Up next in 10
Join Sway In The Morning for an inspiring discussion with Lil Rel Howery, Ricco Ross, Tabitha Brown, and Reagan Gomez-Preston as they celebrate Black excellence in Hollywood. In this exclusive interview, the cast of "Unexpected Christmas" shares heartfelt stories about family, faith, and creating authentic Black narratives that resonate with audiences worldwide. Hear insights on the importance of representation, the challenges of navigating the entertainment industry, and the joy of breaking barriers as executive producers and actors. Don’t miss this deep dive into the power of storytelling, community, and cultural legacy. Subscribe now for more exclusive interviews and stay tuned to Sway’s Universe for groundbreaking conversations!
#LilRel #RiccoRoss #BlackExcellence #SwayInTheMorning #UnexpectedChristmas #TabithaBrown #ReaganGomez #SwaysUniverse
#blackexcellence #ricoross #blackactors #tabithabrown #christmasmovies
#blackfilmmakers #christmasmovies #ricoross #filmproduction #blackcreatives
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:48 - Lil Rel
01:28 - Ricco Ross
02:28 - Tabitha Brown
05:40 - Working with Black Executive Producers
07:55 - Tabitha Brown's Executive Producing Debut
12:31 - Collaborating with DMX
14:33 - Character in "Never Die Alone"
15:14 - Role in "The Intruder"
16:08 - Lessons from Jordan Peele
16:41 - Characters on the Edge
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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.
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