📝 Spreaker Description: Get ready for real talk, big laughs, and behind-the-scenes gems as the cast of Highly Favored joins host Keith L. Underwood in the Green Room. Michael Colyar, KiKi Shepard, Chico Benymon, and creator Bentley Kyle Evans break down how the Impact Network dramedy came to life — and why it’s resonating with audiences across generations. 🎬 TV legends
🙏 Faith & purpose
😂 Stories that stick with you Stream now and find out what it really means to be “highly favored.” #HighlyFavored #BentleyKyleEvans #MichaelColyar #KiKiShepard #ChicoBenymon #FaithAndFunny #BlackEntertainment #ImpactNetwork #TVTalk #BlackInTheGreenRoom #KeithLUnderwood
🙏 Faith & purpose
😂 Stories that stick with you Stream now and find out what it really means to be “highly favored.” #HighlyFavored #BentleyKyleEvans #MichaelColyar #KiKiShepard #ChicoBenymon #FaithAndFunny #BlackEntertainment #ImpactNetwork #TVTalk #BlackInTheGreenRoom #KeithLUnderwood
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You are black in the green room with me, your host,
Keith Underwood, and this is your spot for real talk
about entertainment with the entertainers, creatives and show viz professionals.
We're honored to welcome to the brilliant minds and talent
behind highly favored on Impact Network, a new faith based
(00:21):
dramedy that's capturing hearts and shifting culture with a mix
of humor, healing, and hope. The series tells authentic stories
rooted in real life struggles and spiritual triumph. Joining us
are none other than legendary producer, writer, and showrunter runner
Lee Kyle Evans, known for bringing us black TV classics
like Come On Now, Come On Now, Clap It Up,
(00:44):
TV classes like Martin and The Jamie Fox Show. The
incomparable comedian and actor Michael Collier, who's wit and wisdom
have lit upstage all decades. And the iconic key Keith
Shepherd the love for her elegance, advocacy and long running
role as co host of Showtime at the Apollo. And
of course, we've also got in the room Chico Bennimon
(01:06):
after extraordinaire, what's up?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Everybody? Welcome to the room.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yes, how you guys do You're very welcome. You're very welcome.
Let's let's start this thing off real simple for those
new to Highly Favored. How would you describe the show
in just one sentence and anybody can grab that.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
It's blessed and highly favorite.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Baby, that's why you're the producer.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
It's a less and highly favored.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yes, yes, yeah, what makes it blessed and highly favored?
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Well, you can start at top.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
You can start with Bitley at the top, writing, directing, producing.
You got a show run a person that understands and
knows how to make a show great.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
So we start from the top. That's what blinnis.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
The cast is outstanding. The cast is just really amazing,
and then all of the people that went into making
this together. I have to give a major shout out
to our cast and director Fadri Harris, who put all
of these people together. She has a wonderful she has
a wonderful idea wonderful sense of what will work, and
combined with she and Bentley together, they put together a
(02:17):
phenomenal cast. So let's just say started from the top
with with Bentley coming on down to the cast, coming
on down to everybody that's surrounded that made this production happen, Sharon,
all of our everybody in the offices, everybody that does
all of the corporate stuff to make the the entertainment work,
because you know, it's called show business. Yes, what was
(02:39):
going and then the business was going.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
So now we got to hit yeah.
Speaker 7 (02:43):
Nice, nice when you said it, starting at the top,
start with me. I don't know what the hell is
going on in this interview.
Speaker 8 (02:51):
On the top of the cast, Michael all right, been
number one on the call sheets, number one on the
call sheet, y'all need it's off the Chaine.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
Yes it is?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no it is.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I had the pleasure of interviewing Reggie Hudland last week
and we talked about it. So yeah, I'm glad you
guys shouted it out. But but back to a highly
favored Bitley, do you feel highly favored with the staff
and the crew that you were able to and the
actors that you were able to put together for this project?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I do, indeed.
Speaker 9 (03:25):
I mean, look, I've been working with comedy greatness for
a very very long time, so I know it when
I see it, I feel it, I can taste it.
I know what it is, and this time it was
an opportunity to build a great show around the comic
genius of Michael Collier, and that's where it started. And
(03:48):
then from there we had to build what we call
a family friendly situation comedy for all generations to watch.
It's it's something that you know, I only can sit
down together and watch it and not feel any kind
of way other than goodness. We didn't want to make
it into a show that's just a preachy, preachy, preachy
(04:09):
show all that, but it's just a family show that
shows the dynamics of family.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
The church is just hanging in the background as the.
Speaker 9 (04:18):
Occupation that they that they that Michael's character runs. So
it's it's a really feel good, cast good, feel good comedy,
and we're hoping that this thing takes off like Gangbusters
and we can go in there and do some more.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
You know what I love about what you just said
is the fact that I was raised in the church
and I know that people are still human whether they're
in those four walls or they're outside of them, and
so you've just given some real perspective and insight into
what those people are really like.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
No filters, no.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Talking about Chico Benamin when you said that, RIGHTEO, I'll
let them talking about you and folks are just regular folks.
Let me tell you, I'm excited about it because, like
Bentley said, it is all generational. Anybody, no matter what age,
could walk into the room and sit down and watch
this show and love it.
Speaker 7 (05:15):
And you can come in and end.
Speaker 10 (05:17):
It part of the show.
Speaker 7 (05:18):
You don't have to see the beginning.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
You can walk in on any part of this show
and you're gonna laugh until the very end. And it
always carries a message of love and family. And our
main message is that everything's about family and God. Once
you get family and God down, everything else.
Speaker 10 (05:33):
Takes care of itself.
Speaker 7 (05:34):
And there's something that the audiences are sorely needing.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
There's no shows out that I can't even think of
where the whole family can gather and all of them
will be interested.
Speaker 10 (05:43):
You know what I'm saying. You can gather the whole family.
But it's not for everybody. This show is to everybody.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
If you if you can speak English and you know
the Lord, and even if you've ever had an experience
with spirituality in any kind of way, this show gonna
knock you out because it gets right down to it.
It tells the truth and it's funny, Like you said, Bentley,
without preaching to you, because don't nobody want to preach
to you right now. There's so much terrible stuff going on.
Y'all gave the keys to a clown Trump and now
(06:12):
y'all mad because we got a circuits.
Speaker 7 (06:15):
Everybody's upset.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Food so high, it's cheaper to eat the money. I mean,
it's nothing you can do without stressing. And now you
can sit down for just thirty minutes and let that go.
Speaker 7 (06:25):
Sit down and forget all your pains, all your struggles
and just.
Speaker 10 (06:29):
Enjoy and learn and lift. I love the show. Dropped
in the love colored hoodies.
Speaker 11 (06:40):
While like soundtracks, eight tracks, they get it back to
hell pees. That's a flashback. I lay they have fashion
on these streets like Beverly's hell Pass. For got every
one tripping queen that can't.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Help but fill the fops.
Speaker 11 (06:52):
It's a full of salt from these coach where the
raped beans great.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Everybody welcome black Yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So Bitley, as the creator and executive producer, what inspired
highly Favorite and how does it differ from the iconic
sitcoms that you've done in the past.
Speaker 9 (07:13):
Well, this is the first time that I've done anything
that was in the faith based arena. I and what
inspired it was, you know, growing up on shows like
Amen Uh, and then watching shows that came after that,
like Good News. I felt like both of those shows
kind of gave an in depth look at what was
happening on the inside of the church, and I felt
(07:35):
like we didn't get enough of that. So I felt
like we needed we needed to do something like that
for the new generation so that they would have their
amen and shows like that. So I think that's what
the inspiration was, Like, Hey, you know what, one of
the one of the wonderful sayings out there on the
street was when you ask somebody how they're doing and
they say, I'm blessed, I'm highly favorite. Well, I felt
(07:58):
like that's a wonderful name for the show and it
gets the attention of people, and truly I wanted to
do a show that was highly favorite. So that's that's
what the inspiration was behind putting the piece together. And
I felt like, you know, Michael, with his strong voice,
he's got that that my show raspiness in his voice,
(08:19):
and I said, not some preacher's voice right there?
Speaker 3 (08:22):
If I haven't seen one, so literally, there was no
two ways about.
Speaker 10 (08:26):
He had to be the guy.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
When they said he wasn't available, I said, we'll wait.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
You gotta wait till he's available. Yeah, that's nice, Chico.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
With everything that you've done in your career, all types
of genres, all types of comedy. Is this your first
time in the faith based space?
Speaker 4 (08:45):
No.
Speaker 12 (08:45):
I did a movie.
Speaker 13 (08:48):
Last two years ago called The Perfect Mate with Lawrence
I always get his last name wrong, Jacob Williams, Lawrence
Jacob Williams, jack A and uh it was I played.
Speaker 10 (09:03):
Large Hilton Jacobs.
Speaker 12 (09:05):
Am I saying it right wrong to arge Hilton Jacobs lace.
Speaker 10 (09:11):
Getting them in the right order, go ahead.
Speaker 13 (09:14):
So so we did a movie called The Perfect Mate
and the I played the the I was an actor
who got hired to play a fiance because the lead
girl fiance got caught. She caught him cheating on him,
so she hired me to play him. But she didn't
tell me that he was a preacher. When I get there,
(09:38):
Lawrence Jacobs is his father. He's like the cleftlow Dollar
of the South. And he's like, oh, so this is
the pasta and I'm like, who the pasta?
Speaker 12 (09:48):
I'm the past of us.
Speaker 13 (09:50):
All these things pop up and it was a faith
based movie and it did really well. We shot in
Louisiana and I produced on it and it was fun.
Speaker 12 (10:00):
It was fun.
Speaker 13 (10:00):
So like, but my mom is a prophet, so I'm
a preacher's kid. So I was raised in the church.
When Bentley came to me with this role, he said, Chico,
I got a role that's you.
Speaker 12 (10:11):
And I was like, oh, then I'm gonna kill it.
And he was like no, no, no, no, no, I mean no,
it's like literally you, he said, because you played in
the church. Because I've been playing piano since I was five.
Speaker 13 (10:22):
I was playing choiet when I was twelve, and you know,
when he came to me with this, I was like, yo,
I did exactly the same thing. I was running the
church choirt and then I got into R and B
music and I left the church and you know, my
mom she put me on the piano because she wanted
me to be the church organist. And you know, I
(10:44):
got into the whole R and B world left and
you know, never came back. And then you know, I've
come back and forth, like when I go to New
York to see my family, you know, I may go
into the church, jump on the organ, whatever the case.
Speaker 12 (10:59):
But it wasn't too far.
Speaker 13 (11:01):
From who I was growing up, So it just felt
natural to me that.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
My mind, I didn't know all that Chekiki.
Speaker 12 (11:10):
And the Crazy Day with Kiki, how we're connected.
Speaker 13 (11:14):
I performed on the Apollo three times in one okay, yeah,
I won on the Apollo three times.
Speaker 12 (11:20):
Me and I was in a group called Trey.
Speaker 13 (11:22):
Knox and were signing Willi Smith, and before we met
will we went on the Apollo. But when ki Ki
was on it, they did like Wednesday nights, right, Kiki,
like the TV shows?
Speaker 6 (11:34):
No, the TV show was the Wednesday Night was different
than the actual TV show.
Speaker 13 (11:40):
Yeah, yeah, But we had to sign contracts because before
you go on television, and my manager didn't like the contract,
so we never I never got the opportunity to do
the television version with Kiki, but I always saw Key
Key when we would be there working with the band.
Speaker 10 (11:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Nice man, Nice Michael, the legendary Michael call here.
Speaker 10 (12:03):
That's kind.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
You've had such a dynamic career in comedy and acting.
What drew you to this project and what does your
character allow you to explore?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Maybe that you haven't before.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
There are so many things that drove me to this project. First,
the very fact that Bentley Evans said he had.
Speaker 10 (12:23):
Something for me.
Speaker 7 (12:24):
He brought me in for another one of his shows
a few weeks earlier called.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Mind your Business, and when I walked in, the first
thing he said to me is Michael, I got something
for you. Not of course, I didn't pay no attention.
People always tell you that stuff in Hollywood. Oh man,
I'm gonna get with you. So I just took it
with a great assault and kept it moving. And to
get the call that I had that part and able
(12:50):
to remember the brother said he really had that for me.
That in itself was exciting before you even knew what
was going on. And then secondly, to work with Kyle
Bentley Evans, Bentley, Kyle Evans, whatever way you do your.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
Three days stude, man, you want to.
Speaker 10 (13:03):
Talk about it. We can't even talk about legends unless
we talk about him.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
This dude used to come and see me on Venice
Beach when he was a kid.
Speaker 10 (13:10):
Talking about getting in the business.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Then I looked up and saw him do parts on
Martin as an actor, as a comedic actor. Then next
thing I know, he was writing. Then the next thing,
I know, he's producing. The next thing, I know he's
executive producing. And then he move moves on to help
po create and executive produce Jamie Fox Show. Both of
these are iconic classic shows. And for that guy to
(13:33):
create a part just for me, dude, I was already there.
I didn't care what the part was, what he was doing.
I was in there like swimwear.
Speaker 7 (13:39):
But then you get there and you see the script.
The scripts are so good, the words are so good.
Speaker 10 (13:44):
It's so much fun.
Speaker 7 (13:45):
You have so much to work with.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
So I was in a storyline, the storyline to be
able to talk about family and God and talk about
the church and how to deal with it, you know,
because I got two sons. One wants to take it
over because he thinks I'm old over the hill on
the time to come on with new ways.
Speaker 10 (14:01):
And one just won't go on. Boy his bed, don't
have nothing to do with it. But get me living
in my house. Let you play that keyboard.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
So the thing is, you got real family, you have
real stories without preaching the people, without beating people.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
Up, and real fun.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
It's so many things that draws me to it. I
can't wait till we do the next six episodes.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Nice, Nice, the lovely Key Key Shepherd.
Speaker 10 (14:22):
What's that? Tho we.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Hey, So you're a.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Legend in hosting an advocacy.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
How did stepping into this acting role challenge or excite you?
And how does your presence on the show reflect the
kind of legacy that you want to leave.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
I was very excited Glen Bentley and Thane you said, look,
this has we got something new. I was very excited,
especially to be working with Michael, to be playing Michael's wife,
to be the first lady of the church.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
You know.
Speaker 6 (14:55):
Michael said he didn't know I could act, But I've
been doing quite a bit of acting for the past
fifteen year, just not in great focus of a lot
of people.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
But I knew that I could do this.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
I knew that I could do this, And then when
I saw the script, I said, oh, yes, I know
I could do this with my son Chico, and my
son didn't know Anthony at all, didn't know the little
girl that's gonna be the granddaughter. But I understood la
Vesta well. I understood exactly who Lavester Crawley was supposed
to be. She's supposed to be the best support system
to her husband, Michael Crawley. She's supposed to be the
(15:29):
best mother to her two sons, the best grandmother to
her grandbaby. But she's also supposed to be the first
lady of the church. And that was one of the
things that really attracted me greatly, to be the first
lady of the church. To play that kind of a
role was exciting, challenging, fun because you cannot be you
cannot help but have a good time. When you got
(15:50):
Melanie Camacho next to you, you understand what I'm saying.
Ar contrast, and Melanie and I are all friends from
way back in short time at the Apollo Days, great friends,
Rodney Perry just it was just such a wonderful combination
of people in the cast that made me say, Okay,
I can do this and I can have a great
time doing it. So it was a challenge, but it
(16:10):
was a welcome challenge. It was a I worked with
Bentley on Mind your Business. You know, I knew he
knew what I could do, and I was really, really,
really anxious for him to pull even more out of
me because I'm not I was I've not been ever
afraid of acting. I just never really had all the
opportunities because people knew me from showtime in Apollo. They
knew me as a host, they knew me as a
(16:31):
girl that wore pretty dresses. But I had been working
on my craft all these years, so you know, they
say stay ready, so you ain't got to get ready.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
That's right.
Speaker 10 (16:40):
I didn't think you could act.
Speaker 7 (16:41):
And I'll tell you what, why do you think I
could act?
Speaker 5 (16:44):
Michael?
Speaker 10 (16:45):
That's right?
Speaker 7 (16:45):
And when I found out you my wife, I said, hell, no,
she's with Bentley.
Speaker 10 (16:51):
The hell is going on.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
Anything? Thank you.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
I've never seen your acting anything, and you came and
you did your damn excuse me, you did the damn thing.
Speaker 10 (17:04):
You really did it.
Speaker 7 (17:05):
I mean I even watched your mind work.
Speaker 10 (17:08):
I watched her.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
You get the certain scenes and what that. That doesn't
really make sense to do it that way. She would
We tried this way, and I'm going, damn, she's acting like, no,
you killed a girl. I was honored to play your husband.
Speaker 10 (17:21):
It was really really.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
Good, and I mean the way we played back and
forth with each other, I really like when you try
to take over the church decide you're gonna be doing
sermons and stuff.
Speaker 10 (17:30):
I was like, oh, this is really good puting each
other back and forth.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
That's the joy of acting. It was a dance, and
thank you for coming with it.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 6 (17:39):
Thank you by putting together people that could really play
off of each other.
Speaker 7 (17:44):
You know, But did we even needed.
Speaker 6 (17:50):
I got?
Speaker 12 (17:51):
Of course, you need me because you how to how
to handle that first on the call. She you need
somebody would experience.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
And wait a minute, you can't be a number one
if there's not a two, three, four, five, six.
Speaker 5 (18:12):
Everybody understand that this is an ensemble piece. Yes, Michael
is supported.
Speaker 10 (18:18):
All of the real all of us are all supporting.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
Piece in any church.
Speaker 12 (18:25):
The pastor, you got some troubles.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
Because he got back up.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
Ain't no man, no no good without the woman next
to him, not behind it. That's okay, let's be clear.
And that's one of the things that the show does
deal with is how my how Michael Uh, the pastor
and the first lady come together to understand and know
that he is still the head rooster in this in
this barn, he can still do everything no matter what
our sons say they want to do. I am Michael's
(18:53):
ride or die. I am the ride or die. That
is my role as his wife and as the mother
of his and the first lady of the church.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Is to make sure that everybody understands that this is
the man.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Come on, shepherd, embracing that character, making it real.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Come on, you know, when you think about it is
so real. All of us, like she Coo said, all
of us have church.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Experiences growing up.
Speaker 6 (19:17):
I grew up in Texas on the child and I
remember a lot of dirt in the church, first Baptist church,
lots of it. But I also remember what my mom
and dad would be saying in the house about what
you have to do and what has to happen because
church is a business. Let's remember that church is a business,
and so you have to have the ability to deliver
the word, which Michael is expert at delivering the word,
(19:38):
but you also have to teach a business together.
Speaker 5 (19:40):
You'semble I'm saying. So I appreciated that. I yes, I.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
Jumped into the role of being his wife and the
mother of his kids and the grandmother. But the first
lady was very important to me because you know, these
little pipper snappers be coming up thinking they can run
everything and say something to me, I am the first lady.
You ain't a prawl yet, watch yourself yet.
Speaker 10 (20:05):
This show.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
I haven't seen this show, but I already know the
show is good because this stuff that we are doing
right here, this is what we did for the whole show.
Speaker 7 (20:14):
We had the time we played with each other.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
We bounced off because nobody was up tight, nobody was arrogant,
nobody was walking around like they was all that. Everybody
had fun and everybody helped everybody make it work.
Speaker 7 (20:26):
It's such a rich stories, the story.
Speaker 10 (20:29):
To each week.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
And when you get to the one with the brother
in the wheelchair, if you don't get in a ward
for that, there's something very wrong with Hollywood.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
When that boy stood up in that chair, I cried,
Now I ain't gonna.
Speaker 10 (20:41):
Say no more than that. I said, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
And another good one is when Chico finds out that
the woman that his brother is dating he got history with.
Oh my god, it was great.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
It was just one thing that this goes back to
Bentley and understanding and knowing what makes funny, but makes funny.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
That's Gus.
Speaker 12 (21:06):
You know what he's doing for real.
Speaker 11 (21:14):
Dropped in the love colored hoodies while I'm like soundtracks,
eight tracks, They get it back to hell these that's
a flashback. I mean they have fashion on these streaks,
like Beverly Hell pass for got everyone trapping Queen that
can't help but.
Speaker 10 (21:26):
Fill the fox.
Speaker 11 (21:27):
It's a full of sul from these coach where the
rap beans grease.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Yeah, yeah, you know that first episode when we had
the Gospel Strippers is probably one of the best. Now
understand the Gospel Strippers only stripped down to the pig
leaves and they only accept.
Speaker 10 (21:48):
How but they were fabulous. You have to watch the episode.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Wait a minute, Michael, but a big leaf. It shows
a whole lot more than a g string.
Speaker 7 (21:57):
So there was a big fig leaves though I don't
know what they fertilizing.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
That no honor to be on a show like this
where everything comes together and works, where everything flows and
you don't have to work.
Speaker 7 (22:13):
All you have to do is play. If we could
play as artists, then we get to it.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
And like like Bentley was saying, if God's not in
it doesn't mean anything for me. If with God you
can do anything and everything everything, and without God you
bumbling around trying to figure it out. So imagine our
show is faith based, but because our leader is good
Old God, g O D. So it made it really
easy to have God and Billy coordinating together. That's a
(22:43):
team for your Patucas.
Speaker 10 (22:49):
I ain't cussing on it.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
This is faith base, but I had some words I
want to say.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
You know, Keith, I did a show on Broadway, call
your Arms to Short.
Speaker 10 (22:57):
To Box with God. Wow.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
Did it first with Jennifer Holiday, Then the second time around,
I did it with Patti Label is the Star, And
the second third time around, I did it with Bell
and al Green. I went to church eight shows a week,
you hear me, And that show is what really awakened
the true essence and belief in the spiritual life that
(23:20):
I always knew I had. But doing that show just
and reinforced everything so much to me that when it
came to being in the church, That's what I mean,
I wasn't scared because I was already prepared for having
done done your Arms Short for good five years. That
was a five year run of those three different people
on Broadway, three different times.
Speaker 13 (23:39):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (23:40):
The first the first act was the was The first
was the First test Testament?
Speaker 10 (23:46):
What am I ting?
Speaker 5 (23:50):
Uh? The first the first book God.
Speaker 7 (23:53):
I'm not going you could do it.
Speaker 6 (23:56):
From the birth of Jesus Christ, to the to the acousification,
to that, to Crucifixion. Thank you so much for words again, Jumble.
That was the first act. The second act was nothing
but praise and worship. Praise and worship with Patti LaBelle
with Jim for Holiday with al Green. Al Green opened
the second half of the show coming down the aisle
just like Michael in the road, preaching that Holland women
(24:19):
were throwing their patties and stuff, that the man in
this is the truth you' all, So I will send
all that to say that having done that show also
gave me ammunition, also gave me the understanding really of
what the church is about from the perspective of a
lot of people, because the show was cast with a
lot of people from the from the church world, singers
(24:41):
and actors from the church world, and then there were
those bus that were just Broadway people. But we got
the true essence of what for what praise and Worship
was about. So coming in to do this show with
Michael understanding and all what he's doing, with Chico understanding
and knowing how he does, He's going to secondar music
with his son, with Anthony wanting to make the church
(25:01):
be much more modern and taking the old ways that
his dad is away with, the girlfriends that were coming
in with the sons, all that, and then the mother
that I'm thinking she don't like me, She's thinking I
don't like her.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
Bibe Drake was a joy to work with.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
She is a pistol you hear me. She's a whipper
stepper but yet but in real real life she is
just the sweetest, most wonderful person. But you cross her
when she's acting, she knows just how to just pull
you in, just like that. It's a little scene where
she's doing something that I go to go for her
and Michael is brabs me and pulls me away. But
I think was really really funny. That was just what
we felt. That was just something, you know, and then
(25:42):
we embellished upon it. So all of our experiences, each
one of us has had experiences that we are bringing,
in my opinion, we're bringing to this piece that enhances
us and feels upon what what what Vintma gives us
on the paper. So I guess, like you said, you know,
if you if you can with talented people, you just
(26:02):
sit back and let them bring what they know to
the piece and then you pull it to what it
really needs to be. We are really blessed and highly
favored to be a part of this project in so
many ways, and I can't say thank you enough.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
I love it, and I want you to know I
believe in the project. You know, because I was only
scheduled for four days, I stayed the extra day. And
there wasn't even about not getting no money for it.
It was because I had another gig I was supposed
to be at.
Speaker 7 (26:32):
I canceled that because this show you could tell by
the second day. I could tell by the first day
that this show is important.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
This show is going to be something because of the
writing and the fun, the camaraderie, the way he was
doing it.
Speaker 10 (26:44):
It wasn't something. This ain't something that just a regular show.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
There's something special about it, and I need to be
in the midst of that specialness.
Speaker 9 (26:51):
Man.
Speaker 7 (26:52):
I'm so honored that you allow me to be part
of this.
Speaker 10 (26:54):
Man, this is great stuff, absolutely all right.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
I take to think that I got to finally work
with you, Benny Mine.
Speaker 10 (27:01):
Yes, follow this.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
Young man for years.
Speaker 10 (27:04):
He is love.
Speaker 6 (27:06):
And I lovely and your mama baby, to be your mama.
I am old enough to be his mama. Don't act
like I'm old enough.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
I'm not old enough. You know, I'm you know what,
that's the joy of TV, you know.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
You can just uh put that reality aside and go
ahead on with the fantasy.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
As long as we acted at people believe it than
it is.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
This what's so cool about this is this company shows
you how to get to the show. Nobody shows you
how to get to the show. The shows online and something.
Speaker 10 (27:37):
You gotta figure it out with us.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
All you have to do is go to watch Impact
dot com.
Speaker 10 (27:42):
It opens up and directs you how to get to you.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
Number, put your zip code in, your your eric coding
your zip code in, and then it'll tell you exactly
what channel it is in your neighborhood. Oh that's flat
of me. I ain't never seen nobody do that before.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
All Right, you're like, I gotta I gotta take ao,
I gotta take a quick commercial break.
Speaker 10 (28:01):
But when we keep commercial back, I'm sorry when.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
We come back in the green rimber.
Speaker 5 (28:13):
Dropping.
Speaker 10 (28:14):
I love color hoodies.
Speaker 11 (28:15):
While I'm like soundtracks, eight tracks, they get it back
to hell.
Speaker 10 (28:19):
These that's a flashback. I say.
Speaker 11 (28:20):
They have fashion on the streets like Beverly Hill Pass
for got everyone dripping clean.
Speaker 13 (28:25):
That can't help but.
Speaker 10 (28:26):
Feel the fox. It's a full of soul from these.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Cold sweater rat beings. Christ Hey, what's up y'all?
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Welcome Black, Thank you, thank you, thank you, and I'm
having a good time with y'all. Bentley, Kyle Evans, you
built entire universes for black storytelling. What does faith based
storytelling mean to you now? And what doors do you
hope this opens in Hollywood and beyond beyond beyond?
Speaker 9 (28:57):
I mean, let's look, let's just keep it real and
it doesn't happened unless God is in it. Let's just
be let's just go right to the top, right, It
doesn't happen unless God is controlling it. And for us
to all come together and be on one accord. And
we laughed, and as you can see from our playful banter,
what it was like on the set, I mean, we
(29:19):
were clowning, but then when it came time to get
it done, everybody focused, got into their character and we
knocked it down.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
I'm hoping that it it opens up.
Speaker 9 (29:28):
The opportunity, of course, to do uh, to go from
six episodes to one hundred episodes and beyond and you know,
just to just to continue to be able to tell
our stories, our way to keep the block initiative alive.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
And that's really my focus.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
M hm, well, your directorial style, I'm sorry, really sore
is because he was not all over us about it.
He let us know what our parties and gave it
to us and got out of our way. And if
we thought something that was funny, he was always open
to try it. If we tried it was funny, it
got to stay in. It's not like no stick with
(30:07):
the script doing like that.
Speaker 10 (30:08):
He wasn't rigid.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
He gave us enough room to really explore and unfold
into our character and so that that's what made it
so excellent and so much.
Speaker 13 (30:17):
Fun you know, by he respects our uh resumes, so
you know, you know it's funny because you know, I'm
always like, you know, he's the captain of the ship.
So I'm always going up to him like Bentley, can
I do this? He's like, yo, Chico, do you like
(30:39):
you know you know what you're doing. You've been doing this,
do you I'm like yeah, But he's like cheek. If
we don't like it, we go back to the original.
Speaker 12 (30:47):
But just do you man, I trust you that like that?
Speaker 5 (30:52):
Yes, said to me, he lets us don't like it.
I'm sorry, Chico, I'm sorry.
Speaker 12 (30:58):
I was done.
Speaker 6 (30:59):
That's I'm just so excited to support what you says.
That's exactly what Bitley said. I would say, Well, Bitley,
or did you how did this?
Speaker 5 (31:06):
He said? Did I say anything about it? I said no?
He said, well, if I don't say nothing, keep on going.
Speaker 12 (31:11):
Do you be you?
Speaker 5 (31:12):
We want the real youth.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
You know, And that was that was one of the
things that made me feel comfortable enough to try a
lot of different things, to just be secure in that
I am giving the best that I can give in
combination with my fellow actress. Messing with Michael up on
the stage, up in the pulpit was just like he said,
We've known these other one hundred and forty five years,
(31:34):
so it's just it was a natural thing, you know.
Speaker 5 (31:37):
Just challenge what what what what? And it worked that.
Speaker 6 (31:39):
Bitley was very much if it don't work, I tell you.
But if I don't say nothing, if you don't hear
me say anything, keep on going.
Speaker 10 (31:45):
Listen.
Speaker 9 (31:46):
I've been on sets. I've been on sets with where
other people were at the helmet. I watched how they
did things, and sometimes it was too stringent. They would
they wouldn't allow the actors to be all that they
could be.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
And I'm going, well, that's a wasted their talent.
Speaker 9 (32:01):
If I'm hiring great people and putting them in positions,
it means that I trust their ability to be able
to deliver and listen. Uh, you know, as far as
comedians go, Like with Michael, he's a comedian, so I
can't tell him what's.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Funny, but I can judge it. I'm Bill Jackson in
a sense.
Speaker 9 (32:21):
I ain't in the basketball, but I know when it's
a good play, and I know how to shumble a
good team to win a championship.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Hey, but Rodney Perry wonderful.
Speaker 7 (32:35):
He's so good in his party, so good to play
off of.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
You know, he's got the chops, you know, I mean
bed Drake as my mama beat.
Speaker 7 (32:48):
You every time, y'all fuss that was heaven on Earth, baby.
Speaker 6 (32:51):
But the thing with you and Dorian Wilson, Michael, that
whole show with you at I was just standing on
end up having to come in my mouth to not
interrupt the you know, the shoot, just wonderful work. Melody Camarcho,
Rodney Perry. We have a lot of our supporting ladies.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
You know.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
It's just it's just a well rounded cast, well written show,
has all the elements makeup, hear and makeup wardrobe.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
We looked and felt like we.
Speaker 6 (33:23):
Were a million bucks and we therefore were free to
go out and do our best.
Speaker 13 (33:28):
That was my first time working with Anthony Gooseby too.
Like Anthony, he really brought it man like he was clutch.
Speaker 12 (33:38):
I was giving him that nickname.
Speaker 13 (33:39):
I was like, yo, you clutch Man because I never
worked on him before.
Speaker 12 (33:43):
And he, I mean he he was amazing. Man.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
He brought it like you would not believe. I can't
wait to work on another project with him. That guy
was so good. The choices, the acting choices that he made.
I was like, WHOA, how they come up with that?
And I'm thinking about the one same way he's hiding
had a couch and then he comes out and rolls.
Speaker 7 (34:05):
Why is he rolling around the guys from us?
Speaker 10 (34:09):
It was just so good. It's so good. It's so good.
Speaker 13 (34:11):
It was so much physical comedy on set, like that's
what that was. Another thing like Bentley, he's so great
with letting us use our bodies to sell the funny,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 9 (34:26):
Yeah, And you know that that goes back Keith, that
goes back to uh, you know, working with with with
Martin Lawrence on the Martin Show, I got a chance
to witness a comedy genius.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
And I don't even know if Martin knew he was a.
Speaker 9 (34:38):
Comedy genius at the time, but to watch his physical promise,
I mean, it gets no better. And then watching a
cast like that sing together. So I'm always trying to
recreate that experience, uh every time I do a show.
So shouts out to Martin for that too.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
And I hate to use the word so much as genius,
but Martin is a genius. When I was come on
that set, I would watch Martin, and Martin would do
a scene and then he go he go back to
his dresserom and watch the next scene. And then he'll
come down and walk up to one actor and whisper
in his ear about a change, and then that actor
would go back and do that stuff. I almost said
(35:17):
the Sahi teach he did it and then a thousand
times better because of the eye.
Speaker 7 (35:23):
And that's what you have. That's what you have. Bientle Ebbings.
Speaker 10 (35:26):
You have the eye.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
You really know what it's supposed to look like. It's comedy,
And I don't see why we acted like we're surprised.
You've been doing this for thirty years, brother, looking together
these shows, working with these casts, knowing what artists works
good with, which artists, what scenes work. So it probably
was really easier than you then, I.
Speaker 7 (35:44):
Know, but I know you have fun.
Speaker 10 (35:46):
The whole time.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
You walked around and you smiled, and I mean it
was no point where you looked up tight. There was
no point where you looked like, ah, this ain't working,
and you was just flowing and that gave us permission
to flow.
Speaker 10 (35:57):
To brother, Yeah, it good. It's good stuff, Biley.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
What does it feel like to hear all of this
praise and yes, I said praise, all of this praise
from your peers.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
What does this feel like?
Speaker 9 (36:09):
Hey, listen, I'll take the flowers. I don't want them
when I'm going, I'll take them down. It feels good, though,
to be honest with you, I feel like you know,
when you hear that kind of stuff, it makes you
feel like, Okay, your work wasn't done in vain.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
You know, if I didn't learn anything.
Speaker 9 (36:25):
After all those years of putting things together, I learned
how to work with actors and how to get the
best out of them and how to allow them.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
To be free. So it makes me feel really good
to be recognized for that.
Speaker 9 (36:41):
Because a lot of times we're the behind the scenes guys,
so we go as the unsung heroes. But it feels
good when somebody can say, hey, man, great job and
we see you, So it feels really good.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
Nice and your team, sir, and your team all the
way down to your wife who's running around posted up pictures.
Speaker 10 (37:01):
And carrying things.
Speaker 7 (37:02):
I mean she's.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
Carrying things, you know. And that's why I found out
with my wife. When you in a relationship, you either
have a teammate or an opponent and partner. You have
a teammate and you're all your staff, everybody I'm hiring.
I swear I'm gonna get a show and hire that
wardrobe girl, the girl who had the baby whose mama
was always there.
Speaker 7 (37:21):
Yeah she she is heaven.
Speaker 10 (37:23):
But y'all should have gave me credit, Mike, Mike type.
But I'm we go back.
Speaker 4 (37:29):
I got to get my own wardrobe credit because I
was some fly stuff. They're gonna be thinking, Wow, where
do you get that budget? They didn't get it from
over there.
Speaker 10 (37:36):
I'm just joking. We will give it to you.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
I'll tell you that. We'll give you that credit with
some fly stuff.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
It looks so good, everybody though. Everybody looks so good.
I mean the pictures are so crisp and clear. That's
what I'm so excited to be through with this interview
so I can go watch the show.
Speaker 11 (37:55):
Were move it right alive, dropped in the love color hoodies,
flop like soundtracks, eight tracks, they get it back to
hell these that's a flashback. I lay they have fashion
on these streets like Beverly Hill Pass for got everyone
(38:15):
trapic queen that can't help but fill the Fox. It's
a full of su from these cold sweater raped beans.
Crease welcome Blind.
Speaker 10 (38:28):
Tell me to tell you about some of the other
shows he had.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
Just the only black man before for Tyler that I
know of that has his own studio man and he's
cranking out entire shows and moving them to other networks.
Speaker 7 (38:40):
Name a couple on like that My Girl and go ahead, I.
Speaker 9 (38:43):
Love that girl Family time for the Bounce TV network
And I did in the cut for the Bounced TV network.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
And so many others.
Speaker 9 (38:52):
I did by your business mind by your business is
on the Bounce TV network.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
It's so many others, I mean, too many of the name.
Speaker 9 (39:01):
But right now listen, this highly favorite is off the
chain and we're doing that for the Impact Network and
we're hoping that this makes a real impact on the world.
Speaker 5 (39:11):
So there you get TV blood Yes, yes, yes plus.
Speaker 6 (39:17):
Michaela TV plus No what your impact? TV plus allows
you to watch.
Speaker 5 (39:21):
It on your phone.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
There you go not only on.
Speaker 6 (39:24):
The television and you know with with your cable, but
on the telephone, on your on your laptop.
Speaker 5 (39:29):
On your computer. It's just a really board.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (39:36):
But Impact TV plus. I do believe that's Impact TV plus.
I do believe that's correct. TV plus dot com dot com.
Speaker 6 (39:43):
And that drops today, Yes, yep, and episode the first
episode drops Monday the fourteenth.
Speaker 10 (39:51):
I'm excited. I just can't wait to see it.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
I'm excited real well, I'm so proud of all of
you and and all the good work that you guys
have done and can continue to do. Tell me, Michael,
where can everybody find you? On social media?
Speaker 4 (40:05):
Comic king one two three at aol dot com. I
still don't know how they ever had a show called
The Kings of Comedy without the King anyway, Comic King
one two three Aol dot com on my very sexy
web page, the Real Michael Kaya dot com, and it'll
tell you what all the shows are than I'm doing
the new books. I'm dropping by one hour special that
(40:27):
we just shot called The King.
Speaker 10 (40:28):
Of Benness Beach.
Speaker 7 (40:29):
Oh Man, I'm on top of the world and I'm
in love.
Speaker 4 (40:31):
Man just mentioned I've been married five hundred and thirty
four days today.
Speaker 10 (40:35):
I'm through.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
Thank congratulations Bentley Kyle Evans. And I think I said
in the opening of this segment, Kyle Bentley Evans. But
Bentley Kyle Evans, where can everybody find you? On social media?
Speaker 3 (40:45):
It happens all the time.
Speaker 9 (40:47):
Everybody can find me at Bentley Evans on everything across
the board. That's Twitter, that's Facebook, that's Instagram, at Bentley Evans,
and on my YouTube Page's entertainment and I got a
lot of great stuff for people that are trying to
break into the industry.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
To check that out.
Speaker 9 (41:05):
And you can also find me at Bentley eva on
uh Patreon as well.
Speaker 10 (41:11):
What color is your Bentley Bentley?
Speaker 7 (41:12):
Because I know you got one.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
It is black.
Speaker 10 (41:15):
It's black somebody.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
Okay, oh my god, I'm getting one.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
Shepherd.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
Where can everybody find you on social media?
Speaker 6 (41:26):
Across the board at the Key Key Shepherd and it's
k I k I. I'm not a k E. I'm
a k I k I S A g P A
r D at the Key Key Shepherd across the board.
And you can also check out my website from my foundation,
which is the k I S Foundation. We've raised awareness,
advocacy and education about sickle cell disease. That's very very
(41:47):
yes at www dot d k I S Foundation dot org.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
One all right, and my stroke Tico bennymone A.
Speaker 13 (41:57):
You can find me at Chico B zero seven all
across the board. My name Chico Benimon, Facebook, YouTube, Bennymon Productions.
Uh I got a couple of projects dropping that are
produced and directed and starting, so I'm looking forward to
releasing those two.
Speaker 12 (42:16):
And uh yeah, that's it.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
All right.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
The incomparable Bentley Kyle Evans, the phenomenal Kiki Shepherd, the
always great Chico Bennymon, and then of course the super
Michael Collier.
Speaker 10 (42:33):
I'm sorry, thank.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
You so much for joining me today.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
And we're looking forward to tuning in to highly favorite
on the Impact Network.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
Thank you all so so much for your time. I
appreciate you you.
Speaker 5 (42:44):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 6 (42:46):
A shout out to shout out to Anthony who wasn't
able to join us today and Melanie and Rodney.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
We all up, yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
Be sure to follow me Keith Underwood at mister Keith
el Underwood on IG. You can also follow me on
FB at Keith l Underwood. And you know you gotta
follow Black in the green Room at Black in the
green Room across all platforms. Until next time, this has
been Black in the green Room
You are black in the green room with me, your host,
Keith Underwood, and this is your spot for real talk
about entertainment with the entertainers, creatives and show viz professionals.
We're honored to welcome to the brilliant minds and talent
behind highly favored on Impact Network, a new faith based
(00:21):
dramedy that's capturing hearts and shifting culture with a mix
of humor, healing, and hope. The series tells authentic stories
rooted in real life struggles and spiritual triumph. Joining us
are none other than legendary producer, writer, and showrunter runner
Lee Kyle Evans, known for bringing us black TV classics
like Come On Now, Come On Now, Clap It Up,
(00:44):
TV classes like Martin and The Jamie Fox Show. The
incomparable comedian and actor Michael Collier, who's wit and wisdom
have lit upstage all decades. And the iconic key Keith
Shepherd the love for her elegance, advocacy and long running
role as co host of Showtime at the Apollo. And
of course, we've also got in the room Chico Bennimon
(01:06):
after extraordinaire, what's up?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Everybody? Welcome to the room.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yes, how you guys do You're very welcome. You're very welcome.
Let's let's start this thing off real simple for those
new to Highly Favored. How would you describe the show
in just one sentence and anybody can grab that.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
It's blessed and highly favorite.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Baby, that's why you're the producer.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
It's a less and highly favored.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yes, yes, yeah, what makes it blessed and highly favored?
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Well, you can start at top.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
You can start with Bitley at the top, writing, directing, producing.
You got a show run a person that understands and
knows how to make a show great.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
So we start from the top. That's what blinnis.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
The cast is outstanding. The cast is just really amazing,
and then all of the people that went into making
this together. I have to give a major shout out
to our cast and director Fadri Harris, who put all
of these people together. She has a wonderful she has
a wonderful idea wonderful sense of what will work, and
combined with she and Bentley together, they put together a
(02:17):
phenomenal cast. So let's just say started from the top
with with Bentley coming on down to the cast, coming
on down to everybody that's surrounded that made this production happen, Sharon,
all of our everybody in the offices, everybody that does
all of the corporate stuff to make the the entertainment work,
because you know, it's called show business. Yes, what was
(02:39):
going and then the business was going.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
So now we got to hit yeah.
Speaker 7 (02:43):
Nice, nice when you said it, starting at the top,
start with me. I don't know what the hell is
going on in this interview.
Speaker 8 (02:51):
On the top of the cast, Michael all right, been
number one on the call sheets, number one on the
call sheet, y'all need it's off the Chaine.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
Yes it is?
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no it is.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I had the pleasure of interviewing Reggie Hudland last week
and we talked about it. So yeah, I'm glad you
guys shouted it out. But but back to a highly
favored Bitley, do you feel highly favored with the staff
and the crew that you were able to and the
actors that you were able to put together for this project?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
I do, indeed.
Speaker 9 (03:25):
I mean, look, I've been working with comedy greatness for
a very very long time, so I know it when
I see it, I feel it, I can taste it.
I know what it is, and this time it was
an opportunity to build a great show around the comic
genius of Michael Collier, and that's where it started. And
(03:48):
then from there we had to build what we call
a family friendly situation comedy for all generations to watch.
It's it's something that you know, I only can sit
down together and watch it and not feel any kind
of way other than goodness. We didn't want to make
it into a show that's just a preachy, preachy, preachy
(04:09):
show all that, but it's just a family show that
shows the dynamics of family.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
The church is just hanging in the background as the.
Speaker 9 (04:18):
Occupation that they that they that Michael's character runs. So
it's it's a really feel good, cast good, feel good comedy,
and we're hoping that this thing takes off like Gangbusters
and we can go in there and do some more.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
You know what I love about what you just said
is the fact that I was raised in the church
and I know that people are still human whether they're
in those four walls or they're outside of them, and
so you've just given some real perspective and insight into
what those people are really like.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
No filters, no.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Talking about Chico Benamin when you said that, RIGHTEO, I'll
let them talking about you and folks are just regular folks.
Let me tell you, I'm excited about it because, like
Bentley said, it is all generational. Anybody, no matter what age,
could walk into the room and sit down and watch
this show and love it.
Speaker 7 (05:15):
And you can come in and end.
Speaker 10 (05:17):
It part of the show.
Speaker 7 (05:18):
You don't have to see the beginning.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
You can walk in on any part of this show
and you're gonna laugh until the very end. And it
always carries a message of love and family. And our
main message is that everything's about family and God. Once
you get family and God down, everything else.
Speaker 10 (05:33):
Takes care of itself.
Speaker 7 (05:34):
And there's something that the audiences are sorely needing.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
There's no shows out that I can't even think of
where the whole family can gather and all of them
will be interested.
Speaker 10 (05:43):
You know what I'm saying. You can gather the whole family.
But it's not for everybody. This show is to everybody.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
If you if you can speak English and you know
the Lord, and even if you've ever had an experience
with spirituality in any kind of way, this show gonna
knock you out because it gets right down to it.
It tells the truth and it's funny, Like you said, Bentley,
without preaching to you, because don't nobody want to preach
to you right now. There's so much terrible stuff going on.
Y'all gave the keys to a clown Trump and now
(06:12):
y'all mad because we got a circuits.
Speaker 7 (06:15):
Everybody's upset.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Food so high, it's cheaper to eat the money. I mean,
it's nothing you can do without stressing. And now you
can sit down for just thirty minutes and let that go.
Speaker 7 (06:25):
Sit down and forget all your pains, all your struggles
and just.
Speaker 10 (06:29):
Enjoy and learn and lift. I love the show. Dropped
in the love colored hoodies.
Speaker 11 (06:40):
While like soundtracks, eight tracks, they get it back to
hell pees. That's a flashback. I lay they have fashion
on these streets like Beverly's hell Pass. For got every
one tripping queen that can't.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Help but fill the fops.
Speaker 11 (06:52):
It's a full of salt from these coach where the
raped beans great.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Everybody welcome black Yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So Bitley, as the creator and executive producer, what inspired
highly Favorite and how does it differ from the iconic
sitcoms that you've done in the past.
Speaker 9 (07:13):
Well, this is the first time that I've done anything
that was in the faith based arena. I and what
inspired it was, you know, growing up on shows like
Amen Uh, and then watching shows that came after that,
like Good News. I felt like both of those shows
kind of gave an in depth look at what was
happening on the inside of the church, and I felt
(07:35):
like we didn't get enough of that. So I felt
like we needed we needed to do something like that
for the new generation so that they would have their
amen and shows like that. So I think that's what
the inspiration was, Like, Hey, you know what, one of
the one of the wonderful sayings out there on the
street was when you ask somebody how they're doing and
they say, I'm blessed, I'm highly favorite. Well, I felt
(07:58):
like that's a wonderful name for the show and it
gets the attention of people, and truly I wanted to
do a show that was highly favorite. So that's that's
what the inspiration was behind putting the piece together. And
I felt like, you know, Michael, with his strong voice,
he's got that that my show raspiness in his voice,
(08:19):
and I said, not some preacher's voice right there?
Speaker 3 (08:22):
If I haven't seen one, so literally, there was no
two ways about.
Speaker 10 (08:26):
He had to be the guy.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
When they said he wasn't available, I said, we'll wait.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
You gotta wait till he's available. Yeah, that's nice, Chico.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
With everything that you've done in your career, all types
of genres, all types of comedy. Is this your first
time in the faith based space?
Speaker 4 (08:45):
No.
Speaker 12 (08:45):
I did a movie.
Speaker 13 (08:48):
Last two years ago called The Perfect Mate with Lawrence
I always get his last name wrong, Jacob Williams, Lawrence
Jacob Williams, jack A and uh it was I played.
Speaker 10 (09:03):
Large Hilton Jacobs.
Speaker 12 (09:05):
Am I saying it right wrong to arge Hilton Jacobs lace.
Speaker 10 (09:11):
Getting them in the right order, go ahead.
Speaker 13 (09:14):
So so we did a movie called The Perfect Mate
and the I played the the I was an actor
who got hired to play a fiance because the lead
girl fiance got caught. She caught him cheating on him,
so she hired me to play him. But she didn't
tell me that he was a preacher. When I get there,
(09:38):
Lawrence Jacobs is his father. He's like the cleftlow Dollar
of the South. And he's like, oh, so this is
the pasta and I'm like, who the pasta?
Speaker 12 (09:48):
I'm the past of us.
Speaker 13 (09:50):
All these things pop up and it was a faith
based movie and it did really well. We shot in
Louisiana and I produced on it and it was fun.
Speaker 12 (10:00):
It was fun.
Speaker 13 (10:00):
So like, but my mom is a prophet, so I'm
a preacher's kid. So I was raised in the church.
When Bentley came to me with this role, he said, Chico,
I got a role that's you.
Speaker 12 (10:11):
And I was like, oh, then I'm gonna kill it.
And he was like no, no, no, no, no, I mean no,
it's like literally you, he said, because you played in
the church. Because I've been playing piano since I was five.
Speaker 13 (10:22):
I was playing choiet when I was twelve, and you know,
when he came to me with this, I was like, yo,
I did exactly the same thing. I was running the
church choirt and then I got into R and B
music and I left the church and you know, my
mom she put me on the piano because she wanted
me to be the church organist. And you know, I
(10:44):
got into the whole R and B world left and
you know, never came back. And then you know, I've
come back and forth, like when I go to New
York to see my family, you know, I may go
into the church, jump on the organ, whatever the case.
Speaker 12 (10:59):
But it wasn't too far.
Speaker 13 (11:01):
From who I was growing up, So it just felt
natural to me that.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
My mind, I didn't know all that Chekiki.
Speaker 12 (11:10):
And the Crazy Day with Kiki, how we're connected.
Speaker 13 (11:14):
I performed on the Apollo three times in one okay, yeah,
I won on the Apollo three times.
Speaker 12 (11:20):
Me and I was in a group called Trey.
Speaker 13 (11:22):
Knox and were signing Willi Smith, and before we met
will we went on the Apollo. But when ki Ki
was on it, they did like Wednesday nights, right, Kiki,
like the TV shows?
Speaker 6 (11:34):
No, the TV show was the Wednesday Night was different
than the actual TV show.
Speaker 13 (11:40):
Yeah, yeah, But we had to sign contracts because before
you go on television, and my manager didn't like the contract,
so we never I never got the opportunity to do
the television version with Kiki, but I always saw Key
Key when we would be there working with the band.
Speaker 10 (11:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Nice man, Nice Michael, the legendary Michael call here.
Speaker 10 (12:03):
That's kind.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
You've had such a dynamic career in comedy and acting.
What drew you to this project and what does your
character allow you to explore?
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Maybe that you haven't before.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
There are so many things that drove me to this project. First,
the very fact that Bentley Evans said he had.
Speaker 10 (12:23):
Something for me.
Speaker 7 (12:24):
He brought me in for another one of his shows
a few weeks earlier called.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Mind your Business, and when I walked in, the first
thing he said to me is Michael, I got something
for you. Not of course, I didn't pay no attention.
People always tell you that stuff in Hollywood. Oh man,
I'm gonna get with you. So I just took it
with a great assault and kept it moving. And to
get the call that I had that part and able
(12:50):
to remember the brother said he really had that for me.
That in itself was exciting before you even knew what
was going on. And then secondly, to work with Kyle
Bentley Evans, Bentley, Kyle Evans, whatever way you do your.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
Three days stude, man, you want to.
Speaker 10 (13:03):
Talk about it. We can't even talk about legends unless
we talk about him.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
This dude used to come and see me on Venice
Beach when he was a kid.
Speaker 10 (13:10):
Talking about getting in the business.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Then I looked up and saw him do parts on
Martin as an actor, as a comedic actor. Then next
thing I know, he was writing. Then the next thing,
I know, he's producing. The next thing, I know he's
executive producing. And then he move moves on to help
po create and executive produce Jamie Fox Show. Both of
these are iconic classic shows. And for that guy to
(13:33):
create a part just for me, dude, I was already there.
I didn't care what the part was, what he was doing.
I was in there like swimwear.
Speaker 7 (13:39):
But then you get there and you see the script.
The scripts are so good, the words are so good.
Speaker 10 (13:44):
It's so much fun.
Speaker 7 (13:45):
You have so much to work with.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
So I was in a storyline, the storyline to be
able to talk about family and God and talk about
the church and how to deal with it, you know,
because I got two sons. One wants to take it
over because he thinks I'm old over the hill on
the time to come on with new ways.
Speaker 10 (14:01):
And one just won't go on. Boy his bed, don't
have nothing to do with it. But get me living
in my house. Let you play that keyboard.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
So the thing is, you got real family, you have
real stories without preaching the people, without beating people.
Speaker 7 (14:13):
Up, and real fun.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
It's so many things that draws me to it. I
can't wait till we do the next six episodes.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Nice, Nice, the lovely Key Key Shepherd.
Speaker 10 (14:22):
What's that? Tho we.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Hey, So you're a.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Legend in hosting an advocacy.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
How did stepping into this acting role challenge or excite you?
And how does your presence on the show reflect the
kind of legacy that you want to leave.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
I was very excited Glen Bentley and Thane you said, look,
this has we got something new. I was very excited,
especially to be working with Michael, to be playing Michael's wife,
to be the first lady of the church.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
You know.
Speaker 6 (14:55):
Michael said he didn't know I could act, But I've
been doing quite a bit of acting for the past
fifteen year, just not in great focus of a lot
of people.
Speaker 5 (15:03):
But I knew that I could do this.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
I knew that I could do this, And then when
I saw the script, I said, oh, yes, I know
I could do this with my son Chico, and my
son didn't know Anthony at all, didn't know the little
girl that's gonna be the granddaughter. But I understood la
Vesta well. I understood exactly who Lavester Crawley was supposed
to be. She's supposed to be the best support system
to her husband, Michael Crawley. She's supposed to be the
(15:29):
best mother to her two sons, the best grandmother to
her grandbaby. But she's also supposed to be the first
lady of the church. And that was one of the
things that really attracted me greatly, to be the first
lady of the church. To play that kind of a
role was exciting, challenging, fun because you cannot be you
cannot help but have a good time. When you got
(15:50):
Melanie Camacho next to you, you understand what I'm saying.
Ar contrast, and Melanie and I are all friends from
way back in short time at the Apollo Days, great friends,
Rodney Perry just it was just such a wonderful combination
of people in the cast that made me say, Okay,
I can do this and I can have a great
time doing it. So it was a challenge, but it
(16:10):
was a welcome challenge. It was a I worked with
Bentley on Mind your Business. You know, I knew he
knew what I could do, and I was really, really,
really anxious for him to pull even more out of
me because I'm not I was I've not been ever
afraid of acting. I just never really had all the
opportunities because people knew me from showtime in Apollo. They
knew me as a host, they knew me as a
(16:31):
girl that wore pretty dresses. But I had been working
on my craft all these years, so you know, they
say stay ready, so you ain't got to get ready.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
That's right.
Speaker 10 (16:40):
I didn't think you could act.
Speaker 7 (16:41):
And I'll tell you what, why do you think I
could act?
Speaker 5 (16:44):
Michael?
Speaker 10 (16:45):
That's right?
Speaker 7 (16:45):
And when I found out you my wife, I said, hell, no,
she's with Bentley.
Speaker 10 (16:51):
The hell is going on.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
Anything? Thank you.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
I've never seen your acting anything, and you came and
you did your damn excuse me, you did the damn thing.
Speaker 10 (17:04):
You really did it.
Speaker 7 (17:05):
I mean I even watched your mind work.
Speaker 10 (17:08):
I watched her.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
You get the certain scenes and what that. That doesn't
really make sense to do it that way. She would
We tried this way, and I'm going, damn, she's acting like, no,
you killed a girl. I was honored to play your husband.
Speaker 10 (17:21):
It was really really.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
Good, and I mean the way we played back and
forth with each other, I really like when you try
to take over the church decide you're gonna be doing
sermons and stuff.
Speaker 10 (17:30):
I was like, oh, this is really good puting each
other back and forth.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
That's the joy of acting. It was a dance, and
thank you for coming with it.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 6 (17:39):
Thank you by putting together people that could really play
off of each other.
Speaker 7 (17:44):
You know, But did we even needed.
Speaker 6 (17:50):
I got?
Speaker 12 (17:51):
Of course, you need me because you how to how
to handle that first on the call. She you need
somebody would experience.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
And wait a minute, you can't be a number one
if there's not a two, three, four, five, six.
Speaker 5 (18:12):
Everybody understand that this is an ensemble piece. Yes, Michael
is supported.
Speaker 10 (18:18):
All of the real all of us are all supporting.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
Piece in any church.
Speaker 12 (18:25):
The pastor, you got some troubles.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
Because he got back up.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
Ain't no man, no no good without the woman next
to him, not behind it. That's okay, let's be clear.
And that's one of the things that the show does
deal with is how my how Michael Uh, the pastor
and the first lady come together to understand and know
that he is still the head rooster in this in
this barn, he can still do everything no matter what
our sons say they want to do. I am Michael's
(18:53):
ride or die. I am the ride or die. That
is my role as his wife and as the mother
of his and the first lady of the church.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Is to make sure that everybody understands that this is
the man.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Come on, shepherd, embracing that character, making it real.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Come on, you know, when you think about it is
so real. All of us, like she Coo said, all
of us have church.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
Experiences growing up.
Speaker 6 (19:17):
I grew up in Texas on the child and I
remember a lot of dirt in the church, first Baptist church,
lots of it. But I also remember what my mom
and dad would be saying in the house about what
you have to do and what has to happen because
church is a business. Let's remember that church is a business,
and so you have to have the ability to deliver
the word, which Michael is expert at delivering the word,
(19:38):
but you also have to teach a business together.
Speaker 5 (19:40):
You'semble I'm saying. So I appreciated that. I yes, I.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
Jumped into the role of being his wife and the
mother of his kids and the grandmother. But the first
lady was very important to me because you know, these
little pipper snappers be coming up thinking they can run
everything and say something to me, I am the first lady.
You ain't a prawl yet, watch yourself yet.
Speaker 10 (20:05):
This show.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
I haven't seen this show, but I already know the
show is good because this stuff that we are doing
right here, this is what we did for the whole show.
Speaker 7 (20:14):
We had the time we played with each other.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
We bounced off because nobody was up tight, nobody was arrogant,
nobody was walking around like they was all that. Everybody
had fun and everybody helped everybody make it work.
Speaker 7 (20:26):
It's such a rich stories, the story.
Speaker 10 (20:29):
To each week.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
And when you get to the one with the brother
in the wheelchair, if you don't get in a ward
for that, there's something very wrong with Hollywood.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
When that boy stood up in that chair, I cried,
Now I ain't gonna.
Speaker 10 (20:41):
Say no more than that. I said, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 5 (20:43):
And another good one is when Chico finds out that
the woman that his brother is dating he got history with.
Oh my god, it was great.
Speaker 6 (20:53):
It was just one thing that this goes back to
Bentley and understanding and knowing what makes funny, but makes funny.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
That's Gus.
Speaker 12 (21:06):
You know what he's doing for real.
Speaker 11 (21:14):
Dropped in the love colored hoodies while I'm like soundtracks,
eight tracks, They get it back to hell these that's
a flashback. I mean they have fashion on these streaks,
like Beverly Hell pass for got everyone trapping Queen that
can't help but.
Speaker 10 (21:26):
Fill the fox.
Speaker 11 (21:27):
It's a full of sul from these coach where the
rap beans grease.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Yeah, yeah, you know that first episode when we had
the Gospel Strippers is probably one of the best. Now
understand the Gospel Strippers only stripped down to the pig
leaves and they only accept.
Speaker 10 (21:48):
How but they were fabulous. You have to watch the episode.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Wait a minute, Michael, but a big leaf. It shows
a whole lot more than a g string.
Speaker 7 (21:57):
So there was a big fig leaves though I don't
know what they fertilizing.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
That no honor to be on a show like this
where everything comes together and works, where everything flows and
you don't have to work.
Speaker 7 (22:13):
All you have to do is play. If we could
play as artists, then we get to it.
Speaker 4 (22:18):
And like like Bentley was saying, if God's not in
it doesn't mean anything for me. If with God you
can do anything and everything everything, and without God you
bumbling around trying to figure it out. So imagine our
show is faith based, but because our leader is good
Old God, g O D. So it made it really
easy to have God and Billy coordinating together. That's a
(22:43):
team for your Patucas.
Speaker 10 (22:49):
I ain't cussing on it.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
This is faith base, but I had some words I
want to say.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
You know, Keith, I did a show on Broadway, call
your Arms to Short.
Speaker 10 (22:57):
To Box with God. Wow.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
Did it first with Jennifer Holiday, Then the second time around,
I did it with Patti Label is the Star, And
the second third time around, I did it with Bell
and al Green. I went to church eight shows a week,
you hear me, And that show is what really awakened
the true essence and belief in the spiritual life that
(23:20):
I always knew I had. But doing that show just
and reinforced everything so much to me that when it
came to being in the church, That's what I mean,
I wasn't scared because I was already prepared for having
done done your Arms Short for good five years. That
was a five year run of those three different people
on Broadway, three different times.
Speaker 13 (23:39):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (23:40):
The first the first act was the was The first
was the First test Testament?
Speaker 10 (23:46):
What am I ting?
Speaker 5 (23:50):
Uh? The first the first book God.
Speaker 7 (23:53):
I'm not going you could do it.
Speaker 6 (23:56):
From the birth of Jesus Christ, to the to the acousification,
to that, to Crucifixion. Thank you so much for words again, Jumble.
That was the first act. The second act was nothing
but praise and worship. Praise and worship with Patti LaBelle
with Jim for Holiday with al Green. Al Green opened
the second half of the show coming down the aisle
just like Michael in the road, preaching that Holland women
(24:19):
were throwing their patties and stuff, that the man in
this is the truth you' all, So I will send
all that to say that having done that show also
gave me ammunition, also gave me the understanding really of
what the church is about from the perspective of a
lot of people, because the show was cast with a
lot of people from the from the church world, singers
(24:41):
and actors from the church world, and then there were
those bus that were just Broadway people. But we got
the true essence of what for what praise and Worship
was about. So coming in to do this show with
Michael understanding and all what he's doing, with Chico understanding
and knowing how he does, He's going to secondar music
with his son, with Anthony wanting to make the church
(25:01):
be much more modern and taking the old ways that
his dad is away with, the girlfriends that were coming
in with the sons, all that, and then the mother
that I'm thinking she don't like me, She's thinking I
don't like her.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
Bibe Drake was a joy to work with.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
She is a pistol you hear me. She's a whipper
stepper but yet but in real real life she is
just the sweetest, most wonderful person. But you cross her
when she's acting, she knows just how to just pull
you in, just like that. It's a little scene where
she's doing something that I go to go for her
and Michael is brabs me and pulls me away. But
I think was really really funny. That was just what
we felt. That was just something, you know, and then
(25:42):
we embellished upon it. So all of our experiences, each
one of us has had experiences that we are bringing,
in my opinion, we're bringing to this piece that enhances
us and feels upon what what what Vintma gives us
on the paper. So I guess, like you said, you know,
if you if you can with talented people, you just
(26:02):
sit back and let them bring what they know to
the piece and then you pull it to what it
really needs to be. We are really blessed and highly
favored to be a part of this project in so
many ways, and I can't say thank you enough.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
I love it, and I want you to know I
believe in the project. You know, because I was only
scheduled for four days, I stayed the extra day. And
there wasn't even about not getting no money for it.
It was because I had another gig I was supposed
to be at.
Speaker 7 (26:32):
I canceled that because this show you could tell by
the second day. I could tell by the first day
that this show is important.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
This show is going to be something because of the
writing and the fun, the camaraderie, the way he was
doing it.
Speaker 10 (26:44):
It wasn't something. This ain't something that just a regular show.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
There's something special about it, and I need to be
in the midst of that specialness.
Speaker 9 (26:51):
Man.
Speaker 7 (26:52):
I'm so honored that you allow me to be part
of this.
Speaker 10 (26:54):
Man, this is great stuff, absolutely all right.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
I take to think that I got to finally work
with you, Benny Mine.
Speaker 10 (27:01):
Yes, follow this.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
Young man for years.
Speaker 10 (27:04):
He is love.
Speaker 6 (27:06):
And I lovely and your mama baby, to be your mama.
I am old enough to be his mama. Don't act
like I'm old enough.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
I'm not old enough. You know, I'm you know what,
that's the joy of TV, you know.
Speaker 6 (27:21):
You can just uh put that reality aside and go
ahead on with the fantasy.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
As long as we acted at people believe it than
it is.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
This what's so cool about this is this company shows
you how to get to the show. Nobody shows you
how to get to the show. The shows online and something.
Speaker 10 (27:37):
You gotta figure it out with us.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
All you have to do is go to watch Impact
dot com.
Speaker 10 (27:42):
It opens up and directs you how to get to you.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
Number, put your zip code in, your your eric coding
your zip code in, and then it'll tell you exactly
what channel it is in your neighborhood. Oh that's flat
of me. I ain't never seen nobody do that before.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
All Right, you're like, I gotta I gotta take ao,
I gotta take a quick commercial break.
Speaker 10 (28:01):
But when we keep commercial back, I'm sorry when.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
We come back in the green rimber.
Speaker 5 (28:13):
Dropping.
Speaker 10 (28:14):
I love color hoodies.
Speaker 11 (28:15):
While I'm like soundtracks, eight tracks, they get it back
to hell.
Speaker 10 (28:19):
These that's a flashback. I say.
Speaker 11 (28:20):
They have fashion on the streets like Beverly Hill Pass
for got everyone dripping clean.
Speaker 13 (28:25):
That can't help but.
Speaker 10 (28:26):
Feel the fox. It's a full of soul from these.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Cold sweater rat beings. Christ Hey, what's up y'all?
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Welcome Black, Thank you, thank you, thank you, and I'm
having a good time with y'all. Bentley, Kyle Evans, you
built entire universes for black storytelling. What does faith based
storytelling mean to you now? And what doors do you
hope this opens in Hollywood and beyond beyond beyond?
Speaker 9 (28:57):
I mean, let's look, let's just keep it real and
it doesn't happened unless God is in it. Let's just
be let's just go right to the top, right, It
doesn't happen unless God is controlling it. And for us
to all come together and be on one accord. And
we laughed, and as you can see from our playful banter,
what it was like on the set, I mean, we
(29:19):
were clowning, but then when it came time to get
it done, everybody focused, got into their character and we
knocked it down.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
I'm hoping that it it opens up.
Speaker 9 (29:28):
The opportunity, of course, to do uh, to go from
six episodes to one hundred episodes and beyond and you know,
just to just to continue to be able to tell
our stories, our way to keep the block initiative alive.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
And that's really my focus.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
M hm, well, your directorial style, I'm sorry, really sore
is because he was not all over us about it.
He let us know what our parties and gave it
to us and got out of our way. And if
we thought something that was funny, he was always open
to try it. If we tried it was funny, it
got to stay in. It's not like no stick with
(30:07):
the script doing like that.
Speaker 10 (30:08):
He wasn't rigid.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
He gave us enough room to really explore and unfold
into our character and so that that's what made it
so excellent and so much.
Speaker 13 (30:17):
Fun you know, by he respects our uh resumes, so
you know, you know it's funny because you know, I'm
always like, you know, he's the captain of the ship.
So I'm always going up to him like Bentley, can
I do this? He's like, yo, Chico, do you like
(30:39):
you know you know what you're doing. You've been doing this,
do you I'm like yeah, But he's like cheek. If
we don't like it, we go back to the original.
Speaker 12 (30:47):
But just do you man, I trust you that like that?
Speaker 5 (30:52):
Yes, said to me, he lets us don't like it.
I'm sorry, Chico, I'm sorry.
Speaker 12 (30:58):
I was done.
Speaker 6 (30:59):
That's I'm just so excited to support what you says.
That's exactly what Bitley said. I would say, Well, Bitley,
or did you how did this?
Speaker 5 (31:06):
He said? Did I say anything about it? I said no?
He said, well, if I don't say nothing, keep on going.
Speaker 12 (31:11):
Do you be you?
Speaker 5 (31:12):
We want the real youth.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
You know, And that was that was one of the
things that made me feel comfortable enough to try a
lot of different things, to just be secure in that
I am giving the best that I can give in
combination with my fellow actress. Messing with Michael up on
the stage, up in the pulpit was just like he said,
We've known these other one hundred and forty five years,
(31:34):
so it's just it was a natural thing, you know.
Speaker 5 (31:37):
Just challenge what what what what? And it worked that.
Speaker 6 (31:39):
Bitley was very much if it don't work, I tell you.
But if I don't say nothing, if you don't hear
me say anything, keep on going.
Speaker 10 (31:45):
Listen.
Speaker 9 (31:46):
I've been on sets. I've been on sets with where
other people were at the helmet. I watched how they
did things, and sometimes it was too stringent. They would
they wouldn't allow the actors to be all that they
could be.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
And I'm going, well, that's a wasted their talent.
Speaker 9 (32:01):
If I'm hiring great people and putting them in positions,
it means that I trust their ability to be able
to deliver and listen. Uh, you know, as far as
comedians go, Like with Michael, he's a comedian, so I
can't tell him what's.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Funny, but I can judge it. I'm Bill Jackson in
a sense.
Speaker 9 (32:21):
I ain't in the basketball, but I know when it's
a good play, and I know how to shumble a
good team to win a championship.
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Hey, but Rodney Perry wonderful.
Speaker 7 (32:35):
He's so good in his party, so good to play
off of.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
You know, he's got the chops, you know, I mean
bed Drake as my mama beat.
Speaker 7 (32:48):
You every time, y'all fuss that was heaven on Earth, baby.
Speaker 6 (32:51):
But the thing with you and Dorian Wilson, Michael, that
whole show with you at I was just standing on
end up having to come in my mouth to not
interrupt the you know, the shoot, just wonderful work. Melody Camarcho,
Rodney Perry. We have a lot of our supporting ladies.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
You know.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
It's just it's just a well rounded cast, well written show,
has all the elements makeup, hear and makeup wardrobe.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
We looked and felt like we.
Speaker 6 (33:23):
Were a million bucks and we therefore were free to
go out and do our best.
Speaker 13 (33:28):
That was my first time working with Anthony Gooseby too.
Like Anthony, he really brought it man like he was clutch.
Speaker 12 (33:38):
I was giving him that nickname.
Speaker 13 (33:39):
I was like, yo, you clutch Man because I never
worked on him before.
Speaker 12 (33:43):
And he, I mean he he was amazing. Man.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
He brought it like you would not believe. I can't
wait to work on another project with him. That guy
was so good. The choices, the acting choices that he made.
I was like, WHOA, how they come up with that?
And I'm thinking about the one same way he's hiding
had a couch and then he comes out and rolls.
Speaker 7 (34:05):
Why is he rolling around the guys from us?
Speaker 10 (34:09):
It was just so good. It's so good. It's so good.
Speaker 13 (34:11):
It was so much physical comedy on set, like that's
what that was. Another thing like Bentley, he's so great
with letting us use our bodies to sell the funny,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 9 (34:26):
Yeah, And you know that that goes back Keith, that
goes back to uh, you know, working with with with
Martin Lawrence on the Martin Show, I got a chance
to witness a comedy genius.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
And I don't even know if Martin knew he was a.
Speaker 9 (34:38):
Comedy genius at the time, but to watch his physical promise,
I mean, it gets no better. And then watching a
cast like that sing together. So I'm always trying to
recreate that experience, uh every time I do a show.
So shouts out to Martin for that too.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
And I hate to use the word so much as genius,
but Martin is a genius. When I was come on
that set, I would watch Martin, and Martin would do
a scene and then he go he go back to
his dresserom and watch the next scene. And then he'll
come down and walk up to one actor and whisper
in his ear about a change, and then that actor
would go back and do that stuff. I almost said
(35:17):
the Sahi teach he did it and then a thousand
times better because of the eye.
Speaker 7 (35:23):
And that's what you have. That's what you have. Bientle Ebbings.
Speaker 10 (35:26):
You have the eye.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
You really know what it's supposed to look like. It's comedy,
And I don't see why we acted like we're surprised.
You've been doing this for thirty years, brother, looking together
these shows, working with these casts, knowing what artists works
good with, which artists, what scenes work. So it probably
was really easier than you then, I.
Speaker 7 (35:44):
Know, but I know you have fun.
Speaker 10 (35:46):
The whole time.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
You walked around and you smiled, and I mean it
was no point where you looked up tight. There was
no point where you looked like, ah, this ain't working,
and you was just flowing and that gave us permission
to flow.
Speaker 10 (35:57):
To brother, Yeah, it good. It's good stuff, Biley.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
What does it feel like to hear all of this
praise and yes, I said praise, all of this praise
from your peers.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
What does this feel like?
Speaker 9 (36:09):
Hey, listen, I'll take the flowers. I don't want them
when I'm going, I'll take them down. It feels good, though,
to be honest with you, I feel like you know,
when you hear that kind of stuff, it makes you
feel like, Okay, your work wasn't done in vain.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
You know, if I didn't learn anything.
Speaker 9 (36:25):
After all those years of putting things together, I learned
how to work with actors and how to get the
best out of them and how to allow them.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
To be free. So it makes me feel really good
to be recognized for that.
Speaker 9 (36:41):
Because a lot of times we're the behind the scenes guys,
so we go as the unsung heroes. But it feels
good when somebody can say, hey, man, great job and
we see you, So it feels really good.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
Nice and your team, sir, and your team all the
way down to your wife who's running around posted up pictures.
Speaker 10 (37:01):
And carrying things.
Speaker 7 (37:02):
I mean she's.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
Carrying things, you know. And that's why I found out
with my wife. When you in a relationship, you either
have a teammate or an opponent and partner. You have
a teammate and you're all your staff, everybody I'm hiring.
I swear I'm gonna get a show and hire that
wardrobe girl, the girl who had the baby whose mama
was always there.
Speaker 7 (37:21):
Yeah she she is heaven.
Speaker 10 (37:23):
But y'all should have gave me credit, Mike, Mike type.
But I'm we go back.
Speaker 4 (37:29):
I got to get my own wardrobe credit because I
was some fly stuff. They're gonna be thinking, Wow, where
do you get that budget? They didn't get it from
over there.
Speaker 10 (37:36):
I'm just joking. We will give it to you.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
I'll tell you that. We'll give you that credit with
some fly stuff.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
It looks so good, everybody though. Everybody looks so good.
I mean the pictures are so crisp and clear. That's
what I'm so excited to be through with this interview
so I can go watch the show.
Speaker 11 (37:55):
Were move it right alive, dropped in the love color hoodies,
flop like soundtracks, eight tracks, they get it back to
hell these that's a flashback. I lay they have fashion
on these streets like Beverly Hill Pass for got everyone
(38:15):
trapic queen that can't help but fill the Fox. It's
a full of su from these cold sweater raped beans.
Crease welcome Blind.
Speaker 10 (38:28):
Tell me to tell you about some of the other
shows he had.
Speaker 4 (38:30):
Just the only black man before for Tyler that I
know of that has his own studio man and he's
cranking out entire shows and moving them to other networks.
Speaker 7 (38:40):
Name a couple on like that My Girl and go ahead, I.
Speaker 9 (38:43):
Love that girl Family time for the Bounce TV network
And I did in the cut for the Bounced TV network.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
And so many others.
Speaker 9 (38:52):
I did by your business mind by your business is
on the Bounce TV network.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
It's so many others, I mean, too many of the name.
Speaker 9 (39:01):
But right now listen, this highly favorite is off the
chain and we're doing that for the Impact Network and
we're hoping that this makes a real impact on the world.
Speaker 5 (39:11):
So there you get TV blood Yes, yes, yes plus.
Speaker 6 (39:17):
Michaela TV plus No what your impact? TV plus allows
you to watch.
Speaker 5 (39:21):
It on your phone.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
There you go not only on.
Speaker 6 (39:24):
The television and you know with with your cable, but
on the telephone, on your on your laptop.
Speaker 5 (39:29):
On your computer. It's just a really board.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (39:36):
But Impact TV plus. I do believe that's Impact TV plus.
I do believe that's correct. TV plus dot com dot com.
Speaker 6 (39:43):
And that drops today, Yes, yep, and episode the first
episode drops Monday the fourteenth.
Speaker 10 (39:51):
I'm excited. I just can't wait to see it.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
I'm excited real well, I'm so proud of all of
you and and all the good work that you guys
have done and can continue to do. Tell me, Michael,
where can everybody find you? On social media?
Speaker 4 (40:05):
Comic king one two three at aol dot com. I
still don't know how they ever had a show called
The Kings of Comedy without the King anyway, Comic King
one two three Aol dot com on my very sexy
web page, the Real Michael Kaya dot com, and it'll
tell you what all the shows are than I'm doing
the new books. I'm dropping by one hour special that
(40:27):
we just shot called The King.
Speaker 10 (40:28):
Of Benness Beach.
Speaker 7 (40:29):
Oh Man, I'm on top of the world and I'm
in love.
Speaker 4 (40:31):
Man just mentioned I've been married five hundred and thirty
four days today.
Speaker 10 (40:35):
I'm through.
Speaker 1 (40:36):
Thank congratulations Bentley Kyle Evans. And I think I said
in the opening of this segment, Kyle Bentley Evans. But
Bentley Kyle Evans, where can everybody find you? On social media?
Speaker 3 (40:45):
It happens all the time.
Speaker 9 (40:47):
Everybody can find me at Bentley Evans on everything across
the board. That's Twitter, that's Facebook, that's Instagram, at Bentley Evans,
and on my YouTube Page's entertainment and I got a
lot of great stuff for people that are trying to
break into the industry.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
To check that out.
Speaker 9 (41:05):
And you can also find me at Bentley eva on
uh Patreon as well.
Speaker 10 (41:11):
What color is your Bentley Bentley?
Speaker 7 (41:12):
Because I know you got one.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
It is black.
Speaker 10 (41:15):
It's black somebody.
Speaker 4 (41:18):
Okay, oh my god, I'm getting one.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
Shepherd.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
Where can everybody find you on social media?
Speaker 6 (41:26):
Across the board at the Key Key Shepherd and it's
k I k I. I'm not a k E. I'm
a k I k I S A g P A
r D at the Key Key Shepherd across the board.
And you can also check out my website from my foundation,
which is the k I S Foundation. We've raised awareness,
advocacy and education about sickle cell disease. That's very very
(41:47):
yes at www dot d k I S Foundation dot org.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
One all right, and my stroke Tico bennymone A.
Speaker 13 (41:57):
You can find me at Chico B zero seven all
across the board. My name Chico Benimon, Facebook, YouTube, Bennymon Productions.
Uh I got a couple of projects dropping that are
produced and directed and starting, so I'm looking forward to
releasing those two.
Speaker 12 (42:16):
And uh yeah, that's it.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
All right.
Speaker 1 (42:19):
The incomparable Bentley Kyle Evans, the phenomenal Kiki Shepherd, the
always great Chico Bennymon, and then of course the super
Michael Collier.
Speaker 10 (42:33):
I'm sorry, thank.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
You so much for joining me today.
Speaker 1 (42:36):
And we're looking forward to tuning in to highly favorite
on the Impact Network.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
Thank you all so so much for your time. I
appreciate you you.
Speaker 5 (42:44):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 6 (42:46):
A shout out to shout out to Anthony who wasn't
able to join us today and Melanie and Rodney.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
We all up, yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
Be sure to follow me Keith Underwood at mister Keith
el Underwood on IG. You can also follow me on
FB at Keith l Underwood. And you know you gotta
follow Black in the green Room at Black in the
green Room across all platforms. Until next time, this has
been Black in the green Room
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