May 11, 2026 • 5 mins
Actor Jesse L. Martin talks new movie 'PH-1' and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
On with Mario Lopez. Tell you old Mario Lopez joining
me right now on Zoom. Actor Jesse L. Martin.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Are you doing Jesse, I'm doing very well, sir. How
about yourself?
Speaker 3 (00:11):
I'm doing well. Thank you for taking the time. Your
new movie looks pretty wild and very topical, called pH One,
about a politician having his life essentially destroyed by things
being posted on social media.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
By a hacker. Right, yes, ooh, I like that premise,
very real.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, old school political thriller.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Nice, that's my kind of that's my kind of flick.
And the trailer kind of gets into how things posted
on social can become facts without any real proof or
I don't even know if you essentially have to have
them proven as facts. The fact that they're out there
is enough to bother people these days. How did how
did you have you ever dealt with anything like this?
(00:53):
By the way, No, not really.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
I mean maybe it's a gen X thing, but I
don't do a whole lot with social media. I think
maybe we're told we're supposed to now, right, Yeah, as actors, performers, entertainers,
we're supposed to have a presidence, We're supposed to have
numbers we're supposed to.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Have all those things. I haven't ever been great at it.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Yeah, no, smart, I'm a gen x for myself too,
And you're right, they kind of, you know, encourage it
at work. It's kind of fun, but you do have
to be careful because I know many people that have
kind of experienced this, and even personally I had to
kind of deal with a little something. So I'll have
to check this film out. You play a professor in
the film. How's your character fit into the plot.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Well, I am part of the media that shows up
to condemn the man during the day that he's trapped
into in his pehouse.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
That's what Penthouse one is at that pH one is
pehouse one.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
So I'm a professor who has an academic sort of
angle to all the problems that he sees with this.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
This aspire not aspiring rising politician.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Got it? Got it? This isn't based on a true story?
Isn't no? Because it seems like it could be a
sort of leading story. Yes, yes, okay, got it? Got it? Well,
congrats on that. Look forward to checking it out.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You're also in a new episode of Percy Jackson and
the Olympians over on Disney plus what's going on in
that episode?
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Man, Well, I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to
say because that whole season hasn't even come close to
airing yet. What I can say is what they announced
is that I play one of the lead characters, fathers
and if you know the books, I play Annabeth's dad.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Okay, okay, fun, that's fun.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
And of course, back in the nineties, you were part
of the og cast of the hip Broadway show Rant
along with the dns, Bell and Tate Diggs.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Anthony Rapp just blew.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Up and became iconic, change your life. I gotta imagine,
what do you remember most about that particular period in time.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I remember that was it was overwhelming.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
I mean, you've been on TV forever, right, and I
was used to just being on stage where you've got
some press, sure, but you didn't get that kind of attention.
I mean we were doing magazine spreads and you know,
performing at conventions like the Democratic National Convention on every
(03:22):
talk show there was.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
It was absolutely.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Overwhelming, but amazing to do, especially with a project like that,
because it meant so much to everybody and it meant
so much to us.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yeah, is New York still home or is La home?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yes, New York. I've never been in La guy really
so much.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
But yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I get it. I get
New York. I love it. I love the pride. Are
you Are you from the originally?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
No, I'm from Virginia originally, Okay, I was born in Virginia.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Grew up in Buffalo, New York.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Of all places, you grew up in Buffalo, I did.
That's funny that you say that. I've spent a lot
of time in Buffalo. There's a lot of production going
on there, Jesse.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, I do that too. The tax and Sanders movie
in Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
You've done one long while ago. Yeah, I like it, man,
I like Buffalo. People are really cool.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
It's cool town.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Like it's called the City of fucking Cold though, let
me tell you, it is cool fucking cold for a
long time.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
That's my only thing about what Buffalo is like. They're
playing around right there.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Yeah, it's a real winter. That's probably why. They also
have some.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Of the best comfort food I've ever had.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
They really do the beef on wat and those taken
wings beef wack.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
You brought it back, and Buffalo wings are Buffalo wings
for a reason.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
They say, are that's right Buffalo wings for reasons to
happen to know Actor William Fickner.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Uh no, yeah, you know him if you see him,
and it's funny.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I know who he is.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Oh, you know it. He's from Buffalo. That's why.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, there's a bunch of people in Buffalo that I
actually have never met.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I feel like I'm supposed to have something like, well
we all get together and say, yeah, Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Yeah exactly. Well it's funny, guys.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I just interviewed him and he brought up Buffalo because
he knew somebody that I was working there with in
the in the film commission and stuff. He's got a
lot of pride for Buffalo. He was going on and on.
So I was like, Okay, you're not as fired up
about Buffalo, but.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Fired up about Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
But it's not my home now, all right, I'd say
something funny about the pride of Buffalo. Back in the eighties,
they had a whole campaign where, like you know they will,
the whole premise was talking Proud, meaning you're talking proud
about Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Bucalos got the spirit talking proud. Look it up.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
I'll have to check it out for that's for a reason,
because people who live there are very very proud of
that city.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Yeah, I love it right off, man, Well listen everyone.
Be sure to catch Jesse.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
In the new political thriller p H One, which is
out now in select theaters and available on digital.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
On demand as well. Jesse, thanks for checking in.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Thank you so much man for having me.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
All Right, brother, have a good day, all right with
Mario Lopez.
On with Mario Lopez. Tell you old Mario Lopez joining
me right now on Zoom. Actor Jesse L. Martin.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Are you doing Jesse, I'm doing very well, sir. How
about yourself?
Speaker 3 (00:11):
I'm doing well. Thank you for taking the time. Your
new movie looks pretty wild and very topical, called pH One,
about a politician having his life essentially destroyed by things
being posted on social media.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
By a hacker. Right, yes, ooh, I like that premise,
very real.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, old school political thriller.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Nice, that's my kind of that's my kind of flick.
And the trailer kind of gets into how things posted
on social can become facts without any real proof or
I don't even know if you essentially have to have
them proven as facts. The fact that they're out there
is enough to bother people these days. How did how
did you have you ever dealt with anything like this?
(00:53):
By the way, No, not really.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
I mean maybe it's a gen X thing, but I
don't do a whole lot with social media. I think
maybe we're told we're supposed to now, right, Yeah, as actors, performers, entertainers,
we're supposed to have a presidence, We're supposed to have
numbers we're supposed to.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Have all those things. I haven't ever been great at it.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Yeah, no, smart, I'm a gen x for myself too,
And you're right, they kind of, you know, encourage it
at work. It's kind of fun, but you do have
to be careful because I know many people that have
kind of experienced this, and even personally I had to
kind of deal with a little something. So I'll have
to check this film out. You play a professor in
the film. How's your character fit into the plot.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Well, I am part of the media that shows up
to condemn the man during the day that he's trapped
into in his pehouse.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
That's what Penthouse one is at that pH one is
pehouse one.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
So I'm a professor who has an academic sort of
angle to all the problems that he sees with this.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
This aspire not aspiring rising politician.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Got it? Got it? This isn't based on a true story?
Isn't no? Because it seems like it could be a
sort of leading story. Yes, yes, okay, got it? Got it? Well,
congrats on that. Look forward to checking it out.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You're also in a new episode of Percy Jackson and
the Olympians over on Disney plus what's going on in
that episode?
Speaker 4 (02:21):
Man, Well, I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to
say because that whole season hasn't even come close to
airing yet. What I can say is what they announced
is that I play one of the lead characters, fathers
and if you know the books, I play Annabeth's dad.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Okay, okay, fun, that's fun.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
And of course, back in the nineties, you were part
of the og cast of the hip Broadway show Rant
along with the dns, Bell and Tate Diggs.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Anthony Rapp just blew.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Up and became iconic, change your life. I gotta imagine,
what do you remember most about that particular period in time.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I remember that was it was overwhelming.
Speaker 5 (03:01):
I mean, you've been on TV forever, right, and I
was used to just being on stage where you've got
some press, sure, but you didn't get that kind of attention.
I mean we were doing magazine spreads and you know,
performing at conventions like the Democratic National Convention on every
(03:22):
talk show there was.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
It was absolutely.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Overwhelming, but amazing to do, especially with a project like that,
because it meant so much to everybody and it meant
so much to us.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yeah, is New York still home or is La home?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yes, New York. I've never been in La guy really
so much.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
But yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I get it. I get
New York. I love it. I love the pride. Are
you Are you from the originally?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
No, I'm from Virginia originally, Okay, I was born in Virginia.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Grew up in Buffalo, New York.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Of all places, you grew up in Buffalo, I did.
That's funny that you say that. I've spent a lot
of time in Buffalo. There's a lot of production going
on there, Jesse.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, I do that too. The tax and Sanders movie
in Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
You've done one long while ago. Yeah, I like it, man,
I like Buffalo. People are really cool.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
It's cool town.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Like it's called the City of fucking Cold though, let
me tell you, it is cool fucking cold for a
long time.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
That's my only thing about what Buffalo is like. They're
playing around right there.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Yeah, it's a real winter. That's probably why. They also
have some.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Of the best comfort food I've ever had.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
They really do the beef on wat and those taken
wings beef wack.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
You brought it back, and Buffalo wings are Buffalo wings
for a reason.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
They say, are that's right Buffalo wings for reasons to
happen to know Actor William Fickner.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Uh no, yeah, you know him if you see him,
and it's funny.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I know who he is.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Oh, you know it. He's from Buffalo. That's why.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, there's a bunch of people in Buffalo that I
actually have never met.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I feel like I'm supposed to have something like, well
we all get together and say, yeah, Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Yeah exactly. Well it's funny, guys.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I just interviewed him and he brought up Buffalo because
he knew somebody that I was working there with in
the in the film commission and stuff. He's got a
lot of pride for Buffalo. He was going on and on.
So I was like, Okay, you're not as fired up
about Buffalo, but.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Fired up about Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
But it's not my home now, all right, I'd say
something funny about the pride of Buffalo. Back in the eighties,
they had a whole campaign where, like you know they will,
the whole premise was talking Proud, meaning you're talking proud
about Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Bucalos got the spirit talking proud. Look it up.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
I'll have to check it out for that's for a reason,
because people who live there are very very proud of
that city.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Yeah, I love it right off, man, Well listen everyone.
Be sure to catch Jesse.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
In the new political thriller p H One, which is
out now in select theaters and available on digital.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
On demand as well. Jesse, thanks for checking in.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Thank you so much man for having me.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
All Right, brother, have a good day, all right with
Mario Lopez.
Host
Mario Lopez
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