Come on, people. It's time to live it up. That's right. Live it up. Live it up. Come on, people, now. Live it up. Go together now. Live it up. This together. Come on, people, now. Live it up. Boom. Hi. It's Rosemary Rodriguez. Welcome to the director's chair on WePlayRadio.com. For those of you who are just tuning in for the first time, I'm a director who directed a couple movies. The newest one is Silver Skies and then some TV shows. And the director's chair is the place that we talk about directing, producing, writing, and anything that comes up. But our main focus is collaboration. So, you know, on this episode, I'm, like, really excited. I'm going to act like a little kid, like, trying to set up and stuff. Because we have a very special guest, Mike Coulter. Thank you. Also known as Luke Cage. Hello, hello, hello. So, okay, so just to say that besides you started in the Marvel, Netflix, Jessica Jones series, and now you have your own series, Luke Cage, and you'll be in the upcoming Defenders series. Yes. Pretty big deal. You're also on The Good Wife, Agent X. Yes. Yes. You're following, and I got to touch base on this a little bit, Men in Black 3. Men in Black 3, yes. I was super excited when I saw you there. But we'll get to that. So, welcome. And how are you? I'm great. I'm great. I wish I had worn my Jessica Jones sweatshirt or my Luke Cage sweatshirt just so I could be cool like you. You know what it is? It's like, you know, because I've been doing also other people's podcasts and stuff. So, it's kind of like, it's just a fun world. And it's just really fun to me. Like, because I really connected with the character. And, you know, it's not necessarily my world, but I love that world. And I love the characters. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of people connect with the character. The best part for me is when I'm out and about. I like it when people tell me that they saw the show, but they didn't have any connection to the show prior to watching it because they were brought into it by another person. And someone referred them to the show or their spouse pulled them in or their spouse said, you know, check this out. Or a friend said, you might like this. And that's the best part because, you know, Marvel has its own built-in audience. So, it's nice when you can kind of branch out. And I think that's what this whole mission of all these Marvel series by Netflix is really kind of doing. You're kind of focusing on people who are not necessarily into the PG-13 family-oriented cinematic world that has been presented before, which is a great, you know, great project. But now we're trying to get a little more adult for the people who want to hang out. Yeah, and also maybe not the people watching the other shows. Yeah. Like Agents of Shadows. Like Agents of Shadows. And stuff, too. Absolutely. It's like really broadening their universe. And I think it's really smart because they've got the movie thing, the special effects and all that budget stuff. And then the TV stuff or, you know, the Netflix stuff really focuses on character. Diversify. And they're very relatable characters. I think so. You know, so you've got the heroes and you've got the broken people and it's kind of exciting. So, you've been doing a lot of press for Jessica Jones. Yeah. Right? You did something at the TV Academy last night. Yep. Just was there last night. Came to support. We had a lot of people in the audience who were big Marvel fans. And they're also voters. And so, this is kind of campaign season. And it's really nice because, you know, shows like this, Marvel shows, not your typical, you know, campaign fair. That's kind of something different because it's gotten so much acclaim. And I'm really happy for Melissa Rosenberg, who's a writer. And I'm happy for the brass at Marvel because it's nice to get, you know, recognized as much as this business is about doing it because you love it. Right. It's nice for somebody to get, you know, to say, hey. You know, you're doing a good job or we think you're worthy of some recognition here. It also got a Peabody Award recently, which is awesome. That's right. That's huge. Yeah. I mean, it's great to be embraced by critics and by a popular audience. Like, and of all ages. Yeah, yeah. Which is, like, so cool. But also for you, excuse me, I'm sure it's not like a heartache to be hanging out with Rachel Taylor, Kristen Ritter, Carrie Ann Moss, and Melissa Rosenberg. Like, you've got these gorgeous women around you and Jessica Jones. I know. I literally just sent an email. We were chain emailing. We were chain emailing last night because after this thing was over, they had to press scrum and everyone came up for pictures and autographs. And we all kind of got fanned out and spread about the party. And so I did my rounds. And after a while, I had to go back home. And I didn't have time to go say goodbye to anybody. It's just kind of like, you know, I'll see you soon because we have other events to do. Right. And so we emailed each other. And everybody was like, oh, we're so good to see everybody. And it was, you know, such a great panel and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, I just said, you know, it was so nice being, like, the only guy on a panel with all these beautiful women. Exactly. I was like, it's a great experience. Thanks, guys, for having me, blah, blah, blah. And it was awesome, you know. That's going to be different than when you're out doing Press for Luke Cage. For sure. Absolutely. It's like a whole different crew. It's just a completely different crew. I was so fortunate to be a part of this one. And you're going to be number one on that one. That's what they say. So this is kind of prepping you, right? That's what they say, yeah. It's kind of like one of those things where you get a warm-up. You get a chance to, like, kind of stretch your legs a little bit before you have to, like, kind of carry the load. It's a lot. Yeah, yeah. So is that kind of, does it feel daunting at all? Do you feel like now that you've done the Jessica Jones thing, you're ready for it? Yeah, I mean, we were, let's see, we filmed, you know, we filmed six, seven months of Cage. And I just looked at it like it was kind of like, it was exactly pretty much the same crew from Jessica Jones, except for, you know, Kristen and the girls that you named and Melissa. I mean, obviously, I was missing the essential cast, but the behind-the-scenes crew. It's all the same. All the same. So we stopped for about three weeks, not even a month. I went home, had a small break, not much of a break, and came right back. And I just felt like I just continued without the other actors. And we just kept coming in, and I was playing the same character. But a lot, you know, it was a lot of different things that were thrown at me, different narrative completely, different direction. Right. But ultimately, just more of me. And some different directors. Different directors, for sure. Right, right. We were lucky enough to have a few of the same directors. I definitely tried to get a lot of directors to come back, as you know. I was so bummed you weren't in my Jessica Jones episode. Oh, I was so bummed. What are the chances? I was like, what are the chances? I saw you in the call sheet. I was like, wait a minute. I looked far ahead, and I saw that you were going to be working. And I just could not believe, you know, because we started Good Wife. And I said, honestly, you know, you kind of helped me build that character because it was so early on. I think it was the first episode. Well, that's what I was going to say. I mean, it's good because I was like, you know, at the time, I did your first episode on Good Wife. We got to work together. And it was such an interesting character. And honestly, you know, sometimes it's difficult as a director because, you know, I'm working with things that are written. Yeah. And there's not a lot of time with the writer to sort of, you know, really hash out details and stuff. But I try to get in the actor's head and then ask questions, you know, so I know what to sort of think. But also, you know, to have an actor like you that I have so much respect for and then to feel like, oh, God, now he's going to come in and play a drug dealer. Damn. You know what I mean? Like, that happens to me. I'm like, man, how is this going to go? So you look for ways to, like, make it outside the box. And you're clearly bring so much. You're clearly bring so much charisma and so much intelligence. You know, like, you're not playing. Yeah, I'm not playing it on the nose. I'm trying to play what people would. I mean, because the world of The Good Wife is completely different than the world of The Wire. Right. And that was one of the things that really appealed to me about that particular role. An actor is always looking for something that he can sink his teeth into and something that clicks both physically and both, like, material wise. And just there's just something that you can't put your finger on. But when you see it, it clicks. And all of a sudden. You're there. And you enjoy it. And you're under the imaginary circumstances. And it fits like a glove. And so for me, I felt like that world. I had been watching The Good Wife, you know, I think I came on the first season. And I'd already been watching it as a fan. So when I went in, I think I'd almost gotten on the show two or three of the times before that. And I was so happy it didn't work out. Oh, me too. Because there weren't substantial roles. And I didn't think it was anything that was going to go farther. And it just worked out. Not that this was predetermined. But we didn't really know either. No, no, no. Like, I remember doing the first episode. And again, it was like, we're going to play him. As a businessman. Yeah. In a way, you can move invisibly through that world with all these high-end, you know, politicians and lawyers. And you're seamless in that world. Yeah. Which is great. So I didn't know what was going to happen. I remember the next, like, maybe six months later, getting my script for the next episode I was directing. And I was like, Robert King is genius. I'm like, I have Lamont Bishop again. I couldn't believe it. I was like, did you plan this? Because he had, I mean. I wonder. I've thought about it too. His brain works that way, though. Yeah. It just. It's kind of like. Yeah. It was really good. It was good. I was really happy. And then I was just looking. Because I did 18 episodes of that show. You did like 22 episodes of that show. Yeah. Yeah. It was. It was like a whole season of Lamont Bishop. I know. Spread throughout the six seasons. Because I was not in the last. Spoiler alert. I wasn't in the last season. Right. Right. I just couldn't do it. I was. Right. I was obviously working on. You're in Luke Cage now. Yeah. But it was odd. Because they shoot right across the street. I know. We film literally across the street. I know. But we're all busy. We don't necessarily see each other. No. I know. I come over and say hello when I can. I know. It's hard. It's hard. But you know. And I was looking at. Doing a little bit of research about Luke Cage too. And thinking about. You know. When he. When he first came up. He was. You know. He was this. The first black hero to have his own series. In the Marvel world. Which is a big deal. 1972. Yeah. He shows up. And largely. You know. It's a time when like post civil rights. And blaxploitation movies are happening. Yeah. And I just think. It's really. It's really cool. That like. You know. To know some of the history. Of how these characters are born. Yeah. And then how they're coming. And you know. Certainly. Right now. You know. Diversity in Hollywood. Is like a big issue. So it's like a really good time again. To be having. You know. You at the center. Of like a great show. Yeah. Yeah. I don't think. I don't think diversity. The issue ever goes away. I think every. So often. It becomes more pronounced. Every. Maybe. Every 10 years. Or something like. There's strides. I mean. We look at. You know. I think back in the 60s. Jones and there was. And there was. Oh God. I think. Diane Carroll. She had her own show. Dude. I had. I had a. I had a Julia doll. Oh. Yeah. I had her doll. So. Yeah. Are you kidding me? And when I did. I did an episode of White Collar. And I got to work with her. Oh my God. You have no idea. Did you. Oh my God. I so wish. You didn't have it. You didn't. I didn't have it anymore. But the fact that you could even remember. And that you had it. She had to know that you were really. You weren't pulling her leg. I mean that's. No. I loved her. And she was like lived up to all my. Like imagined dreams about her. I know. Because she's like classy. Have you met her? I never had a chance. It's odd. It's just one of those things. Randomly. Sometimes you get to meet your icons. Or people that you grow up watching. And sometimes you don't. It's not too late. You know. I can. No. You can still meet her. Still meet her. I think she did something on Empire maybe. Yeah. I just saw something on like Instagram with her. It's a small world. And Lee Daniels or something. But she is Hollywood royalty. Yeah. Yeah. And that's what you feel like around her. It's like wow. She's like amazing. You know. But anyway. Yeah. That was a big deal. That show was a big deal. And so I'm really happy for you. And I'm really. I'm really. I was just really, really excited to know that you were doing Luke Cage. And then. I have to say I was super excited when I saw you in Men in Black 3. I know that precedes Luke Cage. But when I saw you on the big screen in that particular role. Because again. I've worked with Will Smith. And so that's another connection that we have. Yeah. First of all. And I was like. One degree. One degree. Exactly. But you know. People. Okay. So I did. The way I worked with him was not on a big movie like you. But it was on a TV show that his wife did. Hawthorne. Yeah. And I'm going to be honest. People warned me. Oh my God. He's all over it. It's going to be hard. It's going to be hard. And you know. And before I went there. I was like. Wait a minute. First of all. One. He's Will Smith. Like he's one of my favorite actors. Yeah. Two. It's his wife's show. Yeah. So if he's all over it. It's because it's his wife. And he cares. Yeah. So what problem really am I going to have with that? Yeah. You know what I mean? And then I show up. And then I find someone who's so down to earth. Who's nothing but complimentary. Who doesn't get in my shit at all. Yeah. Who's just like. Oh I love the blocking. Like you know. Just. Isn't it funny. Amazing. And I'm like. Isn't it funny. It's inevitable. I've. I've had so many of the same. Similar experiences. Where people give you these. These notes about people. And you're just like. And honestly. It almost never turns out to be the way they promised. Or said it would be. And I'm not sure. Is it. Is it because. In this business. And I think of anything in life. You have to remember that. Everybody treats everybody differently. True. That being said. I've never really heard that. Or would expect that from him. But you just never know where this stuff comes from. Right. But you get the complete opposite. I mean he's just. You know. He's a great guy. I learned a lot from him. So I wanted to know. Like when. When you did that movie. Was it kind of like. So big that you were in and out. Or. No. I got a chance to spend some time. On set with him. And you know. Honestly. He's just a real. Genuine guy. And he also has. You know. A group of people around him. Who are very genuine. And I felt really at home. And you know. I had Josh Brolin on set. And he was really cool. And obviously. Barry. The director. Was awesome. We just. Everything felt like. It felt like we were just. Kind of at camp. Because most of the scenes. I was involved in. Were at the beach. Right. So we were at the beach a lot. And so we. You know. We were at a hotel. And we had to stay there. Because we were working. And we didn't have. We didn't have time to go back and forth. So it just really felt like. You know. A chance to just kind of connect. And I learned a lot from him. As a professional. I mean. He's. You know. Obviously. He's a big movie star. And when you watch people. How they have to deal with. A lot of pressure. A lot of expectation. A lot of things around them. You know. Talk about being number one. Number one. You know. It just gets worse and worse. You talk about the budgets and stuff. So he's. He's really. I think there's lessons to be learned. Yeah. About people that like. You know. Because for me. It can also work. Let's just say the flip side. Which is. I have naively gone in. I've been warned. Because you know. I do that thing. If you get like a job on a show. Or you're a guest on a show. Or something. Yeah. You kind of do your homework. Like. Hey. You want to call other actors. Or directors. Do you know anybody. Yeah. What to expect. What's up with these people. You're going to hear it. You don't even have to ask. As soon as you tell somebody you're on that job. Somebody's going to offer you. It's true. It's true. Some knowledge. Sometimes you got to seek out other directors. Sometimes. Because we're working a lot. You know. And sometimes we don't all get together. So. You know. I have also gotten. Like a job. And then heard like. Like terrible things. And then naively gone like. You know what. Just what you said. Everyone has their own experience. I'm not a jerk. I'm going to bring. You know. I know what I'm doing. Yeah. I'm just going to bring myself. And it'll be different for me. That's also another pothole. That's. Where it's like. That's bullshit. Yeah. That person's a jerk. Well. Expect the worst. I would say. Expect the worst. It's tricky right. Yeah. I expect the worst. Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best. You know. Brace yourself. Brace yourself. TV is all about politics. Oh yeah. All of it right. So I had to bring my picture. Awesome. I get that. My picture of Will. Will and me. I had to do it because I'm like. Am I ever going to have a chance to ever show anyone this picture. I know. You got to put it up somewhere. I have it at home. In a frame. In my office. But it was just mainly because it was that thing. Look. I started this thing because I'm like. I just want to talk about collaborative. There's a lot of egos in our business. There are. Yeah. And you're not one of those guys. You're like. I'm working on it. I'm working on it. I'm trying. I'm trying. You can't. You're just like a good person. I'm growing it. They say this business will ruin you. If you. If you know. Because you watch people sometimes. And I. People have created monsters. It's not like. It's not like it happened by themselves. A lot of people have been nurtured into creation. And so eventually they become a monster. Now that being said. I don't think you can. Can make something that wasn't essentially there. I mean you can put water on it. Exactly. And kind of like try to nurture it. But eventually. You're kind of. You are what you are. So. I hope to be the same person. Now that I. That I. You know. Will be. If I get any more successful. Or if I just maintain myself. I don't know. You know. I think I'll be the same person. Well when you watch like. Like the success of Hamilton. And I see Lin-Manuel Miranda. Like you know. In interviews and stuff. And I'm like. I keep seeing the same guy. From the beginning. To like now. And this and that. And I'm like. You know. I don't know him. Maybe he's just acting. But he is an actor. Maybe he's acting. You know. And you guys are really good at that stuff too. There's a lot of actors. Who people love. Because they see them on talk shows and stuff. But they are really jerks. I know. I know. It's true. They're such jerks. As soon as the camera stops rolling. They say cut. Another person. I know. I haven't met him. But I probably. I mean. He seems like a great guy. I would like to. I'm going to see the show. And then I'll go backstage. And I'll let you know. Oh you haven't seen the show yet. I've had two opportunities. But because I was filming. But you're Luke Cage. You have to see the show. I had to keep pulling. I keep having to say. I can't do it. So I'm. You know. Renee. Renee from The Good Wife. Of course. So she's. She's. Just got nominated for Tony. Renee Elise Goldsberry. Renee Elise Goldsberry. Superstar. Yeah. I started the public theater. I can't get tickets now. Oh yeah. Well she started there. She told me. When I was on the set of The Good Wife. She was developing this project. Yeah. She told me. It must have been at least a couple years now. Yeah. Yeah. She told me. And she seemed really excited about it. She said you got to come check it out. She was like it's totally different. Totally different. I know. And I was like really really. And of course I live in LA. And I just wasn't around. Yeah. You know. And she never told me. She never. I never heard back from her. I blamed her. I said you told me to come check it out in previews. But you didn't tell me. You didn't call me. You didn't give me any information. I know. I know. Here we go. She was busy. Busy. She's still doing a lot of Good Wife when she was starting that. Yeah. Yeah. She's really. Have you done theater? I've done theater. But I haven't done theater really since 2008. Are you interested in doing more theater? I am actually. The problem is if you're working a lot and you live in LA. And you're doing most of your work in New York. And you kind of have a bi-coastal life. And your family's on the west coast. You don't want to sign up for anything that's going to make you stay in New York even longer. Right. So it's just. It's not practical. Because otherwise I would never be in LA. Now how do you deal with that? Because I'm. You know. Again. Always seems like a very glamorous thing that we do to people outside. But you know. It's very hard. Yeah. And it definitely takes its toll. I don't even have children. You have an 11 month old at home. And just being away from my husband. We deal with this right now. Separation. As we speak. Yep. Getting. Re-integrating. Is like. Yeah. Horrific. Yeah. You know. I come in late last night. I walk in the house. There's no semblance of how I would have the house. Nope. In front of me. Nope. So I'm like. Immediately. The Tasmanian devil. So I'm like. Fuck this shit. I need a space that's clean. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like. Clutter. Your world is cluttered around. Your mind is cluttered. It's hard to focus. Right. But meanwhile. He's abandoned. Doing tax season. And like buried. With like the pipe. And the pool breaking. And the washer dryer break. You know. Like everything at once. All at once. Air conditioner guy doesn't show up. You know. One of those weeks. So that's what I walk into. So this is like reintegration time. This takes a few days. By the time it happens. And we're all lovey dovey. It's time to leave. Yeah. So how do you. How do you deal with that? It's. It's. More or less. It's pretty much like that. I mean. Except now. It was. It was like that. Before now. With the baby involved. It is. It's really hard. I mean. We have a nanny that helps out. Because my wife has a real job. And has a career. And she needs to. Also have her time to focus on her work. Which never seems to end. And you know. She works for Netflix. Oddly enough. Oh wow. And so she. She's always. You know. Doing stuff. At work. And at home. She's kind of. You know. 24-7. In a sense. I mean. It's not like doctor hours. Where someone calls you one in the morning. What does she do? She's a director of talent acquisitions. But it's not that kind of talent. That people would think. It's not actors. It's behind the scenes people. Oh wow. Production. And lawyers. And finance people. And you know. Studios. Yeah. So. She's. She's on the business side. On the business side. Got it. So I'm very proud of her. She works hard. But it's very difficult. Because when I took the job. Obviously. She was pregnant. And it was the plan. That I would be home. Working on Agent X. Which was filming in LA. Right. And this opportunity came up. And it was something that. I couldn't say no to. I had to explore it. And so we tried to make it work. And making it work. Meant me flying back every weekend. Pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. The only weekends I missed. Were the weekends where we had an event. Like one or two times. Where I had to like stay. Um. Or she would fly out. And stay for a couple weeks. And that way. I wouldn't have to fly out. And she would bring the baby with her. And. Or. And I'd fly out. Bring. And come back with her and the baby. And then fly back. It would. It was so. Oh my God. Yeah. It was just every weekend. I would work on. On Friday. As they call them. Get off at seven in the morning. And fly back. Um. To LA. Because you can't even really make a plan ahead. Because you don't know how late you're going to go on Friday night. No. But I'd always. So I'd always take that early morning flight. Oh my God. I'd talk to the first ADs. I'd let them know my situation. I'd kind of feel it out. And then I'd either take the 7 a.m. Or the 6 a.m. Or the 9 o'clock. And then I would be in LA sometime around. No. The afternoon. And then. I would spend the day. And try and stay as late as I could that night. Hopefully get a good night's sleep. And the baby wouldn't. If the baby were sleeping properly. Which. You didn't get a good night's sleep. Well luckily. It was weird. The baby would sleep. Pretty much consistently. When I was home. When I wasn't home. She would have to deal with. That's even more heartbreaking. Yeah. So. But then I'd fly back the next day. And come back to work on Monday. So. I did that for a long time. And I looked forward to those. So you would fly out on Sunday night? I'd fly out on Sunday night. Sometimes I would do. And they. They were okay with that. They didn't really. Oh that's Harry. Because you got weather situations. I know. I got lucky. I just kept doing it. I don't think. I don't think they were ever okay with it. But they were also understanding. That they couldn't stop me. Because there was really no way. For me to consistently. I couldn't keep my family. I could not see my kid. And my wife. For weeks at a time. Right. Especially with a little newborn. It's just not that simple. You can't throw money at every problem. No. And she can't leave her job. She's doing well. And you just lose. Netflix is busier than ever. So. And she's. You know. She's. She'll be stressed out. Right. I mean she's dealing with it by herself. I mean she didn't sign up to be a single mother. Right. And my kid would honestly not know who I was. When I walked through the door months later. So. We made an agreement. And that was part of the agreement. That I would commit to coming home. And it was. You know. It was taxing. But I got used to it. I slept on a plane. And I just had to deal with it. So now you're here. Mm-hmm. And. But you're doing a lot of press things. And stuff like that. Right. A little bit. But you're pretty much here. A little bit. A little bit of press stuff. That. My heavy press load doesn't start until. Closer to the fall. Okay. When the release of Luke Cage. Got it. Which is September 30th. That's going to probably start. About a few weeks prior to that. And start doing that global attack. Got it. Got it. And Defenders won't be all you. No. No. The four of us will be sharing. Sharing the load. So it won't be until Luke Cage season two. Which I'm going to put out to the universe. It's going to happen. Fingers crossed. Okay. So that's good. So you'll have a little time now. To like get on track. Yeah. I just like. You know. I'm like. Okay. I'm going to take the summer off. Mm-hmm. Because I want to. Develop things. I want to get my own show on there. I want to pitch. You know. All that. Yeah. Yeah. And then you know. Walking Dead comes along. Oh. And I'm like. Well. I can't say no to that. Well Atlanta is a tough shoot. That's a tough. Tough location. July. August. Oh. Yeah. Rough. Humidity. Bugs. Yeah. Reptiles. Yes. But I can't say no. You can't say no. I mean. It's a. So there's my summer. That's your summer right there. I know. How many do you have to do? I'm just doing one. Well that's going to take it. It's big though. Yeah. It's like. But I'm really excited. That's a month right there gone. I'll sweat. I'll just have a good time. No matter what. Oh. Well bring some bug spray. Yeah I will. Put your socks. Tuck your pants into your socks. Well last summer I was in Pittsburgh on a mountain. Oh. I know. It's like universal. I mean that's very common. Yeah. Certain kind of bugs. But I wasn't. It actually helped me. I did this show Outsiders. And we were up in the. Literally in the mountains. In the woods. And where there's things crawling on you. Like you're literally standing there talking to somebody. Something's on their shoulder. They just. You're just picking off. You're continuing the conversation. You just get to the point where you're just picking them off all the time. Oh. But it helped me with my fear of bugs. I guess so. I mean. You're focused on what you got to do. Oh. Wow. It's crazy right. So maybe that's going to happen. Maybe I'll take that a little deeper on Walking Dead. Or maybe you just get a suit that's like zipped up to the neck. Some people had that like mosquito thing going on. Like beekeeper. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So if you could do like any. Any role. Yeah. Like what's your fantasy of like doing a big movie. I don't fantasize. A character. Yeah. I don't fantasize about you know like big movies much. I fantasize about characters. Certain things that I want to do to stretch myself as an actor. I want to do. I want to get back to doing stage. And I want to do some Shakespeare. I want to do. I'd like to do. Still. I have a dream to do the Jack Johnson story. The first black heavyweight. Nice. You know. To ever win the belt. And to. His life is really more. More fascinating than his. His dealings in the ring. Because people don't know a lot about him. But he had like. Yeah. But I have something I want to. We don't have to get into it now. But we could. Well I have a story that I want to tell. I want to get the rights to this guy. And I want to tell this story. Yeah. Of Dewey Bozella. Do you know him? No. Oh dude. We're going to talk. Okay. Because I was thinking. I was thinking about you. Oh wow. For this part. And it's this incredible story. Of this guy. Who was wrongly accused. Went to prison. For 26 years. Didn't do the crime. Of like beating and killing a 92 year old woman. And this was a long time ago. Right? No. No? No. Not that long ago. Forensics was around. Yeah. Well. It's. He's. What is he now? He's in his 50s now. So he spent 26. You know. 26 years he was in jail. Okay. So. Anyway. He. He ended up meeting this woman in jail. Who works in the prison. They got married. She always believed in him. He was always innocent. He went up three times. You know. Whatever. Finally he gets out. Now his dream. And he boxed a little while he was in prison. But his dream. Was to be a boxer. When he was a kid. That's all he wanted to do. Wow. So once he got out. He ended up. He ended up. Boxing. And he ended up being. He's the oldest guy. To ever professionally box. That almost sounded like a hurricane. And he won. Is that not the hurricane? He won. He won. No. No. It's not. This guy. It's just in 2011. He won. This isn't even old. He just. Wow. This is current. Current. Wow. He does inspirational things. Speeches. Now. You know that ESPN 30 by 30. 30 for 30. 30 for 30. Yeah. It's on one of those. And I was like. I haven't seen. I love those. It's not one. You'd be perfect for this guy. Not one I haven't seen. I just saw the one with Shaq and Penny. Which I like. I like all of them. They're so well made. But this guy's story is like. You know. It's just about perseverance man. It's just like. No matter what the world. I know. You just. And you know what. Some people. And this business is like that. Like. You know. Some people have been in it for so long. And older actors. And you're like. I get so much inspiration from them. Because I'm like. How do you survive this bullshit. For like. 40 years. You don't know anything else. Yeah. I don't think anybody. Who's an old actor. An old veteran guy. Who's been in this business for a long time. Paying their dues. I don't think they have other options. You can't. I mean. Sure. You make ends meet. Maybe some of them have day jobs. Some of them grind. Doing different things. But I don't think. They actually know anything else. If you could do anything else. You would. I got. Right. You know. I got people who I know. Who really. Really want to be actors. And I talk to them all the time. But they have really serious day jobs. Right. And they are passionate about acting. But they have really serious day jobs. That they went to school for. And they. You know. They committed a certain part of their life. To doing that. And there's nothing wrong with that. But it's like. It's not. It's being an actor. It's kind of like. Being. I don't know. A bodybuilder. Which is really weird. Or being. I guess a basketball player. Or a football player. Somebody who. Because you have to do the thing. That you're trying to do. Over and over. And over and over. Until it becomes second nature to you. And. If you spend time doing anything else. You can't spend the same amount of time. Doing that. Right. So you can't be. You can't be a master of too many things. You can be. You know. You can be a jack of all trades. But you can't master them. All. You know. So. When did you know you wanted to be an actor? Since I was like eight years old. How did you know that? I was. I think I got the bug. When. I think I got the bug. When I was watching. What was it? I was watching. Soldiers. A soldier's story. On HBO. HBO had come around. Early 80s. And that was like my. My window to the world. Because I didn't go out a lot. My. I lived in a rural. Small town. In South Carolina. So I didn't get a chance to go to movies a lot. Right. My mom didn't take me out. I saw like two movies. Growing up. That was. The last dragon. Or. Yeah. The last dragon. With Bruce Leroy. And then there. There was the golden child. So. And those are like the two movies. I saw for a while. Until I got a chance to drive. And take myself. Right. So I was pretty much staying in the house. Golden child is. Eddie Murphy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love him. I know. It's so funny. That guy's on. Game of Thrones now. But that's. You know. It's so funny now. Like. That's the guy. So. It's weird. So. Seeing. A soldier's story. Was something. Because it was a lot of African American guys. In that. In that movie. That's a great movie. Had won. I think it got nominated for an Oscar. I think it was. Norman Jewison. Was director. I think. I believe so. Yep. And. And Denzel was in it. And. And. And. And Howard Rollins. Yeah. It was just a great. Yeah. It was. It was. You know. It was a great year for movies. Agnes of God. So many good movies. I remember watching that. I'm a movie buff. Because I watched pretty much everything from the 70s. Into the 80s. And the 90s. And I remember watching that movie. And I said. Everybody in this movie is so really. So good. And I said to myself. You know. I really think I could do that. I really think I could do that. And my mom had wanted to be an actress. But she couldn't pursue her dream. Because her dad. You know. Wasn't supportive of it. And she wanted to go to New York. And when she went to New York. Oh she was. She went there for like a month or so. And her mother got really really sick. And she had to come back home. And help take care of the. You know. Family. Oh wow. And her mother ended up dying. Oh wow. And she never returned. And went back to New York. So. I always felt like. It was something that she wanted to do. And I felt like somehow. I mean. I was very passionate about it. But somehow. She's coming through me. In a sense. I was. I was. You know. I had to carry this. Well she was very supportive of you. I'm sure. She was. She understood where you were coming from. She was. No one ever told me no. It was the oddest thing. I mean. I have had to manufacture chips on my shoulder. My whole life. No one's ever told me. I couldn't do something. It's really annoying. I'm always looking for somebody to say no. And butt up against me. And say I can't do things. And yeah. Going through school. And my family. Everyone was supportive. So. Right. Right. So what kind of shit did you make up? To like throw roadblocks in your way. Come on. I want to know. No. If I tell you. Then it won't work. See. These are petty things that people would go. Really? No. But no. Really? Honestly. Slides along the way. Most of the slides came along. Probably in grad school. Because that's where. That's where I really felt. Met adversity for the first time. Right. I kind of had an easy ride up until that point. And in grad school. I kind of got picked on. Because I was. You know. The youngest in the class. And I think. You know. I wasn't as serious as the other people. Who had been out and about in the world. Had tried acting. A little bit. Done some New York theater. And come in. And wanted to still be actors. And everyone was much more focused than I was. I was still. Yeah. I was 22. Right. Everyone was. I was coming in. This undergrad thing of. You know. Party. Party a little bit. And I'll get some work done. Yeah. Yeah. But I wasn't. I didn't realize how much work I had to do. To study the technique. And how to. And rehearsals. And everything else. And just controlling my instrument. So I was just not ready for it. So I came in on a. You know. And some people called you on that shit. Oh yeah. They called me on it. Most. Most people that called me on it were. Were. The faculty. And rightly so. And I. I thank them to this day. Because. You know. They called me on it. But they also gave me a chance to continue on. The second season. Second year. Instead of. Instead of kicking me out. Right. Because I don't know where I would have been. Right. But I was called. But my classmates. Obviously. They. They focused on me too. And I was really. I was really. I kind of. I kind of took that personal. Because. I looked at those. People who were in my class. Some of them. And who had. You know. I was like. Well. You know. You guys. Have been out and tried it. And you failed. Right. I haven't tried it yet. Right. So you're coming back after trying it. And. And. And you think because you tried it the wrong way. Now you're going to get. So. I had my own. I had my own. Right. Right. You had your own narrative. I had my own narrative about my own life. And I think that they. That's key. That's key. So I. It was me. It was me against the world. That's how I looked at it. I've always had that narrative about my life as a director too. Yeah. It doesn't matter. Like whatever anybody's doing. Female director. This. That. Doesn't matter. I'm from New Hampshire. My dad was a bookie. I don't know anyone in the entertainment industry. Yeah. That's it. It's like you. You're. You're meant to do something. You know it. And it's what you said. It's like. Well. I know I could do other jobs. Yeah. But there was really nothing else I'm going to be doing. Yeah. It's like not a question. There's nothing else that I could get up in the morning and. And do. I couldn't. I couldn't get myself to do anything else. Besides this. No. So what are some of the. What are some. Like. Is there like an experience. That you. Had collaborating. That you could think of. That. Is just like. It was like the best collaboration. Wow. You know. I think. I think. You know. Going back to. I think. I guess with. I guess with. I guess. Staying. Staying with. The theme. Soldiers story. I did the soldiers. I did the soldiers play. As a. As a. Theater piece. Back in 2005. It was a revival of this. Of this. Of this movie. Which was first to play. And. And. And. Charles Fuller. Who wrote it. And got. Got a Pulitzer for it. In the early 80s. Came. Came. And he's. I think he teaches at Temple still. But he came. And he was there for the productions. Revival. And. A lot of up and coming. Young black actors were involved in it. Some of them. Who I'm still friends with to this day. But it was a big. Deal. Because. You know. For me. I was. I was. I was really. On the edge of. You know. I'd done Million Dollar Baby. Which I got an Oscar. But. I was a small role. And I was trying to figure out. You know. I'm always thinking about. What's next. And when. For me. I never. When I think about what's next. I never think about. Something that. Resembles what I've already done. Right. So I'm really. Concerned about. My career. Because. Every time I do something. I go. That's great. But what else can I do. That's not that. And that's not how this business works. Right. You usually get offered. Or you get put in line for things. That are similar to what you've already done. Right. So. That being said. I got this. A chance to work with Joe Bonney. Who's a female director. In the theater world. Her husband Eric Boghossian. Very. Collaborative. Couple. I was auditioning. I remember. The role I auditioned for. Was CJ. Memphis. Who was the character. The blues player. Who played the guitar. And was a guy. You know. Spoiler alert. Who. Killed himself in prison. Because. They threw him in there. Because. Something that he didn't do. And it was. It was a really depressing thing. Because the Sarge. Had a real hate for him. Racially driven hate. And just self-loathing. So it was. It was a really pitiful character. I would say. For what people. You know. How people would perceive him. So anyway. When that. When that role was available. I immediately heard about it. And they had been looking for the role for a while. And they couldn't find anybody. And I said. That's me. I can do this role. That's. That's something I can. I can really connect to. And you can play guitar. No. I couldn't play guitar. Okay. That was the other thing. So that's the other thing. Did you tell him you could? I had to tell him I couldn't. Because. Because I was the only guy that walked in the audition. To all these people. I didn't have a guitar. Everybody's outside. Tuning their guitars. They're in the waiting. Waiting area. You know. They're playing away. Warming up. Singing and stuff. I got no guitar. I come in. And I'm like. You know. It's just. When I think about it. It was insane. And I still try to figure out. How they. How they gave me the chance to do it. I just couldn't figure it out. But you know. I was definitely. Passionate about it. But I was also determined. And certain. That I could do the role. And I think sometimes. When you're certain. And you're. Really focused. And you know. You have to do the work. You give the good audition. You know. We talked about it. I did have to sing. An acapella piece for them. So they could hear that. But I could sing or not. Hold a tune. And we talked about the guitar thing. And just. We had a real. You know. Moment where. You know. Can you. Can you pull this off. I mean. We have this much time. And this is what you have to do. Do you think you can do it. And I had to. I had to bullshit them. Yeah. I had to tell them. It wasn't bullshit. At the moment. At the moment. I believed it. Yeah. Of course. I said. Hey. Sure. You know. I have dexterity in my fingers. Of course. My family's musical. I can pull this off. I work really hard. I'm going to get this done. I'm not going to fail you. You're focused. You're hard working. And you want it. So Joe Bonney sat across the table. She asked me that. And I said. Sure. And I cannot tell you. I'm sure the people standing. Sitting next to her. The producers. And people who were involved. Were looking at her. Probably thinking. Are you crazy? And sure enough. We get the first day of rehearsal. And again. I'm not. I'm not playing guitar. By now. I got a guitar. Not playing it. So we're doing a read through. The part's coming. I'm not supposed to play. I got nothing. I mean. I'm picking notes. I am. And people are looking at me. Like. Oh my God. Are you kidding me? We open in. You know. In less than two months. We open in six weeks. And. And. And you don't know how to play. At all. We. This is just. This is just unheard of. So. We had a professional come in. Who helped me train. I worked my butt off. I mean. I played. Guitar. And hammered away on those chords. All day. All night. Your fingers. I had it all. I had. They were sore. They had the calluses on my finger. I was making such horrible music. For so long. In my room. In the car. I would. I was with my wife. I would be. Any. Anywhere I could pull the guitar out. I was working on it. And it was. It was progressing. But not at a. At a fast pace. So I was just. I think probably a week before we opened. Maybe less than a week. It. It. It finally clicked in. Because I had to sing and play at the same time. Not to mention the character. Working on. I was. I felt like I was working twice as hard as everybody else. Because I had to do the character. But I was also trying to. Yeah. Play and sing as if I had been doing it for years. So. You know. But it was. It was a sink or swim moment. If I didn't do that. I don't think I would have had a career. Because everybody in New York. I mean. Once people saw. The casting directors. The people in New York. Who watch plays. When they saw it. I got a lot more opportunities. Because we had great reviews. And if I didn't do well. I think it would have. Would have. Kind of. Right. Been a bad moment for me. It would have been bad. Yeah. Have you played the guitar since? Nope. I played. I played. I played. You know. It's funny. I thought I would. I thought I would have picked it up. And kept going. But I just. Nope. I dropped it. But you know what. It was all about that character. I know I can do it. And I said. You know what. If I had to do it again. I can do it. So that was a good collaboration. About a director believing in you. Believing in me. And just. And just. And just. Really. You know. And I've always had. You know. Great relationships with female directors. I have always. You know. Gravitated towards female directors. There's a nurturing thing there. There's something that. They don't. They don't. Usually. Not all of them are the same. But they don't lead with a hammer. Right. Right. Come across with a little more. You know. Subtlety. And that helps a lot. Right. You know. They don't have to. You know. Try to. I have a theory about that. I think it's. I think it's because we're. Because you talk about confidence. Basically that's what you're talking about. Yeah. You like had the confidence. And people bought into it. Yeah. So I feel like. You know. As females. I feel like we have a lot of confidence. And so we don't have to act. Like pirates. Yeah. Because we just know. And we've had to like work. And be a part of. And also. Again. It's like. That's why this podcast. Collaborating. What I love. Is like. Working with other people. And then. As you're having the conversation. As you're talking about. As you're throwing ideas out there. Something else comes. Yeah. And it's like. You know. It can be very challenging sometimes. When people. Let fear get in the way. Fear is. Particularly. When it comes to being on set. Yeah. Because on set. There's so many things happening at one time. And there's so many. You know. People involved with ideas. And there's so many. There's so many. There's so many. There's so many. There's so many. There's so many. What I love. About production. Like. Love. Love. And what I love. About my job. Is that I get to watch. A lot of individuals. Say. A hundred people. At a time. Right. All owning their piece. Whether it's making sure. This prop. Is in the right place. And the level of water. Is there. The tie is straight. Yeah. Whether it's. You know. The lighting guy. Where the flag is up. Like. Everyone is owning. A detail. Of what's going into that frame. Yeah. And. And of course. The actors. Are owning their character. And they're part of the story. And me. I get to like. Watch. Everyone doing their thing. And try to just tell one story. With it. You know what I mean. And. And. You know. That's. To not. Honor that. And observe that. And to go in. And just be like. Yo. This is. Da da da da da. I see people's spirits. I see them close up. Yeah. I see them get smaller. I don't see them open up. And like. Have a good idea. Yeah. I'll take a good idea. From anybody. That's the thing about. As a director. You. You have the. The. The carte blanche. You have the power. You could go. In any department. And. And just. Move stuff around. And it's. It's. It's. It's. It can be done. It's up to you. How you use that power. Right. It's so much fun. Yeah. But I mean. That's the real fun. Yeah. It is. And I. I love. I love. Well. Going back to. So. You said. I'd be number one. And so. Being. The. The. Leading cage. I finally. I finally got a chance to. I guess. Impose. My. My approach. And my. Aura. Or my. My. My. My personal. Desire. Of. Of what I felt. This. This. This experience. Should be like. On set. And for me. It's always. It always comes back. To. Everyone should feel. Comfortable enough. To do. Whatever it is that they. Are there to do. And not feel like. The minute they do something wrong. They're going to get fired. Right. They. Should be no fear. Right. On set. If you're operating from a place of fear. It's no good. No. And. And you know. You're not going to look forward to going to work. You're not going to look forward to. Participating with this other person. And it goes. Everyone. The boom guy. The camera guy. The. The props guy. Everyone needs to feel. Like. They can. Open their mouth. And say something. Whether we actually use that idea. Or not. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. But that's interesting. Because. I think. You know. Like I've watched. Julianna Margulies. As number. One. Like set the tone for the show. Yeah. Set the tone. For how people behave on set. You know. Professional. Know your lines. Yeah. You know. Do your job. Yeah. And then honor. The crew. The camera. You know. Realize that people around you. Are working like. Harder than you. Almost. You know what I mean. But just honor. That everyone's busting their ass. I learned a lot from her. She was. She's amazing. She was very. Very. Professional. And you know. And she's a different. Different approach. Because you know. Like her. Versus like Will. You know. Will. You talk about him being number one. You know. Or like Kevin Bacon. And people I've been around. Like. There's a lot of energy sometimes. That goes into being number one. That's not. Actually. You know. Energy you expel. In front of the camera. You know. People around you. It's energy. People take energy away from you. Because after the scene. You're still. You're still there. To kind of. Still be available for people. Because people need stuff from you. At all times. As you know. There's always something. That you need to do. Besides. The work that you're being paid to do. Right. It's always. It's the costume fitting. There's another interview. That in between this. This take. You have to go over here. You have to be here. You have to go put your face in a mold. For another hour. Yeah. You have to. You know. Someone wants to. You know. Have your ear for a minute. To talk about something. Or even just wardrobe questions. Just wardrobe questions. You're going to wear the belt in the scene. You're not going to wear the belt. Like. Not every day. You want to. You want to have that go on. I know. And you know. Especially when you're trying to prep. For an intense scene or something. Most of the times. I've seen actors. They just. They just. They want to. They snap at them. Or they get really. Irritated. Or irritable. And stuff like that. And you know. It's. It's tough. I. You know. It's tough. But I always feel like. When you. When you watch. A way. The way. People treat people. It kind of. It does. It does have a ripple effect. Because. If you treat. I don't care who it is. It could be a producer. Who's on equal terms. And say. You know. You guys are eye to eye. It's not like. You know. You could fire him. He could fire you. Whatever. Right. You're talking to each other. You're talking to each other. People watch how you behave. If you make him feel like. I don't know what. He's going to walk around. And make somebody else feel that way. That's just the way it is. It's a trickle down thing. I don't feel good about. The way. I. I. I feel about. You know. The person that you've talked to. Feels about this small. And then therefore. They have to go and make someone else feel that small. And it's. It's innate. It's something that's a reaction. They don't plan on doing it. Yeah. They just feel bad. Now they want to feel better. Yeah. Sometimes they go and make someone else feel bad. Yeah. Somebody's angry at them. Angry at them. So then they're going to pass on that anger. Yeah. They don't. They can't get an answer. They're stressed. You ask them for something. They. They stonewall you now. Because they're not getting information. They don't get information. And you can't have information. It's a trick. It's a ripple effect. So you don't want that. I mean. I don't want that. I know the people. You know. The crew and stuff from Luke Cage. Or from Jessica Jones. Yeah. For the large part. But also. You know. It's a different group of actors. Yeah. And so you. You set the tone. I think it's cool. And this is what I'm talking about. You being a good. A good person. Because. You go into that. With the concern. Of other people. Yeah. Everybody. Not with like. Oh. Well now I'm Luke Cage. So I can do shit my way. And da da da da. And everyone's here for me. Yeah. Yeah. Which is what some people will do. Yeah. Some people. I mean. You know who's number one. On some sets you walk on. There's no question. Who's number one. Right. Because they make you. They let you know about it. Every five minutes. But do you. But I can. Really respect. That you. You know. Want to set a tone. And that you want that kind of environment. So what do you do. In that kind of environment. And I'm not looking for specifics. But. Is. If there's a director that comes in. Or. A day player that comes in. Yeah. That is a bit of a jerk. Or isn't treating. You know. Sometimes directors. Guest directors will show up. And really. They'll know who to be nice to. Oh yeah. Yeah. And they will know who to. Like. They don't care. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They don't want to know that guy's name. They don't want. So how do you. How do you deal with that? Then I. That. For me. I. I try to do subtle things. That. That. You know. There have been times when. Directors. First ADs. I pulled them aside. And said. You know. You. You. You. You. You. You aren't so nice. Just now. And. And. It doesn't look nice. Like. Like. Like. You know. I'll call them on their shit. Because I feel like. Sometimes. You know. And it. And it happens a lot with. You know. Sometimes the first ADs. And stuff like that. Because they're having. They're. They're under the gun. You know. They're under a lot of pressure. And sometimes. It's just like. They don't have the time. Or patience. To speak. Kind words. Or just to be. Patient. Or just to. Say what it is. That they're trying to say. To. The smallest of people on set. I'm talking about background. It's just. It's. It's. There are people on set. That. Literally. They could be smashed. With. A backhand. And. Be pushed away. And no one would even notice. They're gone. And no one would care. And. You know. And that's. And they're. But those people are there. Because they really want to be there. Right. You know. They're. They're as passionate about. They're so happy to be in the frame. When I say in the frame. They're just barely in the frame. Well. The frame is empty. Without them. Yeah. It doesn't look like real life. Without the background people. We're asking them to fill the background with life. And to not make it. Not to draw attention to themselves. But at the same time. But they still have to react. Yeah. And at the same time. If an eye glance comes over there. Right. For it to be real. Subtle and real. Right. And authentic. Right. And sometimes you. As a director. You know. You can pull up a frame. And you want to actually get a shot of. A certain couple. Doing something. And you know. They're. They're there all day. And we know that sometimes. They're tired. They're not actually laying on a trailer. They're not hanging out with. Right. No one's. No one's asking them. Hey. Are you thirsty? They don't get their own space to hang out in. No. They don't. No one's asking them. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? You know. When they get the craft services. When they get the craft service. Right. I mean. Sometimes. You know. They're the last person to go. I need a bathroom break. Because they're afraid to ask. Right. So. They eat lunch after we all eat lunch. Which is. You know. I mean. It's always weird. It should almost. To me. It should just be a separate table for them. And have the same exact thing. I know. I don't get that. I know. It drives me. So. But I guess it's for another day. But I. I talk to all the background. I talk to all the people. I talk to all. Every. Everyone. Like we shoot outside at night. And it's cold. Three in the morning. They're standing out there. I. Between takes. Even if I'm not on set sometimes. If I'm just in the video village. Or wherever I am. I walk around. And I. You know. I mingle with the people. Who are like. Not even. You know. Right. They're so not. That means a lot to them. They're there. For. For that. I know. Because they don't get anything else. I know. And sometimes they want a picture. And I give them one. Right. Because they don't. They don't. They don't. It's all they're going to get. Right. They don't have. They're not getting paid very well. They're not getting a good meal. They're not getting a ride home even. Some of them. They're not getting holiday pay. They're not getting the benefits that we get. It's just. So. I look at that from. So when I see people who treat them badly. I. I. I cringe. You want to say something to them. And I have to say something to them. Because otherwise. Good for you. You know. It's not. It's just. Because that person is going to walk away feeling like that. From. From. From my set. That's how I feel. Like. It's like. I don't call this my show all the time. It's not. I don't say. It's my show. No. But I love that. I love that you take responsibility. Yeah. And that you're trying to be professional. Yeah. And I think that's beautiful. Yeah. I really do. I think that's amazing. Yeah. I think that. That's. See. I mean. Listen. It's a slippery slope. I've gotten caught in places where. I can't. You know. I've. I've made conversations with people. I can't get away from. Because now I have to do my job. And. And. And. And. And. And they want so much from you. But I. I'll see those people probably. I'll see those people out. Out and about the streets. Or I'll see them in another show. And they'll remind me of. How we met. Right. And how I know them. Right. And all this other stuff. And people. This is a small business. But also. I've gotten better at. Navigating that too. Yeah. Where it's like. When I really can't focus on them. I always say thank you. I say hey. Hey. Whatever. You know. I don't have time right now. I gotta move on. I'm just. You just have to talk to me. I don't think as a director. You really can. I think. I think for me. I'm in a better position to do that. Than you. Because you're. You're. You have to think about all kinds of things. It depends. If it's. If it's. If it's. Look. When. When a background is really good. Just using background as. As an example. I will take note of that person. I do pay attention to who's there. Because I don't want some. My eye going to the wrong person in the frame. Yeah. So I do pay attention to all those people. And when they give those good reactions. Oh yeah. I. I make sure to tell the second. You know like. Like in a jury. You know. I tell the second. Second. Who's usually the one on set. You know. Doing. Dealing with background. I make sure to tell them. Hey that person is great. Yeah maybe. Like you know. Like let's just. Make sure you use them again. Certainly on The Good Wife. Because I was there so much. You get to know certain people. Yeah. But it is tricky. Because sometimes. You're like. You know. You can open a door. And then they'll just run through. Run through it. And then you're getting head shots. And you're getting this and that. I know. So sometimes. You know. And I really. I'm just honest. I'm just like. Look. I can take it. But I'm not going to remember. Oh yeah. That's all you can do. I mean I don't know what to do with it. That's all you can do. I mean. People give me. People give me videos. DVDs. People give me scripts all the time. I try to read their scripts. And I'm like. And now I just say. You know what. Give me like six months. Eventually I'll get to it. Yeah. But it's hard. That gives you some lead time at least. Yeah. You know. It's. It's. Yeah. I'm honest. I refer them. Because I say. Listen. I'm only on this business. Because I have a hard agent. A hard working agent. And people that work for me. And without them. I don't know. I'm not. I'm not the kind of person. That would have been able to do it on my own. I'm not a self starter. I'm. I need professionals. To do certain things around me. Because that's what they're good at. That's nice. I'd rather give them a cut. And pay them to do those things. So I say. Listen. I would love to help you. But honestly. All I can do for you. Is just give you advice. That's all I can do. But I love. So you love collaborating. You feel it's a collaboration. With your agent. And your managers. Absolutely. Absolutely. I. There is. I mean. And. You know. That's good. I often talk to them. And question things that we do. Or say. And stuff like that. Because it is a collaboration. And let's be honest. When you're. When you're paying people around you. You want to make sure. That everybody's got something. To bring to the table. Because it's easy. To get very lazy in this business. And. And I also want to be challenged. So sometimes. I need to make sure. That I'm. I'm on edge. So I try to figure out. How to make sure. That I'm not falling asleep. On the way. At the wheel. You know. Well I'm a self starter. So that's always. That's the piece. We could have a whole other conversation. But I definitely need your advice. About that. Because it's a piece. I'm always. Struggling with this stuff. Yeah. The representation. Is always tricky for me. Yeah. You know what I mean. Because I'm. Yeah. I take responsibility. And I'm a hustler. So. It's all good. It's all good. So. Before we go. We have like. Three minutes left. Oh my God. I know that's crazy. It goes really really fast. Right. But before we go. Tell. Tell everybody. You know. What you have coming up. Or whatever you want to tell them. Tell them. Okay. Well listen. I mean obviously. The word's out. Luke Cage is coming out September. Obviously the word's out. Luke Cage is coming out September 30th. There's a small teaser out right now. If you haven't seen Jessica Jones. Please. Watch Jessica Jones. You directed episode. Ten. Ten. Ten. Ten. Ten. A.K.A. One thousand cuts. A.K.A. One thousand cuts. Listen. It's. You don't have to watch Jessica Jones. To watch Luke Cage. But I really would encourage you to do so. It's all wrapped up. Right now. I don't know what I'm going to do next. Because. I just need a break. So I'm not promoting anything. I'm not trying to pump anything. Are you doing anything? Are you doing any of the social media stuff? I don't do social media. This is. This is. This is something I do not participate in. We're so lucky you're here. Yeah. I'd rather come out and talk to people. And if I. If I want to talk to you. I'd rather get your phone number. And actually talk to people. I'm not. I'm not one to. Well next time we could do a live podcast. We'll do a live podcast. Where they could call in. Okay. Yeah. That's even better. That would be totally fun. Yeah. Once it comes out. Maybe in September. In the fall. You'll come back. We'll have it live. Yep. And people can do that. Because this is really a collaboration right here. Yeah. Because people are listening. You know what I mean? And we're going to. We're going to know what they have to say. And they can comment online. And you know. This is our unique kind of collaboration. We'll do it the old fashioned way. Yeah. We'll do it with the phone calls. I like that part. I like that part. So do you think. This is a quick question. Do you think that movies. I love that you watch movies by the way. I'm a huge 70s movie person. I'm a big movie person. So do you think that movies have the power to change us? I think that movies have the power to at the very least. Make us hold a mirror up to our lives. And to actually acknowledge things. Whether it actually. Because sometimes they linger. And it really does have a lasting effect. The problem is. Sometimes people again fail to act on those impulses. Because you know. Here we are talking about this current epidemic again. People talk about diversity. And I always say it never goes away. It's just you know. Another form. Every 10 years something else changes. We have another show. It's always been there. So I just feel like you know. You know. Movies. And television. Especially now. I feel like television is kind of taking the lead. I feel like it has a chance to inspire people to do things. But ultimately they have to act on them. And I don't think. I don't think the therapeutic thing that we have. After we watch a great movie. Or a great television series. And we really don't want it to end. And we are so caught up in it. I don't think that's enough. And I think that you know. You know again. It's fiction. Sometimes we're getting our stuff from real life. And life is stranger than fiction. You've always heard that. I think we have to. Life has to start influencing film. As opposed to the other way around. We have to start being like. My thing about Luke Cage. I hope Luke Cage influences people to be their own heroes. We don't want to. I don't want them to sit there and watch Luke Cage. I want you to be inspired to do the things. That you can do in your community. To be a hero. You know. You should have a little bit of Luke Cage in you. So don't just sit back and put your feet up. And then go back and do the same thing you were doing before. You know. Make change. Yeah make change. I love that. Yeah. That's awesome. See you're so inspiring. You're just a good guy. Good person. That's from the heart. So thank you. And thank you for coming here. Because everyone that would be Luke Cage. Would not show up. Well look. For a little director like me. So I really appreciate it. Me and you go way back. We do. Don't you start. Dude. I'm telling you. Dewey Bozzella. We're going to make it happen. Alright. Okay good. And you can find me. I am on social media. On Facebook. Rosemary Rodriguez. And on Twitter. On Instagram. At Rosemary Directs. Which is a cool way to like. You know. I just feel grateful. Like when I get beat down by the business. And I'm posting pictures of me with this one. That one. I'm like. Fuck man. I really love what I do. Sometimes. You know. Yeah. And the fans can connect with you. It's really fun. Keep you lifted up. They notice shots. They notice things. And I'm like. Wow. It is like having a fan club. But you know. Anyway. Holy. So I have a movie. Silver Skies. Get on Silver Skies. The movie Facebook page. Share the page. Like the page. And remember. You know. Thank you guys for listening. Collaborating. And just keep collaborating in your lives as well. Inspire change. And collaborate. Listen to those around you. Absolutely. Have a good one. Come on people. It's time to live it up. That's right. Live it up. Live it up. Come on people now. Live it up. Go together now. Live it up. This together. Come on people. Let's live it up. Boom.