The Spirited Actor - Tracy "Twinkie" Byrd

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Episode Transcript

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 transitioned to
a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Domez.
I auditioned every rapper from Biggie Smalls 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 Yee 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. And now it's time for

(01:06):
meditation of the day. I realize that I don't have
to be perfect. All I have to do is show
up and enjoy the messy, imperfection and beautiful journey of
my life. Kerrie Washington. Let me tell you something about life.
As you evolve and you get I say wiser, some

(01:26):
people say older. But as you evolve in this world,
you learn a lot of things. And one of the
things you learn is that nobody cares. At the end
of the day, nobody cares. Everybody has their own life
to live their own business that they mind, and so
should you. Life is not perfect and we should not

(01:51):
be striving for perfection. We should be striving to be
the best that we can be. And if that's enough
for us, then that's enough. We don't need to live
up to anybody else's standards, anybody's expectations of us. We
live for the expectations of ourselves. We celebrate ourselves every day,

(02:14):
whether it's with the Starbucks mocha or it's just sitting
on a park bench admiring the trees and the grass
and the beautiful flowers around you. Celebrate your life, Celebrate
your successes, Celebrate your failures because your failures continue to
motivate you into success. The most important thing is to

(02:39):
understand there's no pressure to be, do or have anything
in this world. Just be the best that you can be.
Before we get started, I'd like to remind everyone to
look out for my new show, Inside the black Box.
I'll be co hosting with the great Joe Morton. We'll

(03:00):
be on Crackle Network real soon. I'll keep you posted.
Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore.
I just need a second, because you've got to breathe
in people that you love. You got to breathe them in, Okay,
because they are the energy source, they are the motivation inspiration. Still,

(03:24):
I say this, when you meet people in this industry
that create an energy within you that you want to
be better, that you want to be of service, that
you love what you do. You don't go to work,
you go to fun. When you surround yourself around people

(03:45):
like that and energy, keep those people close. And I
have to say, I was saying the other day to
a producer, how Twinkie so boldly boldly walked into my
office and was like, like, I want to be your assistant.
And I didn't ask her for a resume reference. I

(04:05):
was like, okay because of the way she walked in,
So I was like I had to know her. Ladies
and gentlemen, when I tell you I love this woman
and her family. I've been in her life for so long,
She's been a by for so long. She is Oh

(04:25):
my god as a casting director, one of the most phenomenal,
legendary casting directors that exist in this casting in this
entertainment business, producer, director, award winning director of a piece
called The Counter. If you have not seen it, we'll
ask her where we can see it. And she is

(04:47):
a writer, author of plethora of books, and that's why
I wanted her on here today to talk about her
current book, Let's Link. But we're going to cover all
of it. I need you to surround my sister Fred
with love, light and hugs. Ladies and gentlemen, please put
your hands together for Tracy Twinkie birds.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. It sprinkled,
Come on, sprinkle sprinkle me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I was sitting here and listening to you, and I
was like, she must be talking about herself, because that's
how I feel the presence, that's how I feel. I'm like,

(05:28):
she's talking about herself because you make me better, you.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
Make me want to be better.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
You were the person that said, yes, come when I
was scared to death on that phone and my knees
were knocking, and I saw that that article that in
the in the newspaper, and I was like, I'm gonna
call this number and see what she needs help.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
And that's how she showed up. That's that's how she
showed up. And that's why she was laughing. Y'all can't
see it, but that's why she was laughing because she
didn't show up like that. The confidence and looted from
this woman, I say, I have to have her come on.
And your career is an example of that. So Twinkie

(06:13):
Bird tell us where, well we know New Jersey.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
We don't where it all began with you. It all
began with you.

Speaker 1 (06:24):
That's where it all begans, we could tell. So after
New Jersey Drive, Yes.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
After New Jersey Drive and just another Girl on the Irt, Yes,
after that, I started casting music videos. And that was
in the what early that was in the nineties nineties.
Oh gosh, there were people on this call that probably
weren't even born then, but yes, that was. That was

(06:51):
in the nineties, and that was my film school. That
was a lot of a lot of film schools for
a lot of people. A lot of us got our
walkie talkie talk We got our set experience, We received
our prep experience, we received all of the experiences, the

(07:12):
post experience. I received all of those experiences through those
amazing days of when music videos were short films to
music and all of those filmmakers, all of us came
together black brown and created that we would either recreate

(07:33):
a film in music video form or we created a
short film in music video form. We loved on each
other in that way. You got the slow mo of
the chocolate brother from the lips on up to his
hairline and our brows, and you got the slow mo

(07:53):
of the chocolate sisters walking because we didn't have that.
We didn't have slow motion of black and brown people
melanated in slow motion just moving towards and skin just
shining and gleaming, and shade butter and cocoa butter just
you could smell it through the TV. And so we
loved up on each other in music video in that way.

(08:17):
And then we were on set with each other to
learn how to work with each other, how to separate,
how to co create and to create with each other
East Coast, West Coast, West Coast directors coming to the
East coast, East Coast directors going to the West coast.
The travel that was happening, the shots that were stolen
by Hollywood, like you know, I am, the shots that

(08:41):
were stolen. Some say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
But you could find some money flattery with some deals
and reiduals and residual yes, so flatter us that way.
Stop stealing the shots. But that's what was happening during
that time. That's where I came up. I came up
through I was an advertising that was my day job,

(09:02):
and at night and on the weekends advertising and Essence magazine. Yes,
and at night and on the weekends I was doing
those music videos and independent films with you and getting
all of that amazing, amazing backstory for my career and
my life experience.

Speaker 1 (09:22):
And then she left us, you guys, because Twinky is
Brooklyn do a die and she she is, So she
ventured out on the West Coast. We're not mad, you know,
we supported her. But when she hit the West Coast,
I don't think they knew and were ready and what

(09:43):
had happened then twiky.

Speaker 2 (09:44):
Had it happen. They were not ready for me, nor
did they care about me. They didn't care anything about
what I did, what my background was nothing. And I
was like booklyn Stall baby, like I was in it.
Like I was like, I'm here, I'm here, La, hello me.

Speaker 1 (10:01):
And all my natural haird my twists and the whole thing.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
I'm here.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
And they were like.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
Are you what do you want?

Speaker 1 (10:10):
Why are you here? Like those music videos, what are those?

Speaker 2 (10:14):
That's nothing? So, you know, going back to my brother's apartment,
a dejected, rejected, just depressed, down, frustrated, bitter a little bit,
and I'm gonna lie bitter sleeping on his couch. He
had a Hollywood apartment on Yuka. I'll never forget it.
And I told him what happened, and he was like,

(10:37):
create the evidence. Like if they need a reel, create
a reel. Where's your credit list?

Speaker 1 (10:43):
Make that up.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
People here don't know you, so you have to present
in the way that you want them to know you
and to see you. So I went and got a
reel put together of all the music videos that I cast.
I created a credit list, and I interviewed and got
the job working on Moesha season four, which was amazing.

(11:06):
Wasn't there for long six months, you know, because I'm
the queen of getting fired. Y'all don't even understand how
could get fired from a job. It became commonplace at
that point because his personality is so big and you
just can't. Yeah, but I worked for a casting director
and a black production that is Moesha. I was on

(11:29):
the Sunset Gower lot. And let me just tell you,
back in the nineties, the Sunset Gower lot was like
going to HBCU. It was like a black college campus
because it was Moesha. It was in the house right
Wayn's Brothers all right lot, so I mean black folks

(11:55):
where it.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
Was so beautiful.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
And then of course once a week would have whatever
we wanted for lunch.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
So Waya's brothers was.

Speaker 2 (12:03):
Always hiring woodies and that's a barbecue spot. And they
would show up and bring those big like burner thingies,
like just the big cookers, and the smoke was everywhere
and we could all smell it. We could all smell
on the lot, and we were like somebody's having somebody's
having woodies. We were just you know, because it was

(12:26):
the barbecue spot. And then you figure out, Okay, who
do you know at that who do you know on
that show that you will play? So but casting that
show was amazing because I got to cast Big pun on.

Speaker 1 (12:40):
Ball on Moesha.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
I have a picture with a Big Pun and I
in a golf cart because that's how he got around.
That's how he got around the set in a golf cart.
And I helped facilitate. Me and my assistant we facilitated
getting him on the show in that short period of time.
And yeah, it is amazing. That was my first.

Speaker 1 (13:02):
Now were we was Evel we Eve wasn't on the
set then, right, or all of us our show wasn't
there because no I was there. So we came after
you guys because it still was when I was over there.
It's still was that HBCU. And this is the deal
which I love, right, is that when you think about

(13:23):
the writers on your show, on the wig Ins and
all of them they were like probably interns assistance. Now
chet Kenya Bears, you know he was on one of
those shows. And now I'm.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
Sure I'm sure Maara Mara Brockett. Tara wasn't a Keel then,
but she was a supervising producer. She was a writer
on Malisha when I got there season four, she was
supervising uh supervising writer or something to that effect. So
it was a book from a writer. So when was
there Stan Lathan and Uh and Kirk Notut, Kurt Farquar,

(14:01):
Ralph Farquhar.

Speaker 1 (14:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (14:02):
So, and then I was there when they created The Parkers,
using Masha's last episode to introduce so they would use
the last episode of a show that they were on
to introduce the next the next series that they were pitching,
Get Addie Here is Smart. It was very fun, very

(14:23):
like a backdoor pilot in the same we had to
be we had to be innovative because remember there was
a lot of crossing over to Martin and all these different.

Speaker 1 (14:32):
Shows, which was really great. I also want to say that,
you know, in terms of Tweaky making that reference to
being fired, I don't know of those experience because that
was not in my experience with her. However, I do
know am speaking to a producer years ago and Twinky
was either getting ready to go on the project because

(14:54):
you didn't get fired on that but one of the
producers was like, she is profitive. She I said, Tweaky,
let her be. She's very opinionated. She knows what she
wants and what's best for the project. And I have
to say mad respect for that, because a lot of

(15:14):
times that's what a casting director does. I always say,
we highly recommend, we strongly suggest, and we beg and
we plead. And then the directors there they're crackheads right
because they're like, I should have I should have hired
barb lords when you when you go right.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
And they still are friends, yes, exactly. They still do
that to this day. They're like, oh, I should have
I should have could have world it. I'm like, yeah,
I tried to tell you, but you weren't listening. I
realize now that I was producing all those years ago.

Speaker 1 (15:50):
Yes, that's what I was going to say.

Speaker 2 (15:51):
I was producing all those years ago, and I kind
of sold myself short. And one of the things that
I feel like the mental warfare that happens with us,
with black people in particular, but black and brown people
are the Moorish Americans. There's a lot of visual warfare

(16:14):
that's happening to us. They give something a title and
then they put a white man or a white woman
above that title picture photo, and so then you think
subliminally that, oh, I couldn't possibly be doing that person's job,
so subliminally I must be an assistant to the or
an associate to the but I couldn't possibly And all
the while, talent shows and Easter shows at the churches,

(16:39):
and you were producing, You were a pastomer, design, you
were makeup, you were hair, You did all of those
things on that level at the church, at the mosque,
at the astro, anywhere you were doing at the community center.
You are producing, you are directing, you are hair, makeup,
you are catering. All of those titles belong to you,

(17:01):
belong to us, just so you know.

Speaker 1 (17:04):
And this was the other thing, Twinkie, because back in
the day, and I love when you were talking about
independent film, we were much more communal. And the thing
is is that even though our jobs and the title
with casting, we would pick up an apple box. We
would you know, if we had to do some sort
of styling on the set, we would do that as well.
So I feel like you're right. We had film school training,

(17:28):
which is encompasses everything. And that's why in they say
that casting directors, most casting directors transition into producers. But
as you transition into a director. What was that like
for you? Because this is what I think, because I

(17:49):
want to play with my friends.

Speaker 3 (17:50):
Did direct?

Speaker 1 (17:51):
Okay, But as a casting director, do you hire director
and let her do her job? Because you know you
are already know you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (18:02):
How is that transition? Yeah, it's it's you caught me.
It's challenging. I end up like, looking over the show,
You're gonna pick that one?

Speaker 2 (18:15):
You sure?

Speaker 1 (18:18):
Is that your choice? Okay?

Speaker 2 (18:21):
I like that one right there too, And I'm gonna
let you do your job though, But yeah, that's me.
I'm just like I can imagine. Yeah, that's that's kind
of me. And I know the casting directors that I hire,
they are sick of me because I'm just like where

(18:42):
I would have and I could have and when I did,
and they're like, listen, lady, are you doing this job
or am I doing this job? You go direct, I'll
be over here getting your cast together. So I do
make my lists and then I just kind of move on,
and I do realize that, you know, each one of
us have a particular way of casting a project, and

(19:05):
we bring a particular we bring a particular set of
skills to said project and passion and so not everybody's
going to do it the way that I do it,
But just as long as I get the result that
I need to exactly, that's the most important thing. So
and right now, directing and executive producing, it's my passion.

(19:25):
So yes, but I still pay attention. So now I'm
watching films and I'm looking at the shots and the
locations and the style, you know, and the tone, and
then the second time, I look at the cast. So
back then I would look at the cast first. I
look at everything else first and the cast second.

Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yes, Now in the in are you more interested in
creating and writing your own projects tapping into other outlets?
And how do you think about that?

Speaker 2 (20:01):
I currently am writing my own project, but there are
projects that I am really interested in, and I'm interested
in working on those as well.

Speaker 1 (20:13):
So it's both.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
I'm I'm interested in working on both things at once.
But I don't know if I want to continue to write.
I want to get this one project, this passion piece
out of my body, and then I want to move
on because there are so many other stories that I
want to tell. So yeah, I'm going to focus on
getting this one project out of my body, and I've

(20:36):
been taking a lot of classes online at Collab Sundance Collab,
so it's helping me a lot with my writing. Yeah,
writing correct, that's crazy.

Speaker 1 (20:46):
Yes, So as a as a director, yes, what are
some of the tips and advice that you would give
actors from that point of view?

Speaker 2 (20:57):
Oh well, okay, that's a great question. One of the
things that I noticed that actors want someone else to
be in charge of is their own continuity. And I
think actors need to know and be in charge of
their own continuity. Like if you know, when.

Speaker 1 (21:15):
You walked over to that table and picked up.

Speaker 2 (21:17):
That pen and started using it to make your point
when you were talking, or you know.

Speaker 1 (21:23):
Or whatever it is.

Speaker 2 (21:24):
If you if you walked over and picked it up,
and while you were talking, you use that and then
you don't do it again, and the next take this
it's not gonna and you start using your hand and
it's like, no, wait a minute, you had to yeah,
you know, and you need to remember that if you
went right, left, right, sit, then you have to go

(21:45):
right left right sit each take until we get to
the medium or the close up where you just sit
in or we capture you already seated so there are
some of those things that I feel like or don't
add things into your scene that are going to change
during the scene, Like if your wine glass was full

(22:06):
and by the time we get to the third or
fourth take, you got.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
No this is how bluebirds happen, you guys, or your
cigarette was you just lit it? I see Tweaky is
saying this, you guys, because she's seen it. It's happened.
That's why she's telling you guys this, and you guys
need to take heed I have. It helps.

Speaker 2 (22:33):
It just helps to keep things, you know, like there
are a lots on certain sets. Sure, there are a
lot of people keeping your script supervisor, there are a
lot of people keeping tabs on it. But when you're
on a smaller, more independent production, a lot of times
everybody's doing two or three jobs anyway. So it helps
to move us forward more quickly and efficiently if you

(22:54):
remember those things that you did and so that we
don't have to go back to the videotape or go
back to the shot. You know, the camera and did
she pick up? Did you do right hand or the
left hand? Was it you was her collar up? Was
her collar down? Or what happened In my last film,
we shot the car scenes. We were getting ready to

(23:16):
move on, and then it hit me, did.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
They have their seat belt on? Were the seat belts on?

Speaker 2 (23:25):
Did y'all did we have the seat belts on in
the shot before we move on?

Speaker 1 (23:29):
Seat belt?

Speaker 2 (23:30):
And we went and looked and sure enough they were
no seat belts.

Speaker 1 (23:35):
Wow. Wow, And you can't do that in film television.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
You cannot shoot it if there are no You're going
to get flagged flag on the plan. Yeah, they yes
they are. The network's going to be like, so, do
you have a shot with the seat belt? Is there
a shot? I need a shot with the seat belt? Like,
you can't car running shots without seat belts, right, solo.

Speaker 1 (24:03):
I've never ever heard ever twinkie that advice before about continuity.
So that and and it's probably because actors do rely
on the script supervisor to do that. Back in the day.
That's when we have polaroids, you guys, And we have
this big thick silver ring and all the parts that

(24:24):
ring with a whole, Yes we have, so we can
match stuff. But you guys, that is some of the
best advice I've ever heard, because that is so true. Yes,
I've never nobody ever talks about constituity. So I had
Bitty Boom earlier this year on the show Yes We

(24:46):
Love Bitty and another music video direct that that's what
I was gonna say. I know you work with Britty
music video director. One of the things that Benny said
is that actors are getting one maybe too maybe too definitely,
you know, So if you have, what advice would you

(25:07):
give to actors to be prepared because we no longer
come on set, go on our trailer warming up and
all that. I keep telling actors, you got to come
on Volcanic, honc. There's no warm ups anymore.

Speaker 2 (25:20):
You do and you will well.

Speaker 1 (25:22):
As a director, what would you tell them?

Speaker 2 (25:26):
Prepare, Prepare in the car, Prepare before you get there, Prepare,
have your quiet moment as you're driving in Now it's
not the time to be, you know, blasting loud music,
of course, unless you have to get amped up, like
now is the time for you too, And that should
be part of your practice anyway, is quiet moments. You know,
part of your practice should be, you know, some level

(25:47):
of meditation to center yourself so that when you get
on set you're not pulled into everybody else's chaos, because
once you get on set, it's chaotic, like everything's moving
at lightning speed and everything needs to be done yesterday.
So you have got to do You've got to I
always come to set, Okay, the call is, the crew
call is at eight, the cast call is at nine.

(26:10):
I'm there at six thirty or seven because I need
to center myself A and B. I want the first
cup of coffee. I'll just be real with it. I
need the first cup the.

Speaker 1 (26:25):
Freshly remember that, y'all, the first cup of coffee.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
But also too, I need to make my space. I
set up whatever, I set up my area where I'm
going to and I need to just like, okay, let me,
let me center, let me breathe, let me focus, let
me get prepared. And then once that happens, you've got
to be flexible and cunning. Yeah, be flexible. I know
how you practice it at home. And then here comes

(26:53):
the notes and the notes and the pink pages, the
blue pages and the yellow page. It ain't come and
it's like, okay, so we changed this into this. This
is now going to be that we're moving this shot
here and because it's raining tomorrow, we're going to bring
that shot up and you've got to be flexible, hand cunning.
And remember, yeah, we did that on a set one

(27:16):
set one time, and everyone was sitting in the church
on the night before Christmas with Kirk Franklin, Nateriy Naughton,
and Luke James. And on a Friday, we were supposed
to shoot that next Monday a scene and most people
prepare the night before for the next day's scenes so

(27:36):
they have their scenes for the next day. Well, on
that Thursday, we found out. On Friday, we found out
that Friday's scenes were being moved to Monday. Because Monday
was moved to Friday. Monday was supposed to be an
exterior and the blue screen was supposed to be used,
and we had to create snow in August in Atlanta,

(27:58):
and it was going to rain.

Speaker 1 (28:00):
You can't use a blue.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
Screen exterior and the fake snow turns basically into gum
like when water hits it, so you can't do So
everyone's sitting in the hallway that was our holding area.
The whole cast is sitting in the hallway learning their
lines for the next for the next scene that was
supposed to be on Monday, but which is now going
to be because of that, so things change on the fly,

(28:24):
but they got quiet, they got still. I instructed the
crew to be as quiet as possible. Our cast is
trying to learn their lines because we had to make
some changes, and just to work as quietly as they
possibly can so that we could and they pulled it off.
My cast beautiful.

Speaker 1 (28:44):
Of course, I'm just a two slasch of you. This
went by too fast, but I'm going to give you
all four minutes please. We're here to talk about Twinki's
new book called Let's Link. Let's talk about it, and
she has a plethora You guys need to tell them
where they can go and get her other books as well.

Speaker 2 (29:02):
Oh yeah, let's link. Oh my god, let's link. So
let me tell you the impetus of Let's Link. I
got a DM, I get dms a lot that are
just completely out of pocket. And it's usually young people.
They want what they want. They don't want to they
just want what they want. They're like, here's what I need,
here's what I want. I want you to look at

(29:23):
my pictures. I want you to tell me what's working
and are you casting anything. I want you to link
me with or introduce me to your family member, your brother,
your cousin, or whoever it is, like, I get a
lot of those, and I realized, first I did, I
did a reel about it using a Q tip and

(29:43):
I tribe. I use tribe, and I did a reel
about it that got about I think it's got about
sixteen thousand views right now now, yes, And then I decided,
I said, you know what, instead of just getting upset
about it or frustrated, why don't I get them the
tools or the information a monetize it, because you know

(30:06):
people don't respect it. If it's free, they need to
pay for it. But make it available to everyone. And
you know it's not expensive. It's seven ninety nine. It's
a fifteen page ebook with lots of visuals and positive
sayings and vibes and colors and all of that. But
I also give you examples of dues and don'ts, and

(30:28):
those were real. Those are real dudes and don'ts in
my book. Those are real, real dms or emails that
I have received. Will yes, so when you see them,
you will understand. And some people who I already know
who read it, they said, oh my gosh, I did
all of those things that you said.

Speaker 1 (30:44):
Don't do Wow, that's so good. I'm so I'm happy
for the book because you know, I've in my experience
this is the deal. Like you and I came up
at a time where there were very few people that
look like us, and we did and we boss because
Twicky was a part of bringing in choices that the

(31:04):
director did not ask for, but she believed in and
stood by. Okay. So the thing is is that when
I had an invite to a showcase last week, and
I would have gone, unfortunately the weather did stop me
because you know, arthritis is real, but anyway, that doesn't
prevent my life from going on. But it was the

(31:27):
way in which I was approached. It was, hey, Tracy,
you know like to invite you to the showcase, and
this is the information. I said, okay. So I responded
and said have you read my bio and said yeah,
I know you have a podcast. So my head spun

(31:47):
around like the Exorcist, and then I found my stillness
and peace, and I said, what I need you to
do is do your due diligence on anybody that you
asked to be a judge on your panel. That's really
import So I sent him my bio. He read my bio,
then it was miss Tracy because I said to him,
you're standing on my shoulders. I'm not standing on your shoulders.

(32:08):
And the young people need to do their due diligence
and respect the people that came and carved. Like literally,
guys when we came up. You know those machines that
break cement, break grounds, That's what we were.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
Yes, that's how we can. That's a great working through.
We were like that jack knife that.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
Yes, jack knife, Yes, So please don't make me feel
like Twinkie and I broke our backs for nothing. Oh
my gosh, that's the just himvv dot covas. That's all
I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (32:41):
That's and they hit you with the get too familiar
too quickly, and it was foundary. I'm like, I am
old enough to be your mother or grandmother. You will
address like excuse me, miss Twinkie. To you, I'm like,
what's happened here?

Speaker 1 (32:58):
What's going nobody's teaching to nobody like and and and
and That's why I feel like it's not all the time,
but most of the time. It is my job to
say that. Because I said to him after he read
my bio, I said this is a teachable moment for you,
right right, because this is gonna help because the next
time you approach the money, you're going to do your

(33:18):
due diligence. Right because somebody told me that I came
up with you know, mister Oslie Davis and miss Ruby
d those were my mentors when I landed in New York.
So you know, they showed me a whole other way.

Speaker 2 (33:33):
Oh. I first of all, if I get a written
note anymore, like at that's that's huge. A written note
or a card postcard. Oh, it's just like mana from him.
I'm just like holding on to it, like yeah, it's
so precious. Yeah, but right now, okay, I have to

(33:56):
wrap it up. And they need to network. So the
network portion, that's what whether in person or via DM
or email, they needed to learn how to network. So
I created Let's Link and it's about social media and
in person so it's helpful. It's seven ninety nine and
it's on my website, twinkybird dot com.

Speaker 1 (34:15):
All right, you guys, twinkybird dot com. Everybody is going
to go there today and purchase a book. Today is
less linkeday, So everybody got to go and get less
link okay, and I'm gonna check it with y'all too.
Now we're getting ready to go into our questions segment.
We're going to bring on Elsa Lathan. You know, Elsa.

(34:35):
Elsa is going to introduce us to our straight out
to lumni who are going to ask questions to Twinky Bird.
I'm Twinky.

Speaker 5 (34:44):
I so many gems as usual, Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (34:49):
I'm so glad.

Speaker 5 (34:51):
So today we have two actors who have questions for you.
We have mister Josan Robinson and missus Janelle hal Reagan.
You can come on.

Speaker 1 (35:03):
Hi, just hi, Janelle, Hello, and.

Speaker 5 (35:08):
We will do latest first. So Janelle, you're up first
with your question. Hello, how are you?

Speaker 1 (35:15):
Mister see you, Miss Twinkie, how are.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
You doing well? How are you?

Speaker 6 (35:20):
I am well, I'm very excited to be here. I
love Miss Tracy so much, so I'm just thankful. And
you know, I'm gonna jump right into my question.

Speaker 1 (35:29):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (35:30):
First, I do have the e book.

Speaker 1 (35:33):
I do.

Speaker 6 (35:34):
I have read the e book and I've been on
your Instagram since before COVID and I was watching them
tell them Tuesdays and I was in your comment section
like okay, so this is how you do it and
you've response to me, and I'm like, okay, great, I
do know right now we are in the middle of,
you know, the strike, and I.

Speaker 2 (35:54):
Think it's very we're in the end of the strike.

Speaker 1 (35:56):
Yeah I did.

Speaker 6 (36:00):
I just read an article about WGS. Yes, and I
do know that For me, this year has been it
has been very important to focus on being of service,
and that's something that you do talk about. And for me,
I don't just want to be of service like in
a sense of you know, well, how can I support online,
but to actually be physically present. So for me, I'm

(36:21):
really looking for, you know, that circle of just learning
and how do you do that? On social media? When
you reach out to people to be of service? What
is something or what is a good way to reach
out to somebody and say, hey, you know, whatever you need,
I'm here for you. I don't know what it is,
but I just want to help you.

Speaker 3 (36:40):
Good question.

Speaker 2 (36:42):
So, yeah, that's a good question. First of all, make
sure that that person is in your area so that
you can actually literally physically be of service. So that
would be first. Second, lurk lurk with a purpose, because
everyone's telling you all their business on social media, so
they're letting you know what they need need you just
aren't looking. You can't let You have got to be

(37:05):
in charge of your mind and your attention span. So
pay attention. That is the best currency. Ever. When you
pay attention to people and they receive that attention, they're like, oh,
you did your homework. You scrolled. That was far down
in my feed, but you scrolled. You did some work here. Okay,

(37:28):
you dug in deep. You realize that I'm having challenges
walking the dog and taking my kids to school and
returning emails and you know, or something to that effect,
and then you focus on filling that gap and naming it.
I see that you're at you having some challenges with emails.
I can do virtual or I can come and respond.

(37:51):
You can create a template for me and I can
fill it in and respond for you whatever you need.
Make sure you're c seed whatever it is that you
need me to do in that area. I can do that.
Or you could walk the dog like whatever that is,
you know what I mean. I love fresh air and sunshine.
I could give the dog a walk for you. Give
you time to take a hot shower and do some

(38:13):
deep breathing and have a cup of coffee for yourself,
you know what I mean. So if you want to
be a physical service, be a physical service. But they
already told you what they need, you just need to
find it. I like that.

Speaker 1 (38:25):
Thank you, welcome, great.

Speaker 5 (38:27):
Question, awesome, And next up we have Josahn Robinson.

Speaker 7 (38:35):
Absolutely amazing to be sitting here with you and I
on the same screen. Nobody is going to believe me
when I tell them this, so I'm waiting so I
can show them something.

Speaker 2 (38:46):
Appreciate that.

Speaker 7 (38:48):
But as I have been sitting here, and of course everyone,
as far as I know, everyone in the world should
know who you are. And I'm actually from the generation.
So as you were talking, all of the stuff that
you was saying and everything that you've been a part
of is literally my generation and you know, bringing back.

Speaker 3 (39:05):
All kinds of stuff.

Speaker 7 (39:06):
So I'm sitting here this big fan and a geek
at the same time.

Speaker 3 (39:11):
But uh, and I'm sure you probably did this question
a lot.

Speaker 7 (39:14):
But as you was, you know, talking, one word that
kept jumping into my head was accountability. Yeah, and you
know from like you said, like you mentioned the Moesias
and the food bille stations and stomped the yard every
many James and all of that.

Speaker 3 (39:28):
Different type of stuff, American skin whichever, Yeah, it was.
That was amazing.

Speaker 7 (39:35):
And then, like I said, we could go on and on,
and I really had to dig deep and I was
like mynd oke my foot in my mouth. But even
with the baby on Ready to Die, I was like,
you know, with that whole casting and everything like that
with Bad Boy, I was like, my God, like literally
my whole blue you know, everything I've been a part of,

(39:55):
She's behind all my stuff. So I say all that
to say, you know, as you are, you know, do
sing and direct thing and the whole nine, how much
and how big the importance it is for you to
be accountable for seems like telling our story and representing

(40:16):
because you were sort of mentioning it, but it seems
like your journey in the industry has all had to
do with representing, like I said, black and brown people
and being you know, a pioneer or a trailblazer for
telling our story and being accountable that we are seen
and heard and shown and showcased and all of that

(40:37):
stuff in the propert way, because like they'll say it,
you are directly behind, in my opinion, all of the
things that when we look back on our generation and
over the last you know, several decades, and our culture.
You're the data repeter over and over and over again,
like you are the person responsible.

Speaker 3 (40:56):
For our culture. So how does that feel to you?

Speaker 7 (41:01):
And and you know what is you know, what is
your sense of you know, you know, taking accountability for us?

Speaker 3 (41:07):
Honestly?

Speaker 1 (41:12):
Oh, it's true, Tiki, It's true.

Speaker 2 (41:18):
It's the most important.

Speaker 1 (41:23):
Thing to me.

Speaker 2 (41:25):
There is no just in front of black. There is
black there is our stories. There is beauty in us
and culture and sensitivity and strengths and vulnerability. It is

(41:53):
my honor to represent us in the way that I
have been able to do. And because I come from
to amazing parents, I always want to make sure that
the black man, that the head of our household, is

(42:14):
represented properly and well, and that even if there is
a challenge in our family or in our community or
with him, that it comes back around so that we
see if a black man has fallen, or another black
man picks it up, or if that black man can't

(42:36):
pick it up, then we have another. But it's so
incredibly important to me. I have a black man that's
a brother. I have a black beautiful black man in
my life that it's so important to me to make
sure that I hold up black love and black family
and black positive that black positivity or as my brother

(42:59):
Cush would say, and Moorish Moorish Americans and too. As
I'm growing in my own education, I just focus on
infusing it in everything, in every aspect and everything that
I do. Because we are my why. We just are.

(43:20):
We are my why. And like I said earlier with Tracy,
we were loving up on each other in music video
so much so that those shots, those slow modes, those
beauty shots that our brothers and sisters were getting in
those short films to music, those were our commercials of ourselves.
Like I stopped watching all of the different kinds of

(43:43):
makeup and hair and whatever stuff that was on television
in the eighties and the nineties, and I just focused
on our beauty and our togetherness and our family. And
so it is we are my why, and it's the
most important why there is to me. So thank you
for that question.

Speaker 3 (44:04):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (44:05):
That's a beautiful question. Jason, thank you, your son, thank you, Jane,
thank you, Elsa, absolutely, thank you, Twinky, Like this is
you guys, this is why I had the introduction to us.
Oh Joe, don't be delivered. All right, get back, because
we're going to come back. We're still blessed with the

(44:25):
phenomenal Tracy Twinkie Bird, casting director, producer, director, writer, author
and spiritual being a light a light. We'll be back
from the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore, and
we're going to come back with Class in Session. Welcome
back to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore,

(44:47):
and you still have the presence the blessing, be grateful.
Tracy Tweaky Bird is here with us. Now we have
two of our spirit Actor Alumna Elsa is going to
introduce them and I will read the narrative for the
film for the scene. Once the film is over, these

(45:08):
actors are going to be blessed with gems and feedback
from Twinkie Bird. And understand she is brutally artist and
that's why I love her. Okay, Elsa, who we got Yes.

Speaker 5 (45:22):
So today on Class in Session we have two Spirited
Actor alumni, mister Josan Robinson and Miss Janelle Hall Reagan.
So on action, we're ready action.

Speaker 1 (45:40):
That's not the news. Written by Dana kill exterior home
front sidewalk day Amara late thirties stands in front of
a quaint home with a picket stock with a picket fence.
A car approaches. Amera sees the purple, lifts led and waves.
The car pulls towards her and stops. Interior Gray Kia

(46:04):
Soul continuous. Joshua early twenties adjusted Mara and swipes his
phone to pick up passenger. Amara America's in the car,
buckles her seatbelt and settles in.

Speaker 3 (46:19):
Good morning, Is it my room?

Speaker 5 (46:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (46:24):
Yeah, it is, good morning, host? Way am I saying
that correctly?

Speaker 3 (46:32):
Actually, you got it perfect? To be honest. How you
doing today?

Speaker 6 (46:37):
It's going well, It's going well considering Yeah, I know right.
Mean listen, it is on every news outlet. Every time
I Google search on my phone. It's a new development.

Speaker 3 (46:51):
Yeah, exactly, trust me. Every time I get on it
seems like it's the only thing people.

Speaker 6 (46:55):
Are talking about, exactly. I mean, I don't want the
news where I turned. I also don't want to look
like the person that has no idea what's going on?

Speaker 3 (47:06):
Exactly. I did a Google source this morning. Guess what
popped up this whole? We call on beef beef, be beef? Like,
what am I supposed to do now? If I want
to get something to eat? What do I go for
a nice steak? What rest of on? I tell you
this whole food crisis statements?

Speaker 1 (47:23):
Wait wait, Mirror shifts in her seat and leans forward
a little.

Speaker 6 (47:29):
There's a recall on beef.

Speaker 3 (47:32):
Yeah, it's been a recall for like the past week.
I mean it's only the news. I mean everybody's talking
about it.

Speaker 1 (47:42):
Could you eat chicken?

Speaker 3 (47:44):
Chicken, chicken, foul fish, all of that stuff's been on.
We called for what the past month?

Speaker 6 (47:51):
What I mean, Well, we've been in a crisis for
almost a week, all because scientists have said due to
the past what three earthquakes, that there's a possible eight
point three tomorrow?

Speaker 7 (48:04):
Like, wait, tell about so you're trying to tell me
we could die for I could die tomorrow?

Speaker 1 (48:12):
Oh who are going to trembles? Probably not okay?

Speaker 6 (48:18):
But uh, do you have your earthquake water?

Speaker 3 (48:26):
I got this bottle water and I got a gallon
at home. Nobody's saying anything about earthquakeer. I was going
to go to the shop this morning.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
As Joshua and a mayor ride pass the supermarket, there
are long lines of people waiting to go inside. Customers
can be seen running to their cars with shopping carts
full of toilet paper and paper tasks. All these people
are panicking over shortages.

Speaker 3 (48:54):
Oh my god, like they're going crazy, Like what's going on?

Speaker 1 (49:00):
Well, I've been stopping them all week. Joshua stops the
car and he turns into the grocery store. He swerves
to avoid two people wrestling over a twenty four roll
pack of toilet paper. A homeless person sneaks a gallon
of water from the shopping cart of one of the
parking lot wrestlers.

Speaker 3 (49:18):
This is not my stock, what is mine?

Speaker 7 (49:23):
I don't have any earth water, toilet paper, toilet tissue,
I don't have anything. And my phone it just wain't
said chicken was good now, So I gotta.

Speaker 1 (49:32):
Go vegan and and Whole Foods is a block away?
Where are you going?

Speaker 2 (49:39):
Chix?

Speaker 1 (49:39):
Is why Uber gets one star? I'm walking just on
me big all right, Twiggy, it's on you.

Speaker 2 (49:51):
That was That was great?

Speaker 1 (49:54):
Can you hear me? Yes?

Speaker 2 (49:56):
That was I love that scene. That's adorable, And I
know I believe I know the writer. I enjoyed that scene. Okay,
So here's the thing to me that feels like, and
you tell me what you think, but it feels like
it's two people who are going through life really quickly,

(50:17):
the exchanging information.

Speaker 1 (50:19):
It's supposed to have some level of humor to it.

Speaker 2 (50:23):
As well, and it almost can feel like and for
lack of a better it can almost feel like Frasier Seinfeld, any.

Speaker 1 (50:34):
Of those types of shows.

Speaker 2 (50:35):
Right yeah, right now, it feels a little a little
bit too like you're dragging. It's dragging, and it's dragging
on your end, Janelle. I want you to I want
you both to pick it up.

Speaker 1 (50:54):
Janelle. I feel like I need to see.

Speaker 2 (50:57):
Where you're coming from and where you're going. Where are
you coming from?

Speaker 6 (51:02):
In your head, I'm coming from the house. Uh, this
is my last trip before I'm done stocking up for
the rest of the week. I am tired of everything
that's going on with the news. I just want to
get to my destination and get in the house and
go about my day.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
And so you're and where are you going to the
Whole Foods?

Speaker 1 (51:20):
Is that where you're at?

Speaker 6 (51:21):
It on a Whole Foods to just stock up on
a little tofu turkey and some new non dairy, non gmo.
She's addressing from my salads.

Speaker 2 (51:30):
Okay, So if you are a person that has all
of those things in your mind, what kind of personality
do you have? If you're looking for tofurky and non
gmo and all of those particular things. I need to
see a very particular person. I need you to choose
that type of thought process and personality.

Speaker 1 (51:51):
Who is she?

Speaker 2 (51:52):
What does she have in her house? Where is she going?

Speaker 1 (51:55):
How is she? How does she handle that type of
that type of thing? Is she a list person?

Speaker 2 (52:01):
Do you have a list? Is a list on your phone?
Are you looking at information? Are you swiping? Are you
I need to see all of those things or else?
It's just a scene where two people are talking and
that are those are the particular things that take you
over the top as far as me being interested in
that person, you made strong character choices, and I didn't
see any strong character choices. When you think about Seinfeld

(52:24):
or Frasier, each of those characters have strong character choices.
If you are Niles, you are OCD. You wipe the
seat before you sit down. You have all of those
particular things that you do and that you are before
you get in a place before you, I mean, are
you this type of person that had wipes? Are you
looking around at your environment? Does this car even look safe?

(52:46):
Like all of those things should be coming oozing out
of you? And for you, Joshua, oh, I'm sorry, Josan,
I apologize for you. Am I saying that correctly? Is it?
Joseph jo Son? For you, Joe San, thank you very
much for I want to feel like who are you?

(53:06):
Are you a dad? Are you a like?

Speaker 1 (53:09):
Who are you?

Speaker 2 (53:10):
And what are the what is the reason why you're
driving Uber? And all of those things? And then of course,
you guys, you kind of trigger each other. You got
bad news, and you've got bad news. You got you
don't know about this, well, you don't know about that. Well,
you know the water isn't goga. You know, you got
to get those that ad banter should be coming back
and forth really quickly. And the reactions to that, like

(53:32):
why don't I know about that? All of that stuff?
I feel like I need to see it and who
are you? Why are you? Why are you driving?

Speaker 3 (53:39):
Uber?

Speaker 1 (53:39):
Josan?

Speaker 3 (53:41):
I see myself as being a younger person. Who is
you know?

Speaker 7 (53:46):
More so on social media definitely with the phone always
in his hand. He's googling all the time, because he
mentioned that about two or three times in the very beginning.
It is Google Google, So that's the only way he
gets his information, which is also of the reason why
he doesn't know anything about his earthquake and everything like that.
He knows about you know, whatever is you know, coming

(54:08):
through on his phone, whatever is on the social media
black forms. He's young, and so that, you know, some
of the stuff is oblivious. At home, he's just got
water and probably got the hot dogs and some potato roads.

Speaker 3 (54:24):
Probably all he's got.

Speaker 7 (54:25):
So I don't I don't see him with a family,
because with a family, I think he probably would know
some of the more major issues and things like that
that's happening, you know, probably would be more prepared for
you know, earthquakes, and you know, he would have water
at home, you know, and like.

Speaker 2 (54:45):
That could be could be not where are you from,
just son, I'm from DC? And uh your background like family.

Speaker 3 (54:56):
Uh sick parent home, you know, middle class mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (55:01):
Okay, so single currently you have single? Okay, so let's age.
Let's let's go age appropriate. Let's go age appropriate for you. Okay, However,
age appropriate single man is basically like a twenty year
old guy, like right, like, we're still doing bachelor's steak,

(55:26):
which is cereal. We may still be doing. So you're
a little immature in that way of since you don't
have a life partner, that you only have to look
out for yourself. So there's only one of everything in
your place because there's only been you, so you only
have to look out for yourself. That's why you only

(55:47):
have one bottle of water, because it's all about me.
So let's make him single, age appropriate, selfish, and immature. Okay,
And yes you google because you've learned about Google for
maybe the young women that you date. Oo, the young
women that you date have turned you on to Google
and how to do your research, I like. And then

(56:09):
this pretty young thing gets in there and she's looking
at you like you a daddy, and you looking at
her like she's a you know, she's the next she
could be the next. And she's like, yeah, no, I'm
not that. I give you some information and yeah, you look,
you remind me of my dad kind of thing. Let's
mix it up in that way so that we can

(56:30):
add some layers to this so it doesn't just feel
like a scene. Let's make it a moment.

Speaker 1 (56:38):
Can we do that?

Speaker 2 (56:39):
What are your thoughts?

Speaker 1 (56:41):
Well, my thought is this that Janelle and Jason tape
this and we send that tape to you. Yes, that's
my thought. How about love it? How about y'all take
all the notes that Twinkie gave you because they were brilliant,
and send that tape and show her. Let's not talk
about it.

Speaker 3 (56:58):
Let's absolutely it was amazing.

Speaker 1 (57:00):
Oh okay, all right, so tweaky Twinkie. I'll give them
a couple of days. I'll get this tape and I'll
send it right to you and and their their resume
and photo will be along with that as well.

Speaker 2 (57:12):
Sounds good, Okay, make strong choices. You'll be amazing.

Speaker 7 (57:17):
Oh yay, this is great.

Speaker 1 (57:20):
Okay, Ladies and gentlemen. I hate to let her go.
I hate to leave. Oh God, So that's okay because
we go have conversations. H Ladies and gentlemen, you know,
want you to stand up and put your hands together
for the phenomenal, spectacular Jennaz loving and calm, patting director, producer, director, writer, author, extraordinary,

(57:54):
spiritual human being, all of that wrapped up. She is
the sun. Let her shine Tracy, Twinkie Burner, thank you,
thanks standing, thank you, Thank you, Twinky and everybody go

(58:15):
to twinkiebird dot com pick up that book. Let's link.
Janelle has it. You could look up Janelle. She'll tell
you about it and tell you what she says. She
got a big old smile on the face. So we
already know, all right, and I'm waiting and I got byed,
but we got to get our side by Tweaky, so
it's official. Okay, yeah, all right. So when we come

(58:37):
back on the Spirited Actor Podcast, I'm gonna give you
a Tweaky gave you. I'm gonna give you, guys, some love.
That's what I'm gonna give you. And now it's time
to give love. Don't sweat the small stuff. And guess what,
it's all small stuff. I remember when that book came
out years ago. Don't sweat the small stuff. And what
my takeaway with that, It's more about our mental health,

(59:00):
you guys. We spend a lot of time replaying, reviewing
things that take us back into that anger, take us
back into that frustration, triggers us to be even more
angry and frustrated. It's all small stuff. In the bigger picture.
At the end of the day, you do the best

(59:21):
that you can and you help people in the best
ways that you can. The message love yourself, stop picking
on yourself. And because that's where we go first, we
go to ourselves. All Right, you know I'm too sure,
I don't have enough hair, I got too much here.

(59:41):
Whatever it is, don't sweat it, be grateful, trust the journey,
trust the process, and trust yourselves. Don't forget to look
out for us. On our new show, Inside the Black Box,
my co host will be Joe the Legend Morton. It's
going to be the Spirited Actor Podcast on Steroids. We'll

(01:00:04):
be streaming on the Crackle network. I'll keep you posted.
Thank you for joining us on the Spirited Actor Podcast
with me Tracy Moore. I look forward to our next
Spirited podcast.

Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
Thank you.