June 23, 2025 • 43 mins
In this exclusive episode of Black in the Green Room, host Keith L. Underwood sits down with actor Rockmond Dunbar to talk about his role in Tyler Perry’s new Netflix film Straw. Dunbar shares what it was like working alongside Taraji P. Henson, Teyana Taylor, and Sherri Shepherd, and opens up about fatherhood, faith, homeschooling, and staying grounded in Hollywood. He also reflects on navigating career challenges, finding purpose through storytelling, and why Straw is one of the most meaningful projects he’s been a part of. Don’t miss this powerful conversation about Black artistry, family, and creative integrity. Rockmond Dunbar, Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson, Teyana Taylor, Sherri Shepherd, Straw Netflix, Black in the Green Room, Keith L. Underwood, Black actors, Netflix drama 2025, actor podcast interview, Black Hollywood
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Episode Transcript
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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 entertainers, creatives and show viz professionals. Today
we're joined by an actor whose presence on screen has
always meant something steady, grounded and deeply human. From Soul
(00:21):
Food to prison Break, from the Game to nine to
one point one. Rockman Dunbar has built a career playing
complex black men with purpose. Now he's back on the
big screen in a powerful new film, Straw, a project
that asks tough questions and pulls no punches. We're talking artistry, legacy, fatherhood,
and the stories that still need to be told. Let's
(00:43):
get into it. Rockman Dunbar, Welcome to the room.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
What's up, fam? How are you feeling? Brother? And what brother?
How you I'm just glad that I am deeply human
in your eyes. I love it.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I love it always.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
How are the kids doing? You know what?
Speaker 4 (01:02):
They're amazing. Maya and I just came back from the
premiere of Straw. We had a really great time. The
movie is amazing. Taraji did a wonderful job. You know,
It's just it was great. It was great to actually
be in New York. New York feels a lot different
than it. Yeah, different, man.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I feel like he's getting back to the old New York.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Yeah, I was there.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I was there about three weeks ago for two weeks, man,
and I really enjoyed it, the vibe and the ending,
Like you said, it's back.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
And I rode the train a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
You know. I'm usually a little bougie.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
But I rode the train a lot, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
And so it was.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
It was a really good time, man. And I saw
the photos of you and Maya. You guys look great,
man at the premiere.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
She looks amazing, like a like, I don't know what
the heck is going on. I was like, wait a minute,
thirteen year old.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah, well, congress to both of you. Guys are a
great team. And the kids, man, they're just absolutely wonderful too.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
So we're hustling, man, and you know, it takes a village,
but my wife is just so amazing in every way,
and she doesn't leave any stone unturned when it comes
to these kids' education, their passions and things.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
That they want to do. So I'm just I'm so
grateful that I'm married the right woman.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Oh yes, yes, Oh my god, I'm just so grateful.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Man, everything is great. Yeah, good, good.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Tell me, you know, Straw has a lot to do
with family, but on a whole different level. Tell me
a little bit about a little bit about the film.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Well, you know, I think that when we look at
the film and this totality, it is really about you
don't know what's going on in someone else's life, you know,
and a little kindness can go a very very long way.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
You know, you see people walking down the street with
their kids.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
You don't know what happened fifteen thirty minutes before, and
a little to grace.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Especially right now.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
You know, I think there's a lot more people struggling
than was struggling when.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
I was growing up.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
You know, I see a lot of problems, a lot
of issues, a lot of death, a lot of sickness,
you know, people losing their jobs, not being able to
pay or sustain you know, the type of living that
you know, it's just healthy, and so you just never
know what's going on in people's lives. And Taraji, her
character goes through such an incredible, unbelievable spiral down that
(03:34):
you think, hey, man, you know this is just going
to be another typical move where you know, black person
Moses again ends up in prison and that's it, folks,
All right, you're out of here. But there's you know,
a lot of circumstances that happen within the movie that
allow us to look and be human, you know, deeply.
(03:55):
And I think Tyler did a wonderful, incredible job of
portraying each character, you know, letting us laugh at drama,
letting us you know, tear up when when when the
moment calls for it, and the ending is absolutely amazing.
I don't want to give it up, cannot give it up.
Watch the movie, enjoy yourself and sit back, relax.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
And just have a good time. M hmm. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
So we've been chopping it up a little bit about
straw and and and as you mentioned earlier, the film
sits somewhere between silence and accountability. You know, as as
a husband and a father, what what part of that
hit closest to home for you?
Speaker 4 (04:42):
You know, growing up, there was a time where my
parents got divorced and I was raised you know, solely
by my mom, my sister and I and looking at
like we lived in Valo, California for a period of
time and my mom still worked in San Francisco, so
we were latch key kids and we had to come
(05:02):
home and take care of ourselves, feed ourselves until my mom,
you know, got home. And I don't think you know,
at the time, when you know, looking back, it was
pretty bad. It was you know, very dangerous, but a
lot of us lived that way and a number of
(05:24):
people didn't realize, you know, what was going on with us.
My mom wasn't able to afford like winter jackets, you know,
we had to walk to school and you know, and
clothes that weren't adequate. But you know, my mother tried,
you know constantly to you know maybe you know, if
we didn't have anything to eat, we make sure we
had at least a banana or a piece of fruit
(05:45):
and you know, acid milk, and you know, she tried
to get us our vitem is as much as we
possibly you know, could during that time.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So it just reminds me.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Of how hard that my mom had it during that
and it reminds me of those times. And I look
at my mother now, who lives with me, and I'm
just I'm so grateful, you know, I'm so grateful that
we made it through those times. And we made it together.
And she didn't make it seem like it was hard.
It was almost like it's a beautiful life where she
(06:16):
was just faking it all the way through and you know,
letting us know where the pitfalls are, but at the
same time struggling just to keep, you know, make ends meet.
I remember one time specifically, I used to play this
game off of Coca Cola. You would take the tab
off of the can and on the back of it
(06:36):
would have a letter right, and you would match up
the letters to a phrase that was on a piece
of paper, and the grand prize was home run right.
So my mom would drink a lot of cokes during
those times, so I would like always take her tabs
off and place them and on on the sheet there.
And I won a lot of the smaller prizes. But
(06:58):
then one day our car are broke down. We didn't
have winter jackets, we barely had any money, you know,
to eat. We you know, we were able to pay
our rents, so we had a place to stay. And
I pulled off one tab and I spelled home run
I'll never forget home runs work, and you would win
two thousand dollars and wow, literally helped our family so
(07:21):
much get over that hump, get through Christmas, get through
the winter, and get through you know, just that two
thousand dollars really helped us out. And I you know,
you realize, like it just sometimes it just takes a
little it takes a little bit or you know, for
for a family to get over a hump. So you know,
I try to do as much as I can with
(07:42):
volunteering and also giving you know, the extra that I
have to anyone who needs it, you know, so they
can get by right.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
You know.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Man, It's it's interesting often when I when I hear
these stories about people's upbringings, you know, being raised by
by single mothers. There's always the physical implications you know,
of shelter, clothing, and in our household. It wasn't so
much that of being you know, primarily raised by a
single mother. It was the psychological implications.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Of being both parents.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I mean, what do you what do you think about
that stress and struggle?
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Well, the stress and struggle was real, you know. My
mom was My mom was always blunt with me. She said, hey, look,
I can't teach you how to be a man because
I'm not a man. I can teach you how to
change oil in the car. I can teach you how
to iron your own clothes. I can teach you how
to wash your own clothes. I was washing my own
clothes when I was like one of the third grade,
you know. We would take our basketle clothes, go down
(08:39):
to the laundry house. She would drop us off, show
us how to do it once, and you know, my
sister and I would just you.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Know, wash our own clothes.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
And then during that time, so she would teach me
the things that I needed to know in order to
know how to take care of myself.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
And I would always ask, like, you know, why do
I have to wash the dishes? Why do I have
to iron my clothes?
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Why do I have to And she said, boy, if
you rule up that you don't find a woman to
help you with these things, at least you'll know how
to do as yourself. And I noticed that in college
I was like literally one of the only guys that
knew how to iron his clothes, that knew how to
take care of his own things.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So very grateful for.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Those moments and those teachings and my mom being up
front of like, hey, look, Dad's not here.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Right now.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I don't know how to, you know, teach you how
to be a man, but I can give you the
tools that you need.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
In order to be a good man, you know. So
I think she did a really good job. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
I mean, look at you now, that's right. You know,
rock you You've played some some men that have been
under pressure before, but this this one feels a little different.
What what responsibility did you feil stepping into this kind
of role.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Well, you know, the great thing about this is like
there's there's a little bit of leeway that Tyler gives
you to build out your characters, which is, you know,
if he trusts you, right, So there was some ad
libs in it that made me feel like, you know,
this is uh, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
This this character is full as wholly.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
He's three dimensional, although he was already three dimensional on
the page. But you you look at the conflict of
your job and also your commitment to the community and
trying to do it the right way and trying to
do it in a way that is going to be
beneficial to the community and not detrimental to the community.
Like you know, the other FBI officer came in to
(10:30):
just basically bulldoze the whole thing over and not care
about what the ramifications were. But you can see within
my character space, he was just trying to do the
right thing and do it in a way that it
wouldn't be detrimental to the community.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
And I think he did a good job.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Yeah, you know, you you work with some phenomenal women
on Helm. I mean, we've got to Ragi, We've got Tiana, Taylor,
Sherry Shepherd, dude, what was that like?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
And just a whole bunch of smiles. Three ladies that
smile all the time to do.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
What they do.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Sherry Shepherd is just She's a ball of absolute fun.
She's just her energy. Being around her, you can't help
but to be happy.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Taragi is Taragi, She's just she's the homie man. She's
so good in every aspect. She brings her a game
all the time. She's an incredible nice person.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
And Tiana.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
That was my first time working with Tiana, and she
what a nice person. She has such a great personality.
She lights up her room every time she walks in.
She you know, came ready and you can tell how
where she gets her awesomeness from her mom is incredible.
She's had a great time talking and sitting with her,
(11:53):
and the way that she's running and helping keeping her
career afloat is a sight to see.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
How many projects have you entouragi worked on together?
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Now? Only been too.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Yeah it was only the the family that praise and
also strong this this this project.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Yeah, okay, it feels like a billion projects.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
I've been working with this since I was ten. But right,
some people have that old energy where it's just like, I.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Don't know, maybe we knew each other in another.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Lifetime, right, just just eons of existence of knowing.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Yeah, yeah, you know, you know.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Straw Straw asks what happens when the system fails?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Our daughters?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
How did that weight sit with you while filming? Especially
being a girl?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Dad?
Speaker 4 (12:49):
Oh man, you know it's scary because you start to
see the pitfalls or you're reminded of the pitfalls, and
then I have to come home and remind my daughter
and teach my daughter, my eleven year old daughter, what
those pitfalls are and how do they look? And I
can't wait to, you know, show her this movie, like
(13:10):
I couldn't wait to show her six Triple eight. You know,
we need to see those films that we need our
young black girls to see these films and to see.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
These experiences.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
Because they're so important and you know, they might not
have the same experience, but they have to know how
to operate within those experiences and notice when there's a
person that's going through that and you know how to
help and to not be a hindranx, you know. So, yeah,
I'm going through it with my daughter right now. It's
(13:43):
an amazing thing to see her grow, to see her
blossom into you know, the young woman that she is now.
I mean, we put we've been homeschooling for quite some time,
and they put my daughter through my all of my
kids in private school last year and all the my
daughter had, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Enter into fifth grade.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
She was bullied by other girls, She was you know,
hitten by boys. She was called whole like I don't
know how many times, to where you know, we had
to actually like have counseling and speak with the teachers
and speak with the principal and speak with you know,
other parents, and she dealt with a lot. But to
(14:25):
her testament, you know, to her character, she finished the
year straight a's on her orchestra, you know what I mean.
So I think we're doing a good job of showing
her how to navigate and to hold her own space
and to be free within her own space.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
But at the same.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Time, you know, we realized that we're probably the best
teachers during these impressionable times, and we'll let them, you.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Know, do the school uh, do the school.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Type of atmosphere when they get a little bit older
and when they know who they are.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
So we're going back to home school.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Right right, right, absolutely, people, we kill somebody's kids, right,
I'm not that dude, right exactly, my little girl. Nobody
gets do it better than me, exactly exactly. Man, how
do how do you establish that foundation? I mean you have,
(15:21):
like you said earlier, you have a fantastic partner and Maya,
But how do you establish that foundation for your kids,
especially when something when some might say they come from privilege?
How do you make that foundation where they're strong enough
to continue to move forward and go on and grow.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Well, see, and that starts with like homeschooling and what
you teach for kids.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
I believe you know, we start off at the very
beginning of teaching black pride. You know, we're kind of
African as we show our kids and teach our kids
all that they need to know in order to be
the best Black person that they could be. You know,
when we you know, compared to the academy that my
(16:03):
my daughter just went to, I believe, within Black history,
they only talked about picking cotton well and homeschooling when
she was, you know, in that's fifth grade. When she
was in the third grade, my my wife took an
entire year to teach her about Africa.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
You know, there's more than one country in Africa, that's right, absolutely, So.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
There's a heck of a lot to learn.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
So you take your time and you're teaching, you know,
the migration of our people, how our people worked and
created and invented before you talk about, you know, the
enslaved portion, because there's so much more history before the
enslavement of our people. And if we start right there,
(16:49):
then I think our children will not get the benefit
and will not get the full story of what they
need and how you know, beautiful we are, how powerful
we are, how amazing we are. So you know, we're
getting back to those teachings and keeping it stable and man.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, But what do you what do you
want your kids to know? About the choices that you've
made as an artist.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
I know that there's there's going to be a time
where my kids actually like, they know that I'm an actor,
but we don't really dive into it that much because
not a business where I want my kids to go into.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
I know, there was one time we, uh, Maya and
I were sitting back reminiscing about this one project.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
That we did and uh, you know, Maya.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
Had wrote it and I started it and she also
started it, and uh there was a moment where I
fake kissed another actor and my sons they weren't for it.
They they were not trying to hear it, they were
not trying to be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
They as soon as it happened, my jaw drop.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
Because I knew what was coming, and I know how
they felt. They're very protective over their mom. They're very
our relationship, which they should be, which I'm teaching them
to be.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
You know, they turned around and looked.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
At me like I was in any bro and it
was I had a lot of explaining to do it.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
I have a lot of.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
And uh, you know, it took a minute, but I
was able to pull the words together and of course.
You know, after a few attempts, my wife double down
with me, but she let me struggle.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
And I think that they got it. Uh you know.
I think that there's gonna be a couple of roles
that I play.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
That I'm gonna have to, you know, sit down with
my kids and actually explain it to them of what
it is.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
But they get what I do is not real. What
I do is not.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
Associated with dad and who I really am. The cares
that I play are characters that I play. It's totally
separate than our home life. I keep that very very separate.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
You know. And uh yeah, so there you are.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yes, there's there's a moment and straw. Yeah, we're saying
nothing speaks volumes. Ever had a moment that, like in
your real life that you did that.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
And you regret it? Right? Didn't say anything, yes, sir?
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Oh no, man, because I just happened to be one
of those people that I say, what's on my mind.
I don't care if you're Jesus Christ, Grandma, my mom my, dad.
I you know, I kind of don't let things slide anymore.
(20:00):
I hid fifty two. I ran out of fs to give.
I couldn't even borrow on right now. So I'm at
that point in my life where I'm a saved what's.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
On my mind?
Speaker 4 (20:12):
You like it or don't, we can have a conversation
about it. I'm not fighting about it. But I feel
the way that I feel, and I think that I'm
I'm very articulate and the words that I that I
use to express how I feel. I've been through enough
therapy to explain the feelings.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
That I feel.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Come on, yes, yeah, man.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
So I don't think that I ever really let those
moments slide anymore. And if I did let them slide,
it was probably God in my ear saying.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Sh h, let us slide. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
When are those moments that we should be silent?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Rock when God tells you to be silent?
Speaker 4 (20:57):
And so those are those things where those ways, those
you have to be connected to soul one hundred and
fifty percent.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
You have to keep your spine in alignment.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
You have to keep your body clean of disease so
that you're able to communicate with God clearly, and most
people don't understand that. But like I teach my kids,
you know, if this life here that we're spending was
a video game, then the ultimate goal to win is
(21:31):
to leave this earth, not with your body bag or
your meat back, it's with your soul and tax so
it can return to the Most High or you will
be returning back to this earth to learn whatever lessons
it is you need to learn. So, you know, it's
just keeping it all in line for God to be
(21:53):
able to say, hey, you know, and I have a
great communicate, great communication and great relationship with the Most High,
so I hear the Most High speaking to me constantly,
even right now. So it's knowing and knowing when to
be silent, and a lot of people don't have that control.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Yes, you know, I spent years, especially in my early
twenties in this business, you know, not advocating, you know,
for myself, and I saw how that was a detriment
to my career.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Then I finally got to the point where I was
just like, you know, the worst thing that anybody can
do to me, if they're not touching me, it's.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Tell me no, tell me no.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
So why is it and I mean worse in the
sense that they can't do anything any worse than that,
Why is it important that we advocate for ourselves that
in this business and just in life in general.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Oh, if you don't advocate for yourself, someone else will.
You don't teach yourself the lessons that you need to
learn in order to be you know, successful in life,
someone else will. And like, I don't want other people
teaching my kids.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I need to do it, you know.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
So if you don't advocate for yourself, someone else is
going to advocate for you, and you're going to get
something that you really don't want, that you really don't need,
that isn't beneficial to your soul, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
So to me, that's why it's important.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
You don't want other people running your life.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Yeah, yeah, you know, Straw, like you said it just
you know, when we were talking off camera, I could
I could hear the joying your voice about this project
and how.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Proud you know you you are of it.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
What was what was some of the most challenging moments
for you, not just as an actor but also as
a man who shows up in your household. How did
affect you? What was challenging about it?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Listening? There was nothing challenging about it.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
You know.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
When I got uh a call saying like, hey, look
there's this role and UH in the film, and I
was like oh, so I called TP and like, hey, bruh,
and he was like, you know what, that's a good idea, right.
And remember at this time, you know, I don't know
if you remember in the last interview that we had,
(24:30):
like I haven't been working that much, you know, slightly
uh ousted from from Hollywood, and I'm still within that realm.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
The great thing is is that I.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Have friends in the business who don't care about the
bullshit and and they are they they are standing their
ground with me and actually helping me, you know, put
food on the table.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
For you know, my family, you know.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
So I have to get a shout out to George
Pierre and Errol Saddler and and Rizza who you know
put me on, you know, a spoonful of chocolate. To
Marcus Wainwright, you know with the accused, you know, he
you know, gave me a spot on that coke Daniels,
you know, will Packer fifty cents. And and here I'm
(25:19):
naming these names for the people who stepped up against
a you know, a business who was like, hey, that
guy shouldn't work right. What what is the commonality between
all of those names that I just said. They're all
black men. Now, let me tell you something that was
really really special about straw. Now, I heard Megan Good
(25:44):
say something like, you know, Tyler paid me the most
money that I've ever been paid on the show, and
like made me cry. You know, when I got on
the phone with my agent said, you know, go through
the negotiation process with this.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
You know, my agents were trying to get a little
bit more money. You know, well we need this, you know,
we need just a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
And you know, the negotiation people were like, hey, look,
this is all we have in the pot for this character.
And they were like, well, you know, we need a
little bit more. And I'm like, all right, well let
us talk this tonight.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Brother. They came back and gave me double.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
What we were asking for because TP said, I know
what this brother is going through, I know the help
that he needs, I know what he is worth. And
this is the first time I've ever been paid my worth.
This is the first time I've ever been paid what
I believe I deserve on the film. Tyler has paid
(26:41):
me more money than I've ever received on any other projects.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Say that, and I'm.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
So grateful to this brother. He's a great friend, he's
a great human being. And I'll stand ten toes down
for this man because he helped my fan family in
the time of me and said, hey, look these are
the blessings that I think that you should have, and
thank you man for you They just look at you like, hey, yeah,
(27:08):
you're nothing. Take these two pennies. You know, like it
or don't. But this brother really did did me one
solid and I've always will be indebted to him.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
I appreciate him. God bless him with everything that he does.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
And I will always speak highly of TP Man, great dude,
blessing to a lot of people. And then the you know,
the constriction of our industry right now, he is keeping
us working in the constriction of art like not only
was you know, I'm blackballed, but then the industry, the
(27:44):
money is gone, the budgets for all of these projects going.
But Tyler has not stopped with all of these projects
that he's doing, and he's helping us, right And as
much as you want to say, oh well he's not paying,
yes he is.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Salute, Yes he is done with the bullshit. He's paying
his actors.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
He's paying these these cats their worth and without even
blinking an eye.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
So give his brother his flowers he deserves.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Yeah, I definitely agree with you. I've been blessed enough
to work with many folks that have worked on Tyler
Perry projects, and I've always felt seen, yeah by him,
always felt seen by him. And yeah, I just appreciate
you saying that in so many others that are giving
(28:34):
him his flowers because they are well deserved.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
And then you look at it too, and I really
think Hollywood is is uh is about to be shaken
up just because of you know, the lack of funds
that are coming in.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
We shot Straw on like four days, bro. Wow.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
So that's shooting over like, you know, thirty pages a day,
which I thought at the beginning because I when we
shot the family that praised, it was conventional. No thirty
days or something like that, And you know it's conventional.
We shot like one or two scenes a day. Conventional
we were shooting so many scenes in one day. Show
(29:17):
up at six o'clock in the morning, but we always
left at like eight thirty nine o'clock. We always got
it done. Three steady camp operators who were just man,
they were on page. These dudes. I wish I knew
their names. I would give them a shout out. The
brothers did their job. When TP was like, hey, look
(29:38):
I want to shoot this way, let's clear it all out.
Sometimes we have to double back and go that way.
But we got it done. The most professional set that
I've ever been on. Hair and makeup, top notch, trailers,
top notch food, top notch, top notch. You know, there's
some set you go on and it's like, yo, your
(29:58):
budget is one hundred.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Million, right, and they got some granola bars.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
So yeah, man, I absolutely love working for cp Man,
So this is you know, I can't wait to do it.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah, I'm just I'm really.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
I haven't seen the film yet, but I've seen the
trailers and the outtakes.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
And if I do hear my dogs barking at the
front door, I do not. You don't, Okay, great, all
right if you don't hear it?
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Yeah, I was like, dogs went dogs.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, no, no, you're good man. Some of the roles
that you've performed others sit in your spirit after the
credits roll? Which one was this for you? I mean,
did did this role sit with you at all after
you finished it?
Speaker 2 (30:54):
I think the experience, not necessarily the role, but the overall.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
Experience, I said to myself multiple times, this is the
way it should be.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
This is the way it should be.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
Everyone's coming in prepared, everyone's coming in ready to work.
No one wants to drop the ball. Everyone is playing
their position. And it was such a lovely experience. So
I left saying to myself, I want to keep having
experiences like this. I want to I want to come
(31:29):
to work like this all the time, you know. You know,
and at this age, I've been on so many different sets.
I kind of you can pinpoint on as it's not
going to be what I thought it was, or and
I can't believe that, you know, this is going to
be the situation or who these people don't know what
they're doing, you know.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Yeah, And majority of the time that's you know, it
doesn't matter what the budget is.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
That's the experience. Everyone kind of runs off of ego,
but there is no go on. Tyler said, you know,
everyone wanted to do the best job that they could
for him, you know, not only just for themselves, but
for him. You want to do good for TV, you know,
which is which is great. So yeah, man, that was
the experience that I walked away with that I want,
(32:17):
I want more of it.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Yeah, you know, you know, brother, especially this is this
is a sage advice time. You know, we have we
have so many you know, newbies that are coming into
the industry that are chasing you know, the fame or
you know, the fortune.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
What what do you want them to know about showing
up ready?
Speaker 4 (32:45):
I'm glad you switched over the question because if it
would have ended before showing up ready, I could.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Just hear my wife saying, don't be a down or.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
Just because I see the industry changing, and I'm right
not to be a downer, but I see what it's
changes to and I've been calling it for the last
you know, for the last two years, of what's happening,
what's coming, and now it's at our doorstep. And I
think before you even decide if you want to be
(33:19):
a part of this business, you know, you have to
prepare yourself for the absolute worst and the absolute best.
Because I think what a lot of youngsters come into
is this you know, Rose Glass idea of what Hollywood
(33:40):
is and what it can do for them. The majority
of them get let down and then can't recoup or sustain,
you know, or bounce back from the downfall, right, you know,
it turns into a really bad situation.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
You've heard all of the horrible stories.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
So for a young person coming into the industry, not
only do you have to be prepared for the ups
and downs, you have to be the best version of
yourself one hundred percent of the time. And if you
can't be the best version of yourself one hundred percent
(34:17):
of the time, then go and take a hiatus, Go
and take a break by yourself, take until you can
come back as the strong version of yourself, because the
weak version of yourself will get eaten.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Alive in this industry. You you'll never make it.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
So that goes along with showing up ready, showing up prepared,
showing up to give your best, showing up.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Yeah, a lot of us think that we got.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
It and we just need to show up, it's like,
and be prepared, right, So.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Don't forget that.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
The preparation is what is going to get you through
the ups and downs.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Of this business. You know.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Yeah, with without mentioning names, because we don't do that
on black in the green room, we don't go.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Man, we're nice.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
I'm trying to uplift the people.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
But with that being said, what what are your thoughts
on those that grow and build in this industry, but
then forget that, They forget to show up being their
best and being ready.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
But that's all.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
It's all within the lesson, you know, it's all within
the lesson. We all have our individual lessons and experiences
that we need in order to go through to grow.
So that's part of their lesson.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
I kind of look at it made it really easier
for me in life once I realized and took the
philosophy that we are all one mirror broken into a
billion different pieces.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
So we're all the same.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
You're just a version of myself that needs some learn
this lesson and that lesson and this lesson. I'm the
version of you that needs to either be the beacon
of light so you can learn this lesson or that
lessen or this lesson.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
So it's all experiences. I try not to judge.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
I just try to forgive and be humbled by the
experience as much as I possibly can, so I can,
you know, not sabotage myself or sabotage my soul by staying.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Here and another go around, because this is it. Man.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
When I'm done, I'm connected to the most high I've
done my work.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
I have my greatest spiritual tests I pass and now
I'm just.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
I'm trying to get my kids and my parents in
the right position so they won't have to come back
here again.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
I love that, man. I love that.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
And it's very unselfish when we come black in the
green room, black men welcome black, welcome black.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
There in and straw.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Yeah, there there's a quiet, viole violence in a way
power avoids responsibility. What conversations do you hope this film
starts in rooms that usually stay quiet.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
That's a really good question. That was a really good
question I would have to say.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
And I like that poetic moment of silence because it
reinforced that quiet.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Because you really don't want to say the same, the
wrong thing on.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
This and I I I hesitate just because my first
initial reaction is like, we we need to protect a
black woman.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
We need to all get together and realize how important
and essential the black woman is for not only our
own growth, our livelihoods, but just our existence. And if
we don't take the time to nurture and put our
black women first, I think we as as a generation,
(38:27):
we as a culture, are gonna die quicker than we think.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
So what, I look at.
Speaker 4 (38:34):
Taraji's character and there was a number of moments where
she wasn't protected, you know, she wasn't understood, She wasn't
giving grace you know, by her boss. You know, although
her friends around her were like, no, she's a good girl,
she was misunderstood by you know, a couple of people within.
(39:02):
You know, I wanted to remember their names, and I
just couldn't first like that, you know, the bank tellers
and things of that nature. So I think that it
should start and open up the questions and open up
the dialogue of us doing a better job by protecting
our black women and protecting their minds and keeping them healthy.
(39:26):
Because if we keep our black women healthy, we keep
ourselves healthy.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Right, they are the foundation of our civilization.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Oh absolutely, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
And I tell my kids that all the time, Like
you are not talking ill bad behind the back of
your mom. You're giving her all the respect. You get
up in the morning, you give her kisses to make
sure that she's appreciated and knows that you are grateful
for being in this world.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
And you make sure that you put those lips on
her before you go to sleep. You know, so it's.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
Yeah, it's it's it's a lot of work that we
need to do in order to keep our women sacred
as they are.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Yeah, tell us where can we watch straw Man?
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (40:15):
Today, Man, Friday the six, Netflix only on Netflix only
on Netflix, Strong Black leads, It's it's just gonna be great.
We're gonna have a little screening in my house too
as well.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
I wish I were there, man.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
You know we'll be in the theater having a good time. Yes,
but yeah, so that's where you can watch it. Yeah. Absolutely.
And what's coming up next for you? Rock? What you
got going on? Oh?
Speaker 4 (40:42):
Man, I start a new project next week. I believe
that we just closed. I don't want to mention it
until I really know that we just closed. But also
a Spoonful of Chocolate by directed and directed by Riza.
It's going to be at the Tribecal Film Festival. Uh,
(41:08):
water Boys already came out, the cues already came out
of b E T bmth really fun role, really great.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Time on BMF.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
Man, you know which the show was that I think
it's ending or something like that.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (41:22):
If it's not, I would love to go back it
was such a great role, so you'd be on the
lookout for for that.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
We already saw Fight Night will Packers Joint. Yeah, you
killed man.
Speaker 4 (41:35):
That was a lot of fun. Yeah, that was a
lot of fun, a lot of fun. And I believe
that is about it. We have a lot of things
in development.
Speaker 2 (41:46):
My wife and I work together, we write together, we
create together.
Speaker 4 (41:51):
We have something really special coming up and I'm praying
and hoping we.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Get this green light within the next couple of days.
Speaker 4 (41:58):
Uh so I can talk about it war, but it's
something that we as a culture need, wanted for a
very long time, and now we're in the position to
really make it happen.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah, rock Where can everybody find you on social media
to keep up with what's going on in rock world?
Speaker 2 (42:14):
Man, I'm barely on the joint.
Speaker 4 (42:18):
Far in few between, but you know Rockman Dunbar r
O C K M O N D d U n
b A R that's Instagram and also.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
H X.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Right Rockman Dunbar actor extraordinary and more importantly, the fam BAM,
thank you brother so much.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
Rejoined me black and.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Degree be sure to follow me Keith Underwood at mister
Keith l Underwood on ig You can also follow me
on f B 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 entertainers, creatives and show viz professionals. Today
we're joined by an actor whose presence on screen has
always meant something steady, grounded and deeply human. From Soul
(00:21):
Food to prison Break, from the Game to nine to
one point one. Rockman Dunbar has built a career playing
complex black men with purpose. Now he's back on the
big screen in a powerful new film, Straw, a project
that asks tough questions and pulls no punches. We're talking artistry, legacy, fatherhood,
and the stories that still need to be told. Let's
(00:43):
get into it. Rockman Dunbar, Welcome to the room.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
What's up, fam? How are you feeling? Brother? And what brother?
How you I'm just glad that I am deeply human
in your eyes. I love it.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
I love it always.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
How are the kids doing? You know what?
Speaker 4 (01:02):
They're amazing. Maya and I just came back from the
premiere of Straw. We had a really great time. The
movie is amazing. Taraji did a wonderful job. You know,
It's just it was great. It was great to actually
be in New York. New York feels a lot different
than it. Yeah, different, man.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I feel like he's getting back to the old New York.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Yeah, I was there.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I was there about three weeks ago for two weeks, man,
and I really enjoyed it, the vibe and the ending,
Like you said, it's back.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
And I rode the train a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
You know. I'm usually a little bougie.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
But I rode the train a lot, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
And so it was.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
It was a really good time, man. And I saw
the photos of you and Maya. You guys look great,
man at the premiere.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
She looks amazing, like a like, I don't know what
the heck is going on. I was like, wait a minute,
thirteen year old.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah, well, congress to both of you. Guys are a
great team. And the kids, man, they're just absolutely wonderful too.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
So we're hustling, man, and you know, it takes a village,
but my wife is just so amazing in every way,
and she doesn't leave any stone unturned when it comes
to these kids' education, their passions and things.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
That they want to do. So I'm just I'm so
grateful that I'm married the right woman.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Oh yes, yes, Oh my god, I'm just so grateful.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Man, everything is great. Yeah, good, good.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Tell me, you know, Straw has a lot to do
with family, but on a whole different level. Tell me
a little bit about a little bit about the film.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Well, you know, I think that when we look at
the film and this totality, it is really about you
don't know what's going on in someone else's life, you know,
and a little kindness can go a very very long way.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
You know, you see people walking down the street with
their kids.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
You don't know what happened fifteen thirty minutes before, and
a little to grace.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Especially right now.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
You know, I think there's a lot more people struggling
than was struggling when.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
I was growing up.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
You know, I see a lot of problems, a lot
of issues, a lot of death, a lot of sickness,
you know, people losing their jobs, not being able to
pay or sustain you know, the type of living that
you know, it's just healthy, and so you just never
know what's going on in people's lives. And Taraji, her
character goes through such an incredible, unbelievable spiral down that
(03:34):
you think, hey, man, you know this is just going
to be another typical move where you know, black person
Moses again ends up in prison and that's it, folks,
All right, you're out of here. But there's you know,
a lot of circumstances that happen within the movie that
allow us to look and be human, you know, deeply.
(03:55):
And I think Tyler did a wonderful, incredible job of
portraying each character, you know, letting us laugh at drama,
letting us you know, tear up when when when the
moment calls for it, and the ending is absolutely amazing.
I don't want to give it up, cannot give it up.
Watch the movie, enjoy yourself and sit back, relax.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
And just have a good time. M hmm. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
So we've been chopping it up a little bit about
straw and and and as you mentioned earlier, the film
sits somewhere between silence and accountability. You know, as as
a husband and a father, what what part of that
hit closest to home for you?
Speaker 4 (04:42):
You know, growing up, there was a time where my
parents got divorced and I was raised you know, solely
by my mom, my sister and I and looking at
like we lived in Valo, California for a period of
time and my mom still worked in San Francisco, so
we were latch key kids and we had to come
(05:02):
home and take care of ourselves, feed ourselves until my mom,
you know, got home. And I don't think you know,
at the time, when you know, looking back, it was
pretty bad. It was you know, very dangerous, but a
lot of us lived that way and a number of
(05:24):
people didn't realize, you know, what was going on with us.
My mom wasn't able to afford like winter jackets, you know,
we had to walk to school and you know, and
clothes that weren't adequate. But you know, my mother tried,
you know constantly to you know maybe you know, if
we didn't have anything to eat, we make sure we
had at least a banana or a piece of fruit
(05:45):
and you know, acid milk, and you know, she tried
to get us our vitem is as much as we
possibly you know, could during that time.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So it just reminds me.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Of how hard that my mom had it during that
and it reminds me of those times. And I look
at my mother now, who lives with me, and I'm
just I'm so grateful, you know, I'm so grateful that
we made it through those times. And we made it together.
And she didn't make it seem like it was hard.
It was almost like it's a beautiful life where she
(06:16):
was just faking it all the way through and you know,
letting us know where the pitfalls are, but at the
same time struggling just to keep, you know, make ends meet.
I remember one time specifically, I used to play this
game off of Coca Cola. You would take the tab
off of the can and on the back of it
(06:36):
would have a letter right, and you would match up
the letters to a phrase that was on a piece
of paper, and the grand prize was home run right.
So my mom would drink a lot of cokes during
those times, so I would like always take her tabs
off and place them and on on the sheet there.
And I won a lot of the smaller prizes. But
(06:58):
then one day our car are broke down. We didn't
have winter jackets, we barely had any money, you know,
to eat. We you know, we were able to pay
our rents, so we had a place to stay. And
I pulled off one tab and I spelled home run
I'll never forget home runs work, and you would win
two thousand dollars and wow, literally helped our family so
(07:21):
much get over that hump, get through Christmas, get through
the winter, and get through you know, just that two
thousand dollars really helped us out. And I you know,
you realize, like it just sometimes it just takes a
little it takes a little bit or you know, for
for a family to get over a hump. So you know,
I try to do as much as I can with
(07:42):
volunteering and also giving you know, the extra that I
have to anyone who needs it, you know, so they
can get by right.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
You know.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Man, It's it's interesting often when I when I hear
these stories about people's upbringings, you know, being raised by
by single mothers. There's always the physical implications you know,
of shelter, clothing, and in our household. It wasn't so
much that of being you know, primarily raised by a
single mother. It was the psychological implications.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Of being both parents.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
I mean, what do you what do you think about
that stress and struggle?
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Well, the stress and struggle was real, you know. My
mom was My mom was always blunt with me. She said, hey, look,
I can't teach you how to be a man because
I'm not a man. I can teach you how to
change oil in the car. I can teach you how
to iron your own clothes. I can teach you how
to wash your own clothes. I was washing my own
clothes when I was like one of the third grade,
you know. We would take our basketle clothes, go down
(08:39):
to the laundry house. She would drop us off, show
us how to do it once, and you know, my
sister and I would just you.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Know, wash our own clothes.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
And then during that time, so she would teach me
the things that I needed to know in order to
know how to take care of myself.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
And I would always ask, like, you know, why do
I have to wash the dishes? Why do I have
to iron my clothes?
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Why do I have to And she said, boy, if
you rule up that you don't find a woman to
help you with these things, at least you'll know how
to do as yourself. And I noticed that in college
I was like literally one of the only guys that
knew how to iron his clothes, that knew how to
take care of his own things.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So very grateful for.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Those moments and those teachings and my mom being up
front of like, hey, look, Dad's not here.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Right now.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I don't know how to, you know, teach you how
to be a man, but I can give you the
tools that you need.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
In order to be a good man, you know. So
I think she did a really good job. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
I mean, look at you now, that's right. You know,
rock you You've played some some men that have been
under pressure before, but this this one feels a little different.
What what responsibility did you feil stepping into this kind
of role.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Well, you know, the great thing about this is like
there's there's a little bit of leeway that Tyler gives
you to build out your characters, which is, you know,
if he trusts you, right, So there was some ad
libs in it that made me feel like, you know,
this is uh, you know.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
This this character is full as wholly.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
He's three dimensional, although he was already three dimensional on
the page. But you you look at the conflict of
your job and also your commitment to the community and
trying to do it the right way and trying to
do it in a way that is going to be
beneficial to the community and not detrimental to the community.
Like you know, the other FBI officer came in to
(10:30):
just basically bulldoze the whole thing over and not care
about what the ramifications were. But you can see within
my character space, he was just trying to do the
right thing and do it in a way that it
wouldn't be detrimental to the community.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
And I think he did a good job.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Yeah, you know, you you work with some phenomenal women
on Helm. I mean, we've got to Ragi, We've got Tiana, Taylor,
Sherry Shepherd, dude, what was that like?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
And just a whole bunch of smiles. Three ladies that
smile all the time to do.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
What they do.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Sherry Shepherd is just She's a ball of absolute fun.
She's just her energy. Being around her, you can't help
but to be happy.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Taragi is Taragi, She's just she's the homie man. She's
so good in every aspect. She brings her a game
all the time. She's an incredible nice person.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
And Tiana.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
That was my first time working with Tiana, and she
what a nice person. She has such a great personality.
She lights up her room every time she walks in.
She you know, came ready and you can tell how
where she gets her awesomeness from her mom is incredible.
She's had a great time talking and sitting with her,
(11:53):
and the way that she's running and helping keeping her
career afloat is a sight to see.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
How many projects have you entouragi worked on together?
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Now? Only been too.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Yeah it was only the the family that praise and
also strong this this this project.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Yeah, okay, it feels like a billion projects.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
I've been working with this since I was ten. But right,
some people have that old energy where it's just like, I.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Don't know, maybe we knew each other in another.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Lifetime, right, just just eons of existence of knowing.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Yeah, yeah, you know, you know.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Straw Straw asks what happens when the system fails?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Our daughters?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
How did that weight sit with you while filming? Especially
being a girl?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Dad?
Speaker 4 (12:49):
Oh man, you know it's scary because you start to
see the pitfalls or you're reminded of the pitfalls, and
then I have to come home and remind my daughter
and teach my daughter, my eleven year old daughter, what
those pitfalls are and how do they look? And I
can't wait to, you know, show her this movie, like
(13:10):
I couldn't wait to show her six Triple eight. You know,
we need to see those films that we need our
young black girls to see these films and to see.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
These experiences.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
Because they're so important and you know, they might not
have the same experience, but they have to know how
to operate within those experiences and notice when there's a
person that's going through that and you know how to
help and to not be a hindranx, you know. So, yeah,
I'm going through it with my daughter right now. It's
(13:43):
an amazing thing to see her grow, to see her
blossom into you know, the young woman that she is now.
I mean, we put we've been homeschooling for quite some time,
and they put my daughter through my all of my
kids in private school last year and all the my
daughter had, you know.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Enter into fifth grade.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
She was bullied by other girls, She was you know,
hitten by boys. She was called whole like I don't
know how many times, to where you know, we had
to actually like have counseling and speak with the teachers
and speak with the principal and speak with you know,
other parents, and she dealt with a lot. But to
(14:25):
her testament, you know, to her character, she finished the
year straight a's on her orchestra, you know what I mean.
So I think we're doing a good job of showing
her how to navigate and to hold her own space
and to be free within her own space.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
But at the same.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
Time, you know, we realized that we're probably the best
teachers during these impressionable times, and we'll let them, you.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Know, do the school uh, do the school.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Type of atmosphere when they get a little bit older
and when they know who they are.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
So we're going back to home school.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Right right, right, absolutely, people, we kill somebody's kids, right,
I'm not that dude, right exactly, my little girl. Nobody
gets do it better than me, exactly exactly. Man, how
do how do you establish that foundation? I mean you have,
(15:21):
like you said earlier, you have a fantastic partner and Maya,
But how do you establish that foundation for your kids,
especially when something when some might say they come from privilege?
How do you make that foundation where they're strong enough
to continue to move forward and go on and grow.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Well, see, and that starts with like homeschooling and what
you teach for kids.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
I believe you know, we start off at the very
beginning of teaching black pride. You know, we're kind of
African as we show our kids and teach our kids
all that they need to know in order to be
the best Black person that they could be. You know,
when we you know, compared to the academy that my
(16:03):
my daughter just went to, I believe, within Black history,
they only talked about picking cotton well and homeschooling when
she was, you know, in that's fifth grade. When she
was in the third grade, my my wife took an
entire year to teach her about Africa.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
You know, there's more than one country in Africa, that's right, absolutely, So.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
There's a heck of a lot to learn.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
So you take your time and you're teaching, you know,
the migration of our people, how our people worked and
created and invented before you talk about, you know, the
enslaved portion, because there's so much more history before the
enslavement of our people. And if we start right there,
(16:49):
then I think our children will not get the benefit
and will not get the full story of what they
need and how you know, beautiful we are, how powerful
we are, how amazing we are. So you know, we're
getting back to those teachings and keeping it stable and man.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, But what do you what do you
want your kids to know? About the choices that you've
made as an artist.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
I know that there's there's going to be a time
where my kids actually like, they know that I'm an actor,
but we don't really dive into it that much because
not a business where I want my kids to go into.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
I know, there was one time we, uh, Maya and
I were sitting back reminiscing about this one project.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
That we did and uh, you know, Maya.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
Had wrote it and I started it and she also
started it, and uh there was a moment where I
fake kissed another actor and my sons they weren't for it.
They they were not trying to hear it, they were
not trying to be a part of it.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
They as soon as it happened, my jaw drop.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
Because I knew what was coming, and I know how
they felt. They're very protective over their mom. They're very
our relationship, which they should be, which I'm teaching them
to be.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
You know, they turned around and looked.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
At me like I was in any bro and it
was I had a lot of explaining to do it.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
I have a lot of.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
And uh, you know, it took a minute, but I
was able to pull the words together and of course.
You know, after a few attempts, my wife double down
with me, but she let me struggle.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
And I think that they got it. Uh you know.
I think that there's gonna be a couple of roles
that I play.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
That I'm gonna have to, you know, sit down with
my kids and actually explain it to them of what
it is.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
But they get what I do is not real. What
I do is not.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
Associated with dad and who I really am. The cares
that I play are characters that I play. It's totally
separate than our home life. I keep that very very separate.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
You know. And uh yeah, so there you are.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yes, there's there's a moment and straw. Yeah, we're saying
nothing speaks volumes. Ever had a moment that, like in
your real life that you did that.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
And you regret it? Right? Didn't say anything, yes, sir?
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Oh no, man, because I just happened to be one
of those people that I say, what's on my mind.
I don't care if you're Jesus Christ, Grandma, my mom my, dad.
I you know, I kind of don't let things slide anymore.
(20:00):
I hid fifty two. I ran out of fs to give.
I couldn't even borrow on right now. So I'm at
that point in my life where I'm a saved what's.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
On my mind?
Speaker 4 (20:12):
You like it or don't, we can have a conversation
about it. I'm not fighting about it. But I feel
the way that I feel, and I think that I'm
I'm very articulate and the words that I that I
use to express how I feel. I've been through enough
therapy to explain the feelings.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
That I feel.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Come on, yes, yeah, man.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
So I don't think that I ever really let those
moments slide anymore. And if I did let them slide,
it was probably God in my ear saying.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Sh h, let us slide. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
When are those moments that we should be silent?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Rock when God tells you to be silent?
Speaker 4 (20:57):
And so those are those things where those ways, those
you have to be connected to soul one hundred and
fifty percent.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
You have to keep your spine in alignment.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
You have to keep your body clean of disease so
that you're able to communicate with God clearly, and most
people don't understand that. But like I teach my kids,
you know, if this life here that we're spending was
a video game, then the ultimate goal to win is
(21:31):
to leave this earth, not with your body bag or
your meat back, it's with your soul and tax so
it can return to the Most High or you will
be returning back to this earth to learn whatever lessons
it is you need to learn. So, you know, it's
just keeping it all in line for God to be
(21:53):
able to say, hey, you know, and I have a
great communicate, great communication and great relationship with the Most High,
so I hear the Most High speaking to me constantly,
even right now. So it's knowing and knowing when to
be silent, and a lot of people don't have that control.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Yes, you know, I spent years, especially in my early
twenties in this business, you know, not advocating, you know,
for myself, and I saw how that was a detriment
to my career.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Then I finally got to the point where I was
just like, you know, the worst thing that anybody can
do to me, if they're not touching me, it's.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Tell me no, tell me no.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
So why is it and I mean worse in the
sense that they can't do anything any worse than that,
Why is it important that we advocate for ourselves that
in this business and just in life in general.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Oh, if you don't advocate for yourself, someone else will.
You don't teach yourself the lessons that you need to
learn in order to be you know, successful in life,
someone else will. And like, I don't want other people
teaching my kids.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I need to do it, you know.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
So if you don't advocate for yourself, someone else is
going to advocate for you, and you're going to get
something that you really don't want, that you really don't need,
that isn't beneficial to your soul, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
So to me, that's why it's important.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
You don't want other people running your life.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Yeah, yeah, you know, Straw, like you said it just
you know, when we were talking off camera, I could
I could hear the joying your voice about this project
and how.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Proud you know you you are of it.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
What was what was some of the most challenging moments
for you, not just as an actor but also as
a man who shows up in your household. How did
affect you? What was challenging about it?
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Listening? There was nothing challenging about it.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
You know.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
When I got uh a call saying like, hey, look
there's this role and UH in the film, and I
was like oh, so I called TP and like, hey, bruh,
and he was like, you know what, that's a good idea, right.
And remember at this time, you know, I don't know
if you remember in the last interview that we had,
(24:30):
like I haven't been working that much, you know, slightly
uh ousted from from Hollywood, and I'm still within that realm.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
The great thing is is that I.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Have friends in the business who don't care about the
bullshit and and they are they they are standing their
ground with me and actually helping me, you know, put
food on the table.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
For you know, my family, you know.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
So I have to get a shout out to George
Pierre and Errol Saddler and and Rizza who you know
put me on, you know, a spoonful of chocolate. To
Marcus Wainwright, you know with the accused, you know, he
you know, gave me a spot on that coke Daniels,
you know, will Packer fifty cents. And and here I'm
(25:19):
naming these names for the people who stepped up against
a you know, a business who was like, hey, that
guy shouldn't work right. What what is the commonality between
all of those names that I just said. They're all
black men. Now, let me tell you something that was
really really special about straw. Now, I heard Megan Good
(25:44):
say something like, you know, Tyler paid me the most
money that I've ever been paid on the show, and
like made me cry. You know, when I got on
the phone with my agent said, you know, go through
the negotiation process with this.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
You know, my agents were trying to get a little
bit more money. You know, well we need this, you know,
we need just a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
And you know, the negotiation people were like, hey, look,
this is all we have in the pot for this character.
And they were like, well, you know, we need a
little bit more. And I'm like, all right, well let
us talk this tonight.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
Brother. They came back and gave me double.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
What we were asking for because TP said, I know
what this brother is going through, I know the help
that he needs, I know what he is worth. And
this is the first time I've ever been paid my worth.
This is the first time I've ever been paid what
I believe I deserve on the film. Tyler has paid
(26:41):
me more money than I've ever received on any other projects.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Say that, and I'm.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
So grateful to this brother. He's a great friend, he's
a great human being. And I'll stand ten toes down
for this man because he helped my fan family in
the time of me and said, hey, look these are
the blessings that I think that you should have, and
thank you man for you They just look at you like, hey, yeah,
(27:08):
you're nothing. Take these two pennies. You know, like it
or don't. But this brother really did did me one
solid and I've always will be indebted to him.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
I appreciate him. God bless him with everything that he does.
Speaker 4 (27:22):
And I will always speak highly of TP Man, great dude,
blessing to a lot of people. And then the you know,
the constriction of our industry right now, he is keeping
us working in the constriction of art like not only
was you know, I'm blackballed, but then the industry, the
(27:44):
money is gone, the budgets for all of these projects going.
But Tyler has not stopped with all of these projects
that he's doing, and he's helping us, right And as
much as you want to say, oh well he's not paying,
yes he is.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
Salute, Yes he is done with the bullshit. He's paying
his actors.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
He's paying these these cats their worth and without even
blinking an eye.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
So give his brother his flowers he deserves.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Yeah, I definitely agree with you. I've been blessed enough
to work with many folks that have worked on Tyler
Perry projects, and I've always felt seen, yeah by him,
always felt seen by him. And yeah, I just appreciate
you saying that in so many others that are giving
(28:34):
him his flowers because they are well deserved.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
And then you look at it too, and I really
think Hollywood is is uh is about to be shaken
up just because of you know, the lack of funds
that are coming in.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
We shot Straw on like four days, bro. Wow.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
So that's shooting over like, you know, thirty pages a day,
which I thought at the beginning because I when we
shot the family that praised, it was conventional. No thirty
days or something like that, And you know it's conventional.
We shot like one or two scenes a day. Conventional
we were shooting so many scenes in one day. Show
(29:17):
up at six o'clock in the morning, but we always
left at like eight thirty nine o'clock. We always got
it done. Three steady camp operators who were just man,
they were on page. These dudes. I wish I knew
their names. I would give them a shout out. The
brothers did their job. When TP was like, hey, look
(29:38):
I want to shoot this way, let's clear it all out.
Sometimes we have to double back and go that way.
But we got it done. The most professional set that
I've ever been on. Hair and makeup, top notch, trailers,
top notch food, top notch, top notch. You know, there's
some set you go on and it's like, yo, your
(29:58):
budget is one hundred.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Million, right, and they got some granola bars.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
So yeah, man, I absolutely love working for cp Man,
So this is you know, I can't wait to do it.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah, I'm just I'm really.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
I haven't seen the film yet, but I've seen the
trailers and the outtakes.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
And if I do hear my dogs barking at the
front door, I do not. You don't, Okay, great, all
right if you don't hear it?
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Yeah, I was like, dogs went dogs.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Yeah, no, no, you're good man. Some of the roles
that you've performed others sit in your spirit after the
credits roll? Which one was this for you? I mean,
did did this role sit with you at all after
you finished it?
Speaker 2 (30:54):
I think the experience, not necessarily the role, but the overall.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
Experience, I said to myself multiple times, this is the
way it should be.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
This is the way it should be.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
Everyone's coming in prepared, everyone's coming in ready to work.
No one wants to drop the ball. Everyone is playing
their position. And it was such a lovely experience. So
I left saying to myself, I want to keep having
experiences like this. I want to I want to come
(31:29):
to work like this all the time, you know. You know,
and at this age, I've been on so many different sets.
I kind of you can pinpoint on as it's not
going to be what I thought it was, or and
I can't believe that, you know, this is going to
be the situation or who these people don't know what
they're doing, you know.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Yeah, And majority of the time that's you know, it
doesn't matter what the budget is.
Speaker 4 (31:56):
That's the experience. Everyone kind of runs off of ego,
but there is no go on. Tyler said, you know,
everyone wanted to do the best job that they could
for him, you know, not only just for themselves, but
for him. You want to do good for TV, you know,
which is which is great. So yeah, man, that was
the experience that I walked away with that I want,
(32:17):
I want more of it.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
Yeah, you know, you know, brother, especially this is this
is a sage advice time. You know, we have we
have so many you know, newbies that are coming into
the industry that are chasing you know, the fame or
you know, the fortune.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
What what do you want them to know about showing
up ready?
Speaker 4 (32:45):
I'm glad you switched over the question because if it
would have ended before showing up ready, I could.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Just hear my wife saying, don't be a down or.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
Just because I see the industry changing, and I'm right
not to be a downer, but I see what it's
changes to and I've been calling it for the last
you know, for the last two years, of what's happening,
what's coming, and now it's at our doorstep. And I
think before you even decide if you want to be
(33:19):
a part of this business, you know, you have to
prepare yourself for the absolute worst and the absolute best.
Because I think what a lot of youngsters come into
is this you know, Rose Glass idea of what Hollywood
(33:40):
is and what it can do for them. The majority
of them get let down and then can't recoup or sustain,
you know, or bounce back from the downfall, right, you know,
it turns into a really bad situation.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
You've heard all of the horrible stories.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
So for a young person coming into the industry, not
only do you have to be prepared for the ups
and downs, you have to be the best version of
yourself one hundred percent of the time. And if you
can't be the best version of yourself one hundred percent
(34:17):
of the time, then go and take a hiatus, Go
and take a break by yourself, take until you can
come back as the strong version of yourself, because the
weak version of yourself will get eaten.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Alive in this industry. You you'll never make it.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
So that goes along with showing up ready, showing up prepared,
showing up to give your best, showing up.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Yeah, a lot of us think that we got.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
It and we just need to show up, it's like,
and be prepared, right, So.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Don't forget that.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
The preparation is what is going to get you through
the ups and downs.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Of this business. You know.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Yeah, with without mentioning names, because we don't do that
on black in the green room, we don't go.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Man, we're nice.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
I'm trying to uplift the people.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
But with that being said, what what are your thoughts
on those that grow and build in this industry, but
then forget that, They forget to show up being their
best and being ready.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
But that's all.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
It's all within the lesson, you know, it's all within
the lesson. We all have our individual lessons and experiences
that we need in order to go through to grow.
So that's part of their lesson.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
I kind of look at it made it really easier
for me in life once I realized and took the
philosophy that we are all one mirror broken into a
billion different pieces.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
So we're all the same.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
You're just a version of myself that needs some learn
this lesson and that lesson and this lesson. I'm the
version of you that needs to either be the beacon
of light so you can learn this lesson or that
lessen or this lesson.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
So it's all experiences. I try not to judge.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
I just try to forgive and be humbled by the
experience as much as I possibly can, so I can,
you know, not sabotage myself or sabotage my soul by staying.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Here and another go around, because this is it. Man.
Speaker 4 (36:31):
When I'm done, I'm connected to the most high I've
done my work.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
I have my greatest spiritual tests I pass and now
I'm just.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
I'm trying to get my kids and my parents in
the right position so they won't have to come back
here again.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
I love that, man. I love that.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
And it's very unselfish when we come black in the
green room, black men welcome black, welcome black.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
There in and straw.
Speaker 1 (37:05):
Yeah, there there's a quiet, viole violence in a way
power avoids responsibility. What conversations do you hope this film
starts in rooms that usually stay quiet.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
That's a really good question. That was a really good
question I would have to say.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
And I like that poetic moment of silence because it
reinforced that quiet.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Because you really don't want to say the same, the
wrong thing on.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
This and I I I hesitate just because my first
initial reaction is like, we we need to protect a
black woman.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
We need to all get together and realize how important
and essential the black woman is for not only our
own growth, our livelihoods, but just our existence. And if
we don't take the time to nurture and put our
black women first, I think we as as a generation,
(38:27):
we as a culture, are gonna die quicker than we think.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
So what, I look at.
Speaker 4 (38:34):
Taraji's character and there was a number of moments where
she wasn't protected, you know, she wasn't understood, She wasn't
giving grace you know, by her boss. You know, although
her friends around her were like, no, she's a good girl,
she was misunderstood by you know, a couple of people within.
(39:02):
You know, I wanted to remember their names, and I
just couldn't first like that, you know, the bank tellers
and things of that nature. So I think that it
should start and open up the questions and open up
the dialogue of us doing a better job by protecting
our black women and protecting their minds and keeping them healthy.
(39:26):
Because if we keep our black women healthy, we keep
ourselves healthy.
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Right, they are the foundation of our civilization.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Oh absolutely, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
And I tell my kids that all the time, Like
you are not talking ill bad behind the back of
your mom. You're giving her all the respect. You get
up in the morning, you give her kisses to make
sure that she's appreciated and knows that you are grateful
for being in this world.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
And you make sure that you put those lips on
her before you go to sleep. You know, so it's.
Speaker 4 (40:01):
Yeah, it's it's it's a lot of work that we
need to do in order to keep our women sacred
as they are.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Yeah, tell us where can we watch straw Man?
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (40:15):
Today, Man, Friday the six, Netflix only on Netflix only
on Netflix, Strong Black leads, It's it's just gonna be great.
We're gonna have a little screening in my house too
as well.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
Nice.
Speaker 3 (40:29):
I wish I were there, man.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
You know we'll be in the theater having a good time. Yes,
but yeah, so that's where you can watch it. Yeah. Absolutely.
And what's coming up next for you? Rock? What you
got going on? Oh?
Speaker 4 (40:42):
Man, I start a new project next week. I believe
that we just closed. I don't want to mention it
until I really know that we just closed. But also
a Spoonful of Chocolate by directed and directed by Riza.
It's going to be at the Tribecal Film Festival. Uh,
(41:08):
water Boys already came out, the cues already came out
of b E T bmth really fun role, really great.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Time on BMF.
Speaker 4 (41:17):
Man, you know which the show was that I think
it's ending or something like that.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (41:22):
If it's not, I would love to go back it
was such a great role, so you'd be on the
lookout for for that.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
We already saw Fight Night will Packers Joint. Yeah, you
killed man.
Speaker 4 (41:35):
That was a lot of fun. Yeah, that was a
lot of fun, a lot of fun. And I believe
that is about it. We have a lot of things
in development.
Speaker 2 (41:46):
My wife and I work together, we write together, we
create together.
Speaker 4 (41:51):
We have something really special coming up and I'm praying
and hoping we.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Get this green light within the next couple of days.
Speaker 4 (41:58):
Uh so I can talk about it war, but it's
something that we as a culture need, wanted for a
very long time, and now we're in the position to
really make it happen.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah, rock Where can everybody find you on social media
to keep up with what's going on in rock world?
Speaker 2 (42:14):
Man, I'm barely on the joint.
Speaker 4 (42:18):
Far in few between, but you know Rockman Dunbar r
O C K M O N D d U n
b A R that's Instagram and also.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
H X.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Right Rockman Dunbar actor extraordinary and more importantly, the fam BAM,
thank you brother so much.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
Rejoined me black and.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Degree be sure to follow me Keith Underwood at mister
Keith l Underwood on ig You can also follow me
on f B 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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