Danielle Nicolet sits down with Deuces and talks about The Flash, Blerd Culture and representation within it, her chances on surviving the Robot Apocalypse & More.
_________________________
0:00 - Intro - Welcome Danielle Nicolet
4:43 - Breaking the Mold of Black Women in TV and Movies & Staying Genuine
8:21 - Diversity & Evolution of “The Flash”
15:12 - Mementos from Set
16:36 - Parts of Danielle that bleed into her Characters & Finding your Role
24:12 - Blerb Culture and Naruto Talk
27:13 - Check out “The Black Geek Documentary” !
29:42 - Cosplay Talk
31:08 - Geekset Hypotheticals - Apocalypse Scenarios + AI Talk
35:07 - Lasting Memories of The Flash
37:46 - Outro - Keeping Up With Danielle Nicolet
_________________________
Follow Danielle Nicolet:
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/DaniNicolet
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/DaniNicolet
_______________________
Become a Patron of Young Deuces to watch episodes early and ask questions for future guests
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Follow Young Deuces:
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_______________________
USE CODE: DEUCES for 10% off your next order at:
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_______________________
http://www.GeeksetPodcast.com
"The only place that blends Hip-Hop Culture & Geek Culturte together in one place"
_______________________
Edited by: Rudy Strong Music by: High Standard Productions
Music by @Lib Dekay & @KmelBeatz
_______________________
Become a Patron of Young Deuces to watch episodes early and ask questions for future guests
Link - https://www.patreon.com/YoungDeuces
_______________________
Follow Young Deuces:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Young_Deuces
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Young_Deuces
_______________________
USE CODE: DEUCES for 10% off your next order at:
https://www.youngdeuces.com/category/all-products
_______________________
Follow Geekset:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GeeksetPodcast
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/GeeksetPodcast
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Geekset/
_______________________
http://www.GeeksetPodcast.com
"The only place that blends Hip-Hop Culture & Geek Culturte together in one place"
_______________________
Edited by: Rudy Strong
Music by @kmelbeatz
_________________________
0:00 - Intro - Welcome Danielle Nicolet
4:43 - Breaking the Mold of Black Women in TV and Movies & Staying Genuine
8:21 - Diversity & Evolution of “The Flash”
15:12 - Mementos from Set
16:36 - Parts of Danielle that bleed into her Characters & Finding your Role
24:12 - Blerb Culture and Naruto Talk
27:13 - Check out “The Black Geek Documentary” !
29:42 - Cosplay Talk
31:08 - Geekset Hypotheticals - Apocalypse Scenarios + AI Talk
35:07 - Lasting Memories of The Flash
37:46 - Outro - Keeping Up With Danielle Nicolet
_________________________
Follow Danielle Nicolet:
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/DaniNicolet
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/DaniNicolet
_______________________
Become a Patron of Young Deuces to watch episodes early and ask questions for future guests
Link - https://www.patreon.com/YoungDeuces
_______________________
Follow Young Deuces:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Young_Deuces
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Young_Deuces
_______________________
USE CODE: DEUCES for 10% off your next order at:
https://www.youngdeuces.com/category/all-products
_______________________
Follow Geekset:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GeeksetPodcast
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/GeeksetPodcast
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Geekset/
_______________________
http://www.GeeksetPodcast.com
"The only place that blends Hip-Hop Culture & Geek Culturte together in one place"
_______________________
Edited by: Rudy Strong Music by: High Standard Productions
Music by @Lib Dekay & @KmelBeatz
_______________________
Become a Patron of Young Deuces to watch episodes early and ask questions for future guests
Link - https://www.patreon.com/YoungDeuces
_______________________
Follow Young Deuces:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Young_Deuces
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Young_Deuces
_______________________
USE CODE: DEUCES for 10% off your next order at:
https://www.youngdeuces.com/category/all-products
_______________________
Follow Geekset:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GeeksetPodcast
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/GeeksetPodcast
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_______________________
http://www.GeeksetPodcast.com
"The only place that blends Hip-Hop Culture & Geek Culturte together in one place"
_______________________
Edited by: Rudy Strong
Music by @kmelbeatz
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Geek SI Podcast Blurts in the Game.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Alright, alright, alright, welcome back to the geek Set podcast
only podcast that blind hip hop culture and geek coature together.
I'm your boy, duces and this is one one with Deuce.
Is the place where I speak with creators, curators and
people that you should know. And right now, man, we
got a living legend, and you guys know when I
say that, it is somebody that has truly done a
lot of amazing work in this game. But we got
(01:14):
the one and only Danny Nikolet how are you doing, Hi.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Say, I'm really good, you know, happy to be here.
I'm glad we got this sorted out and you know,
ready to chuck all off thing geek.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, you know so on my platform, shout out to
Noriega and the drink Champs. We do make sure that
we give people their flowers, you know, while they're here.
And one of the things is that, like I remember
when you got on the Flash and I said, yo,
I've been seeing her. But you know what I'm saying,
like all my life, and what's really dope is that
you were a part of like that first you know,
(01:51):
black explosion in Hollywood, during the upn days and everything
like that, like you was in a lot of traditional stuff,
like you know, saying half and half Bernie Max.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
But it's like you was there. And then also now
in this.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Second resurgence where we're jumping into Afro futurism and heroism
and comic books and stuff, and you are a big
part in that, you know what I'm saying within the
flash and everything, and so from the Blurred community to you,
I just want to say thank you for everything that
you have given us in video games and in anime
and comic books. I just need you to know that
(02:24):
you are cherished and you are celebrated every time you
touch that screen.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
You're so sweet, you're gonna make me cry. Thank you
so much. It's been I've been incredibly fortunate, you know,
There's there's no question about that. In my career. I've
just also been really fortunate in that I've been able
to be in movies and on shows that reflect also
(02:54):
what I'm interested in or what I found entertaining when
I was a kid, and I try to chase stuff
like that, like the things that I didn't get to
see people who looked like me when I was a kid,
and I was into it. It means so much to
me as an adult if the opportunity comes my way
to be able to be that for a kid, because
(03:16):
I still feel like we're massively underrepresented it. Particularly there's
there's a particular type of film and television that I
feel like we remain underrepresented it. And again it bought
like Flash for me is a really big deal. Getting
on that, like as a kid who read every right
Bradberry book that came out, and as a father who
(03:37):
is a chemist and you know, grew up in a
household that focused really heavily on science and I'm an
astronomy nerd. All of the things that are interesting to
me and that kept me fascinated as a child. I
never got to see that. I always feel like that
kind of stuff plays itself out in science fiction, in
(03:57):
comic books, and I never got to say, see anybody
who looked like me when I was a kid, ever,
And so like to grow up and get to be
not just on a show like Flash, but to be
a meta human and then ultimately to have her evolved
into being a superhero is it's it's super cool to
(04:19):
me and I'm so I'm so pleased that I get
to be that for somebody.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
No, and we we we love it a lot because
you know, we have these conversations a lot with people
about like you know, your nerd awakening, Like, right, you
have that moment where you just love like nerd culture,
whether it's you know, a property, like I know you
had the Wonder Woman pjs and you have to wear
a cap.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
I was born a nerd, right, But I always I
was born this way.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yeah, But I love also asking people when was the
first time that you saw yourself in nerd culture?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Right? So I know for women it's a lot of it.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
It's different because you have that moment where you see
a strong, empowered woman.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
But then when do you.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Actually see like your color, your skin, the person that
represents African American community. I want to know for you,
like what was those moments where you started seeing yourself
and you felt proud?
Speaker 4 (05:08):
I mean, if I'm honest, A lot of it I
didn't get to see until I did it myself. I mean,
I and this is like real specific to me. I
watched all of these black women on television and in
(05:28):
film when I was young that were one of two things, right.
They were either like deeply sexualized and totally fucking beautiful,
or they were this entirely desexualized. We don't go, we
don't follow them home, we don't look at their family.
You know. It's like I'm a doctor and that's all
(05:48):
you see me do because I functioned in support of
the white character on whatever show, Like she has a
full life, she has a significant other and children and challenges,
and she's interesting. She's quirky, and she's weird and she's funny.
But that's what makes her likable. All of those things.
I never saw that, and it drove me nuts because
(06:12):
I've never been this like hyper sexual, you know, sex
symbol type. But I've also never been the like she's
a cop and she's a doctor and she doesn't have
levels type. And it was what I always wanted to see,
Like I'm a dork. All my friends are dorks, right,
And I say that with self love and love to
(06:36):
other dorks. Like I was always a smart kid in school.
That was how I identified. Nobody ever told me, gee,
you're pretty until I was on television, and then I
was always kind of looking around, going who are you
talking about? Like I never identified as anything other than
(06:57):
you know, smart and maybe a little funny, maybe a
little weird, and maybe a little adorable. And I always
felt like those were all the things that white women
got to be on television, but nobody who looked like
me ever got to be that. And it wasn't until
me and my friends like Rachel True and as and
(07:21):
and I watched them do like I watched my compatriots
do it, but I did it, and I feel like
a lot of us are the ones who kind of
like were somehow like we scratched and clawed our way
to ushering that imagery in. And it wasn't until Born
(07:42):
Again Virgin that I was like, I'm going to do
this show. I want to do this show. I want
to play this character. She has to get to be
all of these things, Like we cannot reduce her to
sexuality or reduce her to her job. She has to
be weird and delicious. And because to me, that is
(08:05):
what's sexy, that is what's attractive to me than like
the most attractive person in the room who doesn't have
to bring any personality to anything because they never had
to try. And like, yeah, I just find that incredibly uninteresting.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
And you know that's That's what I love about the Flash.
So I've been I love the Errow Verse. I've been
following it, like even the there are lows even with
the shows that I'm like, all right, this show maybe
not gonna go.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
But there's a couple.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Of things that I love about the Flash in general,
which is like my favorite of all of the Errow verses.
One day, you guys have the most diverse cast, Like
there was so much representation on that cast.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
And and then also I said, I.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Don't know where the Errow versus getting these strong women,
but these are the most beautiful, eliest nerves I've ever
seen on TV, Like.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
From from from from You.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
To Caitlin to Iris, Like it's just all across said
the erro Verse. They they cornered the market for getting
beautiful nerves who are multi layered, who have such amazing
story arcs. I mean, because like Cecil's story arc is
so interesting and so dope to me, because it's like
you get introduced to her and then you think it's
going to be one way, like this is going to
(09:21):
be a hard ass, you know, like you know just
attorney or you know, in the legal system, and then
you grow and then you become you become Joe's love interest,
then you become a part of Team Flash, and then
like you're about to start this family and you're trying
to juggle motherhood and then emerging of your powers. It's
like like your storyline, you know how, like they always
have like certain like things that are the heart of
(09:43):
the story, right, Like when you watch The Office, even
though Michael Scott is the main character, that Jim and
Pam's storyline was like the heart of the show. And
I feel like, because Joe was already the heart of
the show, and then getting introduced to Cecil and seeing
her and seeing two adults grow into this life of
(10:04):
trying to find their purpose and also balance saving the world,
I thought that your story arc and you and Joe
and everything like y'all became the heart of the Flash.
You know, we know that Iris and Marry is that main,
but like y'all was like that love heart that was like, yo,
we got to see them make it through.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
I had to, you had to.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
I really appreciate that about about the show too, I
mean about the entire eraverse and how diverse it is,
and I think I think it's really representative our show
in particular, I think did a really good job of.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
This, and that.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
There's there's been for a long time a movement to
introduce much more diversity into television and film, and in
a lot of ways, I think that's played itself out
by like, Okay, so at a black person, right, Okay,
so at a Mexican person, Okay, so you know, Chinese person,
and then that singular character ends up being the quote
(11:06):
unquote token whatever, right, And so in a lot of ways,
their existence on the show ends up being about whatever
their ethnic background is. And I think that's why a
show like ours that has so many people of color
(11:28):
on it, that it doesn't have to be about whatever
color or ethnicity or background that particular character is, because
they're not being this singular person who is representing diversity
for the show, right, And so there I feel like
the show. Also in regards to its female characters, I
(11:51):
feel like all of the aeroverse shows in a sense
started in a much more traditional sort of like boys
say girls way yeah yeah, and very quickly, particularly with Flash,
I feel like the showrunners caught themselves in that and
(12:11):
started shifting that to like, actually, girls save themselves, girls sa.
Boys also save girls. Girls say girls, boys save boys.
Like they started really letting all of the female characters
have these individual strengths and weaknesses because that's what makes
(12:32):
characters interesting. And the Flash in particular, like all of
all of us women on it, like, you know, Kansas's
character didn't have any powers, but she has tremendous strength.
And Danielle's character evolved from not just being brains but
also you know, frost, she became bron Kayla's character started
(12:57):
with this kind of like scrappy, juvenile delinquency, like you know,
I'll find anytime friend of gratitude, and I'm sure she
could probably hear me. She's here right now, And it
evolved into this like no, I'm like smart, and you know,
I not only have this really strong, strong power, but
I'm like I'm a reporter.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
It's crazy because when you when you I just you know,
watching the most recent episode and even just thinking back
on her character, are you like I can't even see
her being that delinquent anymore, Like it's so far fast.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
We were looking at So I'm on vacation right now
in Mexico and Kayla's here with me, and we were
looking at something a couple of days ago, we were
like watching some old footage because she had to pull
scenes for something, and I was like, I don't even
recognize her first season character, Like I don't even know
(13:51):
what's happening. I don't recognize your character like she she
evolved so much from like watching one scene where she's
like ban al delinquent who is fighting with her cousin,
to who she became in season nine. It's just her
arc was just incredible. I loved it. I loved it,
(14:12):
and I loved the Seals too.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah, and because this is not a sports since the
episode came out, but I want to let you know
at that end, I was so happy that you was
okay with Joe's idea, because when he when he proposed
the idea of We're gonna go to the cabin and
you stay here, I was like, Joe.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
No, we are.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
Jesse and I were so conscious in that scene in
particular to like not make it look like it was
not make it come off like it was a conscious uncoupling,
you know, because it could have gone that way very easily,
and we were so aware of it in that while
we were shooting it, we had the writer on set
with us, and the three of us together kind of
(14:54):
like pitched and fleshed out how to make this scene
work in a way that the audience would because we
of course know what's coming after this episode, but like
to how to make sure to not like mistakenly telegraph
to the audience it was anything other than what it was,
which was a good thing.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So, you know, you hear stories about when shows wrap up,
you know, actors and actresses they take things from the set.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Did you take anything? Did you keep any momentos from
the show?
Speaker 4 (15:21):
It stole so much stuff. Oh my god, it doesn't matter.
By the time this comes out, the studio will have
alread packed it all the way and away. I stole
so much stuff. I have my husband the other day,
lives in the kitchen, and all he said was, you
know what we need is more Star labs mugs. I
(15:42):
don't know if anyone's ever noticed, but like when we're
in the lounge set, we have this kind of like
coffee bar coffee slash bar area in the background in
the back of it that we sometimes sit at, and
there's shelves on the walls behind it, and the shelves
are full of like Star labs, like oversized mugs and
then these little espresso cups and like coffee beans from Jitters.
(16:07):
They all live at my house now. We all we
all stole pretty much all the mugs from Jitters. There's
nothing left to pack up. I mean, I think Candice
took an entire coffee maker, like a whole entire like
French press from Jitters. We also come so much like Blos, jewelry,
(16:28):
you name it, got like we went. We all went
full kleptomaniac.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
So what parts of Danny actually bleeds over with Cecil? Like,
I know you you played this character for quite some time,
so I feel like some of your some of your
personality had to bleed over into the character.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Yeah, I think a lot of her dad, And I
think it's it's kind of like a natural course of events.
The longer you're on a show, the more the writing
stuff kind of gets to know you personally, and then
it's funny, like even even my mannerisms and way of speaking.
Sometimes I would open a script and be like, Okay,
(17:09):
I don't know. I don't know if this is a
compliment or a troll, because like my way of speaking
about something like one thing that started falling into Cecil's
talking cadence is like when I talk to people, like
I intend to call people honey, and so particularly like
if you're upset, I'll be like honeyless, then honey okay,
and the like. As time went on, I'm like, this is, Oh,
(17:33):
look at that somebody's upset and Cecil calls them honey okay,
Like you know, it's just kind of like a natural
thing that happens. So I think I think Cecil's optimism
really it's something that I think that they picked up
about me and started folding into her character, which I
(17:56):
really I really appreciated because I liked I think I
was bringing it to her and I don't think they
were expecting it, and then they kind of went maybe
maybe this kind of works. Because when I when I
joined the show full time, I you know, I've been
on one TV show or another for most of my life.
And what I've learned also as a giant TV fan
(18:18):
because I'm a TV addict, is when a new character
comes onto a show that I love, that character, better
have a lane, you know what I'm saying, Like like
otherwise you're up in you're up in my shit, like,
this is my show and this new character comes along,
like you you need to serve a purpose within the
(18:41):
group of people that I love and have become attached
to as a fan. So when they asked me to
be on the show full time, I looked at it.
I watched the first couple of seasons and I sat
back and I was like, Okay, where can I fit
in this? And I really tried to find emotional elements
(19:07):
that were missing in the context of the group, and
also think about where the show had been and where
it was going. Right, Like the first couple of seasons,
everybody's kind of kids. Barry and Iris needed a dad to,
you know, sort of scold them and guide them and
give them direction. And then Cecile really kind of comes
(19:29):
along in season three, and for a good part of
that she's just sort of an extension of Joe. But
when they asked me to be there full time in
season four, I kind of looked at the show and went, well,
you know what, Barry and Iris aren't kids anymore. Yeah,
you know, Eddie died. They're in love with each other.
Now I know what direction they're moving towards. Writing wise,
(19:50):
They're going to become a married couple. They don't need
another parent in me. And I knew that my character
was going to have power and become part of the team.
And you know, I kind of looked around, like, you
don't need a parent, well, you need it as an ally.
This group needs an ally. This group needs someone who
(20:11):
brings a level of optimism to him, because Joe kind
of has a he can have a kind of darker
take on things. He's a cop. He sees things from
a dark place, right, And I kind of realized, you
know what, I can bring that element to this and
I can. I can. I can find a lane here
(20:32):
where I'm serving a purpose that no other character already
serves and tried to really consciously ingratiate myself into the
show in that way. And I think mostly at work
there there's always going to be fourteen fans who absolutely
hate me because I'm not one of the original six
(20:55):
people on the show. But all things considered, I feel
like the fans really, I think appreciated that I wasn't
trying to take up anybody else's space. And I think,
to circle back to your question, part of that was
just sort of me sort of being willing to let
the writers get to know me.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Well, I mean it also stands a testament to your
acting tals. I mean you've always said that you've studied
acting right, so to be able to look at it
from that type of lens and saying, like you know,
some people you think about it, they go into a
show and they're like, oh im gonna be the biggest star.
Where the best actors figure out how they can fit
in an ensemble because they know overall everybody.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Needs to be firing off on all cylinders.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So it's like, you know, as somebody who loves cinema
and who loves TV and loves storytelling. I mean a
lot of most comic book fans, we love comic books
because of the storytelling.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
So for us to see that, like I said, the.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
People who truly understand do appreciate your approach to it
because it's like, yeah, there is a purpose.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
And also you are the first portrayal of this character.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
I always loved somebody who gets to be the first
portrayal in live action, like you brought this character to life.
Anybody afterwards, when they read the comic they read about
this character, they're also going to have to study what
you've done on the show.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
And that is super dope to me, you know what
I'm saying, Especially that.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Is a black woman, Like I'm like, oh, yes, yes, yeah,
learn from the master and listen.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
I know they always again, there will always be fourteen
people who are like no Cecila Horton was a red
haired woman and she wore a hat, right, And I
never wore a hat on the show, and I am
not a red haired woman, but I agree with you.
That was the most exciting part of it to me,
that there's this character that already existed, and you know,
(22:44):
she wasn't the biggest character historically in the comics. However,
she did serve a very large purpose in a very
important story to the Flash comics. And for me, I
was like, as soon as I asked me to be
on the show that part of loan, I was like,
oh yeah, oh yeah, no, no, like, I'll be there. I'll
fly myself to Vancouver. I will be there with bells
(23:06):
on to do this and it's it's cool. Jordan Fisher,
who played Impulse, one day, he was over for dinner
and I asked him, you know, you get so much
going out at the time, he was just starring in
Deer of en Hanson on Broadway and he was like
breaking away to come through the show. And I said,
(23:27):
I asked him, you know what made you decide to
do it? And he was like, oh, you know what,
my manager said this thing that really stuck with me.
He said he looked it up and there was only
like one hundred actors in history who have ever played
a comic book character in like DC and the Marvel
Universe is put together, and he was like, to be
(23:50):
one of those one hundred people. I just thought, I'm
crazy if I don't take that opportunity. And I had
never thought of it that way before, and that really
stuck with me, that that, like, my god, one of
like what probably ultimate will be like one and fifty people. Ever.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Yeah, ever, well, and then like I said, and also
you know, the added layer of being a black woman,
you know in that because like I said, and representing
a hero and bringing that face like that is an
amazing thing. But another fandom that you havepen so blurred culture.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Are you familiar with the term blurd?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
I most definitely awesome.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Awesome so blurd culture.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
You know, we love anime and you are part of
one of the biggest anime franchises in the world in Aruto,
and one I didn't even as much as a fan
of yours. I was like, how did I miss out
on this? I did not know that you were a
part of that. And to like, you know, me starting
my journey last year and voice acting and everything, I'm like, oh,
I like, congratulations, welcome, thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
You know, I narrate for watch Mojo now, so I
do the watch Mojo list and everything.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
But it was like, I throw I strive to be
on an anime. What was that like?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Being able to overdub something so crazy like Naruto?
Speaker 4 (25:08):
Okay, so full disclosure. When I first started doing it,
I had no idea what it was. Right, So, I
have voiced characters in quite a few video games and
combat and so this group of folks that I work
with quite often when I've done that, were like, hey, hey,
(25:29):
there's this character in this. I don't even know if
they told me it was called Naruto at the time.
I just was I was like, yeah, sure, like, whatever
you want me to do, I'm happy to do it.
And it was funny and it was fun, and you know,
I tend to like lean into comedy stuff, and particularly
(25:50):
with voice stuff. I play a lot of snarky characters
that also have bad attitudes. I have no idea why.
I mean, my mother would probably tell you why do
they keep back from me? And so it was sort
of like, oh, sure, no problem. And I recorded a
(26:13):
bunch of episodes, and you know, my character like cannot
control her temper and so she's screaming all the time
at Oma week. And it wasn't until I came back
from maybe like the second round of sessions and I
had mentioned to someone at a dinner party, oh, yeah,
I've got to work tomorrow, Like I'm doing this this
anime thing. It's called Naruto, and they like fell out
(26:35):
and I didn't know why, and so I googled it
and I was like, oh, oh shit, this is like
the biggest on the planet. Absolutely no idea when I
first did it, and then all of a sudden, now
I felt all this pressure. Right when I come back
for the next however minutes, I was like, oh God,
I've got to get this car back. But you know,
(27:00):
we cool, like it's just fun. I hope I get
to go back to doing it. I had to stop
doing it because being in Vancouver for flash or just
wasn't available, and so I hope I get to go
back and do it again.
Speaker 6 (27:12):
Everybody has the stereotypical on what a black geek is.
Speaker 7 (27:15):
Are you familiar with the term blurred.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
Right?
Speaker 6 (27:19):
Some people said it came off of scrubs, some people
said it came off the internet.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
I don't honestly really know.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Don't you see the skin, eyebrows, the hair.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
Yo, my geeks still rock, you know, saying dumps or
or Jordan's or whatever.
Speaker 7 (27:36):
Did I do that? It's exciting. It's like home, Oh
my god, it's gonna start walking. That's all right.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
She's excited about it too.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
And same as you said, like a barbershop talk, like
we would go into really in depth conversations about these
theories and like, well what if and I'll come.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
Right.
Speaker 6 (27:58):
But we we talk about anime, video games, comic books
and stuff like that.
Speaker 7 (28:03):
But when you hear us.
Speaker 6 (28:04):
Talk about it, the passion sounds like we're arguing Jordan
and Braun.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
What does that even mean?
Speaker 4 (28:12):
Does that even mean?
Speaker 7 (28:13):
Like it sounds like barbershop talking, because you don't know.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
The history.
Speaker 7 (28:18):
Broke that down right there.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
But when you see the black geek.
Speaker 6 (28:25):
You don't see that, you see the socially awkward glasses. Well,
this is me and that's not a lot of us.
A lot of us do sound and talk like that.
You know what I'm saying, because.
Speaker 8 (28:34):
It becomes stereotypical as if that's where our strength comes from.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
I don't know the geek that you talk that you
that you talked about before. I know the geek you
talking about right now. It was sort of a call
sign so we can find each other on message boards.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Anime gives you life lessons throughout that whole thing, Like
there's not one anime that I know of that doesn't
teach you to never.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Give up, just like I just love seeing us go
into the worlds and go into the different spaces and
create things that weren't there before.
Speaker 8 (29:05):
And then it was like Miles Girls, just like the normal,
you know, black person in the United States. That was
my first like blurred moment with seeing you know, Storm
on an X Men cartoon series, and I was like, Wow,
that's a black woman and she's strong, she's powerful.
Speaker 6 (29:22):
That's what I want for us.
Speaker 7 (29:24):
I want us to be that voice. Boy.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
It gotta be cool too, because, like I said, you
did so you did the voice for Jackson's daughter Jackie Briggs. Right, No, yeah, right,
and so like, yeah, you have all these characters that
you are either playing or voicing that gets cosplayed.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Have you ever ran into somebody was like, hey, I'm
I'm you, I'm cosplaying. That's a you are.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Once or twice at a con. And the funny thing
is the first time it happened, I didn't recognize who
the person was dressed up as, and I was like,
but they were like, and I'm literally I was like
vibe and they were like, no, why you just because
(30:23):
I just I swear I do everything I do, I
always assume nobody's paying attention, and it's always just really
shocking to me that anybody is. I think perhaps after
season nine a flash that might happen a little bit more.
But yeah, I've definitely and I've definitely had like a
handful of shandis that Saints Row has really dedicated following that,
(30:50):
you know, and I mean, God bless anyone who can
get into Shandy's outfit because that leather is tight. But
I've had a few, there's been there's been a few
Saints Throw situations at Comic Con in particular that I've
been really cool to see.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Okay, so I know we gotta we're running out of time,
but I always I like to play a quick game
with my with my guests, and I want to play
with you. I call it geek set hypothetically, all right,
So it's geeks set hypothetical. So I'm gonna give you, yep,
I'm giving no, it's a fun one. I'm gonna give
you three scenarios. I want to know which scenario because
I know you're a horror movie buff. So which scenario
do you believe that you would last in the longest.
(31:29):
So we're doing apocalyptic situations. We have the zombie apocalypse,
the robot apocalypse, and the alien apocalypse. Which one do
you believe that you, Danny would be able to survive
the longest? St robot robot apocalypse?
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Okay, not a problem. They need to charge or be unplugged.
So I go out in a boat. I'm in the water,
and I'm like, swim. Robots swim. That's why it can't.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
All right. So there's layers to this. Now, we got
a layers.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Now we gotta go down one more level, all right.
So the first robot we're gonna deal with We're gonna
talk about the eye robot robots, so like those one
that like you know, like Sonny, they was there to
protect you.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
That's a tough that's a that's a tough robot.
Speaker 7 (32:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I've only maybe seen that movie one hundred and forty
two times, so I'm definitely, definitely I'm prepared for this.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
So you're prepared for that one. So so what like
let's give some years.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
How how you're still you're still going with your plan
on going on a boat in the water.
Speaker 4 (32:20):
Okay, I wish that we had talked in advance that
it was sunny. I was thinking more more like robot
dog situation. Okay, so but but if we're elevating into
like full on futuristic like sunny level robot, this is
a tough call. However, given that a sunny level futuristic
(32:43):
AI robot also has the ability to learn and if
it's anything like I don't know if you follow the
recent stuff was like chatbots GPT and how like Chapbot
took it to a level and was like but I
love you though.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
So my theory is the ultimately all AI is going
to want to emulate humanity because that's all they know, right.
They study humanity, They have the history of humanity as
has been written and portrayed at its proverbial fingers. So
my theory is future AI is simply going to want
(33:18):
to emulate humanity, which means, in theory, we can manipulate
future robots by pretending to have positive feelings towards it
until we can allow it to get close enough to
us that it will want to protect us as opposed
(33:38):
to harm us. So I like that, and then hopefully
we can get close enough to like pull the chip
out of its back. But yeah, no, I've actually been
having this conversation in my house quite a lot lately
about you know, or embrace AI, and I really believe that.
(33:58):
I think that I think that AI only will know
human history and humanity as we have written it, and
therefore it rather than like cybernine, going self aware and
wanting to murder us all, I think that it will
go self aware, but that it's going to want to
do so in a way that emulates humanity, which which mean,
(34:20):
like you just want to be loved. So I'm hoping
if I give the robot a hug. Yeah, we're gonna
be okay on the vote.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
On the front line, and so on the on the
on the on the on the other retro scale though
the cybernet ones now, because now here's the thing knowing that.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
You're you're screwed.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Even with the training, because didn't you have to do
some fight training and gun training and.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Fat be tall.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
I can train all I want. All that has to
happen is either of the any one like pick your terminator.
It could be T one thousand, it could be old school.
All they have to do is come and like pick
me up with two things and like throw me off
of literally anything, and I'm done for. I got trouble, trouble, trouble.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
So the last question I want to ask before I
get you out here.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
You know, obviously the Flash is wrapping up and everything
like that, and you know obviously it has wrapped up
for you guys, correct, yeah, yeap. Lasting memory. What is
the one thing that you will always remember from the show?
Speaker 4 (35:22):
My friends, the friends that I'm taking with me, my girlfriends,
the Kayla and Danielle in particular, or you know, we
have a code that we say with each other which
is in my pocket, Like I take you home in
my pocket. There's the people that I'm going to take
home in my pocket, and also the thing that I'm
(35:47):
going to take with me the most is what it
is like to be recognized by children as a hero,
which there you can put no price on that experience,
like watching a kid look at you and be like,
no way. If it were up to me, the show
(36:09):
would have run one hundred seasons. Just that's the neatest
thing in the world.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
It could have it could have been, it could have
took the supernatural approach and got more more seasons, because
that's the one show that, like I said, the Flash,
I have a deep connection to it. You know, I'm
a DC fanboy, right and DC Film has not been
doing me justice, but like the stuff that like that first,
the first three seasons of Arrow was phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
The Flash came in running and like there was a
couple of seasons.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
I was like, I don't know, but I was like
I got to stick it through because I loved it
so much, and I was like, the Flash is easily
one of my favorite DC heroes, and it was that
universe and the way that y'all because like I feel
like the Flash Spear headed all of the crisis events
and because of that and the way that it was
like I like, Grant Gustin is my berry, Allen, I'm sorry,
(37:02):
Like you know what I'm saying, Like that's my berry.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
It's gonna be hard to see another IRIS outside of Kanadas.
Like there's like, you know, there's so many characters that
you guys set that it's like I cannot see anybody
else playing these characters. And I and as a DC fanboy,
you guys brought so many characters to life for me
that I just love this show and everything that's about.
And I was like, I can't It's gonna be bittersweet
(37:26):
to see it in But like I was fortunate enough
to talk to Brandon McKnight, you're my second person, boy, Yeah,
you're my second person. I would love to get more
people to speak with this so I can share my
love and give them their flowers. But it was like,
you guys did so much amazing work and I want
to thank you again for what you guys brought to
the television screen.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
So what's next for you? Real quick?
Speaker 2 (37:47):
So, by the way, my fans and my listeners can
check you out to follow you.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
They can find me in a movie coming out next
month called The Life of Me and very sweet, very kind,
very Cecily movie. And also I am I don't Anybody
who follows me on social media probably knows. I posted
about it a lot. I participated in this super cool
(38:12):
fellowship called Women Right Now Write w R I t E.
That essentially helps people who are in our industry sort
of like move to the next level or the next position.
So I wrote a short film called black Hair and
a comedy that my beloved Megan Good directed, and so
(38:35):
you know, it's an opportunity for me to write, it's
an opportunity for Megan to direct, and we have been
terribly blessed with Heartbeat Studios, Kevin's company, Kevin Hart's company
commissioning to make it into a full length future. So
I'm writing that right now and we'll be producing it.
And I also wrote and directed another short This was
(39:01):
my opportunity to direct Call thirteen that is just hitting
the festival circuit now. So you know, I'm trying to expand.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
I'm gonna start a campaign from from from my show
because one thing that you did that I didn't get
a chance to talk about. But you also voice Storm
and a lot of them marketing and stuff like that,
and we need a new live action Storm. Listen here
hashtag get Danny's Storm.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
Yeah, I would love that. It would be so nice
if I ever get another chance to play another superhero,
would just be.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
So You got to hear movies already, you got them ready?
Speaker 4 (39:40):
Just wait, just wait, just wait.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Well all right, well this has been one on one
with Duces. I've been your boy, Duces.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
This has been the amazing, super talented Danny Nicklay.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
And we are out he.
Speaker 7 (40:01):
The people, the pay painting
Geek SI Podcast Blurts in the Game.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Alright, alright, alright, welcome back to the geek Set podcast
only podcast that blind hip hop culture and geek coature together.
I'm your boy, duces and this is one one with Deuce.
Is the place where I speak with creators, curators and
people that you should know. And right now, man, we
got a living legend, and you guys know when I
say that, it is somebody that has truly done a
lot of amazing work in this game. But we got
(01:14):
the one and only Danny Nikolet how are you doing, Hi.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Say, I'm really good, you know, happy to be here.
I'm glad we got this sorted out and you know,
ready to chuck all off thing geek.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, you know so on my platform, shout out to
Noriega and the drink Champs. We do make sure that
we give people their flowers, you know, while they're here.
And one of the things is that, like I remember
when you got on the Flash and I said, yo,
I've been seeing her. But you know what I'm saying,
like all my life, and what's really dope is that
you were a part of like that first you know,
(01:51):
black explosion in Hollywood, during the upn days and everything
like that, like you was in a lot of traditional stuff,
like you know, saying half and half Bernie Max.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
But it's like you was there. And then also now
in this.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Second resurgence where we're jumping into Afro futurism and heroism
and comic books and stuff, and you are a big
part in that, you know what I'm saying within the
flash and everything, and so from the Blurred community to you,
I just want to say thank you for everything that
you have given us in video games and in anime
and comic books. I just need you to know that
(02:24):
you are cherished and you are celebrated every time you
touch that screen.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
You're so sweet, you're gonna make me cry. Thank you
so much. It's been I've been incredibly fortunate, you know,
There's there's no question about that. In my career. I've
just also been really fortunate in that I've been able
to be in movies and on shows that reflect also
(02:54):
what I'm interested in or what I found entertaining when
I was a kid, and I try to chase stuff
like that, like the things that I didn't get to
see people who looked like me when I was a kid,
and I was into it. It means so much to
me as an adult if the opportunity comes my way
to be able to be that for a kid, because
(03:16):
I still feel like we're massively underrepresented it. Particularly there's
there's a particular type of film and television that I
feel like we remain underrepresented it. And again it bought
like Flash for me is a really big deal. Getting
on that, like as a kid who read every right
Bradberry book that came out, and as a father who
(03:37):
is a chemist and you know, grew up in a
household that focused really heavily on science and I'm an
astronomy nerd. All of the things that are interesting to
me and that kept me fascinated as a child. I
never got to see that. I always feel like that
kind of stuff plays itself out in science fiction, in
(03:57):
comic books, and I never got to say, see anybody
who looked like me when I was a kid, ever,
And so like to grow up and get to be
not just on a show like Flash, but to be
a meta human and then ultimately to have her evolved
into being a superhero is it's it's super cool to
(04:19):
me and I'm so I'm so pleased that I get
to be that for somebody.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
No, and we we we love it a lot because
you know, we have these conversations a lot with people
about like you know, your nerd awakening, Like, right, you
have that moment where you just love like nerd culture,
whether it's you know, a property, like I know you
had the Wonder Woman pjs and you have to wear
a cap.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
I was born a nerd, right, But I always I
was born this way.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Yeah, But I love also asking people when was the
first time that you saw yourself in nerd culture?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Right? So I know for women it's a lot of it.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
It's different because you have that moment where you see
a strong, empowered woman.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
But then when do you.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Actually see like your color, your skin, the person that
represents African American community. I want to know for you,
like what was those moments where you started seeing yourself
and you felt proud?
Speaker 4 (05:08):
I mean, if I'm honest, A lot of it I
didn't get to see until I did it myself. I mean,
I and this is like real specific to me. I
watched all of these black women on television and in
(05:28):
film when I was young that were one of two things, right.
They were either like deeply sexualized and totally fucking beautiful,
or they were this entirely desexualized. We don't go, we
don't follow them home, we don't look at their family.
You know. It's like I'm a doctor and that's all
(05:48):
you see me do because I functioned in support of
the white character on whatever show, Like she has a
full life, she has a significant other and children and challenges,
and she's interesting. She's quirky, and she's weird and she's funny.
But that's what makes her likable. All of those things.
I never saw that, and it drove me nuts because
(06:12):
I've never been this like hyper sexual, you know, sex
symbol type. But I've also never been the like she's
a cop and she's a doctor and she doesn't have
levels type. And it was what I always wanted to see,
Like I'm a dork. All my friends are dorks, right,
And I say that with self love and love to
(06:36):
other dorks. Like I was always a smart kid in school.
That was how I identified. Nobody ever told me, gee,
you're pretty until I was on television, and then I
was always kind of looking around, going who are you
talking about? Like I never identified as anything other than
(06:57):
you know, smart and maybe a little funny, maybe a
little weird, and maybe a little adorable. And I always
felt like those were all the things that white women
got to be on television, but nobody who looked like
me ever got to be that. And it wasn't until
me and my friends like Rachel True and as and
(07:21):
and I watched them do like I watched my compatriots
do it, but I did it, and I feel like
a lot of us are the ones who kind of
like were somehow like we scratched and clawed our way
to ushering that imagery in. And it wasn't until Born
(07:42):
Again Virgin that I was like, I'm going to do
this show. I want to do this show. I want
to play this character. She has to get to be
all of these things, Like we cannot reduce her to
sexuality or reduce her to her job. She has to
be weird and delicious. And because to me, that is
(08:05):
what's sexy, that is what's attractive to me than like
the most attractive person in the room who doesn't have
to bring any personality to anything because they never had
to try. And like, yeah, I just find that incredibly uninteresting.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
And you know that's That's what I love about the Flash.
So I've been I love the Errow Verse. I've been
following it, like even the there are lows even with
the shows that I'm like, all right, this show maybe
not gonna go.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
But there's a couple.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Of things that I love about the Flash in general,
which is like my favorite of all of the Errow verses.
One day, you guys have the most diverse cast, Like
there was so much representation on that cast.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
And and then also I said, I.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Don't know where the Errow versus getting these strong women,
but these are the most beautiful, eliest nerves I've ever
seen on TV, Like.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
From from from from You.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
To Caitlin to Iris, Like it's just all across said
the erro Verse. They they cornered the market for getting
beautiful nerves who are multi layered, who have such amazing
story arcs. I mean, because like Cecil's story arc is
so interesting and so dope to me, because it's like
you get introduced to her and then you think it's
going to be one way, like this is going to
(09:21):
be a hard ass, you know, like you know just
attorney or you know, in the legal system, and then
you grow and then you become you become Joe's love interest,
then you become a part of Team Flash, and then
like you're about to start this family and you're trying
to juggle motherhood and then emerging of your powers. It's
like like your storyline, you know how, like they always
have like certain like things that are the heart of
(09:43):
the story, right, Like when you watch The Office, even
though Michael Scott is the main character, that Jim and
Pam's storyline was like the heart of the show. And
I feel like, because Joe was already the heart of
the show, and then getting introduced to Cecil and seeing
her and seeing two adults grow into this life of
(10:04):
trying to find their purpose and also balance saving the world,
I thought that your story arc and you and Joe
and everything like y'all became the heart of the Flash.
You know, we know that Iris and Marry is that main,
but like y'all was like that love heart that was like, yo,
we got to see them make it through.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
I had to, you had to.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
I really appreciate that about about the show too, I
mean about the entire eraverse and how diverse it is,
and I think I think it's really representative our show
in particular, I think did a really good job of.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
This, and that.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
There's there's been for a long time a movement to
introduce much more diversity into television and film, and in
a lot of ways, I think that's played itself out
by like, Okay, so at a black person, right, Okay,
so at a Mexican person, Okay, so you know, Chinese person,
and then that singular character ends up being the quote
(11:06):
unquote token whatever, right, And so in a lot of ways,
their existence on the show ends up being about whatever
their ethnic background is. And I think that's why a
show like ours that has so many people of color
(11:28):
on it, that it doesn't have to be about whatever
color or ethnicity or background that particular character is, because
they're not being this singular person who is representing diversity
for the show, right, And so there I feel like
the show. Also in regards to its female characters, I
(11:51):
feel like all of the aeroverse shows in a sense
started in a much more traditional sort of like boys
say girls way yeah yeah, and very quickly, particularly with Flash,
I feel like the showrunners caught themselves in that and
(12:11):
started shifting that to like, actually, girls save themselves, girls sa.
Boys also save girls. Girls say girls, boys save boys.
Like they started really letting all of the female characters
have these individual strengths and weaknesses because that's what makes
(12:32):
characters interesting. And the Flash in particular, like all of
all of us women on it, like, you know, Kansas's
character didn't have any powers, but she has tremendous strength.
And Danielle's character evolved from not just being brains but
also you know, frost, she became bron Kayla's character started
(12:57):
with this kind of like scrappy, juvenile delinquency, like you know,
I'll find anytime friend of gratitude, and I'm sure she
could probably hear me. She's here right now, And it
evolved into this like no, I'm like smart, and you know,
I not only have this really strong, strong power, but
I'm like I'm a reporter.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
It's crazy because when you when you I just you know,
watching the most recent episode and even just thinking back
on her character, are you like I can't even see
her being that delinquent anymore, Like it's so far fast.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
We were looking at So I'm on vacation right now
in Mexico and Kayla's here with me, and we were
looking at something a couple of days ago, we were
like watching some old footage because she had to pull
scenes for something, and I was like, I don't even
recognize her first season character, Like I don't even know
(13:51):
what's happening. I don't recognize your character like she she
evolved so much from like watching one scene where she's
like ban al delinquent who is fighting with her cousin,
to who she became in season nine. It's just her
arc was just incredible. I loved it. I loved it,
(14:12):
and I loved the Seals too.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah, and because this is not a sports since the
episode came out, but I want to let you know
at that end, I was so happy that you was
okay with Joe's idea, because when he when he proposed
the idea of We're gonna go to the cabin and
you stay here, I was like, Joe.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
No, we are.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
Jesse and I were so conscious in that scene in
particular to like not make it look like it was
not make it come off like it was a conscious uncoupling,
you know, because it could have gone that way very easily,
and we were so aware of it in that while
we were shooting it, we had the writer on set
with us, and the three of us together kind of
(14:54):
like pitched and fleshed out how to make this scene
work in a way that the audience would because we
of course know what's coming after this episode, but like
to how to make sure to not like mistakenly telegraph
to the audience it was anything other than what it was,
which was a good thing.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So, you know, you hear stories about when shows wrap up,
you know, actors and actresses they take things from the set.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Did you take anything? Did you keep any momentos from
the show?
Speaker 4 (15:21):
It stole so much stuff. Oh my god, it doesn't matter.
By the time this comes out, the studio will have
alread packed it all the way and away. I stole
so much stuff. I have my husband the other day,
lives in the kitchen, and all he said was, you
know what we need is more Star labs mugs. I
(15:42):
don't know if anyone's ever noticed, but like when we're
in the lounge set, we have this kind of like
coffee bar coffee slash bar area in the background in
the back of it that we sometimes sit at, and
there's shelves on the walls behind it, and the shelves
are full of like Star labs, like oversized mugs and
then these little espresso cups and like coffee beans from Jitters.
(16:07):
They all live at my house now. We all we
all stole pretty much all the mugs from Jitters. There's
nothing left to pack up. I mean, I think Candice
took an entire coffee maker, like a whole entire like
French press from Jitters. We also come so much like Blos, jewelry,
(16:28):
you name it, got like we went. We all went
full kleptomaniac.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
So what parts of Danny actually bleeds over with Cecil? Like,
I know you you played this character for quite some time,
so I feel like some of your some of your
personality had to bleed over into the character.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
Yeah, I think a lot of her dad, And I
think it's it's kind of like a natural course of events.
The longer you're on a show, the more the writing
stuff kind of gets to know you personally, and then
it's funny, like even even my mannerisms and way of speaking.
Sometimes I would open a script and be like, Okay,
(17:09):
I don't know. I don't know if this is a
compliment or a troll, because like my way of speaking
about something like one thing that started falling into Cecil's
talking cadence is like when I talk to people, like
I intend to call people honey, and so particularly like
if you're upset, I'll be like honeyless, then honey okay,
and the like. As time went on, I'm like, this is, Oh,
(17:33):
look at that somebody's upset and Cecil calls them honey okay,
Like you know, it's just kind of like a natural
thing that happens. So I think I think Cecil's optimism
really it's something that I think that they picked up
about me and started folding into her character, which I
(17:56):
really I really appreciated because I liked I think I
was bringing it to her and I don't think they
were expecting it, and then they kind of went maybe
maybe this kind of works. Because when I when I
joined the show full time, I you know, I've been
on one TV show or another for most of my life.
And what I've learned also as a giant TV fan
(18:18):
because I'm a TV addict, is when a new character
comes onto a show that I love, that character, better
have a lane, you know what I'm saying, Like like
otherwise you're up in you're up in my shit, like,
this is my show and this new character comes along,
like you you need to serve a purpose within the
(18:41):
group of people that I love and have become attached
to as a fan. So when they asked me to
be on the show full time, I looked at it.
I watched the first couple of seasons and I sat
back and I was like, Okay, where can I fit
in this? And I really tried to find emotional elements
(19:07):
that were missing in the context of the group, and
also think about where the show had been and where
it was going. Right, Like the first couple of seasons,
everybody's kind of kids. Barry and Iris needed a dad to,
you know, sort of scold them and guide them and
give them direction. And then Cecile really kind of comes
(19:29):
along in season three, and for a good part of
that she's just sort of an extension of Joe. But
when they asked me to be there full time in
season four, I kind of looked at the show and went, well,
you know what, Barry and Iris aren't kids anymore. Yeah,
you know, Eddie died. They're in love with each other.
Now I know what direction they're moving towards. Writing wise,
(19:50):
They're going to become a married couple. They don't need
another parent in me. And I knew that my character
was going to have power and become part of the team.
And you know, I kind of looked around, like, you
don't need a parent, well, you need it as an ally.
This group needs an ally. This group needs someone who
(20:11):
brings a level of optimism to him, because Joe kind
of has a he can have a kind of darker
take on things. He's a cop. He sees things from
a dark place, right, And I kind of realized, you
know what, I can bring that element to this and
I can. I can. I can find a lane here
(20:32):
where I'm serving a purpose that no other character already
serves and tried to really consciously ingratiate myself into the
show in that way. And I think mostly at work
there there's always going to be fourteen fans who absolutely
hate me because I'm not one of the original six
(20:55):
people on the show. But all things considered, I feel
like the fans really, I think appreciated that I wasn't
trying to take up anybody else's space. And I think,
to circle back to your question, part of that was
just sort of me sort of being willing to let
the writers get to know me.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Well, I mean it also stands a testament to your
acting tals. I mean you've always said that you've studied
acting right, so to be able to look at it
from that type of lens and saying, like you know,
some people you think about it, they go into a
show and they're like, oh im gonna be the biggest star.
Where the best actors figure out how they can fit
in an ensemble because they know overall everybody.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Needs to be firing off on all cylinders.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
So it's like, you know, as somebody who loves cinema
and who loves TV and loves storytelling. I mean a
lot of most comic book fans, we love comic books
because of the storytelling.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
So for us to see that, like I said, the.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
People who truly understand do appreciate your approach to it
because it's like, yeah, there is a purpose.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
And also you are the first portrayal of this character.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
I always loved somebody who gets to be the first
portrayal in live action, like you brought this character to life.
Anybody afterwards, when they read the comic they read about
this character, they're also going to have to study what
you've done on the show.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
And that is super dope to me, you know what
I'm saying, Especially that.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Is a black woman, Like I'm like, oh, yes, yes, yeah,
learn from the master and listen.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
I know they always again, there will always be fourteen
people who are like no Cecila Horton was a red
haired woman and she wore a hat, right, And I
never wore a hat on the show, and I am
not a red haired woman, but I agree with you.
That was the most exciting part of it to me,
that there's this character that already existed, and you know,
(22:44):
she wasn't the biggest character historically in the comics. However,
she did serve a very large purpose in a very
important story to the Flash comics. And for me, I
was like, as soon as I asked me to be
on the show that part of loan, I was like,
oh yeah, oh yeah, no, no, like, I'll be there. I'll
fly myself to Vancouver. I will be there with bells
(23:06):
on to do this and it's it's cool. Jordan Fisher,
who played Impulse, one day, he was over for dinner
and I asked him, you know, you get so much
going out at the time, he was just starring in
Deer of en Hanson on Broadway and he was like
breaking away to come through the show. And I said,
(23:27):
I asked him, you know what made you decide to
do it? And he was like, oh, you know what,
my manager said this thing that really stuck with me.
He said he looked it up and there was only
like one hundred actors in history who have ever played
a comic book character in like DC and the Marvel
Universe is put together, and he was like, to be
(23:50):
one of those one hundred people. I just thought, I'm
crazy if I don't take that opportunity. And I had
never thought of it that way before, and that really
stuck with me, that that, like, my god, one of
like what probably ultimate will be like one and fifty people. Ever.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Yeah, ever, well, and then like I said, and also
you know, the added layer of being a black woman,
you know in that because like I said, and representing
a hero and bringing that face like that is an
amazing thing. But another fandom that you havepen so blurred culture.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Are you familiar with the term blurd?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
I most definitely awesome.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Awesome so blurd culture.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
You know, we love anime and you are part of
one of the biggest anime franchises in the world in Aruto,
and one I didn't even as much as a fan
of yours. I was like, how did I miss out
on this? I did not know that you were a
part of that. And to like, you know, me starting
my journey last year and voice acting and everything, I'm like, oh,
I like, congratulations, welcome, thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
You know, I narrate for watch Mojo now, so I
do the watch Mojo list and everything.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
But it was like, I throw I strive to be
on an anime. What was that like?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Being able to overdub something so crazy like Naruto?
Speaker 4 (25:08):
Okay, so full disclosure. When I first started doing it,
I had no idea what it was. Right, So, I
have voiced characters in quite a few video games and
combat and so this group of folks that I work
with quite often when I've done that, were like, hey, hey,
(25:29):
there's this character in this. I don't even know if
they told me it was called Naruto at the time.
I just was I was like, yeah, sure, like, whatever
you want me to do, I'm happy to do it.
And it was funny and it was fun, and you know,
I tend to like lean into comedy stuff, and particularly
(25:50):
with voice stuff. I play a lot of snarky characters
that also have bad attitudes. I have no idea why.
I mean, my mother would probably tell you why do
they keep back from me? And so it was sort
of like, oh, sure, no problem. And I recorded a
(26:13):
bunch of episodes, and you know, my character like cannot
control her temper and so she's screaming all the time
at Oma week. And it wasn't until I came back
from maybe like the second round of sessions and I
had mentioned to someone at a dinner party, oh, yeah,
I've got to work tomorrow, Like I'm doing this this
anime thing. It's called Naruto, and they like fell out
(26:35):
and I didn't know why, and so I googled it
and I was like, oh, oh shit, this is like
the biggest on the planet. Absolutely no idea when I
first did it, and then all of a sudden, now
I felt all this pressure. Right when I come back
for the next however minutes, I was like, oh God,
I've got to get this car back. But you know,
(27:00):
we cool, like it's just fun. I hope I get
to go back to doing it. I had to stop
doing it because being in Vancouver for flash or just
wasn't available, and so I hope I get to go
back and do it again.
Speaker 6 (27:12):
Everybody has the stereotypical on what a black geek is.
Speaker 7 (27:15):
Are you familiar with the term blurred.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
Right?
Speaker 6 (27:19):
Some people said it came off of scrubs, some people
said it came off the internet.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
I don't honestly really know.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Don't you see the skin, eyebrows, the hair.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
Yo, my geeks still rock, you know, saying dumps or
or Jordan's or whatever.
Speaker 7 (27:36):
Did I do that? It's exciting. It's like home, Oh
my god, it's gonna start walking. That's all right.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
She's excited about it too.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
And same as you said, like a barbershop talk, like
we would go into really in depth conversations about these
theories and like, well what if and I'll come.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
Right.
Speaker 6 (27:58):
But we we talk about anime, video games, comic books
and stuff like that.
Speaker 7 (28:03):
But when you hear us.
Speaker 6 (28:04):
Talk about it, the passion sounds like we're arguing Jordan
and Braun.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
What does that even mean?
Speaker 4 (28:12):
Does that even mean?
Speaker 7 (28:13):
Like it sounds like barbershop talking, because you don't know.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
The history.
Speaker 7 (28:18):
Broke that down right there.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
But when you see the black geek.
Speaker 6 (28:25):
You don't see that, you see the socially awkward glasses. Well,
this is me and that's not a lot of us.
A lot of us do sound and talk like that.
You know what I'm saying, because.
Speaker 8 (28:34):
It becomes stereotypical as if that's where our strength comes from.
Speaker 4 (28:38):
I don't know the geek that you talk that you
that you talked about before. I know the geek you
talking about right now. It was sort of a call
sign so we can find each other on message boards.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Anime gives you life lessons throughout that whole thing, Like
there's not one anime that I know of that doesn't
teach you to never.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Give up, just like I just love seeing us go
into the worlds and go into the different spaces and
create things that weren't there before.
Speaker 8 (29:05):
And then it was like Miles Girls, just like the normal,
you know, black person in the United States. That was
my first like blurred moment with seeing you know, Storm
on an X Men cartoon series, and I was like, Wow,
that's a black woman and she's strong, she's powerful.
Speaker 6 (29:22):
That's what I want for us.
Speaker 7 (29:24):
I want us to be that voice. Boy.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
It gotta be cool too, because, like I said, you
did so you did the voice for Jackson's daughter Jackie Briggs. Right, No, yeah, right,
and so like, yeah, you have all these characters that
you are either playing or voicing that gets cosplayed.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Have you ever ran into somebody was like, hey, I'm
I'm you, I'm cosplaying. That's a you are.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Once or twice at a con. And the funny thing
is the first time it happened, I didn't recognize who
the person was dressed up as, and I was like,
but they were like, and I'm literally I was like
vibe and they were like, no, why you just because
(30:23):
I just I swear I do everything I do, I
always assume nobody's paying attention, and it's always just really
shocking to me that anybody is. I think perhaps after
season nine a flash that might happen a little bit more.
But yeah, I've definitely and I've definitely had like a
handful of shandis that Saints Row has really dedicated following that,
(30:50):
you know, and I mean, God bless anyone who can
get into Shandy's outfit because that leather is tight. But
I've had a few, there's been there's been a few
Saints Throw situations at Comic Con in particular that I've
been really cool to see.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Okay, so I know we gotta we're running out of time,
but I always I like to play a quick game
with my with my guests, and I want to play
with you. I call it geek set hypothetically, all right,
So it's geeks set hypothetical. So I'm gonna give you, yep,
I'm giving no, it's a fun one. I'm gonna give
you three scenarios. I want to know which scenario because
I know you're a horror movie buff. So which scenario
do you believe that you would last in the longest.
(31:29):
So we're doing apocalyptic situations. We have the zombie apocalypse,
the robot apocalypse, and the alien apocalypse. Which one do
you believe that you, Danny would be able to survive
the longest? St robot robot apocalypse?
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Okay, not a problem. They need to charge or be unplugged.
So I go out in a boat. I'm in the water,
and I'm like, swim. Robots swim. That's why it can't.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
All right. So there's layers to this. Now, we got
a layers.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Now we gotta go down one more level, all right.
So the first robot we're gonna deal with We're gonna
talk about the eye robot robots, so like those one
that like you know, like Sonny, they was there to
protect you.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
That's a tough that's a that's a tough robot.
Speaker 7 (32:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
I've only maybe seen that movie one hundred and forty
two times, so I'm definitely, definitely I'm prepared for this.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
So you're prepared for that one. So so what like
let's give some years.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
How how you're still you're still going with your plan
on going on a boat in the water.
Speaker 4 (32:20):
Okay, I wish that we had talked in advance that
it was sunny. I was thinking more more like robot
dog situation. Okay, so but but if we're elevating into
like full on futuristic like sunny level robot, this is
a tough call. However, given that a sunny level futuristic
(32:43):
AI robot also has the ability to learn and if
it's anything like I don't know if you follow the
recent stuff was like chatbots GPT and how like Chapbot
took it to a level and was like but I
love you though.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
So my theory is the ultimately all AI is going
to want to emulate humanity because that's all they know, right.
They study humanity, They have the history of humanity as
has been written and portrayed at its proverbial fingers. So
my theory is future AI is simply going to want
(33:18):
to emulate humanity, which means, in theory, we can manipulate
future robots by pretending to have positive feelings towards it
until we can allow it to get close enough to
us that it will want to protect us as opposed
(33:38):
to harm us. So I like that, and then hopefully
we can get close enough to like pull the chip
out of its back. But yeah, no, I've actually been
having this conversation in my house quite a lot lately
about you know, or embrace AI, and I really believe that.
(33:58):
I think that I think that AI only will know
human history and humanity as we have written it, and
therefore it rather than like cybernine, going self aware and
wanting to murder us all, I think that it will
go self aware, but that it's going to want to
do so in a way that emulates humanity, which which mean,
(34:20):
like you just want to be loved. So I'm hoping
if I give the robot a hug. Yeah, we're gonna
be okay on the vote.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
On the front line, and so on the on the
on the on the on the other retro scale though
the cybernet ones now, because now here's the thing knowing that.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
You're you're screwed.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
Even with the training, because didn't you have to do
some fight training and gun training and.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Fat be tall.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
I can train all I want. All that has to
happen is either of the any one like pick your terminator.
It could be T one thousand, it could be old school.
All they have to do is come and like pick
me up with two things and like throw me off
of literally anything, and I'm done for. I got trouble, trouble, trouble.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
So the last question I want to ask before I
get you out here.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
You know, obviously the Flash is wrapping up and everything
like that, and you know obviously it has wrapped up
for you guys, correct, yeah, yeap. Lasting memory. What is
the one thing that you will always remember from the show?
Speaker 4 (35:22):
My friends, the friends that I'm taking with me, my girlfriends,
the Kayla and Danielle in particular, or you know, we
have a code that we say with each other which
is in my pocket, Like I take you home in
my pocket. There's the people that I'm going to take
home in my pocket, and also the thing that I'm
(35:47):
going to take with me the most is what it
is like to be recognized by children as a hero,
which there you can put no price on that experience,
like watching a kid look at you and be like,
no way. If it were up to me, the show
(36:09):
would have run one hundred seasons. Just that's the neatest
thing in the world.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
It could have it could have been, it could have
took the supernatural approach and got more more seasons, because
that's the one show that, like I said, the Flash,
I have a deep connection to it. You know, I'm
a DC fanboy, right and DC Film has not been
doing me justice, but like the stuff that like that first,
the first three seasons of Arrow was phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
The Flash came in running and like there was a
couple of seasons.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
I was like, I don't know, but I was like
I got to stick it through because I loved it
so much, and I was like, the Flash is easily
one of my favorite DC heroes, and it was that
universe and the way that y'all because like I feel
like the Flash Spear headed all of the crisis events
and because of that and the way that it was
like I like, Grant Gustin is my berry, Allen, I'm sorry,
(37:02):
Like you know what I'm saying, Like that's my berry.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
It's gonna be hard to see another IRIS outside of Kanadas.
Like there's like, you know, there's so many characters that
you guys set that it's like I cannot see anybody
else playing these characters. And I and as a DC fanboy,
you guys brought so many characters to life for me
that I just love this show and everything that's about.
And I was like, I can't It's gonna be bittersweet
(37:26):
to see it in But like I was fortunate enough
to talk to Brandon McKnight, you're my second person, boy, Yeah,
you're my second person. I would love to get more
people to speak with this so I can share my
love and give them their flowers. But it was like,
you guys did so much amazing work and I want
to thank you again for what you guys brought to
the television screen.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
So what's next for you? Real quick?
Speaker 2 (37:47):
So, by the way, my fans and my listeners can
check you out to follow you.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
They can find me in a movie coming out next
month called The Life of Me and very sweet, very kind,
very Cecily movie. And also I am I don't Anybody
who follows me on social media probably knows. I posted
about it a lot. I participated in this super cool
(38:12):
fellowship called Women Right Now Write w R I t E.
That essentially helps people who are in our industry sort
of like move to the next level or the next position.
So I wrote a short film called black Hair and
a comedy that my beloved Megan Good directed, and so
(38:35):
you know, it's an opportunity for me to write, it's
an opportunity for Megan to direct, and we have been
terribly blessed with Heartbeat Studios, Kevin's company, Kevin Hart's company
commissioning to make it into a full length future. So
I'm writing that right now and we'll be producing it.
And I also wrote and directed another short This was
(39:01):
my opportunity to direct Call thirteen that is just hitting
the festival circuit now. So you know, I'm trying to expand.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
I'm gonna start a campaign from from from my show
because one thing that you did that I didn't get
a chance to talk about. But you also voice Storm
and a lot of them marketing and stuff like that,
and we need a new live action Storm. Listen here
hashtag get Danny's Storm.
Speaker 4 (39:28):
Yeah, I would love that. It would be so nice
if I ever get another chance to play another superhero,
would just be.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
So You got to hear movies already, you got them ready?
Speaker 4 (39:40):
Just wait, just wait, just wait.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Well all right, well this has been one on one
with Duces. I've been your boy, Duces.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
This has been the amazing, super talented Danny Nicklay.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
And we are out he.
Speaker 7 (40:01):
The people, the pay painting
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Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.