March 8, 2022 • 43 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, and welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me
Tracy Moore. I was a casting director for film and
TV and commercials for over thirty years. A transition to
a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Thomaz.
I audition every rapper from Biggie Spalls to Tupac, and
(00:24):
I realized that rappers and musical artists they needed help
transitioning to acting. My clients consist of musical artists from
Buster Rhymes to Eve, Missy Elliott, Angela Ye from The
Breakfast Club, and Vanessa Simmons, to name a few. I
also coach sports stars and host as well. I feel
(00:45):
I have the best of both worlds. As a casting director,
I know exactly what they're looking for, and as an
acting coach, I can coach you to be remembered in
that room. Now. I know, I know actors want to
get the job. I get that, but being remembered by
casting director that is powerful. Meditation of the day, That's it, baby,
(01:07):
when you got it, flaunted mel Brooks, Nobody is perfect.
My favorite commercial is where Michael Jordan's Slowly gets out
of the car and describes his failures and how they
helped him achieve success. This is a great example of
how failure is a part of success. The important thing
that you should remember is that faults are okay. It
(01:30):
doesn't mean we're bad people. It just means we're working
on getting better. As I learned to recognize my faults,
I learned to embrace them and know that there is
room for improvement. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with
me Tracy Moore. I am beyond excited today with my guests,
(01:51):
who I so love. It is so much love in
this room. They have no idea um. Today we're talking
about the versatile actor, and Patrick Riley is the epitome
of the versatile actor. He is an actor in every
sense of the word. And I've had the pleasure of
working with him on a movie called Steps Will, which
(02:14):
we'll get into. But Patrick is the versatile actor because
by any means necessary, Patrick is gonna make it happen,
whether he's a host, whether he's an actor, or whether
he is the star himself. Ladies and gentlemen, put your
heads together. From Mr Patrick Riley, everybody, Hello, Miss Tracy Moore.
(02:38):
You know you are one of the most amazing influences
in my life. That you know this, and I want
to make sure your listeners and your people know how
special you are not to the world, because I think
they get the inkling of that week after week with
your show to me, and I want to make sure
(03:00):
we that comes out in our conversation who you are
and how important you are to me. I'm going to
get misty all right now, yet I'll wait until you.
Let's set the scene, and you're going to set the stage. Okay,
So first of all, I just want to say when
I first started teaching, I was six months pregnant with
(03:21):
my son Miles. I had three students, and Patrick Riley
was one of them. Now I don't know if Patrick
remembers this, but Patrick was the one who encouraged me
to teach. Okay, good because you were instructional in your
your being and you were in in who you were
being to me, just as someone knew having just gotten
(03:42):
here from Atlanta, um here in New York trying to
figure it out. You were a player, but a player
figuring yourself out, figuring your brand out as a casting person,
as a director, a writer, producer, all of these things
were kind of figuring themselves out. And I owned you
so um instructional as you were aspirational if that makes
(04:05):
it does, And so there was connection, you know, and
you were steps ahead in your experiences, but you were
so humble and and and relatable, which is what I
connected to. So I said, you gotta teach this, you
gotta bottle this. He said, he did. He encouraged me
and with three students, I said the spirited Actor class,
(04:27):
and that's how it started. And then from there, my god,
I think about how I used to have waiting lists.
That's so crazy, waiting lists and celebrity during a time
in the nineties were so many people in the hip
hop world wanted to expand transition and know how to
do that transition. And you were very much a bridge
(04:47):
for so many of those key folks what Chico to Barge,
Eve Bust, like these true icons of our time. You
were the one who helped them before we what brand
extension was. You helped them extend their brands before it
became kind of an industry at Cottage and then it
was just like the snow York Undercover. Can't we talk
(05:11):
about all that you did? There. You know, you helped
me get my sad those appearances at Natalie's like Faith Evans,
whom they just did it uncensored on her on TV one,
and I thought to myself, you got me in her
videos music video you used to love me, Faith Evans.
And and many years later, like maybe two years ago,
(05:32):
I'm hosting at a Rise Entertainment three six where Shanon
where I was filling in for Shannon Lanier. Uh, there's
Faith Evans and I'm reminding her of our time. She's like,
I remember you. You were outside the trailer, you were
the cop and you had indigestion because I remember when
she came out of the trailer. She's like, oh, those
dumplings didn't settle the right right, we were getting ready
to shoot our seat, like Faith Evans as indigestion, and
(05:57):
Biggie was there, Diddy was there, like all the this
was right at the customs of what was really happening
with that Brooklyn hip hop scene. Yeah, you were right
there and you invited me to be a part, if
it makes sense, Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I remember when
I did New Jersey Drive and Biggie Um a friend
of mine from m c A was like, jay Z,
(06:18):
can you see this guy Biggie right, Biggie is up
against the wall and he goes Tracy would be big
a day, and I was like, I believe you, I do,
but I couldn't cast him because of Heavy D. Heavy
D had the name, so I had to cast heavy D.
But I definitely remember both of them, what right And
(06:41):
almost had the opportunity to work with Tupac on Above
the Rim, but I didn't get the job, but they
took all of my casting ideas. We'll talk about intellectual capital.
That's the whole thing, right. Well, I learned on that
this is a very important less in for anybody out
there that wants to be a casting director. Never give
(07:04):
up the secret sauce. Never give up. Like if they
say to you, who do you have in mind to cast? Well,
that's why you have to hire me, because when you
hire me, then I'll tell you my thoughts absolutely and
I'm not going to share the secret sauce. And then
someone else gets cast and they take which means then
there's an art to how you enroll people to to
(07:25):
book you, you know, and and there's a way to
do it without giving it all away. Okay, right, and
and that's like a that's a lesson its own. Yeah,
that's a lesson. And we're gonna you know, just so
you know, at the end, I am going to ask
you for three tips so that you can give to
aspiring actors. And you guys will want to know these
tips from Patrick. So we're going to talk about let's
talk about how you got started in this business, because
(07:47):
you have a plethora of experience. Oh my god, So
let's start. How did you get started? Gosh, you know,
I've always just been intrigued as a as a kid
of a retired chief astro sergeant from the Air Force.
Um it was turning eighty five, eight eighty six, very soon,
(08:07):
happy birthday. I'm excited that. Um So, I always kind
of had kind of Hollywood in my bones. You know,
born in Japan, we lived in California. We were always
kind of Japan German Germany. We were always kind of
in that we were like a military family. You know,
they were always entertained by the youth Center, Tops in Blue,
you know, the actual entertainment acts that perform, you know,
(08:30):
even the airplane shows, you know, the Thunderbirds and all.
So you understand kind of the culture of it all
is what had me into entertainment and pop culture as
a kid. You know, I love to read the magazines
just from going to the commissary that those were the
ones that mom would pick. I would, you know, read
those magazines too, you know. But um, but I got
(08:53):
my start really. I went to college at more House,
studied Um, you know more How does you know the
significance of more House historically black college, alma mater of
the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr. But in more
contemporary time. Spike Lee, Bill Nunn, l Jackson, Monte Ross
is my Clark brother, Kenny Leon. These guys were twenty
(09:19):
something thirty somethings when I was getting into the business.
Well thirty somethings, I should say. So. Um, the thing
about more House it's a mentoring school. So my first
week they said, you know, what's your interest? They had
me going to dinner at Bill Nunn's house that first week.
You know, they put God, you know, God rest his soul.
(09:40):
And to sort of fast forward it, I have a
nephew who's now thirty one, digital brand manager at Uni
Lever for the Men's Devil line and the women's Devil
line thirty one. But he's kind of like the kid
I raised. He would go on to more House class
of two thousand and ten. When we went to his
college campus visit, who happened to be on the campus
calling my name from across the ard Bill None. So
(10:03):
as my nephews pondering whether he's going to follow in
my footsteps and do more House or he's gonna go
to Howard or some other institution, that was like a
seal in the seal the deal moment because Bill Nana
is saying, there's no better example than your uncle. Which
that could work or that couldn't work. But the fact
that we were still in touch and the fact that
we did meet my freshman week, and but for my
(10:24):
nephew to know that and for him to still be
in touch and he sees him on film, that's radio rahee,
the right thing, that's sister act. He knew him from
Sister acting. Was a big deal. So I um so
that was the beginning, and it kind of underscores if
you look at school days, you get a sense of
what my college career was like. We staged things, we
(10:47):
were dramatic, we were host I hosted, I UM anchored
a lot of the Mask Calm material that we got
access to coming out of Clark. Uh. Clark had the
Mask Department, So though I was a morehouseman we did.
I got all my TV training and my film training
and my drama training from Clark, and so all of
(11:09):
that led me into a career that was really as
a TV journalist. And so I got my career start
helping as a reporter trainee at the ABC affiliate in Atlanta,
working under the big Diva, Monica Kaufman. She she's known
as Monica Pearson now but she's iconic, but she was
my mentor. So it's an example of kind of I
(11:29):
wrote a book that celebrates black women because it's black
women like you, like Monica, who were in the cut
for me, you know, before I knew what to call myself. UM.
I would help launch Good Day Atlanta. Do you remember
the Good Day franchise? I remember, and that's when I
met you and we met in that cut, in that window,
and I was given the opportunity then to help launch
(11:50):
their entertainment division. So I was on camera doing a
lot of their interviews, but I was also producing the
department because it was a local show that hadn't been
proven Today show or a CBS Morning But I was
engaging and engaged to sort of help Atlanta become the
Atlanta that it was becoming. Because this is right at
(12:12):
the time where the Face Records is launching TLC and
Criss Cross and Tony Braxton. This is right at the
time where Germaine Debris it's launching Social Deaf Escape and
his artist this is Dallas Austin doing all that great
producing work and with his amazing artists, and so all
of these folks had to come through me by me
(12:33):
um to kind of get started. And so that was
I planted Seeds because you gave them a platform in
that show. I gave them a platform often their first interviews.
You know it was ushers first interview, do you remember
with Lisa left Ie Lopez burned down. They were getting
ready to come out with the second album then. And
there are two things that happened. One, our station was
(12:55):
the only one to get it right, because you know,
it's like, it's white media, so it's something popular is
happening with these three black girls. Who is who Who's
we got it right? But more than getting it right,
of Face Records because I had these relationships. Gave me
the first interview with DLC after that incident happened before
(13:16):
their next album was to come out, which was a
red Light special. And the cool thing about the anecdotal
thing about that is she was late to that interview,
you know, just like I remember when that happened. I
worked with Drew Sidora and so on a film, The
(13:36):
Preacher's Son that I produced. But she just recently called me,
which was such a warm surprise because Drew is an
amazing actress. She was, she was one of the wasn't
she in the movie? She was? She was, Yes, yes, yes,
I love her and I loved her in that in
that project. Yeah, she was. She's such captured it. Well, yeah,
(13:57):
you know, these are like stories in our life time.
We were there, Tracy. Yeah, Well you know what's coming
up now is the Salt and Pepper film on Lifetime.
So I coached Cheryl's daughter, corin Um. She didn't get
the lead, but however, she's doing a cameo and she's
going to be coming on the show to talk about that.
But you're right, I mean, when you talk about history,
(14:20):
when you talk about TV. But Gerrilla filmmaking, like you
know what I mean, like we come up. I mean
my first film was just Another Girl in the I R. T.
Mayor Max picked it up. But like we shot in
my apartment. I was you know, location scout, you do
whatever you have to say that film before I met you,
before I knew your name, do you know? Yeah? Yeah?
(14:41):
And then we meet and we meet forever ladies and
child another episode because there are many chapters. There are
many chapters in many layers. Um, I do want to
talk about your transition into acting. You were did you
(15:01):
just set the transition? I don't want to take up
all the credit, but if I have to, because I
came here as a broadcast journalist, a producer for he
remember those primetime show at CNBC during an era where
mass media. Like if I didn't want to do local news,
which was kind of my feeling, then you know, and
(15:22):
I kind of knew like if I couldn't grow as
a general assignment reporter, as an anchor and be who
I'm here to be, and so you helped me open
that up, and so I knew, Okay, I want to
cover in chronicle entertainment and pop culture. But what are
the other ways that that can look like. Oprah before
I would even start working with her, was a template
(15:45):
of that. You know, someone who you know definitely had
acting in her on her resume. She had an Oscar
nomination at that but she didn't do it all the time,
and so she had a connection to the industry as
an influencer and as a taste maker, but from time
to time, if the role was right, she could ready
herself to do that. And so kind of having that
(16:08):
realization and then being able to engage with you to
take your course to learn sort of the basics, the
basics of what it is to audition, memory techniques, scenes, study,
um and and and then to get in touch with
what my method was, you know, because there are multiple
methods um um in terms of how we approach the work.
(16:29):
And so you helped me get in touch with that,
featuring me and casting me on wonderful things like New
York Undercover and Eith Evans music videos and other music
videos voice work. You were very gracious and sending me
animated voice work just come into studio read these things.
So I got a lot of my early experience not
(16:49):
just as a physical but as a voice town through you.
You know my real is built on Tracy Moore didn't. Yes,
you made me? Are you kidding? I make people here
on the Spirited Actor podcast, Yes you do. It's real.
And what's also real when you say, I, you know,
(17:11):
sort of engaged you on teaching and how for you
that I know it will move people. I also offered
that spiritual piece has to be in there because I
know that just you know, to know Tracy is to
love her, but to know her is to feel her. Right, um, yes,
(17:32):
which was something different because different teaching like this is
before I even started spirit Yes, And that's and you
know what, that's a great point because when I started
my company it was called and it still is, the
Spirited Actor. Nobody was understanding that that was so foreign.
And then when you were on Oprah and then it
(17:54):
was like remember the spirit Now everybody's spirit And I
was like, okay, I'm safe now. Was Oprah did it
as a mainstream disruption for the industry really, because I
don't think anybody was really. You know, you were talking
about it, and we're talking about talking about a reference
for us, you know, we would the Acts of Faith
(18:16):
or something that you recommended. I start reading it every
day I was looking at an act of faith like
Loo and I got to go through all three. But
it was it worked, and it does work. It does,
it does, it works. And that idea that your spirit
(18:36):
is with you wherever you go, and the idea that
we are all acting wherever we go. We're performing, were presenting, yes,
everybody as an actor. I mean, whether you claim it
or not, you know, I mean I play several roles,
a mom and a grandmam, I'm a friend. You know,
you're so many people from places to asolutely those those
(18:58):
ways of being show up absolutely. Yeah. So I want
to talk about this film you guys. It's called Steps. Now.
Where can people see Steps? Well, you know, we did
a big, robust festival tour for like a year and
a half, which was wonderful, but I don't know that
they Oh my god, you guys, this film Steps. Patrick
(19:19):
was hilarious. Every single time Patrick came on the scene
on the screen, I was just like, I wanted so
much of you. But what I did love is that
it was just enough, you know, because every time you
came on it kept you wanting more of you. But
I'm glad that they didn't oversaturated, not for the value
(19:43):
of the scene, but time, Yes, and you know of
in that edit that you do in film, Yeah, about
slicing down and you know, keeping the plot bubbling and
tell them, tell them the pot because one of my
favorite actors, yes, aside from Patrick and you know now
(20:03):
with with the Oscar buzz of Rob Morgan for the
Jamie Fox film Current Project. Yes, what I saw that film,
but with each evolution, each part that he took, you
know from mud Bat too. He was in This is
Us Last Season Cage. So whenever Rob Morgan comes up,
(20:24):
he's got more stock on his name, and I love
to say I'm his. I did all my scenes and
steps with Rob Morgan, who plays Um, a father of
a young boy who he never knew because he got
in a physical spat with the mother of the child
just as she was getting ready to have him. And
(20:46):
it lapses over many years where he has hit rock
bottom in his life to try to find redemption and
forgiveness from not just his son, but from the son's
mother and from all the people in that life he
left behind, and it chronicles what it took for him
to come back. And I happen to live in a
(21:07):
kind of an assisted living building where he um for
a day job, comes and kind of cleans out the
dead pan of another wonderful actor, Walter le Roy. He
was a beast and he and he and it and
it turns I won't ruin the film, but it looks
at that relationship and I happened to be this, Okay,
(21:29):
I'm Rudy. Rudy is a an out black gay guy
who hails from the don't ask, don't tell time of
the Army. He was in the Gulf War and came
back to Jersey City where all of this is set.
It's an urban tale of this tale of urban plight. Um.
(21:51):
He comes back and is staying in this place on
this assisted living from the government, and he's got a
respiratory illness side. I always carried a little oxygen tank
with me and I'm just full of sass and all
these things and bowser who are larious, And I was
nervous to play this. You know. I don't know if
(22:13):
your audience knows this, but I am gay. But to
the point, um, coming from Savannah, Georgia, you know, the
Bible Belt, my people had to deal with me coming
out in real time. Then some years later, that had
to deal with me coming out on OPRAH, because there
was a big OPRAH when I knew I was want
a glad award. We say lives, but I embarrassed that
(22:35):
homophobic family of that, and what are you gonna do?
So now you go pass forward to pasting this project
and she's saying, um, I want you to do this part.
And the me, the me that isn't the mighty me,
the me that is still a little boy who's not
quite sure I can be all of me, is not
(22:55):
sure I want to be all at that on the
big screen. And so I said no the first time,
and then they said we're gonna work out the scheduling.
Then they worked out the scheduling. It didn't work for me.
So then they said, we're gonna work out the scheduling
for you to do this part because that's how bad
they wanted. And we have to just say this doesn't happen, folks.
So I'm just happy that I had an angel over
(23:17):
my shoulder just sort of saying keep going. And then
the day the day that I was to do my
biggest scenes, there was a blizzard and I had people
who weren't in the business telling me they're not even
they're not shooting. I said, well, I haven't heard anything.
I haven't heard about a cancelation. I'm still you know,
my thing is I'm going through the blizzard to get
to set because I would have heard something otherwise. And
(23:38):
I yet again, it's another I think these are some
of these tips. This is another tip, be up your
word and mean what you say and what you mean.
Because when I arrived of this uh small film that
could executive produced by Shaquille O'Neil, everybody was there the
(23:58):
day of that blizzard and we shot our scenes. You don't,
I mean, I'm I'm old school production. Rain, sleet, snow,
unless someone dies, you still show up. And that comes
from even the non sexy train. You know, More House
taught us that, you know, they're the rain, don't stop
(24:19):
the house, don't stop the house, don't stop the huse.
Nobody stops the house. You know, that was our big
thing at Morehouse. So so also listening to the training.
You know, if my tips are kind of coming out
as a as I testify, listen to the training early on.
The stuff that you don't think is important early on,
not only listen to it to be about it and
(24:41):
have that be who you're about throughout your career, because
it was it was all of that that informed how
I was able to get this project done. And I
will say when they premiered it at this old School
theater in Jersey Old World Theater in Jersey City seats,
they entered use me at the end of the screening,
(25:01):
you know, they do Q and A at the end
of these festival screen I was introduced as and the
rest of the cast, you know, and and and so
I'm going coming up with the rest of the cast
and the woman on the mic and saying here comes
Rudy and the audience. And they later on and then
festivals beyond that, they would invite me to speak alongside Rob,
(25:25):
you know, at at our different festival Q and A S.
And I just realized, sometimes when we play ourselves small,
we really are giving ourselves the opportunity to miss out
on something that was truly a dream. You know. I
never wanted to be the biggest movie star, but I
wanted to shoot a movie. I've shot a movie and
you had a substantial role in substantial award and award
(25:50):
winning movie. It's when several festival prizes and I'm still
trying to figure out. You know, I'm not I wasn't
a producer on it because i'd have a deal by now,
you know what I mean, Like, I want the people
to be able to see this, and maybe they're waiting
on Rob to win is Oscar? Yeah? Maybe I mean hey,
because you know that's always cool when the projects she
did before get new lights. So whatever their strategies are,
(26:11):
I'm all for it. I'm just sad because our interview
was almost stole her that happened. I just have to
say really quick two things. One, Um, when you said
people don't say what they mean and mean what they say.
I always say that to actors because behavior speaks volume
about your character. So I hear what people say, but
(26:35):
I'm more visual. I observe your behavior because that's the truth.
And that was golden for me to learn. Rocks are hard,
water is wet, it's in the results. Yes, And playing
small Maryanne Williamson room for it? Why would you play small? Um?
I just want to say that you, as my guest
(26:59):
today the verse to tell actors there's a plethora of
information there. I need to talk to you some more.
I want to talk about your book before we go,
please tell us about That's what Friends Are For by
Patrick Riley. Please, folks during these holiday gifting times, go
and pick it up Amazon, Barnes and Noble, where all
books are sold. It's That's what Friends Are For. On
(27:20):
the Women Who Inspired Me and what it is is
part memoir, part entertainment diary. I loved the Diva's when
I was growing up, all of these great amazing all
this black girl magic before we gave it a name,
and I just so happened to attract a career. We
talked about a little of it here where I have
(27:40):
literally met all my dream girls, you know, from Shirley Ralph,
the original dream girl, to Diana Ross, the one that
was the inspiration for the role um. Oprah Winfrey was
someone when I graduated high school, I said I'd work
for her. Teen years later, I was a senior field
producer for The Oprah Show. And beyond that, she's given
me my prime time credit as the only interviewer of
(28:02):
all of her legends at the Big Legendary Legends she
threw in two thousand five. So the book really kind
of unpacks how important these women are to me, but
to the culture So there's someone in there for everyone
that I'm talking about based on my life experience, and
that's including Tracy Moore. Don't make me misty, Patrick, Well,
(28:26):
everybody has to go on and get that book. Um,
that's what friends are for by Patrick Riley and my
talk show. Yes, the Happy Hour Talk Show. Just go
to Instagram. We uh it's five diverse gay professional guys
who talk about all the hot topics that you see
on those regular shows during daytime. But we're talking about
it because not often is there a voice or a
(28:47):
lens that is from the l g B d q I,
a elemental po. We have a lot of letters and
representation matters, and so at the Happy Hour Talk Show
we have us have season two that launches in January.
But you can, uh, you can what's that thing that
people do now, binge? You can binge season by going
to YouTube and or Instagram and or wherever social media
(29:12):
platforms are to see at the Happy Hour Talk Show.
It's a great, great red table talk sized dose. Well,
we're going to support that. We're going to support your book.
We're going to talk about you some more even when
you're not around, because your spirit has filled up the studio.
So I just want to say thank you to my friend,
to a very very talented actor. He is the versatile
(29:37):
talent because I was going to say so. Patrick is
going to take us out on a little note. Ladies
and gentlemen, Patrick, give it up. Wait a minute, yeah
you oh god, you can call Oh stand outside. This
a woman's what this woman's w work. Oh it's hard
(30:02):
on the man. That's thank you. I'm gonna take that
home with me. Thank you so much, Love for you forever,
Love you too. Man. All right, we'll be back on
the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. Hi, welcome
back to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore
(30:23):
and now Classes in Session with our Spirited Actor alumni
leanne A Motto and our special Spirited Actor alumni guess
today Spruce Henry. Yes, Spruce will be joining us today.
Patrick is the Ultimate guest. The Ultimate guest today is
Patrick Riley and Patrick is going to be participating in
(30:43):
class and session and thank you. I thought I was, yes,
but don't get it confused with special and ultimate. Okay,
so today we're doing a scene with these minions, um
and it is called your Humbly and people wonder why
(31:06):
I don't drink. Okay, so we're going to start it off.
I'm gonna as usual, I will read everything. Um Patrick
Riley is going to be playing Dr Smith, Leanne will
be playing Doctor Bridge, and our lovely special guest Spruce
will be playing the patient. Interior examination room day, quiet,
(31:28):
sterile room. Patient sits nervously on the edge of the
examination table, listening to Dr Bridge. The test results were
not conclusive, and I want to run some other tests
for more clarity. I consulted with my team and there
is a new doctor comments our hospital that specializes in
this type of cancer. If that is what we conclude
(31:49):
in your opinion, do you think I have cancer? Honestly
don't like to speculate, and so all the results are in.
I will say that whatever your religious belief is, that
you stay in that mindset. I have witnessed miracles. That's
why I was referred to you. My cousin said he
never met a doctor like you, because your cousin was
(32:10):
one of those miracles. Dr Bridge looks at her watch.
The doctor will be joining us for any of the
questions that you may have. The door abruptly opens and
Dr Smith pison. Hello, may I come in. Dr Bridge
recognizes the voice Eric. Dr Smith walks in. He has
taken aback by Dr Bridges present. Monica. Wow, they didn't
(32:32):
tell me you were the doctor. Trust me. I didn't
get the moment either. Um, how how have you been?
The patient sits in the middle of this awkward ping
pong match. I finally left Chicago. Yeah, I see. I
try to convince you to leave when we were I'm engaged.
Dr Bridge tries to disguise her pain. You made a commitment.
(32:54):
I don't mean break up the reunion, but of course,
how unprofessional. I apologize. This is not the introduction I wanted.
I'm Dr Smith. How are you feeling? Ain't just I
want to know? You know I'm gonna be okay. Dr
Smith opens the folder. I suggest an aggressive form of
(33:15):
chemo that will attack this cancer. Um with all due respect, Erica,
I mean, Dr Smith. Shouldn't we wait for the results
of the new test first? I like to get ahead
of the game. If the tests confirm what we see,
then we have a plan. Tension bills with Dr Bridge. Yes,
I understand. However, I like to wait for the results
before we get ahead of ourselves. With the patient. I
(33:39):
assume she spoke to you about miracles. That is how
I god here. Most doctors lack compassions. I agree, Well,
I can see I'm outnumbered here. I'll go get the
test set up and we will know the results in
a couple of days. Dr Smith heads for the door.
Try to relax, and let's expect a miracle. Uh, yes,
(34:03):
let's do that. He leaves. Why did you to break up?
Dr Bridge? Still looking at the door. He didn't believe
in miracles and seeing give them a round of applause, audience,
So what was great? You know? I always I love
doing this because these are cold reads. So for those
(34:24):
of you who don't know what a cold reading is, Um,
this is the first time that these actors have gotten
the material and they are reading it cold. Now. I'm
just gonna give you guys a little bit of tips. Okay,
So um uh Patrick um. Dr Smith for whatever reasons,
and actors know, this is stuff that you have to
create because in the sides we don't have this information,
(34:47):
and sides are pages of a script. But I don't
know why you guys broke up. Um, I don't know
why you did not want to leave. So I'm going
to give you a couple of seconds for you to
think about that, because that is going to come out.
You know, that's a decision that you're gonna make, and
you're gonna and it's gonna add more weight. Okay. And
then Dr Smith, I feel like there's some unfinished business
(35:12):
here and maybe a little bitterness. Dr Bridge, I apologize.
Dr Bridge, so leanne um, I don't know, um, if
you had closure, and I don't feel like you had closure.
I need you to give a sense of you know, Um,
I know that when he said he was engaged, that
(35:33):
was very jarring for you. But I think before that
there's some stuff that you know before he said and
I know it's probably like a couple of sentences, but
the whole his presence and a lot of memories coming back. Okay, Um, patient,
I love Spruce. When you just kind of came a like,
I don't want to mess up the situation here, but
(35:54):
I do might have cancer. I'm dying, so I would say, like,
I mean the interjection on that was great. Um. And um.
You know it's the thing about Dr Bridge is that
she's more compassionate and um generous as opposed to sort
(36:16):
of being like robotic and you know, routine that which
doctors normally that would be. That's who Dr Smith is.
So the whole thing about miracles is that she comes
from a more spiritual which is really not allowed in
the medical world. So that's probably where you know, the
discord went with the two of you guys. So we're
(36:36):
gonna read it again, and I'm not going to um
read the action. We're just going to go straight through
with the scene. Okay, so you guys, good, okay, great,
So here we go and action. The test results were
not conclusive, and I want to run some other tests
for more clarity. I consulted with my team and there's
(36:59):
a new doctor comings or hospital that specializes in this
type of cancer. If that is what we conclude in
your opinion, do you think I have cancer? I honestly
don't like to speculate until all the results are in.
I will say that whatever your religious belief is, that
you stay in that mindset. I witness miracles. That's why
(37:21):
I was referred to you. My cousin said she never
met a doctor like you. That's right, your cousin was
one of those miracles. The doctor will be joining us
for any of the questions you may have. Hello, may
I come in? Eric Monica. Wow, they didn't tell me
you were the doctor. Oh trust me. I did not
(37:44):
get the memo either. How have you been finally left Chicago?
I see I tried to convince you to leave when
we were engaged. You made a commitment. Don't mean to
break this up, this reunion. But oh, of course, how unprofessional.
I deeply apologize. This is not the introduction I wanted.
(38:06):
I'm Dr Smith. How are you feeling anxious? I want
to know you know? Am I gonna be okay? I
suggest an aggressive form of chemo that will attack this cancer.
With all due respect, Eric, I mean Dr Smith. Shouldn't
we wait for the results of the new test first?
I like to be ahead of the game. If the
(38:26):
tests confirmed what we see, then we have a plan. Yes, however,
I understand I like to wait for the results before
we get ahead of ourselves with the patient. I assume
she spoke to you about Mirrable. Yeah, that's how that's
how I got here. You know next other doctors they
just don't have compassion. I agree. Well, I can see
(38:49):
I'm outnumbered here. I'll go get the test set up
and we will know the results in a couple of days.
Try to relax and let's expect a miracle. Yes, let's
do that. Why did you too break up? He didn't
believe in miracles? Mhm, and seen X when you guys
(39:13):
did a great sailing one of my I was constipated
and I wrote for myself in the size, I'm engaged
to a man and she doesn't know it yet. That
was really what was underneath our break up. What's your bitterness? Better?
(39:34):
Because I saw it all and then I was trying
so hard, like to have switched after me, you know,
like you know what's on you after Like it happened
after you. You know, it's not just that he left,
but he left and it wasn't for another woman. It
was for another man. Yes, so what's up with me?
But I get her? But I still get her. That's like, okay,
(39:56):
here we are, we're on miracle. She was gonna was
gonna wish my issues. I like. I like when you said,
just Spruce, so I she told you about right, No,
but you were ready to the last line. I love
(40:16):
when you came in and Spruce said, so why did
you two break? What was the situation now? He didn't
believe in miracles. But um um, great job. Is that
miracles a metaphor for something else? Yes, honesty, I mean
especially for her. He didn't he didn't believe in me, right,
(40:38):
you know? Right? Yeah, everything? You know? Yeah, that's great.
I'm glad you guys were able to pull that too.
But the important thing is that after you guys read
the scene like the work that you did, Now, that
changed the dynamics right from when you first read it. Yeah,
because I yeah, I in you giving me the instruction
(40:59):
to inform my my sides. Are you know where I
came from? It helped me to it helped in how
I delivered, and it gives more substance when you have.
The more information you have about the character, the more
weight you're bringing onto them, because we could have you know,
gone through the layers like you know, well, why did
you have any sign? Did you know something was? You know?
(41:22):
So yeah, okay, So we're gonna wrap up class in
session and today we had Spirit Actor alumni Leeann a
Motto and our special guest Spirit Actor alumni Spruce Henry.
Here's a pleasure to be here. I like to thank
all the short people and our ultimate guests and our
(41:44):
versatile actor Mr Patrick Riley. This was a treat, quite
a treat. Thank you. We'll be back on the Spirited
Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. Give love, love the
skin you're in. We are all unique in our own
individual way, and instead of running away from your uniqueness,
(42:07):
embrace it. There is no one out there that can
be you. There is no one out there that has
the talent, the skills, the personality. You are unique. Embrace
your uniqueness. Love your uniqueness, Own your uniqueness. You are deserving,
(42:30):
You are enough. Practice every day to tell yourself this
is This is an exercise that I want everyone to
participate in every day. I want you to look in
the mirror and I don't want you to leave the
mirror until you have convinced yourself that you love yourself.
Every day say I love me, repeat after me, I
(42:52):
love me. You can't leave that mirror until you convince
yourself that you love yourself. Be in love with yourself,
be in wonder with yourself, Be true to yourself, and
always maintain integrity and embrace your uniqueness. Thank you for
(43:14):
joining us on the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore.
I look forward to our next Spirited Podcast. Thank you,
Hello, and welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me
Tracy Moore. I was a casting director for film and
TV and commercials for over thirty years. A transition to
a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Thomaz.
I audition every rapper from Biggie Spalls to Tupac, and
(00:24):
I realized that rappers and musical artists they needed help
transitioning to acting. My clients consist of musical artists from
Buster Rhymes to Eve, Missy Elliott, Angela Ye from The
Breakfast Club, and Vanessa Simmons, to name a few. I
also coach sports stars and host as well. I feel
(00:45):
I have the best of both worlds. As a casting director,
I know exactly what they're looking for, and as an
acting coach, I can coach you to be remembered in
that room. Now. I know, I know actors want to
get the job. I get that, but being remembered by
casting director that is powerful. Meditation of the day, That's it, baby,
(01:07):
when you got it, flaunted mel Brooks, Nobody is perfect.
My favorite commercial is where Michael Jordan's Slowly gets out
of the car and describes his failures and how they
helped him achieve success. This is a great example of
how failure is a part of success. The important thing
that you should remember is that faults are okay. It
(01:30):
doesn't mean we're bad people. It just means we're working
on getting better. As I learned to recognize my faults,
I learned to embrace them and know that there is
room for improvement. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with
me Tracy Moore. I am beyond excited today with my guests,
(01:51):
who I so love. It is so much love in
this room. They have no idea um. Today we're talking
about the versatile actor, and Patrick Riley is the epitome
of the versatile actor. He is an actor in every
sense of the word. And I've had the pleasure of
working with him on a movie called Steps Will, which
(02:14):
we'll get into. But Patrick is the versatile actor because
by any means necessary, Patrick is gonna make it happen,
whether he's a host, whether he's an actor, or whether
he is the star himself. Ladies and gentlemen, put your
heads together. From Mr Patrick Riley, everybody, Hello, Miss Tracy Moore.
(02:38):
You know you are one of the most amazing influences
in my life. That you know this, and I want
to make sure your listeners and your people know how
special you are not to the world, because I think
they get the inkling of that week after week with
your show to me, and I want to make sure
(03:00):
we that comes out in our conversation who you are
and how important you are to me. I'm going to
get misty all right now, yet I'll wait until you.
Let's set the scene, and you're going to set the stage. Okay,
So first of all, I just want to say when
I first started teaching, I was six months pregnant with
(03:21):
my son Miles. I had three students, and Patrick Riley
was one of them. Now I don't know if Patrick
remembers this, but Patrick was the one who encouraged me
to teach. Okay, good because you were instructional in your
your being and you were in in who you were
being to me, just as someone knew having just gotten
(03:42):
here from Atlanta, um here in New York trying to
figure it out. You were a player, but a player
figuring yourself out, figuring your brand out as a casting person,
as a director, a writer, producer, all of these things
were kind of figuring themselves out. And I owned you
so um instructional as you were aspirational if that makes
(04:05):
it does, And so there was connection, you know, and
you were steps ahead in your experiences, but you were
so humble and and and relatable, which is what I
connected to. So I said, you gotta teach this, you
gotta bottle this. He said, he did. He encouraged me
and with three students, I said the spirited Actor class,
(04:27):
and that's how it started. And then from there, my god,
I think about how I used to have waiting lists.
That's so crazy, waiting lists and celebrity during a time
in the nineties were so many people in the hip
hop world wanted to expand transition and know how to
do that transition. And you were very much a bridge
(04:47):
for so many of those key folks what Chico to Barge,
Eve Bust, like these true icons of our time. You
were the one who helped them before we what brand
extension was. You helped them extend their brands before it
became kind of an industry at Cottage and then it
was just like the snow York Undercover. Can't we talk
(05:11):
about all that you did? There. You know, you helped
me get my sad those appearances at Natalie's like Faith Evans,
whom they just did it uncensored on her on TV one,
and I thought to myself, you got me in her
videos music video you used to love me, Faith Evans.
And and many years later, like maybe two years ago,
(05:32):
I'm hosting at a Rise Entertainment three six where Shanon
where I was filling in for Shannon Lanier. Uh, there's
Faith Evans and I'm reminding her of our time. She's like,
I remember you. You were outside the trailer, you were
the cop and you had indigestion because I remember when
she came out of the trailer. She's like, oh, those
dumplings didn't settle the right right, we were getting ready
to shoot our seat, like Faith Evans as indigestion, and
(05:57):
Biggie was there, Diddy was there, like all the this
was right at the customs of what was really happening
with that Brooklyn hip hop scene. Yeah, you were right
there and you invited me to be a part, if
it makes sense, Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I remember when
I did New Jersey Drive and Biggie Um a friend
of mine from m c A was like, jay Z,
(06:18):
can you see this guy Biggie right, Biggie is up
against the wall and he goes Tracy would be big
a day, and I was like, I believe you, I do,
but I couldn't cast him because of Heavy D. Heavy
D had the name, so I had to cast heavy D.
But I definitely remember both of them, what right And
(06:41):
almost had the opportunity to work with Tupac on Above
the Rim, but I didn't get the job, but they
took all of my casting ideas. We'll talk about intellectual capital.
That's the whole thing, right. Well, I learned on that
this is a very important less in for anybody out
there that wants to be a casting director. Never give
(07:04):
up the secret sauce. Never give up. Like if they
say to you, who do you have in mind to cast? Well,
that's why you have to hire me, because when you
hire me, then I'll tell you my thoughts absolutely and
I'm not going to share the secret sauce. And then
someone else gets cast and they take which means then
there's an art to how you enroll people to to
(07:25):
book you, you know, and and there's a way to
do it without giving it all away. Okay, right, and
and that's like a that's a lesson its own. Yeah,
that's a lesson. And we're gonna you know, just so
you know, at the end, I am going to ask
you for three tips so that you can give to
aspiring actors. And you guys will want to know these
tips from Patrick. So we're going to talk about let's
talk about how you got started in this business, because
(07:47):
you have a plethora of experience. Oh my god, So
let's start. How did you get started? Gosh, you know,
I've always just been intrigued as a as a kid
of a retired chief astro sergeant from the Air Force.
Um it was turning eighty five, eight eighty six, very soon,
(08:07):
happy birthday. I'm excited that. Um So, I always kind
of had kind of Hollywood in my bones. You know,
born in Japan, we lived in California. We were always
kind of Japan German Germany. We were always kind of
in that we were like a military family. You know,
they were always entertained by the youth Center, Tops in Blue,
you know, the actual entertainment acts that perform, you know,
(08:30):
even the airplane shows, you know, the Thunderbirds and all.
So you understand kind of the culture of it all
is what had me into entertainment and pop culture as
a kid. You know, I love to read the magazines
just from going to the commissary that those were the
ones that mom would pick. I would, you know, read
those magazines too, you know. But um, but I got
(08:53):
my start really. I went to college at more House,
studied Um, you know more How does you know the
significance of more House historically black college, alma mater of
the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr. But in more
contemporary time. Spike Lee, Bill Nunn, l Jackson, Monte Ross
is my Clark brother, Kenny Leon. These guys were twenty
(09:19):
something thirty somethings when I was getting into the business.
Well thirty somethings, I should say. So. Um, the thing
about more House it's a mentoring school. So my first
week they said, you know, what's your interest? They had
me going to dinner at Bill Nunn's house that first week.
You know, they put God, you know, God rest his soul.
(09:40):
And to sort of fast forward it, I have a
nephew who's now thirty one, digital brand manager at Uni
Lever for the Men's Devil line and the women's Devil
line thirty one. But he's kind of like the kid
I raised. He would go on to more House class
of two thousand and ten. When we went to his
college campus visit, who happened to be on the campus
calling my name from across the ard Bill None. So
(10:03):
as my nephews pondering whether he's going to follow in
my footsteps and do more House or he's gonna go
to Howard or some other institution, that was like a
seal in the seal the deal moment because Bill Nana
is saying, there's no better example than your uncle. Which
that could work or that couldn't work. But the fact
that we were still in touch and the fact that
we did meet my freshman week, and but for my
(10:24):
nephew to know that and for him to still be
in touch and he sees him on film, that's radio rahee,
the right thing, that's sister act. He knew him from
Sister acting. Was a big deal. So I um so
that was the beginning, and it kind of underscores if
you look at school days, you get a sense of
what my college career was like. We staged things, we
(10:47):
were dramatic, we were host I hosted, I UM anchored
a lot of the Mask Calm material that we got
access to coming out of Clark. Uh. Clark had the
Mask Department, So though I was a morehouseman we did.
I got all my TV training and my film training
and my drama training from Clark, and so all of
(11:09):
that led me into a career that was really as
a TV journalist. And so I got my career start
helping as a reporter trainee at the ABC affiliate in Atlanta,
working under the big Diva, Monica Kaufman. She she's known
as Monica Pearson now but she's iconic, but she was
my mentor. So it's an example of kind of I
(11:29):
wrote a book that celebrates black women because it's black
women like you, like Monica, who were in the cut
for me, you know, before I knew what to call myself. UM.
I would help launch Good Day Atlanta. Do you remember
the Good Day franchise? I remember, and that's when I
met you and we met in that cut, in that window,
and I was given the opportunity then to help launch
(11:50):
their entertainment division. So I was on camera doing a
lot of their interviews, but I was also producing the
department because it was a local show that hadn't been
proven Today show or a CBS Morning But I was
engaging and engaged to sort of help Atlanta become the
Atlanta that it was becoming. Because this is right at
(12:12):
the time where the Face Records is launching TLC and
Criss Cross and Tony Braxton. This is right at the
time where Germaine Debris it's launching Social Deaf Escape and
his artist this is Dallas Austin doing all that great
producing work and with his amazing artists, and so all
of these folks had to come through me by me
(12:33):
um to kind of get started. And so that was
I planted Seeds because you gave them a platform in
that show. I gave them a platform often their first interviews.
You know it was ushers first interview, do you remember
with Lisa left Ie Lopez burned down. They were getting
ready to come out with the second album then. And
there are two things that happened. One, our station was
(12:55):
the only one to get it right, because you know,
it's like, it's white media, so it's something popular is
happening with these three black girls. Who is who Who's
we got it right? But more than getting it right,
of Face Records because I had these relationships. Gave me
the first interview with DLC after that incident happened before
(13:16):
their next album was to come out, which was a
red Light special. And the cool thing about the anecdotal
thing about that is she was late to that interview,
you know, just like I remember when that happened. I
worked with Drew Sidora and so on a film, The
(13:36):
Preacher's Son that I produced. But she just recently called me,
which was such a warm surprise because Drew is an
amazing actress. She was, she was one of the wasn't
she in the movie? She was? She was, Yes, yes, yes,
I love her and I loved her in that in
that project. Yeah, she was. She's such captured it. Well, yeah,
(13:57):
you know, these are like stories in our life time.
We were there, Tracy. Yeah, Well you know what's coming
up now is the Salt and Pepper film on Lifetime.
So I coached Cheryl's daughter, corin Um. She didn't get
the lead, but however, she's doing a cameo and she's
going to be coming on the show to talk about that.
But you're right, I mean, when you talk about history,
(14:20):
when you talk about TV. But Gerrilla filmmaking, like you
know what I mean, like we come up. I mean
my first film was just Another Girl in the I R. T.
Mayor Max picked it up. But like we shot in
my apartment. I was you know, location scout, you do
whatever you have to say that film before I met you,
before I knew your name, do you know? Yeah? Yeah?
(14:41):
And then we meet and we meet forever ladies and
child another episode because there are many chapters. There are
many chapters in many layers. Um, I do want to
talk about your transition into acting. You were did you
(15:01):
just set the transition? I don't want to take up
all the credit, but if I have to, because I
came here as a broadcast journalist, a producer for he
remember those primetime show at CNBC during an era where
mass media. Like if I didn't want to do local news,
which was kind of my feeling, then you know, and
(15:22):
I kind of knew like if I couldn't grow as
a general assignment reporter, as an anchor and be who
I'm here to be, and so you helped me open
that up, and so I knew, Okay, I want to
cover in chronicle entertainment and pop culture. But what are
the other ways that that can look like. Oprah before
I would even start working with her, was a template
(15:45):
of that. You know, someone who you know definitely had
acting in her on her resume. She had an Oscar
nomination at that but she didn't do it all the time,
and so she had a connection to the industry as
an influencer and as a taste maker, but from time
to time, if the role was right, she could ready
herself to do that. And so kind of having that
(16:08):
realization and then being able to engage with you to
take your course to learn sort of the basics, the
basics of what it is to audition, memory techniques, scenes, study,
um and and and then to get in touch with
what my method was, you know, because there are multiple
methods um um in terms of how we approach the work.
(16:29):
And so you helped me get in touch with that,
featuring me and casting me on wonderful things like New
York Undercover and Eith Evans music videos and other music
videos voice work. You were very gracious and sending me
animated voice work just come into studio read these things.
So I got a lot of my early experience not
(16:49):
just as a physical but as a voice town through you.
You know my real is built on Tracy Moore didn't. Yes,
you made me? Are you kidding? I make people here
on the Spirited Actor podcast, Yes you do. It's real.
And what's also real when you say, I, you know,
(17:11):
sort of engaged you on teaching and how for you
that I know it will move people. I also offered
that spiritual piece has to be in there because I
know that just you know, to know Tracy is to
love her, but to know her is to feel her. Right, um, yes,
(17:32):
which was something different because different teaching like this is
before I even started spirit Yes, And that's and you
know what, that's a great point because when I started
my company it was called and it still is, the
Spirited Actor. Nobody was understanding that that was so foreign.
And then when you were on Oprah and then it
(17:54):
was like remember the spirit Now everybody's spirit And I
was like, okay, I'm safe now. Was Oprah did it
as a mainstream disruption for the industry really, because I
don't think anybody was really. You know, you were talking
about it, and we're talking about talking about a reference
for us, you know, we would the Acts of Faith
(18:16):
or something that you recommended. I start reading it every
day I was looking at an act of faith like
Loo and I got to go through all three. But
it was it worked, and it does work. It does,
it does, it works. And that idea that your spirit
(18:36):
is with you wherever you go, and the idea that
we are all acting wherever we go. We're performing, were presenting, yes,
everybody as an actor. I mean, whether you claim it
or not, you know, I mean I play several roles,
a mom and a grandmam, I'm a friend. You know,
you're so many people from places to asolutely those those
(18:58):
ways of being show up absolutely. Yeah. So I want
to talk about this film you guys. It's called Steps. Now.
Where can people see Steps? Well, you know, we did
a big, robust festival tour for like a year and
a half, which was wonderful, but I don't know that
they Oh my god, you guys, this film Steps. Patrick
(19:19):
was hilarious. Every single time Patrick came on the scene
on the screen, I was just like, I wanted so
much of you. But what I did love is that
it was just enough, you know, because every time you
came on it kept you wanting more of you. But
I'm glad that they didn't oversaturated, not for the value
(19:43):
of the scene, but time, Yes, and you know of
in that edit that you do in film, Yeah, about
slicing down and you know, keeping the plot bubbling and
tell them, tell them the pot because one of my
favorite actors, yes, aside from Patrick and you know now
(20:03):
with with the Oscar buzz of Rob Morgan for the
Jamie Fox film Current Project. Yes, what I saw that film,
but with each evolution, each part that he took, you
know from mud Bat too. He was in This is
Us Last Season Cage. So whenever Rob Morgan comes up,
(20:24):
he's got more stock on his name, and I love
to say I'm his. I did all my scenes and
steps with Rob Morgan, who plays Um, a father of
a young boy who he never knew because he got
in a physical spat with the mother of the child
just as she was getting ready to have him. And
(20:46):
it lapses over many years where he has hit rock
bottom in his life to try to find redemption and
forgiveness from not just his son, but from the son's
mother and from all the people in that life he
left behind, and it chronicles what it took for him
to come back. And I happen to live in a
(21:07):
kind of an assisted living building where he um for
a day job, comes and kind of cleans out the
dead pan of another wonderful actor, Walter le Roy. He
was a beast and he and he and it and
it turns I won't ruin the film, but it looks
at that relationship and I happened to be this, Okay,
(21:29):
I'm Rudy. Rudy is a an out black gay guy
who hails from the don't ask, don't tell time of
the Army. He was in the Gulf War and came
back to Jersey City where all of this is set.
It's an urban tale of this tale of urban plight. Um.
(21:51):
He comes back and is staying in this place on
this assisted living from the government, and he's got a
respiratory illness side. I always carried a little oxygen tank
with me and I'm just full of sass and all
these things and bowser who are larious, And I was
nervous to play this. You know. I don't know if
(22:13):
your audience knows this, but I am gay. But to
the point, um, coming from Savannah, Georgia, you know, the
Bible Belt, my people had to deal with me coming
out in real time. Then some years later, that had
to deal with me coming out on OPRAH, because there
was a big OPRAH when I knew I was want
a glad award. We say lives, but I embarrassed that
(22:35):
homophobic family of that, and what are you gonna do?
So now you go pass forward to pasting this project
and she's saying, um, I want you to do this part.
And the me, the me that isn't the mighty me,
the me that is still a little boy who's not
quite sure I can be all of me, is not
(22:55):
sure I want to be all at that on the
big screen. And so I said no the first time,
and then they said we're gonna work out the scheduling.
Then they worked out the scheduling. It didn't work for me.
So then they said, we're gonna work out the scheduling
for you to do this part because that's how bad
they wanted. And we have to just say this doesn't happen, folks.
So I'm just happy that I had an angel over
(23:17):
my shoulder just sort of saying keep going. And then
the day the day that I was to do my
biggest scenes, there was a blizzard and I had people
who weren't in the business telling me they're not even
they're not shooting. I said, well, I haven't heard anything.
I haven't heard about a cancelation. I'm still you know,
my thing is I'm going through the blizzard to get
to set because I would have heard something otherwise. And
(23:38):
I yet again, it's another I think these are some
of these tips. This is another tip, be up your
word and mean what you say and what you mean.
Because when I arrived of this uh small film that
could executive produced by Shaquille O'Neil, everybody was there the
(23:58):
day of that blizzard and we shot our scenes. You don't,
I mean, I'm I'm old school production. Rain, sleet, snow,
unless someone dies, you still show up. And that comes
from even the non sexy train. You know, More House
taught us that, you know, they're the rain, don't stop
(24:19):
the house, don't stop the house, don't stop the huse.
Nobody stops the house. You know, that was our big
thing at Morehouse. So so also listening to the training.
You know, if my tips are kind of coming out
as a as I testify, listen to the training early on.
The stuff that you don't think is important early on,
not only listen to it to be about it and
(24:41):
have that be who you're about throughout your career, because
it was it was all of that that informed how
I was able to get this project done. And I
will say when they premiered it at this old School
theater in Jersey Old World Theater in Jersey City seats,
they entered use me at the end of the screening,
(25:01):
you know, they do Q and A at the end
of these festival screen I was introduced as and the
rest of the cast, you know, and and and so
I'm going coming up with the rest of the cast
and the woman on the mic and saying here comes
Rudy and the audience. And they later on and then
festivals beyond that, they would invite me to speak alongside Rob,
(25:25):
you know, at at our different festival Q and A S.
And I just realized, sometimes when we play ourselves small,
we really are giving ourselves the opportunity to miss out
on something that was truly a dream. You know. I
never wanted to be the biggest movie star, but I
wanted to shoot a movie. I've shot a movie and
you had a substantial role in substantial award and award
(25:50):
winning movie. It's when several festival prizes and I'm still
trying to figure out. You know, I'm not I wasn't
a producer on it because i'd have a deal by now,
you know what I mean, Like, I want the people
to be able to see this, and maybe they're waiting
on Rob to win is Oscar? Yeah? Maybe I mean hey,
because you know that's always cool when the projects she
did before get new lights. So whatever their strategies are,
(26:11):
I'm all for it. I'm just sad because our interview
was almost stole her that happened. I just have to
say really quick two things. One, Um, when you said
people don't say what they mean and mean what they say.
I always say that to actors because behavior speaks volume
about your character. So I hear what people say, but
(26:35):
I'm more visual. I observe your behavior because that's the truth.
And that was golden for me to learn. Rocks are hard,
water is wet, it's in the results. Yes, And playing
small Maryanne Williamson room for it? Why would you play small? Um?
I just want to say that you, as my guest
(26:59):
today the verse to tell actors there's a plethora of
information there. I need to talk to you some more.
I want to talk about your book before we go,
please tell us about That's what Friends Are For by
Patrick Riley. Please, folks during these holiday gifting times, go
and pick it up Amazon, Barnes and Noble, where all
books are sold. It's That's what Friends Are For. On
(27:20):
the Women Who Inspired Me and what it is is
part memoir, part entertainment diary. I loved the Diva's when
I was growing up, all of these great amazing all
this black girl magic before we gave it a name,
and I just so happened to attract a career. We
talked about a little of it here where I have
(27:40):
literally met all my dream girls, you know, from Shirley Ralph,
the original dream girl, to Diana Ross, the one that
was the inspiration for the role um. Oprah Winfrey was
someone when I graduated high school, I said I'd work
for her. Teen years later, I was a senior field
producer for The Oprah Show. And beyond that, she's given
me my prime time credit as the only interviewer of
(28:02):
all of her legends at the Big Legendary Legends she
threw in two thousand five. So the book really kind
of unpacks how important these women are to me, but
to the culture So there's someone in there for everyone
that I'm talking about based on my life experience, and
that's including Tracy Moore. Don't make me misty, Patrick, Well,
(28:26):
everybody has to go on and get that book. Um,
that's what friends are for by Patrick Riley and my
talk show. Yes, the Happy Hour Talk Show. Just go
to Instagram. We uh it's five diverse gay professional guys
who talk about all the hot topics that you see
on those regular shows during daytime. But we're talking about
it because not often is there a voice or a
(28:47):
lens that is from the l g B d q I,
a elemental po. We have a lot of letters and
representation matters, and so at the Happy Hour Talk Show
we have us have season two that launches in January.
But you can, uh, you can what's that thing that
people do now, binge? You can binge season by going
to YouTube and or Instagram and or wherever social media
(29:12):
platforms are to see at the Happy Hour Talk Show.
It's a great, great red table talk sized dose. Well,
we're going to support that. We're going to support your book.
We're going to talk about you some more even when
you're not around, because your spirit has filled up the studio.
So I just want to say thank you to my friend,
to a very very talented actor. He is the versatile
(29:37):
talent because I was going to say so. Patrick is
going to take us out on a little note. Ladies
and gentlemen, Patrick, give it up. Wait a minute, yeah
you oh god, you can call Oh stand outside. This
a woman's what this woman's w work. Oh it's hard
(30:02):
on the man. That's thank you. I'm gonna take that
home with me. Thank you so much, Love for you forever,
Love you too. Man. All right, we'll be back on
the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. Hi, welcome
back to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore
(30:23):
and now Classes in Session with our Spirited Actor alumni
leanne A Motto and our special Spirited Actor alumni guess
today Spruce Henry. Yes, Spruce will be joining us today.
Patrick is the Ultimate guest. The Ultimate guest today is
Patrick Riley and Patrick is going to be participating in
(30:43):
class and session and thank you. I thought I was, yes,
but don't get it confused with special and ultimate. Okay,
so today we're doing a scene with these minions, um
and it is called your Humbly and people wonder why
(31:06):
I don't drink. Okay, so we're going to start it off.
I'm gonna as usual, I will read everything. Um Patrick
Riley is going to be playing Dr Smith, Leanne will
be playing Doctor Bridge, and our lovely special guest Spruce
will be playing the patient. Interior examination room day, quiet,
(31:28):
sterile room. Patient sits nervously on the edge of the
examination table, listening to Dr Bridge. The test results were
not conclusive, and I want to run some other tests
for more clarity. I consulted with my team and there
is a new doctor comments our hospital that specializes in
this type of cancer. If that is what we conclude
(31:49):
in your opinion, do you think I have cancer? Honestly
don't like to speculate, and so all the results are in.
I will say that whatever your religious belief is, that
you stay in that mindset. I have witnessed miracles. That's
why I was referred to you. My cousin said he
never met a doctor like you, because your cousin was
(32:10):
one of those miracles. Dr Bridge looks at her watch.
The doctor will be joining us for any of the
questions that you may have. The door abruptly opens and
Dr Smith pison. Hello, may I come in. Dr Bridge
recognizes the voice Eric. Dr Smith walks in. He has
taken aback by Dr Bridges present. Monica. Wow, they didn't
(32:32):
tell me you were the doctor. Trust me. I didn't
get the moment either. Um, how how have you been?
The patient sits in the middle of this awkward ping
pong match. I finally left Chicago. Yeah, I see. I
try to convince you to leave when we were I'm engaged.
Dr Bridge tries to disguise her pain. You made a commitment.
(32:54):
I don't mean break up the reunion, but of course,
how unprofessional. I apologize. This is not the introduction I wanted.
I'm Dr Smith. How are you feeling? Ain't just I
want to know? You know I'm gonna be okay. Dr
Smith opens the folder. I suggest an aggressive form of
(33:15):
chemo that will attack this cancer. Um with all due respect, Erica,
I mean, Dr Smith. Shouldn't we wait for the results
of the new test first? I like to get ahead
of the game. If the tests confirm what we see,
then we have a plan. Tension bills with Dr Bridge. Yes,
I understand. However, I like to wait for the results
before we get ahead of ourselves. With the patient. I
(33:39):
assume she spoke to you about miracles. That is how
I god here. Most doctors lack compassions. I agree, Well,
I can see I'm outnumbered here. I'll go get the
test set up and we will know the results in
a couple of days. Dr Smith heads for the door.
Try to relax, and let's expect a miracle. Uh, yes,
(34:03):
let's do that. He leaves. Why did you to break up?
Dr Bridge? Still looking at the door. He didn't believe
in miracles and seeing give them a round of applause, audience,
So what was great? You know? I always I love
doing this because these are cold reads. So for those
(34:24):
of you who don't know what a cold reading is, Um,
this is the first time that these actors have gotten
the material and they are reading it cold. Now. I'm
just gonna give you guys a little bit of tips. Okay,
So um uh Patrick um. Dr Smith for whatever reasons,
and actors know, this is stuff that you have to
create because in the sides we don't have this information,
(34:47):
and sides are pages of a script. But I don't
know why you guys broke up. Um, I don't know
why you did not want to leave. So I'm going
to give you a couple of seconds for you to
think about that, because that is going to come out.
You know, that's a decision that you're gonna make, and
you're gonna and it's gonna add more weight. Okay. And
then Dr Smith, I feel like there's some unfinished business
(35:12):
here and maybe a little bitterness. Dr Bridge, I apologize.
Dr Bridge, so leanne um, I don't know, um, if
you had closure, and I don't feel like you had closure.
I need you to give a sense of you know, Um,
I know that when he said he was engaged, that
(35:33):
was very jarring for you. But I think before that
there's some stuff that you know before he said and
I know it's probably like a couple of sentences, but
the whole his presence and a lot of memories coming back. Okay, Um, patient,
I love Spruce. When you just kind of came a like,
I don't want to mess up the situation here, but
(35:54):
I do might have cancer. I'm dying, so I would say, like,
I mean the interjection on that was great. Um. And um.
You know it's the thing about Dr Bridge is that
she's more compassionate and um generous as opposed to sort
(36:16):
of being like robotic and you know, routine that which
doctors normally that would be. That's who Dr Smith is.
So the whole thing about miracles is that she comes
from a more spiritual which is really not allowed in
the medical world. So that's probably where you know, the
discord went with the two of you guys. So we're
(36:36):
gonna read it again, and I'm not going to um
read the action. We're just going to go straight through
with the scene. Okay, so you guys, good, okay, great,
So here we go and action. The test results were
not conclusive, and I want to run some other tests
for more clarity. I consulted with my team and there's
(36:59):
a new doctor comings or hospital that specializes in this
type of cancer. If that is what we conclude in
your opinion, do you think I have cancer? I honestly
don't like to speculate until all the results are in.
I will say that whatever your religious belief is, that
you stay in that mindset. I witness miracles. That's why
(37:21):
I was referred to you. My cousin said she never
met a doctor like you. That's right, your cousin was
one of those miracles. The doctor will be joining us
for any of the questions you may have. Hello, may
I come in? Eric Monica. Wow, they didn't tell me
you were the doctor. Oh trust me. I did not
(37:44):
get the memo either. How have you been finally left Chicago?
I see I tried to convince you to leave when
we were engaged. You made a commitment. Don't mean to
break this up, this reunion. But oh, of course, how unprofessional.
I deeply apologize. This is not the introduction I wanted.
(38:06):
I'm Dr Smith. How are you feeling anxious? I want
to know you know? Am I gonna be okay? I
suggest an aggressive form of chemo that will attack this cancer.
With all due respect, Eric, I mean Dr Smith. Shouldn't
we wait for the results of the new test first?
I like to be ahead of the game. If the
(38:26):
tests confirmed what we see, then we have a plan. Yes, however,
I understand I like to wait for the results before
we get ahead of ourselves with the patient. I assume
she spoke to you about Mirrable. Yeah, that's how that's
how I got here. You know next other doctors they
just don't have compassion. I agree. Well, I can see
(38:49):
I'm outnumbered here. I'll go get the test set up
and we will know the results in a couple of days.
Try to relax and let's expect a miracle. Yes, let's
do that. Why did you too break up? He didn't
believe in miracles? Mhm, and seen X when you guys
(39:13):
did a great sailing one of my I was constipated
and I wrote for myself in the size, I'm engaged
to a man and she doesn't know it yet. That
was really what was underneath our break up. What's your bitterness? Better?
(39:34):
Because I saw it all and then I was trying
so hard, like to have switched after me, you know,
like you know what's on you after Like it happened
after you. You know, it's not just that he left,
but he left and it wasn't for another woman. It
was for another man. Yes, so what's up with me?
But I get her? But I still get her. That's like, okay,
(39:56):
here we are, we're on miracle. She was gonna was
gonna wish my issues. I like. I like when you said,
just Spruce, so I she told you about right, No,
but you were ready to the last line. I love
(40:16):
when you came in and Spruce said, so why did
you two break? What was the situation now? He didn't
believe in miracles. But um um, great job. Is that
miracles a metaphor for something else? Yes, honesty, I mean
especially for her. He didn't he didn't believe in me, right,
(40:38):
you know? Right? Yeah, everything? You know? Yeah, that's great.
I'm glad you guys were able to pull that too.
But the important thing is that after you guys read
the scene like the work that you did, Now, that
changed the dynamics right from when you first read it. Yeah,
because I yeah, I in you giving me the instruction
(40:59):
to inform my my sides. Are you know where I
came from? It helped me to it helped in how
I delivered, and it gives more substance when you have.
The more information you have about the character, the more
weight you're bringing onto them, because we could have you know,
gone through the layers like you know, well, why did
you have any sign? Did you know something was? You know?
(41:22):
So yeah, okay, So we're gonna wrap up class in
session and today we had Spirit Actor alumni Leeann a
Motto and our special guest Spirit Actor alumni Spruce Henry.
Here's a pleasure to be here. I like to thank
all the short people and our ultimate guests and our
(41:44):
versatile actor Mr Patrick Riley. This was a treat, quite
a treat. Thank you. We'll be back on the Spirited
Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. Give love, love the
skin you're in. We are all unique in our own
individual way, and instead of running away from your uniqueness,
(42:07):
embrace it. There is no one out there that can
be you. There is no one out there that has
the talent, the skills, the personality. You are unique. Embrace
your uniqueness. Love your uniqueness, Own your uniqueness. You are deserving,
(42:30):
You are enough. Practice every day to tell yourself this
is This is an exercise that I want everyone to
participate in every day. I want you to look in
the mirror and I don't want you to leave the
mirror until you have convinced yourself that you love yourself.
Every day say I love me, repeat after me, I
(42:52):
love me. You can't leave that mirror until you convince
yourself that you love yourself. Be in love with yourself,
be in wonder with yourself, Be true to yourself, and
always maintain integrity and embrace your uniqueness. Thank you for
(43:14):
joining us on the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore.
I look forward to our next Spirited Podcast. Thank you,
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