Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Yo, it's effective immediately. I'm DJ Head.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: What up, Hip Hop Nation? It's your favorite homegirl, Gina Views.
[00:00:08] Speaker A: Special guest in the studio. Many titles, many hats.
Brandon J. McLaren is here.
And, bro, we were just talking about it. Our phones. I want to start there real quick. I just put my phone on the side of. You just put yours. Now you say you're that guy where your phone rings during the most inappropriate times. You being a thespian of sorts. Have you ever had a mishap on set?
[00:00:33] Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
[00:00:34] Speaker A: Where your phone ring or.
[00:00:36] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, like.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: And you fucked the scene up?
[00:00:38] Speaker C: I forgot. Nah. Cause I'll just, like, keep going like it's somebody else's phone.
[00:00:43] Speaker B: Did you play it off?
[00:00:44] Speaker A: Yeah. You act like it wasn't your shit.
[00:00:46] Speaker C: Yeah, I just keep talking and then be like.
And then be like, look around. And then be like, I saw a good guy. Just keep it moving. Let's keep it moving. That's my move.
[00:00:55] Speaker A: Oh, nah, you tripping.
[00:00:56] Speaker B: I just saw on Twitter, I don't know how accurate it is, but they say that the phone call on Rush Hour 2 where Chris Tucker's arguing with.
[00:01:05] Speaker A: His mom, with his mom, was a.
[00:01:06] Speaker C: Real call, and they just left the camera on.
[00:01:09] Speaker A: It was Money Talks.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: Money Talks. Money Talks.
[00:01:10] Speaker A: It was on Money Talks with.
[00:01:11] Speaker C: I also, like, a pocket dialer, like a.
[00:01:13] Speaker A: Like, you don't believe in locking your phone.
[00:01:16] Speaker C: That's what everybody tells me.
[00:01:17] Speaker B: You don't have a password. I do.
[00:01:19] Speaker C: I do. But, like, you have to press the button to lock it, and that's.
Sometimes you just slide it right in.
[00:01:24] Speaker A: So you go.
He's funny. So you go to. You go on set to film whatever you're filming with your own personal mobile device in your pocket.
[00:01:36] Speaker C: Not typically. Typically I'll leave it on my chair, on my set chair before I'll go and shoot something. But, you know, nobody bats a thousand.
[00:01:45] Speaker B: What's been the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you on set?
[00:01:50] Speaker C: Embarrassing thing.
I mean, I.
I didn't.
This is, like, very early on in my career. I don't tell this to a lot of people, but we're here. I didn't get invited back. The next day, they were like, we think we're good.
After, like, the first day, they cut me out. The movie.
[00:02:07] Speaker A: What?
[00:02:08] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:02:09] Speaker A: What movie?
[00:02:10] Speaker C: I can't remember the name, but it was. I had a. I had a scene. I had a scene with Al Pacino.
[00:02:16] Speaker A: Okay. Who was in the movie? Al Pacino.
[00:02:17] Speaker C: And I had one line.
I had one line in the Scene with Al Pacino. But, like, every time Al Pacino does a take, he just says something completely different.
So you don't know when to come in. So I was just like, well, yo, this must have been, like, 20 years ago. So I was like, you know what, man? Like, they hired me to do a job.
I'm gonna say my line.
And I kept, like, stepping on albums.
[00:02:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:02:41] Speaker C: And the director was like, brandon, they're.
[00:02:42] Speaker A: Like, yo, you can't step out.
[00:02:44] Speaker C: But then I was like, well, then what am I supposed to do?
[00:02:46] Speaker B: When do I jump in?
[00:02:47] Speaker C: Yeah, right. I don't know. So then. So I think, like, after the fourth dick, he's like, I think we're good. And then.
And then I was waiting for, like, my call sheet for the next day, and they didn't send it.
[00:02:59] Speaker A: They didn't send the call sheet.
[00:03:00] Speaker B: What was your line?
[00:03:03] Speaker C: So the scene was, Al Pacino was walking with a phone, and it, like, it starts to smoke, and, like, he dropped it on the ground and the phone explodes.
And I was. I think my line was something like, you need a new cell phone plan or something like that.
So that's probably the most embarrassing.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: Who else was in the movie?
[00:03:22] Speaker C: It was Al. I forget Al. And it was Al Pacino. It was, like, set in, like, a university in Seattle or something.
[00:03:27] Speaker A: Gotcha.
[00:03:28] Speaker B: So we gotta find a movie I can follow.
[00:03:30] Speaker C: I mean, I'm not in the movie, y'. All.
[00:03:32] Speaker A: No, I know that. But I wanna know you picked up that part.
I wanna know how you fucked it up.
[00:03:36] Speaker C: So that was pretty embarrassing. But I was. You know what I mean? My intentions were good. I was like, I'm gonna. I gotta. I'm not gonna come here and just, like, take y' all money and not say nothing.
[00:03:44] Speaker B: Right.
[00:03:44] Speaker C: You hired me to do a job.
[00:03:47] Speaker A: Was Al Pacino, did he express any frustration?
[00:03:51] Speaker C: I think I don't. You know what? I don't think Al Pacino knew I was even in the scene, to be honest with you. Got you. Yeah.
[00:03:58] Speaker A: But the director was frustrated.
[00:03:59] Speaker C: Yeah, he was a little.
[00:04:00] Speaker A: Okay, so Al Pacino is the steak, and you're just butter.
[00:04:02] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:04:02] Speaker A: You supposed to be the butter on the steak.
[00:04:04] Speaker C: It was one of my first jobs ever. I had one line, and I was like, I'm going to. I'm gonna do my job today for sure.
[00:04:11] Speaker A: But thank you for being here. Hell of an intro.
Actor, producer, writer, many things. Artist.
As far as, like, your career, though, like, your IMDBA. Yeah. I'm trying to say how she says ChatGPT is that the word chatgpta. She says chatgpta.
[00:04:30] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:04:31] Speaker B: It don't work with imbd.
[00:04:32] Speaker C: Okay, I like it.
[00:04:33] Speaker A: So your IMDb is crazy. Yep. So we gotta pay homage to that. You know what I'm saying? I would love to dive into the. I know we gotta talk about this Netflix thing. Cause it's top tier. But I'm also freaked out a little bit, you know what I'm saying? Which is probably the point. But your discography of film, I mean, I'm sorry, television is one. Obviously we all know you Snowfall, but what was interesting to me is you shooting the Rookie at the same time that you were shooting Snowfall both seasons.
[00:05:07] Speaker C: Of the Rookie of Snowfall. Yeah.
[00:05:09] Speaker A: Now this is just. Follow me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. My mom.
I don't know if I should be saying it, but I was going to a community college in Norwalk and I had 13 units, okay. Simultaneously, I was taking 13 units at El Camino Community College.
[00:05:25] Speaker C: There you go.
[00:05:26] Speaker A: I heard that was illegal. Okay.
[00:05:28] Speaker B: You trying to get that financial aid?
[00:05:29] Speaker A: I was trying. The next one I was trying.
[00:05:31] Speaker C: Yo, you know what's so funny? So my brother, he's a counselor at San Bernardino College.
[00:05:36] Speaker A: Okay, I bet.
[00:05:37] Speaker C: So he knows all about the units, bro.
[00:05:39] Speaker A: I was stacking them. I had 26 units going up. Right?
So when you do something like shoot two television shows simultaneously, is there some sort of thing that prevents you from doing that? Technically? Is there some illegal jargon?
[00:05:54] Speaker C: Nah, man, nah, nah. It wasn't like I was doing that like undercover also. Cause you gotta make sure that both shows know for scheduling, right? So they're like, hey man, we need Brandon on this day. You're like, nah, the Rookie already booked him on the Wednesday. So you gotta move around the schedule. So you might be able to get him on a Friday.
Nah. And I think the trickiest part was like. Cause I was on the Rookie first when I got Snowfall and I had already been established. And then Snowfall was like, yo, like, can he cut his hair? And I was like, no. Cause like I'm on the Rookie already. And so that's where like the whole wig thing came along. They were like, okay, well we'll wig em. And I was real grateful for that.
And I had like a big beard initially on the Rookie and I had to shave it and have the mustache for Snowfall. So then I came back to the Rookie and they were like, what happened to the. And I was like, well, there's this other show.
But yeah, they were real like cool about it. And yeah, they kept me on for like Yeah, I did two seasons of each.
[00:06:51] Speaker A: So there's no.
Okay, next question would be, how do you compartmentalize your brain?
[00:06:57] Speaker C: Yeah, Yeah.
I gotta say, y', all, that was exhausting. Like, that was tiring. Cause like, they're different characters.
[00:07:03] Speaker B: Have you ever said the wrong line on other shows?
[00:07:05] Speaker C: No, no, but just. That would be funny. But just in terms of like getting into the thing and you know, like. Yeah, it was when I wrapped both of them, I think I wrapped them both like a couple days within one another. I was like. I was spent. I was like, man, that's what kind of.
[00:07:23] Speaker A: Is there some sort of mental exercise that you do to do to prepare for something like that or sleep a lot?
[00:07:29] Speaker C: You just get as much sleep as you can. Cause you know you gotta have all those words in your brain.
[00:07:33] Speaker A: And you were able to memorize two different scripts and play two different characters simultaneously. Like Tuesday, you're a crackhead cop. Yep. And.
Okay. Yeah, that's interesting.
[00:07:44] Speaker C: Yeah. And it was.
[00:07:45] Speaker A: I think you gotta be a little divergent to be able to pull that off.
You know what I'm saying? I just saw this thing, this study that came out so like, you. You have to be a little divergent to be a billionaire. And I think that I, you know, but maybe.
[00:07:56] Speaker C: But I gotta tell man, I was exhausted after, like, after I'd wrapped a season. I was like, I don't wanna talk to nobody for like a week. It was a lot.
[00:08:03] Speaker B: That makes you that much. Like, that's just so skillful that you can do two roles at the same time on two separate shows.
[00:08:11] Speaker A: Two big ass shows.
[00:08:12] Speaker B: Two big shows.
[00:08:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:13] Speaker B: On Snowfall, you do play a morally conflicted police officer.
[00:08:17] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:08:18] Speaker B: How do you mentally prepare for such a negative role like that?
[00:08:23] Speaker C: Yeah, man, that role was dark.
You gotta kinda like. I think, you know, I think what you learn as an actor early on is like to like, never judge your characters.
You know what I mean? Like, you as an individual shouldn't judge the person that you're playing.
The character is just doing the best they can with the hand they're dealt and, you know, they make bad choices or good choices.
So I think with that in mind, you know what I mean? I went. I went into it being like, you know, like, what is. Like what does Buckley ultimately want? And like, why hasn't be able to get it yet? And.
And so. And you still, you still try to play the character with as like, as earnest as possible.
[00:09:04] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:04] Speaker C: You know what I mean? He just makes bad choices on a regular.
[00:09:08] Speaker B: Did you have to do any personal research to make the character authentic?
[00:09:12] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I did some research on the. On the unit that he was a part of in.
[00:09:17] Speaker B: Is he based off a real character?
[00:09:18] Speaker C: I mean, not a real person person, but that unit and the. The.
The name is escaping me. It was the same unit. Remember the movie colors? Yeah, yeah, the same. That was the same police unit that they kind of the bad guys, you know? So, yeah, I. I definitely did a lot of research with and into, like, you know, the type of policing they were doing at the time and how much sort of. They just got, like, carpet. They could do whatever they want.
[00:09:44] Speaker A: Did you ever do, like, ride alongs and stuff like that?
[00:09:46] Speaker C: No, I didn't get to do that.
[00:09:47] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:09:47] Speaker C: No, no.
[00:09:48] Speaker B: That would have been fun.
[00:09:49] Speaker C: That would have been fun.
[00:09:51] Speaker A: You know, something I always wanted to know, because I remember this infamous scene of you.
You about to buy. You was about to buy a rock. Yeah.
That's crazy.
[00:10:01] Speaker C: I wanted to buy it.
[00:10:01] Speaker A: You want to. You. I was trying to buy it. I was about to spend the money, but now I'm just gonna take it, Right?
[00:10:06] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:10:07] Speaker A: So.
But then you robbed them. Yeah, for the crack. As a police officer.
But before you go rob them for the crack, you do a bump in the car.
[00:10:19] Speaker C: Cause I needed some more.
[00:10:20] Speaker A: So I always wanted to know, in movies and television, how do you fake snorting something? Is that, like. Cause I know, like, certain. I knew certain behind the scenes of placebo. I mean, not placebo, like saline solutions and different things like that that they'll use, like, in the hospital, but they'll also use it on screen and camera. Fake blood would be, like, dye and stuff. But you can't snort. You can't snort a white powder and fake that.
[00:10:44] Speaker C: No, I was snorting a white powder. So they give you, like, a vial of, like.
I don't remember what it was.
[00:10:50] Speaker A: You don't know what it was?
[00:10:51] Speaker C: No, no, but. No, but why you looking like that? Cause I thought it was fake on the tv.
[00:10:56] Speaker B: I didn't know y' all was really stiff in line.
[00:10:59] Speaker C: I have a great story. My very first.
My very first day on the show ever. I was in the club, and I was waiting.
And I'm kind of nervous, right, because it's my first day, and the show's really dope, and I'm nervous. So Buckley's doing bumps at the strip club, and I'm, like, really doing it because I'm, like, trying to, like, be good at my job and shit. And then, like, after the fourth take, the director's like, brandon, are you snorting that shit?
And I was like, yeah. He's like, bro, the camera's not even on you. Like, we can't even see you in the shot. The camera's like, we're doing like a big wide shot of the thing and I'm over here and he's like, just wait until we're out.
[00:11:42] Speaker A: You out here doing bullshit for no reason?
[00:11:45] Speaker C: Yeah, no, that's a true story, man. I was saying.
[00:11:47] Speaker A: What was it though? What is it?
[00:11:49] Speaker C: It's like I can't remember. They explained it to me. I can't remember what it was, but it's not like a protein powder, but it's like, you know, it's used in movies. It's like you don't really feel anything.
It's probably some kind of, like, it's probably is crazy. Nah.
[00:12:01] Speaker A: Something that you put in your bloodstream, it's probably is a crazy stuff.
[00:12:05] Speaker B: I mean, listen, it's a little protein.
[00:12:07] Speaker A: Little protein.
[00:12:07] Speaker C: I think that's what it is, right?
[00:12:09] Speaker A: Oh, shit.
[00:12:10] Speaker B: Little muscle milk powder.
[00:12:11] Speaker A: After.
[00:12:11] Speaker C: Yeah, like after workout.
[00:12:12] Speaker A: Yeah, bro, that's hella funny.
[00:12:14] Speaker C: Yeah, man.
That's another funny, funny story.
[00:12:17] Speaker B: Do you guys, as actors, obviously you are professional, but us as fans, when we're watching these shows and it ends like, we be so attached to the storyline. We're so attached to the character. Do you guys have any attachment to the shows as well?
[00:12:30] Speaker C: Yeah, especially like when you're working on, like, shows like Snowfall. Like, you can't wait for the next script to come out. Cause you know what I mean? You're like, man, I can't wait for next week. I can't wait for next episode.
So, yeah, no, Always super excited, super invested in not only your storyline, but everybody else's. Yeah, yeah. So absolutely.
[00:12:47] Speaker A: Do you ever take liberties from that script? Like, when or not. Do you ever. I know improv is a thing, but when do you find it appropriate to take liberties with a script that's handed to.
[00:12:56] Speaker C: I mean, I think it's. It's a judgment call, you know, like sometimes just to like fill the space or to do like a response that might not be on the page.
Also, like, it's like your. Your like how comfortable you are with the director. It's like the director you've worked with before, you know that like, you know, you can put a little button on the end of the scene and you're not gonna get mad. You know what I mean?
So it's just kind of like a. You just gotta. It's a judgment call.
[00:13:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:13:18] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: You know, I had. I had Eamon Joseph.
[00:13:22] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:13:22] Speaker A: On my radio show. My guy, he's. He's phenomenal, hilarious.
And I asked him a question about your last day on set when you get killed.
[00:13:30] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:13:30] Speaker A: Right. And I know, like, we won't talk about this Netflix thing. Not saying you're gonna die or anything, but you know, what? Well, I mean, you know, you know how they do us.
But I'm just saying, like, well, y'.
[00:13:45] Speaker C: All got to go.
[00:13:48] Speaker A: So the question I asked Aiden Joseph was about showing up to your last day of set when you know you about to catch a bullet. Same thing goes for the power universe, right? When you know you about to catch the bullet, do you go in? Man, fuck this last scene. Like, I'm finna just mail this shit in.
[00:14:02] Speaker C: Right.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: You know what I'm saying?
Not, have you ever done that? To give anything away, but what's the thought process going in for the last day when you're either getting written off of a show or you're gonna die on a show or something like that? Okay.
[00:14:15] Speaker C: I think there's, like, three different versions of this. It's like, if you're gonna die, but you still got a lot to say and a lot to do, you gotta come in prepared. Cause it's your last scene, so you wanna do a good job even though you know you're gonna die.
[00:14:26] Speaker A: Right.
[00:14:27] Speaker C: If it's like the last day of shooting a whole show, and you know, like, you've done six months of shooting and, like, that's it. That's it. And you don't got much to do. You might be like, you know, stay out a little late the night before or whatever, but if you got, like, work to do before you die, you know what I mean? If it's like a big, big scene, you show up and you wanna. You know, you wanna do the best job you can till.
Till the end. You know what I mean? And hope you don't gotta, like, scream and do a whole bunch of theatrics. You know? It depends on how you die, too.
[00:14:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:55] Speaker C: You know, like, I was on a show called Falling Skies, and they killed me with, like, an alien coming out of my head.
And, like. So that was like, a lot of.
[00:15:03] Speaker A: Like, that's kind of.
[00:15:05] Speaker C: Yeah, it was.
[00:15:06] Speaker A: It's kind of extreme.
[00:15:07] Speaker C: Yeah, a little bit.
[00:15:09] Speaker A: So, yeah, it depends.
[00:15:10] Speaker B: One more snowfall question. We can move on.
Did you think Franklin mom was right or wrong for killing Teddi?
[00:15:19] Speaker C: First of all, what a dope scene. Like, yeah.
[00:15:24] Speaker B: Unpredictable.
[00:15:24] Speaker C: Too. Yeah. That's why it was incredible.
And actually remember when they were like going back and forth about the ending?
[00:15:32] Speaker B: Really?
[00:15:32] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And like the conversation around it was right or wrong. I mean, I can't. I understood why she did it. Cause she just wanted it all to end.
You know what I mean?
I don't know. I mean, I can't call it. What do you think?
[00:15:48] Speaker B: I think it was wrong.
[00:15:49] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:15:49] Speaker B: Yeah. I just didn't like him. I know that the way, like Franklin's fate, the way that the show ended, I feel like it's absolutely relatable being from la, seeing people, the rise down to the fall. So I think it does make sense. But you know how like movies and TV shows, it's almost perfect. It's just certain stuff you'd be like, well, that will only happen in the movie. That what we saw in there happens in real life. You know, for you to be this big time drug dealer and then to end up being a product of, you know.
[00:16:17] Speaker C: In fact, it might be like the most likely story, to be honest with you.
[00:16:22] Speaker B: Are you able to discuss with us how you just mentioned there was alternate scene conversations?
[00:16:27] Speaker C: No, I can't talk about it.
[00:16:28] Speaker B: No.
[00:16:28] Speaker C: Oh, but I do remember, like when they landed on that. I was like, mind blown. I was like, this is going to be dope. Yeah.
[00:16:37] Speaker A: Do you. Oh, sorry. Go.
[00:16:38] Speaker B: No, go ahead.
[00:16:40] Speaker A: I guess put a button on the. On the. What about the spin off?
[00:16:43] Speaker C: Yeah, I think it's going to be good.
I don't know much about it.
[00:16:47] Speaker A: You haven't heard anything? You don't know nothing?
[00:16:49] Speaker C: I know a little bit. I know it's based on like 90s.
[00:16:52] Speaker A: Well, you know what we know.
[00:16:53] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:16:53] Speaker A: Tell me some. I don't know.
[00:16:55] Speaker C: I mean, listen what you want, how much time you got?
But I think it's going to be great.
[00:17:01] Speaker A: Did you like the ending of the series?
You appreciated how to end it?
[00:17:05] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I think it's like, you know, it wasn't like sensationalized or it was just kind of like.
[00:17:11] Speaker A: I think it's like.
[00:17:12] Speaker C: Like when. When I was like a bit of a whimper, it's like, oh, man, that sucks.
[00:17:16] Speaker B: Buckley's character is still alive, though. Yeah. In the snowfall universe on the side.
[00:17:20] Speaker C: Of the road somewhere.
So I thought I was going to die.
[00:17:25] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:17:25] Speaker C: Like, I was like, there's no way this guy's out here acting this crazy.
[00:17:29] Speaker A: Me too.
[00:17:30] Speaker C: Right?
[00:17:30] Speaker A: Hell yeah. I was like, I thought you. I didn't think you was gonna make it. You. 15 years ago.
[00:17:36] Speaker B: I'm like, this nigga still is.
[00:17:37] Speaker A: Yeah. I have unfortunately seen a lot of people do a lot of detrimental things to their health. Yeah, you did everything detrimental to your.
[00:17:44] Speaker C: Health and everybody else.
[00:17:46] Speaker A: So it's like, you know.
[00:17:48] Speaker C: Yeah, so he's still alive. Who knows? Maybe he'll pop up in the.
[00:17:51] Speaker B: That's what that was my next question.
[00:17:53] Speaker C: I haven't heard nothing. But who knows? Maybe he'll be like a hip hopper. So he changed his life around something or a pastor or something.
[00:17:59] Speaker B: Are actors and actresses. Do you guys get offended when you're called your character's name in public?
[00:18:05] Speaker C: Nah, not at all. I think, you know.
[00:18:07] Speaker A: Nah.
[00:18:08] Speaker C: I think it's kind of like a badge of honor, like when people just kind of like associate you with that person. The other day I was out at a restaurant running lines with a friend over dinner and the waitress came up to me and she's like. I have to say, when you walked in, like.
Cause I think she knew me from the rookie. She's like. I got like terrified real quick, like. And then she's like. And then she's like, no, no, that's just the actor who plays me. Yeah, but that's dope.
[00:18:30] Speaker A: I know someone who don't fuck.
She don't fuck with a certain actor.
[00:18:34] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:18:35] Speaker A: Because he's played like DV characters over and over again. She just do not fuck with him. As I'm like, you know, he's playing. He's an actor. She's like, I don't fuck with him.
[00:18:44] Speaker C: His mama, his dead grandmama.
[00:18:50] Speaker A: So wayward on Netflix.
This is. Okay, so there's not much I know about it, which I'm sure it's purposeful. Right. It's kind of aloof a little bit. The trailer is kind of like wayward.
[00:19:03] Speaker C: Yep, yep, yep.
[00:19:04] Speaker A: But it gives me real Jordan Peele vibes. I'm not a big. I'm not a big, like, scary movie fan. She is. I love it.
[00:19:11] Speaker C: Really?
[00:19:12] Speaker A: Oh, she loves that shit.
[00:19:12] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:19:13] Speaker A: She loves that shit.
[00:19:14] Speaker B: I have a Scream mask.
[00:19:15] Speaker A: Perfect date night for her. She watched Terrifying.
[00:19:17] Speaker C: Can I ask you why?
[00:19:18] Speaker B: I don't know.
[00:19:18] Speaker C: That's it. Let's unpack this a little bit.
[00:19:21] Speaker B: I think it has something to do with the Scream specifically. It has something to do with.
Well, I done watched a whole bunch of documentaries talking about it. Cause that's how obsessed I am with it. But it's like the behind the scenes stuff that went on in Hollywood that was put in the film that we didn't realize then.
[00:19:38] Speaker C: And then I didn't know that.
[00:19:39] Speaker B: There's something to where there's a story about how Scream is actually based off of some killings that happened in the college.
[00:19:49] Speaker C: Oh, shoot.
[00:19:50] Speaker B: Yeah, but it's.
The actual storyline itself isn't based on that. But the writers, like, that's where their mind. They was pulling from things that was happening in real life. And then I guess slasher films was like a big thing in the 90s. I don't know. They say that Scream changed the way that people view horror.
[00:20:07] Speaker C: Totally. Totally. I mean, that was like. It was like the biggest thing for a long time.
[00:20:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
I don't know what the hell my connection is with it. But the new one come out next year. We ain't talking about Netflix.
[00:20:19] Speaker C: Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:20:20] Speaker A: But when I was looking at it, it's like, it gives me those type of vibes. It's eerie. I know it's classified as a thriller.
[00:20:28] Speaker C: It's like a psychological. It's not like a horror in the classic sense of the word, but there are like, you definitely like scary sort of, you know, off putting elements, but it's not like a horror.
[00:20:38] Speaker A: Horror. Okay.
[00:20:39] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:20:39] Speaker A: So what I'm noticing is the psychological thriller is kind of the new thing.
And it's starting to be interesting to me, see. Cause we have Halloween coming up, right? And so it's starting to be interesting to see the integration of things. Cause I'm a big wrestling fan, obviously. WWE Monday Night RAWS on Netflix now. And they have this group called the Wyatt Six. And they're like this eerie. Same type of shit as Wayward. They're like this eerie, spooky, weird, quirky. But they have their own maze at Universal Studios coming up for.
[00:21:09] Speaker C: For Halloween.
[00:21:09] Speaker A: For Halloween. And so I'm starting to notice, like with Wayward and the genre is starting to become that where it's like, it's a culture thing as more so than just.
Well, interesting.
[00:21:19] Speaker C: You bring up Jordan Peele. Wayward is sort of like genreless as well, you know, Like Jordan Peele will have funny elements in his stuff. There'll be horror elements, psychological elements, sci fi elements. Wayward is very much of that ilk.
[00:21:32] Speaker A: Gotcha. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So this song, this, this show, can you give me anything, like, more than what I've speculated about?
[00:21:40] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, real quick, it's sort of. So it's actually based on like these real schools that started to pop up in the 90s in the Northeast and there were basically like for profit high school schools that were kind of kidnapping children and taking them away.
Like, parents who couldn't handle their kids, they'd send them to these schools, like, without their consent.
There's a whole documentary on Netflix called the Program.
[00:22:04] Speaker A: Really?
[00:22:05] Speaker C: Yeah. And so this show is sort of predicated on those schools.
And so Wayward, specifically is about this school called Tall Pines in the town of Tall Pines that's sort of like this, like, reform school that's meant to, like, fix troubled kids. But it's.
[00:22:23] Speaker A: It's.
[00:22:24] Speaker C: But it's. There's a lot more kind of nefarious things going on.
[00:22:27] Speaker A: Is it like a. So in the documentary that you mentioned, is it more like cultish?
[00:22:31] Speaker C: Is, like, the ideas of how to fix people stem from a cultish sort of ideology?
[00:22:38] Speaker A: Cult culture.
[00:22:38] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, 100%. Yeah. There you go, man. Yeah, yeah, that's it.
[00:22:42] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So. And so the series, It's a series.
[00:22:45] Speaker C: Yeah, it's a limited series. Eight episodes only.
I don't think there's gonna be another season. I think it's just like a one, one, one, one season thing.
[00:22:53] Speaker B: Don't let Twitter get ahold of it. Y' all gonna have about a season.
[00:22:56] Speaker A: Yeah.
Now, diving into the world of this, is this a different.
Have you ever played someone regular that. I think about that.
No disrespect.
[00:23:07] Speaker C: You know what? Actually, I do.
[00:23:09] Speaker A: You ever play, like, just a happy neighbor, you know what I'm saying?
It's like this nigga doing cocaine. He doing crack. Power Rangers.
[00:23:15] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Power Rangers.
I actually did a show on. The last show that I did on Netflix was called Firefly Lane. And I played like, a dad. Like, just a regular dad.
[00:23:26] Speaker A: Regular dad, yeah. But that's boring to you.
[00:23:28] Speaker C: I mean, it was, you know, that's what I was on the show. So, yeah, I have. I don't do it often.
[00:23:33] Speaker A: It's like, you know what we need? A demented rock sniffing, like, school teacher. Like, oh, just a guy.
When people pitch you for stuff, do you ever shun a role? Like, man, I'm cool on that.
[00:23:47] Speaker C: You know what? It depends. Like, I like to do. I like to maybe, like, do, like, a drama and a comedy and like to, like, kind of do back and forth, back and forth just to kind of keep it fresh.
So, yeah, and it depends, you know, it also depends on who's involved. Like, if it's somebody incredible or, you know, like, for instance, like, Toni Collette is, like, one of my acting idols. So, like, the moment I was like, tony Collette's gonna be in it. So, like, sign Me up.
[00:24:13] Speaker A: You know what I mean?
[00:24:14] Speaker B: Was there any.
When you were on Power Rangers, was there any pressure for you being the black representation?
[00:24:20] Speaker C: It wasn't any pressure. I think. I think I was. Was I the first black Red Ranger or maybe first. First one, one B.
So there was no pressure. But, you know, now, however, 20 years from 20 years. God, 20 years removed. Like, I do understand how important it was to be like a black Red Ranger because I get all these like grown ass men now who are kids when my shit came out and they were like, bro, like, you were like my hero when I was eight.
[00:24:48] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:24:49] Speaker C: And that's really dope to see us.
[00:24:50] Speaker B: On, to see yourself on the screen.
[00:24:52] Speaker C: Like, like in a leadership role.
[00:24:53] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:24:55] Speaker C: That's kind of like the legacy of that. And you know, at the time, I think I was 25 when I did the show at the time, and it was kind of like that was like the show that allowed me to like quit my restaurant job.
[00:25:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:25:06] Speaker C: And so at the time I was just like, man, like, this is like a. This is dope for me. And then 20 years later, you realize it was part of the culture now.
[00:25:14] Speaker B: Was that your first role?
[00:25:15] Speaker C: That was like my first lead role. I had done little things here and there, you know, movies and stuff that I got kicked off of, but that was like. That was like the role that kind of like allowed me to kind of do it full time, which was really important because you know what I mean? My focus could just be on one thing.
[00:25:34] Speaker A: Oh, go ahead. I'm be honest with you.
I'm a pirate. I was a Power Rangers fanatic and I was trying to dive into this wormhole. Cause I got so many questions. I was trying to. How we gonna wrap this shit up in like three minutes? Okay.
[00:25:48] Speaker C: I love it. I love that he waited so long too.
[00:25:52] Speaker A: I got hella Power Ranger questions, but I'm gonna leave that shit alone. I'm gonna just get right to it.
[00:25:56] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:25:56] Speaker A: Okay.
Well, there's. So I talked to.
Not the other Brandon.
[00:26:06] Speaker C: The other Black Ranger. Zach. Yeah, the og.
[00:26:10] Speaker B: We did a show with him.
[00:26:10] Speaker A: Walter. Walter.
[00:26:11] Speaker C: Yeah, Walter.
[00:26:12] Speaker A: We did.
[00:26:13] Speaker B: Yeah, I did a canon show with him.
[00:26:14] Speaker A: Yeah. So I talked to Walter and they. So there's so many different stories about how we are treated or whatnot, you know, throughout the years and whatnot.
How were you? What was your experience on the show?
[00:26:26] Speaker C: Yeah, it was incredible.
[00:26:28] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:26:28] Speaker C: Yeah, it was incredible.
[00:26:29] Speaker B: She light skinned.
[00:26:31] Speaker C: Also, like, maybe. Also I was the Red Ranger, so I was the leader of the shit.
[00:26:37] Speaker A: So if you were like The Pink Ranger shit might have went differently.
[00:26:40] Speaker C: I mean, I think so.
[00:26:41] Speaker A: I think, you know, I think also.
[00:26:44] Speaker C: Like, really, I had the most experience out of all the actors. So, like, they were like, hey, man, like, you've done this before.
You know, you gotta.
You're like the example.
Show up, do a good job, be on time. You know, I mean, because, like, you know how to. How this, how the. How it works.
So, yeah, I was treated. I was treated great. And also my season, there was like a whole new regime that came in, so, like, they kind of like reset everything. So, like, I didn't work with any of the people that Walter worked with. My. I did my shit 13 years after.
[00:27:15] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:27:16] Speaker C: So it was like a whole different experience. So I was treated great. Yeah.
[00:27:19] Speaker A: What about the suits? Were the suits ventilated?
[00:27:21] Speaker C: I. I did. I never wore the spandex. I wore it one time.
[00:27:23] Speaker A: You never know.
[00:27:24] Speaker C: I. I wore the cadet thing. I wore it for like, a photo shoot, but we never wore it.
[00:27:29] Speaker A: Never the helmet either.
[00:27:30] Speaker C: Nah, bruh. We had stunt doubles, man. You think I'm around doing flips and jumping and stuff?
[00:27:35] Speaker A: That's why. That was my next question. Did you.
[00:27:37] Speaker C: No.
[00:27:37] Speaker A: No, no. Okay, so my whole.
[00:27:39] Speaker C: Sorry, man.
[00:27:41] Speaker B: Just stumped all your questions.
[00:27:43] Speaker C: Now you gotta. You gotta watch what you ask Santa Claus.
[00:27:46] Speaker A: Was it real?
[00:27:46] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah, you gotta watch your question.
[00:27:48] Speaker B: How has your. Your point of view of Hollywood changed since your first row?
[00:27:52] Speaker C: Oh, man, I mean, it's changed a lot. You know, I think for the better, you know, I think.
I mean, nothing. It's not. Nothing's perfect, but, you know, don't let perfection be the enemy of good. I think, you know, I think, you know, our stories are being told more and they're more accepted, and people realize that it's a profitable business. And so you should invest in that business.
And, you know, I'm also trying to, like, explore it more in that space, in the production space, in the creation space. And I think there's more room for that now than it ever has been, especially when I started. So. Yeah, I think it's, you know, I think it's moving in the right direction. Could it always move a little faster? Sure. But you know what I mean? I think it's still a net positive.
[00:28:36] Speaker A: Last thing is, you're an artist as well. You do music.
Did you always wanted to do music and you just got into acting first?
[00:28:44] Speaker C: Yeah. And then what happened was, like, my brother was really doing it hard by. And it all. It started like I just wanted to help him out and I kind of came up with this idea. I'm like, man, like, I'm always on some kind of TV show, and they always need music.
So I was like, why don't we just make music and put it into TV shows that I'm on? And that's how it started. So, like, we, like, sold four different songs to four different shows, and it's really dope. Like, it's. I did a show called Ransom on cbs, and we got one of our songs in Ransom.
So, yeah, it started off as, like, a way to kind of help him out and put him on. And then we're like, well, if we're selling it to shows, we might as well release them as well.
So it's dope, and it's a chance for me and my brother to, like, be creative together. And.
[00:29:24] Speaker A: Yeah, so it's cool. Got you.
[00:29:26] Speaker C: Yeah, man.
[00:29:26] Speaker A: And then. So you got. What is this? What's Heat Check?
[00:29:30] Speaker C: Yeah, Heat Check is just a song that I agree. We collaborated on. You can find it on any streaming platform under McLaren. Songs for TV. We have, like, six songs out because it started out, we were making Songs for tv.
And then Sequel. Yeah, Sequel's a song that we have. Like, my dad on the intro. He's talking on the intro, and our cousin made the beat, so we're just trying to, like, bring everybody in, you know, expand the.
[00:29:53] Speaker B: I love that.
[00:29:53] Speaker C: I got. I got a little opportunity. I got some space. I can bring my brother in and put him on a song, and, you know, somebody on Fox will hear it, and my cousin gets to be. It's like.
[00:30:04] Speaker A: It's cool.
[00:30:05] Speaker C: So if you got. I always feel like if you're in a. If you're in a space where you can impact others around you, bring everybody along with you.
[00:30:11] Speaker A: Okay, well, you could take her to Tall.
[00:30:16] Speaker C: Tall Pines.
[00:30:16] Speaker A: Tall Pines. I'm not fucking with it.
[00:30:18] Speaker C: Nah, you're not going.
[00:30:19] Speaker A: I'm not going. I'm gonna watch the show, but I'm not going with you guys. She's into that shit.
[00:30:24] Speaker B: I'm not going.
[00:30:25] Speaker A: What you mean?
[00:30:25] Speaker B: I just want to see it on TV.
[00:30:27] Speaker A: So when is Wayward coming out?
[00:30:30] Speaker C: September 25th.
[00:30:31] Speaker A: September. Netflix.
[00:30:32] Speaker C: I think all eight episodes will drop one time.
[00:30:34] Speaker B: Oh, great.
[00:30:34] Speaker C: Or you could just.
[00:30:35] Speaker A: That's a binge paradise.
[00:30:36] Speaker C: You could bang it out in one night.
Thank you, Nipse.
[00:30:40] Speaker A: Yo. So wayward to be out. You said September 25th. 25th. And anything else that you have coming down the pipeline, you just gotta come back and fuck with us.
[00:30:48] Speaker C: Yeah. Next time. I got something else coming out, man. I'd love to come here and talk about it.
[00:30:51] Speaker A: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, bro. I appreciate you. You know, you a Power Ranger. You a legend, bro.
[00:30:56] Speaker B: You a legend. Thank you for the roles you play. You have such a long list, an amazing list. You do such a good job. So thank you for that. Thank you for representing for us a.
[00:31:05] Speaker A: Power Ranger and a druggie cop.
[00:31:07] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:31:08] Speaker A: And a. My boss.
Exactly. Brandon J. McLaren is here. It's effective immediately.
