):
Really like if you can get emotional, everything feel heightened,
like you can faint.
Speaker 5 (46:03):
And so I told Omar, who plays.
Speaker 8 (46:08):
I said, I've got to do this emotional scene and
if I get overwhelmed and faint, because that's how I said,
you got to tell them I'm all right.
Speaker 5 (46:18):
But you know what happened. He says, I got you, girl,
I got you.
Speaker 8 (46:21):
And once I did that, I actually calm calm down
and I was able to do the scene because I
was worried about fainting.
Speaker 5 (46:29):
That's what it is.
Speaker 8 (46:31):
The director can sometime give you that kind of confidence
because that's the person you want to impress, and you
sometimes don't want.
Speaker 5 (46:38):
To be too friendly with the performers, but.
Speaker 8 (46:41):
You do have to make a connection with him that
you're they're not there to hit a line, a bar,
a vis or that, and that you enjoy their mistakes.
Speaker 5 (46:52):
So that was fun.
Speaker 8 (46:54):
Give them encouragement, and don't give them encouragement just because
they get it and cried. Just say thank you each time,
say thank you for whatever they get me. It's no
different thank you for the crime. Then when if they
don't do it, and then they say, okay, they're not
making a big deal out of it.
Speaker 5 (47:12):
I can be whatever and still get approval.
Speaker 8 (47:16):
The actors will do anything for you because they know
they can't fail.
Speaker 9 (47:20):
I want to ask about the Wu Tang show, which
I loved. How did you get that role? And did
you actually meet Rizz's mom before you know?
Speaker 2 (47:32):
Oh man, I didn't know that long straight short.
Speaker 8 (47:36):
I loved the Woutang, but at the time, I didn't
think it was a role for me. I didn't know
if I wanted to be a mother of all these
may ask kids.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
Well, you look like you could be their sister on
the camera, So I mean.
Speaker 8 (47:50):
Yeahreer, but I didn't know, so I didn't really step
up for the audition because there was an audition and
they said, Erica, they coming back to you, would you
And I said, all right, so I did and they said, well, Rizzon.
Speaker 5 (48:06):
Wants to meet you.
Speaker 8 (48:07):
And I said, oh, I don't know if I wanted
to go any further, and I don't want to lead
anybody on, but I decided, you know what, Erica, go on,
do what's in front of you.
Speaker 5 (48:15):
So I met.
Speaker 8 (48:15):
Him and Ris is very you know, charismatic and lovely
and respectful, and I did my thing, and he said
after I got the partner, I accepted it because I
did get it that you know, there's only four represented
in the show, but I got eleven brothers and sisters
including me, and they all had to say you were
(48:39):
okay to play our mother.
Speaker 5 (48:44):
Because the whole.
Speaker 8 (48:45):
Real America can play Linding Diggs. So then I learned
about their mother, and their mother had experienced abuse and
it's one of the reason why they think she died.
She was married twice and unfortunately she experienced domestic abuse,
(49:06):
which is portrayed into there. So I knew that it
was something very special that Rizzo wanted me to project.
So I said to her, and I'm not very religious,
but those spiritual said, miss miss Linda, your children want
to see you. You showed me the way. And then
(49:26):
I didn't do anything because I knew they had already
seen what they wanted and I just needed to not perform.
I need to just get out of the way and
let her be there. And to me, she's a ghost.
In that series, Rizza wanted to see his mother, so
he wrote her in I.
Speaker 5 (49:45):
Fulfil the mean?
Speaker 2 (49:47):
Yeah, Wow, were you Au Tang fan? Prior to the
did you Tang fan?
Speaker 8 (49:52):
Not as much as everybody didn't know their music as much.
But I'm a Wu Tang fan because I really love
how intellectual they are are. I love methic man and
and I like men who are working it out and
they're individualists. Again, they're an individualists and then they decide
to come together to make a super group and then
their brand becomes bigger than them all.
Speaker 5 (50:14):
I'm sorry. I love that kind of story.
Speaker 7 (50:18):
Did you see?
Speaker 6 (50:18):
And I'm curious because there's a lot of great actors,
great young actors in that cast. Do you see a
couple of them as like leading in the in the future,
like the next like not the next.
Speaker 7 (50:28):
They're doing their thing.
Speaker 8 (50:29):
But Julian Elijah Martinez who played my son, he played
the elder.
Speaker 2 (50:38):
Yeah, he played divine.
Speaker 7 (50:40):
Sometimes he.
Speaker 5 (50:44):
Does look like.
Speaker 8 (50:47):
There of course Ashton Sanders there, You've got Marcus Callender,
their genius performers, and Elijah is on fire. There is
not enough film are television to absorb this talent, and
my goal is to find ways so they can show
the world what they can do. We've got more talent
(51:08):
than we've got content for them to be in. So yeah,
look out. All of them are wonderful. I love them all.
Speaker 9 (51:16):
I have one last question, Eric, I need the face routine.
I need what's what's your face routine?
Speaker 6 (51:21):
What's your so thank you for that.
Speaker 5 (51:31):
I had a huge breakout because I came here and
started eating stuff I didn't know.
Speaker 8 (51:35):
But you know what, I think I really appreciate that
when you saw me in person, you see the lines.
Speaker 7 (51:40):
See no, no, no, that's not true. I just weeks ago.
Don't tell tales.
Speaker 5 (51:45):
Well you know what black does crack.
Speaker 8 (51:48):
But I think if you keep yourself smiling and laughing
about things, I think people see the brightness in my
face really and the openness and I like to believe
that I can still be young and enthusiastic and not
jaded and not tired. I'm enthusiastic after forty years to
be here, and I know what it feels like to
(52:10):
be tired.
Speaker 5 (52:11):
But Harriet wasn't tired until she was tired. So I'm
all right.
Speaker 7 (52:17):
My hair is strenders ship.
Speaker 5 (52:19):
That's in your DNA. I'm good, by the way. I
don't believe in all this hustle. I get your sleep,
get your rest. It's important.
Speaker 8 (52:27):
Listen, read and go outside and let the sun hit
you and listen to read. Take off all the things
and just the ambient noise get to you.
Speaker 4 (52:37):
I don't think I ever heard an episode where I
don't want to say goodbye to the person.
Speaker 2 (52:41):
No.
Speaker 4 (52:42):
Once again, thank you so much for coming on our show.
And this is definitely you know, this is a dream
for us. We talked about this for a long time
of having you.
Speaker 7 (52:52):
And shout out your organization.
Speaker 6 (52:53):
Please, because when you say you're trying to uplift these
people and these creatives, you're doing it in real time.
Speaker 7 (52:57):
Please please Color Farm.
Speaker 8 (53:00):
We call ourselves the town of film, television and tech.
You're trying to change the face to the media and
rebrand blackness. We produced John Was Good Trouble. I co
directed the reparations documentary The Big Payback. You're doing a
Diet and Carol documentary. You're also doing collaborations partnerships in
the scripted space as well. Remember us a mirror and
(53:24):
for everyone there, we appreciate your support because.
Speaker 5 (53:29):
We don't have a deal.
Speaker 8 (53:30):
Just worked really hard and we got the DuPont Columbia
word for something we did called Finding Tamika, which was
the top true crime audio series that I created a
road and I really am very proud of that because
we're talking about missing white woman syndrome and to do
what we use this black girl's life to show Mika.
Speaker 5 (53:51):
She was used as the discussion around it.
Speaker 8 (53:55):
And we maybe made Neil Noir ghost story and we
thought it was lovely and their family was lovely to
let us do it.
Speaker 5 (54:03):
But I'm here, I want to say something to you. Yes,
you are not only.
Speaker 8 (54:09):
An agot, You're a person who is in power to
empower and I'm very gratified that you're from Philly. I
see all the stuff that you do, and I say
stuff that you do, the amazing.
Speaker 5 (54:22):
Things that you accomplish.
Speaker 8 (54:25):
But I also love that you have the curiosity intellectual
and the deep dives that most people don't allow themselves
to have. And so you're very generous with your mind
and your brilliance. And I appreciate that, brother, because all
the people, all those people would recognize that you are
(54:46):
their son. So thank you all for creating this for
us to have these long conversations, because I think we're
also archiving history.
Speaker 2 (54:59):
One. Thank you, Yeah you made it.
Speaker 7 (55:02):
Thank you, thank you for making that.
Speaker 2 (55:03):
Thank you for yeah doing your ship.
Speaker 5 (55:05):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (55:07):
I appreciate you, and you're back.
Speaker 4 (55:11):
That is probably the greatest ending of quest love Supreme.
Speaker 5 (55:15):
We could just get that plate of Patty.
Speaker 4 (55:19):
Okay, yes, to let the world know Patty invited me
and the guy who sang about her pies and talked about.
Speaker 2 (55:26):
Oh yeah, yeah, the viral a viral.
Speaker 4 (55:29):
Yeah all right, she invited both of us to our
house for Thanksgiving, and I ate my ass off.
Speaker 2 (55:36):
It was oh this happened like this happened in twenty
fourteen years ago. Oh okay, gotcha. Yes, after a lot
of begging.
Speaker 6 (55:44):
Erica wants to be invited. I will guest if you
watched eightieth birthday. I'm saying, we just make it a family.
Speaker 5 (55:51):
Thank you, gol face.
Speaker 2 (55:51):
I appreciate, thank you, Thanks see all the next around, y'all.
Thank you for listening to Quest Love Free. This podcast
is hosted by.
Speaker 9 (56:02):
Emir West, Love Thompson, Boss Man, Like Here, Saint Clair
So Blackly Black, Myself, Fontigerlo Fonte, Coleman, Sugar, Steve Mandel
and Unpaid Bill Sherman. Executive producers are a Mere Quest Love, Thompson,
Sean g and the US Father Brian Calhoun. Produced by
Freaking Benjamin, my dog cousin, Jake Payne, my Motherfucking Man
(56:27):
and like Is Saint Clair My work wife edited by Alex.
Speaker 2 (56:31):
Conrad, Produced by iHeart by Noel Brown and.
Speaker 1 (56:44):
First Love Supreme is the production of iHeart Radio. For
more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Questlove Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
What's Up Everybody?
Speaker 3 (00:06):
This is Sugar Steve from Questlove Supreme. We are back
with part two of our conversation with the incredible Erica Alexander.
If you have not heard part one, please check that
out before this. In that episode, Erica spoke about her
upbringing living in Arizona and New Mexico before moving to Philly.
She really opened up about her experiences playing cousin Pam
on The Cosby Show and Maxine on Living Single, two
(00:29):
very memorable roles.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
One thing I want to add too is that you
won't hear me or.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
One thing I want to add too is that you
won't hear me or unpaid bill in this part too,
because one thing I want to add too is that
you won't hear me or unpaid bill in this part too, because.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Theyre so here's the thing, when, of course it's revealed
that you know Living Singles main sort of influence, of
course being right, and you've talked about this time and
(01:09):
time again about friends, but I do want to know
because here's the deal. I had to go to the
Warner Brothers a lot, maybe like a month ago. I
did a cameo on Avid Elementary, which I think might
be on right now as we speak. And I remember
seeing an interview where you were like, yeah, you know,
we were on the same lot. You know, both shows
(01:31):
were Warner Brothers shows, and I go there now, and
of course you know, you'll you'll go past the wherever
what do you call it? Like the buildings that they
build sets, like oh, the house stages, right, you know,
I always wanted to know what sound stage you guys
(01:52):
were on, because they now mark off like this is
where Ozzie and Harriet and and Da Da Da and
friends and Da Da Da, And I wanted to know
where the living single one was, but we weren't there.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
We were on the ghetto a lot, I'm not kidding, right.
Speaker 6 (02:07):
So not even in that whole area, a whole different
area location address.
Speaker 7 (02:12):
You're saying, yeah, what's something.
Speaker 8 (02:14):
Called the ranch And they had all the big shows
or all the shows with white casts on the big
lot and we were on the ranch lot. We didn't
have air conditioning, wed No, we had to. We staged
a walk out because we didn't have craft service correct
(02:34):
or you know those types of things.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Yeah, we were hot in sale on that stage.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
So okay, I add when I asked the Avid people
that like, okay, so where's this in proximity to work
for it? They're like, we're right next door to them,
And they were like, that's a big deal to be
right next door to where they shot Friends, and I
briefly mentioned the whole living single thing, but then I
got distracted and never got the answer. But obviously, to
shoot any where in proximity to where Friends was means
(03:02):
that you're going to get treated better, like you're things work,
and so you're saying that a lot of those things
you actually wanted the stage a walk out, that's crazy.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
We did stay the watch on.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, really, yeah.
Speaker 7 (03:16):
I was very.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
Political even then.
Speaker 8 (03:18):
I wrote a letter and I said that you have
to understand I had to come off of the biggest
show in the world, right. I understood that we weren't
going to get those types of niceties to Cosby got,
but I understood what we were being treated like niggas
say that, yeah, so wait with the number one show
in America, Black and Latino Household and we didn't have
(03:38):
any air condition at the time, we need to that's
crazy advocate for it now. They wouldn't do those types
of things, and it's nice to be in proximity to
power and things that are, you know, in the zeitgeist.
But we were over there building still for the black
people who were on.
Speaker 6 (03:57):
Those sets, that's the same part of the stories that
I wish you would have been able to finish that story.
So they understood how much of a real big deal
it was to be there in that moment, and who
fought for them to be there, because that's fucking ridiculous.
Speaker 7 (04:11):
Yeah, real quick, what other shows shot at the Ranch?
Speaker 5 (04:14):
The Wayne's Brothers?
Speaker 7 (04:16):
Oh wow.
Speaker 8 (04:21):
For a long time it was mostly us, and then
season three or so, the Wayne's Brothers dropped in and
we had a good time with those young fellas. And
then the Waltons actually came to do like a limited series.
And I had done a series of something called Common
Ground with Richard Thomas and we had already won friends,
(04:43):
so we said, oh, there goes the neighborhood with all
these white folks. We all got along. We all got along,
We all joked about it, and they got it. But yeah,
that's who was on that lot before they fixed it up.
We were on the Ranch lot, and you know that
fountain it's on our lot that wanted to film around
that fountain, but they didn't let us.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
That's why we're behind the couch eight. That's some shit.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Wow, that's the things I learned.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Oh, was there any truth to the rumor that initially
NBC was going to pick up the show initially before
it went to Fox?
Speaker 8 (05:21):
Never because we are a Warner Brothers show and we
played on the Fox.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Okay, so Warren Littlefields.
Speaker 8 (05:30):
The story goes that when we made our first debut,
they said, is there anything show there was any show
that you saw that you wish it was yours? And
he said single And he was the head of NBC
and then the next year he created with a different
team France.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
I never heard of the cast members response to jay
Z's Moonlight video. Jay Z infamously uh Alan Alan Yang,
who who directed uh uh with with Disease and Sorry Yeah,
Masters of None, and also uh Maya's current series Lut.
(06:12):
Jay Z got Alan Yang to basically get the friend
set to actually recreate Do you remember this vine?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Remember it was it was? Was it was it? Four
four four? Was it? Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (06:26):
The Moonlight song or four four four? What were your
feelings of that?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
I guess.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Once that story broke out, and then jay Z also
gave a statement on it as well, what were your
Did you have a response to that video at all?
Speaker 5 (06:39):
No, I was unaware of it.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Oh okay, basically, when you're that story got out, jay
Z made a video in which Tessa Thompson, Uh, Tiffany
Hattish Hannibal and.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Yeah, yeah, basically I think I did see that. Just
wanted to know if you word okay, I think that.
Speaker 8 (07:03):
We're understand and I understand that in marketing that you
want to also speak to a wide audience. If you
have this huge part of the world that understands that
friends is this juggernaut. I'm sure that jay Z who
understands that you stand next to things you want to
shine on you and vice versa. I don't think he
(07:25):
needs to stand next to living single, okay, and and
and not that he needs to stand next to friends,
But I get it.
Speaker 5 (07:31):
I get it as a branding.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
Was that his homage to living single in a way
like was it the supposed to feel like, yeah, okay,
it was supposed to feel like this is we know
what the real truth is?
Speaker 8 (07:40):
And I guess so, But it could also be seen
in the opposite.
Speaker 7 (07:44):
Yes, it came right, you know, right, you're right.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
Yeah, So but I get it, you.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Know, at one hundred and eighteen episodes, I mean, that's
nothing to sneeze at for in most shows. Basically, if
we're really being honest with ourselves, most shows are at
their best during a five season arc, and then it
gets a little shaky with season six, seven, eight.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
You know they Fraser was consistent all I didn't watch.
Speaker 7 (08:15):
Yeah, yeah, I watched pretty consistent.
Speaker 9 (08:17):
Yeah, I mean I agree with that five season or
like the favor like I mean Breaking Bad or like
the wh Like five seasons is kind of it's perfect.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, yeah, but we're greedy, and so it's like what's
ringing for? All? Right?
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Like right now, fell down a suit hole and now
I'm a little upset that it ended that eight seasons,
even though two said it ended a season five or whatever.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
But are you.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Satisfied with that particular arc, like those one hundred and
eighteen episodes or do you feel as though there was
more in it? Because I'm not I'm not too sure.
But by the time you guys ended.
Speaker 6 (08:57):
Max is pregnant, right ended, and with her gonad, I'm
gonna get together and and then Kadija goes on to
another country to be with Scooters.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
Yeah, well that was just them wrapping it up.
Speaker 8 (09:09):
We didn't even really have passed together, like was you know,
TC wasn't really there.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
That was my comedy partner.
Speaker 8 (09:17):
That's like I'm dancing with Redistare and Ginger and something
I ain't got nobody to dance with.
Speaker 7 (09:23):
I love watching y'all dance.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Yes, there you go.
Speaker 8 (09:27):
We had a Dallas and we had met Williams and
things like that. We're starting to be incorporated, and I
think that it was again it found its peak and
was starting to round over.
Speaker 5 (09:37):
You have you need everybody to be engaged.
Speaker 8 (09:40):
We're saying very intentional words of writers, and they are.
They're building these characters in these worlds, and if they're
not as engaged, then we can only.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Do We're like puppets. We can only do so much.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
I've uh one one last living single, which is totally
just off of character. But I gotta know one of
your directors of the show, John's first thing, JD Lube.
This sounds like a weird poor name. Are you familiar
with JD Lube? L o U l O b U
e okay, see, I would imagine that on a sitcom
(10:19):
there are a gazillion directors or whatnot.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
I wanted to know.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
I know you're looking like, well, no, no, he JD
was sort of the longest director of Soul Train, which
I'm absolutely obsessed with, and so the moment that I
felt that Soul Trained the shark ish, he had left
to go do living single. But you know, I always
(10:45):
just wanted to know what what was he like as
a director.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
But you don't remember, Sorry we ruined show.
Speaker 5 (10:53):
Right to go on listen?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
But but but my question is actually in that in
sitcom world or in television world, can you explain to
me it's weird that the director isn't consistent from soup
to nuts, Like in most comedies they have different directors
(11:16):
come in and direct one Do you know generally why
that's a rule, Like why isn't there just one director
and one writing staff? I know the staff writers can
change throughout the seasons or whatnot, but what does the
deal with like having multiple directors for.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
A series, Like why is that?
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (11:41):
I'm not quite sure, but I would imagine that it
keeps the show from getting stale.
Speaker 5 (11:47):
They're also performers favorites.
Speaker 8 (11:50):
Some people don't jail with the performers, and if they
notice a change or they might want to mix it
up so people don't get disrespectful and start just doing
what they want. Sometime it keeps you on your toes.
It depends on your cast. If you have a problematic
cast or somebody at the lead, that's a.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Tough when you mix it up. I don't know.
Speaker 8 (12:14):
I just think that that energy, that new energy, is important.
But our shows were mostly directed by Ellen Gettleson, and
she knew us very well, so I actually seen it
both ways. I've always been happy with new directors sometimes
because I know people are getting a chance to build
their resume. I really really to see somebody I have
(12:38):
worked with over and over again because I don't explain
myself and they know what you're capable of, so they
also pull you back if they're saying, oh, come on, Erica.
Like I wanted to do a whole scene on the
floor and they wouldn't let me, and I said, why,
you can hear me, but you know fine, I'll set up.
I was pissed, but that was a director I knew.
(12:59):
I kept I didn't feel like I was pushing it.
It's just that these things happen. So I think on
a drama, I would say it's because you get burned out.
You can't be the same director. You have to prep
and do each show, and each show you have to
prep them, so it's tough. But I think with comedy
you're more likely to get return directors who are for
(13:19):
the most part, doing most of the shows because the
casts and the writers know that they can pull it off.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Sometimes for you.
Speaker 10 (13:26):
As an actor, is there a particular like in terms
of comedic acting versus dramatic acting? Is one more exhausting?
What kind of strenuous than the other?
Speaker 5 (13:39):
No, I never thought about that.
Speaker 8 (13:42):
I never have. I haven't again. I don't have the
luxury of choosing my roles, and I think that people
think that you can. I took the roles that I got,
and if I didn't do well, I try to do
better the next time. So I got dramas at first,
and I was known as drama girl for a very
long girl a long time, excuse me. And then I
(14:04):
got comedy and suddenly people are like, oh, you were comedian.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
And I was.
Speaker 8 (14:09):
They didn't know I did drama. There was a surprise.
I'm like, you kidding, That's what I grew up in.
And then I do podcasts and I do this or that,
But what I'm really trying to do is make a
living and make a life preach.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
I do remember you and uh the book that Alex
Hilly didn't get to finish.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
Mama's by a Flora's Family.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Yes, okay, sorry, it was.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
You know, remember.
Speaker 8 (14:39):
One time and they gave me and Cecily Tyson a
Black Emmy and anybody that has it from that award show.
It never was done again. We have black I have
an Emmy.
Speaker 6 (14:49):
It's a Black Emmy, but it was a it was
a Blackamy show, right, a black Emmy section.
Speaker 7 (14:54):
It was a black Emmy show.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
It was a Blackamy Award show. Because they weren't even.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
He got I ain't got no. How come I didn't
know this?
Speaker 7 (15:04):
No, I remember, I remember.
Speaker 5 (15:07):
It's a real thing. It only happened once.
Speaker 8 (15:08):
I'm sure they got sued c distance letter, but I
got one.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
See.
Speaker 6 (15:16):
That's why we got to keep telling history and telling
these stories.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
You said that, I thought you meant like, yeah, yeah,
n w A C. People were I didn't realize that there.
Speaker 8 (15:25):
Was the great felicierer shod has no Emmy eight years
on the top show in the world created helped create
must see TV. They weren't given back any awards, they complained. Now,
I'm like, it was a drought and a durst, so
they created the Black Immys and I have one yo.
Speaker 7 (15:45):
Not to move fast forward, boss.
Speaker 6 (15:47):
But in my mind, I'm like, so when somebody said
to Erica, we got this roll for you and get Out,
she must have been like, hell, yeah, just get all this, Like, oh.
Speaker 8 (15:57):
I like to choose great material on the you find it,
great material chooses you. So I read the part and thought, oh,
this is lovely. But frankly I thought it was a
college students film.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Okayecond, so listen.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I often wondered more with Us than get Out. I
obsessed with how something looks on paper before it even
gets to the screen. Fante and I sort of had
this debate before, especially with US.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Yeah. I wasn't big on US. I didn't right.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
I liked US, but I also chose to invest eight
watch throughs. And if you have to watch something eight
times to see probably the Easter Eggs or whatever. I
still enjoyed it because you know, I like looking for
Easter eggs and mystery and whatever. But get out to
me on screen was amazing to be whole. But I
(16:56):
always wondered, what did that script, how did it look
on paper at the time, and did anyone see what
was coming? And the fact that you played such a
straight role in it. I was like, I'm glad she
because when you came, I was like, oh boy, this
is about to turn up now. But they didn't let
you really put your teeth into it. But I don't
(17:17):
know if you were fine.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
With that one thing. I thought it was a comedy.
It was. I remember, my scene is only between me
and little real.
Speaker 8 (17:31):
Outrageous story, and I bring in my team and we
laugh at him. But at first I am supposed to
look like I'm about to get into it. We're gonna
ratchet it up.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (17:42):
Jordan always told me when I came on the scream
beside people.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Going hey that's Max. Oh my god, they were like, okay,
now now something going to happen. That's gonna happen.
Speaker 8 (17:53):
So he would joke and say, we need to make
a Detective LaToya movie. Yes, that character, And that's when
I started thinking about the ping panther or somebody who
is a hapless person who stumbles into success. But it's
not because they're looking for it.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
So no, I do.
Speaker 8 (18:08):
On the paper it looked exactly like it looked. Only
Jordan knew how it was going to go. And unless
you were part imagine, you know, there were fantastic actors
they had all around, and they were cutting people's brains
open and you know what I mean, and replacing them.
(18:30):
So I wonder if they thought, hey, this is an
interesting thing, let's go do it.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
He's a great guy. That's that's what I thought. I
loved Jordan Peel.
Speaker 8 (18:41):
But I can assure you I had a call from
a friend, my co founder Ben at Color Farm here
and he.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Says, Yoe, I just saw the trailer. Didn't you say
you were in a comedy. This is a hard film.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
And wait, even then, you didn't realize where he was
going with it.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
No, because you didn't get to read the whole thing.
Did you just read your scenes?
Speaker 5 (19:04):
I read my scene? But not only that.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
It was during the election. I was Hillary Clinton's most
traveled surrogate, that's right. I was on the road Leicester.
Speaker 5 (19:14):
And so for your service, and I was doing.
Speaker 8 (19:16):
Also at the same time Queen Sugar and I was
playing there a bipolar.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (19:23):
So I had flown in from Baton Rouge straight to
Alabama in one night, did all of those things, then
went to Harlem for a rally for Hillary. I did
it all like this without even looking. Sometimes you just
have to go forward. And that was one of those moments.
Speaker 7 (19:43):
Wait wait, wait, wait wait.
Speaker 6 (19:46):
So did you ever get going sneak into a theater
and hear the reaction of people when you come on
the screen.
Speaker 7 (19:51):
Did you get to feel that?
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Yes? I did get to feel it once and it
was really once.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Yeah, okay once, Yeah, my first time seeing it. I
saw it in Detroit, so it was all the way
laugh very different, very different. Yeah. I was gonna say,
I think I watched that.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Film twelve times and purposely chose various I chose the
whitest theater in Denver, Colorado, where the film was absolutely silent.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
In parts.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
That and then I saw I went to Magic Johnson
to see say that evening Ready Dog, and that's when
I was like, oh, now that's where it's a comedy,
Like that's it's not a totally different movie.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
Different movie. Yeah, that's hilarious.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
Now that I think about it, there's another iconic film
role you did. I'll be very brief, but can you
talk about Tony Braxton's You're Making Me High?
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Video? Yeah, let's go.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Can you just talk. I think that was maybe the
last time. Like, once you're in the industry, you just
watch things different. But I do remember well one I
was happy because if you were around in the nineties whatever,
Bryce Wilson's growth theory kind of yeah, Bryce Wilson his
uh uh and I'm understating this. His adoration for Tony
(21:26):
Braxton was well known throughout circles. So the fact that
he got to play in that video, like I was like, yo,
he like he he's made his crush in love for
the Stalk of on right exactly, very very much known.
And so when this sort of came to fruition in
a video whatnot? Like I actually found myself watching the
(21:50):
video as like a fan, not an industry person, even
though I experienced everything, listening to records, watching videos whatever
you do, like, you see different once you're in it.
But to me, that looked so much fun. I was like, wow,
like they were having the time there life.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
What was it? Like?
Speaker 8 (22:07):
I was pretty intimidated. Really, yeah, because I don't know.
Teacher Campbell once asked me about this. She said, Erica,
we don't see you out much. You don't go out,
and I didn't have. I came into business when there
were no Ange News, there were no going out, There
were no young women yet performing, and they didn't have
(22:31):
many roles for young women.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
So I didn't come in hanging out.
Speaker 8 (22:36):
And even though I came up in the hip hop
era and there's Wu Tang and this and that and
I'm in LA, it was dangerous to go out.
Speaker 5 (22:44):
You get captain the ads. Yeah, So you just didn't
hang out.
Speaker 8 (22:48):
And so that was the first time me meeting those people.
And so to me, I was a fan and that's
something here I am, and they're like, they want me
to be in that video with Tony Braxton and next
to the Vivica Fox and blah blah, and I get.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
I kind of shut down a little bit when I'm.
Speaker 8 (23:05):
Intimidated, and so I tried to just do what they
told me to do. I didn't necessarily know how a
music video was shot. It was a learning experience and
I was glad to be there, but for the most part,
I was if you didn't know I was in there,
wouldn't know I was in.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
Ye.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
When I think of it, I think of you first,
and maybe I think at tis Campbell like, but yeah, no,
when when you're there, we noticed.
Speaker 7 (23:37):
Thanks always, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
We noticed. I wanted to ask about Queen Sugar.
Speaker 10 (23:43):
You talk about, you know, shows that didn't get Emmys
or recognition.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
What was it like working on that show?
Speaker 10 (23:48):
Because that was just such a beautifully shot show and
beautifully lit, like you know.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
It was just a beautiful show to watch. Why do
they not announci you a while?
Speaker 4 (23:57):
Ara Angela blame Ralph angel for me now having subtitles on.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
Ava does everything with intention.
Speaker 8 (24:11):
Avid Duvenet came in this world with a black power
sign stamped on her breast in the front. It's her
shield and it's her mantra. And I think that you
see that as an expression of love, and she wants
(24:31):
to rebrand black people. That's what I want to do.
She wanted to show a family that had land. We
came in and we worked the land, but we didn't
own that land. And once we owned the land, we
were sharecropping for that land, and then we were thrown
off the land. And now they say, we're not country
and we are country. So there's all these things mixed
(24:54):
in to Queen Sugar. She's talking about money ownership, she's
talking about families, she's talking about generational trauma, she's talking
about politics, she's talking about real estate. She's talking about
all these things. And she did it. So I bravoed
to her. And that's what it was like. You knew
when you walked on that you were contributing to something
(25:14):
that had very little to do with you, but more
to do with how could we tell this story about
a generational family that owned land.
Speaker 10 (25:24):
Did you see your work in American fiction? You mentioned
kind of rebanded, rebranding black people. Did you see American
fiction as an extension of that?
Speaker 5 (25:33):
For sure?
Speaker 8 (25:34):
I mean, poor Jefferson is made for the moment. I
mean you have to understand American fiction is a satire. Okay,
let's mention the greater Jeffrey Wright. You just got one
of the best actors of all time to do it.
But that character wants to be free of a narrative
that's been keeping him in the cheap seats. He's a
(25:54):
spectator in his own life and his reality. Our reality
is much more complicated and plex then the narratives that
drive the market. And so we have a problem with
these stories that endure because black people have been amazingly
successful by catering to those forces, and they've successfully produced,
they've supported and these impoverished narratives. But this very durable
(26:20):
and very self sustained universe is rejected. So that's the question,
why do we see black people locked in these stereotypes?
And has blackness become a victim of its own success?
And that's what that that movie is about. When you're
playing a narrative that you don't own and yet you,
(26:46):
you know, push it out.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
So you could be successful.
Speaker 8 (26:49):
You it's I'm surprised we haven't all gone that shit crazy.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
We have, But I also feel like, well, I'm under
the impression that the reset of twenty twenty is what
actually allowed us to recharge.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
And come forth. But yeah, I too wonder that.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
Can I ask you something though, because it's been a
minute since a movie sparked any type of conversation use
especially with me, like I'll see moving like okay, it's
dope or whatever, you know, the ending of American fiction,
or at least I would and we should probably have
Chord on the show. We should have chord on the show.
(27:39):
So here's the thing with the last fifteen minutes of
the show without spoiling the movie for people was talked about,
and the thing was I told the group of people
I went to see it with, I said, look, they
could have easily did a Hollywood ending where all's well,
that ends well. Now, for me, the ending of that
(28:00):
was much akin to like you remember, like maybe the
first seven Spike Lee films really never ended right, it
never yeah, but even think of do the right thing
like it wasn't happily ever after No Better Blues was
QUI fied.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
He found love, but he lost his gifts right, And
for me, the ending of.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
American fiction was not only I felt the right choice
of an ending, but I mean as a person, and
I know I'm not alone like I often find myself
in that ending where sometimes you're just like all right,
fuck it, you know what I mean. And even though
(28:48):
it wasn't the ideal Hollywood ending, I felt that was the.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Most realistic, the realistic ending.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
And for those that were just like yo, man, what
do you think about the end? And I felt like
that's how that shit goes that was the truth and
it's the sad truth. Did you guys sort of wonder that,
like in the film of How It Ends? Because even
for me, I was wondering, like, okay, when the big
revelation happens, is, you know, is it redemption for all
(29:17):
of us?
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Is in my mind?
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I started predicting houses sick going end. I can't wait
for this at the end, And when it ended, I
was like, yeah, I guess that's how it ends. How
did you feel about that at the time? And was
that ever a subject of discussion where their alternate ending
shot for it?
Speaker 8 (29:39):
Or I knew the one I was in. I was
in two of them, the happy ending and the more
tragic endings.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Wait, wait, time out you're talking about American fiction? Or yeah?
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Yeah, yeah, oh, because you also, I don't know if
you inadvertently know this. I didn't realize that Get Out
also had two endings as well.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Oh yeah, the we did, Yeah.
Speaker 6 (30:02):
But I didn't ours just like I felt like it
was clue yeah.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
Yeah, get it Out and never showed you other endings.
But I think we have to just take it from
the point of view of an author. Okay, and the
author has posited this question that And this could be metaverse,
by the way, and you appreciate this, You guys are
all nerds. When Jeffrey starts to sip his cognact and
(30:30):
write the movie, he goes into a matter verse and
makes me wonder what movie are we watching? Is it
still his real life or is it something he's writing?
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Wait?
Speaker 7 (30:43):
Was that an Eastern third ending?
Speaker 8 (30:46):
Right?
Speaker 6 (30:46):
He's saying that was the third ending that we didn't win,
the fourth ending that we didn't see.
Speaker 8 (30:50):
I'm saying that there's a lot of things that switch
and start to be different once we see Keith David
and start before we started to get the idea that
he can manipulate his reality through his fiction.
Speaker 5 (31:07):
So I think we need to ask the original source.
Speaker 8 (31:09):
Material, Percival ever, because maybe in erasure exactly, maybe that's
where the true ending lies. But they shot the ending
you saw after we were all gone, so I was
surprised to see the ending. Oh okay, so Corty's to
(31:30):
come in here and stand and deliver he used this all.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (31:34):
One of my favorite things about that film was I
liked how it showed relationship, romantic relationships, black romantic relationships
with people of different ages.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 10 (31:45):
Yeah, generational. Yeah, that was so beautiful like you and Jeffrey.
But then also I forgot the name, but the Old House.
Speaker 6 (31:55):
Is a boss listen, I mean dead pull along. I'm
like the fact that she pulls American fixture the dead pool.
Speaker 8 (32:00):
She's fucking yeah, she's a back and I got to
share a green room with her and get all those stories.
These people are walking around with such genius inside of
it's such the blueprints to our lives and to the future.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
And she's one of them.
Speaker 8 (32:18):
So that's the other ones is excellent, And you're right,
that was remember the housekeepers.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
The housekeeper in the security Guard.
Speaker 5 (32:27):
But you know what, it's trying to give truth to
the lie that black people.
Speaker 8 (32:32):
Don't have generational stories, that we only exist inside of
the generation we're in and we're not having this back
and forth communication wisdom and also building and architecture in
our lives and it's so normal in that movie.
Speaker 6 (32:49):
Yeah, I really I literally got like emotional watching you
and Jeffrey because it's just something that we just don't
see seeing you in that role and seeing you get
a chance to show love in that way, like you
like seeing you as the actors that we know play
that role was so important and kind of I think
I'm not the only person that got emotional overseeing you,
(33:09):
just in that.
Speaker 8 (33:11):
You know, people have said that I get to meet cute,
I get to meet like and make Ryan. I dropped
my tomatoes and did he talk over Ryan? I imagine
that you're not jumping each other phones. I got lotion
afterwards after we do our little do.
Speaker 5 (33:29):
It's a seduction.
Speaker 6 (33:32):
And you think high enough of yourself to be like,
I don't have to be there here.
Speaker 8 (33:36):
No you confused, don't bring that king, don't disturb my peace. Yeah,
she's not pining for him. She just let go of
aok A relationship, and I'm sure it was difficult for her.
So what she took to regain that kind of stability,
She wasn't willing to give it up his drama and
(33:56):
that's self empowerment.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
And it was lovely. It wasn't mean or angry. It
was just sort of like, you gotta.
Speaker 7 (34:03):
Go, Erica.
Speaker 6 (34:05):
Please tell me what it's like going back and forth
and playing this game with Jeffrey Wright, Like, what is
it like in a scene like what he's just he's it,
He's it.
Speaker 7 (34:15):
And then talk about sterling.
Speaker 5 (34:16):
Okay, well, Jeffrey is a nerd too. He only watches documentaries.
Speaker 8 (34:21):
He doesn't watch TV, but he knows all for references,
so he would get along with all of you guys.
Speaker 5 (34:27):
It's from DC. You know those DC light skinned brothers,
me too and all there you go.
Speaker 7 (34:34):
But he's from Southeast though. He went to Anacostia High School.
Speaker 8 (34:37):
Okay, so you know who you are. He loves his
mother and he loves his auntie who raised him. He's
a great lover of women, black women, and he understands.
So he's not intimidated by me. He doesn't think that
I'm a thread and in fact feel like, yeah, well,
he feels like he's taking care of business. He is
(34:58):
a man that's perspected on and he understands what he's
there to do. But here's what he's not there to do.
He's not there not to make mistakes. So he's trying
things and experimenting. He's frustrated that.
Speaker 5 (35:09):
You can see. He wants a certain result and he's
going for it.
Speaker 8 (35:14):
So I like somebody who was expectation is high, but
he's like, that's your expectation. I came on here to
be an actor and make my mistakes like everybody else
and put it together and you it reminds you that
you have to give yourself grace. Everybody can expect you
(35:35):
to be perfect, but that's not what you're here for.
And that's who Jeffrey is. And once he gets permission
to do those things, he gives everyone else permission.
Speaker 5 (35:46):
And then the set runs.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
When you are paired with an acting partner that you
know that your your characters sort of connected to. Are
there conversations beforehand of what the chemistry is going to be?
Because I've heard, and I'm asking this as a new
director and as a director that hasn't done scripted yet,
(36:09):
I've heard. I've talked to a lot of directors and
they've told me ideal stories of like, these actors are
the ones who gravitates towards I've heard nightmare stories of
established actors who you know, this actor will only give
you two takes and if you don't got it, tough titties,
(36:29):
that's your fault. I don't give a fuck next scene.
That sort of thing. Is it a speed dating process?
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Like how long?
Speaker 4 (36:36):
Because the thing is is that one with Jeffrey, but
also your relationship with uh, what's his name? No, no, no, no,
I'm going back to to Bobby, to h who's playing him? Okay,
(36:59):
So I'm wondering how long is the speed quote air
quote speed day process between you and an actor to know,
like to at least get to know each other or
is this just like cold like you automatically know what
to do.
Speaker 8 (37:16):
So I want to first say something about the bad
behavior that they might be speaking to. I have not
experienced that, and I've been in Shobiz forty years, so.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
I've been a little bit. I don't know.
Speaker 8 (37:29):
I give a little side eye to the stories because
I think that people attract certain things because they put either, oh,
that person must be in that role, knowing that the
person is problematic, instead of giving somebody who can do
the role just as well and not give those type
of problems. And so everybody has a reputation. No one
(37:54):
is operating in a vacuum. So if they're experiencing that,
I think it's hard for you not to know where
actor lands, and you have to consider do you really
want that, because that could be that can ruin you.
A bad attitude can ruin everything, the crew, everything.
Speaker 5 (38:10):
So I haven't but I haven't experienced that.
Speaker 8 (38:13):
I've experienced some issue with younger actors because they haven't
been properly trained. And I'm not talking about on stage
because I only did a very small amount of training.
I mean, no one tells them the truth and they
get away with bad behavior and there's no consequences. If
somebody did that on my set, I would replace them
almost immediately.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 9 (38:32):
So when you check after check a young actor, what
do you say, like, how do you check them?
Speaker 8 (38:36):
You take them aside, You don't embarrass them. You ask
them if there's something wrong, because sometimes they can come
to set and there's something wrong and you ask them
if they need help. You have identify somebody they can
talk to. It could be another actor who's willing to
mentor them and they can be open, honest with and vulnerable.
(38:57):
It could be a psychiatrist. They could just be scared
and not know how to say it. They may need
help with lines and they're freaking out. Get them a
dialogue coach, get them the help they need. They'll calm down.
They also need sleep, and some people these people sleep
(39:20):
working these kids, what's too they're more soft than not.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
We work that is actual and factual.
Speaker 8 (39:27):
Thank you, But I'm saying that all those things are
playing in part. So that's what I would say. I
first maybe see that, and then I might have a
conversation outside, whether their manager or agents, and not.
Speaker 5 (39:38):
To scare them, but they need.
Speaker 8 (39:40):
Warning that it is and they need to know that
you're on their side. If it continues, then you need
to start looking into it right away and reshift your
schedule to shoot things they're not in.
Speaker 10 (39:54):
Did you have any like any ogs who was who
did that for you?
Speaker 5 (39:58):
Like?
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Who gave you that need.
Speaker 8 (39:59):
To I came into the set pristine. I'm a preacher's daughter.
I know how to act, I cook, and I'm from
girls high studied. I know and I'm learned. And if
I was scared, I might not have known you talked
to That's true. I think I experienced a lot of
trauma because I couldn't really tell what I was feeling.
Speaker 5 (40:19):
But that came later on in life.
Speaker 8 (40:21):
But I didn't have problems showing up, knowing my lines,
being prepared. We did twenty six show a year. Now
people do ten and they freak out. I'm learning to
play a week. No, I ain't got no problem.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
All right, this is this hit me right now when
you started saying those words like it's something wrong and
can I help you? You know, sometime I just realized,
surely Ralph just sunned me. And I'm realizing it, right.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Baby, Oh yeah you.
Speaker 6 (40:55):
Are.
Speaker 7 (40:56):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
She pulled me to his side. She pulled me to
the side. Are you a little nervous right now? And
I was like, and just hit me. I got the
quasi defensive no no, no, I'm cool, I'm cool, I'm I'm good.
No no, no, listen, listen. You could just breathe and
say it is lower. No, no, no, and she like, now
(41:18):
do it.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
And I was like, and I just realized, oh shit,
I was fucking up.
Speaker 4 (41:22):
I was that perfect. I didn't realize it until you
said that.
Speaker 5 (41:26):
But a mirror.
Speaker 8 (41:29):
She did that with respect. What she was trying to
do is give you permission. And if you said to
her me, I'm a little nervous, then it goes away.
You know how if you say something, you could lean
into it because everyone's nervous.
Speaker 4 (41:42):
But the thing was that in my mind, like when
you said that, then I'm like, okay, you're an experienced actress.
You could tell what a newbie doesn't know any better,
or they might be doing something wrong, or da da
da da da. And I'm now realizing that maybe the
first three takes that I did, because you know, they
do ship over there like nine times in a row.
(42:02):
So now I'm realizing my first four takes were like
he's not getting it. And they kind of had this
magic circle thing, you know, when people were together and
they just look at each other and you know you're
being talked about, but no one's saying it, Like I
felt like maybe there's something on my teeth or it was.
It was rather significant nice and so she was the
(42:25):
designated She's the leader of the group.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
Chat damn.
Speaker 7 (42:30):
That an elder sister who was like mighty queen because.
Speaker 8 (42:35):
Thinking that a lot of the I don't know if
you did a read through and all that, but some
of these things, yeah, and that's that's the issue. You're
fitting into their world and you're trying to take it
all in all at once, and you're also trying to
do all this other stuff. By the way, any guests
feature performer has that extra burden. So I think that
(42:59):
she was just giving you PERMISSI, but she wasn't sonning you.
Speaker 5 (43:02):
She was just sort of like a big sister going yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
Oh no, no, no cool.
Speaker 4 (43:08):
I mean, let me let me make it clear. Yes,
she wasn't sonning me disrespect. Yeah, but you know, I
think maybe because I only entered situations that I know,
like the back of my hand, like if it were
music or that sort of thing. Is like, I'm not
saying you can't tell me nothing, but you know, this
is definitely an area that.
Speaker 8 (43:29):
In your world you're king, it's hard to come in
spaces and you direct and you do all these things,
and then you're putting in a position where suddenly it's like, okay,
wait a minute, I'm not on you know what what again,
you're an artist, So she approached you as one, and
that's respectful, and she it wasn't a matter of whether
(43:50):
you could do it. It was a matter of sort
of saying, you know who told me that cely Tithe
it her cold breathe, breathe. When these sisters tell you
it sounds ridiculous, like I am breathing, but you know,
but she they're trying to remind you to be in
your body also to give you permission that you ain't
got to be perfect. And she I've been told that
(44:12):
by whoopee, I've been doing and these people are that.
I'm there for those Wu Tang kids to come up
and say, you're tired, you're not getting you sleep, okay,
so let's let's get you some water.
Speaker 5 (44:27):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 8 (44:28):
Stand up, stand up, shake your body, let's go outside
and get some sun. And I remind them that they're human,
They're not a freaking robot. But they're talented and that's
why they're there, and they need to not think about
the talent, just think about being present. And it's all
right to have that. But I do want to say
(44:50):
something to what you said. You asked about you know,
how do you how do you.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Talk to your scene partner?
Speaker 8 (44:57):
You don't usually it if when I say, you don't
usually if unless you need to. I'm at a point where,
for the most part, if somebody needs to talk to me,
they'll pick you aside.
Speaker 5 (45:09):
So, Erica, I'm not sure about this scene. I don't
know where it's headed, but I think this and that.
What do you think?
Speaker 8 (45:17):
And I said, I don't know. I don't know, Jeffrey,
but I'll follow your lead. He goes, okay, we'll work
it out and then it's just one of those things
where in a way he's just convincing that maybe hasn't
settled on how the scene goes or I and I
know to be ready for changes, and he's just putting
me on blasts, but also not on a blast. He's
(45:39):
giving me a heads up, but he's also telling me,
support me, look out for me.
Speaker 5 (45:46):
And I'm glad when somebody says that because I've said that.
Speaker 8 (45:48):
By the way, when I was on Queen Sugar, I
had medication because I have colitus, and sometimes it can
it's a steroid.
Speaker 5 (45:55):
It can make you feel like.
Speaker 8 (45:56):
Really like if you can get emotional, everything feel heightened,
like you can faint.
Speaker 5 (46:03):
And so I told Omar, who plays.
Speaker 8 (46:08):
I said, I've got to do this emotional scene and
if I get overwhelmed and faint, because that's how I said,
you got to tell them I'm all right.
Speaker 5 (46:18):
But you know what happened. He says, I got you, girl,
I got you.
Speaker 8 (46:21):
And once I did that, I actually calm calm down
and I was able to do the scene because I
was worried about fainting.
Speaker 5 (46:29):
That's what it is.
Speaker 8 (46:31):
The director can sometime give you that kind of confidence
because that's the person you want to impress, and you
sometimes don't want.
Speaker 5 (46:38):
To be too friendly with the performers, but.
Speaker 8 (46:41):
You do have to make a connection with him that
you're they're not there to hit a line, a bar,
a vis or that, and that you enjoy their mistakes.
Speaker 5 (46:52):
So that was fun.
Speaker 8 (46:54):
Give them encouragement, and don't give them encouragement just because
they get it and cried. Just say thank you each time,
say thank you for whatever they get me. It's no
different thank you for the crime. Then when if they
don't do it, and then they say, okay, they're not
making a big deal out of it.
Speaker 5 (47:12):
I can be whatever and still get approval.
Speaker 8 (47:16):
The actors will do anything for you because they know
they can't fail.
Speaker 9 (47:20):
I want to ask about the Wu Tang show, which
I loved. How did you get that role? And did
you actually meet Rizz's mom before you know?
Speaker 2 (47:32):
Oh man, I didn't know that long straight short.
Speaker 8 (47:36):
I loved the Woutang, but at the time, I didn't
think it was a role for me. I didn't know
if I wanted to be a mother of all these
may ask kids.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
Well, you look like you could be their sister on
the camera, So I mean.
Speaker 8 (47:50):
Yeahreer, but I didn't know, so I didn't really step
up for the audition because there was an audition and
they said, Erica, they coming back to you, would you
And I said, all right, so I did and they said, well, Rizzon.
Speaker 5 (48:06):
Wants to meet you.
Speaker 8 (48:07):
And I said, oh, I don't know if I wanted
to go any further, and I don't want to lead
anybody on, but I decided, you know what, Erica, go on,
do what's in front of you.
Speaker 5 (48:15):
So I met.
Speaker 8 (48:15):
Him and Ris is very you know, charismatic and lovely
and respectful, and I did my thing, and he said
after I got the partner, I accepted it because I
did get it that you know, there's only four represented
in the show, but I got eleven brothers and sisters
including me, and they all had to say you were
(48:39):
okay to play our mother.
Speaker 5 (48:44):
Because the whole.
Speaker 8 (48:45):
Real America can play Linding Diggs. So then I learned
about their mother, and their mother had experienced abuse and
it's one of the reason why they think she died.
She was married twice and unfortunately she experienced domestic abuse,
(49:06):
which is portrayed into there. So I knew that it
was something very special that Rizzo wanted me to project.
So I said to her, and I'm not very religious,
but those spiritual said, miss miss Linda, your children want
to see you. You showed me the way. And then
(49:26):
I didn't do anything because I knew they had already
seen what they wanted and I just needed to not perform.
I need to just get out of the way and
let her be there. And to me, she's a ghost.
In that series, Rizza wanted to see his mother, so
he wrote her in I.
Speaker 5 (49:45):
Fulfil the mean?
Speaker 2 (49:47):
Yeah, Wow, were you Au Tang fan? Prior to the
did you Tang fan?
Speaker 8 (49:52):
Not as much as everybody didn't know their music as much.
But I'm a Wu Tang fan because I really love
how intellectual they are are. I love methic man and
and I like men who are working it out and
they're individualists. Again, they're an individualists and then they decide
to come together to make a super group and then
their brand becomes bigger than them all.
Speaker 5 (50:14):
I'm sorry. I love that kind of story.
Speaker 7 (50:18):
Did you see?
Speaker 6 (50:18):
And I'm curious because there's a lot of great actors,
great young actors in that cast. Do you see a
couple of them as like leading in the in the future,
like the next like not the next.
Speaker 7 (50:28):
They're doing their thing.
Speaker 8 (50:29):
But Julian Elijah Martinez who played my son, he played
the elder.
Speaker 2 (50:38):
Yeah, he played divine.
Speaker 7 (50:40):
Sometimes he.
Speaker 5 (50:44):
Does look like.
Speaker 8 (50:47):
There of course Ashton Sanders there, You've got Marcus Callender,
their genius performers, and Elijah is on fire. There is
not enough film are television to absorb this talent, and
my goal is to find ways so they can show
the world what they can do. We've got more talent
(51:08):
than we've got content for them to be in. So yeah,
look out. All of them are wonderful. I love them all.
Speaker 9 (51:16):
I have one last question, Eric, I need the face routine.
I need what's what's your face routine?
Speaker 6 (51:21):
What's your so thank you for that.
Speaker 5 (51:31):
I had a huge breakout because I came here and
started eating stuff I didn't know.
Speaker 8 (51:35):
But you know what, I think I really appreciate that
when you saw me in person, you see the lines.
Speaker 7 (51:40):
See no, no, no, that's not true. I just weeks ago.
Don't tell tales.
Speaker 5 (51:45):
Well you know what black does crack.
Speaker 8 (51:48):
But I think if you keep yourself smiling and laughing
about things, I think people see the brightness in my
face really and the openness and I like to believe
that I can still be young and enthusiastic and not
jaded and not tired. I'm enthusiastic after forty years to
be here, and I know what it feels like to
(52:10):
be tired.
Speaker 5 (52:11):
But Harriet wasn't tired until she was tired. So I'm
all right.
Speaker 7 (52:17):
My hair is strenders ship.
Speaker 5 (52:19):
That's in your DNA. I'm good, by the way. I
don't believe in all this hustle. I get your sleep,
get your rest. It's important.
Speaker 8 (52:27):
Listen, read and go outside and let the sun hit
you and listen to read. Take off all the things
and just the ambient noise get to you.
Speaker 4 (52:37):
I don't think I ever heard an episode where I
don't want to say goodbye to the person.
Speaker 2 (52:41):
No.
Speaker 4 (52:42):
Once again, thank you so much for coming on our show.
And this is definitely you know, this is a dream
for us. We talked about this for a long time
of having you.
Speaker 7 (52:52):
And shout out your organization.
Speaker 6 (52:53):
Please, because when you say you're trying to uplift these
people and these creatives, you're doing it in real time.
Speaker 7 (52:57):
Please please Color Farm.
Speaker 8 (53:00):
We call ourselves the town of film, television and tech.
You're trying to change the face to the media and
rebrand blackness. We produced John Was Good Trouble. I co
directed the reparations documentary The Big Payback. You're doing a
Diet and Carol documentary. You're also doing collaborations partnerships in
the scripted space as well. Remember us a mirror and
(53:24):
for everyone there, we appreciate your support because.
Speaker 5 (53:29):
We don't have a deal.
Speaker 8 (53:30):
Just worked really hard and we got the DuPont Columbia
word for something we did called Finding Tamika, which was
the top true crime audio series that I created a
road and I really am very proud of that because
we're talking about missing white woman syndrome and to do
what we use this black girl's life to show Mika.
Speaker 5 (53:51):
She was used as the discussion around it.
Speaker 8 (53:55):
And we maybe made Neil Noir ghost story and we
thought it was lovely and their family was lovely to
let us do it.
Speaker 5 (54:03):
But I'm here, I want to say something to you. Yes,
you are not only.
Speaker 8 (54:09):
An agot, You're a person who is in power to
empower and I'm very gratified that you're from Philly. I
see all the stuff that you do, and I say
stuff that you do, the amazing.
Speaker 5 (54:22):
Things that you accomplish.
Speaker 8 (54:25):
But I also love that you have the curiosity intellectual
and the deep dives that most people don't allow themselves
to have. And so you're very generous with your mind
and your brilliance. And I appreciate that, brother, because all
the people, all those people would recognize that you are
(54:46):
their son. So thank you all for creating this for
us to have these long conversations, because I think we're
also archiving history.
Speaker 2 (54:59):
One. Thank you, Yeah you made it.
Speaker 7 (55:02):
Thank you, thank you for making that.
Speaker 2 (55:03):
Thank you for yeah doing your ship.
Speaker 5 (55:05):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (55:07):
I appreciate you, and you're back.
Speaker 4 (55:11):
That is probably the greatest ending of quest love Supreme.
Speaker 5 (55:15):
We could just get that plate of Patty.
Speaker 4 (55:19):
Okay, yes, to let the world know Patty invited me
and the guy who sang about her pies and talked about.
Speaker 2 (55:26):
Oh yeah, yeah, the viral a viral.
Speaker 4 (55:29):
Yeah all right, she invited both of us to our
house for Thanksgiving, and I ate my ass off.
Speaker 2 (55:36):
It was oh this happened like this happened in twenty
fourteen years ago. Oh okay, gotcha. Yes, after a lot
of begging.
Speaker 6 (55:44):
Erica wants to be invited. I will guest if you
watched eightieth birthday. I'm saying, we just make it a family.
Speaker 5 (55:51):
Thank you, gol face.
Speaker 2 (55:51):
I appreciate, thank you, Thanks see all the next around, y'all.
Thank you for listening to Quest Love Free. This podcast
is hosted by.
Speaker 9 (56:02):
Emir West, Love Thompson, Boss Man, Like Here, Saint Clair
So Blackly Black, Myself, Fontigerlo Fonte, Coleman, Sugar, Steve Mandel
and Unpaid Bill Sherman. Executive producers are a Mere Quest Love, Thompson,
Sean g and the US Father Brian Calhoun. Produced by
Freaking Benjamin, my dog cousin, Jake Payne, my Motherfucking Man
(56:27):
and like Is Saint Clair My work wife edited by Alex.
Speaker 2 (56:31):
Conrad, Produced by iHeart by Noel Brown and.
Speaker 1 (56:44):
First Love Supreme is the production of iHeart Radio. For
more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hosts And Creators
Laiya St. Clair
Questlove
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