Sean Patrick Thomas

Listen up. Huh? That means you. Yes, you. We know you're pointing at yourself. When it comes to party power games, we've got a place made for all sorts. From the experts to the drama queens. It's made the JC. The finance bros. Look at those stocks, lads. We'll stick with slots. It's what we're good at. And not forgetting you. Yes, you, the one listening. Because at party power games, we've got all sorts of games for all sorts of trickles. Allergibility rules and terms and conditions apply. Please come by responsibly. AT&T Plus, come by loyair.org. Hey, this is Sean Patrick Thomas and you're watching Sean Stockman's On That Note. Welcome everybody to another episode of On That Note. Of course, this is the place where we speak a language we all understand. And that is music. No matter what your profession, no matter what you do, we all listen to music. As a matter of fact, if you want to listen to more music and more content and see more exclusive things, make sure you join the On That Note Patreon page, alright? Shameless plug, but I have to tell you, okay? Alright, moving on. Our guest for today is a Wilmington Delaware native by way of DC. Now, let me know if any of these stats that I'm spitting out are not correct. Because I've had a few guests and boy did I screw the pooch on a few of them and they had to let me know. I think LA Reed was my favorite. Yeah, LA, oh, I had so many things wrong on him. What was his name? Laverne. Laverne. Holy crap. That's his real name? No. Oh, that was not his real name? No. Okay. And I looked it up online, goes to show that you can't trust everything. You can't. That's on chat GPT. You cannot. That's okay. Okay, it's not cool. Okay, there's your tea, by the way. Thank you very much, man. Alright, now. Appreciate it. But so far, so good? Yes, yes. Okay, let me say this again. My guest is a Wilmington Delaware native by way of DC. He's one of the best actors we've ever seen on stage, film and TV, becoming widely recognized in the early 2000s as one of the leading black male actors in mainstream Hollywood, romantic dramas and comedies. Fair enough. Yeah, I'll take that. Yeah. Yeah. No, it's facts. Okay. It's facts, okay? Only spit facts out here, bro. Got it. Got it. Unless it's wrong. In the business for over 25 years and counting, this man has been in movies that helped shape the culture of the silver screen specifically with his iconic role as Derek Reynolds in the hit dance film, Save the Last Dance. We're going to get into that. We'll get into that. Yeah, yeah. It's a great film. Thank you. He also played in the iconic film, Cruel Intentions, starring Sarah Michelle Geller and Ryan Philippi. He played the role as Jimmy James in the Barbershop franchise, also starring Cedric the Entertainer and Ice Cube. He stars in Gen V, an awesome spin-off of the incredible series, The Boys. I just got into it. And we're going to talk about that too. Okay. Man, it's crazy. I love it. Yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy. I got a lot of questions about that. He plays in the gripping movie, Till, the story about the tragic death of the young Emmett Till and the drama, Reasonable Doubt. See? Am I good? All good. Okay, all good. Excellent work. All right, thank you. I tried my best. But he's also a husband, a father, an award-winning actor, producer, a movie icon, and a Philadelphia Eagles fan. The biggest, the biggest. I bleed Eagles green. Okay. We going to talk about this. We got beef already. Yeah, that's... Oh, I'm a Niner fan. Yeah, we got Niner's fans here. We Niner fans. I'm from Philadelphia. You're a Niner fan? Yeah. Yeah. It's a long story. I feel betrayed. No, no. Don't ever. Birds with you. Okay. We can talk because I'm that type of guy. Let's put it this way. I'm a football. I like football. Okay. So I can talk anything with you. Almost came in here wearing my Eagles shirt and I'm glad I did. I wouldn't have been offended. You wouldn't have been offended? Not at all. Okay. I'm not that guy. Okay, good. Because Philly's still my home. Got it. And I'm still from the soil and I was still happy when they won the Super Bowl against the Patriots. Okay, thank you very much for that. Oh, I was very happy. I was very happy because I knew what it meant for the city and I always say that. And people that know me from Philly know that I always say that. It was it's none of that hate, hate stuff. You know what I'm saying? I'm just a nine is fan. Well, I got a boy from Philly who is a Cowboys fan. Now that I don't get. Now, now see is inconceivable. Now is he our age? Is he around? He's our age. Okay. I give him a pass only because when we were kids, it was all about the Cowboys back then when if you grew up around the seventies, you were about Tony Dorsett and Roger Starback and Randy White and all those. So for me, it was about beating the Cowboys. It was about Montgomery and yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, right. I mean, how Carmichael. Yeah, yeah. See, I listen. I was all eagle back then. Okay. You know what I'm saying? And I would never understand why a Philadelphian of all cities would rally against the Cowboys. But that's again, and no disrespect. Shout out to the homie Emmett Smith. You know, he's a friend, but he's a cowboy. Yeah. That's always been an issue. Bang, bang. Yeah, yeah. Bang, bang, bang. But anyway, yes, a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up. Now, I would try to send the guy in his accent, but I do not want to offend anybody from your parents' native land. So I'll just say Shawnee. That's it. That's it. Okay, Shawnee, show him Patrick Thomas. Give it up. Yeah. Thank you for having me. Yeah, I didn't want to like try the accent and piss all of the guy in these people off. It's an acquired taste, you know? Yeah. I think a woman has to do it and she has to do it with like full passion. Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure. I'm certain it hits different when mama says no doubt. Yeah. How you been? Shawnee. Shawnee. That's how it goes. See, there you go. See, there you go. Shout out to moms. Yeah. You could answer to that. Yeah. Okay. So mama, you can come. You mean it's okay. So how you been, man? I'm great, man. How about you? I'm great. I'm great. So glad to have you here, man. I'm glad to be here. Such an honor. We've been working on this for a little bit. Yes. Yes. Yes. A little schedule conflicts and a little bit to link up, but we're here. We made it. And I'm glad you made it. I am too. Yeah, man. So got a lot to talk about. Let's start with some current stuff before we go back way back. All right. I just started watching Gen V. If you guys don't know what Gen V is, it is a spin off show to that iconic show, The Boys, right? Basically about superheroes or soups as they like to call them. Yeah. And it's just a very morbid, twisted show about the dark side of superhero I guess you would like to say. Yeah. And man, they don't hold back. If you haven't seen The Boys or if you haven't seen Gen V, make sure your six year old is not in the room. Can't do it. Yeah. It is not for kids. Like when you think superhero, you think, oh, my kids can watch. No, they can't. No, they can't. No, they can't. That is not for children. But nonetheless, I enjoy it. You play the father of proximity. But my character's name is Polarity Polarity Polarity Polarity. Excuse me. And and you you play the the father of your son is what you say Polarity Junior. Well, his name is Andre on the show. He hasn't assumed the title of Polarity yet. It's kind of like a franchise name sort of. I see. And my character in the first season is thinking about passing down the Polarity name, the Polarity franchise down to his son. Now was now I didn't get too much into it. I don't want you to give too much away. Was Polarity ever part of the seven? No, Polarity was never part of the seven and he's bitter about it. And that's why he's pushing his son is pushing his son to do what he could never get done. Got it. Got it. And I'm assuming it's for obvious reasons. Why? Well, yes, yes, yes, kind of. Yeah, on top of other things. Yeah, because there's a long history of within the boys of, you know, connections to, you know, Nazis and racism and all that stuff. Yes. That's a whole of white nationalism and all that stuff. Exactly. If you what was the lady that Homelander was in love with? That was a straight Nazi. Oh, Stormfront. Stormfront. Oh, my God. She was a piece of work. Oh, my God. A nasty piece of work. Oh, shout out to what's her. Do we know her name? I don't remember. Because you played that part way too good. Yeah, she was good. And I'm sure you're nothing like that. But man, did I hate you. I a cash. That's her name. I a cash. But you killed that shit. She did. No, it was it was awesome. So, OK, so polarity. Now, I don't know if you're getting into it in the show again, don't give away too much. But was it because of age that dad stopped? Like, do you still have the actual superpower? He still has the powers. But with his particular powers, every time he uses it, it creates lesions on his brain that weaken him. And so by the time we get into the world of Gen V, he's at the tail end of his powers because he's been using it his whole life and it's given him brain damage. So he has seizures and all kinds of other health problems, which is why he feels this urgency to pass the polarity franchise down to his son. Right. Got you. Now, the powers themselves, were they actual natural mutation or was it from the? It's from the compound V. It's from the compound. OK, got you. It's from the shot. It's from the shot. Now, that's not the case with all of the soups, right? Like some of them are naturally. Well, some soups are naturally born with it. But yes, if a parent had been injected with compound V, then it would genetically pass down. So but nobody was born with superpowers. They're all chemically altered. I see. I see. But some people, like my son on the show, he has the same powers that I have because I had the compound V and I passed it down to him. And his powers. Is somewhat similar to, I would say, Magneto, like where it's like he controls anything metal. Yeah, you can manipulate magnetic fields. Got it. Got it. OK, man, I love it. Like I'm on a few episodes and boy, it is a very easy show to get hooked on. I love it now. My wife and I were sitting here, watched it with our mouths open. Yeah, give a shout out to the platform or where people can watch it. Oh, you can watch it on Amazon Prime. Yeah, Amazon Prime. And man, Gen V. And then after that, watch the boys. Yeah, because it's it's all connected and boy, it's great. It is. It is a great, great. And it was good to see you on it, man. And I'm so pumped to be a part of that universe, man, because like as an actor, you always want to like do some superhero shit, right? You know, and this is like the coolest way to do it. Yeah. Being a part of the boys universe. Now, OK, I was going to save this question for last or later, but I might as well ask. I'm a comic book geek. OK. Right. Would you ever want to be a part of the MCU? Yeah, absolutely. And if so, which superhero would you want to be? I think I have an idea. An existing superhero that we've already seen on the screen. Not necessarily. OK. Just a just a Marvel character. Like anybody that you might know that you're a fan of Marvel, whether black or white, because it doesn't matter. Right. Like, you know, it doesn't matter who it is. Right. Who would you want to be? Well, the first thing that pops into my head is T-Challa. I know just just because. I feel a very strong connection to what it means to be a black man, what it means to have. The world underestimates you, you know, and really not know what you're about. Yeah. And and and I like that character because T-Challa lets everybody know that we have a whole wealth of history and a whole wealth of power. Yes. You can't even comprehend. Yes. So don't mess with us. Yes. Right. Right. But that said, Chadwick Boseman was so brilliant. He was amazing. He was born to play that role. And I would never sit here and be like, wow, I wish it could have been me because that's not what I'm saying. Right. No, of course. I'm just saying that I love that character. Yes. Yes. You know, yes. That's the first thing that pops into my head, just as a black man. And that's a great character. And honestly, God bless whoever plays that part after him because you got some huge shoes to fill. You think they're going to bring it back? They have to. It was one of the most successful franchises in Marvel. Or do you do a spin off with something new? Disney likes money. So you don't do a spin off then and try to pay how much to him by letting it be. You have to bring back to T-Challa. He was one of the most important characters in the Avengers, let alone just Marvel. I don't get it. Yeah. So like and like I said, movies, studios love money and they made a lot of money off the Black Panther. Yeah. So we're going to go back way back back in the time. All right. We're going to go to when, let's say you're about 10 years old. What year was that? Oh, geez, 1980. 1980. Yeah. All right, cool. So it was good music around the 1980s. 1980. OK. I know you got into acting and I know that you had other aspirations, too. We'll get into those. As I said in the beginning, music inspires all of us. Yes. So when you were growing up with Guyanese parents, yes, living in Wilmington, what music did they play? What did you hear around the house that you can remember? Right. I heard a lot of a clip. So so. My mom loved Lurals. OK. All the time, Lurals. Yes. And so basically that was pretty much it because my parents were like hardworking, disciplined immigrants. Right. So like they were always at work. Yeah. And so when they were at home, they weren't like, you know, putting on the the turntable that much. Right. You know, but when they did, yeah, it was Lurals, Calypso, Soco. Nice. Yeah. Nice. And the songs that you can you think about as a child, that you heard the most and he favorites of theirs that they played more than others. I mean, for it was always you'll never find. Another love like mine. Hey, you ain't got a bad voice. I'm not a singer at all. But I do. I do remember that a lot. Yeah. And my mom used to play Soco songs like Your Honor, Ramgote, liver, things like that. Wow. That's something I don't know. Yeah. Storytelling songs. Yeah. I see. I see. The only the closest song I know and I know it's kind of cliche. But, you know, the the ball of Bella Fonte. Uh huh. And it's the darling. Yeah, it's not too different from that. It's not too different from that. It's a little bit more comical and you know, satirical type stuff. I do know a little bit about the the content and I guess that storytelling element of Calypso. Lots of deep stories, too, and in some cases, too. Really important. Music and artists that helped generations of political views and movements and things that nature. Yeah, I always find it funny. That sometimes I may get a little political occasionally on my social media. Me, too. Yeah. Me, too. The funny parts are when people DM you. Mm hmm. And I used to be a fan of your stick to singing. Yeah, yeah. Shut up and sing and all this other stuff. And OK, well, what if you would have told Bob Marley that right? Or Bob Dylan, right? Or Rage Against the Machine or Public Enemy or Public Enemy or K.R.S. One or K.R.S. One. Yeah, or Tupac or Tupac or Joni Mitchell. Yeah. But like, what if you told him that? You probably wouldn't be dancing in your house. Exactly. Right. Exactly. Right. Tupac would have showed up at your house. Right. Yes. Tupac probably would have showed up at your house. But this episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And it's a good reminder to check in with yourself. Not just when things have fallen apart, but when life starts to feel heavier than usual. Sometimes you're carrying stress, pressure, decisions, family stuff, work stuff. You don't even realize how much space is taken up in your mind until it starts keeping you up at night. And the truth is, nobody has all the answers by themselves. Sometimes just having someone to talk to, someone who can listen, understand and help you sort through what you're feeling can make a real difference. BetterHelp connects you with a fully licensed therapist and they do the initial matching work for you based on your needs and preferences. That match isn't right. You can switch to a different therapist at any time. BetterHelp has over 30,000 therapists and has served over 6 million people globally with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for live sessions based on over 1.7 million client reviews. You don't have to be on this journey alone. Find support and have someone with you in therapy. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com slash on that note. That's better H-E-L-P dot com slash on that note. OK, well, now that you. Give me a little glimpse of your musical background. I understand that you you say that you're not much of a singer, but I can hear tone. And although you might not even OK, you might not have. You might not think that you're a good singer, but I hear I hear tone, bro. And you got you got some tone. That's all I want to say. Trust me, I've heard people that with record deals that sound a hell of a lot worse. So trust me, OK, you got tone. I'll take that you got from you. I will accept that. Yeah, for sure. For sure. I will not lie to you. OK. All right. But obviously, you didn't want to sing, but you first wanted to go to school for law. Yes, I did. And somehow someone convinced you to audition for a play called Raising in the Sun. That's correct. Yeah. Who was that? An acting professor at the University of Virginia named Richard Warner, who I credit for everything the way from my life has turned out. I credit him for that. What do you think they saw on you? That I was black. OK, honestly, I think I was just happened to be in the drama building, the arts building, and they needed to audition some black people for the play. They didn't have any black people in the drama department to audition for the play. And so Richard saw me there in the building and I guess he presumed that I might have some interest in the arts, which I did not at the time. Yeah. But I was there for a whole different class. And he was like, hey, you know, would you be interested in auditioning for Raising in the Sun, which I'd never heard of. I'd never seen. But something about it intrigued me. I felt like, OK, this is really weird that he asked me to do this. I'll give it a shot, you know, and I went and auditioned for it and I got it. Wow. And that was it. That's crazy. Yeah. What's crazy is that. Fast forward and you almost go through a full circle moment because in 2004, right, you play Raising in the Sun again. I did. But this time on Broadway. Well, actually, at 2004, that was when I did it. The TV movie with a full shot. All right. Right. And Kenny Leon directing. OK. And I did it on Broadway in 2014. 2014. Yes. With this guy. What's his name? Denzel. Is it Denzel? Denzel. Yes, it's Denzel. It starts with a go. That starts with a D. Yeah, the go. Yeah, the go. Right. Right. Yeah, that guy. That guy. That guy. And you know, that is actually how you pronounce his name. That is how you pronounce his name. I saw a video of his. And it was an interview. He did. Yes. And he explained it's pronounced Denzel Denzel. Yeah. And because his father was named Denzel. Right. His mother, if I'm not mistaken, to make sure that both Denzel's knew who they were talking to. You had Denzel, which was the singer. Right. And Denzel. Right. Which was him. But that's also my understanding of it. I believe so. But anyway. Yes. That was amazing. Yeah. Full circle moment. It was. It was. And Richard came to see me in that production on Broadway. That's crazy. Richard came to New York to see me do it. Shout out to Professor Richard. Yeah, Professor Richard Warner. My goat. Yeah. For sure. Who saw potential in you. He did. He did. And while I was at school, he did that play and he also took all his acting classes and he encouraged me to really pursue it as a career. And so by the time I was in my third or fourth year of college, I thought, OK, I'm going to give this a shot. Now, how did that go with the parents? How did that go so well? Go from law school and say, Mom, Dad, you know, it was OK. It was OK because my father passed while I was in college. And so we were all just kind of a little it altered our consciousness. It altered our sense of like, OK, what's really important here? You know, and so by the time he died, my second year of college between my first and second year of college. And so by the time I was graduating, my mom was like, hey, you know what? Life is short. If you love it, son, I support you. Go for it. Wow. Which was a huge gift to me. Yeah. And so. But yeah. But under normal circumstances, I don't think that would have. When a fool. In the popular choice. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, considering that, you know, both your parents were just like you said, your father was a journalist. But no, he was an engineer. Engineer. OK. And your mother was a financial analyst. OK, cool. So they had very austere. Yes. Occupations. No doubt. No doubt. Here you come. Serious, responsible, practical. Right. And here you come walking into the house like, yeah, I want to act. Yeah. Yeah. Normally people that exercise that side of the brain don't others stand quickly anyway. Right. That right side of the brain, that creative side. Right. So I just always wanted. I was like, ooh, I don't know if that conversation. No, it was it was surprisingly cool. Oh, and it also helped that I got into like at the time, which is still is like one of the best acting programs in the country for my masters. From NYU, right? NYU. Yeah. The fact that I got in there, I think helped my mom wrap her brain around it. OK. You know. And so Richard made me audition for NYU. You know, he worked on my monologues and I went from there. So then you went from there. You did a few plays like you started on stage. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Were there other notable stage performances or shows that you've done? Well, I got to do Shakespeare in the Park twice, which was a dream of mine while I was in school. OK. I got to do a fellow, you know, at regional theater. I did the Wainstown Theatre Festival, which, you know, is very well known at the theater festival. Yeah. So I did lots of regional theater and all kinds of stuff like that all around the country. And with that, how did that experience prepare you for? The acting on on screen on screen? Well, I mean, it didn't really. Yeah. What are the differences? Are they are they really stark differences or it's not a huge difference? But I think it's just technical things, you know, like, when I first got out of school, I'd never been on a set before. I'd never acted on camera before. You know, we didn't do that in NYU. And NYU were a very strict theater program, right? You know, about your voice and speech and, you know, your body and your breath and all that right, right, addiction, projection, projection, all that stuff. That's what we work on. And so I'd never worked on camera before. And so my first job on camera after I graduated was a show called New York Undercover. Of course, yeah, yeah, we were guests. Oh, were you years ago? Yeah, it's a show. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. You know, they always have like a musical guest, right, right, right. And we were a musical. I got you. That's great. Yeah. But anyway, go ahead. So I did I did New York Undercover and I didn't realize anything about the cameras. I didn't know how that worked. You know, I was in the room. We shoot what's called the master, which is a big shot, which shoots the whole room, shoots everybody. And then you move in for coverage when the camera is only on one person. Right. So my first scene was with Malik Yoba and they moved in on camera coverage on him. We shot all his stuff and then they took a break to reverse the camera. So the camera will be on me. And so. We come back when the camera is supposed to be on me and I'm doing the scene with Malik Yoba's stand in, not with him, you know. And I thought, oh, is this how they do it on TV? I didn't know that. OK, wow. OK, this is this is different. And so I play the scene with Malik Yoba's stand in who was actually very good. Yeah, he was great. Sure. And now I and I, you know, did that and I thought, OK, that's that's how things work in TV and film. It's very interesting. And then about a year later, I did a film called Courage Under Fire with Denzel Denzel. Yes. And that was my first film. Yes. And wow. Similar film. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. It's just jumped in. We shoot the big master scene and then the coming for coverage and the cameras on him and do all his stuff. And the camera turns around on me and the other actors on on my side. And I didn't expect him to come back because I thought that's the way it was, right? You know, but when the camera was on me, Denzel was right there. Wow. On the other side of the camera, giving full energy, full attention, full commitment. Wow. And I was like, oh, that's what it's supposed to be. Right. That's what it's supposed to be. I mean, he was improving, throwing stuff out, you know, phenomenal. And so over between those two jobs, I learned, OK, this is what acting on film is and what acting on camera is and what it could be and what it should be, you know. And so that's why I got my first grounding and all that stuff. I always wanted to know what it's like to. Be in the same set as someone like Mr. Washington, because as a fan, you see. His intensity and and just his commitment to whatever role he plays. Are there any jewels of wisdom that he bestowed upon you? Anything that helped. You and in drama or in life or anything. Oh, yeah, I mean, he's not like a big talker. I mean, at least he's not in my experience. But most of what I got from him was by watching him. His. Attention to detail, his work ethic, discipline, it's unparalleled. When we were doing A Reason the Sun on Broadway, there was one night where I was playing a scene with another actress and I was trying to get her to understand, you know, where I was coming from and get her to see what I wanted her to see. And he came up to me one night after I walked off stage and he said, Sean. Remember the love. You're having a conflict with this person. You care about this person, but don't like. Make it seem so confrontational. You know, remember, you love this person, you know, which is an amazing note. And so he dropped that on me and it completely transformed how I approached the scene from from there on out. Right. Yeah. Again, actors fascinate me so much because you guys have to pull from different wells emotionally. My wife, who's a screenwriter and has written things in this producer who always says, you know, when we see someone like, for example, I don't remember the young lady who's one of the main characters in Gen V. Marie, Marie Marot. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How easy it is for her to cry. Mm hmm. Like the tears. Yeah. Just. You know, and of course, she knows that she's doing what you call a cover shot, the main, you know, when there's a closeup of her on her closeup. Yeah. And yeah. And obviously, she knows that. And she delivers. Oh, yeah. She's great. Jess and Claire. She's fantastic. Wow. Like and my wife will say, well, she must have endured a lot of pain in her life for her to pull those tears out so quickly. Right. And on cue. Is that always the case? No, it's not. It's not always the case in my experience, at least. Some some actors are very skilled technicians and they can generate moisture on cue. When is their closeup? And they're not pulling from any, you know, deep trauma necessarily. They just know how to technically flip that switch at that moment. They're that good. Some people can do that. What's what's the hardest emotion for you to get into? The hardest emotion for me to get into. Yeah. Good question. I mean, it would probably be. Deep, deep, deep. Shame. The type of emotion where like you hate yourself or you can't stand yourself, you know, that's something that like I have a hard time tapping into. It's something that I really have to kind of like find a way to. Make that a lie for myself. Yeah, you know, everybody has this thing. Like I've talked to some actors who say when I have to laugh on camera, I can't do it like great actors like genius actors. Wow. They say I can't laugh on camera. Is it just is it a mental block or is it like just something? I don't know. I mean, maybe some people feel like they need to be actually genuinely amused to laugh. I don't know. But everybody has their thing that they feel like, ah, when the camera is on me, that's tough, you know, like a really, really great actor. I don't say his name, but like somebody who's like nominated for Oscars talk to him and he's like, yeah, man, like I can't laugh on camera. Like it completely trips me out, which is funny to me because I can laugh very easily. Right, right. You know, everybody has their thing. Everybody has their idiosyncrasies. That's just amazing because, again, to and people wonder, well, why did I get paid so much? Because it's because of the. The mental and emotional toll. Yeah, that one has to. Put themselves through in order for them to deliver a lie. Yeah. Or to convince the viewer that this actor really feels this particular way. Like. It's it's it's a really, really fascinating. But it varies. Like sometimes like you really are digging into something that's very personal to you. Sometimes that's 100 percent where you're coming from. And other times it's your imagination, you know, but they both feel real to you and your body in the moment because you're committed to telling the story. You're committed to this game of make believe. Sean, is it the same with music a little bit when you're performing a certain record, where you have to find a way to get into that record for you? It's kind of what Sean said. As far as sometimes you can pull mechanics out, like if a song requires pain, then you pull out the pain, like, you know what pain sounds like. Right. Like when you sing, so you tap in. There are moments, even now on stage sometimes where we perform and the moment. Just engulfs you. And there are moments. There's a moment where I kind of sing and then I stop. And then you kind of hear the crowd and sometimes it can overwhelm you. Yeah. Yeah. And a tear might drop out. Yeah. Because you feel there. It's no. It is such an authentic feeling to know that they appreciate this moment, not necessarily just you, but the moment. Yeah. It's a collective experience. Yes. You feel them there. Yes. Especially on stage. Every single one. You feel it on stage. You feel it. Yeah. And it can give you chill bombs. It can overwhelm you. Yeah. And you and sometimes you might push out of some water. So, yeah, no doubt. Sometimes, yeah, you know, it's again to know that. For example, you do a line. You have to exude a certain type of motion. Oh, OK, cut. Now I want to get this side. Right. Right. Right. Action. Yeah. And you have to do the same. You have to do it. But I love that, though. I get the biggest thrill out of that challenge out of that, that high wire act. Like that's why I do it. Yeah. That's what I love. The high wire act of it. It's the biggest thrill. Like it's like, OK, yeah, it's now or never. Yeah. What you got. Yeah. You know, that part of it, you know, it wakes me up in the morning. What I like about your acting style, I mean, with most actors, but you're very expressive here. Like your eyes, like. Again, I'm not an expert, but the greatest actors can act without saying a word. I agree. Like it's all in here. The face, right? Like their expressions, the way their lip curls, the way they nose crinkles up, whatever. And you have that in spades. Like, no, the movies I've seen you in. And the work that you've done before you say anything. There's always, OK, almost know what you're feeling before you say it. I got you. I got you. And to me, again, I'm not an expert, but that's to me, that's the key component to a great actor where you draw people in. I try. I try. Yeah. Yeah. You have a history of that. As a matter of fact, yes, you did the courage under do courage under fire. You also did conspiracy theory. Yes. Yeah. What was that like? I'm very small on that. That was with Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts. Right. Julia Roberts. Yeah. And that was really my second time working with cameras. And it was fun. It was fun. I didn't I didn't do a whole lot. Most of what I did ended up on the cutting room floor. OK. But it was a lot of like, you know, cat and mouse, you know, spy stuff, which was cool. Yeah. And you did picture perfect. Yes. How was that? That seemed that was fun. That was fun because that was my first time doing something that was a little light on camera. You know, that's with Jennifer Aniston. Yes. And and it was fun because I was working with a bunch of New York actors who were older than I was, who I'd heard of and seeing them work. And it was very exciting to me. So that that was a lot of fun as well. Well, OK. And then you went on in 99 if I'm not mistaken. Like wider attention playing Ronald Clifford. Yes. A sensitive cello teacher. Yes. You know, manipulated by wealthy students. Cruel intentions. Cruel. I remember watching that movie. That movie tripped me the fuck out. It was a bug. It was a bug. I remember watching that. Just to see that movie. And for many reasons now. As as a young black man watching that movie and seeing your character made me see things in a way I never thought. Ever existed. One. A young black cello player. Yes. Don't see those a lot. No. Like I was fortunate enough to. Go to creative and performing arts high school in Philly. So you would see an occasional one or two. So seeing you on the screen. Playing a cello. Was really refreshing. Uh huh. It almost made me feel like, see, I knew it. They're out there. They're out there. They're out there. You know what I mean? Like I'm not the only one that appreciates a good cellist. You know what I'm saying? I don't care. Especially if he's black or she's black or whatever. Right. To. Normally black folks aren't. Pained to be allowed in that world. I agree. I agree. You understand. Yes. Like so. So. Seeing that. Made me go. It made me question. Like are there black guys that. Exists like that? Like who are they real? You know, are they able to hang around rich elite white folks? You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, it was it was kind of. Yeah, I'm so glad to hear you say that because that's such an important thing to me. As an as an actor. Yeah. To explode what people think we do. To explode what people think who we are. You know, like we are so much more than what people think we are. That that's really kind of like what motivates me. Yeah. In terms of when you think about image. Yes. I'm so glad to hear you say that. No, because it really it makes a huge difference to me in terms of I don't think of myself as like, oh, I'm an actor and I do such important things. Like I don't think like that at all. Like I'm pretty laid back and low key about it. But when it comes to what you just said, yeah, that's very important to me. Yeah. No, it mattered. Yeah. Like that that that scene, that character, it really resonated. Yeah. And I'm sure I'm not the only one that thought that. I know I wasn't because because seeing that for the first time, I was like, oh, that's wild. I'm glad to hear that. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? And you know, to be even more specific to sleep with one of them is kind of like like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, sit on the screen back then, back in the late 90s. You didn't see that on screen. No, ever. No, you know, I remember the hell that Poitier got with guess who's coming to dinner. So it's like, you know, just so to see that, that's what that's why I say you're one of the best actors ever, not just because of your talent, but your choices. Like you made very bold and brave choices as far as. Yeah, yeah, the roles you played. But but I also got very lucky to I mean, sure. A lot of it is, you know, you move to LA, you audition for whatever it is and you get what you get, but you didn't squander it. No, I did not. I did not. Yeah, that part. I did not. Because even in the film, you didn't squander it. I mean, you were up against a lot of like 90s sweethearts with. Yeah, with Sarah Michelle Geller and Reese Witherspoon. What was that? What was that like on set with them at that time? It was a lot of fun. We had a good time. Yeah. You know, at the at the time, Reese Witherspoon was with Ryan Phillips. They were either engaged, be married or something. They were together as a couple. And so that was just nice to see that like that young love off camera. Like they were great to be around. Sam, I'm sure Geller was super cool, super nice auditioned with her. And and she was just so gracious and fantastic. Yeah. Selma Blair. Yeah, it was a lot of fun to work with. Yeah. So it was the whole thing. It was just a phenomenal experience. And Roger Cumble is a genius, the guy who wrote and directed it. A genius. And it was a great looking movie, too. All you guys look sexy as hell. Yeah. Do you have a favorite scene yourself from that movie? In that movie, my favorite scene. It's probably the scene where I'm teaching Selma how to play the cello and her mother comes in and we're just and we're just about to kiss. Yes. Yes. And the mother comes in and is like, what the hell is going on here? I gave money to Colin Powell, you know? And. Oh, that's that's a hard one. Yeah. And my character is like, well, wait a minute. Like, I thought that we were on the same level when she's like, no. And you need to go back to, you know, the ghetto or whatever she said. And I said, but I live around the corner. I live in 59th and Park, right? You know, right. And then I walk out and he makes this defiant gesture of, you know, the black man is gone, the black man is gone. Praise Jesus, the black man is gone. I love that whole sequence because again, that gets to what we were talking about. Yeah. Image and optics and that type of black pride. Yeah. You know, I very, very much appreciated getting the chance to do that. No, we appreciate you doing it because there's always been that, I guess you could say, underlining feeling being a black boy or girl, not feeling like you belong. But not feeling like you're not good enough for the. The the opportunities. Given to others will never be given to you. Correct. And you'll never see them. That's why movies like that was important. And even like shows like the Cosby show, a different world and all that stuff. It those shows matter. Yeah. And it mattered not just for us. They mattered for everybody. It the perception is so important. Yes. Because it allows other nationalities to see. Right. That, no, yes, we can live this way too. And despite what you might think of us, what might have learned about us. Like we're not a monolith. We're not a monolith. Yeah. So and you've raised the bar again in 2001 with, you know, Save the Last Dance, which is your styles. Yeah. And again, your choices of being a brother from Chicago. Yeah. Yeah. That wants to be a doctor. Yes. Yeah. Before you start, we clap for 25 years of that film. 25 years of the Last Dance. Yes. Happy anniversary. 25 years since it dropped. Yeah. So how does that feel knowing that you created basically a cult class? Not even a cult class. It was a blockbuster. Yeah. It was 130 million. Kerry Washington too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Kerry, watch. So take us back to that time. When you were doing the film, like what was the energy like? What was the was was there a level of excitement that you've never seen before? Like it felt like what was it? It was very it was a very complicated process. The whole thing, you know, because like I'm not a dancer at all. I'm not a dancer. I'm not a singer. I'm just an actor. You know, OK. So that was a big part of the thing for me was to not screw that part of it up as best I can. Sure. You know. And so, you know, I had dance rehearsals before we even went to Chicago to start shooting. I had rehearsals here in LA and we went out there and rehearsed. And we rehearsed every single day, even days when I was shooting. As soon as I wrapped, I had to go to the studio and rehearse the dancing stuff. And and I'll be honest, I did not feel like I was going to get away with it, to be honest with you. Really? Oh, hell no. You're not that bad of a dancer. Sean, come on. I'm from Delaware, bro. OK, OK, fair enough. As I was very not all the clubs in Delaware. And and, you know, and there were people on set that I didn't think were particularly supportive. I mean, the the choreographers were. I work with Fatima Robinson. And I'm a child of the team. Fatima, Rich McTalewaga, both of them were incredible and so supportive. And so like they literally saved my ass on that movie. But not everybody else on that set was as supportive. You know, why? So I felt. Um, good question. I think that I might not have been everybody's choice for that role. Who else was up for the role? You had a curiosity. Man. I mean, that was a big character you play. Yeah, it was. I honestly could not tell you for sure. OK. Who else was up for it? But I know that for certain people, I was not their number one choice. I know that for a fact. Interesting. And so that was always hanging in the air, you know? OK. And so I was kind of like dealing with that, dealing with trying to not. You know, completely mess up the dance part of it. And but at the same time, working with Julia was phenomenal because she cares so much about doing good work. She cares so much about having integrity with her shit, you know, that really she was my salvation and that all in all of that, because both of us could look each other in the eye and know, OK, this moment is ours and we can black out all the noise. We can black out all the bullshit and let's just do some good work. I love the chemistry, you know, and that's how it was. Julia really made that for me. An incredible experience that and I think because of her, we were able to black out all the bullshit. Yeah. And focus on making things as truthful as we knew how. Yeah. Again, the chemistry was real. It felt good. And again, you're breaking boundaries again. Like Black man kissing a white woman. Oh, you know, hard. Yeah. On a on a on a on a big screen. Yeah. Like that is that always as much as I understood what that meant, it always made me feel uncomfortable. Really? Not because of it happening, but more so like, man. I'm looking around. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And I know exactly, you know, to see everybody else's face. Right. To see, you know, if they're going to or or whatever. And it's crazy that we even have to think that. I know. Isn't it just like sad? It is. That that even crosses our minds. It is. It's terrible. It is. It is. But again, it just goes to show that even in entertainment and also shows how important entertainment is. Yes. Because it paints a picture of. Our society. Yes, it does. For our culture. It does. And and that's the great thing about, again, those two movies alone, you've done other stuff, but those two movies alone, I don't know. I don't know if you realize how important. Those works were for a black man or a young black man at that time to be seen and perceived. I appreciate that. No, I'm very grateful for those opportunities. Yeah, it really. Help shape the or rather push the boundaries of what we see today. Because of those films. I like that. So thank you for sure. Was working with Fred Joe. You guys had a good chemistry. Fred Joe is great. Was that was that natural? You guys kind of knew each other before? No, I never met anybody on that movie before we started shooting. Fred Joe is just a great actor. And he is. And he's very grounded in like what he is. And he's very grounded in like what he brings to the screen, you know, and unapologetic about it. So all I had to do is just react off of him, really. Because you guys had this yin and yang thing going. Yeah, right. He was completely wild. You were about going to school. Yes. Somehow you guys had this center connection where he understood your goal and you understood how you're trying to bring him with you. Right. Yeah. Thing. Yeah, Fred was a fantastic actor. Really, he's really good. Also showing that in one movie that black folks are not a monolith. Exactly right. And he was he was really good. He was. Yes. We we we we know thugs. We all know him. But we also know doctors. Yes, we do. Aspiring scientists. Yeah. Lawyers and all those people. Same shade. Yeah. And even Kerry Washington's character. You know, she's a teen mother. Right. But she wasn't ratchet or, you know, she was not ratchet. Anything like that. You know, she was still alive and had hopes and dreams and and and and it was a loving woman. You know, so like there's just so many things in that movie that that exploded stereotypes that I'm very proud of. Yeah, you should be. That was like what was Kerry like? She was starting her journey as this. Yeah. Incredible actress. Yeah, I mean, she was just like. From the moment we met, she was just like a burst of energy and a burst of positivity. Yeah. And and friendliness. And she's still like that. Yeah. I mean, we just worked together a few years ago and reasonable doubt. Yeah. She's still the same. Yeah. And and so she brings that natural positivity, that natural energy onto the set, and it's very infectious. Yeah. And I think that was a big part of the film's success as well. Yeah. She's a ray of sunshine, bro. Like she she comes into a room. Her smile is big and beautiful. And yeah, she's beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. She's she's something special. She's she's very good. She played your sister in the film. She played my sister. Yeah. Yeah. It's totally awesome. Well, again, well done, sir. And thank you. So you went you went on, you moved on and you you appeared in a barbershop franchise. Yeah. You know, rag tag group of actors and rappers and all that. How is that? Like, like, like because considering you coming from where you came from with theater and Broadway and all that stuff. And then even, you know, refined actors and these movies that you're in. And then just a group of folks, you know, at a barbershop. Yeah, man. Like, how was that? How was that? It was a laugh riot. Yeah. Every single day on that set was bananas in a good way, like not in some dysfunctional, unprofessional way. Sure. It was bananas. Yeah. So much fun. Yeah. I laughed all day every day on that set. I mean, Cedric, the entertainer is a genius. He's a fool. Man, he had me cracking up nonstop. And what was great about having Cedric there was that like he like, I'd never really done comedy on on screen before. Right. You know, never. And so to have him there for me was invaluable because like sometimes you try some takes and Cedric was brilliant at like improving and throwing in different stuff that's not in the script. And so I started doing a little bit and then like whenever I did it and it worked, he would give me a little look like. To do that one again. All right. And that's when I needed on a movie like that. Yeah. You know. And so I'm so grateful to him on that set. Yeah. For my first time really getting to do comedy on that level. So it was a lot of fun. Does it matter to you? The repertoire you choose. For yourself, meaning. You do such stoic roles and serious roles and then you do comedy. Is that balance important for yourself? Like psychologically or physically or whatever? Like, do you consciously do that? Like I want to take. Yeah, I'm done with the serious stuff. I want to do some funny stuff. Sometimes I feel that way for sure. For sure. But most of the time as an actor, again, you just have to kind of like ride the wave of what's available and what's out there. You know. And so at that point in time, I was on a TV series after I did Save a Last Dance. So I only had a short window of time to do something and Barbershop was in that window. And so I was able to do it. But yeah, I think the things that I feel a need to shift in and out of for me is stage to screen. I think I feel more that way in terms of like once I've done this one thing, I crave this other thing. It's much more so on that level for me. Got you. Sometimes like I just really desperately crave to get up on stage and and do, you know, a fellow or something like that or Hamlet or much of do nothing. Because that's my first love. Yeah, in terms of theater. Yeah. And so I think that's much more so the thing that I kind of. Go back and forth in terms of how I feel. Right. You know, no musicals. I would love to do a musical. I'm just not a singer. I would love to do musicals. Hamilton. You can read. I could do Hamilton. Yeah. You could do Hamilton, too, Sean. I could do Hamilton. You did Hamilton. You did Hamilton. No, I didn't do it. No, I I I sang with Renee. Yeah, Renee. In these schools. Yeah, Renee. Yeah. Oh, yeah. So yeah. And she was a guest. Satisfied. You guys. Yes, we sang Satisfied. They killed it. Yes. Yes. She talked about chemistry, bro. Renee. Thank you. Chemistry. You did your thing. But yeah, I mean, because I can see you doing something like a Hamilton. I would love to do a Hamilton. I mean, when I was growing up, I wanted to be Captain Von Trapp and sound of music. I wanted to be Henry Higgins and My Fair Lady. Yeah. You know, all those things. I love that stuff. If you can act. And dance and you say you're not a dancer. You can sing, too. I promise you, you got you. I'm telling you, you have tone. Like I'm not saying you got to be a gospel voice. You know what I'm saying? You know, to deliver a record. You just have to be on key. OK. And you just have to have. Enough pleasantness in your voice. Sure. I got you where it's not annoying. There are some people that, yes, they should not. Don't even think about it. To see talking about. Like there are some people that that gift is just, you know, yeah, just just pass them by. Don't don't do that. OK. You know, I'm saying it. Give me sports. Yeah, yeah. It's like me being a triathlete to somebody done. That's not I'm not doing that. But but you have the tone. I appreciate that, man. Thank you. I mean, I would do it if I got the opportunity. I would do it in a heartbeat. So, Lin, yeah, man, well, Lin, let's do it. Give him a call. OK. All right. I'm just trying to make some connections. Aaron Burr for you, Sean. The Sean's need a job. Yeah, yeah, I need a job. I definitely need a job. You know what I mean? Like this this podcast gigging, paying well enough. Joking. Anyway. But so, OK. So you do the the Barber Shop series and you go back to playing something a little more serious. You play Gene Mowbly. Yes. Mamie's boyfriend later on husband. Yes. And the movie Till for those of you who do not know what the movie is about. It's about a young 14 year old kid named Emmett Till from Chicago that was brutally murdered in Mississippi. Um, by being falsely accused at whistling at a white woman back in those days. There was like the 55, something like that. Yeah, yeah. You weren't allowed to black people anyway, weren't allowed to even look at a white woman, let alone, you know, cat call. Right. And. As we all know, that was a lie because the woman who accused him before she died admitted admitted that she lied that she lied. I guess she's trying to get right with God. Before, you know, she took that trip because she knew she was on her way out. So but that's neither here or there. Yeah. But anyway, you played another very. Heart wrenching role. I'm not going to lie. I didn't watch it because there's some movies that I just have to. I heard a lot of people say the same. Mentally be prepared for it. But I know enough about the story. Yes. Yes. To know what the end was. To prepare yourself. For playing such a significant role. What did that take? I was very lucky on two levels. Number one, that there wasn't a whole lot of publicly available footage of Gene Mobley and what he was like. So I didn't feel any pressure to type to try and approximate that at all. You know, and the other thing was one of the co-writers and storytellers of the film, Keith Boshopp, he knew Mamie and Gene personally. And so I was able to talk to him for hours and hours and hours and ask him whatever questions I had about what Gene was like, what his relationship with Mamie was like. And he was an invaluable resource to me in terms of just like getting to to who he was and how he was with with Mamie and the type of energy they had together. And so really just mainly from talking to Keith Boshopp, I was able to kind of piece together. Some truth as best I can about about the relationship and then also getting to work with Daniel Deadwiler, who's just like incredible. Yeah. You know, she just brings it all out of you. All you have to do is if you show up and you're available and you're listening and you're open, Danielle will bring it out of you. You know, so you just put all those things together and. When you when you say that. When you get with the, you know, joint forces with another A list actor and you say they bring it out of you. What does that mean exactly? Like how does how does an actor look at another one? And say. This is where I'm at. Right. Right. But when you're doing the work, the way you're supposed to be doing it, you're giving everything that you have to your your your scene partner, you know. Yeah. And. You're directing your energy towards them. You're directing everything that you have towards them. And so if you're on the receiving end of that and if you are. Really listening. It can't help but affect you. And so it's not something that you even have to think about or talk about. You're just there in the moment and you're letting your imagination fly with whatever it is that they're giving you, you know. And some actors. Are brilliant at giving you that gift every time they say action. They just keep giving you gifts of things to react off of. And all you have to do is just. Truthfully, as best you can respond. Wow. I was I was taking acting classes years ago and my acting teacher told me that good acting is reacting. Yes. And and before you say a line, just like you said, you're absorbing. What the person is throwing at you and you're just letting that sit. In your body. Right. Right. And then it dictates. Not what you say because you have a line, but how you say it, how you say it, when you say it, even if you say it sometimes, you know. When you're doing it, you're trying your best to not predict anything. You know, you're trying your best to like really just let it flow in a natural honest way, you know. And sometimes the moment is pregnant enough where you don't have to say anything. You don't have to say anything. Have you ever thought of teaching a class? Yes, I have. I have. Like being a like a straight up. Professor. Yeah. And drama. And yeah. Yeah. I have thought of that. I would absolutely do that. You. OK. Why do you ask? No, I'm just saying you because the way you articulate and express. The. The actual occupation. Like it's it's easy to digest. I see. Again. Your prowess comes from your sincerity. The way you talk, how you speak on things. It's real. Like, you know, it's not coming from some rehearsed. Like, I know you didn't look in the mirror this morning and say, I'm going to save. I'm going to look like this. And I'm a point at when he says that, you know what I'm saying? You know, it all comes from. A place of experience, experience and I and I love it. Yeah, I love it. And it shows like I just. Every time I get a chance to step on set, I'm so grateful. I'm so happy to be there every single time. It shows. And that's that's what I'm saying. Like, like, that's why I gave you the flowers that I gave you, because it shows with everything that I've seen you in, like you commit. And it's all real. It's all believable. It's all like just like, yo, I forget that. He's he's reciting a line. No, that's him. You know, I'm saying, like, you know, and that again, that's what makes. You know, actors. Great and super great. You know, so. But let's get into your personal stuff. You've been married. Yes. For 20 years. Maybe 20 years and counting. Yeah, congratulations. Let's clap for that. Yeah. Thank you. That's a huge deal. Annika, Annika, Annika, Annika. I don't want to. God damn it. I'm gonna get up. Yeah, Annika, Annika, Laura, Annika, Laura from New Orleans. Yeah, that is definitely a New Orleans. Yeah. Annika, Laura, now how did you guys meet? We met up through Barbershop, as a matter of fact. OK. Yeah. Her one of her great friends is the director's wife, Tim Story, his wife, Annika's good friend. Shout out to Tim Story. Tim Story. Yeah. And Tim had a birthday party. And so I went to Tim's birthday party and Annika was passing out cake. And she offered me a piece of cake. And he was like, damn. We all know, we all know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's that. That's normally the case. Yeah. And so she offered us, she offered me the cake and then she went about her business. And the guys that I was talking to were like, hey, that's a good girl right there. You should see what's up. Yeah. You know. And so I was like, yeah. Yeah. I'm going to do exactly that. I saw, I guess you guys did an Oprah special. Yes, it wasn't Oprah. It was. Was it on own? It was on own. Yes, it was on own. Yeah. And you guys just sitting on the couch. And again, it's hard to. Not see authenticity. It's hard to not see authenticity. And you guys sitting together. I was like, wow. That's love right there. Like. It's not just what said, it's the body. Movements, it's how she looks at you when you talk, how you look at her when she talks. It's the giving each other praise without it feeling phony or fake. Right. Yeah. Like I can tell you guys are a real team. We are. We are in every way. Yeah. In every way. I love seeing that. Yeah. I really do. Like that's I told her this not too long ago. She is the best decision I have ever made. That's awesome. In my life. Yeah. Is to actually because I'm shy. I'm not like the guys at the party like, hey, what's up, man? Like, you know, I'm not that guy. Right. It took a lot for me to like actually, you know, take the cake and then go and, you know, talk to her. And you went and found her later. Is that what you did? What was that again? You found her later? Yeah, we I went and found her later and and struck up a conversation. And we sat out by the jacuzzi and talked all night for like three, four hours and 20 years and two kids later. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. That's awesome. I love to see and she's an actress as well. She is an actress. You're an writer. Yeah. That's awesome. Because again, I got to always point that out because when possible, because that's one of the things I've noticed. Just doing some of my research about you, like just seeing and then seeing the love for your children. Oh, my God. And seeing how again, you're not a Hollywood couple. No, no. And at all. Like it's such a grace with the both of you. And it's a test. Your kids are a testament of that because they seem to be. They look like beautiful, mannerable. They're the best thing that I will ever do. Yeah. My children. My daughter, Lola is 17 and my son, Luke is 15. Yeah. Yeah. You just put 20 years on your marriage to right or 25. 25 25. 25. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It'll be 25 this year. And yeah, it's funny because. You know, I've done a lot of dumb shit, but, you know, I believe that. Again, marrying Sharanda was. The best decision next to going on that audition in high school, in a high school where I met my guys. Mm hmm. I got to you, you guys. You know, have you heard those stories about at the Beatles and, you know, how one day nobody ever heard of them and then the next day, like, they're all over the place. Like, that's what you guys were from me when I was in college, you know, like. One day, you know, you hear boys to men and you think, oh, man, that's hot. And then the next day, they're everywhere. Like the biggest thing in the world, it seemed like, you know. And that's the closest thing I can think of to approximate what you hear about with, like, those old stories, you know, about the Beatles or whoever. You know, and like. I really appreciate who you guys are and what you guys accomplished and what you guys did. Believe it or not, Sean, we you and I pretty much on the same journey. Really? I mean, when you think about it, like. Your movies broke barriers. Our music did the same thing. Yeah. Like, yeah, we never wanted to be looked at as a black group, just a black. Right. Right. We wanted to be known as singers. Yes. It is equivalent to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. All of that. And those guys. Yeah. Like, that's that was our goal. Like to to erase all of the. You know, just the stereotypes and you did and just be. You accomplished it and you accomplished it quickly. You accomplished it like with lightning speed. That's the other thing. It was a blessing. Yeah. But again, it was parallel. Yeah. Because you did the same thing. Like, you know. Do you have a thousand movies under your belt? No, but you didn't have to because it was more. Quality over quantity. Again, like as I mentioned before, your choices. Yes. Yeah. Your choices were perfect. Because they were needed at the time. They were. They were. Or black acting, whether you get the flowers or not, but that's what the show exists because it's to shine a light on. People that I believe matter in the broader scheme of things. Got it. And regardless of, you know, what other people think. You played a pivotal role in our progression. As black men and women in the entertainment business, you know. So that's why it's an honor to have you on the show. I appreciate that. I'll go further though. Thank you guys played a pivotal role for minorities in general. I wouldn't just say black folks because we look at you too and go, man, which you guys do a voice to men, which you've done on the screen. It just shows that there's more out there. Everybody absolutely. Yeah, there's room for everybody. There's room for all of us. One and it's potential there in all of us. When you see representation of other cultures, it's everybody know like, oh, there's a there's a spot at the table for everybody. Absolutely. 100 percent. Yeah. 100 percent. Well, you have also the show, Reasonable Doubt. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Now, what's that like? That was great. Yeah. Yeah. Michael Ealy. Michael Ealy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm drawing a blank here. Who else was on it? Emmy Otsi, Corniali McKinley Freeman. Yeah, I haven't heard of this show. Reasonable Doubt. Oh, you got to check it out. I don't watch a lot of TV, but what is it? I got you. It's about a female attorney played by Emmy Otsi, a character's name is Jax. And she's kind of got a messy private life, but she's a brilliant lawyer. Yeah. And the season one, which is the season that I'm in, she's representing my character, who was accused of killing somebody, and she's never sure all over the course of the season, whether or not I did it. And so she figures out whether or not I did it, but still has to, you know, represent me in court. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. And so and it's kind of a cat and mouse thing. Yeah. And it's it's awesome. Where do we find it? That is on Hulu. Yeah. It's currently running. It's currently running season one or where I'm in season one. But they've done they've done three seasons. And I think they're getting another season. So they're going to bring you back or impossible. My character, I won't say since you haven't seen it, right. But he's not around. Yeah. Let's just say that. I'll leave it at that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe not. Maybe not. Right. Right. But no, it's it's. I'm going to watch it. Yeah. Yes. It's good. Again, it's I love seeing black folks looking great on screen. Yeah. And they all look great. Yeah. They all look great. And it's an all black. Female driven. Yeah. Yeah. Kari's at the top. Yeah. You walk on set and there's a woman doing the camera work and, you know, Romela Muhammad is a showrunner. Wow. She wrote, you know, the concept and writes the episodes and and just like it's to see black women running this whole thing and running it at the highest level was a thrill to be a part of. Kerry Washington is a part of this, too. Yeah. She's executive producer and she directed the first episode of the of the very cool. No, it looks good. Yeah. It looks good. All the beautiful. Like it's it's really well just shot. You know, even if you cabin on mute, you could still just see it. You know, because everybody looks good. It's great. Yeah. It's a great show. Awesome. Very happy part of that. You got like black makeup artists and barbers and hairstylists. Yes. Huge difference, man. It's a huge difference. Yeah. Yeah. The lineups is lining up. You know what I mean? Everybody's looking real. You know what I'm saying? So that that's important. I'm telling you, it's like, because you can tell the difference. You can see in the movie like, oh, his boy wasn't at the bar, but she had. No, no, no. But that's the thing. When I first started in this business, like you had to go get your own haircut somewhere else. That's crazy. Like early in the morning of the day before, you had to get your own shit cut because nobody in the trailer could do it. Wasn't in the budget. Where it was in the budget, they chose not to budget for it. Even worse. That's what it was. That's you know. For the barber, they put it somewhere else. Yeah. Yeah. But over time, that's gotten a little bit better. That's good. Yeah. That's good. I could tell too, because, you know, you know, the lineups are lining up. OK, let's have some fun. All right. Top five favorite actors of all time, either stage or film. OK. And again, this I know I'm putting you on a spot. So don't feel bad if you leave somebody out. OK. Because there's just way more than five that I. Sure, we know that. But and then I'm also a disclaimer for the viewers out there who get pissed off and write comment to say, well, why didn't he say this? Like so thanks for covering my butt, man. Why do people forget is that we're literally putting you didn't have three days to think about? No, nobody said Sean. OK, here's. Yeah. Here's what you know. And even then you're going to leave out. It's only five. You're going to leave out a bunch. Right. And we like to spontaneity. So it's my top five. Let's go. OK. Off the top of my head, I have to go. Denzel Denzel Washington, Denzel, the all time. Great. But then right after that, I have to say, Sydney. What do you know? That makes sense. Those two are the top. Yes. There's no doubt. I agree. After that. Anthony Hopkins. OK. He's a goat. He was a great man. Yeah, I'm going to say Kate Blanchett. Kate is amazing. Have you gotten to work with her? No, I've never gotten to work with her. I've never gotten to work with her. And I'm going to say this is my number. Is my number five? Yeah. And then do a bonus. OK, OK. I give you a bonus. OK. My number five. My number five is Eddie Murphy. How about that? That's my number five. Break that down. Why? Because everybody think Eddie is no, just comedy. Eddie Murphy is like crazy, crazy versatile. Yes, I agree. Like like you were talking about. The expression in the eyes. You can cover him in his big fat suit. As a Sherman club. But you can see in his eyes, you see the pain. You see the shame. You see the embarrassment. You see the joy. He sees Miss Birdie, you know, whatever. You know what I mean? Like whatever it is. Like it's all right here. Forget the fat suit. Eddie is a genius. I love Eddie Murphy. Is he the most diverse actor we've ever seen? Because he can sing. Sing. Comedy. He can act. He can dance. He can drama. Yeah, I mean, Dolomite and Dream Girls, whatever it is, he can do it. We hit the number one record on the chart at one point, didn't he? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Love Eddie Murphy. Yeah, I agree with that list. I give that a stamp of approval. Thank you, sir. Yeah, that's well, that's well curated right there. And in a matter of like seconds. We need the bonus, though. Oh, I think the bonus. That's right. The bonus. Give us a bonus. The bonus. Give us another female. Another female. Yeah, we got Kate. Let's get another. We got Kate. I'm going to go with Viola Davis. Oh, wow. Got to do it. Mike Trap. Got to do it. Mike Trap right there. Mike Trap. She did that. I think it was called the movie that she did with Meryl Streep. I think it was called her child was molested by a priest in this. Oh, yes. You don't talk about. Yes, yes, I did. I saw that. Right. Man, she's another one. I think it was called Doubt. Yes, I saw that movie. Yes, she was only in it for a couple of minutes and killed it and owned the entire movie that scene when she's in the courtyard. Yeah, that's great. That's greatness. Yeah, that's greatness. She can do anything. She played Michael Jordan's mom. Yeah, you can do anything. Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. We just watched a woman king in the house. King was a beast. Yeah. So Viola Davis. I'm good with that. Everybody good with that. We're good with that. You approve. Everybody say aye. Aye. That's awesome. OK, Sean, what's your favorite restaurant? My favorite restaurant. Mm-hmm. I'm just it's not anything crazy. It's OK. I like Houston's. OK, I like Houston's too. That's our jam. Like whenever we're like, I don't know where to go. We know we're going to hit a home run at Houston's. We love Houston's. Ain't nothing wrong with Houston. Yeah. All right, cool. Well, tonight you're sitting in Houston's by yourself. By myself. Yeah, you're by yourself. OK. I'm going to give you the scene. OK. Right. He was offended. I know. I would have you by myself. Right, right, right, right. You know I'm married, right? Because this is a requirement for the scene. OK. All right. Now I'm the director here. I've never heard anybody get offended. Right, right. He was like, well, by myself. The fuck? That was great. All right, OK. The Mrs is at the crib with the kids. All right, just for a moment. You came from a movie set, right? Yes, got it. You want to get something to eat. Houston's was nearby. OK. So you sit down, you have something to eat. Right. And you're facing the door way to the entry way to the restaurant. And in comes a younger Sean. He's looking for you. OK. He was trying to glean some hope, some inspiration, some words and jewels of wisdom for what he should expect of his life in the future. What he shouldn't do, whatever. So he sits down across the table from you. He grabs your drink, takes a sip, puts it back. And he says nothing, waiting you to tell him something good. What would the older Sean utter to the young, bright-eyed Sean? Hmm. I would tell young Sean. You are enough. That's what I would tell him. I would tell him that in whatever arena that you decided to pursue, don't ever doubt that you are worthy. Don't ever doubt that you are capable. And don't ever doubt that you are deserving of all good things that can come your way. Because I think as a young black man, sometimes you feel like, do I really belong in this room? Do I really belong on this stage? Do I really belong sitting here talking to this beautiful girl? Am I worthy of that? Yes, you are. That's what I would tell him. I would tell him you are enough. About that, because that obviously came from experience. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. And I think I'd also tell him, relax. Chill out. You know? Don't be so serious. It's going to be OK. And on that note, ladies and gentlemen, this was a blast. This was a pleasure. This was an honor. And I learned so much. OK, please, everybody, give it up for Sean. Catch it. It's Thomas. Thank you, man. Thank you. Hey, y'all. And that was on that note. Hope you guys enjoyed it. And if you did, here's a couple more videos for you to check out. Do not forget to like, comment, and subscribe.