Tell us little bit about the movie Underworld and your character.
Underworld: Awakening is another film in the Underworld franchise. The main character is played by Kate Beckinsale who plays Selene. She returns from a deep sleep and has been out of commission for the last 12 years. I play Detective Sebastian who at first had a lot of disdain towards Selene and her entire species, but who is forced to team up with her to fight the Lycans who are werewolves.
How is the climate in Hollywood for African Americans this coming year, in terms of their roles, films being made, and landing different roles?
That’s a tough question because I don’t know what 2012 holds. What I will say, in terms of the climate — it may not be perfect, but we’ve come a long a way and we have to be thankful to those that have paved the way for us to come this far. If we don’t recognize the courage it took for us to get this far, it’s a slap in the face to those that fought to make this dream come true for me and those like me.
Some actors get type cast or put in a box, when did you feel like you made it as an actor?
I think it was the movie Takers. Takers was the first time I got to play a family man and a romantic leading man with Zoë Saldana who played my fiancé and at the same time I had my brotherhood. To me, Takers was more of a multifaceted layer of performance. Now it’s really time to branch out and do more action and more comedy. Make sure my body of work is more diverse so people can see I can do it.
We just celebrated MLK Day, so as an African American man and actor, how have you been able to fufill his dream through your work?
I feel like Dr. King courageously fought for the freedom I have to pursue my dream. The reality is, at that time, for a black man like myself, to pursue a dream like acting, it wasn’t a reality. If it was, you were the butler or the help. The fact I can jump into a movie like Underworld, where I am the Detective, then I can go on Hawthorne and play a Neurosurgeon, and I can go into almost any kind of role I want and not be limited to the color of my skin, that to me, is a direct by-product of Dr. King’s vision and courage in fighting the system that was keeping us all back.
How do you feel the climate is for Hollywood for African Americans this coming year, in terms of their roles, films being made, and landing different roles?
It’s a tough a question because I don’t know what 2012 holds. What I will say, in terms of the climate, it may not be perfect, but we’ve come a long a way and we have to be thankful to those that have paved the way for us to come this far. If we don’t recognize the courage it took for us to get this far, it’s a slap in the face to those that fought to make this dream come true for me and those like me. It’s not perfect, but we have come a long way and there’s more to do.
What key advice can you give to a young actor?
First of all, study your craft. Don’t just think you can do it; it’s not easy. Then learn the business side. It’s a whole different monster. Lastly, take your time. Don’t look for the short cut or the fastest way to get there. If you do, your journey will be very short..
