Unexpected Christmas: A Black Holiday Film for the Culture | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

0:00
Ladies and gentlemen, this is my
0:01
favorite part of the year for this
0:04
reason right here. What you listening to
0:06
right now as we are live on SiriusXM
0:08
broadcasting across the planet was
0:11
Heather. One of my favorite type of
0:13
movies
0:14
>> are Christmas movies, man. I mean, who
0:17
doesn't? If you like a Christmas movie,
0:19
give it a round of applause, man.
0:21
>> And even I got to take it deeper, man.
0:23
And it's so alo all kind of Christmas
0:26
movies,
0:26
>> but when it be ones about us and our
0:29
families, the black experience, ah man,
0:32
those hit my heart in such a special
0:34
way. So salute to those the executive
0:37
producers of Unexpected Christmas in
0:39
theaters November the 7th nationwide. I
0:42
want to welcome back to the show. Man, I
0:45
consider this dude a good friend of
0:46
mine. We we not only meet on air here,
0:49
we got we got friends that are in
0:51
common. you know, when you talk about
0:53
Cooty and Ch and Chance and all of these
0:55
different guys and to watch this dude
0:58
career just ascend um as a comedian, as
1:01
a writer, as a producer, just a
1:04
allaround great guy, whether it's um the
1:07
Jordan Pills Get Out to being an
1:09
executive producer right here with
1:11
Unexpected Christmas. Give it up for the
1:13
one and only Lil Real is in the
1:14
building.
1:14
>> Appreciate it, bro.
1:17
>> I like real. Real is always balanced in
1:19
this response. You know, you can you can
1:21
put a bullhorn on about it, man. Real.
1:23
Hey, thank you, Sway. I I appreciate
1:26
that, Sway. Hey, so you know who else is
1:29
here? He have the B. Um, I first saw
1:31
this man in Aliens.
1:35
>> Oh, we going way back.
1:36
>> I'm going way back.
1:38
[Laughter]
1:40
>> I'm going back to Aliens because that
1:42
was one of my favorite series. But this
1:44
man truly um we should be studying him
1:47
when it comes to longevity and when it
1:49
comes to just presenting nothing but
1:51
quality work um in his skill set, you
1:54
know, but most most recently Beauty and
1:56
Black, you know, where we've been able
1:57
to watch this man just really
1:59
consistently reinvent himself and bring
2:02
a lot of a lot of explosiveness to the
2:04
screen. And right now, man, I think he's
2:07
probably considered the biggest sex
2:08
symbol he's ever been considered in his
2:10
entire career, man. Give it up for Rico
2:12
Ross, man.
2:14
>> You dude sex symbol now.
2:19
>> They they whistling at you on the
2:20
streets, bro.
2:21
>> Oh, I I don't understand it, brother. I
2:22
don't understand it.
2:23
>> Yeah, man. Okay. All right. Okay. Okay.
2:26
Heather, I'm going to let you do this
2:27
one because you've been speaking about
2:28
her all morning long.
2:30
>> I absolutely have been speaking about
2:32
her all morning long, and I could not
2:35
wait to tell you that you are my sister.
2:37
I know this is the first time we are
2:39
officially meeting in person, but your
2:42
spirit, your energy, your drive, your
2:44
love, your light has captured the world
2:46
and in particularly our community. We we
2:49
support you. We we hold you close to our
2:52
heart. We love you and we lift you every
2:55
step of the way. Like I can't even sit
2:57
down. Like this the room to me is so
3:00
filled with love and the spirit and the
3:02
energy. I was tired before y'all came,
3:04
but I'm up. Like I'm like, "Yo, God is
3:06
in a building. Is present. The energy is
3:09
here. Welcome to Phenomenal." My sister,
3:12
the one and only Tabitha Brown is here.
3:18
>> Hey, hey, hey.
3:21
>> And and and they're not alone, man. I I
3:23
wanted to do this young lady. Um last,
3:26
but how they say not least, for sure,
3:28
>> because I know for a fact she came up to
3:30
me, her son came up to me. What's his
3:32
name? Tiger.
3:33
>> Tiger.
3:34
>> Tiger. Man, I could see the way Tiger
3:36
looked at me in his eye in my eyes. I
3:38
felt like, do I know this kid?
3:39
>> Right?
3:40
>> How do I know this kid? But he looked at
3:42
me with so such familiarity. And then
3:45
you said to me, man, we listen to your
3:47
show. He's been listening to you growing
3:50
up. Listen to his father is my guy,
3:53
former member of the group Quo, right,
3:55
Dwayne? Right. Yep.
3:57
>> Psycho Smooth.
3:58
>> Man, Psycho Smooth. I used to play your
4:00
dad's music, bro.
4:03
Tell your dad I said what's up and your
4:06
amazing work on shows like the shy to
4:09
now. You've been doing incredible. I'm
4:11
happy to have you here. Give it up for
4:12
the one and only Reagan
4:14
>> Goldman.
4:16
[Applause]
4:19
>> I want to be a part of y'all crew.
4:22
>> Yes.
4:22
>> What I got to do?
4:23
>> We are It's
4:25
>> You got not be a Raiders fan.
4:32
just happened.
4:33
>> Sway said, "I thought we was friends." I
4:36
could all of that.
4:37
>> You did a lot for real, too. You put a
4:39
lot on it.
4:40
>> I almost wore my bear stuff, too, which
4:42
is crazy.
4:42
>> Damn, we could have fought. It would
4:44
have been all right. You know, it's a
4:46
good way to go viral, right? But what I
4:49
love about this and we were at this
4:51
event yesterday with Amazon Prime.
4:53
>> Yeah. For NBA Prime. for NBA Prime and
4:56
we met two people who were big factors,
4:59
a black woman by the name of Amina
5:01
Hussein who is from Oakland, California.
5:03
She's worked with ES I'm from Oakland,
5:05
California. Um, and she's worked with
5:07
everybody from ESPN to now and she was a
5:10
one of the big executives that helped
5:11
curate that event. Bo was one of the
5:14
producers also uh a man of melanin and I
5:18
was able and they were the only ones of
5:20
their kind in that space and I always
5:23
like it when I see us empower ourselves
5:27
take the bull by the horns and we become
5:30
the executive producers. We become the
5:32
writers. We become the showrunners. Next
5:35
we have to become the distributors.
5:37
Right.
5:38
>> Right. Okay. But but what is it like to
5:41
be on a set when Tabitha is the
5:44
executive producer and Re is the
5:46
executive producer? I'm going to start
5:48
with you, Rico. What was this experience
5:50
like doing Unexpected Christmas? With
5:53
those factors,
5:54
>> with those factors, the first thing that
5:56
came into my mind when you said it was
5:58
the word family.
6:00
>> Yeah,
6:00
>> that's what it felt like. It felt more
6:02
like family than it than your normal uh
6:05
set.
6:05
>> Yeah. So, how does that What does a
6:07
normal set feel like for you guys? But
6:09
normally I mean you walk on a set and
6:11
and for me and I I mean as long as I've
6:13
been in the career when I first started
6:14
off you walk on the set and you you you
6:17
were the one and only.
6:18
>> Yeah.
6:19
>> And and and and when you did see another
6:21
person of color, you know, I always made
6:24
my my intention was to at least
6:26
introduce myself to that person whether
6:27
they were in front of the camera or
6:29
behind the camera because we were so it
6:30
was so limited and it was so rare. And
6:33
then fast forward to now and walk and
6:36
walk onto a set like uh Unexpected
6:38
Christmas where you just see you just
6:40
see the world and and you're part of
6:42
that world and it and it and it feels
6:44
like home just walking in the first day.
6:46
Even though they're complete strangers,
6:48
there is this familiarity. Just like the
6:50
first time I went to Africa,
6:51
>> I landed in in uh Nigeria and I remember
6:54
walking through the airport
6:55
>> and there were just specks of white
6:57
people and I and and I felt like I was
6:59
invisible.
7:00
>> Yeah. I felt like I could take off my
7:01
clothes and nobody would even notice
7:03
because I just blended in so much. And
7:04
and that's the way it felt when you know
7:05
when you walk on a on a black set these
7:07
days is is it just it just feels
7:09
familiar.
7:10
>> It feels familiar. You did you did
7:11
didn't you do Mission Impossible?
7:14
>> And we shot Mission Impossible in
7:15
Prague.
7:16
>> And I mean that's that's Eastern Europe.
7:18
Very white, you know. And again, you
7:20
know, I'm one and only
7:21
>> and and every every scene I'm the one
7:23
and only. and I walk outside of the set
7:26
and I walk in the streets and I'm still
7:28
the one and only.
7:31
You're the only one.
7:34
So, it's a big difference. And so, I
7:36
would imagine and I don't want to make
7:38
this all serious, but I do respect the
7:40
roles that you two had to play. Um but
7:44
then with that um comes a big burden
7:46
almost you know a responsibility I would
7:48
say to make sure that the product is
7:51
right the script is right the run of
7:53
show is right Tabitha how much executive
7:55
producing have you done at this level
7:58
>> this is the first
8:01
>> you know when it comes to film I of
8:03
course uh co-created and executive
8:05
produced my own children's show
8:07
>> but that's different you know that's on
8:09
YouTube right uh but this was uh pretty
8:13
magical. I think with with Re, we both
8:16
were having like a conversation when he
8:18
called me about opportunities and
8:21
understanding it
8:22
>> and also like not being afraid of taking
8:25
those opportunities. So, I I'm like so
8:27
excited to that, you know, Trell
8:29
Woodbury, who's the producer on the
8:30
project, him and Phil Thornne, that they
8:32
called me and and wanted me to to be a
8:35
part of this. So, I happily accept it.
8:38
And with this amazing cast, and
8:40
>> he's right, Rico, it does feel like
8:42
family.
8:43
>> Yeah.
8:43
>> And every time I step into a room or on
8:46
a set, I want it to feel like family. I
8:48
want it to feel like joy and love.
8:51
>> We're doing purpose work, right? We're
8:53
trying to create a project
8:55
>> that our people can be proud of, right?
8:58
That everybody in your family can watch
9:00
together, right? Because, you know,
9:02
sometimes you'll go to a movie, but you
9:03
like, "Oh, the kids can't go to this
9:04
one." or you know my grandma don't want
9:06
to see that but this is something
9:08
everybody can go together and see. So
9:11
I'm I'm proud to be you know an
9:13
executive producer.
9:14
>> Tabitha Brown
9:15
>> I'm looking at you wait real quick too
9:17
just I I really want us to understand
9:19
like when they sent the offer to me I
9:22
saw her name as executive producer.
9:25
>> Okay. And so I called her right away
9:28
because some, you know, a lot of times
9:30
when they send this stuff, I just be
9:31
like, I look at the producers like, I
9:33
don't know.
9:34
>> And as soon as I saw Tabitha's name,
9:36
that's actually what motivated me to
9:38
read the script.
9:39
>> Okay.
9:40
>> And then when I read the script and I'm
9:41
like, yo, this could be one of those
9:42
cool Black Christmas movies.
9:46
>> And I know the role they offered me, but
9:48
I'm like, no, I want the bigger role.
9:50
>> Yeah.
9:50
>> And so I called Tab like, "Tab, did they
9:53
cast the bigger role yet?" And she's
9:55
like, "No." I was like, "They should
9:56
have asked that first. Why ain't asked
9:58
me to do that?"
10:00
>> You know what I'm saying? And so we had
10:02
a conversation, literally hung up the
10:04
phone, tab called Trail, I believe. And
10:07
then that's just it's it's been really
10:09
fascinating watching. This is one of
10:11
those things that happened from the
10:13
beginning of it
10:14
>> to what is blossom to now.
10:17
>> It is, man. You could just always tell
10:20
like when when God is really connected
10:22
to something.
10:23
>> Wow. Speak on it. cuz it blossoms
10:25
differently.
10:26
>> All these steps happen and it really cuz
10:28
Tab was attached to it. That's what made
10:30
me want to do it.
10:30
>> Oh wow.
10:31
>> Did you know that Tab?
10:32
>> I did not.
10:35
>> Wow, man. I You know, and Tabitha, I've
10:37
never met you um in person.
10:40
>> You got a beautiful smile. I don't.
10:46
My god. Oh, your dentist. Shout out that
10:50
dentist.
10:51
>> Okay. Dr. Dan with the plan. Okay.
10:56
You you you you at one point worked at
10:58
Macy's earlier.
10:59
>> I did when I first moved.
11:00
>> When you first moved and and
11:02
>> I always my daughter um who's doing
11:04
extremely well now has taken a lot of
11:06
odd and end jobs. And as a parent, I
11:08
used to tell her, "Hey, you going to
11:10
learn a lot of character from this,
11:12
right? You're going to get some of those
11:13
fundamentals that's going to benefit
11:15
you, that's going to transcend when you
11:16
start to ascend what she's starting to
11:18
do now." What did you learn? What kind
11:20
of benefits did you get learning? did
11:22
you learn from working at Macy's?
11:24
>> Well, I mean, I worked so many jobs.
11:27
Macy's, I was a office manager, right?
11:30
>> But as an office manager, you you don't
11:33
really do that much in the office.
11:36
>> You're required to kind of help wherever
11:38
help is needed.
11:38
>> Yeah.
11:39
>> And be open to helping like it's it's
11:42
service, right? Customer service is my
11:43
my real background. Like I came from
11:46
like call center work in North Carolina.
11:47
I worked for UPS at a call center. I
11:49
always say that was my uh desert storm
11:52
training. Okay.
11:52
>> Okay. Okay.
11:54
>> And so, uh, learning to listen,
11:57
>> you know, uh, being available to help if
12:00
you can. And never saying that I don't
12:03
have nothing to do,
12:04
>> right? Like when you work a a regular
12:06
job, you can't be like when your boss
12:08
come be like, "What you doing?" Oh, I
12:09
ain't got nothing to do. There's always
12:11
something to do.
12:11
>> There's always something.
12:12
>> There's always something to do, right?
12:14
Yeah. So even with that with my career,
12:17
my own personal brand and journey and
12:19
the businesses that I have, I understand
12:21
like every day, even if I'm on
12:23
>> break, there's still something to do.
12:26
Whether it's something for myself or
12:28
something for my business.
12:30
>> Tabitha is here, man. Give her a round
12:31
of applause.
12:34
>> Megan Gomez,
12:36
>> our girl,
12:39
>> what do I think of when I think of you?
12:41
Never die alone.
12:44
Yeah.
12:45
>> DMX.
12:46
>> Yeah. Yeah. People's favorite.
12:49
>> Wow.
12:49
>> Come up to me in the street and say a
12:51
quarter of a mill [ __ ] That's like,
12:58
hey, hey, quarter of a bill ain't [ __ ]
13:04
>> Um, do you have any memories from that
13:07
that time you can share with us with
13:09
with DMX?
13:09
>> We had a really good time. We went to
13:11
Sundance with that film. time going to
13:14
Sundance and Never Die Alone was kind of
13:17
my first big role outside of the
13:20
parenthood. The first role where where
13:23
it was like, oh, I am a young woman. I
13:25
am an actor. Um,
13:27
>> you know, and I'm really really grateful
13:29
for that role and DMX Earl, they
13:32
originally wanted someone else. He
13:34
really fought for me and I'm always
13:36
grateful um to him for that. But if you
13:39
don't mind, if I could go back to your
13:40
first question about what it felt like
13:43
coming on set.
13:44
>> Absolutely.
13:44
>> It felt like family and actually that is
13:47
my foundation coming from the parenthood
13:50
>> working under Robert Townsen who was the
13:52
writer.
13:52
>> Incredible man. That's another one.
13:54
>> Round of applause.
13:54
>> Imagine icon.
13:55
>> Absolutely. I have memories of being 14
13:58
or 15 years old, watching him get into
14:00
it with network execs about the things
14:03
that they wanted us to say, about the
14:05
things that they wanted us to do and his
14:07
vision for the show being completely
14:09
different. So that is my foundation. Um,
14:12
black writers, black hair stylists,
14:14
black everything, everything. So, you
14:18
know, and I've seen that change
14:19
throughout the 2000s. So, it's very nice
14:22
and comforting to be back in that space
14:24
and I'm so grateful to be working with
14:26
and my first time meeting and working
14:30
with both of them and I hope it's not my
14:31
last.
14:32
>> Okay. Me, I ain't mad at that. Yo, you
14:35
play a lot of edgy characters though,
14:38
>> you know, like in the shy your your your
14:41
character at boyfriend is a is a killer.
14:44
>> That's right.
14:46
>> That's your boo. All right. And and in
14:49
this film, you're you're dating your
14:51
sister's
14:52
>> ex. It's complicated.
14:54
>> Damn.
14:54
>> It's a little It's a little
14:56
>> What's going on with
14:57
>> She didn't They didn't Nothing, man. I
14:59
got to defend that brother.
15:00
>> What's up?
15:00
>> He didn't know.
15:02
>> What did you mean?
15:02
>> We have two in the movie, we have two
15:04
separate um last names. We do not have
15:07
the same last name and we live on two
15:08
separate coast. So, this man was just
15:10
the luckiest man in the world.
15:13
>> Sisters, I guess.
15:14
>> Yeah, man. So you you played the
15:16
scandalous role really well. Um
15:19
are there any parallels to the
15:21
characters you play in the person you
15:23
are in real life?
15:24
>> Well, for
15:24
>> Wow. Sway.
15:26
>> Well, for that's a good question. For
15:28
Carrie, you know, she's very about her
15:30
business and her career and I definitely
15:33
find a similarity um with her on that
15:35
being that I was my own business owner
15:38
as a teenager and I really had to be
15:41
that you know at 19, at 22, at 23. So, I
15:44
definitely know what it is to be um uh
15:48
serious about your job and your career,
15:51
but where me and Carrie differ is that I
15:53
also have a home life. I have a family.
15:56
I want love. There's love all around me.
15:58
And I think that's where me and Carrie
16:00
are
16:01
>> different. But that's what attracted me
16:03
to playing her. I'm someone completely
16:05
different
16:06
>> and complicated, right?
16:07
>> Yes.
16:07
>> Um I'mma let my team jump in. I could do
16:10
this all day, but real you you you you
16:13
were in Get Out,
16:14
>> right? And and and and salute to the
16:17
maker of Get Out. All right. Jordan
16:20
Peele. Um he has always been in my
16:24
opinion and his thought process at
16:25
Outlier and how he approaches um his
16:28
movies, you know, his projects. And I'm
16:30
curious to now that you're the EP, what
16:32
did you learn from that set or from him?
16:35
Were you able to pick up and apply to
16:37
this project? man, you know, it's not
16:38
even just this project. I learned a lot
16:40
of things from Jordan Peele. Um, you
16:43
know, I just made my directorial deb
16:45
debut. I just directed my first feature
16:47
and we just premiered it at a festival
16:49
like a month ago.
16:50
>> And it's interesting because it it kind
16:53
of falls into this as far as producing
16:55
and directing and all those different
16:56
things. One thing I love about Jordan is
16:58
that um he knew each actor had their own
17:02
process.
17:02
>> Yeah.
17:03
>> He wasn't one of those directors said,
17:04
"Hey, this is one way I want all y'all
17:06
to do it." He figured out what all our
17:08
thing was and individually figured out
17:10
how to bring the best out of all of us.
17:12
That's why that movie is so good. Like,
17:14
you know, one of the reason things I
17:16
enjoy about watching Get Out sometimes
17:17
is just is all the different
17:19
performances. And I just remember being
17:20
on set like, man, you
17:22
>> you like pull all of us to the side and
17:24
and whatever our process was. Like with
17:26
me, he knew to give me a real take
17:30
>> and I'll say whatever you want. I read
17:33
whatever's on that script. I said, but
17:34
he like, "All right, give me a real
17:35
take." I know I have an opportunity to
17:37
do something
17:38
>> to throw my own thing on it. Then I'll
17:40
say whatever you want.
17:41
>> And he knew that. He figured that out
17:43
and and most of the stuff that made the
17:45
movie like when we started doing like
17:46
you know we started doing all the panels
17:48
and stuff cuz I didn't remember what was
17:49
in the script or what I said. You know
17:51
what I'm saying?
17:52
>> And he he was always like real you. No,
17:54
that was a real take. That was a real
17:56
take. I'm like oh okay. But I I
17:59
appreciated that and that's what made it
18:01
so much fun. It also almost kind of
18:02
spoiled me in a way
18:04
>> cuz I thought everybody moved like that.
18:06
>> Don't let you get a real take.
18:07
>> Yeah. Everybody
18:09
>> Everybody don't don't give you no real
18:10
take.
18:12
>> I think it's cuz he's an actor director.
18:14
>> I think that's exact. Especially with
18:15
comedy. He knew how to do that with a
18:17
comedian.
18:17
>> Yeah.
18:18
>> You know what I'm saying? And so like,
18:19
you know, a lot of us, especially that
18:21
comes from the standup world,
18:23
>> we're used to being individuals and we
18:24
take our comedy serious. Uh-huh.
18:26
>> Like my and that's look that's kind of
18:28
always not been a problem with me
18:30
sometimes, but like if somebody give me
18:32
a bad joke and you want me to say it and
18:35
I don't want to say it, I'll be like,
18:36
"Well, let's go to let's go on stage
18:37
that night. I used to do that. That's
18:38
wrong." And let's just see who had the
18:40
best set and that's who jokes we'll use.
18:42
>> Oh,
18:43
>> cuz I don't like saying bad jokes.
18:45
>> I just don't. And that's cuz I'm from
18:47
the standup world. You know, like you
18:48
going to make me say a bad cuz I know
18:50
how the black community look at bad
18:51
jokes.
18:52
>> I can ruin you,
18:53
>> man. Hard to recover from a bad one bad
18:57
joke.
18:57
>> Well, you also I've been I've been swear
18:59
I've been heckled before.
19:01
>> Yeah.
19:02
>> I've been booed.
19:03
>> You've been booed.
19:04
>> I know what all that feels like from the
19:05
standard world. So, it's like you like,
19:07
"Hey, man. I don't want This is not
19:09
good." I still I'm still on the road. I
19:11
still want people laughing.
19:12
>> Yo, but real. It ain't Isn't it power in
19:14
being booed though? You didn't see the
19:16
power.
19:16
>> It is power and it it made me stronger.
19:18
>> Yeah.
19:19
>> But then that's why I know what works.
19:23
want to keep getting booed, right?
19:25
>> But but once again, I what I did learn
19:27
though, and this is what made it fun
19:28
directing my first movie was like making
19:30
sure I gave each actor their own. I just
19:33
sat down asking a process. Yeah.
19:34
>> Like what's what's the best way for me
19:36
to give you a note? What's the like And
19:38
that's what I learned from George. He
19:39
was so
19:40
>> Man, he was just so nice.
19:42
>> Yeah. Yeah. Nice.
19:44
>> Damn. That's he say that like that's
19:46
rare,
19:47
>> man. He was talented. He was nice.
19:50
Especially for the director. Maybe it
19:52
is.
19:52
>> Sometimes it is like it's not I mean not
19:54
saying everybody's not nice, but like
19:56
>> it was just it just felt And you know
19:58
what's funny? That's what I love about
19:59
this movie is that it felt like all of
20:02
us was collabing constantly.
20:04
>> Like constantly.
20:06
>> Which why like it felt like even was
20:07
like Rico some of the scenes with just
20:09
the guys. It like
20:11
>> I it felt like we was talking out like
20:13
when before you Yeah. Yeah. Like it was
20:16
just like we were sitting there having
20:17
the same conversation as if we in the
20:19
movies. Honestly, if
20:20
>> we were more like I actually like Terren
20:23
so like in a movie
20:26
was most of us but heads but like these
20:28
people became my friends too you know
20:30
and I thought that was really cool too.
20:32
>> Wow. That's amazing man. We got this the
20:34
cast of unexpected Christmas is here.
20:36
We're going to open up the phone lines.
20:38
8887423345.
20:40
We'll come back and let the team jump
20:42
in. It's shave 45. Uh, we're back. We
20:45
got the cast of Unexpected Christmas is
20:47
here. Yep. Uh, Reagan Gomez, Rico Ross,
20:50
uh, Lil Re is here. Tabitha Brown is
20:52
here. And I want to open up the phone
20:54
lines. 8887423345.
20:57
Between these four individuals, it's
20:59
over a century worth of information,
21:02
wisdom, experience, knowledge. Two
21:05
centuries, you know, um, um, right here
21:07
at your disposal. So, if you have any
21:10
questions, any insight you'd like to
21:12
have, we're talking about the movie
21:13
Unexpected Christmas out November 7th,
21:15
please give us a call. Heather B.
21:17
>> Man, I don't even know where to start.
21:19
It It's so much. Well, I was thinking
21:21
about you while Sway was talking and
21:23
just looking around and you sitting in
21:24
between Tabitha and Reagan. And I want
21:27
to say thank you first to you because
21:29
I've always followed your career and
21:31
watched you from afar like like each of
21:33
you actually. And I don't always comment
21:35
on things in social media because I
21:37
don't think that's always a place to say
21:38
things especially from your spirit and
21:40
your heart that you need to say to folk.
21:42
You could when you when the time is
21:43
right and allowed you can say it to them
21:45
in person. But thank you cuz I I feel as
21:48
if you've always been an advocate for
21:50
women and you you you bring women along
21:52
and and sometimes forgotten women if you
21:55
will. I watched what you did with Just
21:57
Hilarious when you got your show and to
21:59
watch a brownkinned woman, you know, and
22:02
I think we all know what I'm talking
22:03
about um be put on a major network. I'm
22:06
sure that was a fight in behind the
22:09
scenes that none of us were a part of,
22:11
but you did that. So, thank you. And I,
22:14
as I watch you sit in between these two
22:16
women, um yes, Tabitha is an EP and and
22:19
Reagan as an experienced and seasoned
22:21
actor, you know. Um, but there's things
22:24
that go on behind the scenes that
22:25
executive producers and and different
22:27
people have to fight for and you looking
22:29
across the room like y'all are bugging.
22:31
Do you know who this is? Like why do I
22:32
even have to explain myself? But you do
22:34
that to me on a constant basis. So thank
22:37
you Re for that.
22:38
>> I I appreciate you even um paying
22:43
attention to that is very intentional.
22:45
You know, when I had the show real, like
22:49
I remember I had to argue because Jess
22:51
wanted to change her hair every episode
22:54
and I had to talk to the head of Fox
22:57
about that because they was like, "If
22:58
she changed her hair, are they going to
22:59
recognize her face?"
23:02
>> What?
23:03
>> Wow.
23:04
>> Also, black women change their hair all
23:06
the time.
23:07
>> And so, it's like
23:10
>> I still believe that was a that was a
23:11
convers but it was a real real
23:13
conversation. Nice her face.
23:14
>> Yeah, man. But it was cuz they was like,
23:16
"Well, she should have had the hair
23:17
that's on the billboard." I'm like,
23:19
"What? What?
23:20
>> Her face ain't changing like just the
23:22
hair,
23:23
>> right?"
23:24
>> And so, you know, but it was it was
23:26
always little things like, but it's very
23:27
intentional. Like even just vacation
23:29
friends with Ivon or it's I do something
23:32
very specific about like not to be like
23:34
that and not
23:35
>> trying to make this a colorism thing.
23:37
>> No, no, no. But
23:38
>> they tend, you know, they don't cast a
23:40
lot of chocolate sisters and stuff. like
23:42
it it's been very if you watch a lot of
23:43
the stuff I've done
23:45
>> it's very intentional and and with the
23:47
show that was very intentional with it
23:49
like even just you know Kyla Pratt who
23:51
I'm a big fan of
23:52
>> shout out to Kyla Pratt
23:53
>> it's always interesting when networks
23:55
kind of give you push back about stuff
23:57
she comes and do the show and is amazing
23:59
next thing you know she has a deal with
24:00
them she's on a whole another show I'm
24:02
like that's interesting because I
24:04
remember the first conversation we had
24:07
>> what I said you know you know and it was
24:09
it was always very that's always very
24:11
intentional even with this movie, it's
24:12
very intentional where like I meet
24:15
people all the time and it's not even
24:17
just black women, even just black comics
24:19
like all that stuff is very important to
24:21
me and very intentional and honestly
24:23
talking to Robert Townsen
24:25
>> which I've had some great conversations
24:27
with and seeing how intentional he was
24:29
about a lot of things and what a lot of
24:30
them did before us even Keenan too.
24:33
Wayne.
24:34
>> And so I've been very very intentional
24:36
on a lot of little things like that.
24:38
Even just ad I met
24:40
>> from Unexpected Christmas. She became
24:42
the AD for my movie.
24:43
>> So when we were shooting Unexpected
24:45
Christmas, uh Vanna, shout out to Vanna
24:47
James.
24:47
>> Vanna was just moving in such a great I
24:50
was I was so impressed by her cuz you
24:52
know I've worked with a lot of ads but
24:54
I'm like
24:55
>> I like how she doesn't yell at nobody
24:57
>> but she still has authority. I need her
25:00
for my first d for my directorial debut.
25:02
That's who I need to be my my partner on
25:04
this.
25:05
>> And it was almost I think she was
25:07
shocked that I hit her, but I'm like,
25:08
"No, I need you to." And when I tell
25:10
you,
25:11
>> man, she was such a great part. Like
25:13
when it's your first thing, it's
25:14
nervous. I was a little nervous about
25:16
certain things,
25:17
>> but then black women showed up for me
25:18
again.
25:19
>> Ava Duven
25:21
>> sat on the phone with me a couple hours.
25:23
I had a bunch of questions. Guess who
25:25
answered all those questions and gave me
25:26
a list of things to do. Mhm.
25:28
>> was Ava.
25:29
>> You know, guess who sat with me? Like a
25:31
lot of the business moves I make. Had
25:32
lunch with Issa.
25:34
>> Issa broke a bunch of things down. Black
25:36
women has always showed up for me. And
25:38
so I try my best to show up for them.
25:41
>> And that's just me.
25:43
>> Know it, brother. Know it. Thank you.
25:45
>> Come on, man.
25:46
>> And on that subject, we should make a
25:48
shout out. U this month is breast cancer
25:50
awareness month, too.
25:52
>> Absolutely. Thank you. I I want to um go
25:56
to Rico just hit me with the straight up
25:58
radio.
25:58
>> You heard the boy.
26:00
>> It's midnight. It's midnight classics
26:02
with Rico Love.
26:04
>> You may think it's Rico Ross, but it's
26:06
not. It's love tonight, baby.
26:08
>> We was going to go into here saving all
26:11
my love. Go ahead and do that, Ro. We
26:14
done that before. Go ahead and do it,
26:15
man.
26:16
>> Stop it. Stop it.
26:17
>> Can I piggy back off of something that
26:19
Real just said? This is why it's so
26:21
important for us to be in those rooms.
26:23
Um because I remember a show that I did.
26:26
I wound up getting it. But when I was
26:28
auditioning for the show, the writers,
26:30
directors were all white. And I came in
26:32
and I did my thing and I felt amazing. I
26:34
learned this later. Everyone in the room
26:36
was like, maybe this was 2005. Everyone
26:39
in the room was like, "She's great, but
26:41
she's an unknown. We don't know who she
26:42
is." And the cameraman was black. And he
26:46
stopped them and he said, "She is not
26:48
unknown. We know who she is. We loved
26:50
her from the parenthood. So, you need
26:52
people in those rooms when they're
26:54
making those decisions cuz they don't
26:56
know.
26:57
>> They don't know and they don't want to
26:58
know. They don't want to know. They
27:00
don't want to make the effort and none
27:02
of that, right?
27:03
>> That's why y'all important. Give them a
27:05
round of applause.
27:07
>> Trigger.
27:08
>> Yo. Oh my goodness. I'm so happy to have
27:10
all of y'all. Tabitha, Reagan, Rico.
27:14
Just such a treat. Um unexpected
27:17
Christmas. So, it makes me think about
27:19
how the holidays, you know, have this
27:22
way of making all of us feel like kids
27:24
again, right? That's the power of
27:25
nostalgia. And it made me curious for
27:28
you guys, is there like a a core memory
27:30
from your childhood during the holidays,
27:33
whether it's, you know, Halloween or
27:35
Thanksgiving or Christmas, um, that you
27:38
felt like was so defining that it shapes
27:40
who you are as an adult?
27:43
>> Great question.
27:44
>> I'll I'll jump in right on that right
27:46
quick. Um, you know, Christmas time
27:48
would come and I I come from a large
27:50
family. I have five brothers and five
27:51
sisters.
27:52
>> Wow.
27:52
>> And at one point we lived in in what was
27:54
what Oprah called the poorest town in
27:56
America.
27:57
>> Uh, Pimber, Hopkins Park in Illinois.
27:59
And I remember at Christmas time
28:02
>> we used to get these uh canned goods.
28:05
And
28:06
>> some of them didn't have uh labels on
28:08
them. So you would have to open them up
28:10
to find out what was in them.
28:12
>> And and I just remember how my mom used
28:14
to flip that.
28:15
>> Uhhuh. You know, because she made it
28:17
seem like it was a surprise, like it was
28:19
fun,
28:21
>> like it was a present.
28:23
>> Sourcing
28:25
[Music]
28:26
[Laughter]
28:37
away.
28:37
>> Making away.
28:39
>> Damn. How you flip sauerkraut, mama?
28:42
>> You got to be creative in times of
28:43
chaos. That's right.
28:47
You know what I feel like for me? I'm
28:49
I'm thinking about my mom too, of
28:51
course, who has passed and I I really
28:56
believe my um
29:00
my imagination
29:02
stems from how much my mother created
29:05
imagination like in the atmosphere,
29:08
right?
29:09
>> So Christmas was her favorite time of
29:11
the year. Her birthday was in December,
29:12
so it was like the whole month belonged
29:14
to her, right? Uh-huh. Yes.
29:15
>> And for Christmas, like when Santa came,
29:20
he really came.
29:21
>> I remember my mother, she also collected
29:23
bells,
29:25
>> but on Christmas Eve, she would go
29:27
upstairs like we in bed, but she would
29:30
like open the window and she would ring
29:33
bells. So, I thought that was Rudolph
29:34
them out there.
29:38
>> Yep. She would get like my my daddy's
29:41
boots and she would put prints in the
29:44
carpet.
29:44
>> She would sprinkle all the different
29:46
things. Like she made when you woke up,
29:50
you thought Santa and all his friends
29:52
had been in that house
29:54
>> and it made my imagination
29:57
um so big that I thought anything is
30:00
possible, right? That magic really does
30:02
exist and and I truly believe it does.
30:05
But uh I still carry that today. Right.
30:08
So
30:09
>> that was beautiful, man. She used to go,
30:11
"You just missed him."
30:13
>> Oh yeah.
30:15
>> I remember she was like, "I'm so glad
30:17
you did." Cuz I I hate for him to have
30:18
to put that pepper in your eyes.
30:21
>> I was so afraid of getting pepper put in
30:23
my eyes cuz I didn't want to see if you
30:24
know if you see Santa, you he got to put
30:26
the pepper in your eyes.
30:27
>> Oh, I never heard that.
30:29
>> I'm hearing I never heard that.
30:31
>> You're not supposed to see him.
30:32
>> Yeah. You're not supposed to see him
30:34
because he has said it would put pepper
30:36
in your eyes.
30:38
>> Put pepper in your eyes because so he
30:40
could, you know, take away what you saw
30:41
and make you forget. Yeah,
30:44
>> that's scary, man. I don't
30:46
>> But if you think of the imagery, right,
30:47
we're talking about imagery. His boots
30:49
were always like hanging. You never saw
30:50
his face. He was always turned to the
30:52
back a lot of times. The kids I heard
30:54
the same thing, T. We weren't supposed
30:56
to see him.
30:57
>> Yeah,
30:57
>> I get that. But the pepper
31:01
the black pepper. black pepper like you
31:02
sprinkle it in your eyes so that you
31:04
can't see.
31:04
>> Oh, you learned something.
31:05
>> Wow.
31:06
>> Look it up. I bet you still
31:09
>> You got any core memories?
31:10
>> Um, you know, my core Christmas memories
31:13
come from my own children. Uh, me and my
31:15
husband, we've been together since we
31:17
were very young. So, when we started
31:18
having our our own children, Christmas
31:21
was just the favorite time of the year
31:23
for everybody. And now that they're old,
31:26
they're older now. My oldest is in
31:28
college now and my youngest is in high
31:31
school. So, Right. Right.
31:32
>> You know, it it just just just uh be
31:37
>> realizing that I'm the mom and now it's
31:39
my turn to make sure their Christmas is
31:41
amazing. And we've had so many amazing
31:43
memories with our kids, you know, going
31:45
to the Polar Express train and all of
31:47
that cuz you know the kids love I love
31:49
the Polar, you know.
31:51
>> Yeah. We've had a lot of good memories.
31:53
>> Y'all been married since 95.
31:56
>> 99. Wow. Congratulations.
31:59
Been together since 95.
32:00
>> And I'm so happy we didn't have social
32:02
media back then. Let me tell you,
32:04
>> cuz I I remember when y'all first got
32:06
together.
32:07
>> All right. Um
32:08
>> All right. Social media sway business.
32:12
>> Well, what about you, man? Did you have
32:14
Christmases or
32:15
>> Yeah, we they all It's I have really
32:17
great memories with Christmas, but like
32:19
it's interesting now because like um
32:22
>> you know we've in my family we've lost
32:25
you know we're starting to lose like the
32:28
the anchors.
32:29
>> Yeah.
32:30
>> Yeah. And so which is cool. My family
32:33
it's a museum in Chicago that just
32:34
opened called the uh National Public
32:36
Housing Museum.
32:37
>> And my family is one of the featured
32:39
families. So they literally recreated
32:42
the apartment my mom and my aunts and my
32:44
uncle all grew up in. Wow.
32:46
>> And I went to and I they let me narrate
32:48
it. So when you go in there, you play
32:49
the thing, you hear me narrate this
32:50
thing with my family. And it was one of
32:52
the toughest things I ever had to do cuz
32:54
it was like it was more emotional than I
32:56
thought it was going to be, like
32:56
retelling certain stories and things
32:58
like that. And so for me, the core
33:00
memory, and this is just where I'm at
33:02
now, and just hear him. I ain't know
33:03
he's going to ask this question, so
33:04
hopefully I'll get all weird, but it's
33:07
um you know, we would go to church on
33:10
Christmas.
33:10
>> Yeah.
33:11
>> And my uncle's a pastor. It' be his
33:13
church. And the great memory is is just
33:16
coming in our family, you always had the
33:18
one house.
33:19
>> This is the house we all go to, the
33:20
house on her, west side of Chicago.
33:24
>> And you know, you're excited to see what
33:26
everybody has gotten. You have different
33:28
people from the church coming through.
33:30
It might be somebody who didn't have
33:32
much that year. Our family invited them
33:34
to dinner. It's it every year was a was
33:38
certain movies that got taped.
33:41
>> Whether it's us watching The Color
33:43
Purple and then watching that church
33:44
scene over and over again,
33:47
>> you know what I'm saying? Uh them
33:49
playing Scrabble.
33:51
>> And I just remember being a little kid
33:52
just observing all this love.
33:55
>> Yeah. And that's where I come from.
33:58
>> And when I fast forward to where my life
34:01
is today is is, you know, because a lot
34:04
of especially being a comedian, people
34:05
want you to have this crazy tragic
34:07
>> Yeah.
34:08
>> life.
34:09
>> And that wasn't my life. My life was,
34:11
you know, Yeah. We wasn't rich, but we
34:13
was rich in love, rich in faith. You
34:15
know what I'm saying? And so like
34:19
I guess with like
34:24
with losing mostly everybody
34:27
>> is it's you remember as a little kid. So
34:29
now I think we're just trying to
34:30
recreate those experiences.
34:32
>> Yeah.
34:32
>> For the next generation.
34:34
>> And so that's for me too is kind of
34:36
owning where I'm
34:37
>> growing into my family now. It's like
34:39
okay now I'm becoming the wise guy like
34:41
the guy
34:42
>> the patriarch.
34:43
>> Yeah. you know, and it's really
34:44
interesting, but it's just really
34:46
remembering
34:48
>> just having moments as a little kid
34:51
where you kind of sit back and you sit
34:53
on that couch, you just look at your
34:55
family.
34:55
>> Yeah.
34:56
>> Yep.
34:57
>> And then I see that same group, you
35:00
know, now like when I do stuff in
35:02
Chicago, even when I screen this movie
35:04
and I'll I'll just watch them watching
35:06
me
35:07
>> and how like my aunt Jenny get emotional
35:09
about everything.
35:11
But you know, I actually she just did
35:13
Family Feud, which she Jesus Christ.
35:15
That was probably the greatest thing I
35:16
could ever did. She superstar.
35:18
>> She's famous, bro. She's famous now,
35:20
man.
35:20
>> They call they go, "Hi, I'm Jenny."
35:22
>> Uh, but it's just that it's just
35:24
remembering just being around my family.
35:26
I have such a beautiful black family.
35:28
That's what I love about this movie. Not
35:29
to go back to that, but it's one of the
35:31
reasons why I said yes to it, cuz it's
35:33
like,
35:34
>> man, that's such a great Like, we just
35:35
need to display that more.
35:37
>> Yes. You know, I think that's what
35:38
unexpected Christmas is so beautiful.
35:40
The unexpectedness about it is, okay,
35:43
things can happen, drama can happen, but
35:45
love is still the core.
35:46
>> Yeah.
35:47
>> And faith.
35:48
>> Yeah.
35:48
>> You know, Rico's character does the
35:51
speech at the end that buttons all that.
35:53
>> Yes.
35:54
>> That's what it's about.
35:55
>> Wow, man. Man, thank you, Re. Thank you
35:57
all of you guys. Rico, you remember the
35:59
speech? Go ahead, man. No, I'm just
36:05
I'm let Mike Muse um our outstanding
36:07
correspondent uh Mike Muse, you may see
36:09
him on ABC News or you may see him on
36:12
Red Carpet or at the United
36:14
>> He don't be having that chain on
36:17
>> ABC
36:18
[Music]
36:21
45
36:23
at him, man. We interview his chain
36:26
every day.
36:28
Stupid swag.
36:30
I love it. I love it. Good conversation,
36:32
ladies and gentlemen. This has been so
36:34
great. Uh I'm a huge fan of all of your
36:36
work. Uh Tabitha Lorel Reagan. Uh but
36:39
Rico, this one comes to you. Man, I am
36:41
such a fan of your work. And the reason
36:44
why I'm smiling so big is because you
36:45
enter my group chat every week. Uh there
36:48
is a dear friend that we share. Uh
36:50
Regina Robinson loves you to pieces.
36:53
She's a friend of yours. And so that's
36:55
right. We text about you at least twice
36:57
a week uh due to beauty and black. So
37:00
she loves you first of all has huge
37:02
admiration for you. Um and as a result I
37:05
am a huge a fan of yours. So you have
37:07
definitely a number one fan. Uh but with
37:10
that being said your acting has so much
37:11
range from Shakespeare to beauty and
37:13
black. And I think I love the dichconomy
37:14
of that. And so I'm just curious as
37:16
someone who studied Shakespeare, what is
37:18
it like to see your work uh being
37:20
critiqued in social commentary like
37:22
every week as a trending topping with
37:23
beauty and black?
37:25
>> I I got to admit uh I don't know whether
37:28
I'm I'm just lucky or whether this is
37:30
maybe you guys get the same thing, but
37:32
if some
37:32
>> No, we don't. We don't. What you get is
37:36
you and my group text.
37:39
>> Come on aunties, calm down.
37:40
>> My mother-in-law text me like is he
37:42
married?
37:45
I get so much love. I would I would say
37:47
99% of of the comments I get are
37:50
positive and and and giving me love. So,
37:53
um it's it's wild. Uh and it is great to
37:56
to to actually have uh an opportunity to
37:59
to show your range. Uh last night I was
38:02
talking in the green room with these
38:03
guys. Last night I was up till 3:00
38:05
working on a movie where I'm playing a
38:07
I'm playing a a Catholic uh priest.
38:11
>> But then the next movie that I'm playing
38:13
And I starts on the 20th. I'm I'm
38:16
playing Zaden.
38:18
>> What?
38:19
>> Back to back,
38:20
>> you know.
38:21
>> Wow. You got nightmares.
38:24
>> And no, no, when you first meet him, he
38:25
cool. He's smooth. He he he's charming.
38:28
>> Okay. Because that's like the real deal.
38:30
That's real life. Like the real deal,
38:31
right?
38:32
>> Yeah. And um and then to play um uh
38:36
Horus in and beauty and black and then
38:38
to go from that to playing the patriarch
38:42
of of this family and unexpected
38:43
Christmas which is the antithesis of of
38:45
of
38:46
>> Horus
38:47
>> and and and Horus he he hates his kids
38:50
>> and and and and my character he loves
38:53
his kids
38:54
>> whether whether he birthe he they're
38:56
they're his blood or not. He loves his
38:58
kids and you see that love and to be
39:00
able to have that come out back to back,
39:02
you know, it's just it's it's really a
39:04
beautiful thing.
39:05
>> Yeah, man.
39:06
>> Yo, man, give that man a round of
39:07
applause.
39:10
>> The soap you was on, bro. You on a soap
39:13
opera, too?
39:13
>> Yeah, I' I've been on several of them.
39:17
His
39:19
>> one you want to talk about?
39:20
>> Which one you want to talk about?
39:21
>> Which one, homie?
39:23
>> Which one?
39:24
>> Rico, I'm the f I ask questions. I know
39:26
the answers to just to let you know.
39:29
>> Um I'll be remiss, Tabitha, with all the
39:32
success that you've all you've had
39:34
success. Um and so I would love for
39:35
everybody to jump on this one. Um this
39:38
business isn't easy, right? As is every
39:41
business, you know, um being an
39:43
entrepreneur,
39:45
>> um it's not enough just to be an
39:46
entrepreneur, right? You got to be
39:48
resilient in this. I've been in the
39:50
business for since the the late 80s. I
39:53
remember
39:53
>> you think
39:56
>> we can talk about you too, bro.
39:59
>> Get him, Rico. Get him.
40:02
>> Come on. Come on now.
40:03
>> Come on, man. But it's been a lot of
40:07
>> if I I recollect some moments in my
40:09
career where I thought it was it was
40:11
over
40:12
>> more than one time. Yeah.
40:14
>> Right. And here I am in 2025. And so I
40:18
had to regroup sometimes. I had to let
40:20
things go. ideology I had on how to
40:23
approach things. Times change,
40:25
technology changes, uh, business
40:27
changes, infrastructures morph. You
40:29
know, you got to be able to adjust if
40:31
you want to continue. It's not enough
40:33
just to make a profit, right? You know,
40:35
it got to be way more to it than that.
40:38
All of you guys have had longevity in
40:40
your careers. Yeah. If there was, you
40:42
know, I know these this seems like a
40:43
generic question, but if you could leave
40:46
someone um who's who wants to be an
40:49
entrepreneur and pursue things
40:50
independently and really support their
40:53
own vision, uh what what what would you
40:55
tell them? What's a cautionary tale you
40:57
would share with them about going into
40:59
business?
41:00
>> Um
41:02
you know, the one thing that I always
41:05
say is that there's many blueprints to
41:08
business, right? There's traditional
41:10
ways, there's non-traditional ways. Uh
41:14
but the best way to do it is your way.
41:16
>> Yeah.
41:16
>> Right. Uh only you know the vision that
41:18
you have for your life. Uh
41:20
>> only you know uh the gift that God has
41:22
given to you.
41:24
>> There are people who can help you shape
41:27
it
41:28
>> but don't veer away from your true
41:31
vision. Right? Because this is what
41:34
creates success. every business I have
41:37
ever opened um I've done it my way
41:43
>> with guidance on some traditional ways
41:47
like you know there are certain things
41:48
that we just going to have to do like
41:49
okay you going to have a LLC or S
41:51
corporation or you know these type of
41:53
things that's standard traditional
41:55
business but when it comes to like
41:59
creativity and the vision that I have
42:02
like I named my hair Donna and people
42:04
thought that It's crazy. They was like,
42:06
"This girl be talking to her hair and
42:08
and and and calling it Donna."
42:10
>> But then when I launched my hair care
42:12
brand, Donna's Recipe, it was a
42:15
multi-million dollar brand within the
42:16
first like three months. So, it's like
42:19
it's crazy until it ain't,
42:21
>> you know what I mean? So,
42:23
>> I I think that we have to quiet the
42:26
noise of allowing other people to tell
42:29
you about your business. um when you
42:31
know what God gave you and the
42:34
assignment that you're on. So I say do
42:36
it your way
42:38
>> uh but be in you know be inspired by
42:40
others but never try to duplicate.
42:42
>> I love that man. You said how much in
42:44
three months? Jeez. My god.
42:48
>> People don't share that kind of
42:49
information. And I appreciate that she
42:52
shared it.
42:53
>> Yeah man. Real what about you man?
42:55
Especially coming through the lens of
42:57
comedy man. Mhm.
42:58
>> It's it it could be hard cuz even comics
43:00
might not support you.
43:03
>> That's a fact.
43:04
>> Well, you know, some I mean it is one
43:06
thing is the biggest thing is about
43:08
being yourself,
43:09
>> right? And also it's it's so many things
43:12
I've graduated from. You know, I feel
43:14
like I have been better at the business
43:17
part of things the last few years
43:18
because I focused on that.
43:20
>> Uh but also I had to like make some
43:22
changes for myself, right? Like it's
43:24
interesting where like and this is just
43:26
this is real talk but just going through
43:28
therapy and realizing like I created a
43:30
persona
43:32
>> to get to mostly where I'm at
43:34
>> and at some point I had to get rid of
43:36
that persona. There was no need for it
43:38
no more. And it wasn't always good.
43:40
>> You know a lot of times when I was
43:41
speaking up for myself sometimes and
43:43
think I'm standing up for myself and
43:44
I'mma take a stand.
43:46
>> I didn't realize how that affected so
43:48
many other people because I was
43:49
irritated with two people
43:51
>> and I didn't think about the rest of
43:52
those people. You know, and that that's
43:55
maturity and wisdom to really deal with.
43:58
I had to have some real honest
43:59
conversations with God and my therapist
44:01
like was I wrong?
44:03
>> Yeah.
44:03
>> I remember going to this is a true story
44:05
to like a screen not too long ago and me
44:07
and a director kind of bumped heads
44:10
>> and I'm like I never because you know
44:12
how sometimes you don't want a God to
44:13
tell you the truth.
44:14
>> Yeah.
44:14
>> You want to be right because they like
44:16
but they did me wrong.
44:17
>> And I asked God for the first time like
44:19
but what was I wrong? Honestly, I didn't
44:21
never ask. I just wanted you to feel bad
44:23
for me and cry to you about what they
44:24
did to me or was I wrong about the way I
44:27
handled it.
44:28
>> And God was like, "Yeah."
44:30
>> And so even that brother didn't know why
44:32
I apologized. He probably don't know why
44:34
I apologized for
44:35
>> but it was that apologized to him.
44:37
>> He didn't know why.
44:38
>> I was just like, "Man, I'm sorry."
44:40
>> Uhhuh.
44:41
>> Because I I man, I just been in a
44:43
different place where I see things
44:44
totally different. So like if I'm going
44:47
to be a boss or be in charge,
44:49
>> the level of empathy I have to think
44:51
about everybody else and not just
44:52
myself.
44:54
>> I could only control me.
44:56
>> That's right.
44:56
>> I can't control nobody else.
44:57
>> There you go.
44:58
>> And because of that, I could be a better
45:00
leader that way once. And I don't want
45:01
to go back to the movie I directed, but
45:03
like it became something that God really
45:06
made me like I end up knowing everybody
45:09
on that set more than I've ever I've
45:11
done,
45:12
>> man almost 50 movies now.
45:14
>> And that was the first time I ever got
45:16
to know everybody on the set because I
45:18
realized,
45:19
>> oh, all these people helping my dream
45:22
come true. I'm helping their dreams come
45:23
true.
45:24
>> That's right.
45:24
>> And so I got to know everybody and so it
45:27
just felt more collaborative. But that's
45:29
one of the things I graduated from. It's
45:31
not just about you when you're in this
45:33
business. It's so many different people
45:35
that's working that day. And I know
45:37
sometimes people can get on your nerves
45:38
and sometimes get really to the point
45:41
you like you wasn't wrong. Yeah.
45:43
>> But you have to be bigger person because
45:45
you got to think about everybody else
45:47
>> and I learned a lot from that. That's
45:49
just where I met.
45:50
>> That's amazing, man. I appreciate you
45:52
sharing that, man. Thank you for sharing
45:53
that, bro. I appreciate you for that
45:55
one.
45:56
>> That's right.
45:57
>> You want to? So, um, a lot of actors
46:00
come to me, you know, they're freshly
46:02
moved to Southern California and they
46:04
ask me, you know, what do I need to do
46:06
to make it? What do I need to do to make
46:07
it? And as someone who moved from
46:09
Philadelphia, I was living in Philly and
46:11
came to LA and quote unquote made it. My
46:14
first thing is to tell them, who is
46:16
around you? Who are you surrounding
46:17
yourself with? Because I feel like in
46:19
this business, we're always, what's the
46:21
next job? What's the next job? Am I
46:22
going to get this part? Am I going to
46:23
get that part? And 10 years go by, 15
46:26
years go by, and you're like, "Where are
46:28
my friends? Where is the love in my
46:30
life?" The people that don't give a damn
46:32
about what movie I'm on, what show I'm
46:34
on, the people who check up on me when I
46:37
didn't get the role or who want to come
46:38
over and cook for me. Your family life,
46:42
your friends, your chosen community,
46:44
they are just as important, if not more
46:47
than your career. Because like you said,
46:49
Sway, as the business goes up and down,
46:52
we have to adapt. we have to forget
46:54
things and learn new things. Your
46:56
foundation should be the people who love
46:58
you regardless of whatever you're doing.
47:01
So I would tell them um focus on your
47:03
career, yes, but that personal side, it
47:06
is just as important. It's just as
47:08
important and that is what that love is
47:11
what sustains you as you're out there
47:13
fighting for your career. So I would say
47:15
that is the most important thing that I
47:16
think people need to focus on.
47:18
>> Gosh, thank you.
47:21
>> Thank you. Can I just piggy back on that
47:23
for one second? I think it's also
47:25
important to not compete.
47:27
>> Oh yeah.
47:28
>> Um, and if we can really
47:30
>> understand that what God has for you.
47:32
>> Oh yeah.
47:33
>> Is for you,
47:34
>> you will understand that like you you
47:36
won't even care about when things aren't
47:38
going quote unquote your way.
47:40
>> You'll know that, oh, I didn't book that
47:42
because that was not for me.
47:44
>> They'll try to set you up to compete.
47:46
Especially being a black woman, there's
47:48
only a handful of us out there. So they
47:50
try to make us compete with each other.
47:52
So you have to be able to think like
47:54
that though.
47:54
>> That's right. What God has for all of us
47:56
is for us.
47:57
>> And you both are mothers.
47:58
>> Yes.
47:59
>> And you've been doing this while being
48:01
moms.
48:01
>> Oh yeah. Moms and wives. We've been
48:03
together. Moms and wives. My bad.
48:06
>> We've been like both with our husbands
48:09
for the same amount of time. I've been
48:10
with my husband 27 years. So
48:12
>> 26.
48:13
>> Since 98. Wow.
48:14
>> Damn.
48:15
>> Wow.
48:15
>> That's that family. That's that support
48:17
base, right?
48:18
>> Um Mr. Ross.
48:20
>> Yeah. Uh Rails says something a word uh
48:23
when he was talking uh that I think is
48:25
really important for longevity and for
48:27
people who are starting the business and
48:29
that is um control.
48:32
>> You know in this business there's a lot
48:33
of rejection. It's part of the business
48:35
and if you take it personally it will
48:37
destroy you.
48:38
>> It will eat you eat away at you. And
48:41
what I would say to people in the
48:43
business who are trying to enter the
48:44
business or who are in the business now
48:46
is you can't control everything. You
48:48
might go up for a part and you go in
48:50
there and kill it and then you see the
48:51
part later on and it's somebody who's
48:53
got half your talent but they're the
48:54
nephew
48:55
>> of producer
48:57
>> and and you beat yourself up all that
48:59
time for why you didn't get that job
49:00
knowing that no matter what you had done
49:02
in that room that wasn't your job.
49:04
>> Yeah.
49:05
>> And so I say the things that you can
49:07
control that's what you give you go in
49:09
there and kill.
49:10
>> Yeah.
49:10
>> And when you walk out let let the card
49:12
drop fall where they may you know
49:14
because you can't control that but what
49:15
you can control is what you do in that
49:17
room. And and there have been jobs where
49:19
I've gone in and I've I've walked in
49:21
there and I've killed the room and I
49:22
know I killed it. And I walk out and I
49:24
didn't get the job,
49:25
>> but then a year later
49:27
>> I get a call from a director about a job
49:29
I ain't never known about.
49:30
>> Yeah.
49:31
>> Because he remember audition.
49:33
>> Yeah.
49:34
>> And then the other thing I would say
49:35
about um about this business is
49:38
>> don't wait for Hollywood.
49:40
>> What does that mean? How how do you not
49:42
>> what I mean by that is there there was a
49:43
time when when you know you couldn't get
49:45
a movie made unless you had you know a
49:48
million bucks and the camera itself cost
49:50
$100,000 and all that. If you wait for
49:52
Hollywood and especially if you are a
49:54
person of color or you are a female
49:57
>> you will be waiting a long time to get
49:58
that role that you want. Mhm.
50:00
>> So, so what I'm saying by that is, you
50:02
know, talk to people. Everybody has a
50:04
story and and and our industry,
50:08
Hollywood was built on on a 1950s
50:10
concept of white family, white
50:13
storylines, and anybody else, they were
50:15
the others that that contributed to that
50:18
that narrative.
50:20
>> I joined the board uh the SAG after
50:23
board after the second year of
50:27
Oscar. So, white.
50:28
>> Yeah. Yep.
50:29
>> Two years in a row,
50:31
>> Hollywood was embarrassed that they
50:32
didn't have a single person of color
50:34
>> nominated.
50:36
>> Of course, you're not going to win
50:37
because you ain't even nominated.
50:39
>> Yeah.
50:39
>> So, two years Oscar so white.
50:41
>> And so, I joined the board with one
50:43
intention and that intention was we
50:45
going to change this casting first of
50:46
all.
50:46
>> That's right.
50:47
>> Instead of casting it on complexion,
50:49
let's cast it on talent.
50:50
>> Yeah.
50:51
>> And when you cast on talent, you gonna
50:52
get some surprises. And everybody's got
50:54
a story. And we we we see we we as as as
50:57
people of color, we know the white
50:59
story.
50:59
>> Yeah.
51:00
>> We're brought up with it. We know that.
51:01
Well,
51:02
>> hello.
51:03
>> But when we put our story there, that's
51:05
something new. And people and now people
51:06
are hungry for something new.
51:08
>> And there's room for all of it. You
51:09
know, there's room for all of our
51:10
stories.
51:12
>> That's why you know some just real
51:13
quick.
51:14
>> I won't.
51:15
>> You ain't never quit. Come on.
51:19
>> Ain't you going to do me like that,
51:20
Rico? A horse showed up. No.
51:26
Dang. Be a horse. Uh, but no, for real.
51:30
I I also I think we should stop getting
51:32
caught up in the fantasy of Hollywood.
51:34
>> Yeah.
51:36
>> Like we love black people stop cuz you
51:38
know sometimes like you know and some
51:40
people are here just don't wait on
51:41
Hollywood because they've already
51:43
created what the fantasy of it is.
51:45
>> It's really whoever making the money.
51:46
>> Yeah.
51:47
>> At the end of the day
51:48
>> like Atlanta could be Hollywood if it
51:50
wanted to be. Like stop getting caught
51:52
up in the fantasy of it and just do the
51:54
work
51:55
>> wherever you are.
51:55
>> Create where you at.
51:57
>> I tell people all the time, Hollywood is
51:58
a city.
51:59
>> Yep.
52:00
>> It's just a city for real.
52:02
>> It's Hollywood, California.
52:03
>> And people want authentic stories. Tell
52:05
your story wherever you are and people
52:07
are going to want to watch it and
52:09
support you.
52:10
>> That's right,
52:10
>> man. Let's give a big round of applause
52:12
for this cast, man. Let's stand and know
52:14
this one, man. I mean, hey, y'all got to
52:16
stand up in New York, too, man. I want
52:18
to I want to thank y'all for coming by.
52:20
Give it up for Rico Ross, the legendary.
52:23
Reagan Gomez, the legendary. Tabitha
52:26
Brown, the legendary. Lil Re, the
52:29
legendary. Unexpected Christmas in
52:32
theaters November the 7th.
52:34
>> Hey, all of you have open invite to come
52:37
back. I don't care. It ain't even got to
52:38
be a project.
52:40
>> It ain't got to be a project. Just pull
52:42
up. Just pull up. We in LA now, man.
52:46
>> I got to hang out with you anyway, Rico,
52:48
cuz I got to pick you up on that,
52:49
brother. Okay. I want to
52:50
>> You trying to change your voice?
52:53
>> Yeah, I'm working with you.
52:55
>> You doing late nights?
52:58
>> Saving all my love for you, Whitney
52:59
Houston. I was in that video
53:01
>> in the evening.
53:04
>> Wow. Slay.
53:06
>> Y'all got to come back. Anyway, I'm
53:07
going to ask you all just to sit down,
53:08
chill out with us, you know, and I know
53:10
it's the movie. Congratulations. I can't
53:13
wait to see you. But it's an honor to
53:14
have you all here like
53:18
say, "Hey, man, you on fire. I can't
53:19
wait to see what you do with this one.
53:21
All right,
53:21
>> come get your son in the shot. Come on.
53:23
>> Yo, Tiger, come get in the shot, man.
53:25
>> You on sway in the morning. Yo,
53:26
>> citizen.
53:27
>> Yo, uh yo, John, throw a beat on. I know
53:29
he got bars.
53:30
>> Oh, he trying to freestyle your dad.
53:33
Your dad did. Don't you?
53:36
>> She said, "No, he don't."
53:38
>> Yo, but y'all y'all listen to the show.
53:40
>> Oh, yes. Oh, yes. We've been listening
53:42
to you as I drove him to school since
53:44
he's been in elementary school. So, I
53:46
let him take today off from school cuz
53:48
I'm the mama and I can do that.
53:51
>> Hey, let's give him a live one, Heather.
53:53
All right. Hey, uh, Tiger, your your dad
53:56
D from Quo, your mom, and you are all
54:01
citizens.

Unexpected Christmas: A Black Holiday Film for the Culture | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Sway's Universe

Eve Hewson Talks Netflix Mini-Series Psychological Thriller 'Behind Her Eyes' | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Robert Glasper: The Quincy Jones of Our Time? | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Black and White TYPOGRAPHY Animation - After Effects Tutorial

IMAN Talks Black Excellence In Fashion, 'SUPREME MODELS' Docu-Series & Life with DAVID BOWIE

Exclusive: Rapsody’s Heartbreak & Healing Process and New Music 🌟 | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Sway's Universe Cypher: Young Guru, Reuben Vincent, Jayson Cash, King Hoodie, Nana and Suni MF

FKA Twigs: Embracing Darkness in 'The Crow' 🌑 | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Winston Duke Speaks on the CRAZY Stunts in 'The Fall Guy'! | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

OFFSET Talks KAI CENAT, New Album 'Set It Off', TYLER THE CREATORS Advice | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Jared Leto Talks New Movies ‘WeCrashed’ and Marvel’s ‘Morbius’ | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Chase and Cruze Brown Talk '2 Brown Boys Greetings' And Young Entrepreneurship | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Chloe Bailey On Rappers She Produced for, Meditation, Reflection and New Music | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

'Cheers' Legend Rhea Perlman Talks New Netflix Film '13: The Musical' | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

The Big Door Prize: Gabrielle Dennis Reveals All! 🚪💥 | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Black Thought And Danger Mouse Talk New Collaboration “Cheat Codes” | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Up next in 10

Unexpected Christmas: A Black Holiday Film for the Culture | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

Sway's Universe