March 10, 2020 • 53 mins
Darik Bernard, a New York City theatre-trained actor and writer, is an entertainer
whose star is on the rise. Born and raised in North Carolina, Darik Bernard wholeheartedly
brings to his artistry a work ethic and stick-to-it-iveness unsurpassed. His acting career has
taken him to the silver screen as well as the big city stage where his performance credits
include hit series When They See Us (Netflix), Blue Bloods (CBS), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
(Netflix), Blindspot (NBC), POWER (STARZ) as Doc, Luke Cage (Netflix), Boardwalk Empire
(HBO), One Bad Choice (MTV), and Born in the Game (movie). He also has been in numerous
short and indie films as well as Off-Broadway productions. You can currently catch Darik in
a recurring role on ABC’s new hit drama For Life. With his finger on the pulse of contemporary culture, Darik Bernard is certainly one to watch.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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. I transition to
a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Thomas.
I audition every rapper from Biggie's Balls 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. I
(01:06):
like to keep myself challenged. Brian Gumble. Scientists have predicted
that most human beings used ten of their brain. I
was insulted when I first heard this information. I feel
that we are all capable of reaching great heights when
we put our minds to it. The problem may be
(01:27):
that most of us cannot imagine ourselves excelling to the top. However,
we shouldn't limit ourselves. The mind is a very powerful instrument.
If you think you can, you can, and you can
truly make it happen today. I will reach higher every
day towards my goal. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast
(01:51):
with me Tracy Moore, and I am thrilled to have
spirit Actor alumni. Actor extraordinary because everybody that comes to
this show is extraordinary. Thank you, okay um and you
just heard him. Ladies and gentlemen, yes, Derek Bernard, put
your hands together. Thank you for clapping for yourself. So
(02:13):
humble you are no, no, no really, I mean no.
Ever since I met you, you have always been humble.
Your talent speaks for itself. Well, you know, born and
raised from North Carolina, so being down south, you know,
I just know where it comes from. Yeah, you know.
So it's just it's just truly a blessing just to
be in New York and be pursuing acting and being
(02:36):
around like actual people who are doing great things. So
and you're a reflection of that. Thank you, you know
what I mean. It's like I always say the actors
when you're on a set and you're working with celebrities,
but you're there too, what does that say about you? Yeah? Yeah, yeah,
I made a way for you to be there. You know,
I love your work ethic. Thank you. Let's tell the
(02:59):
story and did you come to New York? What was
your journey here? Well? Um, my journey started at Morgan State.
You know, I was I started to shout HBCU life
you know, um I really. I majored in UM broadcast
and one day I was just in the studio and
(03:22):
one of my friends who had a class, needed some
on their talent because one of the persons, the person
who was supposed to do it, dropped out. So I said, well, right,
I'll do it, you know, And I got in front
of the camera and it was really about him and
doing his camera work. And so the professor after the
class was over asked me to stay and he said
(03:42):
can I talk to you? And I was like okay, cool,
and he was saying, listen, you know, I don't say
this often but I'm an actor myself, you know. And
he said, and the camera loves you, and he said,
and you have this natural presence in front of the camera.
I really think you should take some theater classes. And
I was like, you know, maybe, he said, no, no,
(04:04):
I encourage you to do it, you know. And one
day I just said, you know what, let me see.
So I went to the Fine Arts Building at Morgan
State and I went into the auditorium and I was
just going and seeing them taking their classes, and I mean,
all right, let just be honest, so many beautiful black
sisters in theater. I'm good, this is where I need
(04:28):
to be. Sign me up. The motivation, yeah, you know.
So um and I fell in love with the art
or with the sisters both. But no, no, no, no, no,
just really really I I um, I was a movie's baby,
you know what I mean. Growing up? You know, my
(04:49):
grandmother even really wouldn't even let us watch sports in
the house, but she would say, let's watch a movie.
So we will always watch movies. And we were bond
over movies, you know, and I just I guess I
would just really really gravitated to that. So in you
so you have the training down at Morgan State and
(05:11):
then what so what led you to New York City?
How did you get here? I was working in corporate miserable.
I had um because in Mortgage State, if you don't know,
it's in Baltimore, and for us theater kids, the wire
was it. So I got to break a lot of
my chops on the wire. And now I started to
audition and then I UM. I got a featured extra
(05:35):
roll with Aidan Gillion. Now a lot of people might
not know him by name, but he went on to
play little Finger on Game of Thrones, so I was
his um. He was mere Carktty on the show. I
come from theater. I see lines, we we you know.
So as a featured extra, I didn't understand that. I
(05:56):
didn't understand, and I was his secret service. But I
was the only one. So whenever you saw him, you
saw me. And because I wasn't saying lines, I was like,
oh this is this is not it. I quit and
I never went back. They called me like, he called
me like three or four times to come back, and
I said no, And probably the reason why they were
(06:16):
calling you continuity, but they said were continued. But they
said the director liked me, you know what I mean.
And I would talk to Aiden, and I would talk
to the other guys just so. Um, the late great
Reggie E. Cathy, I worked with him. Um many may
know him. His last big job was on House of Cards,
so um, I got to work with him and talk
(06:37):
to him. I just didn't understand the business. And I'm
sure if I would have been there long enough, they
would have upgraded me and gave me some lines, you know.
But also too, I wasn't being humble, you know. I
wasn't waiting my turn, you know what I mean. So
I just left and I just worked corporate. But I
was doing community theater and I was doing regional commercials
(06:57):
and everything I could do in that area. You and
did they have a casting director that was in that
area at the time. Pat Moran is the cat the
major casting director in Baltimore. She did all the local
casting for the Wire. So yeah, but I just didn't
understand that the politics of it, and I was just
(07:18):
I was just trying to get out there before I
really really understood the craft, you know, which is you
know probably what guy was like, now, you're not ready.
I love when you said it wasn't your time, Like, yeah,
that's important to know that, you know, because I feel
like I feel that I am a firm believer that
everyone has their time, yes, and so in knowing that
(07:41):
there is a time for you, how do you prepare
for that? Um? I I really just focused on studying
and being around people who I am might you know,
even when I moved here, I um, I just was blessed,
like you know, when I moved to you or the
first class I took was Tasha Smith and I did
(08:05):
that and in that class was a who's who all
of of everybody. The Stephen Hills, that not Fisa Williams,
those the Natasha Williams. Those were the type of people
I bumped into. I mean as soon as they got
to New York. I mean I got to New York.
The next day I was in class. And if you
don't know, ladies and gentlemen, Stephen Hill is currently on
(08:27):
Magnum p I on CBS, and Fizza Williams is on
Black Lightning and c W. We all we all, um,
those were the people I met and that they became
my peers, you know, So it was just but you
could tell we we had something and then we all
went and studied with Wendy Mackenzie. And then that was
(08:49):
another great class of who's who the Sawanda Wilson's umatory,
Shanna Solomon, we got um, Shannon J. Thornton, who's out
to be on Pussy Valley, She's you know. It was
just that was our group, you know what I mean.
It was like that Fourth Green Area era of when
(09:10):
all these stars with in these classes, you know, and
you had to come ready, you know what I mean.
So I feel blessed, and I felt like because I
listened to God about hey, this is where you gotta go,
you know what I mean? And it was time because
I had um. It was so funny. I was sit
in my cubicle at my corporate job and instead of
(09:32):
doing work, I would look on YouTube and I would
listen to the Active Studio. That's all. I was not
really doing any work, and I would just listen to
everybody's journey and not so much of them getting on.
I listened to what they sacrificed, okay, because there has
to be some type of sacrifice and what are you
willing to do to get here? You know what I mean?
(09:56):
I knew being a weekend Warrior wasn't going to get
me where I want to to go. I tell the
actors that I work with now and whoever I coach,
I tell them, acting will never be a side bitch. Ever,
it won't if you want to be where you want
to be. It just acting won't be a side bit,
(10:16):
you know what I mean? Because when it's time to
when you look at that script, you have to have
these tools. Yes you do, you know what I mean.
And if you don't have these tools that you haven't developed,
you know, it just won't work. And the expectation when
you're on the set is that you are an actor.
Nobody is going to hold your hand and tell you
(10:36):
hit your mark first what first team means. So it's
important to know your craft, but you also should know
the business and you should know the terminology. You know.
When I first got here, after I did those classes
and everything, I did something that another opportunity guy gave me.
I became a personal assistant and for for a major
(11:01):
actor and I did it for three years and then
I felt like God was like, Okay, Derek, you're here.
I presented you with this opportunity. If you want to
do this, I'm gonna give you a front row seat
to what it takes to be a working actor. And
after these three years are over, I want to know
what you want to do. And after the three years
(11:23):
was over, I was like, I'm ready, you know, And
I got to learn so much. I got to learn
what to do on set, what not to do on set,
you know, and you know, just you know, especially for us,
you know what I mean, it's different for us. How
is it different for people of color? Um? We just
(11:45):
we just have to always be on time, be on point,
watch your attitude, you know what I mean, Because even
when you think they're not looking to look, you know
what I mean, people are always watching. And even on
major sets, Murphy law is is everywhere anything that can
go wrong will go wrong, and you just have to
be able to roll with the punches. Um. A really
(12:08):
really dope actor told me when I first got to
New York. He was he works like crazy. Um, he said,
as long as you're cool, they'll always want to work with.
He's like, just show up, be cool and know you
know your stuff, and always, you know, you get called back.
I mean, I was having to cast a conversation with
the casting director before that. We scan you at the
(12:31):
door because a part of our job is talent, but personality.
So we have to be able to extract that in
that session. We have to be able to say to
the director, out of Derek and Alfonso, Derek has the
better personality, right because you know, as it costs money.
(12:54):
If I can't get you out of the trailer or
if you're not happy, that's going to cost a produce, sir,
and the production additional money that's not allotted technically in
the budget. So we personality is a big part of
who you are and exactly if you're not cool, we
don't want to work with you. Yeah, there's a lot.
And I always, I just always, even when I feel
(13:18):
like i'm on set not I do get a little, um,
I feel like ungrateful when I get those call times
and I gotta be up at four in the morning,
and I'm like upset, like I'm not a morning person
at all, evening I can't take night shoots. I can,
And I'm just like, are you crazy You're getting up
to go to be on set like this and makeup
(13:42):
seven am? But yeah, yeah yeah, And then I just
you know, and I just shake it off and I
just remember, like Hey, somebody would love to be here.
You're here, you know what I mean, and you earned it.
You are so deserving of these. Tell us about some
of the roles that you've had. Um, I we'll talk
about your current role. Oh yes, yes, yes, I've been.
(14:04):
I was on MTV. I played Nick from One Bad Choice,
My biggest you know, my biggest one to date, I
feel um was my guest star role on Power. But
the one that I'm super most proud of is the
(14:24):
playing opposite of Darrell Drome and when they see us,
you know and powerful. Yeah, that was that was That
was challenging to watch. It was so challenging to watch
it so and and being on set, I can understand now.
I just wanted to be able. I was going to ask.
(14:45):
It was amazing because you know, when um, I kept going,
the great Billy Hopkins asked me for that. Yeah, And
I saw him three times. He brought me in three times,
and the third time him he said my name, And
that's when I knew. Yeah. I tell actors I don't
(15:07):
worry about booking the role. I want to book the room.
I need that room. So you want to call me,
call me in, And you know why because every audition,
whenever I went in for Billy, I just wanted to
walk out feeling like I did a solid audition, you
know what I mean. That's all I can do, That's
all I can control, and that's that's the only thing
that you guys can control. And the thing about it,
and you said, you made a great point. I always
(15:29):
say the actors, it's better to excuse me to be remembered.
And I know you want to book a job, but
you remember, look, Billy is going to keep calling you.
And every time there's a role specifically for you, he's
gonna keep calling. And we talked about you to other
casting directors and and and I did it. And I
(15:50):
was like, oh, well, I guess I didn't get it.
In two weeks later, I found out I got it,
you know. And then I was like, oh my gosh,
I'm about to I didn't care about I wasn't about
to be a you know what I mean. Then when
I got on set and we were up in Goshen
at the prison, and I'm talking to Darrell, and I
didn't even really get a full grasp of this young
(16:12):
man's power and energy, you know what I mean. And
in that scene, it's just us, you know what I mean. So, well,
you know set, and then Eva comes in with all
her glory and everything, and then she's hugging everybody, and
then she gives me a hug and I introduced her.
I said, how are you doing? Even my name is Derek.
You know what she said? I know, I know. I
saw your tape. Oh my gosh, it was wonderful, and
(16:33):
I was like, wow, you know, so it's good. It's good.
So tell us about this role that we have to
look forward to, ladies and jail. Wow, yeah, this is
this is this is. I played Walter on the new ABC.
I'm gonna claim it hit drama for life and basically
(16:55):
I am I'm really good friends with the lead character
during Missic Jamal Bishop. Yeah the idea too. I was
like so excited because I had worked with his wife
before and I just never worked with him and I
was like, oh my god. Yeah, so getting to, you know,
(17:15):
be on set and I really didn't know what it
was going to be, you know what I mean. I
love the premise if you tell us the premise, Yeah,
the premise is basically about it's a true story, so
it's about Isaac Wright who actually went to prison Isaac
Wright Jr. Let me say the whole name. And as
you know, he went to prison falsely accused, and he
(17:36):
toward himself law He became a lawyer in school, I
mean in prison and for his own case, you know
what I mean. Did he beat his case and he
became a lawyer in practice and he worked with other people,
you know. So if you heard about it, and then
it became a show, so fifty cent is the executive producer,
you know, and it's the second time I'm getting to
(17:59):
work that league with. It's so crazy because in in
Maryland or Baltimore when I was when he first came
out as a rapper, nowhere near did I think, oh, well,
you're gonna be on set with this guy, and you're
gonna be you know, and it's just beautiful what God like?
When when when before I moved to New York, I
went and sat with my theater teacher who was going
(18:20):
to school for theology, and I said, listen, I'm thinking
about moving to New York. I got an idea. I
think I feel like I should just go out there
and pursue it, you know, And she said, well, let
me tell you something that's not your idea, that's God.
God is trying to tell you what he has for you.
And now it's up to you to go because he
(18:41):
has something bigger for you, you know what I mean.
And and and it was just still crazy because I
had I have a daughter. You know, she's seventeen now,
but at the time she was six, and I was
on the phone with my manager and he was like, well, Derek,
I gotta be honest. I I have gone as far
as I can go with you, you know what I mean,
(19:03):
which is another blessing, you know what I mean, when
people are honest about what they can do, how far
to go. So and I was just giving guy so
many excuses why I couldn't obey what he was trying
to get me to do. So I'm I'm just on
the phone my manager and he said, you need to move,
(19:24):
you know what I mean, Because I had already had
an agent up here who wanted to work with me.
So I was just like na, Na, Na. And after
I got off the phone, my daughter, who was at
six at the time, came into the room and I
had told her I was going to get her something
to drink. So I'm thinking she's coming to remind me.
So she comes into the room and I said, oh,
(19:44):
I'm sorry, baby, I'm gonna get you something to drink.
She said, no, big, no, daddy, I wanted to tell
you something. I said, Okay, She said, I think you
should go to New York. You're a good actor. I'll
be a big girl. I won't cry out of the
mouth of babe. So I knew that that was that
was my blessing. Yeah, I needed her to be okay
(20:06):
to go, you know. And it's just been crazy ever since.
And I always tell well, I tell actors too. I
consume humanity. I consume it. That's beautiful because you have
to know how to We have a toolbox that we
have to have to portray what we need to pray.
(20:29):
You're never going to play a chair, never gonna play
an unanimate object. You're gonna play a human. So you
have to consume humanity. You have to watch people, you
have to study them, you know what I mean. And
and in some days I'll go into the most busiest
place and just sit in the back of the room
and just watch people and look at them. I listen
(20:50):
to the way they talk. I'll listen to the way
they say things. I'll listen to the way they hold
their drink. I'll look at the way they hold the cigarette.
I'll do all these things because I'm constant observing people.
And then I tell people people want to go to class. Yes,
class is amazing. I ever thought about that. That's is great.
You need classes. But what you watch is some of
(21:13):
the most that's free television. That's I mean, that's free research,
you know what I mean. I mean, especially program you
know what I mean, and you're watching you know, yeah,
you know you have to look at them and see
you know how they're you know what the beat is,
you know, like you know why they did that point.
I mean when I watched stuff, I'm watching it from
(21:36):
the actor's point of view, and I get excited when
I'm like especially if I'm seeing somebody, I know, you
know what i mean, I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm like,
you know, I'm like Kobe, I'm going snatching my shirt.
You know what I'm saying that. You know, that's my sport.
You know what i mean, that's my you know, so
I take that that mamba mentality, you know what i mean, Like,
(21:57):
that's how that's how I'm looking at it right now.
I mean, I you know, I can't. I'm thinking, I'm
sitting here thinking when did I meet Derek? When did
I meet Derek? I knew of you and I had
seen you around a lot. I feel like we had
an audition. I'm not sure. No, I remember we met
in Brooklyn that one of your workshops, not at South Oxford,
(22:24):
was Jim Jones there, No, it was, no, It was
just a bunch of people, and I kept hearing about
you know you, and I said, well, you know, I
need to check it out. And at the time I was.
It was at the South Boxford space, That's where it was.
And then I was like, okay, cool, I'm ready and
then took But but you were more of a producer
(22:45):
when I met you, like we had to at the time.
When I met you, you had developed your own show
and you um you actually shot it because I had
seen you know um and actually you were head of
year time because people weren't shooting their shows doing sizzles
at that time. It was more of a verbal pitching. Yeah. Yeah.
(23:07):
Well also to again being in a personal assistant and
getting inside information, and that's the thing to my dad
always says. He said, one of your gifts is if
somebody gives you advice, you'll listen and you will do
your due diligence and you will figure it out. And
you you listen. You know what I mean. So somebody
tells me something, I mean, I don't. I don't understand
(23:27):
why some people will go to someone experience and then
doubt the person is saying, you know, this person is
in that field, so why wouldn't you? So you know
I did that, And funny enough, that was right when
for the the digital series stuff was really yeah, that's
(23:49):
what I'm saying, Like you were. I just remember, Um,
I remember seeing you again at a holiday party for
Plaza one Francesca Grimaldi Plassa seven. It was a lot
of the show but class of seven, and I remember
(24:12):
hearing about the show. Um, I had seen something but
your passion and your drive with that show. I was
over excited. And it's such a brilliant idea. It's not
something we haven't seen. I still feel like it's it's
a little you know, when when it finally gets picked up,
(24:32):
the story is going to be crazy, but the timing
is going to be right too, because you said something
really important about timing. And I honestly think that when
you pitched the show it was ahead of its time.
We had, you know, the closest thing and I told
you the closest thing that I could think was Herman's head,
which was like in the eighties, the late eighties on
(24:53):
Channel five. That was the closest thing. Yeah, And and
it's so crazy. It was based off of my you know.
And I'm like, oh, oh, I wish she could share
this with you guys, because this show, well, I'll wait
until the show is sold because it is still relevant
(25:17):
and a brilliant concept and and through but that's another thing.
Through God's time and me, you know, the initial thought
of how I wanted to do it, just constantly developing
and working it. It's just it's even better now. So sure.
And then with what because I agree with your dad,
do you take in you know, and you run with
(25:38):
that and um, so I can only imagine how much
it's evolved from what you've learned. And God, the great
thing is I said, okay, cool, let me let me
um working Derek Bernard the actor and get Derek Bernard
the actor brand up and then people will listen maybe
(25:59):
even more because they got denied by every festival. But
let me tell you this, there are to keep hope alive.
There are two shows that I want to beat and um,
both of those shows are on air right now. But
I bought into them. One show I bought in two
(26:20):
thousand seven, another show I bought like in two thousand fifteen. Um.
The blessing is you know, there on and actors are working,
and I'm very grateful for that. But it taught me
a lesson that, you know, like with your show, I
feel like timing. It's all about timing, and the more
that we see you on TV, that opens up the
(26:44):
doors and the platform store that was. That was, that
was the idea I was thinking. I said, okay, well
you know it was. I mean, I did it. You
know I can't. You know, it can't hurt just to listen.
I'm telling you, however, I can help because I believe
in the show. More importantly, I believe in you. I've
always I've always believed in you, like thank you. It's
(27:06):
just you know, it's it's it's a blessing when you
meet just you know, in this business, you meet just
good people and it's yeah, that's why we're cool. Yeah, yeah,
you know, just always just try to work and do
your best and and and that's I always think my
southern roots about that. You know. Even when like I
(27:29):
auditioned for Power, A lot of people don't even know
that story I went. I went in audition for Power.
I didn't even I was like, man, I ain't going
to this audition because I just I felt like I
just wasn't gonna get it. I had those moments, but
I'll tell myself. And then so I went and as
I get home, I'm feeling good because you know, I
did a good job in the audition room. And my
(27:51):
grandmother died that day. Yeah, my grandmother was the one
who raised me. You know. My mom died when I
was left. So and my grandmother will always call me
and said, well, how did your acting baby? And I
would be like, oh, it's going good. Nothing was gonna happening.
And now here's this big Not only was it a booking,
but it was a guest store, you know. And I
(28:13):
have a trailer, you know. So I get the set
and I'm just like going crazy, you know what I mean.
And it's a nice check, you know. So I'm just
like Wow, I'm in this trailer and the one person
I want to call I can't call. And they were
like trying to play in the funeral around me because
you know, as actors, we can't leave until we're released.
(28:36):
So um, it was like a good week of work,
you know what I mean. So I didn't know what
I was gonna do. And then you get to set,
I don't know who I'm working with. I look at
the call sheet, I see Curtis Jackson and I'm like,
oh my gosh, I see a Nick And on the roads,
I'm like, gosh, all these people, you know what I mean.
And then the whole thing, I gotta tell you the story.
(28:58):
So I would get on set. I would be so
full because I'm here, you know what I mean. I'm
like gosh, you know. And then I would get back
to my trailer and I would cry, you know. I
would literally release what I needed to release and then
wipe my face and get back out there and be professional,
you know. And we're on set, and the crazy thing
(29:18):
is the two lines that I had, the two words
you know, some professional actress, I won't say, you know,
I kept stepping on my my life, you know, and
I'm like kind of getting a little frustrated because I'm like, listen,
this is all I got. Let me know, But I
(29:40):
what I'm gonna say, you know what, I just took
it like a champ, and I said, well, let me
do let me do something else, because I'm the type
of actor now where I met. I'm not in love
with haning lines. I'm in love with that non verbal
act because that's a whole thing that we gotta graspwork. Yes,
we're so we want to say lines, line lines, but
(30:01):
what are you doing when you're not saying lines? You
still have to act. So I said, well, I'm a
shift and then the director will come over and give
us adjustments and I say, hey, am I okay. She's like,
oh my god, you're doing great. I said, well, can
I ask you a question? She said yeah. I said, well,
we are supposed to be these the rough guys. You
have us sitting in a chair so properly. Can I
turn my chair around and sit differently? She was like,
(30:24):
oh my gosh, I love it. Let's do it. So
then we get to the next day and it's all
like gun work and everything. And if he were supposed
to have the only line if he was supposed to
everybody get on, you know, boom, boom, boom. And we
were coming to the set and we do it. They
say cut. They were like, this is very flat. This
isn't working. So we're all just standing around waiting for
(30:47):
the director and she's thinking and she goes, doc, what
would you do? And I said, well, what do you mean?
She said, well, what what would you say? So and
this is I can say whatever. So there was an
older lady who was a stunt woman. And if you
go back and look at this, this, this, this scene,
it was so crazy. I said, well I would come in,
(31:10):
I will push the old lady on the floor and
I would say, bitch, don't make me shoot you. And
he was like, oh my gosh, I love it and shooting.
So now they said we need to get his coverage.
We get him to say that boom. The writers they're
changing the script. So then they said okay, okay, okay.
We literally built that scene right then and there. She said, okay,
now what else would you do? Look, I want you
(31:32):
when you come in here, tell the guy behind the
counter to shut the funk up, I said, But he
didn't say anything to me. And she said, you know what,
he needs a line. They upgraded him right there on. Wow.
And for those of you who don't know, when you
get upgraded, your check changes, it's a beautiful thing from zero. Yeah,
so that's thing you are thinking now. And the guy was,
(31:55):
oh my gosh, I thank you so much. So then
we started to do more stuff and it was so crazy.
By the time we did it, like two or four times.
They came over to me and said, you can do
whatever you want to do. So I would kind of
having two words to driving that whole scene. Then when
we're in the car, you know, I could tell Fifth
(32:17):
was watching, you know what I mean. We're getting the
car and Ms Courtney comes over to the car, the
creator and executive producer Power. Yes, she's talking to Fifth
and you know, and you know she's saying whatever it is, saying,
I'm just in the car. He turns around and he says,
do you know he points it's other guys in the car,
but he points to me. And then I rolled down
(32:39):
my car. I wrote down my window and I said,
thank you, miss Courtney, my name is Derek. For the opportunity.
She said, no, I know, I picked you. You know
she said, welcome to the Power family, you know, and
that was just huge, you know what I mean. And
when I look at that scene and then they would
do that, they would do the after stuff. At that
(32:59):
time season three we had My episode was what they
said was the hottest episode of the season. And when
she talked back, she said, they broke down at that
jewelry story and she said, now that's power. That's what
power was like. It was. It was a lot. It
was the best that had to be outstanding for you,
(33:21):
an amazing experience. And this is why we have Derek
Bernard here. He is also a spirit actor alumni. I
love him as an actor, I love him as a person.
One time, I don't know how this happened, but he
took me to the airport. Ladies and gentlemen, do you
remember you were going to UM coach t I oh,
(33:41):
I was going to Atlanta, Yes, and he gave me
a ride to the aport Um. The one more thing
I want to tell people, especially actors, you know, I
don't know who you believe in, I don't know what
you believe in, but to do this you have to
believe in something you know, even with for life. They
called me in and our auditioned for two roles. I
didn't get either one of them. So I just went
(34:02):
about my business and doing whatever. And then my agent said, hey,
Judy wants to um submit you for a bigger role,
and all we need is just network approval. You don't
have the audition. So later on that day I got
the call that they approved me and I became Walter.
(34:23):
And what I say is I realized in that moment,
nothing that is for you will ever miss you. It's yours,
you know what I mean. You just gotta do great
work and just trust that. You know you're where you're
supposed to be, you know what I mean. And and
God is working in his own time, you know what
I mean, especially if you're believing in him. You know
(34:43):
I don't. I also tell people, if you guys, look
at the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz is
the biggest faith walk you will ever look. Because she
had to go to the Wizard. She had to follow
yellow broke. That's and and that's all they kept saying
was follow yellow Row. Thought nobody was giving her instructions,
so she had to follow the yellow road and look
(35:04):
what was happening. The tin man, the scarecrow, all these
things were meeting her on the Yellow Brick Road. That's
what God is saying. I got things that are going on.
I'm gonna meet you on the path. You just gotta
start walking and and and and We're gonna get you there.
You know what I'm saying. That's it. So we are
talking to the Spirited Actor Derek Bernard. Derek, thank you
(35:29):
so much for being here, Thanks for taking the time.
Thank you for having me. Of course, come on, you
took me to the airport. Um and please look out
for Derek as Walter on for Life on ABC Crime Time. Congratulations. Okay,
so we're gonna celebrate you, and we're gonna celebrate the show. Yes,
(35:51):
all right, thank you so much. All right, so we'll
be back with Class in Session and thank you for
joining us. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me
Tracy Moore, and we still have Derek Bernard in the house. Yeah,
whoop it up. And we are at my favorite favorite segment,
(36:14):
which is called Class in Session with Leon Amato and
lead you want to say a couple of eggs? No, okay,
Leon a motto okay, And we have Felicia Bishop in
the House Spirit Actor alumni. Felicia, Hi, I'm so glad
to be here. We are so glad to be here too.
(36:35):
And you just stay right up on top of them, Mike,
and if you need to hear louder, you can make
some adjustments, although we do have Marcus in that room,
and so Marcus can make any adjustments if you throw
your hands in the air like you just don't care. Okay,
all right, so this is how we play this game. So, um, Derek,
(36:55):
we know that you are an outstanding actor, Thank you,
but we know you you don't try you do, and
once again, can I remind our audience that for life
on ABC, thank you cast. Okay, So we're going to
utilize you because I know that you teach also and
(37:16):
you coach also, so I would like to utilize you
as a coach in this aspect. Ah. Yeah, So I
am going to read the slug lines in the action
and Lean and Felicia. They're gonna read these characters, but
you're going to give them constructor criticism afterwards. Okay, alright,
you guys, ready, here we go. Interior Townhouse kitchen day.
(37:40):
A pack and play crib is mounted in the kitchen.
Baby Lucy, four months old, is cooing. Claudia mid forties,
a young, modern, intellectual and fashionably put together grandma, drives
the table with deep urgency. She looks at the paper
collage that is partially distroy froyd on the floor. A
(38:01):
bucket captures the water that drips from the ceiling a leak.
Nina walks in excited. Claudia senses senses up, stands in
front of the collar and bucket rapidly. Excuse me. Nia
goes straight for the baby. Hey, mom, and hi baby.
Nia grabs Lucy and hugs her, gives her a smell.
(38:25):
I missed you, Nina turns. She sees her mom standing awkwardly.
Oh hi, Nina. Nina sees the collash behind her. Her
face drops. She practically plops Lucy and Claudia's lap as
she assesses the damage, both on the collage and on
the ceiling. I'm very sorry. You said you were going
(38:45):
to take care of this, and I was going to
last week. You said last week. Do you know how
much work that I put into this piece? Why would
you offer to call the plumber in the first place?
These things happened, Nina? You know you know that they
already accepted me into the program, right, this is just homework.
(39:06):
Are you that desperate for me to stay that you're
sabotaging my work? Now, Claudia tilts her head. It's enough
for Nina to know there's more to be said. What
you haven't even started packing? And I told you that
the kitchen isn't a good place for you to work.
It's like you're boycotting yourself. You mean sabotage. Oh you know,
(39:26):
I always get those things confused. Great, mom, thanks a
lot for your help. Nina takes Lucy from Claudia and leaves.
I hope you mean that, Nina, because all I do
is help. I thank you would be nice too from
a distance. Nina lets out a gurgle sound of frustration.
She storms back. I said, thank you. Do you think
(39:51):
that I want to need help? Do you think that
I want to be in this place that I'm in? No?
I don't, but I'm trying to make the best of it.
So I'm asking you to please make it a little
bit easier on me. And I'm trying my best. Nina too.
I want the best for you. This is why I came.
(40:12):
So just a little more understanding and gratitude here and
seeing Okay, Derek, I'm gonna thrill the mic to you, okay. Um.
So obviously what we have is a mother daughter relationship.
And basically it seems uh, Nina has um had a baby,
(40:35):
and you know, mom is trying to help out while
Nina is still trying to move forward. So UM. The
one great thing about it, which which a lot which
is great, is we've all had the mother dynamic, you know. Um,
(40:55):
this was a good scene. This is one of those
I and say, it's not where it's like, oh my gosh,
I gotta figure out, But it's one of those things
where once you do it, you can you can color.
You know what I always am worried about. Well, what
I'm always concerned with is making sure, um, I'm not
(41:19):
sounding one note and making sure that I am servicing
the relationship, you know what I mean, really, really really
really um service in the relationship. And and and because
sometimes when we're reading and we're performing it, we feel
like as soon as you say you're lining, I have
(41:39):
to say my line, you know what I mean. But really,
especially in this, this is a UM this is one
of those there were two two big places where where
there was some vulnerability where you know, you really could
have just like sload it down, especially when you you know,
(42:01):
you're storm back and you oh, you guys did a
great job. Oh yes, great, great job. Like you know,
I loved how you would sometimes I could tell that
you had paid attention to how you wanted to do it,
you know. And then I like how the sternness of
(42:21):
of the mom, how you were you were just giving her,
you know. But I always say, just pick your places
where you want to just like color it up a
little bit, especially if it's you know, we we we
were family, you know, we were in this space as
there's no wrong answer, you know what I mean? So
I would I would always just find those those those
(42:44):
lines because you are You're stressed no matter even when
you're having a good day. You are stressed because now
you have a kid, you know. And then and our
job as an actor is to be a detective. So
from what I understand, this acting program, whatever you're in,
it's possibly going to take you away. Mom doesn't want that,
(43:07):
so like, yeah, you know you you're frustrated too, because
like if she goes away, who wanted to take care
of the baby? You and what did they say in
the beginning. You're young, you know what I mean. So
Mama got to live too. So your stress is coming
from the fact that you're about to start all over
and you got to raise another kid, and you just
(43:28):
want to make sure you have a better life for
your kid. But you don't want to give up on
your dreams either. So I would I always will find
moments in the script where I can let that come through,
and you know, because we as an audience want to
see you, you know what I mean, And and you're
seeing yourself and you go, I said thank you, you know,
(43:51):
even with the you know, say thank you. What I
would play with because I also think acting is like chess.
When somebody's going to go into the room, you can
kind of already see or get an idea or they're
probably gonna play it like this. So a dope note
that I would give Nina is remember who you're talking to.
That's your mother. You know she deserves a monicream of respect,
(44:15):
you know what I mean. So you know, and I
said thank you, You know what I mean, Like you
are grateful, but you still have an urgency about yourself
that you feel like because the the stereotype for a
young mom is that your life is over. So you
want to you want to make sure you're not being
that that statistic. Even though you are a statistic. You
(44:37):
you got so much stuff that you can just wear
on you. You already feel like a stat statistic. You
made a mistake, you know whatever, whatever, and you're still
trying to function. And even you you how many moms
out here, like my grandmother had to raise us, you
know what I mean. So you're a statistic as well.
So you guys both have these these things that you're
(45:00):
trying to not be but be there for each other,
you know what I mean. And when you find those
moments where though you guys, yes, this is a is
a stressful situation, the great thing about it is the
objective is you guys are just trying to make it work.
That's that's really at the end of the day, what
(45:21):
you guys are trying to do. You're just trying to
make whatever you got going on work and still love
each other. So this time we're going to do it again.
But I'm not going to read these slug lines of
the action. And I just want to add to that um.
When actors are dealing with emotions anger, try to find
different ways to be angry instead of the obvious, because
(45:44):
that's also you. You came in prepared when you started
booking the callbacks and booking. What it sounds like to
me and being in that room is that you know,
I always say, we're not looking for readers and auditions,
we're looking for characters. Is so you bought the characters
and the characteristics. That's what determined the difference. So let's
(46:07):
let's read it again. You guys, all right, and uh,
and you can tell us how they incorporated your notes stare? Okay,
you guys ready, okay and action. Hey Mom, hi baby,
I missed you. Oh hi, Nina, I'm very sorry. You
(46:32):
said you were going to take care of this and
I was going to last week you said last week.
Do you have any idea how much work I put
into this? Why would you offer to call the plumber
in the first place? These things happened, Nina, Mom, you
(46:54):
know that they already accepted me to the program, right,
This is just homework. Are you that desperate for me
to stay? That's your sabotaging my work? Now? M what? Um?
You haven't even started packing and I told you that
(47:17):
the kitchen isn't a good place for you to work.
It's almost like your boycotting yourself to mean sabotage. Oh
you know, I always get those confused great mom, thanks,
thanks so much for your help. Excuse me. I hope
you mean that, Nina, because all I do is help.
(47:39):
Thank you would be nice to h I said, thank you.
Do you think that I want to need your help?
Do you think that I want to be in the
please that I'm in. No, but I'm trying to make
(48:04):
the best of it. So I'm asking you please just
feel a little bit easier on me. And I'm trying
to make the best of it too, Nina. I want
what's best for you. That is why I came. So
just a little more understanding and gratitude here, seen like
(48:28):
they incorporated with yeah, yeah, yeah, And then I noticed
something else because once you do it again, all right,
So there was you know, there's a thing where you
are feeling like, oh my gosh, I know she's gonna
have a fit because also to you didn't do what
you said you were going to do, so you are
kind of feeling I'm like even their lines like oh, Nina,
(48:52):
you know like, you know, she's about to blow a
gasket one because her homework is messed up too. You
didn't do what you were supposed to do, you know.
But then there's this change where hold up, I'm here
to help you, you know what I mean. That's where
you know we you know, we need to see pump
your brakes because you know I'm doing you a faith,
(49:14):
you know what I mean. So that that is what
I feel like the casting director people would want to
see that change where you go from hey, I'm sorry,
basically though, I'm sorry to like no, no, not get
yourself together. Remember I'm trying to help you. I'm doing
you this, you know, you know whatever, and you still
(49:36):
come in with whatever whatever. And then a DoPT note
is when you come back and you're like, you know,
do you think I need him? Because that you have
to be vulnerable and humble yourself, you know, and those
two notes that boom, I think, what get you like, yeah,
let's call her back in because they say, um, when
they're going for the car back, they're like, yeah, we
(49:56):
called you back because we we see that you understood
the character. You know what I'm saying. You understood you
know now let's see what you do when we throw
some direction you away, you know what I mean. But yeah,
I think you guys did a great job. Thank you
for your great constructive criticism, and thanks for paying attention
in the audition room. Because things that you're saying, like
(50:17):
I feel like he's in my head though I'm like,
why are you because that's what that's how we think, like,
I mean, those are some of the things that we say.
So sad too. Oh my god, this is what we do. Well,
you gotta come back so that we can talk about
the show once it comes on. But tell our audience
again about your show and oh for life, Oh yes, um,
(50:39):
don't forget guys, watch for Life. Um again I play
Walter watch the show so you could keep you are
going to support the show, got to see man because
it's a lot of a lot of great actors. Nicholas
pannick Um during myssic uh Hasan Johnson. It's like it's
like so many I'm I'm leaving out so many people
(51:01):
and I'm feeling so bad. That's okay, when you come back,
you can fill us in with all of us. You
heard that when you come back. I would love to
come okay we hit Oh my god, the show is
going to be ahead. Oh my god. And then you
can bring your award and put it here so that
we can just be so blessed and it is possible.
(51:24):
The next time I'll be introducing you, I'll say an
award Winnie Marek Bernard here. Okay, were all. So I
just want to say again thank you to Derek for
taking your time and come into the podcast and really
dropping like. I love the fact that you are a
working actor and you speak the language of Felicia and
(51:45):
Leanne that they understand. So I think it's great. All right,
so um class in session with spirited actor lean Amato
and Felicia Bishop. Give it up for them. Thank you lady.
All Right, we'll be back with Give Love. Thank you,
Give Love. Africa changed my life. It was the most
(52:09):
rivetting experience I have had since the birth of my
children and my granddaughter. I went to Amina slave castle
in Ghana, and it was far from a castle. When
I walked out of that castle, I walked out empowered.
I walked out knowing that my ancestors walked through that
last door and they walked on that boat and they
(52:33):
were chained down and they rode for months without any
type of you know, food or you know. This wasn't
a cruise ship, and they endured some of the most
inhumane things that we could even imagine. But they survived
(52:54):
because I'm here and to know, my ancestors survived that
voy age and they came to America without any knowledge
of language or protocol, anything. But they survived, and I survived.
There is a power, There is a a spirit that
(53:18):
lives in us and lives in me. When you know
who's you are, you know who you are. Thank you
for 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. I transition to
a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Thomas.
I audition every rapper from Biggie's Balls 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. I
(01:06):
like to keep myself challenged. Brian Gumble. Scientists have predicted
that most human beings used ten of their brain. I
was insulted when I first heard this information. I feel
that we are all capable of reaching great heights when
we put our minds to it. The problem may be
(01:27):
that most of us cannot imagine ourselves excelling to the top. However,
we shouldn't limit ourselves. The mind is a very powerful instrument.
If you think you can, you can, and you can
truly make it happen today. I will reach higher every
day towards my goal. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast
(01:51):
with me Tracy Moore, and I am thrilled to have
spirit Actor alumni. Actor extraordinary because everybody that comes to
this show is extraordinary. Thank you, okay um and you
just heard him. Ladies and gentlemen, yes, Derek Bernard, put
your hands together. Thank you for clapping for yourself. So
(02:13):
humble you are no, no, no really, I mean no.
Ever since I met you, you have always been humble.
Your talent speaks for itself. Well, you know, born and
raised from North Carolina, so being down south, you know,
I just know where it comes from. Yeah, you know.
So it's just it's just truly a blessing just to
be in New York and be pursuing acting and being
(02:36):
around like actual people who are doing great things. So
and you're a reflection of that. Thank you, you know
what I mean. It's like I always say the actors
when you're on a set and you're working with celebrities,
but you're there too, what does that say about you? Yeah? Yeah, yeah,
I made a way for you to be there. You know,
I love your work ethic. Thank you. Let's tell the
(02:59):
story and did you come to New York? What was
your journey here? Well? Um, my journey started at Morgan State.
You know, I was I started to shout HBCU life
you know, um I really. I majored in UM broadcast
and one day I was just in the studio and
(03:22):
one of my friends who had a class, needed some
on their talent because one of the persons, the person
who was supposed to do it, dropped out. So I said, well, right,
I'll do it, you know, And I got in front
of the camera and it was really about him and
doing his camera work. And so the professor after the
class was over asked me to stay and he said
(03:42):
can I talk to you? And I was like okay, cool,
and he was saying, listen, you know, I don't say
this often but I'm an actor myself, you know. And
he said, and the camera loves you, and he said,
and you have this natural presence in front of the camera.
I really think you should take some theater classes. And
I was like, you know, maybe, he said, no, no,
(04:04):
I encourage you to do it, you know. And one
day I just said, you know what, let me see.
So I went to the Fine Arts Building at Morgan
State and I went into the auditorium and I was
just going and seeing them taking their classes, and I mean,
all right, let just be honest, so many beautiful black
sisters in theater. I'm good, this is where I need
(04:28):
to be. Sign me up. The motivation, yeah, you know.
So um and I fell in love with the art
or with the sisters both. But no, no, no, no, no,
just really really I I um, I was a movie's baby,
you know what I mean. Growing up? You know, my
(04:49):
grandmother even really wouldn't even let us watch sports in
the house, but she would say, let's watch a movie.
So we will always watch movies. And we were bond
over movies, you know, and I just I guess I
would just really really gravitated to that. So in you
so you have the training down at Morgan State and
(05:11):
then what so what led you to New York City?
How did you get here? I was working in corporate miserable.
I had um because in Mortgage State, if you don't know,
it's in Baltimore, and for us theater kids, the wire
was it. So I got to break a lot of
my chops on the wire. And now I started to
audition and then I UM. I got a featured extra
(05:35):
roll with Aidan Gillion. Now a lot of people might
not know him by name, but he went on to
play little Finger on Game of Thrones, so I was
his um. He was mere Carktty on the show. I
come from theater. I see lines, we we you know.
So as a featured extra, I didn't understand that. I
(05:56):
didn't understand, and I was his secret service. But I
was the only one. So whenever you saw him, you
saw me. And because I wasn't saying lines, I was like,
oh this is this is not it. I quit and
I never went back. They called me like, he called
me like three or four times to come back, and
I said no, And probably the reason why they were
(06:16):
calling you continuity, but they said were continued. But they
said the director liked me, you know what I mean.
And I would talk to Aiden, and I would talk
to the other guys just so. Um, the late great
Reggie E. Cathy, I worked with him. Um many may
know him. His last big job was on House of Cards,
so um, I got to work with him and talk
(06:37):
to him. I just didn't understand the business. And I'm
sure if I would have been there long enough, they
would have upgraded me and gave me some lines, you know.
But also too, I wasn't being humble, you know. I
wasn't waiting my turn, you know what I mean. So
I just left and I just worked corporate. But I
was doing community theater and I was doing regional commercials
(06:57):
and everything I could do in that area. You and
did they have a casting director that was in that
area at the time. Pat Moran is the cat the
major casting director in Baltimore. She did all the local
casting for the Wire. So yeah, but I just didn't
understand that the politics of it, and I was just
(07:18):
I was just trying to get out there before I
really really understood the craft, you know, which is you
know probably what guy was like, now, you're not ready.
I love when you said it wasn't your time, Like, yeah,
that's important to know that, you know, because I feel
like I feel that I am a firm believer that
everyone has their time, yes, and so in knowing that
(07:41):
there is a time for you, how do you prepare
for that? Um? I I really just focused on studying
and being around people who I am might you know,
even when I moved here, I um, I just was blessed,
like you know, when I moved to you or the
first class I took was Tasha Smith and I did
(08:05):
that and in that class was a who's who all
of of everybody. The Stephen Hills, that not Fisa Williams,
those the Natasha Williams. Those were the type of people
I bumped into. I mean as soon as they got
to New York. I mean I got to New York.
The next day I was in class. And if you
don't know, ladies and gentlemen, Stephen Hill is currently on
(08:27):
Magnum p I on CBS, and Fizza Williams is on
Black Lightning and c W. We all we all, um,
those were the people I met and that they became
my peers, you know, So it was just but you
could tell we we had something and then we all
went and studied with Wendy Mackenzie. And then that was
(08:49):
another great class of who's who the Sawanda Wilson's umatory,
Shanna Solomon, we got um, Shannon J. Thornton, who's out
to be on Pussy Valley, She's you know. It was
just that was our group, you know what I mean.
It was like that Fourth Green Area era of when
(09:10):
all these stars with in these classes, you know, and
you had to come ready, you know what I mean.
So I feel blessed, and I felt like because I
listened to God about hey, this is where you gotta go,
you know what I mean? And it was time because
I had um. It was so funny. I was sit
in my cubicle at my corporate job and instead of
(09:32):
doing work, I would look on YouTube and I would
listen to the Active Studio. That's all. I was not
really doing any work, and I would just listen to
everybody's journey and not so much of them getting on.
I listened to what they sacrificed, okay, because there has
to be some type of sacrifice and what are you
willing to do to get here? You know what I mean?
(09:56):
I knew being a weekend Warrior wasn't going to get
me where I want to to go. I tell the
actors that I work with now and whoever I coach,
I tell them, acting will never be a side bitch. Ever,
it won't if you want to be where you want
to be. It just acting won't be a side bit,
(10:16):
you know what I mean? Because when it's time to
when you look at that script, you have to have
these tools. Yes you do, you know what I mean.
And if you don't have these tools that you haven't developed,
you know, it just won't work. And the expectation when
you're on the set is that you are an actor.
Nobody is going to hold your hand and tell you
(10:36):
hit your mark first what first team means. So it's
important to know your craft, but you also should know
the business and you should know the terminology. You know.
When I first got here, after I did those classes
and everything, I did something that another opportunity guy gave me.
I became a personal assistant and for for a major
(11:01):
actor and I did it for three years and then
I felt like God was like, Okay, Derek, you're here.
I presented you with this opportunity. If you want to
do this, I'm gonna give you a front row seat
to what it takes to be a working actor. And
after these three years are over, I want to know
what you want to do. And after the three years
(11:23):
was over, I was like, I'm ready, you know, And
I got to learn so much. I got to learn
what to do on set, what not to do on set,
you know, and you know, just you know, especially for us,
you know what I mean, it's different for us. How
is it different for people of color? Um? We just
(11:45):
we just have to always be on time, be on point,
watch your attitude, you know what I mean, Because even
when you think they're not looking to look, you know
what I mean, people are always watching. And even on
major sets, Murphy law is is everywhere anything that can
go wrong will go wrong, and you just have to
be able to roll with the punches. Um. A really
(12:08):
really dope actor told me when I first got to
New York. He was he works like crazy. Um, he said,
as long as you're cool, they'll always want to work with.
He's like, just show up, be cool and know you
know your stuff, and always, you know, you get called back.
I mean, I was having to cast a conversation with
the casting director before that. We scan you at the
(12:31):
door because a part of our job is talent, but personality.
So we have to be able to extract that in
that session. We have to be able to say to
the director, out of Derek and Alfonso, Derek has the
better personality, right because you know, as it costs money.
(12:54):
If I can't get you out of the trailer or
if you're not happy, that's going to cost a produce, sir,
and the production additional money that's not allotted technically in
the budget. So we personality is a big part of
who you are and exactly if you're not cool, we
don't want to work with you. Yeah, there's a lot.
And I always, I just always, even when I feel
(13:18):
like i'm on set not I do get a little, um,
I feel like ungrateful when I get those call times
and I gotta be up at four in the morning,
and I'm like upset, like I'm not a morning person
at all, evening I can't take night shoots. I can,
And I'm just like, are you crazy You're getting up
to go to be on set like this and makeup
(13:42):
seven am? But yeah, yeah yeah, And then I just
you know, and I just shake it off and I
just remember, like Hey, somebody would love to be here.
You're here, you know what I mean, and you earned it.
You are so deserving of these. Tell us about some
of the roles that you've had. Um, I we'll talk
about your current role. Oh yes, yes, yes, I've been.
(14:04):
I was on MTV. I played Nick from One Bad Choice,
My biggest you know, my biggest one to date, I
feel um was my guest star role on Power. But
the one that I'm super most proud of is the
(14:24):
playing opposite of Darrell Drome and when they see us,
you know and powerful. Yeah, that was that was That
was challenging to watch. It was so challenging to watch
it so and and being on set, I can understand now.
I just wanted to be able. I was going to ask.
(14:45):
It was amazing because you know, when um, I kept going,
the great Billy Hopkins asked me for that. Yeah, And
I saw him three times. He brought me in three times,
and the third time him he said my name, And
that's when I knew. Yeah. I tell actors I don't
(15:07):
worry about booking the role. I want to book the room.
I need that room. So you want to call me,
call me in, And you know why because every audition,
whenever I went in for Billy, I just wanted to
walk out feeling like I did a solid audition, you
know what I mean. That's all I can do, That's
all I can control, and that's that's the only thing
that you guys can control. And the thing about it,
and you said, you made a great point. I always
(15:29):
say the actors, it's better to excuse me to be remembered.
And I know you want to book a job, but
you remember, look, Billy is going to keep calling you.
And every time there's a role specifically for you, he's
gonna keep calling. And we talked about you to other
casting directors and and and I did it. And I
(15:50):
was like, oh, well, I guess I didn't get it.
In two weeks later, I found out I got it,
you know. And then I was like, oh my gosh,
I'm about to I didn't care about I wasn't about
to be a you know what I mean. Then when
I got on set and we were up in Goshen
at the prison, and I'm talking to Darrell, and I
didn't even really get a full grasp of this young
(16:12):
man's power and energy, you know what I mean. And
in that scene, it's just us, you know what I mean. So, well,
you know set, and then Eva comes in with all
her glory and everything, and then she's hugging everybody, and
then she gives me a hug and I introduced her.
I said, how are you doing? Even my name is Derek.
You know what she said? I know, I know. I
saw your tape. Oh my gosh, it was wonderful, and
(16:33):
I was like, wow, you know, so it's good. It's good.
So tell us about this role that we have to
look forward to, ladies and jail. Wow, yeah, this is
this is this is. I played Walter on the new ABC.
I'm gonna claim it hit drama for life and basically
(16:55):
I am I'm really good friends with the lead character
during Missic Jamal Bishop. Yeah the idea too. I was
like so excited because I had worked with his wife
before and I just never worked with him and I
was like, oh my god. Yeah, so getting to, you know,
(17:15):
be on set and I really didn't know what it
was going to be, you know what I mean. I
love the premise if you tell us the premise, Yeah,
the premise is basically about it's a true story, so
it's about Isaac Wright who actually went to prison Isaac
Wright Jr. Let me say the whole name. And as
you know, he went to prison falsely accused, and he
(17:36):
toward himself law He became a lawyer in school, I
mean in prison and for his own case, you know
what I mean. Did he beat his case and he
became a lawyer in practice and he worked with other people,
you know. So if you heard about it, and then
it became a show, so fifty cent is the executive producer,
you know, and it's the second time I'm getting to
(17:59):
work that league with. It's so crazy because in in
Maryland or Baltimore when I was when he first came
out as a rapper, nowhere near did I think, oh, well,
you're gonna be on set with this guy, and you're
gonna be you know, and it's just beautiful what God like?
When when when before I moved to New York, I
went and sat with my theater teacher who was going
(18:20):
to school for theology, and I said, listen, I'm thinking
about moving to New York. I got an idea. I
think I feel like I should just go out there
and pursue it, you know, And she said, well, let
me tell you something that's not your idea, that's God.
God is trying to tell you what he has for you.
And now it's up to you to go because he
(18:41):
has something bigger for you, you know what I mean.
And and and it was just still crazy because I
had I have a daughter. You know, she's seventeen now,
but at the time she was six, and I was
on the phone with my manager and he was like, well, Derek,
I gotta be honest. I I have gone as far
as I can go with you, you know what I mean,
(19:03):
which is another blessing, you know what I mean, when
people are honest about what they can do, how far
to go. So and I was just giving guy so
many excuses why I couldn't obey what he was trying
to get me to do. So I'm I'm just on
the phone my manager and he said, you need to move,
(19:24):
you know what I mean, Because I had already had
an agent up here who wanted to work with me.
So I was just like na, Na, Na. And after
I got off the phone, my daughter, who was at
six at the time, came into the room and I
had told her I was going to get her something
to drink. So I'm thinking she's coming to remind me.
So she comes into the room and I said, oh,
(19:44):
I'm sorry, baby, I'm gonna get you something to drink.
She said, no, big, no, daddy, I wanted to tell
you something. I said, Okay, She said, I think you
should go to New York. You're a good actor. I'll
be a big girl. I won't cry out of the
mouth of babe. So I knew that that was that
was my blessing. Yeah, I needed her to be okay
(20:06):
to go, you know. And it's just been crazy ever since.
And I always tell well, I tell actors too. I
consume humanity. I consume it. That's beautiful because you have
to know how to We have a toolbox that we
have to have to portray what we need to pray.
(20:29):
You're never going to play a chair, never gonna play
an unanimate object. You're gonna play a human. So you
have to consume humanity. You have to watch people, you
have to study them, you know what I mean. And
and in some days I'll go into the most busiest
place and just sit in the back of the room
and just watch people and look at them. I listen
(20:50):
to the way they talk. I'll listen to the way
they say things. I'll listen to the way they hold
their drink. I'll look at the way they hold the cigarette.
I'll do all these things because I'm constant observing people.
And then I tell people people want to go to class. Yes,
class is amazing. I ever thought about that. That's is great.
You need classes. But what you watch is some of
(21:13):
the most that's free television. That's I mean, that's free research,
you know what I mean. I mean, especially program you
know what I mean, and you're watching you know, yeah,
you know you have to look at them and see
you know how they're you know what the beat is,
you know, like you know why they did that point.
I mean when I watched stuff, I'm watching it from
(21:36):
the actor's point of view, and I get excited when
I'm like especially if I'm seeing somebody, I know, you
know what i mean, I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm like,
you know, I'm like Kobe, I'm going snatching my shirt.
You know what I'm saying that. You know, that's my sport.
You know what i mean, that's my you know, so
I take that that mamba mentality, you know what i mean, Like,
(21:57):
that's how that's how I'm looking at it right now.
I mean, I you know, I can't. I'm thinking, I'm
sitting here thinking when did I meet Derek? When did
I meet Derek? I knew of you and I had
seen you around a lot. I feel like we had
an audition. I'm not sure. No, I remember we met
in Brooklyn that one of your workshops, not at South Oxford,
(22:24):
was Jim Jones there, No, it was, no, It was
just a bunch of people, and I kept hearing about
you know you, and I said, well, you know, I
need to check it out. And at the time I was.
It was at the South Boxford space, That's where it was.
And then I was like, okay, cool, I'm ready and
then took But but you were more of a producer
(22:45):
when I met you, like we had to at the time.
When I met you, you had developed your own show
and you um you actually shot it because I had
seen you know um and actually you were head of
year time because people weren't shooting their shows doing sizzles
at that time. It was more of a verbal pitching. Yeah. Yeah.
(23:07):
Well also to again being in a personal assistant and
getting inside information, and that's the thing to my dad
always says. He said, one of your gifts is if
somebody gives you advice, you'll listen and you will do
your due diligence and you will figure it out. And
you you listen. You know what I mean. So somebody
tells me something, I mean, I don't. I don't understand
(23:27):
why some people will go to someone experience and then
doubt the person is saying, you know, this person is
in that field, so why wouldn't you? So you know
I did that, And funny enough, that was right when
for the the digital series stuff was really yeah, that's
(23:49):
what I'm saying, Like you were. I just remember, Um,
I remember seeing you again at a holiday party for
Plaza one Francesca Grimaldi Plassa seven. It was a lot
of the show but class of seven, and I remember
(24:12):
hearing about the show. Um, I had seen something but
your passion and your drive with that show. I was
over excited. And it's such a brilliant idea. It's not
something we haven't seen. I still feel like it's it's
a little you know, when when it finally gets picked up,
(24:32):
the story is going to be crazy, but the timing
is going to be right too, because you said something
really important about timing. And I honestly think that when
you pitched the show it was ahead of its time.
We had, you know, the closest thing and I told
you the closest thing that I could think was Herman's head,
which was like in the eighties, the late eighties on
(24:53):
Channel five. That was the closest thing. Yeah, And and
it's so crazy. It was based off of my you know.
And I'm like, oh, oh, I wish she could share
this with you guys, because this show, well, I'll wait
until the show is sold because it is still relevant
(25:17):
and a brilliant concept and and through but that's another thing.
Through God's time and me, you know, the initial thought
of how I wanted to do it, just constantly developing
and working it. It's just it's even better now. So sure.
And then with what because I agree with your dad,
do you take in you know, and you run with
(25:38):
that and um, so I can only imagine how much
it's evolved from what you've learned. And God, the great
thing is I said, okay, cool, let me let me
um working Derek Bernard the actor and get Derek Bernard
the actor brand up and then people will listen maybe
(25:59):
even more because they got denied by every festival. But
let me tell you this, there are to keep hope alive.
There are two shows that I want to beat and um,
both of those shows are on air right now. But
I bought into them. One show I bought in two
(26:20):
thousand seven, another show I bought like in two thousand fifteen. Um.
The blessing is you know, there on and actors are working,
and I'm very grateful for that. But it taught me
a lesson that, you know, like with your show, I
feel like timing. It's all about timing, and the more
that we see you on TV, that opens up the
(26:44):
doors and the platform store that was. That was, that
was the idea I was thinking. I said, okay, well
you know it was. I mean, I did it. You
know I can't. You know, it can't hurt just to listen.
I'm telling you, however, I can help because I believe
in the show. More importantly, I believe in you. I've
always I've always believed in you, like thank you. It's
(27:06):
just you know, it's it's it's a blessing when you
meet just you know, in this business, you meet just
good people and it's yeah, that's why we're cool. Yeah, yeah,
you know, just always just try to work and do
your best and and and that's I always think my
southern roots about that. You know. Even when like I
(27:29):
auditioned for Power, A lot of people don't even know
that story I went. I went in audition for Power.
I didn't even I was like, man, I ain't going
to this audition because I just I felt like I
just wasn't gonna get it. I had those moments, but
I'll tell myself. And then so I went and as
I get home, I'm feeling good because you know, I
did a good job in the audition room. And my
(27:51):
grandmother died that day. Yeah, my grandmother was the one
who raised me. You know. My mom died when I
was left. So and my grandmother will always call me
and said, well, how did your acting baby? And I
would be like, oh, it's going good. Nothing was gonna happening.
And now here's this big Not only was it a booking,
but it was a guest store, you know. And I
(28:13):
have a trailer, you know. So I get the set
and I'm just like going crazy, you know what I mean.
And it's a nice check, you know. So I'm just
like Wow, I'm in this trailer and the one person
I want to call I can't call. And they were
like trying to play in the funeral around me because
you know, as actors, we can't leave until we're released.
(28:36):
So um, it was like a good week of work,
you know what I mean. So I didn't know what
I was gonna do. And then you get to set,
I don't know who I'm working with. I look at
the call sheet, I see Curtis Jackson and I'm like,
oh my gosh, I see a Nick And on the roads,
I'm like, gosh, all these people, you know what I mean.
And then the whole thing, I gotta tell you the story.
(28:58):
So I would get on set. I would be so
full because I'm here, you know what I mean. I'm
like gosh, you know. And then I would get back
to my trailer and I would cry, you know. I
would literally release what I needed to release and then
wipe my face and get back out there and be professional,
you know. And we're on set, and the crazy thing
(29:18):
is the two lines that I had, the two words
you know, some professional actress, I won't say, you know,
I kept stepping on my my life, you know, and
I'm like kind of getting a little frustrated because I'm like, listen,
this is all I got. Let me know, But I
(29:40):
what I'm gonna say, you know what, I just took
it like a champ, and I said, well, let me
do let me do something else, because I'm the type
of actor now where I met. I'm not in love
with haning lines. I'm in love with that non verbal
act because that's a whole thing that we gotta graspwork. Yes,
we're so we want to say lines, line lines, but
(30:01):
what are you doing when you're not saying lines? You
still have to act. So I said, well, I'm a
shift and then the director will come over and give
us adjustments and I say, hey, am I okay. She's like,
oh my god, you're doing great. I said, well, can
I ask you a question? She said yeah. I said, well,
we are supposed to be these the rough guys. You
have us sitting in a chair so properly. Can I
turn my chair around and sit differently? She was like,
(30:24):
oh my gosh, I love it. Let's do it. So
then we get to the next day and it's all
like gun work and everything. And if he were supposed
to have the only line if he was supposed to
everybody get on, you know, boom, boom, boom. And we
were coming to the set and we do it. They
say cut. They were like, this is very flat. This
isn't working. So we're all just standing around waiting for
(30:47):
the director and she's thinking and she goes, doc, what
would you do? And I said, well, what do you mean?
She said, well, what what would you say? So and
this is I can say whatever. So there was an
older lady who was a stunt woman. And if you
go back and look at this, this, this, this scene,
it was so crazy. I said, well I would come in,
(31:10):
I will push the old lady on the floor and
I would say, bitch, don't make me shoot you. And
he was like, oh my gosh, I love it and shooting.
So now they said we need to get his coverage.
We get him to say that boom. The writers they're
changing the script. So then they said okay, okay, okay.
We literally built that scene right then and there. She said, okay,
now what else would you do? Look, I want you
(31:32):
when you come in here, tell the guy behind the
counter to shut the funk up, I said, But he
didn't say anything to me. And she said, you know what,
he needs a line. They upgraded him right there on. Wow.
And for those of you who don't know, when you
get upgraded, your check changes, it's a beautiful thing from zero. Yeah,
so that's thing you are thinking now. And the guy was,
(31:55):
oh my gosh, I thank you so much. So then
we started to do more stuff and it was so crazy.
By the time we did it, like two or four times.
They came over to me and said, you can do
whatever you want to do. So I would kind of
having two words to driving that whole scene. Then when
we're in the car, you know, I could tell Fifth
(32:17):
was watching, you know what I mean. We're getting the
car and Ms Courtney comes over to the car, the
creator and executive producer Power. Yes, she's talking to Fifth
and you know, and you know she's saying whatever it is, saying,
I'm just in the car. He turns around and he says,
do you know he points it's other guys in the car,
but he points to me. And then I rolled down
(32:39):
my car. I wrote down my window and I said,
thank you, miss Courtney, my name is Derek. For the opportunity.
She said, no, I know, I picked you. You know
she said, welcome to the Power family, you know, and
that was just huge, you know what I mean. And
when I look at that scene and then they would
do that, they would do the after stuff. At that
(32:59):
time season three we had My episode was what they
said was the hottest episode of the season. And when
she talked back, she said, they broke down at that
jewelry story and she said, now that's power. That's what
power was like. It was. It was a lot. It
was the best that had to be outstanding for you,
(33:21):
an amazing experience. And this is why we have Derek
Bernard here. He is also a spirit actor alumni. I
love him as an actor, I love him as a person.
One time, I don't know how this happened, but he
took me to the airport. Ladies and gentlemen, do you
remember you were going to UM coach t I oh,
(33:41):
I was going to Atlanta, Yes, and he gave me
a ride to the aport Um. The one more thing
I want to tell people, especially actors, you know, I
don't know who you believe in, I don't know what
you believe in, but to do this you have to
believe in something you know, even with for life. They
called me in and our auditioned for two roles. I
didn't get either one of them. So I just went
(34:02):
about my business and doing whatever. And then my agent said, hey,
Judy wants to um submit you for a bigger role,
and all we need is just network approval. You don't
have the audition. So later on that day I got
the call that they approved me and I became Walter.
(34:23):
And what I say is I realized in that moment,
nothing that is for you will ever miss you. It's yours,
you know what I mean. You just gotta do great
work and just trust that. You know you're where you're
supposed to be, you know what I mean. And and
God is working in his own time, you know what
I mean, especially if you're believing in him. You know
(34:43):
I don't. I also tell people, if you guys, look
at the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz is
the biggest faith walk you will ever look. Because she
had to go to the Wizard. She had to follow
yellow broke. That's and and that's all they kept saying
was follow yellow Row. Thought nobody was giving her instructions,
so she had to follow the yellow road and look
(35:04):
what was happening. The tin man, the scarecrow, all these
things were meeting her on the Yellow Brick Road. That's
what God is saying. I got things that are going on.
I'm gonna meet you on the path. You just gotta
start walking and and and and We're gonna get you there.
You know what I'm saying. That's it. So we are
talking to the Spirited Actor Derek Bernard. Derek, thank you
(35:29):
so much for being here, Thanks for taking the time.
Thank you for having me. Of course, come on, you
took me to the airport. Um and please look out
for Derek as Walter on for Life on ABC Crime Time. Congratulations. Okay,
so we're gonna celebrate you, and we're gonna celebrate the show. Yes,
(35:51):
all right, thank you so much. All right, so we'll
be back with Class in Session and thank you for
joining us. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me
Tracy Moore, and we still have Derek Bernard in the house. Yeah,
whoop it up. And we are at my favorite favorite segment,
(36:14):
which is called Class in Session with Leon Amato and
lead you want to say a couple of eggs? No, okay,
Leon a motto okay, And we have Felicia Bishop in
the House Spirit Actor alumni. Felicia, Hi, I'm so glad
to be here. We are so glad to be here too.
(36:35):
And you just stay right up on top of them, Mike,
and if you need to hear louder, you can make
some adjustments, although we do have Marcus in that room,
and so Marcus can make any adjustments if you throw
your hands in the air like you just don't care. Okay,
all right, so this is how we play this game. So, um, Derek,
(36:55):
we know that you are an outstanding actor, Thank you,
but we know you you don't try you do, and
once again, can I remind our audience that for life
on ABC, thank you cast. Okay, So we're going to
utilize you because I know that you teach also and
(37:16):
you coach also, so I would like to utilize you
as a coach in this aspect. Ah. Yeah, So I
am going to read the slug lines in the action
and Lean and Felicia. They're gonna read these characters, but
you're going to give them constructor criticism afterwards. Okay, alright,
you guys, ready, here we go. Interior Townhouse kitchen day.
(37:40):
A pack and play crib is mounted in the kitchen.
Baby Lucy, four months old, is cooing. Claudia mid forties,
a young, modern, intellectual and fashionably put together grandma, drives
the table with deep urgency. She looks at the paper
collage that is partially distroy froyd on the floor. A
(38:01):
bucket captures the water that drips from the ceiling a leak.
Nina walks in excited. Claudia senses senses up, stands in
front of the collar and bucket rapidly. Excuse me. Nia
goes straight for the baby. Hey, mom, and hi baby.
Nia grabs Lucy and hugs her, gives her a smell.
(38:25):
I missed you, Nina turns. She sees her mom standing awkwardly.
Oh hi, Nina. Nina sees the collash behind her. Her
face drops. She practically plops Lucy and Claudia's lap as
she assesses the damage, both on the collage and on
the ceiling. I'm very sorry. You said you were going
(38:45):
to take care of this, and I was going to
last week. You said last week. Do you know how
much work that I put into this piece? Why would
you offer to call the plumber in the first place?
These things happened, Nina? You know you know that they
already accepted me into the program, right, this is just homework.
(39:06):
Are you that desperate for me to stay that you're
sabotaging my work? Now, Claudia tilts her head. It's enough
for Nina to know there's more to be said. What
you haven't even started packing? And I told you that
the kitchen isn't a good place for you to work.
It's like you're boycotting yourself. You mean sabotage. Oh you know,
(39:26):
I always get those things confused. Great, mom, thanks a
lot for your help. Nina takes Lucy from Claudia and leaves.
I hope you mean that, Nina, because all I do
is help. I thank you would be nice too from
a distance. Nina lets out a gurgle sound of frustration.
She storms back. I said, thank you. Do you think
(39:51):
that I want to need help? Do you think that
I want to be in this place that I'm in? No?
I don't, but I'm trying to make the best of it.
So I'm asking you to please make it a little
bit easier on me. And I'm trying my best. Nina too.
I want the best for you. This is why I came.
(40:12):
So just a little more understanding and gratitude here and
seeing Okay, Derek, I'm gonna thrill the mic to you, okay. Um.
So obviously what we have is a mother daughter relationship.
And basically it seems uh, Nina has um had a baby,
(40:35):
and you know, mom is trying to help out while
Nina is still trying to move forward. So UM. The
one great thing about it, which which a lot which
is great, is we've all had the mother dynamic, you know. Um,
(40:55):
this was a good scene. This is one of those
I and say, it's not where it's like, oh my gosh,
I gotta figure out, But it's one of those things
where once you do it, you can you can color.
You know what I always am worried about. Well, what
I'm always concerned with is making sure, um, I'm not
(41:19):
sounding one note and making sure that I am servicing
the relationship, you know what I mean, really, really really
really um service in the relationship. And and and because
sometimes when we're reading and we're performing it, we feel
like as soon as you say you're lining, I have
(41:39):
to say my line, you know what I mean. But really,
especially in this, this is a UM this is one
of those there were two two big places where where
there was some vulnerability where you know, you really could
have just like sload it down, especially when you you know,
(42:01):
you're storm back and you oh, you guys did a
great job. Oh yes, great, great job. Like you know,
I loved how you would sometimes I could tell that
you had paid attention to how you wanted to do it,
you know. And then I like how the sternness of
(42:21):
of the mom, how you were you were just giving her,
you know. But I always say, just pick your places
where you want to just like color it up a
little bit, especially if it's you know, we we we
were family, you know, we were in this space as
there's no wrong answer, you know what I mean? So
I would I would always just find those those those
(42:44):
lines because you are You're stressed no matter even when
you're having a good day. You are stressed because now
you have a kid, you know. And then and our
job as an actor is to be a detective. So
from what I understand, this acting program, whatever you're in,
it's possibly going to take you away. Mom doesn't want that,
(43:07):
so like, yeah, you know you you're frustrated too, because
like if she goes away, who wanted to take care
of the baby? You and what did they say in
the beginning. You're young, you know what I mean. So
Mama got to live too. So your stress is coming
from the fact that you're about to start all over
and you got to raise another kid, and you just
(43:28):
want to make sure you have a better life for
your kid. But you don't want to give up on
your dreams either. So I would I always will find
moments in the script where I can let that come through,
and you know, because we as an audience want to
see you, you know what I mean, And and you're
seeing yourself and you go, I said thank you, you know,
(43:51):
even with the you know, say thank you. What I
would play with because I also think acting is like chess.
When somebody's going to go into the room, you can
kind of already see or get an idea or they're
probably gonna play it like this. So a dope note
that I would give Nina is remember who you're talking to.
That's your mother. You know she deserves a monicream of respect,
(44:15):
you know what I mean. So you know, and I
said thank you, You know what I mean, Like you
are grateful, but you still have an urgency about yourself
that you feel like because the the stereotype for a
young mom is that your life is over. So you
want to you want to make sure you're not being
that that statistic. Even though you are a statistic. You
(44:37):
you got so much stuff that you can just wear
on you. You already feel like a stat statistic. You
made a mistake, you know whatever, whatever, and you're still
trying to function. And even you you how many moms
out here, like my grandmother had to raise us, you
know what I mean. So you're a statistic as well.
So you guys both have these these things that you're
(45:00):
trying to not be but be there for each other,
you know what I mean. And when you find those
moments where though you guys, yes, this is a is
a stressful situation, the great thing about it is the
objective is you guys are just trying to make it work.
That's that's really at the end of the day, what
(45:21):
you guys are trying to do. You're just trying to
make whatever you got going on work and still love
each other. So this time we're going to do it again.
But I'm not going to read these slug lines of
the action. And I just want to add to that um.
When actors are dealing with emotions anger, try to find
different ways to be angry instead of the obvious, because
(45:44):
that's also you. You came in prepared when you started
booking the callbacks and booking. What it sounds like to
me and being in that room is that you know,
I always say, we're not looking for readers and auditions,
we're looking for characters. Is so you bought the characters
and the characteristics. That's what determined the difference. So let's
(46:07):
let's read it again. You guys, all right, and uh,
and you can tell us how they incorporated your notes stare? Okay,
you guys ready, okay and action. Hey Mom, hi baby,
I missed you. Oh hi, Nina, I'm very sorry. You
(46:32):
said you were going to take care of this and
I was going to last week you said last week.
Do you have any idea how much work I put
into this? Why would you offer to call the plumber
in the first place? These things happened, Nina, Mom, you
(46:54):
know that they already accepted me to the program, right,
This is just homework. Are you that desperate for me
to stay? That's your sabotaging my work? Now? M what? Um?
You haven't even started packing and I told you that
(47:17):
the kitchen isn't a good place for you to work.
It's almost like your boycotting yourself to mean sabotage. Oh
you know, I always get those confused great mom, thanks,
thanks so much for your help. Excuse me. I hope
you mean that, Nina, because all I do is help.
(47:39):
Thank you would be nice to h I said, thank you.
Do you think that I want to need your help?
Do you think that I want to be in the
please that I'm in. No, but I'm trying to make
(48:04):
the best of it. So I'm asking you please just
feel a little bit easier on me. And I'm trying
to make the best of it too, Nina. I want
what's best for you. That is why I came. So
just a little more understanding and gratitude here, seen like
(48:28):
they incorporated with yeah, yeah, yeah, And then I noticed
something else because once you do it again, all right,
So there was you know, there's a thing where you
are feeling like, oh my gosh, I know she's gonna
have a fit because also to you didn't do what
you said you were going to do, so you are
kind of feeling I'm like even their lines like oh, Nina,
(48:52):
you know like, you know, she's about to blow a
gasket one because her homework is messed up too. You
didn't do what you were supposed to do, you know.
But then there's this change where hold up, I'm here
to help you, you know what I mean. That's where
you know we you know, we need to see pump
your brakes because you know I'm doing you a faith,
(49:14):
you know what I mean. So that that is what
I feel like the casting director people would want to
see that change where you go from hey, I'm sorry,
basically though, I'm sorry to like no, no, not get
yourself together. Remember I'm trying to help you. I'm doing
you this, you know, you know whatever, and you still
(49:36):
come in with whatever whatever. And then a DoPT note
is when you come back and you're like, you know,
do you think I need him? Because that you have
to be vulnerable and humble yourself, you know, and those
two notes that boom, I think, what get you like, yeah,
let's call her back in because they say, um, when
they're going for the car back, they're like, yeah, we
(49:56):
called you back because we we see that you understood
the character. You know what I'm saying. You understood you
know now let's see what you do when we throw
some direction you away, you know what I mean. But yeah,
I think you guys did a great job. Thank you
for your great constructive criticism, and thanks for paying attention
in the audition room. Because things that you're saying, like
(50:17):
I feel like he's in my head though I'm like,
why are you because that's what that's how we think, like,
I mean, those are some of the things that we say.
So sad too. Oh my god, this is what we do. Well,
you gotta come back so that we can talk about
the show once it comes on. But tell our audience
again about your show and oh for life, Oh yes, um,
(50:39):
don't forget guys, watch for Life. Um again I play
Walter watch the show so you could keep you are
going to support the show, got to see man because
it's a lot of a lot of great actors. Nicholas
pannick Um during myssic uh Hasan Johnson. It's like it's
like so many I'm I'm leaving out so many people
(51:01):
and I'm feeling so bad. That's okay, when you come back,
you can fill us in with all of us. You
heard that when you come back. I would love to
come okay we hit Oh my god, the show is
going to be ahead. Oh my god. And then you
can bring your award and put it here so that
we can just be so blessed and it is possible.
(51:24):
The next time I'll be introducing you, I'll say an
award Winnie Marek Bernard here. Okay, were all. So I
just want to say again thank you to Derek for
taking your time and come into the podcast and really
dropping like. I love the fact that you are a
working actor and you speak the language of Felicia and
(51:45):
Leanne that they understand. So I think it's great. All right,
so um class in session with spirited actor lean Amato
and Felicia Bishop. Give it up for them. Thank you lady.
All Right, we'll be back with Give Love. Thank you,
Give Love. Africa changed my life. It was the most
(52:09):
rivetting experience I have had since the birth of my
children and my granddaughter. I went to Amina slave castle
in Ghana, and it was far from a castle. When
I walked out of that castle, I walked out empowered.
I walked out knowing that my ancestors walked through that
last door and they walked on that boat and they
(52:33):
were chained down and they rode for months without any
type of you know, food or you know. This wasn't
a cruise ship, and they endured some of the most
inhumane things that we could even imagine. But they survived
(52:54):
because I'm here and to know, my ancestors survived that
voy age and they came to America without any knowledge
of language or protocol, anything. But they survived, and I survived.
There is a power, There is a a spirit that
(53:18):
lives in us and lives in me. When you know
who's you are, you know who you are. Thank you
for 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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