Dominique Fishback from the hit show "Swarm" talks about playing "Dre", all the backlash given to Chloe Bailey about the sex scene, and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
All right, it is way up for Angela. Ye, I'm Angela. Ye.
Jasmine Brand from the Jasmine Barond is here with me
and Brooklyn's own Dominique Fishback is here. Don't do that
because we've been watching Swarm and oh lord, that's so funny.
But let's let's take it back. Because when I first
met you, it was with Antie C. Thomas and the
(00:25):
Come Up. Yes, and it was a book club we
did like a statue did her book club tour in
New York And you actually were part of that, Yes, yes,
I did. I did a reading for her main character, Bree,
was like an excerpt from the book, and they had
me rhyming on stage and that's why I met you. Yes, indeed.
And you were also in the Hate Too Gifts, so
obviously you and Anti c Thomas have a good relationship.
(00:46):
Oh yeah, she's great. I haven't seen her in a while,
but she keeps bustling out these books and she's amazing.
So I feel like everybody you work with loves you,
because then you did um, you worked with Jamie Fox, Yes,
and you did Project Power, Thank You, Thank you. Now
he's eping my one woman show exactly, So tell me
about that conversation, because I know that's been important for you.
Oh yeah, Subverted. So I wrote my one on his
(01:08):
show as my thesis, excuse me to graduate from college.
And a lot of times i paced university. I was
the only black person in my class, and in this
particular class, it was sociology. And this white boy said
if African American males in low income communities just normally,
they wouldn't be stopped by the police. Wow. Yeah, And
I was like, yeah, I was so mad, and I
(01:29):
was debating with him, and I was stumbling over my words.
And I realized that and I looked around to see
if anybody could like talk with me, and nobody could
because nobody came from where I came from. Wow. And
so I said, for an hour and twenty minutes, it's
predominantly white university. Is gonna have to sit in my
truth and the truth of people who come from areas
like mine. So I wrote Subverted and with that in mind.
And then when I was doing Project Power, Jamie heard
(01:51):
about it. He saw some things from it, and it
was like, we have to be everywhere, and I was, Okay,
what do we have to do? He was like, just
semi script and it's done. So then like a couple
of weeks later, I was like, do you need anything else?
And then I consider it done and I was like okay.
Then a whole year went by. We had to do
reshoots for UH for Project Power for a month, and
he didn't bring it up at all. And you didn't
(02:12):
bring it up. I was like, yeah, I'm yeah. I
didn't want to sweat my part. I did my part.
I have been emailing people and writing people about this
for so long that I mean, he said he was
going to do it, and then top of twenty twenty
he got his like production coming together and like I
was one of the first calls he made, and so
he wanted to do subverted. What about the suiting that
said that to you? Do you have you bumped into them?
(02:33):
Or no? No, I wouldn't even remember what he looked like.
To be honest, he liked to be honest. No, but no,
to be honest him, no, it was but it was
just I think it was an impetus for me to
do it. It wasn't about maybe he was just an energy.
It wasn't about him as a as a person. It
was just about his experiences and his lack of awareness
and he's not the only one. Yeah, so he represented.
(02:55):
Yeah he feels like I just wondered, like he if
he sees your success, just maybe he remembers maybe you won't. Yeah,
they should, I mean because honestly, and for you coming
from East New York, how did they fail as you
being like a hometown hero. Oh yeah, they're very excited. Yeah,
they're so excited. I mean, getting all of these like
tweets and videos and everybody's like Brooklyn the House and
(03:16):
they're so excited. And I read Brooklyn so hard. So
I'm just proud that they're proud. So let's talk about
your background a little, because it's not like you have
family that was in the film or television business. How
did you decide this is what you wanted to do. Yeah,
when I was like eight years old, there's a theater
company that came to my school and they were doing
musical theater and I was like, man, I gotta do that.
I auditioned for that company from the age of eight
(03:38):
to ten and I never got in. And then when
I was twelve, I wanted to audition for La Guardia,
but my um my guidance counts like I used three
O two in East New York said that I didn't
have the it factor. Oh wow, and I cried all
the way home. That's crazy like that. Did you go
back and say, mom, it's so funny. I don't know
(03:58):
if I did, okay, but I did journal about it,
and I have like I used to do table of
contents in my journals, so I have the I have
one that says leguida is the first page. Like, but no,
I don't remember if I told my mom that, but
she said, you didn't have the fact and that's just
telling that to somebody. Yeah, and then she had on
her board like some people just can't. Yeah. I don't
(04:18):
know what she was going through. I don't know why
she would had that job, but yeah, that's had a
lot of problematic things that she'd done even before that.
So yeah, is that something that you feel like because
things happened to us in our lives when we're younger,
do you feel like that actually pushed you even harder
or do you feel like at some point you wanted
to just say maybe I don't have it. Oh yeah,
when I wanted to do music as well, So that
(04:39):
was I wanted to act and sing, and I wanted
to be like Aliyah and things like that, so it
was kind of like maybe I auditioned LaGuardia anyway, and
I didn't get in. I remember journal and saying, well,
I'm just happy even if I don't get in. I'm
just happy that I was like brave enough to do it.
I didn't get in, so I just end up going
to high school in Brownsville, which obviously gave me a
whole different experience. I played basketball um through high school
(05:02):
and started acting in the theater company when I was fifteen.
Things happened how they were supposed to. Yeah, because I
think I'm the artist that I am today because of
the experience of staying in East New York and literally
staying with my hood um a little bit longer, and
journaling also for you, it's something you're passionate about. We
had a whole conversation about you starting this journal and
(05:23):
you need to do that. I am working on it
and working on it. So talk about journaling and why
you feel like that's important, why more people need to
do that. Well, honestly, it shows the power of manifestation. Really,
because I will find entries that I wrote with and say,
oh man, I want to be like Jamie Fox, or
I want to work with this person and all of
a sudden, I'm working with them or even a story
(05:46):
and okay, so I used to have a celebrity crush
when I was younger. Who was the celebrity crush? Oh
my god? Wait, let me tell your story first? And
so I phone, if you have it, I'm gonna read
this letter. Please this uh and I so I have
this um journal entry. So about like December twenty second,
twenty twenty two, I'm getting dressed and I'm like, oh shoot,
(06:09):
like I'm getting ready to go to lunch with this
person that I had a question when I was when
I was a kid from TV. So then I look
at something here. I'm like, oh, I called my friend
from back home. Was my friend when I was like ten,
And I'm like, guess who I'm going on? What she says?
Who I tell her? She goes shut she shut the
f up because I used to Yeah, I used to
write letters and put pictures of them in this book.
So the book not Holding dre is now I see
(06:31):
some similarities. Oh no, what what what's the similarity? No?
Let me let me know soccer. Clarify. No, No, let's
finish your story. Clarify on her. No, I'm not gonna
read it now because I ain't got there on crazy,
forget it, forget it, forget it, come on, that's what
That's why I was getting too okay, So pretty much
(06:52):
I say this letter, I'm not gonna tell you this now.
You definitely that I put dare this actor and I.
I know we don't know each other, but I really
like you. You are hot, rage poort, not to be conceited.
But I know that if you knew me, I'd be
perfect for you because I'm the kind of girl you like.
I have personality, a great smile, I'm smart and funny
(07:15):
at times. You never get bored. The only problem is
I'm thirteen and you're fifteen. Um, but if you listen
to my home girl, lah, age ain't nothing but a number.
So please tell me that it's And it's only two years,
and it could be worse like ten plus when I'm
twenty years twenty two, So please tell me it's not
that bad. Love niggas fan dumny. I never sent it.
(07:37):
I never sent it was in this journey journaling sport.
But the best part about this story was this. I
wrote that on December twenty second, two thousand and four,
and I went to lunch with this person on December
twenty second, eighteen years later to the day. That's amazing.
So when I think about manifestation, I think about journal
It was like, yeah, it was cool because I remember
(07:57):
that I used to talk about this guy. But but
to see it written out and to see the experience
eighteen years to the day was like crazy. Happy birthday
by the way, today your birthday, Thank you so much.
Thank You're gonna make a wish now. Please let these
people say thinking I'm crazy, because I'm gonna go, oh
my god, oh my good. But but you have played
(08:20):
a lot of roles and I feel like, just already
so much variety, and you know, Judas in The Black Messiah,
when I tell you that was like groundbreaking, you know,
for people to see you in that. I'm always like
and even like, um, there was a movie where you
were with your little sister you just yet night comes on.
I mean amazing the different roles that you've been able
to play so far. And before we get into Swan
(08:42):
because we got to talk about that in a second
year in the new Transformers movie two hundred million dollar budget.
Where did you guys film that? We filmed it in
Montreal and Canada, and we filmed it in Peru on
Manto Pecho, which we're like one of the first and
only actors to act on mantecause the secret ground. So
they had a seaman come and bless the production to
let us be able to use it, and we couldn't.
(09:04):
We couldn't drink or eat or anything on the mountain.
So you would have the hike all way up the
mountain and then if you had to do anything, you
had to go all the way back down. Oh wow,
what was that experience like for you? Mentally? It was?
It was definitely hard. I mean we were in the
we were in a jungle where like if there was
a poison frog, if you get bad, you could die
an out like it was crazy thing. Yeah, I mean
(09:24):
they cleared as much as possible, but it's still the
wild and you know, the temperatures up in the mountains
is so cold and it's like eleven thousand feet above
sea level, so that, yeah, you got to use the
oxygen mass sometimes. Did you have to train for that
because I know sometimes when people climb mountains and they
do all of that, they have to train. We did
not train for the Okay, should we have. I think
(09:45):
we should have changed for a lot. I would have
gotten a like physical training, like at least at least
five months before I did, and I didn't. And let's
be clear, you and Anthony Ramos a starring in that
Brooklyn zone? Yes? What was that? Like? Two Brooklyn people
airing any Transformers? Well, the cherry on top is that
our characters are actually from Brooklyn as well. Woe. Yeah,
(10:06):
so we get we really got to bring our own
like Brooklyn sauce to it. And it was nice because
I obviously I knew him from before and we always
talked about wanting to do a project together, like something epic,
and we couldn't have imagine that it would be this epic.
And you moved to La. So what's the Brooklyn girl
in La? How is that? Um? It's cool. I tell
(10:26):
people that I was looking for ways to soften I
think obviously being from East New York and having a
hearted exterior because of what you had to go through
or how to like you have to survive even look
within the industry as well. But going to La allow me,
at this point in my life to just soften a
little bit and kind of peel back the layers and
see who irraally am. Because I'm such a romantic. That's like,
(10:49):
you want to do a comrade? Oh yes, please, That's
why I don't want to do It's so funny. I
watched Lucille Ball growing up and said I want to
be like Lucy. That was like the first bit of acting.
I said, Man, I gotta be like Lucy. And then
I did. Uh. I did show me Harrow and the
Duce on HBO with David Simon, who wrote The Wire,
and that legitimately started my whole career in doing drama
(11:10):
and essentially, like a lot of the stuff that I
had acted and wasn't stuff that I would actually watch.
I'm watching like Vampire Diries and like, you know, like
those kind of shows. Uh. Maybe I don't know why
The Duces my show too. That's when I discover who
you were in The Deuce because I was I kind
of fell in love with your character and a lot
of the characters on there. How, what was the what
was the hardest part about playing that or was there
(11:33):
any hard parts about playing that role. Oh, you know,
it's so long ago. I like sometimes after the fact,
after he filmed something, you could just remember all like
the good things. So I'm sure there were moments that
were hard, but um, ultimately I loved I loved my cast.
I was really honored because I did show me Haro
with David and um. Then he says, I don't know
if you heard about my new show that I'm working on.
(11:53):
I was like no. He said, well, it's it's called
The Dude, It's I wrote a role with you in mine.
But it's not a role you take just to take it,
because while it's about the rise of the porn industry
in the nineteen seventies and Times Square, so if you
should read the scripts and if you don't want to
do it, it's no harm, no foul. Yeah. And that
really meant a lot to me that he would say that,
because it allowed me to say, Okay, if I don't
want to do this role, it's not going to mess
(12:14):
up my relationship with David Simon. He had the wherewithal
already to know, Hey, this is a young actresses is
a big ask. I respect her anyway, So let me
just say it like this, okay, you know, and it
was empowering. I was thoughtful. Yeah, And that's great because
and we saw this too when you just Swarm. You
initially were offered the role of Marissa and you said, no,
(12:35):
I actually would like to do this other role. So
for the courage for you to even be able to
say that, because sometimes I know, it's not an easy
business to be in and an opportunity like this comes
and you're like, okay, let's just go and it's still
a great role. By the way, Yeah, Marissa's role was
still a great role too. But what made you say that? Like, what,
how did you know this is what my goal is? Yeah?
(12:57):
I mean I go back to that girl who wrote
in the journal younger self, like when she saw actors,
she said, this is what I want to do. There
was Monster, Charlie Stron it was boys done cry, Hilary Swank.
You know, he's ledgend, a joker and just being able
to be like, if I got an opportunity to act
and be something so far from what I am, you know,
the character. I love all of my characters and they're
(13:18):
they're all different in certain ways, but they're also easy
easier for me to tap into because it's a place
why Jane generally can live, but Dre is so far removed.
So it allowed me to see what I can do
as an actor and stretch myself. So when you know
they offered me that role, I was okay, thank you,
but I knew that I didn't want to do it
(13:38):
because it does take a lot, and I knew that
I was ready one to lead a project and that
I could do it. So I had to say, I'm sorry,
I appreciate you guys offering me this, but I want
to do this one. And then got on the phone
with Donald and he was like, like, why do you
want to do that one? And I said, well, I
don't want to catch up to myself as an actor.
(13:58):
What does that mean? That means I don't want to
I don't even want to know what I'm gonna do next,
Like like, why why would I Why do why I
limit myself? And he said the reason why he thought
of me as Marissa is because of the roles that
I've played, Right, Because you're warm, you're warm, you know,
you're loving, we recognize you, we feel like your family.
So that's why I initial that's why he's That's why
(14:19):
I initially thought of you as Marissa, And now I
have to just see what the world looks like if
you were not Marissa and you would Dray. Who would
be your Marissa if you were actually dry? And then
we got Chloe Bailey, who's amazing, and she's so beautiful
inside and out and sensitive and loving and just such
a beautiful and great person. I'm so blessed that that
(14:40):
I could ask for something more and get even more
about getting a friendship. Did you ask? Did you suggest her?
Or they've already already? He kind of they came up
with that themselves at the Eye had said I wanted
to do Dray. There's a lot of special guests and
the Billie Eilish this is her first role right acting.
How is that for you with her? Because you're the
veteran when it comes to that, So how is that experience?
(15:01):
I was so proud of her because she was very um,
She didn't have any air about her. She was very
like wanting to learn about what was going on. She
respected the craft. She had to honestly learn things really fast,
and she picked it up so fast. And I had
been working, had done what four episodes already because we
shot wanted them out of order, and and it's a
(15:22):
lot of work. It's like seventeen hour days sometimes I'm
doing all of this week after week, and so you
want somebody who comes and can bring it too. I'm
thankful when I get seen partners that because I'm gonna
do what I gotta do, like and to be to
be like able to play off of another actor, and
for her to deliver the way she did, I just
I love the scene and she's such a nice and
(15:43):
warm person, so I just feel I felt blessed. How
do you prepare for a role like Dre, Yeah, to
prepare for that. So after I asked for the role,
he said, well, if that's the role you want, that's
the role you get. Yes, yeah, okay, So I didn't
have to bring it. Yeah. I didn't have the audition
for it or fight for it any of those things.
And I've been used to, like generally in life, like
(16:04):
fighting for something, So I was like, oh shoot. But
once he said that, I was like, do I really
want to row? Like why? Like what? I don't even
know what? Like I read three episodes, there's still four
more to go, Like what does that mean, what does
that look like? What will I have to do? And
initially they told us to watch this movie called The
Piano Teacher, right, and that movie is crazy and it
really made me consider the type of actor that I
(16:26):
thought I was. Am. I brave, you know, and I
what I take the opportunity And so once it was
given to me, I had to pray about it. And
I pray and I said, God, if it's not an
alignment for what you see for my life, then please
take it away easily. Otherwise I'm gonna go full force
towards it, right, And then I had to journal and
identify anything that gave me pause, made me afraid, and
(16:47):
see if it was actually something that really was in
me that I was afraid, like like not afraid of
it and said something inside of me, but like, if
it's something that really doesn't sit well with my spirit,
then I have to address it. But if it's for
fear of perception or jokes or whatever it's gonna be,
then I'm not doing a serve. IM doing a disservice
to myself and to the opportunity and the gift that
(17:10):
God gave me to be here and say okay and
you know, I have all of these people messaging saying,
we've never seen a character like this never. H's my
favorite genre. So when I first saw that you were
doing this, I was really excited and I was like
the day it came out, I was like going home tonight,
yes to start watching Swarm and you killed it in
that role. And I saw they had to have people
on set also, Yeah, I asked for that, ask for
(17:32):
a therapist because when we did judic in the Black Messiah,
it actually the day we shot the assassination scene was
a day was like the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination
the Timan Friend. So energetically it was very heavy, and
I remember that night before I had we had to
do scene, I felt so anxious and I just I
was like, I felt something bad was going to happen.
(17:53):
So I did wrong and nothing bad is going to
happen to Daniel, Like I had to keep telling myself.
I realized that my body couldn't diff fanci between what
I made my mind believe and if that happened by
being love, then what cous we happened? Were doing something
like that's heavy, so I said, And then when we
did that scene. We were all like, man, we should
have had a therapist on the set. So once I
(18:14):
knew I was doing SWARM, I was like, well, we
need a therapist on set, not just for me, but
for the other actors and the crew members, because we
don't know how people are going to be triggered. Did
you have sessions afterwards or in between with the therapists
on set or you just it was just someone that
know that you digitally they were there. Oh yeah, we talked.
Sometimes you would come into my trailer and talk to me.
Sometimes I wouldn't talk about anything. We just have lunch
and talk about other stuff. But I had my therapist
(18:36):
too that I talked to. And trying to make time
and contracts for actors to have their therapy session because
we all know that the schedule for shooting is not consistent,
So how do you make room for your mental health
while you're shooting, Because at the end of the day,
everybody's gonna move on. The director's gonna go direct something else,
the crew is going to go do something else, but
(18:57):
the actor is going to be left with whatever they
took with them from a character, right, And so we
have to start making time and space for actors to
be human and get taken care of why so so yeah, so, um,
what about people's reactions to you? Since then? I can
just imagine people sending you messages and looking at you
(19:18):
for real like you are this person. Well again, I
see messages where people are like, oh, you know, she
did her thing because I don't want to I don't
want to meet domin the street or like I want
to know what Dom is like um in real life,
and I mean that's cool. Right? Do you think any
of this would have happened if her sister wouldn't wouldn't
have committed suicide on um? What was that? Was that
(19:39):
her sister or her friends? It's her first Well you gotta,
I don't want to get any but I mean it's
out now sometime, there's a lot of articles about it
and it's been out. But do you think any of
that because I didn't know that at first either. I
was trying to figure it out. But do you think
that would have happened still, like, or you think that's
what made herself? That's definitely, that's definitely what made her snap.
UM would have had still, I mean, there would be
(20:00):
no show if she didn't, right, she wouldn't have snap,
but I think she definitely lost her her grip on reality.
I think I think when she went to the apartment
at like the end, I think she was looking for
somebody who knew Marissa O the way she knew her
and could give her that seemed kind of familiarity, but
she couldn't find it. What kind of saving grace do
(20:21):
we have for a character like Dre because it is
trauma that she's experienced in her life to make her
act that way. So for you, when you dig into
that character, where do you find like the humanity and
her um? You know? That's that's my main objective always.
That's why I had a journal as myself, because I
had to remove any fears or judgments that I have
of the character. Because you will not do a disservice.
(20:43):
You will not do a service or character if you
do that, And that's what you learn to act in
one oh one. You have to be a clean slate
so you could be a clear vessel. So really I
didn't study anything outside of outside of Dre. I literally said,
what is the universal thing that I understand and that
the audience will understand? Love? She loves her sister, right,
(21:04):
she loves Marissas. Were you surprised that there was such
a big reaction about your character online, because I feel
like this is the first time where it's been such
a big reaction about with any of your work that
you were you surprised? Uh, I wasn't surprised, which is
why I think, which is why I had to make
room and when I first said I wanted to do
(21:26):
the role and had to journal because it's gonna be
like either you might love or hate the show, but
people are talking. Regardless of if you love or hate it,
people are talking about it. You're gonna have an opinion
about the characters. And this is my first time leading
a project, but not only leading a project, producing, not
only producing, but you know a lot of times with
series you have you have a ABC storyline, you follow
(21:48):
other characters, right, you don't follow any other characters. It's
one storyline, right. So that means I'm in almost every
frame of every single shot episode, right. So that means
that it's literally going to be my face and my life.
Was a lot of work. Yeah, it's a lot of
reward too, because people are really really enjoying it. Is
there any I was gonna say. They were also a
lot of think pieces other things that you're like, Okay,
(22:10):
y'all are like doing too much. I mean I knew, yeah,
oh manny on every little thing, like the backlash that
Chloe barely got her doing that scene. In the beginning,
I was like, I didn't even think I understood that
people would want to see that, because everybody's like that
was the first thing. Everybody wanted to see the sex scene, right, like,
that's that attorney. But I was like, why are people mad?
(22:31):
Yeah she did that. I mean, we're actors at the
end of the day, right, acting. He took a role
that was part of the role and yeah, and she's
like and also really, I mean I think for people
who was watching it with like an artistic eye or
just like a human eye, you move past that and
you see that she is a brilliant actress. Right. That
(22:52):
scene that Dre and Mercy have when she wants to
leave is one of the most heartbreaking scenes. And after that,
we were legitimately like shaking up after that scene. You know,
I don't know, we really like transferred energy while we
were doing while we were doing that scene, and it's
such beautiful work. She came in and lent herself to Marissa.
(23:14):
In order for us to even remotely care about Dre
and her mission, you have to have a Marissa that
you care about, and that's not easy to do in
one episode, right, because I imagine you wake up and
you didn't get these calls and you're devastated because you
feel like you could have prevented something right from happening.
But I also said, like, there's a sensitivity that Chloe
as a as a person has and she brings it
(23:36):
to the character in that you know a lot of times,
like when growing up, you could be in a friend
group and it might be that friend that's always kind
of picking at you and your mom, Like I don't
know if that's your friend because why you know, And
Dre is very easy for people to pick on, right,
But Marissa does not do that, and that she does
a testament to Chloe because Chloe didn't pick moments to
be annoyed with Dre and like pick at her when
(23:57):
she could have. As an actor, everything was love everybody.
I gotta now, I want to go back and look
at it again to find your point of view. Watch it.
Do you think there's um or I don't even know
if you care. Do you think there's any big misconception
about Dre the character that you see online at it?
You think, I mean people think she killed Marissa. Yeah,
I mean I don't think she killed Marissa. Yeah. I
(24:18):
don't think I did for a second think that because
I also feel like watching it the delusion and then
you're like, well, maybe that did happen, But then I
realized that's not what happened as it went on. But
I don't think that's a bad thing. Yeah, I don't
think so. I think I think people are talking about it,
which makes it cool. My friend told me, like, oh,
I was at this pregame and everybody's just talking about Swarm,
and so that's dope. People just continuously talking about the show.
(24:42):
And I think that's what the creatives wanted to, like
have people just talking. Nothing in art is perfect. Everything
is subjective. So you just have to like kind of
see what you like and see what you don't like,
and just and talk about it and then move on
or and make your own art or like, you know,
make it art. Would you'd be interested in a pre
equal or a sequel? No? No, I don't need to
(25:06):
it's unnecessary. And I saw Donald Glever getting back last
two for even creating this. What was your experience like
working with Donald Glever? I mean, he only did the pilot,
you know, so when I when I wanted to do
this role, I like I said, I wanted to do
it because I wanted to stretch myself as an actor. Um,
And they didn't come with a lot of like, oh,
(25:27):
do it like this, do it like that. It was
like show up on the set and do what I
do and then we'll move from there. So you know,
that was my my experience. Are you able to get
feedback on certain things that the character says, like I
think she would do this instead or I think she
was Oh that's all I did, Like it's very important
to me. It was, you know, there was a lot
of things, and that's why I wanted to be a
(25:47):
producer on the show. Like I didn't. I don't write
the show, I don't edit the show. You know, you
don't have control over that as an actor. But for me,
I could only approach stuff the way I approach everything,
and that's the way I approach Dre is the way
I approached deb and Tramp and uh, Judas is the
way I approached Elena and Transformers. It's the way I
approached Robbin and Tyler me Gray and Project Power like
(26:09):
I do it the same way. And it's all humanity first,
because if you don't have that as an actor for
your character, then you have nothing. Has it be? I've
responded to this because all the speculation, Yeah, I don't.
I mean, yeah, um, honestly, I've just been getting a
lot of love and support and so that's what I
you know, somebody asked me if I was fair that.
I said, well, I don't manifest that. I mean, I
(26:30):
manifest love. So I mean, and that's what I've been getting.
You know, I've been getting a lot of a lot
of love. So I'm that's that's what I experienced. Do
you have any artist that you really love? I mean
not as much as Rake, but you know, is there
an artist that you I'm to go hard for? I
don't see. I was saying, I'm like, probably the worst stand.
The first concert I ever saw was in twenty eighteen.
What was that? It was jay Z It was four
(26:51):
full four. Yeah, yeah, that was the first one I
ever saw. I don't think I you know, I could
look at TV and say, oh, man, I want to
be an actor. But I couldn't look at TV when
I was younger and said, oh, shoot, Michael Jackson might
be in New York City, right, can't take me to it.
It just didn't cross my mind that I'd be able
to see these people in real life. So I have.
Of course, I had posters on my wall Eliah and
(27:14):
I had Eminem, so I would wrap the whole third
versus stand so that's ironic. Um. I would have like
B two K and things like that, and like, yeah,
I also feel like growing up in New York, we
do run into people sometimes, Like even when I was younger,
sometimes I would go places and be like, oh, shoot,
there goes such and such. Sometimes in other places you
don't run into people like you do. You know, in
(27:34):
the I don't even know that I ran And I
didn't really run into many people. I don't know if
I was not in the right in like areas, circle cases.
Could I'd randomly be walking around Manhattan and you're like, oh,
this is your celebrities just walking down the black by himself.
I remember I did meet when I was like sixteen
years old, I met Ben Affleck. Oh yeah, because I was.
(27:55):
I was in this theater company called MCC and in
order to act, you had to write your own stuff.
So we had this rehearsal in this um this space
and it was different rehearsal rooms. So they're telling me
all like, they're like, oh, we're about to rehearsal, Like
ben Heck is in the DROOMA call, okay, who so what?
And then Blake Lively, because I was a Gossil girl
for Blake Live, we walked it. I was like and
(28:18):
I was staring at her and she's like and then
and then I was like they she went into the
room and I was like, oh my god, I was
Blake Lively and they're like who, And I'm like, Blake
lives from Gossiel Girl. So then after we go into
the rehearsal room, rehearsal happened that I can't think about
nothing else but that Blake Lively is in the other room.
And then we get out and I go like listening
by the door. I'm like, because I had this monologue
that I wrote about loving gossip girls, I was ready
(28:39):
performing for her and everything. I was ready. Um, but
I put my hair to the door, and then this guy,
like a PA opens the door and I'm like, no,
actually sorry, it's not the p A. Uh So a
guy opens the door and I look up and it's
been affleck and A. He's really talking. I'm like hi
and he's like Hi. It's like I'm gonna go back
on myself. And then a PA came and I was like,
it's Blake still. He's like, I don't care about that.
(29:02):
He's like. I was like, it's like live, We're still
in there and he's like, um, yeah, And I said
I want to do my Gossip Girl monologue for her.
He was like that's weird. Yeah, I didn't get to do.
And I sell you posted that you were taking the
train around Brooklyn like last year. This is before because
you're like, okay, after this, I don't know if I'll
be able to do this anymore. So how has that
(29:24):
been now that Swarm has come out? Judas in the
Black Messiah's Our Project Power is out, Transformers on the way.
What has the change that you've been seeing as far
as people's reactions to you. I think I think Swarm
is is the biggest one because it's been everywhere in
La It's like one has one of the biggest billboards
in LA on sunset and like oh wow, and like
(29:44):
all through the airport, it's just like there'll be rolls
and rolls of like my face. So still, um, you know,
it's funny. I've been getting like the special treatments, so
they've been taking me around the back, so I actually
haven't been able to see it, okay, but people as
send it to me. I'm really excited about that. It
was it was like, it's cool. I've been working at
it for a really long time. Man. Yeah, you deserve it, honestly,
even from the beginning when I first met you and
(30:06):
then seeing like you're acting ability. It's something very special
about you. And I hate that a teacher would even
have told you that when you may be wrong but
dead wrong, but maybe that pushed you, even your subcont
you may subconsciously have pushed you. I mean, I know
you know who knows. Yeah, you will never know because
guess what it happened, right, So congratulations, And I know
(30:28):
you're having a big birthday. Bass, It's going to be crazy. Yeah,
So happy birthday again, and thank you so much. Nice,
Thank you guys, And I know Anthony said he's going
to do a screening for Transformers in Brooklyn. That's the plan,
and tell me that. No, he's been talking about it.
He's like I told them. I told him, like we
should do like a block party or something. Okay, yeah,
(30:48):
I feel like we should be like a real Brooklyn vibes.
But let me know, Dominate Fish. Congratulations on everything. Honestly,
I'm so excited and happy for you. And by the way,
your luck's always killed when it comes to the fashion.
Thank you. I look at everything you wear all the
time and I'm like killing it. So amazing. Thank you.
And I can't wait to get these journals. When you
(31:09):
put your journals as happening, it's happening, all right. Thank
you guys. Well yea with Angela. Ye where y'all whe
All right, it is way up for Angela. Ye, I'm Angela. Ye.
Jasmine Brand from the Jasmine Barond is here with me
and Brooklyn's own Dominique Fishback is here. Don't do that
because we've been watching Swarm and oh lord, that's so funny.
But let's let's take it back. Because when I first
met you, it was with Antie C. Thomas and the
(00:25):
Come Up. Yes, and it was a book club we
did like a statue did her book club tour in
New York And you actually were part of that, Yes, yes,
I did. I did a reading for her main character, Bree,
was like an excerpt from the book, and they had
me rhyming on stage and that's why I met you. Yes, indeed.
And you were also in the Hate Too Gifts, so
obviously you and Anti c Thomas have a good relationship.
(00:46):
Oh yeah, she's great. I haven't seen her in a while,
but she keeps bustling out these books and she's amazing.
So I feel like everybody you work with loves you,
because then you did um, you worked with Jamie Fox, Yes,
and you did Project Power, Thank You, Thank you. Now
he's eping my one woman show exactly, So tell me
about that conversation, because I know that's been important for you.
Oh yeah, Subverted. So I wrote my one on his
(01:08):
show as my thesis, excuse me to graduate from college.
And a lot of times i paced university. I was
the only black person in my class, and in this
particular class, it was sociology. And this white boy said
if African American males in low income communities just normally,
they wouldn't be stopped by the police. Wow. Yeah, And
I was like, yeah, I was so mad, and I
(01:29):
was debating with him, and I was stumbling over my words.
And I realized that and I looked around to see
if anybody could like talk with me, and nobody could
because nobody came from where I came from. Wow. And
so I said, for an hour and twenty minutes, it's
predominantly white university. Is gonna have to sit in my
truth and the truth of people who come from areas
like mine. So I wrote Subverted and with that in mind.
And then when I was doing Project Power, Jamie heard
(01:51):
about it. He saw some things from it, and it
was like, we have to be everywhere, and I was, Okay,
what do we have to do? He was like, just
semi script and it's done. So then like a couple
of weeks later, I was like, do you need anything else?
And then I consider it done and I was like okay.
Then a whole year went by. We had to do
reshoots for UH for Project Power for a month, and
he didn't bring it up at all. And you didn't
(02:12):
bring it up. I was like, yeah, I'm yeah. I
didn't want to sweat my part. I did my part.
I have been emailing people and writing people about this
for so long that I mean, he said he was
going to do it, and then top of twenty twenty
he got his like production coming together and like I
was one of the first calls he made, and so
he wanted to do subverted. What about the suiting that
said that to you? Do you have you bumped into them?
(02:33):
Or no? No, I wouldn't even remember what he looked like.
To be honest, he liked to be honest. No, but no,
to be honest him, no, it was but it was
just I think it was an impetus for me to
do it. It wasn't about maybe he was just an energy.
It wasn't about him as a as a person. It
was just about his experiences and his lack of awareness
and he's not the only one. Yeah, so he represented.
(02:55):
Yeah he feels like I just wondered, like he if
he sees your success, just maybe he remembers maybe you won't. Yeah,
they should, I mean because honestly, and for you coming
from East New York, how did they fail as you
being like a hometown hero. Oh yeah, they're very excited. Yeah,
they're so excited. I mean, getting all of these like
tweets and videos and everybody's like Brooklyn the House and
(03:16):
they're so excited. And I read Brooklyn so hard. So
I'm just proud that they're proud. So let's talk about
your background a little, because it's not like you have
family that was in the film or television business. How
did you decide this is what you wanted to do. Yeah,
when I was like eight years old, there's a theater
company that came to my school and they were doing
musical theater and I was like, man, I gotta do that.
I auditioned for that company from the age of eight
(03:38):
to ten and I never got in. And then when
I was twelve, I wanted to audition for La Guardia,
but my um my guidance counts like I used three
O two in East New York said that I didn't
have the it factor. Oh wow, and I cried all
the way home. That's crazy like that. Did you go
back and say, mom, it's so funny. I don't know
(03:58):
if I did, okay, but I did journal about it,
and I have like I used to do table of
contents in my journals, so I have the I have
one that says leguida is the first page. Like, but no,
I don't remember if I told my mom that, but
she said, you didn't have the fact and that's just
telling that to somebody. Yeah, and then she had on
her board like some people just can't. Yeah. I don't
(04:18):
know what she was going through. I don't know why
she would had that job, but yeah, that's had a
lot of problematic things that she'd done even before that.
So yeah, is that something that you feel like because
things happened to us in our lives when we're younger,
do you feel like that actually pushed you even harder
or do you feel like at some point you wanted
to just say maybe I don't have it. Oh yeah,
when I wanted to do music as well, So that
(04:39):
was I wanted to act and sing, and I wanted
to be like Aliyah and things like that, so it
was kind of like maybe I auditioned LaGuardia anyway, and
I didn't get in. I remember journal and saying, well,
I'm just happy even if I don't get in. I'm
just happy that I was like brave enough to do it.
I didn't get in, so I just end up going
to high school in Brownsville, which obviously gave me a
whole different experience. I played basketball um through high school
(05:02):
and started acting in the theater company when I was fifteen.
Things happened how they were supposed to. Yeah, because I
think I'm the artist that I am today because of
the experience of staying in East New York and literally
staying with my hood um a little bit longer, and
journaling also for you, it's something you're passionate about. We
had a whole conversation about you starting this journal and
(05:23):
you need to do that. I am working on it
and working on it. So talk about journaling and why
you feel like that's important, why more people need to
do that. Well, honestly, it shows the power of manifestation. Really,
because I will find entries that I wrote with and say,
oh man, I want to be like Jamie Fox, or
I want to work with this person and all of
a sudden, I'm working with them or even a story
(05:46):
and okay, so I used to have a celebrity crush
when I was younger. Who was the celebrity crush? Oh
my god? Wait, let me tell your story first? And
so I phone, if you have it, I'm gonna read
this letter. Please this uh and I so I have
this um journal entry. So about like December twenty second,
twenty twenty two, I'm getting dressed and I'm like, oh shoot,
(06:09):
like I'm getting ready to go to lunch with this
person that I had a question when I was when
I was a kid from TV. So then I look
at something here. I'm like, oh, I called my friend
from back home. Was my friend when I was like ten,
And I'm like, guess who I'm going on? What she says?
Who I tell her? She goes shut she shut the
f up because I used to Yeah, I used to
write letters and put pictures of them in this book.
So the book not Holding dre is now I see
(06:31):
some similarities. Oh no, what what what's the similarity? No?
Let me let me know soccer. Clarify. No, No, let's
finish your story. Clarify on her. No, I'm not gonna
read it now because I ain't got there on crazy,
forget it, forget it, forget it, come on, that's what
That's why I was getting too okay, So pretty much
(06:52):
I say this letter, I'm not gonna tell you this now.
You definitely that I put dare this actor and I.
I know we don't know each other, but I really
like you. You are hot, rage poort, not to be conceited.
But I know that if you knew me, I'd be
perfect for you because I'm the kind of girl you like.
I have personality, a great smile, I'm smart and funny
(07:15):
at times. You never get bored. The only problem is
I'm thirteen and you're fifteen. Um, but if you listen
to my home girl, lah, age ain't nothing but a number.
So please tell me that it's And it's only two years,
and it could be worse like ten plus when I'm
twenty years twenty two, So please tell me it's not
that bad. Love niggas fan dumny. I never sent it.
(07:37):
I never sent it was in this journey journaling sport.
But the best part about this story was this. I
wrote that on December twenty second, two thousand and four,
and I went to lunch with this person on December
twenty second, eighteen years later to the day. That's amazing.
So when I think about manifestation, I think about journal
It was like, yeah, it was cool because I remember
(07:57):
that I used to talk about this guy. But but
to see it written out and to see the experience
eighteen years to the day was like crazy. Happy birthday
by the way, today your birthday, Thank you so much.
Thank You're gonna make a wish now. Please let these
people say thinking I'm crazy, because I'm gonna go, oh
my god, oh my good. But but you have played
(08:20):
a lot of roles and I feel like, just already
so much variety, and you know, Judas in The Black Messiah,
when I tell you that was like groundbreaking, you know,
for people to see you in that. I'm always like
and even like, um, there was a movie where you
were with your little sister you just yet night comes on.
I mean amazing the different roles that you've been able
to play so far. And before we get into Swan
(08:42):
because we got to talk about that in a second
year in the new Transformers movie two hundred million dollar budget.
Where did you guys film that? We filmed it in
Montreal and Canada, and we filmed it in Peru on
Manto Pecho, which we're like one of the first and
only actors to act on mantecause the secret ground. So
they had a seaman come and bless the production to
let us be able to use it, and we couldn't.
(09:04):
We couldn't drink or eat or anything on the mountain.
So you would have the hike all way up the
mountain and then if you had to do anything, you
had to go all the way back down. Oh wow,
what was that experience like for you? Mentally? It was?
It was definitely hard. I mean we were in the
we were in a jungle where like if there was
a poison frog, if you get bad, you could die
an out like it was crazy thing. Yeah, I mean
(09:24):
they cleared as much as possible, but it's still the
wild and you know, the temperatures up in the mountains
is so cold and it's like eleven thousand feet above
sea level, so that, yeah, you got to use the
oxygen mass sometimes. Did you have to train for that
because I know sometimes when people climb mountains and they
do all of that, they have to train. We did
not train for the Okay, should we have. I think
(09:45):
we should have changed for a lot. I would have
gotten a like physical training, like at least at least
five months before I did, and I didn't. And let's
be clear, you and Anthony Ramos a starring in that
Brooklyn zone? Yes? What was that? Like? Two Brooklyn people
airing any Transformers? Well, the cherry on top is that
our characters are actually from Brooklyn as well. Woe. Yeah,
(10:06):
so we get we really got to bring our own
like Brooklyn sauce to it. And it was nice because
I obviously I knew him from before and we always
talked about wanting to do a project together, like something epic,
and we couldn't have imagine that it would be this epic.
And you moved to La. So what's the Brooklyn girl
in La? How is that? Um? It's cool. I tell
(10:26):
people that I was looking for ways to soften I
think obviously being from East New York and having a
hearted exterior because of what you had to go through
or how to like you have to survive even look
within the industry as well. But going to La allow me,
at this point in my life to just soften a
little bit and kind of peel back the layers and
see who irraally am. Because I'm such a romantic. That's like,
(10:49):
you want to do a comrade? Oh yes, please, That's
why I don't want to do It's so funny. I
watched Lucille Ball growing up and said I want to
be like Lucy. That was like the first bit of acting.
I said, Man, I gotta be like Lucy. And then
I did. Uh. I did show me Harrow and the
Duce on HBO with David Simon, who wrote The Wire,
and that legitimately started my whole career in doing drama
(11:10):
and essentially, like a lot of the stuff that I
had acted and wasn't stuff that I would actually watch.
I'm watching like Vampire Diries and like, you know, like
those kind of shows. Uh. Maybe I don't know why
The Duces my show too. That's when I discover who
you were in The Deuce because I was I kind
of fell in love with your character and a lot
of the characters on there. How, what was the what
was the hardest part about playing that or was there
(11:33):
any hard parts about playing that role. Oh, you know,
it's so long ago. I like sometimes after the fact,
after he filmed something, you could just remember all like
the good things. So I'm sure there were moments that
were hard, but um, ultimately I loved I loved my cast.
I was really honored because I did show me Haro
with David and um. Then he says, I don't know
if you heard about my new show that I'm working on.
(11:53):
I was like no. He said, well, it's it's called
The Dude, It's I wrote a role with you in mine.
But it's not a role you take just to take it,
because while it's about the rise of the porn industry
in the nineteen seventies and Times Square, so if you
should read the scripts and if you don't want to
do it, it's no harm, no foul. Yeah. And that
really meant a lot to me that he would say that,
because it allowed me to say, Okay, if I don't
want to do this role, it's not going to mess
(12:14):
up my relationship with David Simon. He had the wherewithal
already to know, Hey, this is a young actresses is
a big ask. I respect her anyway, So let me
just say it like this, okay, you know, and it
was empowering. I was thoughtful. Yeah, And that's great because
and we saw this too when you just Swarm. You
initially were offered the role of Marissa and you said, no,
(12:35):
I actually would like to do this other role. So
for the courage for you to even be able to
say that, because sometimes I know, it's not an easy
business to be in and an opportunity like this comes
and you're like, okay, let's just go and it's still
a great role. By the way, Yeah, Marissa's role was
still a great role too. But what made you say that? Like, what,
how did you know this is what my goal is? Yeah?
(12:57):
I mean I go back to that girl who wrote
in the journal younger self, like when she saw actors,
she said, this is what I want to do. There
was Monster, Charlie Stron it was boys done cry, Hilary Swank.
You know, he's ledgend, a joker and just being able
to be like, if I got an opportunity to act
and be something so far from what I am, you know,
the character. I love all of my characters and they're
(13:18):
they're all different in certain ways, but they're also easy
easier for me to tap into because it's a place
why Jane generally can live, but Dre is so far removed.
So it allowed me to see what I can do
as an actor and stretch myself. So when you know
they offered me that role, I was okay, thank you,
but I knew that I didn't want to do it
(13:38):
because it does take a lot, and I knew that
I was ready one to lead a project and that
I could do it. So I had to say, I'm sorry,
I appreciate you guys offering me this, but I want
to do this one. And then got on the phone
with Donald and he was like, like, why do you
want to do that one? And I said, well, I
don't want to catch up to myself as an actor.
(13:58):
What does that mean? That means I don't want to
I don't even want to know what I'm gonna do next,
Like like, why why would I Why do why I
limit myself? And he said the reason why he thought
of me as Marissa is because of the roles that
I've played, Right, Because you're warm, you're warm, you know,
you're loving, we recognize you, we feel like your family.
So that's why I initial that's why he's That's why
(14:19):
I initially thought of you as Marissa, And now I
have to just see what the world looks like if
you were not Marissa and you would Dray. Who would
be your Marissa if you were actually dry? And then
we got Chloe Bailey, who's amazing, and she's so beautiful
inside and out and sensitive and loving and just such
a beautiful and great person. I'm so blessed that that
(14:40):
I could ask for something more and get even more
about getting a friendship. Did you ask? Did you suggest her?
Or they've already already? He kind of they came up
with that themselves at the Eye had said I wanted
to do Dray. There's a lot of special guests and
the Billie Eilish this is her first role right acting.
How is that for you with her? Because you're the
veteran when it comes to that, So how is that experience?
(15:01):
I was so proud of her because she was very um,
She didn't have any air about her. She was very
like wanting to learn about what was going on. She
respected the craft. She had to honestly learn things really fast,
and she picked it up so fast. And I had
been working, had done what four episodes already because we
shot wanted them out of order, and and it's a
(15:22):
lot of work. It's like seventeen hour days sometimes I'm
doing all of this week after week, and so you
want somebody who comes and can bring it too. I'm
thankful when I get seen partners that because I'm gonna
do what I gotta do, like and to be to
be like able to play off of another actor, and
for her to deliver the way she did, I just
I love the scene and she's such a nice and
(15:43):
warm person, so I just feel I felt blessed. How
do you prepare for a role like Dre, Yeah, to
prepare for that. So after I asked for the role,
he said, well, if that's the role you want, that's
the role you get. Yes, yeah, okay, So I didn't
have to bring it. Yeah. I didn't have the audition
for it or fight for it any of those things.
And I've been used to, like generally in life, like
(16:04):
fighting for something, So I was like, oh shoot. But
once he said that, I was like, do I really
want to row? Like why? Like what? I don't even
know what? Like I read three episodes, there's still four
more to go, Like what does that mean, what does
that look like? What will I have to do? And
initially they told us to watch this movie called The
Piano Teacher, right, and that movie is crazy and it
really made me consider the type of actor that I
(16:26):
thought I was. Am. I brave, you know, and I
what I take the opportunity And so once it was
given to me, I had to pray about it. And
I pray and I said, God, if it's not an
alignment for what you see for my life, then please
take it away easily. Otherwise I'm gonna go full force
towards it, right, And then I had to journal and
identify anything that gave me pause, made me afraid, and
(16:47):
see if it was actually something that really was in
me that I was afraid, like like not afraid of
it and said something inside of me, but like, if
it's something that really doesn't sit well with my spirit,
then I have to address it. But if it's for
fear of perception or jokes or whatever it's gonna be,
then I'm not doing a serve. IM doing a disservice
to myself and to the opportunity and the gift that
(17:10):
God gave me to be here and say okay and
you know, I have all of these people messaging saying,
we've never seen a character like this never. H's my
favorite genre. So when I first saw that you were
doing this, I was really excited and I was like
the day it came out, I was like going home tonight,
yes to start watching Swarm and you killed it in
that role. And I saw they had to have people
on set also, Yeah, I asked for that, ask for
(17:32):
a therapist because when we did judic in the Black Messiah,
it actually the day we shot the assassination scene was
a day was like the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination
the Timan Friend. So energetically it was very heavy, and
I remember that night before I had we had to
do scene, I felt so anxious and I just I
was like, I felt something bad was going to happen.
(17:53):
So I did wrong and nothing bad is going to
happen to Daniel, Like I had to keep telling myself.
I realized that my body couldn't diff fanci between what
I made my mind believe and if that happened by
being love, then what cous we happened? Were doing something
like that's heavy, so I said, And then when we
did that scene. We were all like, man, we should
have had a therapist on the set. So once I
(18:14):
knew I was doing SWARM, I was like, well, we
need a therapist on set, not just for me, but
for the other actors and the crew members, because we
don't know how people are going to be triggered. Did
you have sessions afterwards or in between with the therapists
on set or you just it was just someone that
know that you digitally they were there. Oh yeah, we talked.
Sometimes you would come into my trailer and talk to me.
Sometimes I wouldn't talk about anything. We just have lunch
and talk about other stuff. But I had my therapist
(18:36):
too that I talked to. And trying to make time
and contracts for actors to have their therapy session because
we all know that the schedule for shooting is not consistent,
So how do you make room for your mental health
while you're shooting, Because at the end of the day,
everybody's gonna move on. The director's gonna go direct something else,
the crew is going to go do something else, but
(18:57):
the actor is going to be left with whatever they
took with them from a character, right, And so we
have to start making time and space for actors to
be human and get taken care of why so so yeah, so, um,
what about people's reactions to you? Since then? I can
just imagine people sending you messages and looking at you
(19:18):
for real like you are this person. Well again, I
see messages where people are like, oh, you know, she
did her thing because I don't want to I don't
want to meet domin the street or like I want
to know what Dom is like um in real life,
and I mean that's cool. Right? Do you think any
of this would have happened if her sister wouldn't wouldn't
have committed suicide on um? What was that? Was that
(19:39):
her sister or her friends? It's her first Well you gotta,
I don't want to get any but I mean it's
out now sometime, there's a lot of articles about it
and it's been out. But do you think any of
that because I didn't know that at first either. I
was trying to figure it out. But do you think
that would have happened still, like, or you think that's
what made herself? That's definitely, that's definitely what made her snap.
UM would have had still, I mean, there would be
(20:00):
no show if she didn't, right, she wouldn't have snap,
but I think she definitely lost her her grip on reality.
I think I think when she went to the apartment
at like the end, I think she was looking for
somebody who knew Marissa O the way she knew her
and could give her that seemed kind of familiarity, but
she couldn't find it. What kind of saving grace do
(20:21):
we have for a character like Dre because it is
trauma that she's experienced in her life to make her
act that way. So for you, when you dig into
that character, where do you find like the humanity and
her um? You know? That's that's my main objective always.
That's why I had a journal as myself, because I
had to remove any fears or judgments that I have
of the character. Because you will not do a disservice.
(20:43):
You will not do a service or character if you
do that, And that's what you learn to act in
one oh one. You have to be a clean slate
so you could be a clear vessel. So really I
didn't study anything outside of outside of Dre. I literally said,
what is the universal thing that I understand and that
the audience will understand? Love? She loves her sister, right,
(21:04):
she loves Marissas. Were you surprised that there was such
a big reaction about your character online, because I feel
like this is the first time where it's been such
a big reaction about with any of your work that
you were you surprised? Uh, I wasn't surprised, which is
why I think, which is why I had to make
room and when I first said I wanted to do
(21:26):
the role and had to journal because it's gonna be
like either you might love or hate the show, but
people are talking. Regardless of if you love or hate it,
people are talking about it. You're gonna have an opinion
about the characters. And this is my first time leading
a project, but not only leading a project, producing, not
only producing, but you know a lot of times with
series you have you have a ABC storyline, you follow
(21:48):
other characters, right, you don't follow any other characters. It's
one storyline, right. So that means I'm in almost every
frame of every single shot episode, right. So that means
that it's literally going to be my face and my life.
Was a lot of work. Yeah, it's a lot of
reward too, because people are really really enjoying it. Is
there any I was gonna say. They were also a
lot of think pieces other things that you're like, Okay,
(22:10):
y'all are like doing too much. I mean I knew, yeah,
oh manny on every little thing, like the backlash that
Chloe barely got her doing that scene. In the beginning,
I was like, I didn't even think I understood that
people would want to see that, because everybody's like that
was the first thing. Everybody wanted to see the sex scene, right, like,
that's that attorney. But I was like, why are people mad?
(22:31):
Yeah she did that. I mean, we're actors at the
end of the day, right, acting. He took a role
that was part of the role and yeah, and she's
like and also really, I mean I think for people
who was watching it with like an artistic eye or
just like a human eye, you move past that and
you see that she is a brilliant actress. Right. That
(22:52):
scene that Dre and Mercy have when she wants to
leave is one of the most heartbreaking scenes. And after that,
we were legitimately like shaking up after that scene. You know,
I don't know, we really like transferred energy while we
were doing while we were doing that scene, and it's
such beautiful work. She came in and lent herself to Marissa.
(23:14):
In order for us to even remotely care about Dre
and her mission, you have to have a Marissa that
you care about, and that's not easy to do in
one episode, right, because I imagine you wake up and
you didn't get these calls and you're devastated because you
feel like you could have prevented something right from happening.
But I also said, like, there's a sensitivity that Chloe
as a as a person has and she brings it
(23:36):
to the character in that you know a lot of times,
like when growing up, you could be in a friend
group and it might be that friend that's always kind
of picking at you and your mom, Like I don't
know if that's your friend because why you know, And
Dre is very easy for people to pick on, right,
But Marissa does not do that, and that she does
a testament to Chloe because Chloe didn't pick moments to
be annoyed with Dre and like pick at her when
(23:57):
she could have. As an actor, everything was love everybody.
I gotta now, I want to go back and look
at it again to find your point of view. Watch it.
Do you think there's um or I don't even know
if you care. Do you think there's any big misconception
about Dre the character that you see online at it?
You think, I mean people think she killed Marissa. Yeah,
I mean I don't think she killed Marissa. Yeah. I
(24:18):
don't think I did for a second think that because
I also feel like watching it the delusion and then
you're like, well, maybe that did happen, But then I
realized that's not what happened as it went on. But
I don't think that's a bad thing. Yeah, I don't
think so. I think I think people are talking about it,
which makes it cool. My friend told me, like, oh,
I was at this pregame and everybody's just talking about Swarm,
and so that's dope. People just continuously talking about the show.
(24:42):
And I think that's what the creatives wanted to, like
have people just talking. Nothing in art is perfect. Everything
is subjective. So you just have to like kind of
see what you like and see what you don't like,
and just and talk about it and then move on
or and make your own art or like, you know,
make it art. Would you'd be interested in a pre
equal or a sequel? No? No, I don't need to
(25:06):
it's unnecessary. And I saw Donald Glever getting back last
two for even creating this. What was your experience like
working with Donald Glever? I mean, he only did the pilot,
you know, so when I when I wanted to do
this role, I like I said, I wanted to do
it because I wanted to stretch myself as an actor. Um,
And they didn't come with a lot of like, oh,
(25:27):
do it like this, do it like that. It was
like show up on the set and do what I
do and then we'll move from there. So you know,
that was my my experience. Are you able to get
feedback on certain things that the character says, like I
think she would do this instead or I think she
was Oh that's all I did, Like it's very important
to me. It was, you know, there was a lot
of things, and that's why I wanted to be a
(25:47):
producer on the show. Like I didn't. I don't write
the show, I don't edit the show. You know, you
don't have control over that as an actor. But for me,
I could only approach stuff the way I approach everything,
and that's the way I approach Dre is the way
I approached deb and Tramp and uh, Judas is the
way I approached Elena and Transformers. It's the way I
approached Robbin and Tyler me Gray and Project Power like
(26:09):
I do it the same way. And it's all humanity first,
because if you don't have that as an actor for
your character, then you have nothing. Has it be? I've
responded to this because all the speculation, Yeah, I don't.
I mean, yeah, um, honestly, I've just been getting a
lot of love and support and so that's what I
you know, somebody asked me if I was fair that.
I said, well, I don't manifest that. I mean, I
(26:30):
manifest love. So I mean, and that's what I've been getting.
You know, I've been getting a lot of a lot
of love. So I'm that's that's what I experienced. Do
you have any artist that you really love? I mean
not as much as Rake, but you know, is there
an artist that you I'm to go hard for? I
don't see. I was saying, I'm like, probably the worst stand.
The first concert I ever saw was in twenty eighteen.
What was that? It was jay Z It was four
(26:51):
full four. Yeah, yeah, that was the first one I
ever saw. I don't think I you know, I could
look at TV and say, oh, man, I want to
be an actor. But I couldn't look at TV when
I was younger and said, oh, shoot, Michael Jackson might
be in New York City, right, can't take me to it.
It just didn't cross my mind that I'd be able
to see these people in real life. So I have.
Of course, I had posters on my wall Eliah and
(27:14):
I had Eminem, so I would wrap the whole third
versus stand so that's ironic. Um. I would have like
B two K and things like that, and like, yeah,
I also feel like growing up in New York, we
do run into people sometimes, Like even when I was younger,
sometimes I would go places and be like, oh, shoot,
there goes such and such. Sometimes in other places you
don't run into people like you do. You know, in
(27:34):
the I don't even know that I ran And I
didn't really run into many people. I don't know if
I was not in the right in like areas, circle cases.
Could I'd randomly be walking around Manhattan and you're like, oh,
this is your celebrities just walking down the black by himself.
I remember I did meet when I was like sixteen
years old, I met Ben Affleck. Oh yeah, because I was.
(27:55):
I was in this theater company called MCC and in
order to act, you had to write your own stuff.
So we had this rehearsal in this um this space
and it was different rehearsal rooms. So they're telling me
all like, they're like, oh, we're about to rehearsal, Like
ben Heck is in the DROOMA call, okay, who so what?
And then Blake Lively, because I was a Gossil girl
for Blake Live, we walked it. I was like and
(28:18):
I was staring at her and she's like and then
and then I was like they she went into the
room and I was like, oh my god, I was
Blake Lively and they're like who, And I'm like, Blake
lives from Gossiel Girl. So then after we go into
the rehearsal room, rehearsal happened that I can't think about
nothing else but that Blake Lively is in the other room.
And then we get out and I go like listening
by the door. I'm like, because I had this monologue
that I wrote about loving gossip girls, I was ready
(28:39):
performing for her and everything. I was ready. Um, but
I put my hair to the door, and then this guy,
like a PA opens the door and I'm like, no,
actually sorry, it's not the p A. Uh So a
guy opens the door and I look up and it's
been affleck and A. He's really talking. I'm like hi
and he's like Hi. It's like I'm gonna go back
on myself. And then a PA came and I was like,
it's Blake still. He's like, I don't care about that.
(29:02):
He's like. I was like, it's like live, We're still
in there and he's like, um, yeah, And I said
I want to do my Gossip Girl monologue for her.
He was like that's weird. Yeah, I didn't get to do.
And I sell you posted that you were taking the
train around Brooklyn like last year. This is before because
you're like, okay, after this, I don't know if I'll
be able to do this anymore. So how has that
(29:24):
been now that Swarm has come out? Judas in the
Black Messiah's Our Project Power is out, Transformers on the way.
What has the change that you've been seeing as far
as people's reactions to you. I think I think Swarm
is is the biggest one because it's been everywhere in
La It's like one has one of the biggest billboards
in LA on sunset and like oh wow, and like
(29:44):
all through the airport, it's just like there'll be rolls
and rolls of like my face. So still, um, you know,
it's funny. I've been getting like the special treatments, so
they've been taking me around the back, so I actually
haven't been able to see it, okay, but people as
send it to me. I'm really excited about that. It
was it was like, it's cool. I've been working at
it for a really long time. Man. Yeah, you deserve it, honestly,
even from the beginning when I first met you and
(30:06):
then seeing like you're acting ability. It's something very special
about you. And I hate that a teacher would even
have told you that when you may be wrong but
dead wrong, but maybe that pushed you, even your subcont
you may subconsciously have pushed you. I mean, I know
you know who knows. Yeah, you will never know because
guess what it happened, right, So congratulations, And I know
(30:28):
you're having a big birthday. Bass, It's going to be crazy. Yeah,
So happy birthday again, and thank you so much. Nice,
Thank you guys, And I know Anthony said he's going
to do a screening for Transformers in Brooklyn. That's the plan,
and tell me that. No, he's been talking about it.
He's like I told them. I told him, like we
should do like a block party or something. Okay, yeah,
(30:48):
I feel like we should be like a real Brooklyn vibes.
But let me know, Dominate Fish. Congratulations on everything. Honestly,
I'm so excited and happy for you. And by the way,
your luck's always killed when it comes to the fashion.
Thank you. I look at everything you wear all the
time and I'm like killing it. So amazing. Thank you.
And I can't wait to get these journals. When you
(31:09):
put your journals as happening, it's happening, all right. Thank
you guys. Well yea with Angela. Ye where y'all whe
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