August 5, 2025 • 62 mins
Before he commanded the courtroom on Amazon Prime’s hit crime series “Countdown”, he was engineering systems for space exploration. Multi-award-winning actor, producer, and motivator Merrick MacArthur returns to Amazing Women and Men of Power: Legends and Icons with Raven the Talk Show Maven — and this time, the red carpet is rolled out even wider!
In this powerful and inspiring episode, Merrick opens up about his extraordinary journey from electrical engineer to film and TV star, his latest role as DA Grayson Barwell, and the strength behind the scenes — his wife and creative partner, Peggy. Get the inside scoop on what it’s like to land a major role and then keep it a secret for over a year, how personal experiences fuel his performances, and what it truly means to chase your dreams without a safety net. You’ll hear:
In this powerful and inspiring episode, Merrick opens up about his extraordinary journey from electrical engineer to film and TV star, his latest role as DA Grayson Barwell, and the strength behind the scenes — his wife and creative partner, Peggy. Get the inside scoop on what it’s like to land a major role and then keep it a secret for over a year, how personal experiences fuel his performances, and what it truly means to chase your dreams without a safety net. You’ll hear:
- What it takes to shift careers from engineering to acting
- Why support at home makes all the difference
- Behind-the-scenes of filming Countdown
- How real-life experiences shape his on-screen characters
- Merrick's reflections on fatherhood, resilience, and reinvention
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Before the spotlight, he was building satellites. That's right. Our
guest is a man whose path to start him was
anything but ordinary. Electrical design engineer crafting systems for space exploration.
That's what he did to now captivating viewers in so
many different films and the latest Amazon Prime's new hit
(00:30):
crime series Countdown as the commanding District Attorney Grayson Barwell.
History is one of transformation, talent and tenacity. Welcome to
amazing women and men of power, legends and icons. Yesterday,
today and tomorrow, I'm your host, Raven and talk show
maybe and yes, yes, yes, Today we're rolling out the
(00:51):
red carpet again for a multi award winning actor, producer
and motivator who's no stranger to grit Or go Low.
With magnetic presence and powerhouse performance, he inspiring a whole
new wave of believers, y'all on screen and off. You
know what I like to say. If you stand and
(01:11):
sit down, if you sit and stand up, just give
a virtual round applause because the man is here. For
the one and only Merrick MacArthur.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Wow. You know, Raven, I think I'm gonna have you
go in before me anywhere I go. Right and I
am ready to go. First, thank you, thank you about.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Thank you very much for saying that. And I gotta
say thank you again for the blessings of being able
to interview you with an honor.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's my pleasure to be here to see you again.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Absolutely, congratulations, because I think the last time you were
here you were kind of teasing me a little bit
about what's to come, remember, but you couldn't really say
it was really that time, because I think when I
interviewed you before, I want to say it was February
maybe somewhere in there. So was this what was cranking
(02:08):
up back then? Countdown?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah? Yeah, I couldn't really announce much at that time.
They hadn't really done any big announcements on anything. The
show was announced, but it wasn't announced too, the cast was,
and they didn't have the premiere, so we were all
kind of keeping quiet before we disclosed anything about the project.
So yeah, that's why I was being hazy with you
the first time that we talked. I apologize, but I'm
(02:34):
hoping that it was that you're enjoying what we what
we brought.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Oh yeah, absolutely, no apologies necessary. I always wondered, though,
how hard is that to be so excited that you
land this. You know, you did the cast and you
nail that, you walked outside and did one of those numbers.
And then you know, you got to keep it quiet.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, that that was very tough, very tough. I mean,
thankfully I have people that I can.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Sort of share with about.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
My amazing wife Peggy of course is one, and you know,
but it was very tough to keep this quiet for
so many months.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
I got this job just over a year ago.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And I started shooting back last September. It was the
first day of shooting and I was excited then and
they had to be quiet for well over a year now.
That was a challenge, and you knowing so.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Much because when you're casting for a film and you
want to cast for a particular part, are usually doing
more than one. So you're maneuvering things, trying to make
it here, trying to make it there, being family. How
hard is that?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Oh well, I mean for each project, Yeah, my agents
will submit me for one role in the project and
I auditioned for that, but throughout that I'm a auditioning
for other projects as well, and it's rare. But sometimes
the casting process with us, say Hey, you audition for this,
but we want you for this role. That it doesn't
(04:11):
really happen a lot, believe it or not, but to
me anyway, but it has happened. And as far as
the whole process of auditioning, I mean, it's it's what
I do. It's not only my passion, but it's like
all my work is put into this and very thankfully
I'm with an amazing woman that is very supportive and
it's part of this as well. I mean, she's she's
reading these scripts with me for the audition, she's doing
(04:34):
the camera, said do the editing.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
She's so good at everything video.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Because she's been a photographer and videographer so many years
now that she was willing to come in and be
absolutely supportive and knowing that we're in this together.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So I appreciate that very much.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Well, I know how that is because college and are
the same way. And I know you're a beautiful wife, Peggy,
and she talked about wearing hats. My goodness, she does
a lot. But it does make a difference. I know
you've been married before I have, but we're not going
to count all my times. But anyway, it is such
a difference when you have someone in your corner, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
I have friends that will tell me and they're like, Marik,
you are so lucky to have someone with you that's
like supportive of you and this that is like they're
with you and down with you for this because it's
a struggle. Yeah, and lots of friends I have have
not had that and don't have that still. I mean,
it's bad enough if you're single and then you don't
have family that gets it. I mean, you're you know,
I'm from the Midwest. My family's all on Detroit. So
(05:34):
me starting this, you know, and leaving engineering, They're like,
wait a minute, So you you're telling me you don't
know how much money you're gonna make every couple of weeks.
I'm like, no, I don't get it ready. I think
I'm crazy because it's like any entrepreneurial venture, you don't know.
You're putting yourself out there. You're going on faith, you're
going on your raw effort, and you just have to
have that faith that it's going to come to fluition
(05:55):
that you'll have that abundance. And it's another thing I
have help with Pegan that because she's same way. She's
been that way as a photogerer for a long time
is you know, you build a pipeline and that's what
you're going with. You're not sure you know every month
what's with the income is going to look like, but
you know it's coming. Yeah, but that's that's Yeah. That's
a challenge for lots of friends who have people in
(06:16):
their lives who don't see it. They're like, no, I'm
you got to have a check. You've got to be
having a reliable income. And it's like, well, you know,
after a certain point you got to take the leap
and go for it.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Just go for it, That's what I say. Just go
for it. You know, you've played oh my god, everything
from detectives to doctors and now a district attorney and
Khalik and I. We've got a little bit of you
on Larry David where you're I think a policeman there.
You know, So you play all these different roles, you know,
(06:48):
some real intense, some not. How do you prepare for that?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Well? I always feel like for me as an actor,
any role I take on, there's hearts of me that's
in that role, parts of my life experience, parts of
my current life that's in there, and that's what I
kind of focus on to bring out, like the cop.
I mean, my parents were police. I grew up to
Detroit police officers, and so putting on a cop uniform
(07:12):
and walk around with that posture of a cop was
not difficult for me to get into because I just
I grew up with that and people already think I'm
a cop when I walk down the street anyway, but
that's you know, I just kind of have that already.
So yeah, I do a lot of roles that are
kind of like these authority figures. And I think it's
just because coming from my parents being police and family
being you know, in local government, that I have that
(07:35):
posture of authority. So playing a doctor wasn't that hard
as well. I mean I think I played a doctor
a couple of times. One was on the Bolden and
Beautiful with Christopher Saint John and yeah, yeah, there's told
me atle Beautiful with him. Here's a tangent though on
Bolden and Beautiful. When I went into work that day,
(07:56):
I was getting on an elevator to go up and
on the elevator coming out was oh bah Babatunde and
I immediately recognized him. And it must have been all
over my face because he looked at me and he
was like, and he's when I shook my hand, but
I stand, hey, hey, how are you doing good to
meet you? I was like, yes, that's like when it
was Star Trek moments or you see somebody like, oh
(08:19):
that's you know, that was me for Obah Babatunda who's
on Bolden People at the time. So I did that
job as a as a doctor, but it was about
being and being empathetic to a woman who was a
character who was going.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Through something on that episode. So yeah, that's there.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
And there's a show called All American where I play
a caring, loving father to one of the main characters
on that show. And I had that experience personally in
my life as a caring, loving father to my kids.
So all these things I can bring out into the
character because my life, and I would argue, part of
everyone's life. You have these little features in you that
you can bring out when you're playing a role.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Yeah, now do you think about that, Merrick when you decide, Okay,
I'm going to go and give this a try, are
you really saying what's really me? And that's not quite me,
I don't think I'm going to go for that.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah. I mean you're preparing for the role, to play
the role, and you're reading the script and you figure
out what parts of this really resonate with you for
you and the person might be, you know, in doing
or trying to achieve something that you would never try.
Like he might be a villain or he might be
you know, someone who's very you know, charming in a
(09:34):
negative way, and that's not me. But it's like, what
is it about this that I can connect to to
make me get into playing this out and being truthful
about it, being my own personal honesty with it.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
And that's kind of how I approach it.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Yeah, well, I gotta give your hand for that, because
that's not easy. I just recently got an invitation to
interview it's very popular psychic that does movie stars and
all that, you know, and I had to think about
that mark. If it just came in a couple of
(10:09):
days ago, I'm like, oh, I know him. I want
to do it. But if he talks start talking about
my mama and my.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Daddy telling you, I don't miss psychic, that's why I
can't do it.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I can't do it. And I kept going back to
the email. Should I should not? And I was like no,
because I know me. If he says something start talking
to me like that, it's like the interview's over. You
know how you always hear about the leaving. Well, they'll
say the host left, I.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Mean to teach their own I just know something that's
that I'm interested in. I'll say that.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Yeah. Me, it would be a little bit hard for
sure for me because I don't know where they're going
to go with it.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You know, it's smell.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I mean the interviewer. Couldn't you set the boundary like, Hey,
I want to interview, but I don't want to bring
a be anything.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Let's talk about if I.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Go after them? Yes, if I go And I approached
them and said, I would like to do this interview.
But the media company hires me to do interviews and
that they're telling you exactly what to do, so I
knew I have Yeah. Well, you know, when you go
in and you really have a lot of prime your work,
you're like, if I'm going to say I'm going to
do it, I'm going to do my best. And I
(11:22):
just knew I wasn't going to do that, so That's
why I had to applaud you, you know, for really
stepping back, you know, and really getting yourself ready and
preparing and asking yourself can I do this? And going
for the ones? But like you said, step back when
you can't. So what about this role? What made you
say yes?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
I think the main thing is that Dave all Well
is a complicated person and has motives that seems simple,
but his tactics are complicated. And I like that because
a lot of times I played roles that are on
(12:04):
a smaller level where my objectives are pretty straightforward. You know,
I'm here to, you know, take care of my daughter
when she just you know, had a baby, or I'm
here to you know, help this patient. But for this
there's lots of things that are going on in the story.
So I like the idea of having this character go
through a journey with the audience. So you come in
(12:26):
with one impression and then he goes sideways on the
several things and you're not even sure what to think about.
Davola I met. I was at an audition the other day.
A guy came up and taught me, Hey, Sarah, I
really want to say congrats on the role and I
you know, I've been watching your character and I'm waiting
to find out what happens with you. So I like
that aspect is like I mean, people think they know,
(12:47):
but they don't know. But it's like the complex nature
of the character is what attracted me. And I will
say this, I think a lot of people, like my
wife and I were watching the latest episode and she said, oh,
you're so little shady or slimy or something, and I'm like,
you know, it's interesting because when I was playing that scene,
I wasn't trying to be shady or slimy in my mind,
(13:07):
trying to do the right thing. And I think that's
something that I'm figuring out how well it works, because
I've studied that a good actor, when you're playing a
villain or someone that's perceived as a villain, you never think, oh,
I'm going to do this evil thing.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
As the actor, you're thinking, I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
This for this reason that is right to me, and
for the story it might come off as negative or
evil or wrong, but for the actor, you approach it
as this is what the right thing to do is.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
And so that's kind of what makes a powerful impact.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, Wow, I just know that whenever I watch you,
are you really really into it? And I know that's
not always easy because I've seen you in different different things,
you know, So as this detective firm, fearless and full
of kind of quiet power is what I call it.
(14:01):
You know, you don't get real tough, but what you
say is with so much power? How you do that?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Thank you. It's a combination of things with that, you know,
as me as the actor I'm acting with Eric Dane,
who was you know, mixtemian and raised anatomy for years,
and or with Elliot Knight, who's a you know, fairly
new actor on the scene. Here, I'm focused on them
(14:31):
at that moment, and it's up to the director and
the camera to capture it a certain way to make
it seem even more intent. And then on top of that,
you've got the editors and you've got the people that
do the music. They bring up the music a certain way,
so it gives the audience a sense of, oh, this
is you know, whatever the intent is. Yeah, but yeah,
you know, it's a lot of times I've seen this
(14:52):
too that people don't get to see that don't get
to work on a set very much. Is you could
be watching two actors on set acting on camera, and
this seems like a very simple, even quiet conversation. It
seems like nothing, but when it comes out on screen
or in film, it's it's a very intense scene. And
that's just because you have a combination of people that
(15:15):
are creating that that that moment, that that emotion for people.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, what about your character that she liked the most.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
That I got toward designer suits? No, what's funny? Did
you get to keep them?
Speaker 1 (15:32):
So I did?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I did I get to keep them?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
But they fitted me and tailored designer suits for the show.
And I was talking to the head of costuming at
the show and she was saying that they were kind
of trying to decide how I was going to be dressing.
And she was the one who said, Hey, Derek, who's
the creative producer, Merrick should be in like a suit.
(15:57):
He's you know, and the producers like, really needs to
be in a suit, and she's like, yeah in LA. Yeah,
he's going to be wearing designer suits in LA. And
so he's like all right. So they went out and
they got like Hugo Boss and all these other big
designers like Harmani and stuff, and so I'm trying I'm
in all these suits and I was like, huh, I haven't.
I haven't experienced this before. Usually they get, you know,
(16:19):
whatever to throw me in a show, but they went specifically,
and I could appreciate that they were dedicated to being
true to this character where they were willing, like, hey,
let's be real about it, put some real designer suits
on the sky. And that kind of helped me get
into character of being this self important person that I'm
carrying myself that way that I'm wearing designer suits, and
(16:40):
that was part of the.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Character, well beyond the designer suit. And yeah, you were
looking quite well, as my dad said, quite dapper there. Okay,
we since countdown. Apart from other crime dramas.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
The story is different than it has an international nature
as far as setting domestically in LA and some shows
it's an international crime filler and where they're all over
different countries. This one is set in LA and it's
an international story. And also I don't think I've seen
a show that really does feature the beauty of Los
(17:21):
Angeles and the nature of the different parts of Los
Angeles that people don't realize are there go and they
go to a scene or talk to someone in a
different part of the town, they have a name in
that town pop up on the screen. And those are
real towns in LA that have their real distinct characteristics.
So I feel like this show is also sort of
a love letter to just the LA community. So I
(17:43):
really like that about the show, and that's I think
also sets it apart.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
What do you really want the viewers to walk away
with each series, whether you're in it or not. What
do you hope and they will walk away with by
watching this another the crime story? But like you said,
in drama, but it's so different. It brings so much
different pieces to it that makes it to me stand
(18:08):
out and very refreshing. So what are you hoping that
the viewers will walk away with? Just curious.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Many of the great shows that I watch with hegy
is you know, something that will spark a conversation, for one,
and it's something that kind of gets you thinking about
what kind of life that would be for you. I
think that's one thing I do. It's like, what kind
of life would that be? You know? There's a show
(18:36):
called The Diplomat which is about these politicians they're over
in England and how their life is and it's a
great show, well written, and I think, oh, what kind
of you know?
Speaker 3 (18:46):
So you think about that and that kind.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Of gets me thinking about just different person of life.
These are things that are meant to kind of spark
your interests, your curiosity, and to how you maybe just
have some kind of intellectual discussion about it with someone
close to you, or just doing your own little looking
through about about things. So yeah, sometimes it's just, you know,
an escape, but also sometimes I mean to kind of
(19:10):
spark something in you, to kind of jog something to
make you look at world a little bit differently. So
I'm hoping that the shows that I can work on
are something that helps spark some kind of a positive
interest or inspiration in people that watch, so they can
do something that is positive for the community now, or
(19:30):
just about something personal for themselves.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Yeah, or just to everybody put your phones down and
let's just watch a good movie at home together, right yeah,
everybody texts them that's a good one, right there.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Yeah, Yeah, that nature too, just an idea of community,
let's kind of commune together. It is kind of let's
watch something and experience something together.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
As a group. That's that's great.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Well, actually, like when you said, spark a conversation, you know,
because it's these days, you know, we need to come
together and have something we can communicate and laugh and
have a little bit of drama, you know, and really
enjoy it as a family or as a couple, a
group of friends, like I know where we had to
watch Party, Here Go Brunch and it was just it
(20:16):
was something everybody could get into. That's what I like
about it.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah. Yeah. And also I mean the talking after is
like what pegan I do because we'll be watching something
and we'll pause it midway and we're like, hey, pause it,
and we going what just happened? What just happened right there?
And so we're talking through like hey, how do you feel?
How would you handle it?
Speaker 3 (20:35):
What I think about it?
Speaker 2 (20:36):
And so we have this conversation and we're always coming
back to the same page on things and the same intent,
which is being good to people, being good to each other.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
But it's always interesting how that comes up.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Like Wow, there's one part of Countdown where the main
character Mark Meacham.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Is played by Jensen Ackles.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
He just closes this secret that he has as health
secret to h Jessica Camacho, and prior to that he didn't.
He said he had another reason. He gave her some
other excuse, and my life is so upset. He lied
to her, and I was like, well, you know, he's
thinking he's got a good reason. He's got his job.
You don't want to get fired. And it's always fascinating.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
You had the conversation that come up about this.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
A lot of times it's about things like integrity, you know,
and honesty and being true to yourself.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
And how people fall out of that.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
So we talk about that and we kind of go
back and forth about how that is for what the
human condition is like, and that's always fun to discuss
and just bring up with each other, not just your spouse,
but just people in general, to say, hey, where are
you on this and kind of realize there's lots of commonality,
but you have different perspectives on it, but you're all
head for the same destination, which is, you know, a
(21:49):
positive environment for everybody.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
So yeah, that's always fun.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
That's always fun, And you know what, it's really nice
to hear you say that because I don't know for sure,
but I don't feel people go as often to the
movies as they used to since probably Pandemic. And one
thing that's really nice about watching a film at home
is that you can do like you and Peggy and
(22:12):
stop it and talk about it and really get into it.
You know, you talking to theaters, you know everybody's gonna
be mad at you, and that's kind of nice.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
I still love going to the theaters, but I do
love that aspect of it that you can stop, and
especially if you're watching a pre recording, you can wait, manute,
what do you say? And remind it back and everything
like that. I want to tell you about behind the
scene moments. Was there anything that you can like tell
us about that was exciting or caught you off surprise,
(22:44):
or maybe someone stopped at the set that you're like,
oh my god, I've been wanting to, you know, connect
with them. Come on, spill it you spill it to you?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Yeah, I yeah, I will say this. You know, I've
done a lot of shows and done a lot of
movies and for TV. You know, you've got the big name,
famous actors and I come in for like a day
or two induced some stuff, and I'm leaving. But it's
like their world. You know, so you're basically coming into
(23:15):
their world, you're doing your thing, and you're leaving. So
this is one, I think the first time that I
was in a show where part of this was my world.
Like the office and the scenes of the DA's office.
They took pictures of me and created like photos of
me with other people to put on the walls. They
(23:36):
created degrees with Dave Walwell's name on it. They had
all this very ornate, very specific items all over my
desk and walls and everything, and it hit me that
that was created just for me, Like they have a
whole set that's just for me, that's my office.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
And that hit me very well.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
It's like this the level that I like to be,
and it affected me how I performed there because that
was like mine. I think the first scene of that
is I'm in my office and Eric Dane walks in
and it's my office. He's walking into so he's coming
to do something, but he's coming.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Into my space. Yea, right, right, So that was a very.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Nice behind the scenes moment for me personally to have
that to realize that, you know, not only did they
hire me to his job, they created all this stuff
just for my character, and that's not something that maniactors
get to experience.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
That was a wow wow.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
It was like wow, they went all out, you know,
and it was exciting to meet the rest of the cast.
Finally I worked one day with just a few people.
Then I know that I went out and I met everyone.
Like I met Uli who's a big, strong muscle black
chocolate as my wife and her friends called him. And
what do you call hi?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
When you call him something chocolate? I forget what it is.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
And he's real nice. He played the young Rock in
that TV series. It's a really great, wonderful, nice, warm
hearted guy and funny and fun to be around.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Jents and apples.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
When Matt, who I didn't have any scenes with, but
I met him on set, he's also very kind, charming
and just kind of gracious.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Yeah, I think that whole behind the scenes thing is
I think people don't realize a lot of the time
actors spend just sitting around chatting and talking with each
other and eating food, eating the craft services food they
have for you. It's nice, so you get to know
each other and you get the bond a little bit.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Well, I've seen the pictures on your social media. You
had some pictures of the behind the scenes, and I
was looking and it looked like everybody just got along
and you know it, everybody felt good. Everybody had that nice,
authentic s mole that's kind of nice. Have you ever
been in a situation where it wasn't like that, you know,
that maybe wasn't as friendly married, and if so, how
(26:05):
did you handle it.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
I've been in a show where I've seen like the
main actor just kind of I say, lose it, but
really kind of bring things to a grinding halt, really
and because they weren't happy about something that was going
on in the script or something like that, and I
felt how it brought everyone to a negative place. It
(26:29):
was like, oh, and I hadn't been there before, but
it was clear to me just from the vibe from
everybody that it wasn't the first time this had happened,
and it was kind of like it since people doing
sort of a internal eye row, like oh, not this again,
you know, and that's like, Wow. I never want to
be at a place where I'm causing any of this
(26:50):
to happen on a set. And I've been in other
shows where I didn't even realize that the two actors
are really at each other's throats person until after I
shot the episodes, and then I look back and there
were little hints there, but I wasn't picking up on it.
And I think it's just interesting for one to be
(27:12):
an actor working as hard as most actors do, to
get to a level where you're you're the main star
of a show, to be there and then make the
choice to bring your environment down like that is I
don't I don't get it, you know. And then to
(27:33):
the other actors that are trying to keep things positive
have to deal with that, It's like, Wow, how would
I handle that if I'm working on the show and
we're both in the star group and this person or
those people are just really bringing things down, and I wonder.
I mean, everyone here has probably worked a job where
(27:53):
usually you like your job, you're.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Trying to do the thing. You know, you're get in
your check, you going, and you get on it.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
But there's one dude or girl or what whoever that's
I got some drama going on that's bringing the whole
thing down. You almost dread and going in to see
that person there, and it's tough, you know, And I
think for most of us. We've all been there. We
kind of work through it. We kind of try to
work around the situation. But yeah, yeah, and acting, you
(28:20):
have those situations sometimes, and it's just the difference is
I think for me, you see the stars do that,
like you're the star of the show. People chose you
out of thousands of people to get here. You supposedly
trained and struggle to get here, and now you're here,
and this is the choice you make to have this environment,
(28:42):
and and that's really it's hard for me to understand.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Yeah, that's all.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Yeah, well I get it. Trust me, I get a
colique and I. We have some people that we love
their everything, but sometimes they just were so over the top,
you know, so over the top I need something sip
on to get through it. I mean really married, Yeah,
it can be a mess. I want to talk about
(29:09):
your parents, because the last time I interview you, we
spent some time on that and I'm going to give
everyone here the link to where you can catch that
and hear that on our podcast. But okay, your parents
were both trailblazers, the first married couple to graduate from
Detroit Police Academy, Right is that right? Okay? How did
(29:31):
their courage and commitment shape the man that you are today.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
I would say it drives me to this day. Like
when I get out of bed, I hear my mom
saying get up. Most kids you have that mom that's like,
get get out of bed. And I think that that
idea that you got to get moving today. Yeah, that
These are the things that my parents instill to me.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
You've got to get it.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
I mean I I don't always do it, but when
I hear it, I'm like, Okay, I'm getting up.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
I'm going to do it, but I don't feel like it.
You got to get up. You gotta go do it,
do the thing.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Also, I think a sense of you deserve success, Like
I know lots of people and I go through this
often times. Myself is having this feeling like you don't
deserve this success or this wonderful life, and or that
you don't deserve to accomplish that thing you're trying to accomplish.
And they instilled in me this idea that you deserve
(30:31):
that you know because you're working hard for it, that
means you deserve it. The fact that you are baking
steps to make it happen, you deserve it. And I
think I'm very very happy that they kind of instill
that in me, because it's.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Hard for people to have that feeling.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
I mean, as hard as we all try to work
to always think the way, I don't always feel that way.
Sometimes I feel somewhat defeated and I have to get
back to that reminder from them that you know, you
deserve it. And I think my wife thinks about things
like this all the time, so I can always lean
on her for this because she's always like, you deserve
this is something you need to go for. So yeah,
(31:12):
that and what else I think, uh, not taking yourself
too seriously. Like they were, you know, upstanding people in
the community, but they were they grew up in the projects,
you know, and they.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Were the first yeah you know they yeah they passed that.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Yeah, they brought their first house and my dad's uh
g I bill loan for him being in the army,
and so he came out of the projects to buy
this this house, which they run us on a family.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
That was a big deal.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
And they stayed grounded despite having such wonderful things in
their lives. They stayed as some grounded couple, grounded parents
and taught us to just kind of have a sense
of being grounded, never take yours like you get too
self important.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
And so that's something that sticks with me too.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Yeah, and I would imagine, you know, for all that
you've done and being a multi award wind, staying grounded
has definitely paid off, right, and not getting the big
head and stuff like you know, and being a person
like that and remembering where you came from. You said
something that was really caught my attention. You were talking
(32:24):
about how it's not always easy and sometimes you might
not feel like this is it, I want to do this.
How do you get past that? Merrik? I mean really,
cause I think that's something that's easier to say than
to do.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
Us.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
We all as humans have those days like, yeah, my
mother's last sister, my last aunt passed away and I
didn't find out until last night. And to be honest
it to me, you know, I was like, I gotta
do this show. I still got to throw myself into it,
and everything wrong that could go wrong today did on
top of that, you know, and you do have to
(32:59):
push yourself through it. So I'm just curious, how do
you do that?
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Uh, it's a struggle. I mean, I I can't say
that I'm past it. I get it, you know, I'm
all good. I still struggle with it every day. So
I think what I have to do is I have
to find quiet in myself and listen to that positive voice. Yeah,
I have to quiet my mind and just kind of listen,
(33:28):
because you know, there are some days that I it
takes a while for me to kind of move move
past and get moving, and then there's other days that
I'm like, oh, I'm on it right away.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
So yeah, things happen.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Generally, what I do is keeping a good schedule of
things as long as I have something I gotta get
done that kind of keeps me moving. So unless yeah,
something and it should be something that's part of my
goal plan, my plan to my goals, So I say, ok,
(34:01):
I've got to do this, and that kind of gets
me going because you can, you know, especially the way
technology is today, you can fall into a slumber and
lull yourself to scrolling on your phone screen for an
entire day if you're not careful. So, yeah, you've got
to realize that the reason you started all this was
(34:23):
to achieve a certain goal, and what are those steps
that you need to take and what's that step that
you could easily do, and if it seems like you're
like there's certain times I go through the still where
I have a plan to do something and I'm not
making any steps towards it, and I have to sit
down and remind myself and realize that, Okay, this step
(34:45):
I'm not getting done. Why what is it that's calling
me back? And what usually happens is I need to
break it down to a smaller step, like, Okay, well,
I don't want to jump over that whole herder, but
I kind of like get partially over it a little bit.
Let me get halfway over, you know, I want to
get to the midway point at least. Can I at
least just that? Okay, well, can I just it just
walk towards it? Can I walk a couple of steps
(35:07):
towards it?
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (35:08):
And those are the chapters I try to.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Do to can I get me to at least kind
of move forward when I'm feeling like I'm stuck? You know,
the step might be holding back because it's something in
my head that's holding back. But there's still certain things
I can do and that helps me.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
Well, that's really good. I mean, talk about how you
just kind of okay, slice it. Okay, what's keeping me
from doing this? There's a reason for that. And then
the next day you still see that you're at the
same place. Okay, now there's two days in a row.
What the heck is going on? Okay, I'm gonna ask
you this, don't laugh. But Khalik and I we were
we noticed that that happens more as we get older.
(35:49):
Do you notice that or is it about the same
with us? We're noticing. Wow. You know, we used to
could make a list of five things that we could
get through on a good day, maybe eight. Now we
could just get through just one. Yes, yes, it is.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
It is that way.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
Sometimes.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
I'm not sure it's age so much as I think
when you're younger, you're just a lot more frenetic and
you're always trying to do something. When you're older, you
tend to like the idea of relaxing a lot more
and not doing anything.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Yeah, just getting it, getting it done, because I'm like you, Yeah,
I'm busy. I'm at my best. When when it's kind
of slow, then I'm at my worst. But I like
to get things done. Okay, Yeah, we got a few
more minutes. We're gonna wrap this up. What does legacy
mean to you? And how are you hoping your body
of work speaks to that?
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Hmm, Well, legacy has to do with what you leave
for other people to appreciate or to succeed to the.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
Right, and so are you. Your legacy is about what
can be, what you stand for, what you present to.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
The world, And lots of times legacy is something that
can be a driver or motivator for others, particularly your family,
but sometimes there's just others in general. You know, how
you move through life can be your legacy for people
to say, hey, this person did it. And that's another
(37:24):
thing my parents instilled to me, this idea that if
I see someone else do something, never think that I
can't accomplish that thing too. So that always helped me
out when I was in math class being an engineer.
I see people that I thought just smarter than math,
and I held on in there instilling me that I
can do that too.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
If I put in the work, I can get there.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
So I think that's one thing that legacy can do
for people is give people that sense of here's someone
who's done it, Therefore it's possible and even more possible
because generally, if you feel like you can achieve something,
you have the vision of it, then that also makes
it possible. But seeing it as a real documented path
(38:09):
that someone has taken, then that shows you that that
is possible. What I want to make sure that I
have as a legacy is a legacy of persistence, determination,
and yeah, that idea of just overcoming these challenges that
you have in life, as insurmountable as they might seem.
(38:31):
Sometimes you've got to still keep moving, You've got to
still keep going for that thing that you really want
in life and realize what it is you really want.
You can say I want the big house or I
want the fancy car, but what is you really want?
Speaker 1 (38:49):
You know?
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Is it that you want the security of knowing that
you don't have to worry about where you live and
you want to be comfortable in that place. Okay, well
that's you know, that's fine, that's a house. Okay, So
what is that you really want? And yeah, I think
I would like my legacy to be that to where
people know that with determination, persistence, that they can achieve
(39:11):
what they want.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Yeah, and you know, anybody that looks at you and
looks that you're acting and what you've done are definitely
going to be inspired. So you know, you do give
a lot and you pass on, and it's always when
you pass on you want I don't know about you,
but I always say, if I could pass on in something,
at least one person can walk away with, you know something,
(39:36):
I don't even think about how many, and it's got
to be millions or anything. Just if I can make
a difference in one person's life, I mean a real
significant difference from them maybe hearing my story at starting
broadcasting at fifty five from the ICU unit of a hospital,
if that would inspire someone else that might maybe things
(39:58):
didn't go quite their way older, and they can say,
well I can do that, you know what I'm saying.
So we don't have to say the whole world, right,
if we could just inspire one person to keep it
keep moving forward.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Yeah, Yeah, I love that. I love that, Raven, because you, yeah,
you decided later in life that you were going to
go this path, and I, you know, I made my
change a little bit like more of my I'd say forties.
But I think lots of people have that where they
go through life with this idea of what their life
(40:31):
was supposed to be like according to other folks, and
then they come to realize that, you know what, I
could have made a different choice, And I like what
you're an example of, which is that you can make
that it's not too late to make that other choice.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
As hard as it might seem to you, you can
still go for it.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
And so I'm hoping that that's something that you continue
to inspire, because that's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I hope to, Like I said, I'm seventy four of you,
I'm asking just keep you around till one hundred and four.
I got so much more to give.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
You'll definitely make that easy.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Yeah. Yeah, But you know, when you're doing what you
love and you're on purpose with it, and it's it's
not hard to do, right. You can jump out of
bed and you're doing you're like, okay, what's on the
agenda today, and you're ready to go. It just gives
an extra spark in your life. And as we know
from just hearing about different people to pass, you know,
and just life itself. You know, we only promise, I
(41:30):
always say, the moment we're in, we only promise that
that second, that moment, and so we got to really
take everything more serious, you know, in getting things done,
pushing past our pain to our power, you know, and
like you said, knowing that it's possible if you want it.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
What was that?
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Oh? Napoleon Hill, the Great Napoleon Hill said, you know,
if you can think it, you know you can make
it happen. And yes, thinking thinking, as the exegular used
to say, that keeps us from there. So we might
be pushing past that pain to get to our power
over and over again. But uh, clique always reminds me
(42:14):
if you stop, then what you're gonna do, then it's
not gonna get better. Right, You got a choice. You're
gonna keep going or you're gonna give up, you know.
So Yeah, what advice would you give to someone trying
to pivot their career like you did, towards something that
truly feeds their soul? You know it's gonna keep them
(42:36):
happy because so much during my life when you say,
we start out doing things for everybody, for our parents,
for this, for that, and sometimes it's okay to be
selfish right about us, but we may not know how
to get there. So what advice do you give to
help people pivot their career?
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Oh? Advice I think, uh, the realization that this is
something that's feeding your soul, that realize that you may
be at a point of this is where you are,
where you're in heavy deliberation about this, that if you
don't do this, then the outcome could be negative for
(43:16):
everyone around you, not just you. And if I had
not transitioned to being an actor, knowing that's what I
really wanted to do, and stayed working in a job
where I was feeling kind of monotonous, that I know
that I would have not only been miserable myself, whereas
of all the riches I would have probably made, but
(43:38):
creatively void in a lot of senses, that it would
have come through to my family, to my children. And
that's something that I did not want. And so consider
that as a motivator for you to feel like empowered
to make that change, Because if it's something that's truly for.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
You that you really want, you know it's going to
feed you.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
If you just dabble in a little bit and try
it out, and you know that's given you something that
you know you really really need, then realize that not
doing it can be worse because that potential of regret
of being unfulfilled can permeate through everything and make every
(44:24):
everyone have that negativity about it. So consider that. You know,
I would encourage people to be safe. My path was
it took taking a big leap with no parachute, no
safety nets, and I struggle because of that. But it's like, that's.
Speaker 3 (44:41):
Apparently the path that I had to take to get here.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
You know, as hard and difficult as it was for
me to try those initial years of transition into this
to do this full time, that's apparently the path I
had to take for me to get here where I'm
this happy doing it.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
So you are happy, I can tell you. Yeah, And
that's a difference because I'm sure you like me. You've
been in things that you weren't so happy, right, So yeah, absolutely,
Well this has been great. But before we go, I
want to I think the last time you were on
the show, we did the same thing. We call this
(45:21):
let's get to know you. So loosen up, we're gonna
get to know you. Okay, a little bit, loosen up
a little bit, okay. First acting gig.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
Ever, First acting gig ever, I was in a short
film competition and I had never been in a film before,
and so they decided to make sort of a historical
fiction about Abe Lincoln. So they called me and they're like, hey,
we're making a movie. Would you be okay playing an
(45:54):
ex slaves? They were very words that I would say
hell no and hang up on him, but I did not.
I took the role and it won every award for
that competition.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
That oh wow. But for sure, Okay, Dream Coastar Living or.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
Past, Dream Coastar Living Room Past.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
That's hard.
Speaker 2 (46:28):
I've been so lucky with people that I've worked with
so far. Absolutely, I will say James R.
Speaker 1 (46:36):
Jones, Oh love their voice. Really Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
If I if I could be in a in a
scene where him, when I can get a sense of
how he commanded the power that he did on camera,
would yes, yes, Yeah, he's on people that you see
him doing the interviews, he's really calm and demure, but
when he's on camera, I mean, bam wow. And so
I'm like, I would have loved to work with them
(47:03):
just to get a little little hint of that dust
that he had to make that happen.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
That was definitely the one of the inviews I didn't get. Yeah,
and when I'm seen the gray white hope, oh my goodness,
I must have watched that over and over over again. Yeah. Absolutely,
on a day off, where will we find you?
Speaker 2 (47:27):
What would you be doing on a day off. Well,
it's hard to be fine with a day office for
me these days because lots of days off intently off.
Oh man, it's it's spending the day with my wife.
Something very comfortable and intriguing at the same time. We
have we're sharing a moment, we're sharing just life together
(47:52):
and having conversations about it.
Speaker 3 (47:54):
I mean, that's those those are that's my you know,
that is what you're happy place. It's it's been with
it's been with way.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
That's my colleague and I we knew. Yeah, it's like absolutely,
speaking of your lovely wife, Peggy. Hey, Peggy, what was
the one thing that let you know she's the one.
Speaker 3 (48:19):
The one thing let me know she's the one.
Speaker 1 (48:24):
I want to marry that gown? Let me go get
that ring back from marry that gown.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
Uh, get just right? Yeah, I know, I will say this. Uh.
The first time that we sat down for what ended
up being a nice dinner evening didn't start out that way.
We didn't plan for to be that way, but at
one point in that evening, I looked at her from
across the table, and the way she looked at me,
(48:52):
it's that indescribable thing where I'm like, yeah, it was
like that. It was it struck me and I think,
you know, you guys know how that is cleak and graving.
Speaker 3 (49:05):
Yeah, it was. It was that that moment.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I think, just the way she had this look in
her eye. I could feel everything about that look. And
that's that's always something that helped me know that she's
the one I want to be with.
Speaker 1 (49:19):
Oh, that is precious. Prescious. Your favorite motivational quote that
really kicks you in when you're feeling that, you know,
when we were talking earlier, you're not feeling And what's
your favorite quote to get your moving and grooving.
Speaker 2 (49:35):
There's a guy called Bob Proctor that I've quote from
a lot, always wonderful. Here's one that says, if you
can see it in your mind, you can hold it
in your hand, and lots of other great things.
Speaker 3 (49:48):
Yeah, see your mind, you can feel in your hand. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:51):
Fun fact about you. Most people don't know.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
I studied Russian in college, speaking Russian. Wow, I would
just say the other day, because the countdown has characters
that are speaking Russian and now like they didn't even
know I could speak Russian. I could have been putting
that to use them this year, but nope, we'll see.
Speaker 1 (50:13):
Well, this has been great. Thank you so much for
interview number two, and I love it again just like
the other one. You're amazing. Yeah, and it's always great
just to have a little piece of merit because your
spirit is so there. You know, you're you're lively and
you're so authentic. I told you that before. You're so
(50:36):
real and that's so important nowadays, and you have been
able to stay grounded and you know, your parents did
a great job, you know, and it shows, and you're
definitely passing a lot on it. And I wouldn't remind
everyone that's your life or listening to the podcast, radio
or the TV seeing this on TV that you can
(50:58):
follow America at Mark MacArthur N C C A R
T A h A on Instagram and check out Countdown
streaming now on Amazon Prime. You can also follow him
on Facebook. He's got a lot of interesting pictures. I've
seen that one today with all those, I thin was
eight or nine pictures of you guys after I guess
(51:19):
at a party or something looked like y'all were having fun.
That's the one I was telling you. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
that was the pictures of you and Peggy Peg. I
love you with that short hair girl. I checked out
a picture of you with that que hare.
Speaker 2 (51:34):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (51:35):
And I want to remind all of you don't forget
to subscribe to our Legends and Icons podcast. And uh,
we appreciate you being here. Now we are kind of
went over time, so we could probably take two questions
from maybe three questions at the most from anybody in
the audience. If you want to real quick and ask
a question, Oh colleague, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (52:00):
I got two questions for you. Mary.
Speaker 4 (52:04):
First of all, have you ever had like a heartbreak
role or project? What I mean by that is a
role that you wanted it so bad and it broke
your heart that you either didn't get it, or if
you did get it, then got into it and it
wasn't quite what you thought it was gonna be.
Speaker 3 (52:24):
Huh.
Speaker 2 (52:26):
Yeah. I've had roles that I've gone up for that
I really wanted and did not get and I've been
learned to get over that because most of the time,
you know, pretty much every time they were who was
picked was a bigger name actor than me. You know,
it was like a you know, Morse Chestnut or something
(52:48):
like that, because I'm I can't argue for that. Back down,
it's okay, I get it. So yeah. But and then
there are times and I've been up against people that
were named actors that I got the role. So it's
like I've realized it worked both raise ways in that sense.
So I learned to kind of get over that and
realize that there's you know, there's other roles for me,
(53:11):
and it's not it that may not have just not
have been for me.
Speaker 4 (53:15):
Did you ever get one where you got it and
then once you were in it it wasn't quite It
was like, oh where did I get myself in?
Speaker 2 (53:25):
I can't say. I mean, there's there's roles that I
took on that I thought were gonna be maybe a
little bigger and they turn out to be not much.
Speaker 3 (53:35):
Yeah, I would say that.
Speaker 2 (53:36):
And I got one last question for you.
Speaker 4 (53:38):
What are your current aspirations career wise, career wise, life
wise or whatever. Where do you see yourself going?
Speaker 2 (53:48):
What do you aspire to? Now? Yeah, I think at
this point it's it's two ah to being a series
regular and a and a hit show, and continuing to
do great work as an actor. When I say do
great work as an actor, it means not just for
me to show people stuff, but it's for me as
a person. I mean, acting affects me as a person
(54:11):
in a positive, uplifting way, and I want to be
at a point where I'm doing that at a high
level and continuously.
Speaker 3 (54:19):
Which is what a series regularly does.
Speaker 2 (54:21):
So that's one of the other reasons why it's not
just the money and the fames, Like this is what
fulfills me and as far as my career, what my
career passion is. But otherwise it's you know, having that
and just having it all. I mean, you've got me
having a great career and my wife and I having
the freedom to go out and do other ventures that
(54:41):
we want to do together and with us, and then
with our family, with our grandkids that we have now.
I mean, these are things that I see, you know,
and then creating what we talked about, that legacy for
our family to have to build on and to continue
and to be inspired by.
Speaker 3 (54:58):
That's where I see myself.
Speaker 2 (55:00):
Awesome, Awesome, thank.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
You anyone else have a question real quick before we
get out of here, Leanne and Doug, I just text you, huh, Yes.
Speaker 2 (55:11):
I was wondering, what's the best piece of advice you
have been given?
Speaker 3 (55:15):
The best piece of advice I've been given for an actor.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
Best piece of advice is to not think that having
lines means you're acting like a lot of I think
actors are how many lines they have in something, instead
of worrying about what your situation is, what you're able
to convey. So sometimes having lines, people think, oh, I
(55:44):
got all these lines, and other times people you know,
will realize that, you know, having little to no lines
can still mean a huge impact, and being very still
can have an impact. Growing up, I thought watching lots
of sitcomy type things growing up and in the seventies,
you know, being very animated was how you acted. And
(56:04):
I learned from a very good teacher that know, being
still is something you need to learn how to do
as an actor because the way that camera picks it
up it is a maximal impact on an audience. So
that's been a very valuable skill I've used to have success.
(56:26):
I do it a lot of times in the show
countdown of being still at certain moments, and that's that's
an impact, So that's helped me a lot, But otherwise,
it's understanding that the business is something that an actor
needs to understand. People to learn how to act. People
want to be famous, people want to make money, but
you've got to understand the business. Because I've seen lots
(56:47):
of actors come into LA that are like, Oh, I
just came in Oklahoma, I'm going to get me an
agent probably next week, and then I'm going to be
on the next Friends And it's like wow, okay, And
you would come into town with that misconception about how
this business works, and they burn out and they go
back to Oklahoma within six months or sooner because they thought, Oh,
(57:08):
I just go out to La. I'm beautiful, I'm handsome,
They're going to definitely hire me. And it's like, No,
La is full of the beautiful hands of people. I've
gone auditions where everybody looks like me exactly, because that's
just how this town is. And you've got to be
able to show them you've got something inside you that's
different and unique to you.
Speaker 3 (57:28):
So yeah, hopefully we'll take one more.
Speaker 1 (57:32):
Anybody else going on, I have a question, Okay, who's
that doctor, Karen?
Speaker 2 (57:38):
I didn't mean to interrupt you.
Speaker 3 (57:40):
I wanted to make sure you, guys, if you do
follow Meeric on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (57:45):
He has about five fake accounts right now that people
have made, so make sure you the one with the
verification mark is actually his only real account. I just
wanted that to be said. It's the real mark.
Speaker 3 (58:00):
Part is the Instagram account. It's got the blue checker.
Speaker 1 (58:04):
That's the one. Okay, y'all, doctor Karen, did you Doctor Karen? Yes?
Speaker 5 (58:10):
My question is I know sometimes in scripts they tell
you who the character is or what the character.
Speaker 3 (58:16):
Is supposed to kind of be.
Speaker 5 (58:18):
Was that the case with this because you have such
a presence in playing this character that makes him so believable.
So that was your own choosing.
Speaker 2 (58:28):
Yes, in a sense that when you get an audition
for something, they give you a very short three maybe
four description of who the character is or how they are,
and you've got to figure out everything else from the
audition script that you have.
Speaker 3 (58:44):
And so yeah, actor should know this.
Speaker 2 (58:46):
Getting bigger roles is about how well you know how
to bring something that's not written down, and so you've
got to bring something in that's you know, nothing outlandish
or outrageous or you know, nonsensical, but you got to,
you know, learn how to bring something that they didn't
tell you. And yeah, a lot of times it's like, oh,
(59:08):
things that you can personally connect with and amplifying that
in yourself.
Speaker 3 (59:12):
You got to bring.
Speaker 2 (59:13):
So this character Dave Vowel that I play, I was
I think I might have mentioned before that I approach
this character someone who's trying to do something that I
think is a good thing. And it is wonderful for
me that people see it as this shady, shady character
(59:34):
that they don't like. I'm like, wow, you all and
it's like, I guess that's the That's what I can
take as a big comment because it's coming across. I
know that you know the character has the ways they
like to do things, and I know it's written down,
But the way I'm playing this character is not with
(59:54):
this focused intent of doing shady stuff. It's like, hey,
I'm I'm I genuinely want to help the team. I
genuinely want to get my buddy's son promoted in the FBI.
Speaker 3 (01:00:04):
I want to help you with that.
Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
I got fun. And so it's funny because we were
watching that the scene like that yesterday in the new
episode and why I said that, she goes, oh wow.
I was like, what She's like, You're so shady. I've
learned that a good actor brings things within themselves to
a role and play up that and that's what usually
(01:00:27):
connects with people or impacts people the strongest. So whatever
it is and I'm bringing, it's connecting and it's you know,
making have people of a negative sense, and it's part
of the story and I'm happy for that.
Speaker 3 (01:00:38):
But I just want, you know, the one I'm doing
that role. I'm not pushing my.
Speaker 2 (01:00:41):
Mustache and it's just it comes across you.
Speaker 3 (01:00:47):
Thank you, Aaron. I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (01:00:48):
You're amazing. You're really amazed.
Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
Absolutely well, y'all, I think that's about a rap. I
want to just say that, you know you are tuned
in again with Legends and I yesterday, today, and tomorrow
I've been your host Raven the talk show made and
our guest and we rolled out the Rick carpet for tonight.
Is a multi award winning actor, producer, and motivator. He's
(01:01:12):
no stranger, as I said earlier to Grit or Blow.
With magnetic presence powerhouse performances, he has inspired a whole
new way of believers on screen. Get this and off.
You heard it. You just heard a little bit. We're
gonna direct you to a full hour that I had
with Merk a while back, and we talked about his
(01:01:33):
parents even more, and you know, him just making that transition.
I mean to think that he's really acting and he's
going all the way. He's in it to win it, writer,
and he is winning it. We're so blessed to have
had you on the show. Thank you again, Merek MacArthur,
Thank you, Peggy, and thank you Doug and colleague. I
(01:01:57):
said your name to him this time, Baby Jamie, doctor
Karen Parrish, and and Sky and all the people that
have been in and out beds that don't wanna forget you,
Dean and all those of you that have come in here. Janice.
We appreciate you live and we appreciate all of you
for listening. I'm Raven Black Glover, Raven to talk show. Maven.
That's wrap, y'all.
Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
Bye,
Before the spotlight, he was building satellites. That's right. Our
guest is a man whose path to start him was
anything but ordinary. Electrical design engineer crafting systems for space exploration.
That's what he did to now captivating viewers in so
many different films and the latest Amazon Prime's new hit
(00:30):
crime series Countdown as the commanding District Attorney Grayson Barwell.
History is one of transformation, talent and tenacity. Welcome to
amazing women and men of power, legends and icons. Yesterday,
today and tomorrow, I'm your host, Raven and talk show
maybe and yes, yes, yes, Today we're rolling out the
(00:51):
red carpet again for a multi award winning actor, producer
and motivator who's no stranger to grit Or go Low.
With magnetic presence and powerhouse performance, he inspiring a whole
new wave of believers, y'all on screen and off. You
know what I like to say. If you stand and
(01:11):
sit down, if you sit and stand up, just give
a virtual round applause because the man is here. For
the one and only Merrick MacArthur.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Wow. You know, Raven, I think I'm gonna have you
go in before me anywhere I go. Right and I
am ready to go. First, thank you, thank you about.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Thank you very much for saying that. And I gotta
say thank you again for the blessings of being able
to interview you with an honor.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's my pleasure to be here to see you again.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Absolutely, congratulations, because I think the last time you were
here you were kind of teasing me a little bit
about what's to come, remember, but you couldn't really say
it was really that time, because I think when I
interviewed you before, I want to say it was February
maybe somewhere in there. So was this what was cranking
(02:08):
up back then? Countdown?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah? Yeah, I couldn't really announce much at that time.
They hadn't really done any big announcements on anything. The
show was announced, but it wasn't announced too, the cast was,
and they didn't have the premiere, so we were all
kind of keeping quiet before we disclosed anything about the project.
So yeah, that's why I was being hazy with you
the first time that we talked. I apologize, but I'm
(02:34):
hoping that it was that you're enjoying what we what
we brought.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Oh yeah, absolutely, no apologies necessary. I always wondered, though,
how hard is that to be so excited that you
land this. You know, you did the cast and you
nail that, you walked outside and did one of those numbers.
And then you know, you got to keep it quiet.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, that that was very tough, very tough. I mean,
thankfully I have people that I can.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Sort of share with about.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
My amazing wife Peggy of course is one, and you know,
but it was very tough to keep this quiet for
so many months.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
I got this job just over a year ago.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And I started shooting back last September. It was the
first day of shooting and I was excited then and
they had to be quiet for well over a year now.
That was a challenge, and you knowing so.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Much because when you're casting for a film and you
want to cast for a particular part, are usually doing
more than one. So you're maneuvering things, trying to make
it here, trying to make it there, being family. How
hard is that?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Oh well, I mean for each project, Yeah, my agents
will submit me for one role in the project and
I auditioned for that, but throughout that I'm a auditioning
for other projects as well, and it's rare. But sometimes
the casting process with us, say Hey, you audition for this,
but we want you for this role. That it doesn't
(04:11):
really happen a lot, believe it or not, but to
me anyway, but it has happened. And as far as
the whole process of auditioning, I mean, it's it's what
I do. It's not only my passion, but it's like
all my work is put into this and very thankfully
I'm with an amazing woman that is very supportive and
it's part of this as well. I mean, she's she's
reading these scripts with me for the audition, she's doing
(04:34):
the camera, said do the editing.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
She's so good at everything video.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Because she's been a photographer and videographer so many years
now that she was willing to come in and be
absolutely supportive and knowing that we're in this together.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So I appreciate that very much.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Well, I know how that is because college and are
the same way. And I know you're a beautiful wife, Peggy,
and she talked about wearing hats. My goodness, she does
a lot. But it does make a difference. I know
you've been married before I have, but we're not going
to count all my times. But anyway, it is such
a difference when you have someone in your corner, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
I have friends that will tell me and they're like, Marik,
you are so lucky to have someone with you that's
like supportive of you and this that is like they're
with you and down with you for this because it's
a struggle. Yeah, and lots of friends I have have
not had that and don't have that still. I mean,
it's bad enough if you're single and then you don't
have family that gets it. I mean, you're you know,
I'm from the Midwest. My family's all on Detroit. So
(05:34):
me starting this, you know, and leaving engineering, They're like,
wait a minute, So you you're telling me you don't
know how much money you're gonna make every couple of weeks.
I'm like, no, I don't get it ready. I think
I'm crazy because it's like any entrepreneurial venture, you don't know.
You're putting yourself out there. You're going on faith, you're
going on your raw effort, and you just have to
have that faith that it's going to come to fluition
(05:55):
that you'll have that abundance. And it's another thing I
have help with Pegan that because she's same way. She's
been that way as a photogerer for a long time
is you know, you build a pipeline and that's what
you're going with. You're not sure you know every month
what's with the income is going to look like, but
you know it's coming. Yeah, but that's that's Yeah. That's
a challenge for lots of friends who have people in
(06:16):
their lives who don't see it. They're like, no, I'm
you got to have a check. You've got to be
having a reliable income. And it's like, well, you know,
after a certain point you got to take the leap
and go for it.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Just go for it, That's what I say. Just go
for it. You know, you've played oh my god, everything
from detectives to doctors and now a district attorney and
Khalik and I. We've got a little bit of you
on Larry David where you're I think a policeman there.
You know, So you play all these different roles, you know,
(06:48):
some real intense, some not. How do you prepare for that?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Well? I always feel like for me as an actor,
any role I take on, there's hearts of me that's
in that role, parts of my life experience, parts of
my current life that's in there, and that's what I
kind of focus on to bring out, like the cop.
I mean, my parents were police. I grew up to
Detroit police officers, and so putting on a cop uniform
(07:12):
and walk around with that posture of a cop was
not difficult for me to get into because I just
I grew up with that and people already think I'm
a cop when I walk down the street anyway, but
that's you know, I just kind of have that already.
So yeah, I do a lot of roles that are
kind of like these authority figures. And I think it's
just because coming from my parents being police and family
being you know, in local government, that I have that
(07:35):
posture of authority. So playing a doctor wasn't that hard
as well. I mean I think I played a doctor
a couple of times. One was on the Bolden and
Beautiful with Christopher Saint John and yeah, yeah, there's told
me atle Beautiful with him. Here's a tangent though on
Bolden and Beautiful. When I went into work that day,
(07:56):
I was getting on an elevator to go up and
on the elevator coming out was oh bah Babatunde and
I immediately recognized him. And it must have been all
over my face because he looked at me and he
was like, and he's when I shook my hand, but
I stand, hey, hey, how are you doing good to
meet you? I was like, yes, that's like when it
was Star Trek moments or you see somebody like, oh
(08:19):
that's you know, that was me for Obah Babatunda who's
on Bolden People at the time. So I did that
job as a as a doctor, but it was about
being and being empathetic to a woman who was a
character who was going.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Through something on that episode. So yeah, that's there.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
And there's a show called All American where I play
a caring, loving father to one of the main characters
on that show. And I had that experience personally in
my life as a caring, loving father to my kids.
So all these things I can bring out into the
character because my life, and I would argue, part of
everyone's life. You have these little features in you that
you can bring out when you're playing a role.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Yeah, now do you think about that, Merrick when you decide, Okay,
I'm going to go and give this a try, are
you really saying what's really me? And that's not quite me,
I don't think I'm going to go for that.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah. I mean you're preparing for the role, to play
the role, and you're reading the script and you figure
out what parts of this really resonate with you for
you and the person might be, you know, in doing
or trying to achieve something that you would never try.
Like he might be a villain or he might be
you know, someone who's very you know, charming in a
(09:34):
negative way, and that's not me. But it's like, what
is it about this that I can connect to to
make me get into playing this out and being truthful
about it, being my own personal honesty with it.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
And that's kind of how I approach it.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Yeah, well, I gotta give your hand for that, because
that's not easy. I just recently got an invitation to
interview it's very popular psychic that does movie stars and
all that, you know, and I had to think about
that mark. If it just came in a couple of
(10:09):
days ago, I'm like, oh, I know him. I want
to do it. But if he talks start talking about
my mama and my.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Daddy telling you, I don't miss psychic, that's why I
can't do it.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I can't do it. And I kept going back to
the email. Should I should not? And I was like no,
because I know me. If he says something start talking
to me like that, it's like the interview's over. You
know how you always hear about the leaving. Well, they'll
say the host left, I.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Mean to teach their own I just know something that's
that I'm interested in. I'll say that.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Yeah. Me, it would be a little bit hard for
sure for me because I don't know where they're going
to go with it.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You know, it's smell.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I mean the interviewer. Couldn't you set the boundary like, Hey,
I want to interview, but I don't want to bring
a be anything.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Let's talk about if I.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Go after them? Yes, if I go And I approached
them and said, I would like to do this interview.
But the media company hires me to do interviews and
that they're telling you exactly what to do, so I
knew I have Yeah. Well, you know, when you go
in and you really have a lot of prime your work,
you're like, if I'm going to say I'm going to
do it, I'm going to do my best. And I
(11:22):
just knew I wasn't going to do that, so That's
why I had to applaud you, you know, for really
stepping back, you know, and really getting yourself ready and
preparing and asking yourself can I do this? And going
for the ones? But like you said, step back when
you can't. So what about this role? What made you
say yes?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
I think the main thing is that Dave all Well
is a complicated person and has motives that seems simple,
but his tactics are complicated. And I like that because
a lot of times I played roles that are on
(12:04):
a smaller level where my objectives are pretty straightforward. You know,
I'm here to, you know, take care of my daughter
when she just you know, had a baby, or I'm
here to you know, help this patient. But for this
there's lots of things that are going on in the story.
So I like the idea of having this character go
through a journey with the audience. So you come in
(12:26):
with one impression and then he goes sideways on the
several things and you're not even sure what to think about.
Davola I met. I was at an audition the other day.
A guy came up and taught me, Hey, Sarah, I
really want to say congrats on the role and I
you know, I've been watching your character and I'm waiting
to find out what happens with you. So I like
that aspect is like I mean, people think they know,
(12:47):
but they don't know. But it's like the complex nature
of the character is what attracted me. And I will
say this, I think a lot of people, like my
wife and I were watching the latest episode and she said, oh,
you're so little shady or slimy or something, and I'm like,
you know, it's interesting because when I was playing that scene,
I wasn't trying to be shady or slimy in my mind,
(13:07):
trying to do the right thing. And I think that's
something that I'm figuring out how well it works, because
I've studied that a good actor, when you're playing a
villain or someone that's perceived as a villain, you never think, oh,
I'm going to do this evil thing.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
As the actor, you're thinking, I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
This for this reason that is right to me, and
for the story it might come off as negative or
evil or wrong, but for the actor, you approach it
as this is what the right thing to do is.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
And so that's kind of what makes a powerful impact.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, Wow, I just know that whenever I watch you,
are you really really into it? And I know that's
not always easy because I've seen you in different different things,
you know, So as this detective firm, fearless and full
of kind of quiet power is what I call it.
(14:01):
You know, you don't get real tough, but what you
say is with so much power? How you do that?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Thank you. It's a combination of things with that, you know,
as me as the actor I'm acting with Eric Dane,
who was you know, mixtemian and raised anatomy for years,
and or with Elliot Knight, who's a you know, fairly
new actor on the scene. Here, I'm focused on them
(14:31):
at that moment, and it's up to the director and
the camera to capture it a certain way to make
it seem even more intent. And then on top of that,
you've got the editors and you've got the people that
do the music. They bring up the music a certain way,
so it gives the audience a sense of, oh, this
is you know, whatever the intent is. Yeah, but yeah,
you know, it's a lot of times I've seen this
(14:52):
too that people don't get to see that don't get
to work on a set very much. Is you could
be watching two actors on set acting on camera, and
this seems like a very simple, even quiet conversation. It
seems like nothing, but when it comes out on screen
or in film, it's it's a very intense scene. And
that's just because you have a combination of people that
(15:15):
are creating that that that moment, that that emotion for people.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, what about your character that she liked the most.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
That I got toward designer suits? No, what's funny? Did
you get to keep them?
Speaker 1 (15:32):
So I did?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I did I get to keep them?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
But they fitted me and tailored designer suits for the show.
And I was talking to the head of costuming at
the show and she was saying that they were kind
of trying to decide how I was going to be dressing.
And she was the one who said, Hey, Derek, who's
the creative producer, Merrick should be in like a suit.
(15:57):
He's you know, and the producers like, really needs to
be in a suit, and she's like, yeah in LA. Yeah,
he's going to be wearing designer suits in LA. And
so he's like all right. So they went out and
they got like Hugo Boss and all these other big
designers like Harmani and stuff, and so I'm trying I'm
in all these suits and I was like, huh, I haven't.
I haven't experienced this before. Usually they get, you know,
(16:19):
whatever to throw me in a show, but they went specifically,
and I could appreciate that they were dedicated to being
true to this character where they were willing, like, hey,
let's be real about it, put some real designer suits
on the sky. And that kind of helped me get
into character of being this self important person that I'm
carrying myself that way that I'm wearing designer suits, and
(16:40):
that was part of the.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Character, well beyond the designer suit. And yeah, you were
looking quite well, as my dad said, quite dapper there. Okay,
we since countdown. Apart from other crime dramas.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
The story is different than it has an international nature
as far as setting domestically in LA and some shows
it's an international crime filler and where they're all over
different countries. This one is set in LA and it's
an international story. And also I don't think I've seen
a show that really does feature the beauty of Los
(17:21):
Angeles and the nature of the different parts of Los
Angeles that people don't realize are there go and they
go to a scene or talk to someone in a
different part of the town, they have a name in
that town pop up on the screen. And those are
real towns in LA that have their real distinct characteristics.
So I feel like this show is also sort of
a love letter to just the LA community. So I
(17:43):
really like that about the show, and that's I think
also sets it apart.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
What do you really want the viewers to walk away
with each series, whether you're in it or not. What
do you hope and they will walk away with by
watching this another the crime story? But like you said,
in drama, but it's so different. It brings so much
different pieces to it that makes it to me stand
(18:08):
out and very refreshing. So what are you hoping that
the viewers will walk away with? Just curious.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Many of the great shows that I watch with hegy
is you know, something that will spark a conversation, for one,
and it's something that kind of gets you thinking about
what kind of life that would be for you. I
think that's one thing I do. It's like, what kind
of life would that be? You know? There's a show
(18:36):
called The Diplomat which is about these politicians they're over
in England and how their life is and it's a
great show, well written, and I think, oh, what kind
of you know?
Speaker 3 (18:46):
So you think about that and that kind.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Of gets me thinking about just different person of life.
These are things that are meant to kind of spark
your interests, your curiosity, and to how you maybe just
have some kind of intellectual discussion about it with someone
close to you, or just doing your own little looking
through about about things. So yeah, sometimes it's just, you know,
an escape, but also sometimes I mean to kind of
(19:10):
spark something in you, to kind of jog something to
make you look at world a little bit differently. So
I'm hoping that the shows that I can work on
are something that helps spark some kind of a positive
interest or inspiration in people that watch, so they can
do something that is positive for the community now, or
(19:30):
just about something personal for themselves.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Yeah, or just to everybody put your phones down and
let's just watch a good movie at home together, right yeah,
everybody texts them that's a good one, right there.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Yeah, Yeah, that nature too, just an idea of community,
let's kind of commune together. It is kind of let's
watch something and experience something together.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
As a group. That's that's great.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Well, actually, like when you said, spark a conversation, you know,
because it's these days, you know, we need to come
together and have something we can communicate and laugh and
have a little bit of drama, you know, and really
enjoy it as a family or as a couple, a
group of friends, like I know where we had to
watch Party, Here Go Brunch and it was just it
(20:16):
was something everybody could get into. That's what I like
about it.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yeah. Yeah. And also I mean the talking after is
like what pegan I do because we'll be watching something
and we'll pause it midway and we're like, hey, pause it,
and we going what just happened? What just happened right there?
And so we're talking through like hey, how do you feel?
How would you handle it?
Speaker 3 (20:35):
What I think about it?
Speaker 2 (20:36):
And so we have this conversation and we're always coming
back to the same page on things and the same intent,
which is being good to people, being good to each other.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
But it's always interesting how that comes up.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Like Wow, there's one part of Countdown where the main
character Mark Meacham.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Is played by Jensen Ackles.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
He just closes this secret that he has as health
secret to h Jessica Camacho, and prior to that he didn't.
He said he had another reason. He gave her some
other excuse, and my life is so upset. He lied
to her, and I was like, well, you know, he's
thinking he's got a good reason. He's got his job.
You don't want to get fired. And it's always fascinating.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
You had the conversation that come up about this.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
A lot of times it's about things like integrity, you know,
and honesty and being true to yourself.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
And how people fall out of that.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
So we talk about that and we kind of go
back and forth about how that is for what the
human condition is like, and that's always fun to discuss
and just bring up with each other, not just your spouse,
but just people in general, to say, hey, where are
you on this and kind of realize there's lots of commonality,
but you have different perspectives on it, but you're all
head for the same destination, which is, you know, a
(21:49):
positive environment for everybody.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
So yeah, that's always fun.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
That's always fun, And you know what, it's really nice
to hear you say that because I don't know for sure,
but I don't feel people go as often to the
movies as they used to since probably Pandemic. And one
thing that's really nice about watching a film at home
is that you can do like you and Peggy and
(22:12):
stop it and talk about it and really get into it.
You know, you talking to theaters, you know everybody's gonna
be mad at you, and that's kind of nice.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
I still love going to the theaters, but I do
love that aspect of it that you can stop, and
especially if you're watching a pre recording, you can wait, manute,
what do you say? And remind it back and everything
like that. I want to tell you about behind the
scene moments. Was there anything that you can like tell
us about that was exciting or caught you off surprise,
(22:44):
or maybe someone stopped at the set that you're like,
oh my god, I've been wanting to, you know, connect
with them. Come on, spill it you spill it to you?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Yeah, I yeah, I will say this. You know, I've
done a lot of shows and done a lot of
movies and for TV. You know, you've got the big name,
famous actors and I come in for like a day
or two induced some stuff, and I'm leaving. But it's
like their world. You know, so you're basically coming into
(23:15):
their world, you're doing your thing, and you're leaving. So
this is one, I think the first time that I
was in a show where part of this was my world.
Like the office and the scenes of the DA's office.
They took pictures of me and created like photos of
me with other people to put on the walls. They
(23:36):
created degrees with Dave Walwell's name on it. They had
all this very ornate, very specific items all over my
desk and walls and everything, and it hit me that
that was created just for me, Like they have a
whole set that's just for me, that's my office.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
And that hit me very well.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
It's like this the level that I like to be,
and it affected me how I performed there because that
was like mine. I think the first scene of that
is I'm in my office and Eric Dane walks in
and it's my office. He's walking into so he's coming
to do something, but he's coming.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Into my space. Yea, right, right, So that was a very.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Nice behind the scenes moment for me personally to have
that to realize that, you know, not only did they
hire me to his job, they created all this stuff
just for my character, and that's not something that maniactors
get to experience.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
That was a wow wow.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
It was like wow, they went all out, you know,
and it was exciting to meet the rest of the cast.
Finally I worked one day with just a few people.
Then I know that I went out and I met everyone.
Like I met Uli who's a big, strong muscle black
chocolate as my wife and her friends called him. And
what do you call hi?
Speaker 3 (25:01):
When you call him something chocolate? I forget what it is.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
And he's real nice. He played the young Rock in
that TV series. It's a really great, wonderful, nice, warm
hearted guy and funny and fun to be around.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Jents and apples.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
When Matt, who I didn't have any scenes with, but
I met him on set, he's also very kind, charming
and just kind of gracious.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Yeah, I think that whole behind the scenes thing is
I think people don't realize a lot of the time
actors spend just sitting around chatting and talking with each
other and eating food, eating the craft services food they
have for you. It's nice, so you get to know
each other and you get the bond a little bit.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Well, I've seen the pictures on your social media. You
had some pictures of the behind the scenes, and I
was looking and it looked like everybody just got along
and you know it, everybody felt good. Everybody had that nice,
authentic s mole that's kind of nice. Have you ever
been in a situation where it wasn't like that, you know,
that maybe wasn't as friendly married, and if so, how
(26:05):
did you handle it.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
I've been in a show where I've seen like the
main actor just kind of I say, lose it, but
really kind of bring things to a grinding halt, really
and because they weren't happy about something that was going
on in the script or something like that, and I
felt how it brought everyone to a negative place. It
(26:29):
was like, oh, and I hadn't been there before, but
it was clear to me just from the vibe from
everybody that it wasn't the first time this had happened,
and it was kind of like it since people doing
sort of a internal eye row, like oh, not this again,
you know, and that's like, Wow. I never want to
be at a place where I'm causing any of this
(26:50):
to happen on a set. And I've been in other
shows where I didn't even realize that the two actors
are really at each other's throats person until after I
shot the episodes, and then I look back and there
were little hints there, but I wasn't picking up on it.
And I think it's just interesting for one to be
(27:12):
an actor working as hard as most actors do, to
get to a level where you're you're the main star
of a show, to be there and then make the
choice to bring your environment down like that is I
don't I don't get it, you know. And then to
(27:33):
the other actors that are trying to keep things positive
have to deal with that, It's like, Wow, how would
I handle that if I'm working on the show and
we're both in the star group and this person or
those people are just really bringing things down, and I wonder.
I mean, everyone here has probably worked a job where
(27:53):
usually you like your job, you're.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
Trying to do the thing. You know, you're get in
your check, you going, and you get on it.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
But there's one dude or girl or what whoever that's
I got some drama going on that's bringing the whole
thing down. You almost dread and going in to see
that person there, and it's tough, you know, And I
think for most of us. We've all been there. We
kind of work through it. We kind of try to
work around the situation. But yeah, yeah, and acting, you
(28:20):
have those situations sometimes, and it's just the difference is
I think for me, you see the stars do that,
like you're the star of the show. People chose you
out of thousands of people to get here. You supposedly
trained and struggle to get here, and now you're here,
and this is the choice you make to have this environment,
(28:42):
and and that's really it's hard for me to understand.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Yeah, that's all.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Yeah, well I get it. Trust me, I get a
colique and I. We have some people that we love
their everything, but sometimes they just were so over the top,
you know, so over the top I need something sip
on to get through it. I mean really married, Yeah,
it can be a mess. I want to talk about
(29:09):
your parents, because the last time I interview you, we
spent some time on that and I'm going to give
everyone here the link to where you can catch that
and hear that on our podcast. But okay, your parents
were both trailblazers, the first married couple to graduate from
Detroit Police Academy, Right is that right? Okay? How did
(29:31):
their courage and commitment shape the man that you are today.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
I would say it drives me to this day. Like
when I get out of bed, I hear my mom
saying get up. Most kids you have that mom that's like,
get get out of bed. And I think that that
idea that you got to get moving today. Yeah, that
These are the things that my parents instill to me.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
You've got to get it.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
I mean I I don't always do it, but when
I hear it, I'm like, Okay, I'm getting up.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
I'm going to do it, but I don't feel like it.
You got to get up. You gotta go do it,
do the thing.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Also, I think a sense of you deserve success, Like
I know lots of people and I go through this
often times. Myself is having this feeling like you don't
deserve this success or this wonderful life, and or that
you don't deserve to accomplish that thing you're trying to accomplish.
And they instilled in me this idea that you deserve
(30:31):
that you know because you're working hard for it, that
means you deserve it. The fact that you are baking
steps to make it happen, you deserve it. And I
think I'm very very happy that they kind of instill
that in me, because it's.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Hard for people to have that feeling.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
I mean, as hard as we all try to work
to always think the way, I don't always feel that way.
Sometimes I feel somewhat defeated and I have to get
back to that reminder from them that you know, you
deserve it. And I think my wife thinks about things
like this all the time, so I can always lean
on her for this because she's always like, you deserve
this is something you need to go for. So yeah,
(31:12):
that and what else I think, uh, not taking yourself
too seriously. Like they were, you know, upstanding people in
the community, but they were they grew up in the projects,
you know, and they.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Were the first yeah you know they yeah they passed that.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Yeah, they brought their first house and my dad's uh
g I bill loan for him being in the army,
and so he came out of the projects to buy
this this house, which they run us on a family.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
That was a big deal.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
And they stayed grounded despite having such wonderful things in
their lives. They stayed as some grounded couple, grounded parents
and taught us to just kind of have a sense
of being grounded, never take yours like you get too
self important.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
And so that's something that sticks with me too.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Yeah, and I would imagine, you know, for all that
you've done and being a multi award wind, staying grounded
has definitely paid off, right, and not getting the big
head and stuff like you know, and being a person
like that and remembering where you came from. You said
something that was really caught my attention. You were talking
(32:24):
about how it's not always easy and sometimes you might
not feel like this is it, I want to do this.
How do you get past that? Merrik? I mean really,
cause I think that's something that's easier to say than
to do.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
Us.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
We all as humans have those days like, yeah, my
mother's last sister, my last aunt passed away and I
didn't find out until last night. And to be honest
it to me, you know, I was like, I gotta
do this show. I still got to throw myself into it,
and everything wrong that could go wrong today did on
top of that, you know, and you do have to
(32:59):
push yourself through it. So I'm just curious, how do
you do that?
Speaker 2 (33:06):
Uh, it's a struggle. I mean, I I can't say
that I'm past it. I get it, you know, I'm
all good. I still struggle with it every day. So
I think what I have to do is I have
to find quiet in myself and listen to that positive voice. Yeah,
I have to quiet my mind and just kind of listen,
(33:28):
because you know, there are some days that I it
takes a while for me to kind of move move
past and get moving, and then there's other days that
I'm like, oh, I'm on it right away.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
So yeah, things happen.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Generally, what I do is keeping a good schedule of
things as long as I have something I gotta get
done that kind of keeps me moving. So unless yeah,
something and it should be something that's part of my
goal plan, my plan to my goals, So I say, ok,
(34:01):
I've got to do this, and that kind of gets
me going because you can, you know, especially the way
technology is today, you can fall into a slumber and
lull yourself to scrolling on your phone screen for an
entire day if you're not careful. So, yeah, you've got
to realize that the reason you started all this was
(34:23):
to achieve a certain goal, and what are those steps
that you need to take and what's that step that
you could easily do, and if it seems like you're
like there's certain times I go through the still where
I have a plan to do something and I'm not
making any steps towards it, and I have to sit
down and remind myself and realize that, Okay, this step
(34:45):
I'm not getting done. Why what is it that's calling
me back? And what usually happens is I need to
break it down to a smaller step, like, Okay, well,
I don't want to jump over that whole herder, but
I kind of like get partially over it a little bit.
Let me get halfway over, you know, I want to
get to the midway point at least. Can I at
least just that? Okay, well, can I just it just
walk towards it? Can I walk a couple of steps
(35:07):
towards it?
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (35:08):
And those are the chapters I try to.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Do to can I get me to at least kind
of move forward when I'm feeling like I'm stuck? You know,
the step might be holding back because it's something in
my head that's holding back. But there's still certain things
I can do and that helps me.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
Well, that's really good. I mean, talk about how you
just kind of okay, slice it. Okay, what's keeping me
from doing this? There's a reason for that. And then
the next day you still see that you're at the
same place. Okay, now there's two days in a row.
What the heck is going on? Okay, I'm gonna ask
you this, don't laugh. But Khalik and I we were
we noticed that that happens more as we get older.
(35:49):
Do you notice that or is it about the same
with us? We're noticing. Wow. You know, we used to
could make a list of five things that we could
get through on a good day, maybe eight. Now we
could just get through just one. Yes, yes, it is.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
It is that way.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
Sometimes.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
I'm not sure it's age so much as I think
when you're younger, you're just a lot more frenetic and
you're always trying to do something. When you're older, you
tend to like the idea of relaxing a lot more
and not doing anything.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Yeah, just getting it, getting it done, because I'm like you, Yeah,
I'm busy. I'm at my best. When when it's kind
of slow, then I'm at my worst. But I like
to get things done. Okay, Yeah, we got a few
more minutes. We're gonna wrap this up. What does legacy
mean to you? And how are you hoping your body
of work speaks to that?
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Hmm, Well, legacy has to do with what you leave
for other people to appreciate or to succeed to the.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
Right, and so are you. Your legacy is about what
can be, what you stand for, what you present to.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
The world, And lots of times legacy is something that
can be a driver or motivator for others, particularly your family,
but sometimes there's just others in general. You know, how
you move through life can be your legacy for people
to say, hey, this person did it. And that's another
(37:24):
thing my parents instilled to me, this idea that if
I see someone else do something, never think that I
can't accomplish that thing too. So that always helped me
out when I was in math class being an engineer.
I see people that I thought just smarter than math,
and I held on in there instilling me that I
can do that too.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
If I put in the work, I can get there.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
So I think that's one thing that legacy can do
for people is give people that sense of here's someone
who's done it, Therefore it's possible and even more possible
because generally, if you feel like you can achieve something,
you have the vision of it, then that also makes
it possible. But seeing it as a real documented path
(38:09):
that someone has taken, then that shows you that that
is possible. What I want to make sure that I
have as a legacy is a legacy of persistence, determination,
and yeah, that idea of just overcoming these challenges that
you have in life, as insurmountable as they might seem.
(38:31):
Sometimes you've got to still keep moving, You've got to
still keep going for that thing that you really want
in life and realize what it is you really want.
You can say I want the big house or I
want the fancy car, but what is you really want?
Speaker 1 (38:49):
You know?
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Is it that you want the security of knowing that
you don't have to worry about where you live and
you want to be comfortable in that place. Okay, well
that's you know, that's fine, that's a house. Okay, So
what is that you really want? And yeah, I think
I would like my legacy to be that to where
people know that with determination, persistence, that they can achieve
(39:11):
what they want.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Yeah, and you know, anybody that looks at you and
looks that you're acting and what you've done are definitely
going to be inspired. So you know, you do give
a lot and you pass on, and it's always when
you pass on you want I don't know about you,
but I always say, if I could pass on in something,
at least one person can walk away with, you know something,
(39:36):
I don't even think about how many, and it's got
to be millions or anything. Just if I can make
a difference in one person's life, I mean a real
significant difference from them maybe hearing my story at starting
broadcasting at fifty five from the ICU unit of a hospital,
if that would inspire someone else that might maybe things
(39:58):
didn't go quite their way older, and they can say,
well I can do that, you know what I'm saying.
So we don't have to say the whole world, right,
if we could just inspire one person to keep it
keep moving forward.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Yeah, Yeah, I love that. I love that, Raven, because you, yeah,
you decided later in life that you were going to
go this path, and I, you know, I made my
change a little bit like more of my I'd say forties.
But I think lots of people have that where they
go through life with this idea of what their life
(40:31):
was supposed to be like according to other folks, and
then they come to realize that, you know what, I
could have made a different choice, And I like what
you're an example of, which is that you can make
that it's not too late to make that other choice.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
As hard as it might seem to you, you can
still go for it.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
And so I'm hoping that that's something that you continue
to inspire, because that's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I hope to, Like I said, I'm seventy four of you,
I'm asking just keep you around till one hundred and four.
I got so much more to give.
Speaker 3 (41:05):
You'll definitely make that easy.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Yeah. Yeah, But you know, when you're doing what you
love and you're on purpose with it, and it's it's
not hard to do, right. You can jump out of
bed and you're doing you're like, okay, what's on the
agenda today, and you're ready to go. It just gives
an extra spark in your life. And as we know
from just hearing about different people to pass, you know,
and just life itself. You know, we only promise, I
(41:30):
always say, the moment we're in, we only promise that
that second, that moment, and so we got to really
take everything more serious, you know, in getting things done,
pushing past our pain to our power, you know, and
like you said, knowing that it's possible if you want it.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
What was that?
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Oh? Napoleon Hill, the Great Napoleon Hill said, you know,
if you can think it, you know you can make
it happen. And yes, thinking thinking, as the exegular used
to say, that keeps us from there. So we might
be pushing past that pain to get to our power
over and over again. But uh, clique always reminds me
(42:14):
if you stop, then what you're gonna do, then it's
not gonna get better. Right, You got a choice. You're
gonna keep going or you're gonna give up, you know.
So Yeah, what advice would you give to someone trying
to pivot their career like you did, towards something that
truly feeds their soul? You know it's gonna keep them
(42:36):
happy because so much during my life when you say,
we start out doing things for everybody, for our parents,
for this, for that, and sometimes it's okay to be
selfish right about us, but we may not know how
to get there. So what advice do you give to
help people pivot their career?
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Oh? Advice I think, uh, the realization that this is
something that's feeding your soul, that realize that you may
be at a point of this is where you are,
where you're in heavy deliberation about this, that if you
don't do this, then the outcome could be negative for
(43:16):
everyone around you, not just you. And if I had
not transitioned to being an actor, knowing that's what I
really wanted to do, and stayed working in a job
where I was feeling kind of monotonous, that I know
that I would have not only been miserable myself, whereas
of all the riches I would have probably made, but
(43:38):
creatively void in a lot of senses, that it would
have come through to my family, to my children. And
that's something that I did not want. And so consider
that as a motivator for you to feel like empowered
to make that change, Because if it's something that's truly for.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
You that you really want, you know it's going to
feed you.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
If you just dabble in a little bit and try
it out, and you know that's given you something that
you know you really really need, then realize that not
doing it can be worse because that potential of regret
of being unfulfilled can permeate through everything and make every
(44:24):
everyone have that negativity about it. So consider that. You know,
I would encourage people to be safe. My path was
it took taking a big leap with no parachute, no
safety nets, and I struggle because of that. But it's like, that's.
Speaker 3 (44:41):
Apparently the path that I had to take to get here.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
You know, as hard and difficult as it was for
me to try those initial years of transition into this
to do this full time, that's apparently the path I
had to take for me to get here where I'm
this happy doing it.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
So you are happy, I can tell you. Yeah, And
that's a difference because I'm sure you like me. You've
been in things that you weren't so happy, right, So yeah, absolutely,
Well this has been great. But before we go, I
want to I think the last time you were on
the show, we did the same thing. We call this
(45:21):
let's get to know you. So loosen up, we're gonna
get to know you. Okay, a little bit, loosen up
a little bit, okay. First acting gig.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
Ever, First acting gig ever, I was in a short
film competition and I had never been in a film before,
and so they decided to make sort of a historical
fiction about Abe Lincoln. So they called me and they're like, hey,
we're making a movie. Would you be okay playing an
(45:54):
ex slaves? They were very words that I would say
hell no and hang up on him, but I did not.
I took the role and it won every award for
that competition.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
That oh wow. But for sure, Okay, Dream Coastar Living or.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
Past, Dream Coastar Living Room Past.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
That's hard.
Speaker 2 (46:28):
I've been so lucky with people that I've worked with
so far. Absolutely, I will say James R.
Speaker 1 (46:36):
Jones, Oh love their voice. Really Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
If I if I could be in a in a
scene where him, when I can get a sense of
how he commanded the power that he did on camera,
would yes, yes, Yeah, he's on people that you see
him doing the interviews, he's really calm and demure, but
when he's on camera, I mean, bam wow. And so
I'm like, I would have loved to work with them
(47:03):
just to get a little little hint of that dust
that he had to make that happen.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
That was definitely the one of the inviews I didn't get. Yeah,
and when I'm seen the gray white hope, oh my goodness,
I must have watched that over and over over again. Yeah. Absolutely,
on a day off, where will we find you?
Speaker 2 (47:27):
What would you be doing on a day off. Well,
it's hard to be fine with a day office for
me these days because lots of days off intently off.
Oh man, it's it's spending the day with my wife.
Something very comfortable and intriguing at the same time. We
have we're sharing a moment, we're sharing just life together
(47:52):
and having conversations about it.
Speaker 3 (47:54):
I mean, that's those those are that's my you know,
that is what you're happy place. It's it's been with
it's been with way.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
That's my colleague and I we knew. Yeah, it's like absolutely,
speaking of your lovely wife, Peggy. Hey, Peggy, what was
the one thing that let you know she's the one.
Speaker 3 (48:19):
The one thing let me know she's the one.
Speaker 1 (48:24):
I want to marry that gown? Let me go get
that ring back from marry that gown.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
Uh, get just right? Yeah, I know, I will say this. Uh.
The first time that we sat down for what ended
up being a nice dinner evening didn't start out that way.
We didn't plan for to be that way, but at
one point in that evening, I looked at her from
across the table, and the way she looked at me,
(48:52):
it's that indescribable thing where I'm like, yeah, it was
like that. It was it struck me and I think,
you know, you guys know how that is cleak and graving.
Speaker 3 (49:05):
Yeah, it was. It was that that moment.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I think, just the way she had this look in
her eye. I could feel everything about that look. And
that's that's always something that helped me know that she's
the one I want to be with.
Speaker 1 (49:19):
Oh, that is precious. Prescious. Your favorite motivational quote that
really kicks you in when you're feeling that, you know,
when we were talking earlier, you're not feeling And what's
your favorite quote to get your moving and grooving.
Speaker 2 (49:35):
There's a guy called Bob Proctor that I've quote from
a lot, always wonderful. Here's one that says, if you
can see it in your mind, you can hold it
in your hand, and lots of other great things.
Speaker 3 (49:48):
Yeah, see your mind, you can feel in your hand. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:51):
Fun fact about you. Most people don't know.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
I studied Russian in college, speaking Russian. Wow, I would
just say the other day, because the countdown has characters
that are speaking Russian and now like they didn't even
know I could speak Russian. I could have been putting
that to use them this year, but nope, we'll see.
Speaker 1 (50:13):
Well, this has been great. Thank you so much for
interview number two, and I love it again just like
the other one. You're amazing. Yeah, and it's always great
just to have a little piece of merit because your
spirit is so there. You know, you're you're lively and
you're so authentic. I told you that before. You're so
(50:36):
real and that's so important nowadays, and you have been
able to stay grounded and you know, your parents did
a great job, you know, and it shows, and you're
definitely passing a lot on it. And I wouldn't remind
everyone that's your life or listening to the podcast, radio
or the TV seeing this on TV that you can
(50:58):
follow America at Mark MacArthur N C C A R
T A h A on Instagram and check out Countdown
streaming now on Amazon Prime. You can also follow him
on Facebook. He's got a lot of interesting pictures. I've
seen that one today with all those, I thin was
eight or nine pictures of you guys after I guess
(51:19):
at a party or something looked like y'all were having fun.
That's the one I was telling you. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
that was the pictures of you and Peggy Peg. I
love you with that short hair girl. I checked out
a picture of you with that que hare.
Speaker 2 (51:34):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (51:35):
And I want to remind all of you don't forget
to subscribe to our Legends and Icons podcast. And uh,
we appreciate you being here. Now we are kind of
went over time, so we could probably take two questions
from maybe three questions at the most from anybody in
the audience. If you want to real quick and ask
a question, Oh colleague, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (52:00):
I got two questions for you. Mary.
Speaker 4 (52:04):
First of all, have you ever had like a heartbreak
role or project? What I mean by that is a
role that you wanted it so bad and it broke
your heart that you either didn't get it, or if
you did get it, then got into it and it
wasn't quite what you thought it was gonna be.
Speaker 3 (52:24):
Huh.
Speaker 2 (52:26):
Yeah. I've had roles that I've gone up for that
I really wanted and did not get and I've been
learned to get over that because most of the time,
you know, pretty much every time they were who was
picked was a bigger name actor than me. You know,
it was like a you know, Morse Chestnut or something
(52:48):
like that, because I'm I can't argue for that. Back down,
it's okay, I get it. So yeah. But and then
there are times and I've been up against people that
were named actors that I got the role. So it's
like I've realized it worked both raise ways in that sense.
So I learned to kind of get over that and
realize that there's you know, there's other roles for me,
(53:11):
and it's not it that may not have just not
have been for me.
Speaker 4 (53:15):
Did you ever get one where you got it and
then once you were in it it wasn't quite It
was like, oh where did I get myself in?
Speaker 2 (53:25):
I can't say. I mean, there's there's roles that I
took on that I thought were gonna be maybe a
little bigger and they turn out to be not much.
Speaker 3 (53:35):
Yeah, I would say that.
Speaker 2 (53:36):
And I got one last question for you.
Speaker 4 (53:38):
What are your current aspirations career wise, career wise, life
wise or whatever. Where do you see yourself going?
Speaker 2 (53:48):
What do you aspire to? Now? Yeah, I think at
this point it's it's two ah to being a series
regular and a and a hit show, and continuing to
do great work as an actor. When I say do
great work as an actor, it means not just for
me to show people stuff, but it's for me as
a person. I mean, acting affects me as a person
(54:11):
in a positive, uplifting way, and I want to be
at a point where I'm doing that at a high
level and continuously.
Speaker 3 (54:19):
Which is what a series regularly does.
Speaker 2 (54:21):
So that's one of the other reasons why it's not
just the money and the fames, Like this is what
fulfills me and as far as my career, what my
career passion is. But otherwise it's you know, having that
and just having it all. I mean, you've got me
having a great career and my wife and I having
the freedom to go out and do other ventures that
(54:41):
we want to do together and with us, and then
with our family, with our grandkids that we have now.
I mean, these are things that I see, you know,
and then creating what we talked about, that legacy for
our family to have to build on and to continue
and to be inspired by.
Speaker 3 (54:58):
That's where I see myself.
Speaker 2 (55:00):
Awesome, Awesome, thank.
Speaker 1 (55:01):
You anyone else have a question real quick before we
get out of here, Leanne and Doug, I just text you, huh, Yes.
Speaker 2 (55:11):
I was wondering, what's the best piece of advice you
have been given?
Speaker 3 (55:15):
The best piece of advice I've been given for an actor.
Speaker 2 (55:22):
Best piece of advice is to not think that having
lines means you're acting like a lot of I think
actors are how many lines they have in something, instead
of worrying about what your situation is, what you're able
to convey. So sometimes having lines, people think, oh, I
(55:44):
got all these lines, and other times people you know,
will realize that, you know, having little to no lines
can still mean a huge impact, and being very still
can have an impact. Growing up, I thought watching lots
of sitcomy type things growing up and in the seventies,
you know, being very animated was how you acted. And
(56:04):
I learned from a very good teacher that know, being
still is something you need to learn how to do
as an actor because the way that camera picks it
up it is a maximal impact on an audience. So
that's been a very valuable skill I've used to have success.
(56:26):
I do it a lot of times in the show
countdown of being still at certain moments, and that's that's
an impact, So that's helped me a lot, But otherwise,
it's understanding that the business is something that an actor
needs to understand. People to learn how to act. People
want to be famous, people want to make money, but
you've got to understand the business. Because I've seen lots
(56:47):
of actors come into LA that are like, Oh, I
just came in Oklahoma, I'm going to get me an
agent probably next week, and then I'm going to be
on the next Friends And it's like wow, okay, And
you would come into town with that misconception about how
this business works, and they burn out and they go
back to Oklahoma within six months or sooner because they thought, Oh,
(57:08):
I just go out to La. I'm beautiful, I'm handsome,
They're going to definitely hire me. And it's like, No,
La is full of the beautiful hands of people. I've
gone auditions where everybody looks like me exactly, because that's
just how this town is. And you've got to be
able to show them you've got something inside you that's
different and unique to you.
Speaker 3 (57:28):
So yeah, hopefully we'll take one more.
Speaker 1 (57:32):
Anybody else going on, I have a question, Okay, who's
that doctor, Karen?
Speaker 2 (57:38):
I didn't mean to interrupt you.
Speaker 3 (57:40):
I wanted to make sure you, guys, if you do
follow Meeric on Instagram.
Speaker 2 (57:45):
He has about five fake accounts right now that people
have made, so make sure you the one with the
verification mark is actually his only real account. I just
wanted that to be said. It's the real mark.
Speaker 3 (58:00):
Part is the Instagram account. It's got the blue checker.
Speaker 1 (58:04):
That's the one. Okay, y'all, doctor Karen, did you Doctor Karen? Yes?
Speaker 5 (58:10):
My question is I know sometimes in scripts they tell
you who the character is or what the character.
Speaker 3 (58:16):
Is supposed to kind of be.
Speaker 5 (58:18):
Was that the case with this because you have such
a presence in playing this character that makes him so believable.
So that was your own choosing.
Speaker 2 (58:28):
Yes, in a sense that when you get an audition
for something, they give you a very short three maybe
four description of who the character is or how they are,
and you've got to figure out everything else from the
audition script that you have.
Speaker 3 (58:44):
And so yeah, actor should know this.
Speaker 2 (58:46):
Getting bigger roles is about how well you know how
to bring something that's not written down, and so you've
got to bring something in that's you know, nothing outlandish
or outrageous or you know, nonsensical, but you got to,
you know, learn how to bring something that they didn't
tell you. And yeah, a lot of times it's like, oh,
(59:08):
things that you can personally connect with and amplifying that
in yourself.
Speaker 3 (59:12):
You got to bring.
Speaker 2 (59:13):
So this character Dave Vowel that I play, I was
I think I might have mentioned before that I approach
this character someone who's trying to do something that I
think is a good thing. And it is wonderful for
me that people see it as this shady, shady character
(59:34):
that they don't like. I'm like, wow, you all and
it's like, I guess that's the That's what I can
take as a big comment because it's coming across. I
know that you know the character has the ways they
like to do things, and I know it's written down,
But the way I'm playing this character is not with
(59:54):
this focused intent of doing shady stuff. It's like, hey,
I'm I'm I genuinely want to help the team. I
genuinely want to get my buddy's son promoted in the FBI.
Speaker 3 (01:00:04):
I want to help you with that.
Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
I got fun. And so it's funny because we were
watching that the scene like that yesterday in the new
episode and why I said that, she goes, oh wow.
I was like, what She's like, You're so shady. I've
learned that a good actor brings things within themselves to
a role and play up that and that's what usually
(01:00:27):
connects with people or impacts people the strongest. So whatever
it is and I'm bringing, it's connecting and it's you know,
making have people of a negative sense, and it's part
of the story and I'm happy for that.
Speaker 3 (01:00:38):
But I just want, you know, the one I'm doing
that role. I'm not pushing my.
Speaker 2 (01:00:41):
Mustache and it's just it comes across you.
Speaker 3 (01:00:47):
Thank you, Aaron. I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (01:00:48):
You're amazing. You're really amazed.
Speaker 1 (01:00:51):
Absolutely well, y'all, I think that's about a rap. I
want to just say that, you know you are tuned
in again with Legends and I yesterday, today, and tomorrow
I've been your host Raven the talk show made and
our guest and we rolled out the Rick carpet for tonight.
Is a multi award winning actor, producer, and motivator. He's
(01:01:12):
no stranger, as I said earlier to Grit or Blow.
With magnetic presence powerhouse performances, he has inspired a whole
new way of believers on screen. Get this and off.
You heard it. You just heard a little bit. We're
gonna direct you to a full hour that I had
with Merk a while back, and we talked about his
(01:01:33):
parents even more, and you know, him just making that transition.
I mean to think that he's really acting and he's
going all the way. He's in it to win it, writer,
and he is winning it. We're so blessed to have
had you on the show. Thank you again, Merek MacArthur,
Thank you, Peggy, and thank you Doug and colleague. I
(01:01:57):
said your name to him this time, Baby Jamie, doctor
Karen Parrish, and and Sky and all the people that
have been in and out beds that don't wanna forget you,
Dean and all those of you that have come in here. Janice.
We appreciate you live and we appreciate all of you
for listening. I'm Raven Black Glover, Raven to talk show. Maven.
That's wrap, y'all.
Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
Bye,
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