May 12, 2020 • 50 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, and welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me
Tracy Moore. I was a casting director for film and
TV and commercials for over thirty years. A transition to
a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick 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. Some
(01:07):
are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness
thrust upon them William Shakespeare. All actors have something great
about them, but it's their job to discover their greatness. Right. So,
for instance, an actor can have a great smile or
a great voice. It's your job as an actor to
(01:28):
discover that gift and use that gift in the audition space.
Before you, guys audition, um, read a scene, or if
you do a monologue, you're having a conversation with the
casting director. You're having a conversation with the people behind
the table. So if you have a great smile and
you love your smile, smile, you have a great voice,
(01:52):
to use your voice, use your gifts. I will spend
time and discover one of my gifts and share it
with the world. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with
me Tracy Moore. Actors, I need you, guys to really
(02:13):
get situated, settled. You are about to our next guest actor,
Lahman Rucker, is about to drop some jewels. I'm excited
for this interview because I know Laman and I've been
(02:33):
really blessed to have followed his career and worked with
him as well on two films, and um, you're very
blessed today. So I want everybody to put their hands
together for Mr Lahman Rucker. Ye, thank you. I appreciate it,
(02:55):
and you're welcome for the flattering introduction. You always have
so much love and positively and everything you do and
just relations on everything and even and even this. You're
so savvy. You're always up to something. And how brilliant
of you do were uh you know to use this
medium to um, you know, to share all your your
(03:17):
love and expertise too. So this is this is great.
I'm glad we could be together again. Oh I'm glad
we're together to thank you so much for that. I
feel so blessed to hear these words. Then everybody loves
Gracy more. Oh well, I love everybody I do. It's
genuine love. And right now I'm gonna love you because
(03:39):
I love you as one of my favorite actors in
the world. I'm not just saying that. Um, I'm gonna
take you back. Um. Kathleen Trick Jones took me to
Tuskegee Airmen introduced me to you, and I was like,
oh my god, Like, first of all, the play was brilliant.
Your performance was brilliant, and I just to have been
(04:00):
a fan of her since. Thank you. Yeah, and that's
that's the homie too. So make sure you speak to
her before I do give her my love as well,
and yeah, thanks for coming out and you know, supporting us.
That that was a great show, incredible history. M and
uh hard that was. That was some hard work. You know.
(04:20):
We brought that piece, you know, as you know from
l A as a byproduct of our Black Gent organization
and our original you know piece, and you also produced
it as well. Yeah, so starting in it producing it
it you know, um, the educational programming and everything, and
(04:41):
you know, and then Hope Allen as you know, uh,
you know it was part of the marketing team, and
then she was producing our tour dates as well. I
mean we had like we yeah, it was such a
family affair, but yeah it was to be doing playing
multiple roles on the stage and off was was a
heck of an undertaking. So um and such an important
(05:04):
piece to do. Like because um, right after that, like years,
it seems like it took years for Anthony Hemingway's Red
Tails right to come after that. No, we were before that. No,
I know you were before, but I'm saying Anthony, it
was like at least what five seven years right after
(05:24):
you guys, because it wasn't it seems like it should
have come out, you know, sooner, because you had bought
that story to us, right, yeah, yeah, and we had
actually had hoped to collaborate with the film and even
some of the earlier studio marketing that they were doing
for it, because even approaching the stepty at the anniversary
(05:46):
um in November of two thousand eleven, Um, you were
already running for almost two years by then. Yeah, the
film didn't come out until I think, uh, following year,
if I'm not mistaken, I don't remember when the film
released actually was, but uh, but yes it was. It
(06:06):
was really powerful to have this story being told at
the same time and both you know, in both mediums. Um.
So yeah, shout out to my man Anthony, and um yeah,
has just you know, continued to blossom. I'm really excited
for that brother too. Yeah. I worked with Anthony. He
was a production assistant on New York Undercovers Anthony and
(06:31):
then went over So look, not not Theowes. Anybody's aide.
Please think that's such an incredible teachable moment in my opinion,
because how long ago was New York Undercover? Um well,
I was nine season okay, so until now is how long?
(06:52):
Mm hmm. Okay, alright, So my point in that is
anybody's firing director who's an aspiring you coach and producer
because you're producer too, Like this is this is this
is what I think people need to understand, is like,
that's how long the journey is. Some of our names
aren't even you know, household names, right at least things
(07:16):
and all people. But real success is the kind of
longevity that we're talking about have shifted and slided and
adapted the way we all have, and to still be
in the game, still be in the conversation, doing things
at a high level and doing quality work. So if
you look at the residence now, right, it's got to
be too three times as long as it was back then.
(07:36):
But like you've got people that I think just really
need to know that you can be a production assistant
and then now you can be you know, right, how
you can be after the Anthony hemingway that other people
know but you've always been. That's how early some of
these journeys begin. And if not even prior to that,
(07:59):
you know, that's that's like if you ain't in the
long game, you in the wrong game. Okay, that's that.
I love that and speaking of the long game. Um,
when I went to IMDb dot com, um, I saw
forty one credits, and I feel like maybe there's some
that weren't there, because in terms of a working actor's career,
(08:23):
my god, you have not stopped working like I don't.
And maybe you know. I'm glad Hope is on the phone,
but it was there a time where you know, it
was working because you work all the time, Laman, and
and when you got Green Leaf, I was like so
excited for you and and happy for you because, um,
(08:46):
you you are one of those actors that has had
a great body of work, plethora of work. Um, what
do you contribute that too? That's an excellent question. I
think it's Uh. I mean the fact that you mentioned Hope.
We've been working together for over ten years now. Um.
You know, so when you think of your team, you know,
(09:09):
shout out to my you know, uh, legit agents, my
theatrical folks and and you know l A sms UM
talent um. You know, there's so many people who have
been in and out of the equation over the years,
so there's way too many people to mention. Having a
good team, a skilled team around you is is definitely essential. Um.
(09:32):
I believe training is absolutely essential. I think there's only
so fun just pure talent can take you. There's only
so you know, only so much you can do with that.
I think when you put talent and technique together, you
can't lose. On top of that, you know, living a
healthy lifestyle, keeping you know, pollutants out of your mind
(09:54):
and out of your spirit and out of your system. Um,
you know, keeping uh, you know, just a health the
personal life and like I said, spiritual health and wealth
is important. Uh. There's a things being a responsible citizen.
I tell especially young people all the time. Just something
as simple as stay out of trouble, you know, staying
(10:15):
out of trouble right and staying and even being safe
so that you're not in danger. So I believe staying
out of trouble sometimes there's the choice that you make.
How you can prevent you doing something stupid right, also
staying safe and staying out of danger. That's how you
prevent somebody else doing anything stupid to you, you know.
(10:35):
I think both sensibilities are really important. So I think
all those things are part of it. And then thankfully
because of the education and training and the good people
that I've been around and having a good team and
being raised and taught and protected and disciplined and nourished
and nurtured by good people. You know, I've had the
(10:56):
right kind of value system and the sensibility to also
make good choices. So there's people who would have known
me and seen me a lot sooner had I said
yes the other things m HM would have known me
and seeing me a lot sooner had I jumped right
in after high school like some of my other friends.
And that is unfortunately a larger percentage of those who
(11:17):
jumped in right away too fast, too soon, are aren't
aren't that healthy anymore, are aren't doing as well as
they deserve to be because I think they jumped into
early too soon. So I was. I'm thankful that I
took my time. I went to school. I developed as
a human being, I developed as a man, I developed
as you know, a child of God. All those things
(11:39):
I took my time, like cultivating who I am, not
just what this product is, right, but both because even
being a business man, that's what I learned is a
big part of it too. You're a product in this business.
You're a commodity. You bring value, You add your one
part of your one major ingredient it may be, but
(12:01):
one ingredient to a larger recipe of right of of
success and production and a larger product. So you've got
to give that product time to be cultivated, to be developed. UM.
I mean as people ask all the time, oh, I
need an agent, or how do I get a you know,
I need a manager, how do I get a public
(12:22):
And sometimes one of the first things I want to
ask him is, well, what are they managing? What are
they representing? You know, what are they marketing? What are
they promoting? What kind of thing do you do? You
even know what the product is? How can they help
you if you don't even know really what you're doing
or what you want to do? How do you work together?
How do these people work for you? Um? How do
(12:44):
you lead them at the same time? How do you
learn how to be led by them in order to
do what it is you kind of want to do?
So I believe my success, if you will, has of
my understanding of all that learning, all that you know,
making good choices. I've also just sometimes you gotta just
admit some stuff sometimes can be a little bit of
(13:06):
just pure luck and time. But I don't think that's
just you know, uh, you know, throwing dust in the
air and hoping it, you know, settles on something. I
think it's some there's definitely some divine ordinance in that.
But it's also how your preparation and your hustle and
(13:26):
your relationship building and your versatility and all these things
kind of work together to create a kind of momentum
or inertia or um. It heightens the probability that, you know,
things will start to manifest for you. I believe you
know what I mean. So in a better position to
(13:50):
be successful helps you also become you know successful. So
I'm not always working, because we all know that in
this industry were often unemployed. But I'm never not. But
I'm never not moving, I'm never not never always. I'm
always in I'm always in labor. I'm always working, although
I might not employed. Maybe we need to like redefine
(14:12):
how we're using or work. I'm always so you're right,
but I'm not always employed, I'm not always looked. I'm
not always. But one of the things I am always
doing is developing this product, um, exercising other skills, other interests,
other other demands of me, service you know, being a
(14:32):
man of service and um, educating like whatever I'm doing,
trying to work and develop multiple streams of income so
that you're never not in motion. You're always well, we're
you're always um, you know, always being productive and progressive
and doing something positive. So yeah, I mean I've been
(14:54):
extremely blessed and very fortunate, and I can begin to
even express what that gratitude UM is and feels like.
But yeah, you're a reflection of it, Laman, I mean
everything that said, you really are a true reflection of that.
Like um uh. There are two films that I had
the pleasure of working with Laman on. One was The
(15:17):
Man in three B which is on Netflix, and also
UM No More, Mr Nice Guy, both um executive produced
by Carl Weber, and UM. The thing that I loved
in watching I love watching your work. I love how
um you prepare and UM it's it. I love actors
(15:41):
who never feel comfortable that this is that take. You know. Um,
the director can say, oh, that's perfect, but there's because
there's so many other elements of producer, director, writer and
you you know, when you feel that you've you you've
given that take. Um, what is your preparation in terms
(16:05):
of being UM, let's talk about your role on Cream Leaf.
Um what what what is your preparation in Were you
familiar with this character one, his background, his experience, or
was this something that you know you had to do
research and really build on who this guy was. Yeah,
(16:26):
that's an excellent question. I mean a big part of
I've been trained um as an actor and really even
I'll say raised as a as a as a boy.
UM that against service. It was always at the top
of you know, it's always been a combination of you know,
(16:47):
lamon you're the most magnificent, you know, creation there isn't
at the same time, boy ain't about that delicate balance,
I think, right, But I think we all um are
actually kind of trying to figure out how to how
(17:07):
to how to manage and that's how I try to
approach my work. Justice. So Okay, I'm I've got a
big responsibility here. I'm a big this equation. What I'm
doing is important to the success of what we're doing. However,
my real job is to serve, serve this work, is
(17:28):
to serve the character, is to serve the story. Is
to obey the director, not defy them, and them and
disrespect them. To um cooperate with my other you know, actors,
to always be looking inward to what's really happening inside, right,
what these subtext is, what the other stories are, what
(17:52):
this is are that are being told um, at the
same time this dialogue is what's being heard, right, what's
really happening in this character's heart and mind? Like you know,
what are my instincts? Let me be um, not not
self conscious, but self aware and trust just that human
instinct right, trusting the natural learning to listen not only
(18:17):
with your ears, listen with your your with your yeah, yeah,
listen with your heart. There's so many sensibilities that we
have that all go into how we form and at
the same time, how we how we create characters because they,
just like us, are real people. There are skin and bones.
They are like I said, they've got childhoods, they've got
(18:39):
all of this stuff. So whatever I'm doing, whether it's
like you said, man a three D, no more, Mr
Nice guy, what you're getting no more, Mr Nice guy.
I was not a nice guy the man in three D.
I was a nice guy, but I used to I
used to be to do and no more and no more,
Mr knife guy. So how do you do that? How
do you show even that um duplicity or that duality
(19:04):
rather if you will, you know what I'm saying, Like
that's part of everybody and every character. So even with Jacob,
it's the same thing, like, Okay, this man is magnificent,
he's smart, he's beautiful, he's handsome, he's got um, you know,
beautiful people. They these people are smart, they're sophisticated, they
like God, sexful, they have class, you know. At the
(19:26):
same time they got pain. He's he's being a real
sorry ass dude right now. He's he's not a good husband.
He's a foil bratt. He's insecure, he's uncertain, he's unconfident.
But he loves his children, but he doesn't know really
exactly how to do it because he's trying to have
a much more intimate relationship with his son than his
(19:47):
father had with him. Although his father does love him,
show did a different way and in other ways that
his father wasn't didn't know how it wasn't comfortable with
showing it, Like how do you do all that? So
there's a lot of womork s at homework is okay,
what is it like to be someone this class, of
this um social stature. What might be some of the
(20:10):
dynamics of living with this much wealth or under such
public scrutiny, Or what if I was really living under
my father's shadow in the same time away, what if
I was the only son and I had three sisters.
You know, what is a lot of it's not our lives.
(20:34):
And as much as there might be parallels to your life,
there are certain things that you don't really know and
just don't understand. So you've got to really think about it.
You've gotta talk, you gotta ask, you gotta read. I
wasn't raised in the church in the same way, definitely
not a preacher's kid the way. So I've got I've
got my support system who give me that insight as
(20:57):
well to be a faith leader or the child of
So let me ask you in terms of like, um,
your dream role? Have you had your dream role yet? Um? They? Honestly,
I've loved them all. That's part of why I would
go past about is that, Um, I really can't think
of one particular character that I didn't care for, with
(21:19):
all their flaws and all, um. But there are definitely
other stories that I definitely feel need to be told.
And they're not just people. I think they're just their
stories there you know, their issues, their topics, just as
much as they are historical people or historical period. I mean,
you know, how much really do we know about you know,
(21:42):
so many other moments throughout not only American history, but
Caribbean you know, African history. UM, if we if we
have and this is no disrespect to anybody abroad, but
if we can have UM you know, other actors of
color who are rich and Native Africans telling stories about
African American culture. Why can't it, you know, happen the
(22:04):
other way. Why aren't we embracing some of our stories
and legacies from throughout our Native Americans you know, you know,
and Hispanic intersections? You know, why am I not telling
stories about um Brazilians and Dominicans and Puerto Ricans and
Tino's um, you know, Panamanians and you know Bolivians And
(22:27):
you know what I'm saying, like, why not? It's rod
you know, I want to see I want to see
something about another story or film, because there's a beautiful
one that was done years ago about Patrice Lamomba. Why
are we not talking about um you know uh Kuami
and Kruma and um Quamire for that matter, why are
(22:48):
we not um more of our black replutionaries and you
know one of the men I adore, Paul Robeson And
why are we not We're about I see David and
um the list is like endless. You know, I love
to tell a different story about O j Tell a
(23:08):
little bit more of the whole and complete story about
O Jason and not just oh j you know, the
the accused murderer. You know what about You know, there's
so much we don't know about Otis reading and Luther
van drawn and um um I got a list that
is endless. And those are just people right um speaking
(23:31):
that this beautiful script um that she continues to like
play with and make even better called this Love Winds,
which is about you know, creatively, we have to be
open to what love looks like and how family is
going to be shaped, and how we care for um
our children who are neglected or in the foster care system,
(23:54):
you know, the challenges with insantility and and adoption and
all this stuff, like all of the things sometimes that
like there's so many things to talk about, which is
again why I've really embraced what we're doing with green
LEAs because we we tackle and exposed so many topics
that a lot of people are just afraid to deal with,
(24:17):
sensitive about it, so fearful about telling the truth about
and you know the dope that you know, my work
on the own network is about owning the truth. It's
about stepping up, stand up in it, talk about what
it really is, deal with it because again, as my
mother has always said, as soon as you get to it,
as sooner you get through it. And what great great
(24:41):
advice for right now exactly so that's exactly what say
moments like this really is about. Don't run from it.
You know, here's an opportunity to now be confronted with
the healing that's really required. I mean, how how prevalent
is that word? Now? Yeah, no matter what we all
(25:02):
look like and where we live, what we it's health
and life isn't at the top of the priority list.
Now what else is? Also? Even though you're worried about
your own life when you're in need, the most important
thing to do is actually serve somebody else. That's right,
That is absolutely, It's absolutely what people will do, unfortunately
(25:24):
is they get so scared that then they just continue
to be more selfish and that that's what we got
to be afraid of. That's what we have because that
creates it feels like it creates hoarding and you know, fear,
and now we have to think more about humanity and
communal Uh. We are all on the same playing field regardless,
(25:47):
and that's what this work. I think it's all about
everything that we do. I believe, you know, to the core,
we're all people of service, we're all educators, and we're
all healing to to our core, probablieve, every human being
really it's a matter of which one are you gonna
do more of? Or which one are you going to
(26:07):
focus on? Or which one are you gonna be obedient to?
Or how do you find a way to live your
life in a way that fully encompasses all three? And
I don't believe any of us are really going to
be happy, satisfied, successful, will really serve our true purpose
on this planet until we figure that out and get
in and get aligned, you know, with it, because in essence,
(26:28):
even I haven't, and the lives that we leave, that's
what this is about, you know, that's really what you
know this is you know, through us, that's what that's what,
that's what it's coming from. That's where we're coming from,
you know. And if not, what are we doing exactly?
And you know, I just have to say, like I
could honestly listen all day. The words are so profound.
(26:52):
I'm glad that we are talking about acting, um, but
there's so much more and and um, there's so much
depth in this conversation that um I am. I know
that my actors are gonna walk away, the audience is
gonna walk away very fulfilled. Um, you have dropped so
(27:13):
much wisdom on us. And now the interview is over,
and I get so sad because it goes by so fast.
But you know, I'm going to extend another invitation to you.
I mean, I always extend another invitation because we have
You're just a plethora of information and knowledge and insight.
And I am so grateful to know you and beyond
(27:34):
this journey. Thank you, thank you, thank you at my pleasure.
You know, I'm a delf you anytime. You know that
I appreciate of lamon. And we're gonna get ready now
to go into class and session. But I just want
everybody to put their hands together and stand up at
shout and screen for Laman Rutger. And next we have
(27:57):
class in session on the Spear Din Actor Podcast with
me Tracy Moore. Hi, and welcome to the Spirited Actor
Podcast with me Tracy Moore. And now we are at
my favorite segment, Class in session, and I have Spirited
Actor alumni Jolisa Capri and lean A Motto. So we
(28:20):
still have Laman Ruger here. We are so blessed to
have him here with us, and we're gonna do what
we do. We're gonna read the scene. I'm gonna read
the slug line and the action. You guys are gonna
read the dialogue. But you know we're breathing life into
this is a performance. And then Lamon is gonna give
you guys some insight. All right, you guys ready, Okay,
(28:41):
here we go. Interior funeral home night. Cassie sits heavy
but still with tissue in hand, in an almost vacant
room with her father's body in front of her in
a casket. Her lifelong friend Veronica enters the room and
caes are sitting there alone. She hesitates, but forces her
(29:04):
way towards Cassie. You cass Cassie looks up at her.
Her face goes blank. I am so sorry. I would
have been your sooner, but I I just found out.
(29:24):
Cassie just nods her head. She listens. Veronica takes a
seat next to her. You don't need food, please I
need to. There's an awkward, eerie silence. You didn't know sooner,
(29:45):
you just picked up the phone to check on me,
just wants You're right. I feel terrible and I feel
so guilty. I'll come on, please be don't let this
one be a you okay. Veronica sinks lower in her
seat silence. You have no idea what I've been through,
(30:11):
and they don't happen so fast. I mean, I didn't
even have a moment to think or even realize that
I was alone. I am exhausted and what I finally yeah,
but let him go, the one person I really needed
to just be there. I was too busy to even
(30:31):
know what was going on. Veronica has nothing to say.
M hm, my mom's died. You out of town working
and I was understanding that, but this She didn't even
realize that it had been days since I didn't even
hear from you. I did cast I'm sorry. My head
(30:55):
was just like still wrapped up in a bad thing
that I didn't even realize what was going on. No excuse,
Cassie looks at her. He left again. We're good. Cassie
puts her hand on the Ronica spigh for comfort. Sorrvy, Okay,
(31:22):
I don't know how bad you wanted to make that work.
It's okay. Veronica shifts her eyes ahead. Your dad was
my dad. God, I'm so sorry. It's okay. He would
(31:44):
tell me to be easily on you a smirk. I'm
really gonna need you now. I'm not going anywhere. Cornica
wraps her I'm around Casey and holds her seen nice ladies, Okay,
(32:07):
I'm gonna throw it to you on a good job
first of all. Um m hmmm. So I'll probably have
more questions than answers um, because again I even think
in order for me to really give you, to give
you anything, is more information than I need. But again,
(32:30):
sometimes the questions are just that there's their questions are
not even necessarily for me to answer, therefore right for
you to discover um or to explore what what the
answers might be. So one of the things that that
that kept coming up to me was, um, how did
how did he die? Um? You know uh, And that
(32:53):
might not seem like it's important, but I actually think,
I actually think it is so um. And sometimes that's
the information that I think actor sometimes consider because they're like, oh,
that has nothing to do with the seen he did
and all that matters that he did. I think the real,
the nuance of it, the depth of it is how
(33:17):
he died, why he died, It was he sick? How
long was he said? Um? You know all of that,
because I think that that gives whatever this pain is
that it makes it more um, hon, it makes it,
It gives it the truth if it's more specific. So
(33:41):
there's a different kind of pain somebody shot themselves in
the head, um, or someone got in a car accident,
as opposed to you know, he'd been sick. I was
right there by his side, I was holding his hand
when he went. He told me of me, we resolved
our issues. It's all well, it's all good. Still hurt
(34:05):
that he's gone or to have have to let him go.
But the terms, the dynamics of it kind of I
think make a difference. They're gonna they they'll texture so
many different things that is not doing that. The actor
is just fealing with the actual state of of of
(34:27):
of of of pain, of recollection, like how much love
is there when we're at when we're at people's homegoing,
we're thinking of fun times and and happy memories just
as much as we're thinking about the fact that they're gone.
Because sometimes the pain that we're feeling is kind of
like the selfish thing. Sometimes, the thing where you're really
(34:48):
celebrating somebody. It's just like, you know, let's about how
wonderful this person was, and how wonderful they were to
all of them smirk something he said up out a
smirk forard a chuckle and there. But what was that moment?
What was that line? Um it was Cassie says, it's okay. Well,
(35:12):
Veronica says that your dad was my dad got him
so sorry. Cassie says, it's okay. He would tell me
to be easy on you. They smirk, okay, right right.
So it's like so that So that's that's wonderful, that
that dynamic and that kind of moment is in there.
I think there are other moments where it can be
(35:35):
it can it can be a little lighter. I think
sometimes we tell the end of the scene at the
very beginning. UM. That that the habit of a lot
of actors. Let the let the scene grow, let it
um if it's already gonna start here, you don't want
it to end all the way down here. You can
have happy, can have um a little like, what's the
(35:58):
difference between disappointment, annoyance, irritation, impatient? That's different than anger
and resentment? So do you are you really angry at her? Are?
Or deep down are you do you really desire that
she was there with you? Now? The way people deal
(36:19):
with design they're in love is sometimes in anger and resentment.
But like, think about how you all can be a
little bit more um a little give yourself a little
bit more freedom and a little bit more breat with
the choices that you consider on how you can process
(36:39):
some of these emotions. Because I think that the very easy,
and I even say sometimes lazy thing to do or
the shortcut, is my feelings to hurt. So I'm mad,
I mean kinds of mad like and all you need
is really mad most of the time, you're not really
mad if you could actually speak and love, which you
(36:59):
finally us a little bit it what it's like, I
need you here, I needed you here. This is like
such an incredibly you know, hard moment. I need you,
I need you, I love you, I want to with me.
That sometimes is what people can but that's what we
need to hear. So even though she might be bitching
(37:21):
at her, what we really need to hear is I
love you, I missed you, I wish you were here.
I need I need your comfort, I need your love,
I need your support. That to me is kind of
a little bit more of sometimes what we need to hear.
Although what somebody is saying is something else, Veronica saying
where is Veronica? Where are you coming from? Um? Eventually
(37:43):
we hear about this heat, but where are you coming from?
I I got a little bit of it that you
were anticipate hitting that you might get some pushback me
because you're late. Um. But one of my other questions
was this something you have a habit of doing, not
showing up or being late um at moments of need
(38:08):
and why Sometimes the habit with some characters is with crisis.
Some people like withdrawal. They don't know with very well.
They want to be there, but they don't know, they
don't deal with it very well themselves. So why why
is she late? Where is she coming from? Um? It's
not just sary, I wasn't here, But like, is it raining?
(38:31):
If so, what are you wearing? Is it cold? Are
you wet? Where you speeding? Are you a little sweaty? Um?
Did you just have the conversation with whoever is that
just left? Has he been blowing you up? Who broke
up with? Who did he leave? Or did you kick
him out? Um? All of those things matter as well, Veronica.
(38:52):
So before you all even get past the first couple
of lines, or before anybody even says anything, there's so
much depth to your relationships and so much depth to
your history together, so many feelings about this person laying
there in the casket that you both share, but you
both have other stuff that you're coming into the moment
(39:13):
with that's gonna give the entire scene and just shape
who these people are in a very different way than
if you didn't have or didn't consider those things. So
whatever sense of urgency, Like if the camera were to
pick you up outside, Veronica, Like, what would that shot
look like? Right? What would that look like to see
(39:34):
you if you're running up the stairs? Would you have
an umbrella, you know, Like I said, is it hot outside?
Would you take a moment to kind of try to
get yourself together before you walked in the door. Would
you did you see her person like, oh my god?
Or did you see the body first? Are there people
and somebody leaves you gotta you have to literally have
(39:54):
been alive in all of those moments prior to to
um when you when we see you all see each
other and begin to talk, that makes sense, m So
think about a lot of that. So I believe before
anything's even said, what we will see sometimes when actors
(40:16):
have done that work, and soon as these people see
each other, we will see like we will see that,
We'll see those fireworks, we'll see that electricity, we'll see
that love. And then what happens after that may either
surprise us or confirm that, but give it the intensive
I think comes from that information more so than it
(40:39):
comes from how mad you are or how hurt you
are you know, or how embarrassed you are for being late,
or how ashamed you are for not having been there
for this woman that you that you love so much,
like like a sister. Okay, So there's all kinds of
ways to get. I don't think. I'm not sure relative
to time how much we have the entire scene and
(41:00):
talk about all all kind of different moments and all
these other different notes. But I believe that kind of
um uh, character kind of interrogation, if you will, that
kind of exploration will answer all kinds of other other questions.
Give this scene somewhere to go. Really believe, even your relationship,
(41:22):
um have be clear what you really want from each other,
um what you want from what the character wants from
from the moment. So even though it's it's it's Kathy's dead,
sun O Veronica, are you going there for her consolations?
Are you going there to be with her just as
much as you may be going there to be with her?
(41:43):
You know all of that? You know again, So it's
like it's it's the other it's all this other background
where all this other I hate the per say, but
it's all the other stuff that's going to color and
texture all of the moments in the scene. When all
of those other things are are clearer for you, you're
(42:04):
decisive about them, and you're forming this individual. The stuff
that you talk about how you say it, you know,
the like I said, the nuances and the it'll all
be in the details, but it will come from creating
the truth and all these other moments that we don't
that we don't see so excellent. I'm gonna challenge these
(42:30):
actresses to take all of that information and digested and
then we're going to film it. We're gonna be able
to do it on zoom, and I'm going to forward
it to Hope so she can get it to Laman
and he can see in destments that you guys made,
because that was a lot like I don't want to
just you know, and just do a lot of That's
(42:51):
the thing with all of this, right, especially because we're
right just limited time and just in this moment with
each other. I mean again, I'm sure again with Tracy,
you all would have this conversation over and over again.
You have some repetition, you have some time to be
in more conversation and dialogue together with it. So I'm
just trying to give this really short, like you know,
(43:12):
excessive data, right, And I know it's a lot to
think about, but at the same time, that's how much
there is to think about. I believe that's my approach
to the work very much. And what I've learned and
what I feel like I've gotten from other people. And
I see the work and when I see other stories
being told, the stories and the characters and the people
(43:33):
that really resonate with me are the ones that that
you know, where there's it's I'm telling you, it's it's
it's it's it's in the it's in the other stuff.
It's in the flake. You know. It's the stuff that
you that you don't say. It's the the stuff that
(43:56):
nobody sees, the work that nobody's on the witness that's
manifest um. And you can't see it, you won't know it.
It's not for you to know. If you to see,
you just gotta be it. If you're actually if you
actually just make the commitments to just be there, it's
going to happen. It's going to work, it's going to
exist because because of exists. And unless you're telling the truth,
(44:21):
it's gonna be bullshit. Uh you know, right. So, if
it's not really there for you, um, we probably won't
see it or feel it either, But don't try to
show it to us. Actually believe it exist in it? Um.
You know. So if you two, like if you all
were actually doing this together in a class or something
(44:44):
like that. I tell you all the ship works with
each other outside of outside of class, just to have
a little bit more rightly, make that close friends, go
away back, tell childhood stories you know, um, talk about okay,
exactly when did you meet? Like how did you two?
How did your two characters meet? How did m Kathy
(45:04):
and Veronica meet? Second grade? Second grade? But I think
the least was Americans don't know that. Yeah, I need
to make a decision on the I mean I did
make a decision on the thoughts as far as how
my father died and things I need and I thought
about like no use of them so long, but I
did not take it as far back as like where
(45:25):
do we mean? How do we mean? So? Yeah, so
the things that I think are good when it comes
to relationships, and that would be the homework assignment. Really really,
I think there's a negotiation and conversation that needs to
happen between actors. That's just like, hey, let's get on
the same page with what this story is because it's
a shared one, you know, and if you've been together
(45:46):
that long, then you probably both remember the first time
something you know, um, when you probably remember how when
both you had your period. Let's just keep it really growing, right,
you would, Yeah, and you may have dealt with differently.
Maybe your family dealt with you or dealt with that
issue differently, you know, um, because family might have had
(46:09):
a a pie signetta or something for her, you know.
And and but you know, but your mom might have
treated you a little funny de Lisa. But your dad
took you to dinner for the first time, dinner, not much,
not the Sunday brunch heat right, Hea, there's something might
(46:31):
be there's like it's like so stuff like that. So again,
then that goes to and means to you and something
that you have both shared that's very significant even to
being over woman. And that's how far back you go, right,
So all this other stuff that goes into like this,
this real intimacy with you know, with your characters personally
(46:54):
and then with one another. Well that victory and that's
what no. I was just gonna say, I apologize, Lamon,
I'm going to definitely get that's gonna be their challenge.
They're going to memorize and put those We're gonna shoot
the scene, send it to Hope and get it to
you and I'm just so grateful. You gave them so much,
(47:15):
so much, and you should be able to bring a stellar,
dynamic performance. My expectations are high. So Um, once again,
I just class in session is now not in session,
and I just want to get ladies. Let's just give
a big round applause to lamon Rocket. Thank you so much,
(47:35):
to thank you, thank you, thank you, Hope, thanks for
being all here and supporting us as well. Um, and
now it's time for give love. I know your value.
I was doing a job with one of my clients
and I was doubt in l A working on a
(47:56):
television show, and I decided that I didn't want to
do the TV show. I didn't like the script, I
didn't like the direction it was taking my client's career,
and I decided that that was going to be my
last job with my client. And when I approached my
(48:16):
client about it, they said, well, do you want more money?
And I said no, it has nothing to do with money.
I don't want to do it. And they said, okay,
well we're gonna give you an additional etcetera. And I
was like, that's cute, but I don't want to do
it authentically, don't want to do this project. So they
thought that I was I had this negotiation you know,
(48:39):
UM situation going on, and that I was trying to
put them in a position where they had to keep
offering me money. But the truth was I didn't want
to do the job. The moral of the story is
I didn't do the job, and regardless of how much
money they offered me, I know my value, and the
value for me at that time was more about pursuing
(49:03):
what I wanted to do as opposed to doing what
they wanted me to do, which was moved to a
totally different location relocate my family. You have to know
your value, actors. You have to know what it is
that you want, what it is that you will settle for,
what it is that you won't settle for, and you
(49:24):
have to stand by that UM. I spoke to the
producer several years later and he was like, oh, I
so respected you, you know, holding down the negotiation, and
I was like, once again, it wasn't a negotiation tactic.
I didn't want to do the job. Know your value
and actually have a conversation with yourself so that you
(49:47):
know your value and you won't low ball yourself and
you won't devalue yourself. That's important. 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. A 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. Some
(01:07):
are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness
thrust upon them William Shakespeare. All actors have something great
about them, but it's their job to discover their greatness. Right. So,
for instance, an actor can have a great smile or
a great voice. It's your job as an actor to
(01:28):
discover that gift and use that gift in the audition space.
Before you, guys audition, um, read a scene, or if
you do a monologue, you're having a conversation with the
casting director. You're having a conversation with the people behind
the table. So if you have a great smile and
you love your smile, smile, you have a great voice,
(01:52):
to use your voice, use your gifts. I will spend
time and discover one of my gifts and share it
with the world. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with
me Tracy Moore. Actors, I need you, guys to really
(02:13):
get situated, settled. You are about to our next guest actor,
Lahman Rucker, is about to drop some jewels. I'm excited
for this interview because I know Laman and I've been
(02:33):
really blessed to have followed his career and worked with
him as well on two films, and um, you're very
blessed today. So I want everybody to put their hands
together for Mr Lahman Rucker. Ye, thank you. I appreciate it,
(02:55):
and you're welcome for the flattering introduction. You always have
so much love and positively and everything you do and
just relations on everything and even and even this. You're
so savvy. You're always up to something. And how brilliant
of you do were uh you know to use this
medium to um, you know, to share all your your
(03:17):
love and expertise too. So this is this is great.
I'm glad we could be together again. Oh I'm glad
we're together to thank you so much for that. I
feel so blessed to hear these words. Then everybody loves
Gracy more. Oh well, I love everybody I do. It's
genuine love. And right now I'm gonna love you because
(03:39):
I love you as one of my favorite actors in
the world. I'm not just saying that. Um, I'm gonna
take you back. Um. Kathleen Trick Jones took me to
Tuskegee Airmen introduced me to you, and I was like,
oh my god, Like, first of all, the play was brilliant.
Your performance was brilliant, and I just to have been
(04:00):
a fan of her since. Thank you. Yeah, and that's
that's the homie too. So make sure you speak to
her before I do give her my love as well,
and yeah, thanks for coming out and you know, supporting us.
That that was a great show, incredible history. M and
uh hard that was. That was some hard work. You know.
(04:20):
We brought that piece, you know, as you know from
l A as a byproduct of our Black Gent organization
and our original you know piece, and you also produced
it as well. Yeah, so starting in it producing it
it you know, um, the educational programming and everything, and
(04:41):
you know, and then Hope Allen as you know, uh,
you know it was part of the marketing team, and
then she was producing our tour dates as well. I
mean we had like we yeah, it was such a
family affair, but yeah it was to be doing playing
multiple roles on the stage and off was was a
heck of an undertaking. So um and such an important
(05:04):
piece to do. Like because um, right after that, like years,
it seems like it took years for Anthony Hemingway's Red
Tails right to come after that. No, we were before that. No,
I know you were before, but I'm saying Anthony, it
was like at least what five seven years right after
(05:24):
you guys, because it wasn't it seems like it should
have come out, you know, sooner, because you had bought
that story to us, right, yeah, yeah, and we had
actually had hoped to collaborate with the film and even
some of the earlier studio marketing that they were doing
for it, because even approaching the stepty at the anniversary
(05:46):
um in November of two thousand eleven, Um, you were
already running for almost two years by then. Yeah, the
film didn't come out until I think, uh, following year,
if I'm not mistaken, I don't remember when the film
released actually was, but uh, but yes it was. It
(06:06):
was really powerful to have this story being told at
the same time and both you know, in both mediums. Um.
So yeah, shout out to my man Anthony, and um yeah,
has just you know, continued to blossom. I'm really excited
for that brother too. Yeah. I worked with Anthony. He
was a production assistant on New York Undercovers Anthony and
(06:31):
then went over So look, not not Theowes. Anybody's aide.
Please think that's such an incredible teachable moment in my opinion,
because how long ago was New York Undercover? Um well,
I was nine season okay, so until now is how long?
(06:52):
Mm hmm. Okay, alright, So my point in that is
anybody's firing director who's an aspiring you coach and producer
because you're producer too, Like this is this is this
is what I think people need to understand, is like,
that's how long the journey is. Some of our names
aren't even you know, household names, right at least things
(07:16):
and all people. But real success is the kind of
longevity that we're talking about have shifted and slided and
adapted the way we all have, and to still be
in the game, still be in the conversation, doing things
at a high level and doing quality work. So if
you look at the residence now, right, it's got to
be too three times as long as it was back then.
(07:36):
But like you've got people that I think just really
need to know that you can be a production assistant
and then now you can be you know, right, how
you can be after the Anthony hemingway that other people
know but you've always been. That's how early some of
these journeys begin. And if not even prior to that,
(07:59):
you know, that's that's like if you ain't in the
long game, you in the wrong game. Okay, that's that.
I love that and speaking of the long game. Um,
when I went to IMDb dot com, um, I saw
forty one credits, and I feel like maybe there's some
that weren't there, because in terms of a working actor's career,
(08:23):
my god, you have not stopped working like I don't.
And maybe you know. I'm glad Hope is on the phone,
but it was there a time where you know, it
was working because you work all the time, Laman, and
and when you got Green Leaf, I was like so
excited for you and and happy for you because, um,
(08:46):
you you are one of those actors that has had
a great body of work, plethora of work. Um, what
do you contribute that too? That's an excellent question. I
think it's Uh. I mean the fact that you mentioned Hope.
We've been working together for over ten years now. Um.
You know, so when you think of your team, you know,
(09:09):
shout out to my you know, uh, legit agents, my
theatrical folks and and you know l A sms UM
talent um. You know, there's so many people who have
been in and out of the equation over the years,
so there's way too many people to mention. Having a
good team, a skilled team around you is is definitely essential. Um.
(09:32):
I believe training is absolutely essential. I think there's only
so fun just pure talent can take you. There's only
so you know, only so much you can do with that.
I think when you put talent and technique together, you
can't lose. On top of that, you know, living a
healthy lifestyle, keeping you know, pollutants out of your mind
(09:54):
and out of your spirit and out of your system. Um,
you know, keeping uh, you know, just a health the
personal life and like I said, spiritual health and wealth
is important. Uh. There's a things being a responsible citizen.
I tell especially young people all the time. Just something
as simple as stay out of trouble, you know, staying
(10:15):
out of trouble right and staying and even being safe
so that you're not in danger. So I believe staying
out of trouble sometimes there's the choice that you make.
How you can prevent you doing something stupid right, also
staying safe and staying out of danger. That's how you
prevent somebody else doing anything stupid to you, you know.
(10:35):
I think both sensibilities are really important. So I think
all those things are part of it. And then thankfully
because of the education and training and the good people
that I've been around and having a good team and
being raised and taught and protected and disciplined and nourished
and nurtured by good people. You know, I've had the
(10:56):
right kind of value system and the sensibility to also
make good choices. So there's people who would have known
me and seen me a lot sooner had I said
yes the other things m HM would have known me
and seeing me a lot sooner had I jumped right
in after high school like some of my other friends.
And that is unfortunately a larger percentage of those who
(11:17):
jumped in right away too fast, too soon, are aren't
aren't that healthy anymore, are aren't doing as well as
they deserve to be because I think they jumped into
early too soon. So I was. I'm thankful that I
took my time. I went to school. I developed as
a human being, I developed as a man, I developed
as you know, a child of God. All those things
(11:39):
I took my time, like cultivating who I am, not
just what this product is, right, but both because even
being a business man, that's what I learned is a
big part of it too. You're a product in this business.
You're a commodity. You bring value, You add your one
part of your one major ingredient it may be, but
(12:01):
one ingredient to a larger recipe of right of of
success and production and a larger product. So you've got
to give that product time to be cultivated, to be developed. UM.
I mean as people ask all the time, oh, I
need an agent, or how do I get a you know,
I need a manager, how do I get a public
(12:22):
And sometimes one of the first things I want to
ask him is, well, what are they managing? What are
they representing? You know, what are they marketing? What are
they promoting? What kind of thing do you do? You
even know what the product is? How can they help
you if you don't even know really what you're doing
or what you want to do? How do you work together?
How do these people work for you? Um? How do
(12:44):
you lead them at the same time? How do you
learn how to be led by them in order to
do what it is you kind of want to do?
So I believe my success, if you will, has of
my understanding of all that learning, all that you know,
making good choices. I've also just sometimes you gotta just
admit some stuff sometimes can be a little bit of
(13:06):
just pure luck and time. But I don't think that's
just you know, uh, you know, throwing dust in the
air and hoping it, you know, settles on something. I
think it's some there's definitely some divine ordinance in that.
But it's also how your preparation and your hustle and
(13:26):
your relationship building and your versatility and all these things
kind of work together to create a kind of momentum
or inertia or um. It heightens the probability that, you know,
things will start to manifest for you. I believe you
know what I mean. So in a better position to
(13:50):
be successful helps you also become you know successful. So
I'm not always working, because we all know that in
this industry were often unemployed. But I'm never not. But
I'm never not moving, I'm never not never always. I'm
always in I'm always in labor. I'm always working, although
I might not employed. Maybe we need to like redefine
(14:12):
how we're using or work. I'm always so you're right,
but I'm not always employed, I'm not always looked. I'm
not always. But one of the things I am always
doing is developing this product, um, exercising other skills, other interests,
other other demands of me, service you know, being a
(14:32):
man of service and um, educating like whatever I'm doing,
trying to work and develop multiple streams of income so
that you're never not in motion. You're always well, we're
you're always um, you know, always being productive and progressive
and doing something positive. So yeah, I mean I've been
(14:54):
extremely blessed and very fortunate, and I can begin to
even express what that gratitude UM is and feels like.
But yeah, you're a reflection of it, Laman, I mean
everything that said, you really are a true reflection of that.
Like um uh. There are two films that I had
the pleasure of working with Laman on. One was The
(15:17):
Man in three B which is on Netflix, and also
UM No More, Mr Nice Guy, both um executive produced
by Carl Weber, and UM. The thing that I loved
in watching I love watching your work. I love how
um you prepare and UM it's it. I love actors
(15:41):
who never feel comfortable that this is that take. You know. Um,
the director can say, oh, that's perfect, but there's because
there's so many other elements of producer, director, writer and
you you know, when you feel that you've you you've
given that take. Um, what is your preparation in terms
(16:05):
of being UM, let's talk about your role on Cream Leaf.
Um what what what is your preparation in Were you
familiar with this character one, his background, his experience, or
was this something that you know you had to do
research and really build on who this guy was. Yeah,
(16:26):
that's an excellent question. I mean a big part of
I've been trained um as an actor and really even
I'll say raised as a as a as a boy.
UM that against service. It was always at the top
of you know, it's always been a combination of you know,
(16:47):
lamon you're the most magnificent, you know, creation there isn't
at the same time, boy ain't about that delicate balance,
I think, right, But I think we all um are
actually kind of trying to figure out how to how
(17:07):
to how to manage and that's how I try to
approach my work. Justice. So Okay, I'm I've got a
big responsibility here. I'm a big this equation. What I'm
doing is important to the success of what we're doing. However,
my real job is to serve, serve this work, is
(17:28):
to serve the character, is to serve the story. Is
to obey the director, not defy them, and them and
disrespect them. To um cooperate with my other you know, actors,
to always be looking inward to what's really happening inside, right,
what these subtext is, what the other stories are, what
(17:52):
this is are that are being told um, at the
same time this dialogue is what's being heard, right, what's
really happening in this character's heart and mind? Like you know,
what are my instincts? Let me be um, not not
self conscious, but self aware and trust just that human
instinct right, trusting the natural learning to listen not only
(18:17):
with your ears, listen with your your with your yeah, yeah,
listen with your heart. There's so many sensibilities that we
have that all go into how we form and at
the same time, how we how we create characters because they,
just like us, are real people. There are skin and bones.
They are like I said, they've got childhoods, they've got
(18:39):
all of this stuff. So whatever I'm doing, whether it's
like you said, man a three D, no more, Mr
Nice guy, what you're getting no more, Mr Nice guy.
I was not a nice guy the man in three D.
I was a nice guy, but I used to I
used to be to do and no more and no more,
Mr knife guy. So how do you do that? How
do you show even that um duplicity or that duality
(19:04):
rather if you will, you know what I'm saying, Like
that's part of everybody and every character. So even with Jacob,
it's the same thing, like, Okay, this man is magnificent,
he's smart, he's beautiful, he's handsome, he's got um, you know,
beautiful people. They these people are smart, they're sophisticated, they
like God, sexful, they have class, you know. At the
(19:26):
same time they got pain. He's he's being a real
sorry ass dude right now. He's he's not a good husband.
He's a foil bratt. He's insecure, he's uncertain, he's unconfident.
But he loves his children, but he doesn't know really
exactly how to do it because he's trying to have
a much more intimate relationship with his son than his
(19:47):
father had with him. Although his father does love him,
show did a different way and in other ways that
his father wasn't didn't know how it wasn't comfortable with
showing it, Like how do you do all that? So
there's a lot of womork s at homework is okay,
what is it like to be someone this class, of
this um social stature. What might be some of the
(20:10):
dynamics of living with this much wealth or under such
public scrutiny, Or what if I was really living under
my father's shadow in the same time away, what if
I was the only son and I had three sisters.
You know, what is a lot of it's not our lives.
(20:34):
And as much as there might be parallels to your life,
there are certain things that you don't really know and
just don't understand. So you've got to really think about it.
You've gotta talk, you gotta ask, you gotta read. I
wasn't raised in the church in the same way, definitely
not a preacher's kid the way. So I've got I've
got my support system who give me that insight as
(20:57):
well to be a faith leader or the child of
So let me ask you in terms of like, um,
your dream role? Have you had your dream role yet? Um? They? Honestly,
I've loved them all. That's part of why I would
go past about is that, Um, I really can't think
of one particular character that I didn't care for, with
(21:19):
all their flaws and all, um. But there are definitely
other stories that I definitely feel need to be told.
And they're not just people. I think they're just their
stories there you know, their issues, their topics, just as
much as they are historical people or historical period. I mean,
you know, how much really do we know about you know,
(21:42):
so many other moments throughout not only American history, but
Caribbean you know, African history. UM, if we if we
have and this is no disrespect to anybody abroad, but
if we can have UM you know, other actors of
color who are rich and Native Africans telling stories about
African American culture. Why can't it, you know, happen the
(22:04):
other way. Why aren't we embracing some of our stories
and legacies from throughout our Native Americans you know, you know,
and Hispanic intersections? You know, why am I not telling
stories about um Brazilians and Dominicans and Puerto Ricans and
Tino's um, you know, Panamanians and you know Bolivians And
(22:27):
you know what I'm saying, like, why not? It's rod
you know, I want to see I want to see
something about another story or film, because there's a beautiful
one that was done years ago about Patrice Lamomba. Why
are we not talking about um you know uh Kuami
and Kruma and um Quamire for that matter, why are
(22:48):
we not um more of our black replutionaries and you
know one of the men I adore, Paul Robeson And
why are we not We're about I see David and
um the list is like endless. You know, I love
to tell a different story about O j Tell a
(23:08):
little bit more of the whole and complete story about
O Jason and not just oh j you know, the
the accused murderer. You know what about You know, there's
so much we don't know about Otis reading and Luther
van drawn and um um I got a list that
is endless. And those are just people right um speaking
(23:31):
that this beautiful script um that she continues to like
play with and make even better called this Love Winds,
which is about you know, creatively, we have to be
open to what love looks like and how family is
going to be shaped, and how we care for um
our children who are neglected or in the foster care system,
(23:54):
you know, the challenges with insantility and and adoption and
all this stuff, like all of the things sometimes that
like there's so many things to talk about, which is
again why I've really embraced what we're doing with green
LEAs because we we tackle and exposed so many topics
that a lot of people are just afraid to deal with,
(24:17):
sensitive about it, so fearful about telling the truth about
and you know the dope that you know, my work
on the own network is about owning the truth. It's
about stepping up, stand up in it, talk about what
it really is, deal with it because again, as my
mother has always said, as soon as you get to it,
as sooner you get through it. And what great great
(24:41):
advice for right now exactly so that's exactly what say
moments like this really is about. Don't run from it.
You know, here's an opportunity to now be confronted with
the healing that's really required. I mean, how how prevalent
is that word? Now? Yeah, no matter what we all
(25:02):
look like and where we live, what we it's health
and life isn't at the top of the priority list.
Now what else is? Also? Even though you're worried about
your own life when you're in need, the most important
thing to do is actually serve somebody else. That's right,
That is absolutely, It's absolutely what people will do, unfortunately
(25:24):
is they get so scared that then they just continue
to be more selfish and that that's what we got
to be afraid of. That's what we have because that
creates it feels like it creates hoarding and you know, fear,
and now we have to think more about humanity and
communal Uh. We are all on the same playing field regardless,
(25:47):
and that's what this work. I think it's all about
everything that we do. I believe, you know, to the core,
we're all people of service, we're all educators, and we're
all healing to to our core, probablieve, every human being
really it's a matter of which one are you gonna
do more of? Or which one are you going to
(26:07):
focus on? Or which one are you gonna be obedient to?
Or how do you find a way to live your
life in a way that fully encompasses all three? And
I don't believe any of us are really going to
be happy, satisfied, successful, will really serve our true purpose
on this planet until we figure that out and get
in and get aligned, you know, with it, because in essence,
(26:28):
even I haven't, and the lives that we leave, that's
what this is about, you know, that's really what you
know this is you know, through us, that's what that's what,
that's what it's coming from. That's where we're coming from,
you know. And if not, what are we doing exactly?
And you know, I just have to say, like I
could honestly listen all day. The words are so profound.
(26:52):
I'm glad that we are talking about acting, um, but
there's so much more and and um, there's so much
depth in this conversation that um I am. I know
that my actors are gonna walk away, the audience is
gonna walk away very fulfilled. Um, you have dropped so
(27:13):
much wisdom on us. And now the interview is over,
and I get so sad because it goes by so fast.
But you know, I'm going to extend another invitation to you.
I mean, I always extend another invitation because we have
You're just a plethora of information and knowledge and insight.
And I am so grateful to know you and beyond
(27:34):
this journey. Thank you, thank you, thank you at my pleasure.
You know, I'm a delf you anytime. You know that
I appreciate of lamon. And we're gonna get ready now
to go into class and session. But I just want
everybody to put their hands together and stand up at
shout and screen for Laman Rutger. And next we have
(27:57):
class in session on the Spear Din Actor Podcast with
me Tracy Moore. Hi, and welcome to the Spirited Actor
Podcast with me Tracy Moore. And now we are at
my favorite segment, Class in session, and I have Spirited
Actor alumni Jolisa Capri and lean A Motto. So we
(28:20):
still have Laman Ruger here. We are so blessed to
have him here with us, and we're gonna do what
we do. We're gonna read the scene. I'm gonna read
the slug line and the action. You guys are gonna
read the dialogue. But you know we're breathing life into
this is a performance. And then Lamon is gonna give
you guys some insight. All right, you guys ready, Okay,
(28:41):
here we go. Interior funeral home night. Cassie sits heavy
but still with tissue in hand, in an almost vacant
room with her father's body in front of her in
a casket. Her lifelong friend Veronica enters the room and
caes are sitting there alone. She hesitates, but forces her
(29:04):
way towards Cassie. You cass Cassie looks up at her.
Her face goes blank. I am so sorry. I would
have been your sooner, but I I just found out.
(29:24):
Cassie just nods her head. She listens. Veronica takes a
seat next to her. You don't need food, please I
need to. There's an awkward, eerie silence. You didn't know sooner,
(29:45):
you just picked up the phone to check on me,
just wants You're right. I feel terrible and I feel
so guilty. I'll come on, please be don't let this
one be a you okay. Veronica sinks lower in her
seat silence. You have no idea what I've been through,
(30:11):
and they don't happen so fast. I mean, I didn't
even have a moment to think or even realize that
I was alone. I am exhausted and what I finally yeah,
but let him go, the one person I really needed
to just be there. I was too busy to even
(30:31):
know what was going on. Veronica has nothing to say.
M hm, my mom's died. You out of town working
and I was understanding that, but this She didn't even
realize that it had been days since I didn't even
hear from you. I did cast I'm sorry. My head
(30:55):
was just like still wrapped up in a bad thing
that I didn't even realize what was going on. No excuse,
Cassie looks at her. He left again. We're good. Cassie
puts her hand on the Ronica spigh for comfort. Sorrvy, Okay,
(31:22):
I don't know how bad you wanted to make that work.
It's okay. Veronica shifts her eyes ahead. Your dad was
my dad. God, I'm so sorry. It's okay. He would
(31:44):
tell me to be easily on you a smirk. I'm
really gonna need you now. I'm not going anywhere. Cornica
wraps her I'm around Casey and holds her seen nice ladies, Okay,
(32:07):
I'm gonna throw it to you on a good job
first of all. Um m hmmm. So I'll probably have
more questions than answers um, because again I even think
in order for me to really give you, to give
you anything, is more information than I need. But again,
(32:30):
sometimes the questions are just that there's their questions are
not even necessarily for me to answer, therefore right for
you to discover um or to explore what what the
answers might be. So one of the things that that
that kept coming up to me was, um, how did
how did he die? Um? You know uh, And that
(32:53):
might not seem like it's important, but I actually think,
I actually think it is so um. And sometimes that's
the information that I think actor sometimes consider because they're like, oh,
that has nothing to do with the seen he did
and all that matters that he did. I think the real,
the nuance of it, the depth of it is how
(33:17):
he died, why he died, It was he sick? How
long was he said? Um? You know all of that,
because I think that that gives whatever this pain is
that it makes it more um, hon, it makes it,
It gives it the truth if it's more specific. So
(33:41):
there's a different kind of pain somebody shot themselves in
the head, um, or someone got in a car accident,
as opposed to you know, he'd been sick. I was
right there by his side, I was holding his hand
when he went. He told me of me, we resolved
our issues. It's all well, it's all good. Still hurt
(34:05):
that he's gone or to have have to let him go.
But the terms, the dynamics of it kind of I
think make a difference. They're gonna they they'll texture so
many different things that is not doing that. The actor
is just fealing with the actual state of of of
(34:27):
of of of pain, of recollection, like how much love
is there when we're at when we're at people's homegoing,
we're thinking of fun times and and happy memories just
as much as we're thinking about the fact that they're gone.
Because sometimes the pain that we're feeling is kind of
like the selfish thing. Sometimes, the thing where you're really
(34:48):
celebrating somebody. It's just like, you know, let's about how
wonderful this person was, and how wonderful they were to
all of them smirk something he said up out a
smirk forard a chuckle and there. But what was that moment?
What was that line? Um it was Cassie says, it's okay. Well,
(35:12):
Veronica says that your dad was my dad got him
so sorry. Cassie says, it's okay. He would tell me
to be easy on you. They smirk, okay, right right.
So it's like so that So that's that's wonderful, that
that dynamic and that kind of moment is in there.
I think there are other moments where it can be
(35:35):
it can it can be a little lighter. I think
sometimes we tell the end of the scene at the
very beginning. UM. That that the habit of a lot
of actors. Let the let the scene grow, let it
um if it's already gonna start here, you don't want
it to end all the way down here. You can
have happy, can have um a little like, what's the
(35:58):
difference between disappointment, annoyance, irritation, impatient? That's different than anger
and resentment? So do you are you really angry at her? Are?
Or deep down are you do you really desire that
she was there with you? Now? The way people deal
(36:19):
with design they're in love is sometimes in anger and resentment.
But like, think about how you all can be a
little bit more um a little give yourself a little
bit more freedom and a little bit more breat with
the choices that you consider on how you can process
(36:39):
some of these emotions. Because I think that the very easy,
and I even say sometimes lazy thing to do or
the shortcut, is my feelings to hurt. So I'm mad,
I mean kinds of mad like and all you need
is really mad most of the time, you're not really
mad if you could actually speak and love, which you
(36:59):
finally us a little bit it what it's like, I
need you here, I needed you here. This is like
such an incredibly you know, hard moment. I need you,
I need you, I love you, I want to with me.
That sometimes is what people can but that's what we
need to hear. So even though she might be bitching
(37:21):
at her, what we really need to hear is I
love you, I missed you, I wish you were here.
I need I need your comfort, I need your love,
I need your support. That to me is kind of
a little bit more of sometimes what we need to hear.
Although what somebody is saying is something else, Veronica saying
where is Veronica? Where are you coming from? Um? Eventually
(37:43):
we hear about this heat, but where are you coming from?
I I got a little bit of it that you
were anticipate hitting that you might get some pushback me
because you're late. Um. But one of my other questions
was this something you have a habit of doing, not
showing up or being late um at moments of need
(38:08):
and why Sometimes the habit with some characters is with crisis.
Some people like withdrawal. They don't know with very well.
They want to be there, but they don't know, they
don't deal with it very well themselves. So why why
is she late? Where is she coming from? Um? It's
not just sary, I wasn't here, But like, is it raining?
(38:31):
If so, what are you wearing? Is it cold? Are
you wet? Where you speeding? Are you a little sweaty? Um?
Did you just have the conversation with whoever is that
just left? Has he been blowing you up? Who broke
up with? Who did he leave? Or did you kick
him out? Um? All of those things matter as well, Veronica.
(38:52):
So before you all even get past the first couple
of lines, or before anybody even says anything, there's so
much depth to your relationships and so much depth to
your history together, so many feelings about this person laying
there in the casket that you both share, but you
both have other stuff that you're coming into the moment
(39:13):
with that's gonna give the entire scene and just shape
who these people are in a very different way than
if you didn't have or didn't consider those things. So
whatever sense of urgency, Like if the camera were to
pick you up outside, Veronica, Like, what would that shot
look like? Right? What would that look like to see
(39:34):
you if you're running up the stairs? Would you have
an umbrella, you know, Like I said, is it hot outside?
Would you take a moment to kind of try to
get yourself together before you walked in the door. Would
you did you see her person like, oh my god?
Or did you see the body first? Are there people
and somebody leaves you gotta you have to literally have
(39:54):
been alive in all of those moments prior to to
um when you when we see you all see each
other and begin to talk, that makes sense, m So
think about a lot of that. So I believe before
anything's even said, what we will see sometimes when actors
(40:16):
have done that work, and soon as these people see
each other, we will see like we will see that,
We'll see those fireworks, we'll see that electricity, we'll see
that love. And then what happens after that may either
surprise us or confirm that, but give it the intensive
I think comes from that information more so than it
(40:39):
comes from how mad you are or how hurt you
are you know, or how embarrassed you are for being late,
or how ashamed you are for not having been there
for this woman that you that you love so much,
like like a sister. Okay, So there's all kinds of
ways to get. I don't think. I'm not sure relative
to time how much we have the entire scene and
(41:00):
talk about all all kind of different moments and all
these other different notes. But I believe that kind of
um uh, character kind of interrogation, if you will, that
kind of exploration will answer all kinds of other other questions.
Give this scene somewhere to go. Really believe, even your relationship,
(41:22):
um have be clear what you really want from each other,
um what you want from what the character wants from
from the moment. So even though it's it's it's Kathy's dead,
sun O Veronica, are you going there for her consolations?
Are you going there to be with her just as
much as you may be going there to be with her?
(41:43):
You know all of that? You know again, So it's
like it's it's the other it's all this other background
where all this other I hate the per say, but
it's all the other stuff that's going to color and
texture all of the moments in the scene. When all
of those other things are are clearer for you, you're
(42:04):
decisive about them, and you're forming this individual. The stuff
that you talk about how you say it, you know,
the like I said, the nuances and the it'll all
be in the details, but it will come from creating
the truth and all these other moments that we don't
that we don't see so excellent. I'm gonna challenge these
(42:30):
actresses to take all of that information and digested and
then we're going to film it. We're gonna be able
to do it on zoom, and I'm going to forward
it to Hope so she can get it to Laman
and he can see in destments that you guys made,
because that was a lot like I don't want to
just you know, and just do a lot of That's
(42:51):
the thing with all of this, right, especially because we're
right just limited time and just in this moment with
each other. I mean again, I'm sure again with Tracy,
you all would have this conversation over and over again.
You have some repetition, you have some time to be
in more conversation and dialogue together with it. So I'm
just trying to give this really short, like you know,
(43:12):
excessive data, right, And I know it's a lot to
think about, but at the same time, that's how much
there is to think about. I believe that's my approach
to the work very much. And what I've learned and
what I feel like I've gotten from other people. And
I see the work and when I see other stories
being told, the stories and the characters and the people
(43:33):
that really resonate with me are the ones that that
you know, where there's it's I'm telling you, it's it's
it's it's it's in the it's in the other stuff.
It's in the flake. You know. It's the stuff that
you that you don't say. It's the the stuff that
(43:56):
nobody sees, the work that nobody's on the witness that's
manifest um. And you can't see it, you won't know it.
It's not for you to know. If you to see,
you just gotta be it. If you're actually if you
actually just make the commitments to just be there, it's
going to happen. It's going to work, it's going to
exist because because of exists. And unless you're telling the truth,
(44:21):
it's gonna be bullshit. Uh you know, right. So, if
it's not really there for you, um, we probably won't
see it or feel it either, But don't try to
show it to us. Actually believe it exist in it? Um.
You know. So if you two, like if you all
were actually doing this together in a class or something
(44:44):
like that. I tell you all the ship works with
each other outside of outside of class, just to have
a little bit more rightly, make that close friends, go
away back, tell childhood stories you know, um, talk about okay,
exactly when did you meet? Like how did you two?
How did your two characters meet? How did m Kathy
(45:04):
and Veronica meet? Second grade? Second grade? But I think
the least was Americans don't know that. Yeah, I need
to make a decision on the I mean I did
make a decision on the thoughts as far as how
my father died and things I need and I thought
about like no use of them so long, but I
did not take it as far back as like where
(45:25):
do we mean? How do we mean? So? Yeah, so
the things that I think are good when it comes
to relationships, and that would be the homework assignment. Really really,
I think there's a negotiation and conversation that needs to
happen between actors. That's just like, hey, let's get on
the same page with what this story is because it's
a shared one, you know, and if you've been together
(45:46):
that long, then you probably both remember the first time
something you know, um, when you probably remember how when
both you had your period. Let's just keep it really growing, right,
you would, Yeah, and you may have dealt with differently.
Maybe your family dealt with you or dealt with that
issue differently, you know, um, because family might have had
(46:09):
a a pie signetta or something for her, you know.
And and but you know, but your mom might have
treated you a little funny de Lisa. But your dad
took you to dinner for the first time, dinner, not much,
not the Sunday brunch heat right, Hea, there's something might
(46:31):
be there's like it's like so stuff like that. So again,
then that goes to and means to you and something
that you have both shared that's very significant even to
being over woman. And that's how far back you go, right,
So all this other stuff that goes into like this,
this real intimacy with you know, with your characters personally
(46:54):
and then with one another. Well that victory and that's
what no. I was just gonna say, I apologize, Lamon,
I'm going to definitely get that's gonna be their challenge.
They're going to memorize and put those We're gonna shoot
the scene, send it to Hope and get it to
you and I'm just so grateful. You gave them so much,
(47:15):
so much, and you should be able to bring a stellar,
dynamic performance. My expectations are high. So Um, once again,
I just class in session is now not in session,
and I just want to get ladies. Let's just give
a big round applause to lamon Rocket. Thank you so much,
(47:35):
to thank you, thank you, thank you, Hope, thanks for
being all here and supporting us as well. Um, and
now it's time for give love. I know your value.
I was doing a job with one of my clients
and I was doubt in l A working on a
(47:56):
television show, and I decided that I didn't want to
do the TV show. I didn't like the script, I
didn't like the direction it was taking my client's career,
and I decided that that was going to be my
last job with my client. And when I approached my
(48:16):
client about it, they said, well, do you want more money?
And I said no, it has nothing to do with money.
I don't want to do it. And they said, okay,
well we're gonna give you an additional etcetera. And I
was like, that's cute, but I don't want to do
it authentically, don't want to do this project. So they
thought that I was I had this negotiation you know,
(48:39):
UM situation going on, and that I was trying to
put them in a position where they had to keep
offering me money. But the truth was I didn't want
to do the job. The moral of the story is
I didn't do the job, and regardless of how much
money they offered me, I know my value, and the
value for me at that time was more about pursuing
(49:03):
what I wanted to do as opposed to doing what
they wanted me to do, which was moved to a
totally different location relocate my family. You have to know
your value, actors. You have to know what it is
that you want, what it is that you will settle for,
what it is that you won't settle for, and you
(49:24):
have to stand by that UM. I spoke to the
producer several years later and he was like, oh, I
so respected you, you know, holding down the negotiation, and
I was like, once again, it wasn't a negotiation tactic.
I didn't want to do the job. Know your value
and actually have a conversation with yourself so that you
(49:47):
know your value and you won't low ball yourself and
you won't devalue yourself. That's important. 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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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.