- 9 months ago
Join some of today's most talented actors and actresses as they explore the bravery of authentic and inclusive portrayal of life as an LGBTQ+ person of color through the lens of Black storytelling.
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00:00Hi everyone.
00:02Welcome to LGBTQ Voices in Black Media
00:05where we'll discuss the portrayals in Hollywood
00:08that sit at the intersection of the black diaspora
00:10and queer identity.
00:12Now you recognize Breezy and Royal Ivy King
00:15from the All American franchise.
00:17We have Jordan Cooper joining us a little later
00:19who has acted not only on FX's Pose
00:21but is also a writer and co-creator of The Miss Pat Show.
00:24And of course we have Wayne Brady
00:26who you know from everything.
00:28But he's now stepping into the reality realm
00:30with The Family Remix.
00:31Thank you all for joining us today.
00:34All right.
00:39Royal Breezy will kick things off with you.
00:41In each of your roles on the All American franchise,
00:43you are showcasing a side of the black experience
00:46and of the queer experience that isn't always portrayed
00:48without bias and stereotypes,
00:50especially on network television.
00:52As actors carrying representation
00:54for two marginalized groups at the same time,
00:56how do you approach roles that you portray
00:58with that intersectionality mindset?
01:06Well, I personally, stepping into the roles,
01:09I like to have a conversation about how are you seeing it?
01:15And based on my experience,
01:17a lot of these roles are either misrepresented
01:21or just not represented, you know what I mean?
01:23So for me, stepping into this,
01:26I was able to have a conversation with my showrunner
01:28and just be real about what it is.
01:31Like we're not going to portray this character
01:35as some sex craze, you know, hardcore,
01:40I want to be a man.
01:41Like we're just not going to do that, you know?
01:43So for me, it was just having an open dialogue
01:46with my writers and just being honest with myself
01:49about what it is to be me, you know?
01:54Yeah, I would say this season,
01:56I really learned that representation can change
02:00and your idea of who you're representing
02:03and what you're representing can change.
02:04There was a moment before we started shooting season three
02:08where I had a phone call with my showrunner
02:11because in season one and two, we had this idea
02:13that for Nate, we really wanted her to be a person
02:17that just so happened to be queer
02:19because the idea was, let's push it forward.
02:22Let's start to talk about the world as we see it moving.
02:26And then at one point, I remember I got a few emails
02:30from fans, parents specifically, that were asking,
02:34I think my child is transitioning before me
02:38and I don't know what to do.
02:39I think this is happening
02:41and I'm asking for your thought and your input.
02:44And then when me and N.K. spoke, I told her,
02:46I said, I think we got to switch this up.
02:50I think we have this really cool opportunity
02:53to not just present this moment
02:56in which we are portraying a character
02:58that we want to see the future of,
03:00but also portraying a character
03:01that people can take things right now
03:03and that those kind of questions can be answered.
03:06And so this season, we actually have a really cool moment
03:09where we kind of break down
03:10and talk about what a non-binary person goes through
03:15and specifically telling the stories
03:18that we were hearing non-binary voices deliver online,
03:22on social media, and podcasts and whatnot,
03:25and start to bring that to the screen
03:28because at the end of the day,
03:29amplifying those voices is the entire point.
03:33Agreed, 100%.
03:34Now, Wayne, you're providing representation in a different way
03:37by opening up the cameras to your real life.
03:40So after coming out as a member of LGBT community last year,
03:42what has been the biggest challenge for you
03:45stepping out of playing a role
03:47and kind of stepping into just showing yourself on camera?
03:50It's hard enough to be yourself just in life, right?
03:56Just daily, life is hard.
03:58Then you add, you're trying to be yourself on camera,
04:02which you're always a heightened version of, anyway.
04:05So I think the challenge for me was
04:08I wanted to seek some authenticity and transparency,
04:13not for the show,
04:14because the show was following myself and my family.
04:17So I wasn't doing it, oh, now, now, now, now we've got a camera.
04:21Let me make this statement for the camera.
04:25It was what I was willing to share
04:27and was I really ready to do it?
04:30Because that's not a role.
04:33It is what it is.
04:35So I took that step and I said,
04:37okay, I am willing to share it.
04:39So in using the show as the platform,
04:42what I'm hoping is to accomplish a few things.
04:44A, letting the people that have followed me
04:47and seen me do these things,
04:49give them a glimpse into my life.
04:51B, also be very authentic
04:53so that I can go from the sidelines
04:55with the LGBTQ plus community
04:58and go and really play an authentic role on the team
05:03to move forward the things that I think need to be moved forward.
05:07And then also the representation of
05:11I don't know what this is supposed to look like.
05:15When someone says, oh, so you look gay
05:20or you grow up, you know what I mean?
05:22When someone says, oh, you look sweet.
05:24Well, what does that mean?
05:25I still beat your ass.
05:27Beat your shit out.
05:27So even what does that represent?
05:32What does pansexual, what does bisexual look like?
05:35Those are questions that I had to ask me.
05:38I had to find the answers from me
05:40so that then I could turn around
05:41and try to give answers to other people watching,
05:45not just children or teens,
05:49which I've gotten emails from teens,
05:51kids in theater saying, oh, you know,
05:54I heard your story.
05:55I feel like you, but you know what?
05:57Grown men, grown men and women,
06:0040, 45, 50, late in life,
06:03living with these secrets
06:05that they're deciding that they want to share these things.
06:09So those were all the things that I had to do at once
06:12because it wasn't a character.
06:13So I had to say, what's the character of Wayne?
06:16It was like, what do you represent?
06:18So it's an ongoing discussion
06:20in terms of how I situate myself,
06:23how I can help,
06:24how I can be part of the family and the team
06:27and how I can do so honestly.
06:30That's it.
06:31Well said.
06:32Which kind of leads me to my next question
06:34because in these roles or in your reality TV show,
06:37you all, on top of being actors or entertainers,
06:40you're acting as educators for a lot of people
06:43who maybe don't really know what non-binary is.
06:46They don't know what pansexual is.
06:47And so you're teaching them through these roles.
06:49Do you feel like an extra weight of responsibility
06:52to kind of do that representation properly
06:54for people who claim
06:57that they don't know anybody that lives these lifestyles
07:00or they don't understand these lifestyles,
07:01things like that nature?
07:02Educating by living it?
07:16Pretty much.
07:17You're by living it,
07:19by portraying, well,
07:19living and portraying it
07:20for both of you,
07:22all three of you.
07:22There was a role that I played
07:23because I've actually gotten a few chances
07:26to play different roles
07:27like Collins in Rent
07:28who is with Angel
07:32and then even Lola in Kinky Boots
07:35on Broadway
07:36who Lola was a drag queen.
07:39And no one ever talked about
07:41who Lola went home with
07:44because that wasn't a part of the thing.
07:46But for me,
07:47I always knew that
07:49I felt,
07:50because I didn't know what the word was
07:51in terms of being pan,
07:52but I knew that Lola
07:53was open to loving
07:55whoever Lola wanted to
07:56because of how
07:57he, she treated
07:59everybody else on stage.
08:02And so
08:02I started to learn from that
08:05and that's what I tried
08:06to put out there
08:08in terms of the education piece,
08:10just being open to say
08:11it's not about
08:13the sex piece,
08:15it's about the love piece.
08:17Or I think that my daughter,
08:19she hipped me to this expression,
08:21was it hearts before parts
08:23in terms of
08:25loving who,
08:27I'm sorry?
08:29Yes, yes.
08:30And that blew my mind.
08:32So that's the biggest education
08:34that I received,
08:35so I just tried to pass,
08:36pass that on just by being.
08:40Yeah, I would say
08:42with Nate,
08:45I remember season one,
08:47the most important thing to me
08:49was to really use the art
08:51of storytelling,
08:53but not preaching,
08:54but specifically storytelling
08:55because I felt that
08:58there are so many people
09:01that use their platforms
09:04to talk about these things
09:05and to talk about their experiences
09:07and they're doing incredible work
09:10doing that.
09:11But then also,
09:11there's another route
09:12that storytelling can take
09:13which I believe sometimes
09:14it can really touch on your empathy.
09:16and I really wanted
09:17through the character,
09:19and this is something
09:19that our showrunner
09:21also agreed with,
09:22was that for people
09:23that are not in proximity
09:25to a non-binary person
09:26in their life at all,
09:28that they are introduced to her
09:31and they're able to look at her
09:33and even though she is different
09:35by their means,
09:36they can say,
09:38hmm,
09:38I wish I had a friend like that.
09:40And I feel like
09:42in that moment,
09:43you completely did
09:44exactly what
09:45we're wanting you to do
09:47which is just simply
09:48humanize us.
09:50Look at us for our spirit,
09:51look at us for who we are,
09:53honor who we are,
09:54but also realize
09:55that we are people.
09:56We can be good friends,
09:57good co-workers,
09:58great leaders.
10:00And so I think
10:00that's really the thing
10:01and so that's probably,
10:03out of all of the reactions
10:04to the character,
10:05that's probably my favorite thing
10:05that I've ever received
10:06is like,
10:07I want a friend like Nate
10:09and I'm like,
10:09period.
10:09Oh, well,
10:13yeah,
10:15Roy and I have
10:16the same showrunner
10:17so our characters
10:18on the show
10:18were absolutely like,
10:19handled with the same
10:21respect
10:22in terms of just
10:24humanizing
10:25us as people.
10:28But my characters
10:30and roles that I've played,
10:32like sexuality
10:32was never at the forefront
10:33of the role.
10:34I think that
10:35it's been made a spectacle
10:37so many times,
10:38it always is,
10:39and I was never
10:40willing to do that,
10:41you know?
10:41So it was more about
10:43showing a young black woman
10:44persevering,
10:45her trials,
10:46her tribulation
10:47and her stepping
10:49into something bold.
10:50Like my character
10:51is now studying law
10:52and going to law school
10:53and she's a young,
10:55black,
10:55masculine presented woman
10:56in the field of law.
10:59Like we don't see that,
11:00you know what I mean?
11:00So we're actually
11:01just kind of opening up
11:02and making space
11:03for people that look
11:04like myself
11:04to do whatever
11:05you want to do
11:06and do it well,
11:08you know what I'm saying?
11:09And so that's
11:10the focal point for us
11:11and I think
11:11for his character as well.
11:12Like we just showing
11:14that I'm not a circus act,
11:16you know what I'm saying?
11:17Like I'm going to do it
11:18how I need to do it,
11:19whatever I want to pursue,
11:20I'm going to do that as well
11:21and you're going to respect me
11:22for exactly what I do.
11:24Not what you think I am,
11:25not what I look like,
11:26not what I smell like,
11:27but the work that I put in
11:29and the results
11:29that are made clear.
11:31So I think that,
11:32you know,
11:33it's important
11:33to do that as well
11:34unless the story calls
11:36for an extreme sexualized role,
11:40you know what I'm saying?
11:41Like our stories,
11:42of course,
11:42we have a younger demographic,
11:44very younger audience,
11:45so it's not really
11:47at the forefront.
11:47We touch on it
11:48so you know
11:49and you can feel seen
11:50and feel heard
11:51through our characters,
11:51but it's absolutely
11:52not priority.
11:55Not for my character anyway.
11:57I agree.
11:58And I think
11:59for either one of your characters,
12:00I don't think
12:01it's been prioritized.
12:02So that's a beautiful thing
12:03to see, absolutely.
12:04When we speak
12:05of black queer representation
12:06in general,
12:08oftentimes voices pop up
12:09with conspiracy theories
12:10and things like that
12:11saying that there's an agenda.
12:13Everybody knows
12:13what that means
12:13in Hollywood.
12:15When you,
12:16how do you respond
12:16to viewers
12:17who have those fears
12:18and misgivings
12:19about seeing stories
12:20like this
12:21on their television?
12:25Get over it.
12:29Honestly,
12:30I think it's,
12:31it's one of those things
12:32where like
12:33when,
12:34when I was,
12:35when I was in college,
12:38one of the things
12:39that my professor says
12:40is something
12:41that's really cool
12:42about what we do,
12:43especially when it comes
12:43to television
12:44and film,
12:45is that in a way
12:47we're kind of like
12:47a mirror
12:48like that,
12:48that sits above
12:49and that people
12:50can look at these screens
12:51and they can look up
12:52and they can see
12:53themselves reflected,
12:54which is the,
12:55the,
12:55the most important part
12:57about the inclusive idea
13:00is that we hear the word
13:01all the time
13:02but then we start
13:02to forget
13:03how important
13:04it actually is,
13:04inclusive,
13:05inclusive,
13:05inclusive.
13:06But the idea
13:07is that everyone
13:07can look up
13:08and see themselves
13:08represented.
13:09And so,
13:10in the same way
13:12that that person
13:13also deserves
13:15to have that,
13:16I would never let
13:18their opinion
13:18or their thought
13:20about some agenda
13:21make me go,
13:22hmm,
13:23I should,
13:23I should shy away
13:24from this,
13:25I should step away.
13:26I'll never let
13:27that person
13:27make me dress
13:28or look
13:29or act
13:29any differently
13:30because there is
13:32a younger version
13:33of me
13:33that needs
13:34to see this.
13:35And a lot of times
13:36when I watch Nate
13:37and when I watch
13:39Nico and Pee Valley
13:41who I absolutely adore,
13:42like,
13:43there are so many moments
13:44when I'm like,
13:45I hope that there
13:46is someone young
13:48watching these characters
13:49going like,
13:51oh my God,
13:51there I am
13:52on that big mirror
13:53because I deserve to be.
13:56Anybody else want to speak?
14:02Oh, please.
14:05Duh.
14:06No, it's such a great answer.
14:08Yeah, I,
14:10I,
14:11how am I going,
14:12yeah, duh.
14:13Hey, it is what it is.
14:15Period.
14:16Now have you,
14:17any, either of you.
14:18Oh, I'm sorry, you know what,
14:18I will say one thing.
14:19Okay.
14:19I got it.
14:21I think the point
14:22where I come from
14:23and part of what I do enjoy
14:25about
14:26when I came out
14:29and even before then
14:30trying to spread
14:31certain messages,
14:33whether it's a black message
14:34or whether it's
14:34this message
14:36is
14:37I sit in an interesting place
14:40and I know that I sit
14:41in an interesting place
14:42for years
14:43in entertainment
14:44as a black man
14:46and the overlapping
14:48Venn diagram
14:49of audiences
14:51and nothing makes me happier
14:53than reading comments
14:55that when I came out
14:56or even during the pandemic
14:58when I would post things
14:59about
14:59LGBTQ plus issues
15:02or black issues
15:04and it's always
15:06somebody
15:06who on their profile
15:08you know
15:09Ingrid from Montana
15:11God first
15:12kids
15:14Christian
15:15loves to have
15:16a good time
15:17Hey Wayne
15:20love your show
15:21blah blah blah blah blah blah
15:22next message
15:23when I post something
15:24how dare you
15:25God hates you
15:26you son of a bitch
15:27blah blah blah
15:28all these things
15:29that they want to call me
15:29out of my name
15:30but you would just
15:31but the message before
15:33you loved Jesus
15:34and you were telling me
15:35how much you like my show
15:37so my personal mission
15:39has been
15:39to
15:41anger those people
15:42to anger
15:44every single person
15:45who because
15:46if you watch my show
15:48or you watch anything
15:48that you like me on
15:49and you
15:49oh I like Wayne
15:50I like when he does it
15:51well then you don't like
15:52the whole of me
15:53or
15:54don't
15:55because if you're not
15:56going to rock with me
15:57then I won't rock with you
15:58because I know
15:59that I represent
15:59not just me
16:00but I'm a placeholder
16:01for a lot of other people
16:03behind me
16:04so if you're saying
16:06well I like when you make me laugh
16:08I like when you sing
16:09I like when you dance
16:09but how dare you talk about
16:11yo
16:12LGBTQ or black stuff
16:14how dare you
16:15well then
16:15bye
16:16because that's who I am
16:17so if you don't like me
16:19then you don't like
16:19all these other people
16:20you don't like my people
16:22so
16:23I love
16:24making them mad
16:26or
16:27I love
16:27bringing them around
16:28and I've had that happen
16:30at a show
16:31someone has come up to me
16:33when I've done one of my live
16:34improv dates
16:34hey man
16:35you know
16:36that I follow you
16:37and I wasn't happy
16:38at first
16:38when you started spouting
16:39all that stuff
16:40and immediately I thought
16:41the conversation was going south
16:42he goes but
16:43then I went back
16:45and I listened to what you said
16:46and I realized
16:46that
16:47that
16:48that I like you as a person
16:49so that means that
16:50these other people
16:51they're probably not bad either
16:52huh
16:53I said no
16:54probably not
16:55so
16:56that's the cool part
16:57part of the mission
16:58so I just wanted to tag that on
16:59because I think
17:00that's the one to punch
17:01speaking to that point a bit
17:05have you
17:06either of you
17:07specifically had to have
17:08any pushback coming up
17:09in the industry
17:09have you had to push back
17:10against any misconceptions
17:11coming up in the industry
17:12before you got into these roles
17:13with such a
17:14you know
17:14understanding showrunner
17:15who you know
17:17listens to you
17:17understands what stories
17:19you're trying to tell
17:19did you have a lot of difficulty
17:21in roles prior
17:22or even just trying to break
17:23into the industry
17:24I personally
17:28I came into
17:29this industry
17:30exactly who I was
17:31I was sought after
17:33based on who I was
17:35so I didn't really
17:36know or understand
17:38I knew that I
17:39I personally
17:40was not represented
17:41in you know
17:42across Hollywood
17:43like that
17:43but I didn't
17:45I really didn't think
17:45nothing of it
17:46I'm like oh
17:46they want a breeze
17:47I'm just gonna pull up
17:48and be me
17:49you know what I mean
17:50but even my first role
17:52being Empire
17:53I had the same experience
17:54of course Lee Daniels
17:56was the showrunner then
17:57so he's a black gay man
17:58and he was like
17:59no like I like you
18:00exactly how you are
18:02and he was
18:03you know the first person
18:04I encountered
18:04who was big on
18:06telling those stories
18:07you know what I'm saying
18:08like nope
18:09don't change
18:09don't do this
18:10but outside of that
18:11and in between
18:12the Lee Daniels
18:14and the Nkechi Carols
18:15you know
18:16there are people
18:17who are like
18:17you need to
18:19you know
18:20maybe a little lip gloss
18:21a heel
18:21something
18:22do something
18:23you know what I'm saying
18:24a lot of people
18:25still don't think
18:26that women
18:28who look like me
18:29and walk like me
18:30and talk like me
18:31can thrive in this industry
18:32without being that
18:34you know what I'm saying
18:35so for me
18:37it was
18:37it was an automatic
18:38absolutely not
18:40for me
18:40so I was never even
18:41willing to have the conversation
18:42if we're not going
18:43to do something properly
18:44it's a difference
18:45if you want me
18:46to play a feminine role
18:47it's different
18:48but if we are going
18:49to represent
18:49this particular type of person
18:50we have to do it accurately
18:52and I'm not saying
18:53that all women
18:54you know
18:55dress alike
18:56and do things alike
18:57or whatever
18:57no but we have to be authentic
18:58with how we develop
18:59this particular character
19:00you know what I'm saying
19:01so that's what it's been about
19:03for me
19:03and like I said
19:05you still
19:06I still hear it
19:07I walk around it
19:08like whatever
19:09y'all ain't gonna say it to me
19:10you know what I'm saying
19:11but you know
19:12I know it's out there
19:13and I think the purpose
19:14of telling these stories
19:14is so
19:15we not even having
19:16them conversations
19:17you know what it is
19:18when you see it
19:19you know what I'm saying
19:20so normalizing it
19:21most importantly
19:22and that way
19:24you know
19:24the people who
19:25like Wayne said
19:26were once against it
19:27are now comfortable with it
19:29because it's out there
19:30we've made it clear
19:31y'all know who this is
19:33and what we do
19:33and what we're about
19:34and we're just people
19:35you know what I mean
19:36so you know
19:37I think it's just
19:38it's just a part of the programming
19:39at this point
19:40yeah
19:43I feel like for me
19:44there was a time
19:46where I was like
19:47I felt like
19:49it was hard for
19:50the industry
19:51to see
19:52or understand
19:53or get
19:53or cast me
19:54and I used to get
19:56so frustrated
19:57in the waiting periods
19:59between things
20:00and trying to get those
20:02them little notes
20:04that you know
20:04they give you
20:05like
20:05can you do it
20:06but a little bit more like
20:08yas queen
20:09and it was like
20:10okay
20:12sure
20:13and
20:15in that same period
20:17I discovered
20:18creativity
20:20and I discovered
20:21my own creativity
20:22and I realized
20:24at a certain point
20:25that
20:26I don't have to wait
20:28for somebody
20:29to cast me
20:30to be an actor
20:31I don't have to wait
20:33for somebody
20:34to give me an opportunity
20:35to express myself creatively
20:37and I feel like
20:39once I unlocked
20:40that side of myself
20:41and once I unlocked
20:43that decision
20:44of
20:45my
20:46I'm not waiting
20:47for a green light
20:48to do anything
20:49that I love
20:49I think
20:50it was actually
20:52a moment
20:52that I learned
20:54ah maybe I wasn't
20:55actually seeing myself
20:56and that once
20:58I started creating
20:59I started to see
21:00me more
21:00and then opportunities
21:02started to come
21:03from that
21:03so I think
21:04that was probably
21:05a huge
21:05pivotal point
21:07I had
21:07about thinking
21:08really it was
21:09the industry
21:09that wasn't seeing me
21:10it was this and that
21:11but it really took me
21:12unlocking
21:13who I really am
21:15and seeing myself
21:16and once I began
21:17to carve out that picture
21:18once things got
21:19a little bit cleaner
21:20and tighter
21:20as far as
21:21who I was going to be
21:23a lot of doors
21:25started to open up
21:26that's the best way
21:28to approach it
21:28now Wayne
21:29when you did come out
21:30last year
21:30was there any
21:31trepidation on your part
21:32about the types of roles
21:33that you might be
21:35offered moving forward
21:36or did you think
21:37there might be a change
21:38any of that
21:39and has there been
21:40since that time
21:41yes
21:42I did have that thought
21:44there was a panicked second
21:45when yeah
21:46I completely
21:48thought oh
21:50my whole world
21:52is going to end
21:52this whole thing
21:53and blah blah blah
21:54and then
21:55I put those voices aside
21:59and my family
22:00was with me
22:00and
22:01and
22:02and everything
22:03was alright
22:04and then I realized
22:05it is what it is
22:06and
22:07how can I be wrong
22:08if I am just speaking
22:09the truth
22:09and whatever roles
22:11are supposed to come
22:12to me
22:12will come to me
22:13regardless of
22:14whatever I say
22:15so I had to have
22:17that real great
22:18moment of clarity
22:19and
22:20not a regret
22:22not one
22:24and things have actually
22:25been even better
22:27with phone calls
22:29with those roles
22:30with certain roles
22:31with both
22:32opportunities
22:33on and off camera
22:35which
22:36at this point
22:37in my life
22:37I really relish
22:38the off camera
22:39because in terms of
22:40ownership
22:41and creation
22:42and being able to do that
22:43those calls started
22:44to come through
22:44because I think that
22:45when you say
22:46oh this is who I am
22:47and I see you
22:48and I see you
22:49then folks go
22:50oh well that's who
22:51I want to deal with
22:51I didn't want to deal
22:53with that dude
22:53who was
22:53you know
22:54who didn't talk
22:56to anybody
22:56because he was afraid
22:57so it's been great
22:59awesome
23:00I'm going to open
23:01the floor to questions
23:02in just a moment
23:02but just before we do that
23:04I do want to ask
23:05for each of you
23:06specifically
23:06did you have any
23:07specific goals
23:08moving forward
23:09on All-American
23:10in the future
23:11what kind of roles
23:12would you love to have
23:14moving forward
23:15I personally
23:17after All-American
23:18plan to just
23:19well I'm doing it now
23:20but you know
23:21creating my own stuff
23:23producing my own stuff
23:24just so I could be
23:25in control of the narratives
23:26you know
23:26and not just speaking
23:27for you know
23:28a black lesbian woman
23:30but just women in general
23:32you know what I mean
23:33and all people
23:34everybody sees
23:35us all so differently
23:37you know what I mean
23:38so it's just based
23:39on perspective
23:39but we see a lot
23:41of things the same way
23:42we see a lot of stories
23:43told the exact same way
23:44like the game
23:45has not changed
23:46they just swapping
23:47actors out
23:47you know
23:48so I just want to get
23:49into you know
23:50just true
23:50and authentic storytelling
23:52like in a real way
23:53yeah
23:55I used to try
23:58to really manipulate
23:59this idea
24:00of like
24:01oh I'm actually
24:03really really
24:04in control
24:05of what it is
24:06that I want to do
24:07and I think
24:09my honest answer
24:10to your question now
24:11whatever God wants
24:14because I truly
24:15am like
24:15I can tell God
24:16all day long
24:17I want to do this
24:17I want to do that
24:18and they're like
24:19oh okay
24:21I'm going to show you
24:22what you're going to do
24:22and so I think
24:23for me
24:24I'm just really
24:25in a space
24:26of just like
24:26what am I called to
24:29but if I
24:32if I
24:32can say
24:34what my intuition
24:34feels
24:35and what I feel
24:36like has been
24:37consistent throughout
24:38my journey so far
24:39is telling stories
24:41that mean something
24:42telling stories
24:43that people
24:43can take something
24:44away from
24:45that inspire people
24:46I would say
24:48that the
24:48the goal
24:49if I can
24:50word that
24:51in a way
24:52for my career
24:53is if
24:54I can make
24:55someone feel
24:56that same moment
24:57of inspiration
24:57I felt
24:58when I
24:59watched
25:00a show
25:01that moved me
25:01or I had
25:02that moment
25:02of like
25:03oh my God
25:04I feel like
25:05I'm capable
25:05of this
25:06I feel like
25:07I am moved
25:08to kind of
25:09go against
25:09everything that
25:10scares me
25:10and go for it
25:11if I can just
25:12make one person
25:13feel that
25:14boom that's it
25:14so whatever
25:15that project is
25:16awesome
25:17now Wayne
25:18you're a veteran
25:18but is there
25:19anything that you
25:20haven't done yet
25:21that you would
25:21like to tackle
25:22we don't have
25:23enough time
25:24there are that
25:25many things
25:26that I want
25:27to do
25:27there are that
25:28many things
25:29but God
25:30willing
25:30you know
25:31I'll be able
25:32to check
25:32a few of them
25:33off
25:33God willing
25:35absolutely
25:36does anybody
25:36have any questions
25:37raise your voice
25:42in the blue
25:42blue hair
25:43directing
25:53I would say
25:56don't be
25:57don't be afraid
25:58to put your
26:00hands on
26:01you know
26:02any
26:02story that you
26:05think isn't
26:05going to be
26:05accepted
26:06I think that's
26:07happening a lot
26:07people
26:08there is
26:09there is
26:10a area
26:12of this industry
26:13where a lot
26:13of things
26:14are played
26:14safely
26:14you know
26:15and then
26:16there's a
26:16whole other
26:17side of
26:17people who
26:18just rebel
26:19and go
26:19against the
26:20grain
26:20and those
26:21are the
26:21Jordan Peels
26:22you know
26:23shoot
26:25and
26:26Katie Carroll
26:27the Greg
26:27Berlantis
26:28you know
26:28people who
26:28tell stories
26:29that we
26:30don't
26:30necessarily
26:31see
26:31so I
26:32would say
26:32you know
26:33don't be
26:33afraid
26:33I will
26:34go towards
26:34the scariest
26:35thing
26:36anymore
26:39right hand
26:40friend
26:40yes ma'am
26:45I'm
26:46I'm
26:47from
26:47I
26:47I
26:49really
26:51love
26:52here
26:52but I
26:54wanted to
26:54add
26:54to
26:55I
26:55thought
26:55I
26:56said
26:57it's
26:57such a
26:57beautiful
26:57thing
26:58I
26:59I just move the way that I want to move and it took me forever to get around to
27:27this thinking of I can't control what somebody thinks so even you saying I don't know if some
27:34of you in the back heard that some people may think oh yeah Wayne Raiden is safe like okay sure
27:39if you're thinking that then obviously you're not watching safe isn't being I was the first black
27:47man to be on a network show like I was in that capacity I was the first black man to to it's a
27:53host like Miss America and that there are places that on purpose I said look I'm gonna insinuate
27:59myself in these certain places because why not why haven't we been there so if being safe means
28:05first then I'm safe as hell sure yeah absolutely so and I've been on TV since 99 so something was
28:16working some of those people that had something to say I don't see their shows so my my thing to think
28:25to you is just move how you gonna move I move how I move that's my advice to you as a director know your
28:33voice and what you want to say and don't worry about the other people especially your own people
28:38because some sometimes we are the fastest people to say to other people oh well you not dot dot dot
28:45well if you were paying attention that you'd know that I'm that times ten so that's just what you
28:51know so any more questions yes
28:58I agree with that
29:09I'm an independent filmmaker I'm a director last year I did a TV series on transgender and non-binary
29:20I had a couple choices like my mom is always important I always kind of had an easy path because I
29:34you know so I'm not necessarily the stereotype but coming out and doing a TV show and investing all my damn
29:42money and I knew that it was possibly unsafe what do you say to the independent filmmaker and it's
29:57trans-world Atlanta you got a nomination for it as well the only independent film I'm so thankful for
30:04the only two minutes to pick up the show but the only independent film I got nominated for the Black this
30:08year but what do you say to an independent queer filmmaker who is trying to navigate getting networks to pick up a show like
30:22trans-world Atlanta I'm just telling the story that trans-world are non-binary from their perspective not from my perspective
30:31I'm not trained I'm not non-binary but how do you think that was to see that way this has doubt
30:38the world this is important this shit matters and we make a world around it this shit doesn't happen without the LBGQIA plus community
30:49what I've got so much pushback from the show
30:53well I would say don't stop I mean there's so many people that get pushback no matter what it is it's not just
30:59the LGBTQIA plus you know type of content it's not that um the Lena Waithe in Kokomo City I don't know if you've seen that but it was about trans that it did amazing at film festivals and I watched it I thought it was beautiful I had I got a chance to preview it before it came out but these uh the trans community has been around since I've been seeing it since I was a child so there's still stories that got to be told and if that's like your lane then you just have to keep pushing it
31:29and like I said overall we're a part of the program and we're trying to normalize something you know what I'm saying and humanize it it's it's these are conversations um visuals and people that have been put so far away
31:41and like took like in a black box who are these people like who are aliens or something like that you know what I mean but the more you do it and he does it she does it the more people do it it's a part of the program and people get used to seeing it you know what I mean I don't know if there's a such thing Wayne could probably speak to this um just because I'm not in I
31:59haven't you know sat in front of the networks and tried to pitch something like that um so I'm not sure what the pushback is from them but it's not just you they pushing back all kind of stuff because they want what's safe you know what I'm saying so the independent route is is is is the way and the the good thing about today is that there is so many ways like and I know Tubi is amazing for this there's so many other outlets to get your point across that will pick up your content you can start on YouTube you're
32:29start wherever you know what I mean the big it don't matter you just I don't want to be rude about it but you know the anything big doesn't matter you may not ever have your thing in in blockbuster but we got Instagram and people are doing full-on shorts as reels they keep extending the time you know what I mean it was a minute now it's 10
32:53might be 20 tomorrow you know what I mean so there it's not just one way and we are more in a space now than we ever been where we are constantly in motion
33:03don't get caught up on the TV because they know why really watching it we are lucky you know what I'm saying people are watching what they can on the move so take advantage of all these little platforms and you know because 10 10 small things could equal the one big thing if not more you know what I mean and understand
33:21understand that when a bigger network gets a hold of your project you lose control
33:25so there's that like it like he said either you're going to do with what's true for you and what you're passionate about
33:32stay there stay with what allows you to do that if at any point you are willing
33:38my girl if at any point you are willing to you know relinquish that control or that creativity for whatever you're creating
33:45then by all means chase after what's bigger but I don't think it's necessary for you because we all
33:51I would love to see something like that I would love to check out your project I'm sure everybody in here would love to see it
33:57doesn't matter you shoot the link out there we're gonna click it you know what I mean
34:01I'm not gonna tell you that I'm gonna be in front of my TV at 7 o'clock because your thing's world premiere and I have something to do
34:06you know what I'm saying you know so go with go with what's accessible
34:10I wouldn't even worry about that get that out your mind sorry
34:15all right thank you all so much today thank you all for this amazing talk uh that wraps up our time
34:23um thanks so much enjoy the rest of Hollywood House
34:25you
34:26yeah
34:26you
34:26you
34:38you
34:39yeah
34:40yeah
34:40yeah
34:40yeah
34:41yeah
34:41yeah
34:42yeah
34:42yeah