KAREEM GRIMES - Salad Days & Stage Plays

Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Eating While Broke. I'm your host, Colleen Witt, and today we have very special guests, actor philanthropists. I can't believe I said it without messing up that words good actor philanthropists. Kareem Grimes is in the building. You may know him from the Vince Stables show All American. He goes all the way back the Boys in the Hood. But we currently watch you all television right now.

Yes, indeed, thank you for having me. And this is exciting. We got all the things here. It's taking me back right now.

So, yeah, what are.

You gonna have? What are you gonna be cooking us for lunch?

Oh? So one of my bugle males.

Is we have a salad cutons, tomatoes, avocado, and I would usually do handseer salmon and you know, chop some board eggs in there and have a nice little salmon salad.

Then I like that with a little bossamic vinagarette.

That's pretty good. You guys got like you what I get? What I usually get.

Yeah, And you know what, I tried to ridicule Michael back there because I.

Was like, you got iceberg, We should have got spring mix.

Yeah, I usually do spring mix. Yeah, and I was like, so you.

Know, maybe maybe he ate Iceberg.

Nah, Nah, I did spring mix.

You're hilarious. And guys, just so you know, I did give Kareem a hard time. We went back and forth out. I was like, are you sure this is what you ate when you was broke? Do you understand the concept? He was like, yes, I do, and this is what I did. So why don't you go ahead and get started cooking up our meal?

Yeah? For sure.

The most important thing is, you know, because we're black, because we got a season, go ahead.

Fish, you know what I'm saying.

So I usually do a little Larry's and I'm pretty good with this, so I'm you know, I eyeball it.

You know what I mean, not too much.

That's how I am.

That's that's what I'm doing. Four is really like seasoning, is that, you know what I mean. I'm not I don't go too overboard on the seasoning.

So that's good.

Yes, this is actually the first time that I'm actually doing an interview and I'm actually cooking, So.

Tell me how easy it is. And when it's over, a lot of people don't like doing it. Well, they get excited and they'll pick like a complicated dish and they're like, oh my god, that's a lot harder.

Than I thought.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, for me, it was just like I had to once you know, I got on my own and I had my own spot. That was just like the main thing, Like you had to you know, I couldn't survive off of just cereal, you know what I mean. For me, it was just like yo, and I was on my health journey, health kick, so it was just like koreem, you gotta be able.

To cook something, yeah, you know what I mean. And for me, a.

Salad is simple, you know what I mean, and then you can add the chicken or the fish. And I love creutons and avocas and tomatoes.

I was like, goodness, I love Crewtons because when I.

Order a salad, I'm always like.

Remove the croutons.

Oh my gosh.

Crewtons are like that's that's that that adds on to to the salad, like for real, for real, Like that gives it that.

Yeah, you know what I mean. So that's what it was for me, Like it's so hard and crunching, that's what you want, big, It's good.

It's good to eat it the way you made it.

And what are you seasoning your salmon.

With a little garlic powder?

And of course laryes gotta have that, Larry.

You see we got less sodium on it.

Yeah.

Are you gonna add onion powder?

No? Yeah, I'm gonna add a little bit of onion powder in there. And the reason why is because I saw my mom do it. So I was just like, you know, they had that onion powder in there to make it all good.

Yeah.

I feel like garlic powder and onion powder their kind of husband and wife Joe, Like.

I can't do one with the other.

Yeah, for sure. You know.

It's like, but I do cut onions in the pan, I have to do garlic, and now as I get older, I have to add lemon.

Zest to it. Yeah that's good.

You know, there's.

Nothing better than garlic, onion and lemons zest.

Sure for sure.

All right, So you're gonna pants here it with some what's that olive oil?

Yeah? Olive oil.

That's what I usually have, you know, just to kind of stay away from the butter.

Yeah, I'm a butter fiend, but I'm learning then. I think that's where my belly fats coming from like I have a nice little layer of belly fat, and I'm pretty sure it's because I go through like a stick of butter meal, you know what I mean.

So once again, like I said, this is a part of you know, really me being on my health kick and really just being conscious of, you know, what I'm eating.

And also something that was affordable. You know what I mean.

It's not expensive. I mean, now, salmon is hell expensive, you know what I mean. So for me, it was just like, all right, let's get something that can stretch too, a.

Salad and stretch a salad. Get a bag of salad.

But you gotta eat it, guys, because I'm one of those people I go on a salad streak and then I'll be throwing out a bunch of salad.

Oh no, noa, noa, NOA. Let me tell you something. A salad can stretch if you, if you make it, do what it do.

If you have a protein, whether it's fish, chicken, or whatever it is, you can always throw a salad and then boom, put your protein in there and you're good to go. So now you got your green, your leafy greens, your cruciferous cruciferous.

No, the cruciferous.

Oh, I didn't know that new words.

You have your protein, so you know what I mean. So that's how you do that there, all right.

So while you go ahead and sear this salmon, take me back to what was going on if you can, during the time where this was a staple more consistently in your life.

Oh.

Man, I was.

Working as a brand ambassador, and I was auditioning, and I think at that time I probably had a couple of jobs going on. So I was a brand ambassador acting and then I had signed up with an agency that would, you know, send you jobs to go through, whether it may be for a day, a week, a couple of months, or a year. So for me, that kind of really kept me busy and I always had money coming in. That was the one thing is that I didn't want to be a struggling, broke actor, if

Yeah, you know what I mean. So for me, that's what it was.

That's why I worked so much, because it was just like, you gotta have income coming in because being an actor, you know, you do a job, you may not get paid for two and a half weeks, three weeks, so in between that time, what you're gonna do?

Yeah, you know what I mean.

For me, that's how important it was for me to just always have a job, to always have some type of income.

Coming And it sounds like you had multiple jobs.

Oh I had. I had a lot of jobs.

Now did you come from. I'm going to backtrack with you, because this sounds like this was while you were hustling as an adult right or after?

Yeah?

Yeah, I started in a game in nineteen eighty seven, eighty eight, you know what I mean.

Boys in the Hill was my first film.

You know, So how old were you done?

Oh? Twelve, twelve, thirteen years old? You know what I mean? So you know, little kid, I'm living with my mom, you know what I mean.

So that part, but as I got older and you know, went away to college and you know, still pursuing my career was just like, all right, you gotta be able to feel for yourself. Yeah, you know what I mean, and that's what it was. Just seeing my mom cook, seeing my grandmother cook. My dad was a cook as well.

Did you come from two parent household? Single parent house?

Yeah? I came from two.

My dad and my mom split when I was younger, then got back together, had my sister, and then they split up again. But yeah, for the most part, yeah, you know what I mean, I had a relationship. My relationship with my dad was on and off.

Okay, you know what I mean.

He was on and off drugs, and you know, when he got hisself together, he had a store, I think fifty fourth and Broadway, So in between time, you know, I would go and harass him, always asking for money because he wasn't around as much. But yeah, that's but just him being in the household with me as a young man, as a kid, I saw my dad cook.

You know.

My dad was a bus driver. He worked for RTD. For those that don't know, that's what the metro bus is. That's an LA thing.

The Richard T. Davis, the rough, tough and dirty, you know what I mean.

And then I remember my dad worked at Church's Chicken. I think he worked off, but he worked at Church's Chicken. Which was on Librea going towards the end Wood because I remember my mom dropping them off at work and he was like, hold on and bought a whole big box chicken Church is Chicken for us to take back home. I'm so, you know, definitely seeing my dad cook, my dad for me, I always love breakfast food, you know what I'm saying, and that that was one of the

Predominantly Did your parents cook healthy in your house?

Not not necessarily, you know what I mean.

It was the fried chicken, you know what I'm saying, the poor chops.

When I was younger, my mom.

Made keish, you know, chicken and waffles, bacon, eggs, the whole nine. But once again, you know, when you look at that generation, you know what I mean, I didn't get into I didn't get into no chilling or nothing like that. Yeah, you know that was what was cooked at the house.

Yeah for sure.

Yeah.

So were they lower middle class, you'd say, vely?

I would think so.

My mom was a beautician and my dad, like I said, was a bus driver.

You know what I mean.

I can't remember. There's not a day that I don't remember that.

You know. I always had a meal, Okay, you know what I'm saying. I didn't go to be hungry. Yeah, you know what I mean.

So my story is a little bit different, you know what I mean, to where I did have a two parent home and then you know, my mom and dad separated, got back, had my sister, and then they totally separated. So for the majority, I was, you know, staying with my mom, Okay, you know what I mean. And my grandparents, my dad's grant, my dad's mother and father are really kind of stepped in and helped me.

And then just my village, just my village for.

Sure, and primarily La based. So whose idea was it to get you into acting at such a young age?

It was me?

Really, you know, I was the young kid that really, you know, was doing a lot of entertaining, you know what I'm saying. I was a kid that you know, you give me a couple of dollars, I pop lot.

Okay, give m.

Korea some money, He'll do it, you know what I mean.

So that's that's what it was for me. And yeah, like literally that's that's what it was and seeing my friends on TV. I had a couple of friends who were on TV, and you know that was motivating as well, and you know, that's that's what it was for me, and my mom, and my mom and my village kind of really helped me and really got behind me and put me.

In acting class. And our first acting class.

Was Marla Gibbs, Marla Gibbs Memory Lane Acting Class, which a big shout out to Marla Gibbs and Angela Gibbs, which is Marla Gibbs' daughter.

She had the acting class.

And yeah, that was my first my first taste of it and I never looked back.

And then how was it working on in the Hood as your first intro?

My goodness, let me tell you how that went. So Boys in the Hood, that was I was a extra, okay, And at that time, my mom had some friends that were in the business who were hairdressers, and you know, she told my mom like, hey, there's this young kid from South Central who wrote this film, graduated from USC. They're looking for some young black kids who can skateboard and all that.

And at that time that was me.

I was a young kid that was in the skateboard and BMX biking the whole nine. So that's how I found myself on on the set of Boys in the Hood and we're talking about maybe two two weeks into shooting. John Singleton is like, he's like, yo, I wanna give you some lines, and you know that's that was the start. Now there are other young kids there. Yeah, he could have given he could have given any of any one of them lines, but he gave me line.

Do you know why could he ever tell you?

You know what?

And John was a big mentor to me, you know what, I just no, I don't even think. Nah, that's a good question. I've never been asked that, like why he gave it to me? You know, I think it was just divine.

Yeah, well I know because I know in your in your bio it said that he mentored you. So I was just wondering if, like you ever got to be like why me?

Nah? It was just one of those things of man, that's really good. I've never I never asked him that.

I just kind of figured, you know, it was just God's timing, you know what I mean, being at the right place at the right time, my path, me knowing what I wanted to do, at a very early age, and God was like, all right, cool.

Let me go in and bless you. Yeah you know what I mean.

And that was through John Singleton. So I owe a lot of it to John. And like I said, he was a big mentor to me and a big brother.

And yeah, sure, now you're cooking the heck out of this so salmon, guys, smoky?

Yeah, look it looks it looks like barbecue.

See, yeah, you know what I mean.

So I didn't see.

So you guys know he went on the back of the salmon and hit it really heavy with some loes.

Yeah he didn't on the back. No, I didn't go light on the back.

You know it's smoking.

Is this a smoky as this been?

I think so?

Really?

Yeah.

First, if a fire alarm, if the sprinklers.

Go off, we're in trouble.

Oh man, yeah, that'll be crazy. Maybe yeah, yeah, we'll turn it down.

How about that.

Yeah, that's the only thing with cooking on a studio, and there's no there's no what do you call it?

The above oven?

Even if we had it, we couldn't use it because of the audio.

Right.

Is that how it's supposed to look?

Yes?

Is that how it's supposed to. This looks like a barbecue.

Look, we don't need Look, we don't eat nothing light pink around here.

No, but that looks that looks like it's gonna be like dry.

Nah, it's not gonna be dry, not at all.

You can still see the look if I still push it in and see the little Oh, absolutely, it's gonna be nice as juice.

Okay, Okay, we're gonna be here.

Yeah, we're almost done.

It's gonna be a great lunch.

Yeah, were almost done.

Okay, So you're doing Boys in the Hood. How does he become your mentor? John Singleton?

You know, we he lived in the area, you know what I mean. So I would always see.

Him, Okay, you knows.

And how old was he then?

John was probably late.

Twenty okay, okay, so yeah.

Yeah, yeah, middle to late twenty. Yeah, you know. So he shot a few movies.

I think his next one was a Poetic Justice, which he shot, you know, in the neighborhood.

So I would always go and see and be like, yo, John put me in the movie. Put me in the movie. He was like, Nah, you gotta finish school. You gotta finish school. You gotta finish school.

So he was like, real deal, Holy Field.

Ye like yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure, you know what I mean. He definitely stressed. He definitely stressed education for sure.

Did you finish college?

Yes, went to cal State LA.

Studied broadcast journalism, film radio on television.

And it's funny.

Once I finished, my mom ran into John and she was like, yo, John, Kareem is you know, Kareem is a finishing up school and he was like, have him hit me up.

And I go to his office which was in Lamert Park.

And he's getting ready to shoot baby.

Boy No way.

Yeah, So you know, John is like, I'm gonna show you how to make a film from beginning to the end. And I was literally there when it was just an office and then it's like in my mind when you time lapse and you start seeing people come in.

So it was like boom casting, you know what I'm saying.

Then locations design the whole nine, so I was able to see an empty office fill up right before my eyes, and I touched every department within that film. Casting, you know, all doing a lot of the readings with Kim Harding, also recording the audition. So if you guys see ah Yeah. You see, if you see an audition, if you see an audition of Tyrese and Taraji and their screen test, that's me behind the camera. That's me behind the camera recording them.

When you see their on set chemistry, worry, like, what did you think? Cause they're they're their dynamic played out very well, I mean Taraji's Yeah.

But here's the deal. Me and Taraji worked together.

Taraji played Taraji played my girlfriend in an episode of er Okay, you know what I mean. So you know, I'm I've known Taraji and to see her come in and get the role of Evett like I was there.

When he gave her the role.

I was in the room when he gave her for sure.

For sure, you know what I mean.

So for me, it was just like super dope because I felt like I got the role too, you know what I mean seeing her, because you know, like any actor, we you know, to get that opportunity for somebody to say yes to you and say hey, I believe in you and I want you for this role, that's that's the greatest feeling in the world.

Yeah, you know what I mean.

So I was there and you know, I was happy, and she was crying and the whole nine, and you know, it was super dope. And you know, that was the time that that you know, I was able to you know, befriend Tyrese and you know, me and him became really good friends during that process. And you know, John paired me with tyresee to you know, kind of help him with you know, his lines and is that nature?

So it was.

It was a dope moment. It was a great experience. I never forget it. It was just so much that that was going on, and I'm just grateful that I was able to be a part of it.

After experiencing that, what made you want to stick with acting and not kind of the other attributes of what John does.

No, because that was my whole thing. My whole thing was to be in front of the camera. Okay, to be an actor. I love performing. That was the thing that for me as a young kid being in the acting class to where that really opened me up and I was just like, yo, this is what I want to do, Like this is this is it?

Do you think seeing how John formulated that whole set from beginning to end, do you think that helped you be a better actor?

For sure?

You know, what I mean, John employed, you know his people, you know what I mean.

For me doing extra work.

Up until I got to Boys in the Hood, there were maybe one or two black people on set. When I got to Boys in the Hood, it was it was Chocolate City. It was everybody from here to the drove, to the grips, to transportation, it was. It was diverse, you know what I mean. So for me, it was just like, yeah, this is and then learning. You know what I'm saying, I'm seeing a young Angela Bassett, a Lawrence Fishburn, you know what I mean. So as a kid, I'm just a student of the game. I'm just watching

Now where do you get the dudes in don't suf I'm gonna keep a job even if I'm a successful actor.

Oh, that's just that's just r That's just reality. That's just life, you know what I mean. And I think you know, really the the the the strike kind of showed us a little bit about that, you know what I.

Mean, you know what I mean.

It really it really peeled the layers back to say, hey, you know what I'm saying.

Listen, everybody is what's who you think is not? You know what I mean.

So for me, it was always instilled in me to have some type of income coming in period. And I just I found out at a very early age, just from seeing my mom and dad work my grandfather, that you have to have a.

Job, you know what I mean.

And as an actor, you know, yeah, you may do good, you know, for a couple of weeks, a month or whatever, and then it may taper off.

So what are you gonna do? Yeah, you know what I mean.

So for me, it was always work until acting is your full time job, meaning that it's paying the bills and you don't have to work your job.

Yeah, and you have to budget in order.

Got a budget. You got a budget, you know what I'm saying.

Now, For me, because I started off young doing this, you know, I have residuals.

Yeah I was gonna say, you did you have a Coogan account or yeah?

Yeah, I had all that.

So for me, it was residuals coming in and you know, but still it was still how I was bought up. Is that you know, just because you got money don't mean you gotta go out there and spend it all, you know what I mean? So it was it was instilled in me to save your money for a rainy day.

Yeah, and you know, uh, that's that's what it was for me.

So part of the budgeting and you know what I'm saying, making sure I wasn't living above my means.

Yes, Now, how do you not? How do you not to get smoke a cloud?

You smell the aroma. It's the aroma. It's gonna be good.

Guys, it's so smoky. If you can see this charcoal.

Yeah, but if you see it.

Charcoal salmon, Look at that, that's a charcoal. It looked like he was on a barbecue grill. It's so smoky up in here. I want to get this question out though. How you not? I remember when I first moved to LA I had seen Gary Coleman. He was like a security guard well over there. But I also saw him in Van Eys And you know, people, it's the smoke man. People can be so cruel, especially to actors and people

It's another thing to do with publicly.

And I think once you take on that actor hat and you're well known and you're famous and people, people literally can be cruel, like you know and talk smack. How do you deal with either a possibility of that reaction or your core friend group going like damn, you know and talking smack.

You know what? I never that never really played a factor, you know what I mean?

Like, like I said, I took my ego out a long time ago, so it was never a point of like, you know what I mean, Like I'm afraid to work like I've been on TV, you know what I mean, Like I just haven't had that. And I think a lot of it is because I just show up as myself, you know what I'm saying. I'm not just because I'm on TV. I didn't have this other personality of like, oh I'm bigger than you now.

Yeah, you know what I mean. You know I've listened.

My first job, besides acting, my first first job, I worked at Bowling Hills Theater. It was the first black owned theater which was on Lebrea in Coliseum. You know what I mean, so I learned the value of a dollar, you know what I mean, work wise, like yeah, nine to five. Then from there I worked at Hot Dog on a Stick, and then from hot Dog on a Stick, I worked at Lady foot Locker. Notice I said hot Dog on a Stick and Lady full Locker, two places

Or whatever it is.

They were there. And then Lady full Locker. What more can I say?

You know what I mean?

So I worked at those two places, and then I worked at Wells Fargo Bank. What did you I was a bank teller? Oh what Yeah, I was a bank teller. I worked at Wells Fargo Bank, which was in the Ladera Center.

Now I'm just curious, did you Was there any takeaways from working at a bank that you learned about people just people watching.

Me like a couple.

I mean, there were.

People there that were rude, that had a lot of money, Okay, you know what I mean, And it was just like for what you know, what I mean, Like entitled, Yeah.

You know what I mean.

And for me, that was a lesson that I learned, you know, to like listen just because you have a lot of money, you don't have to be entitled, and you know, boss people around you know what I mean. So it was a lot of lessons that I learned from each job. Just being on time, being a team player, you know, committing to a schedule and saying, yes, this is my schedule and I'm gonna commit to it, and.

Just showing up you know what I'm saying.

All these things helped me through my development as a young man, but also carried on into my professional career as an actor. So each job that I had, even though I didn't want to be there, I've learned a valuable lesson out of all of it.

Yeah.

Yeah, I've been around this industry on and off throughout. I always tell people that, and this is like something I told myself a long time ago. I felt like a list celebrities were the nicest, and I used to always feel like they were the nicest and that's why they got so far was because they were really nice. Yeah, some pretty terrible circumstances and not so great circumstances, whether

Of that A listeners that were jackasses that were saying but you know, from me coming up, there were young kid kids, you know what I'm saying, who were just a terror, you know what I mean.

And you know those were things that I was able to see visually and be like, Nope, I don't want to do that. Yeah, you know what I mean, And.

That carried on to me, Like I said, these are lessons that I've learned, and for me, you know, that's I think a loss forgotten art is just simply being nice, you know what I'm saying, and why you're on set for me just you know, whether I'm number one on the call sheet or not, you know what I'm saying, but really just setting the tone of just being nice

And you never know who, you know.

Who's watching, who's related to right.

Who's related to who? You know what I mean.

I've seen I've seen people go from PA to you know, a writer, a PA to a producer, you know what I'm saying, director, So you just never know, you know what I mean. So I've seen it happen many of times.

Yeah, all right, Well, what's the next step in this dish? Oh?

So right now, we're gonna take the fish out and then we're gonna cut it and then start you know, plating. We gotta also crack these eggs, so we can go on and cut those eggs.

I'll start cracking, yeah.

For sure, for sure, for sure. So yeah we do that.

I'll just okay boom, and then we'll cut the eggs up.

Okay, have an extra knife out here.

You're gonna look, you're gonna get that hit hit hit hit it with that ford Yeah yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely, okay, and.

Then we'll put the salmon on here.

Cut that up, so then we can just start putting the salad on there in our crewtons tomatoes and avocado, and then we'll top it off with the balsamic viniagarette.

I'm gonna call because I feel like I need a cold little thing of water to soak these.

Oh yeah, I was about to say, I'm gonna cut Yeah for sure, boom.

So we'll do this while lie and we'll cut it. Where's the night has?

Right here?

Right here? Cool?

I'm gonna use it when you're done.

Yeah, yeah, way.

Do you see the way I'm I'm peeling these?

Come on? You know?

So after the Baby Boy movement, what happens next?

After Baby Boy?

I ended up booking. I ended up booking. When I book I ended up booking the mc hammer story. Okay, so it's my Romney malcom as mc Hammer and I go to I go to Houston. I didn't even go to the Baby Boy premiere because I was in Houston shooting the mc hammer story. So I literally went from one job to the next, which was amazing. Now, on Baby Boy, I was John Cton's assistant.

At first, That's what I was about to ask.

Yeah, I was John Singleton's assistant at first, and then you know, from that point on, you know, he gave me a role.

So I was do dirty, dirty on in Baby boy.

So I was getting a check as an assistant and a check as an actor.

That looks delicious.

I'm sorry, Yeah, it's on now, Yeah, it's on.

It's on.

Look at he's like diced it up where it looks like it's gonna be Are you gonna blend it into the salad?

Like?

Maybe special?

Absolutely?

Let me see your knife. I want I want to do something.

Yeah, you want to be legit? Yeah, So I'm gonna take these off, so I think we go ahead? Yeah yeah, so yeah, so.

You know I was getting two checks as an assistant and as Yeah, as an assistant and as an actor. I yeah, It's always been in me. It's always been in me. And I think, like I said before, is that you know, with my jobs, I've always taken my ego out of it. So and I've actually used being on TV and film to my advantage because when I go in for the for the interview, they're looking at

So it actually helped me as well.

And you know I always told them sometimes I had to, you know, use my acting skills when I had auditions.

I had to leave on my lunch break.

And you know, but I say, hey, listen, if you let me leave, I'll stay a little bit of extra, you know what I'm saying, to make up for the time that I had to leave from auditions. So you know, like I said, I've you know, I've used it to my advantage and it has it has gotten me several jobs.

Yes, so we'll be hey, you know what, just so you know, I've never done this before.

Really, Okay, you did again with the So this is what we'll do. So we'll do we'll do the sell it here, right, and this will be your plate, right, okay, this will be your plate. And we'll put a couple of dice.

Eggs on here, right, okay, So.

You can just put a couple up in there.

Yeah, me too, Okay, and there, okay, there you good, yep, you sure, yep, alright, I wanna leave some.

For you there it is there, it is. So then now.

Put the avocados.

Avocado in there here.

I could do this, I could yeah, yeah, put the avocado and your tomatoes and I'll do mine.

Yeah, this is perfect. Yeah.

I I was told some of the other day my daughter got shot. Okay, I don't want to be that mom that always tells the mom stories about have to tell you this. And so the doctors are like, yeah, she's gonna take you for ice cream, and my daughter is like, I don't want ice cream.

I want cor cor okay.

And the next day I had offered her cereal and I was like, you want, you know, catching crunch or whatever, and she goes, no, I want.

Something right.

She wants the finder things in life.

I want to do crew toons just like you.

All right, there we go.

Is there anything you look for in these creutons?

Uh? You know what?

I usually just get the regular regular regular crewtons butter or garlic or whatever.

You know what I mean's just bread, right, Yeah, that's all it is, just a little bread. I'm telling you. It's gonna add that to it. Right.

So now now look at that samon. That thing look amazing.

I'm on now he bring that plate over, okay, hook it up. Boom.

This looks legit. And you know what, I can see where the value would be with the crunch. Oh yeah, you mad.

You see what I'm saying.

Yeah, so good, come on now, crunch you outside just enough. You know, I'm really so excited to eat healthy you know what I mean.

I'm real big on that. I don't like salty stuff.

So and it's affordable, guys, This is like under probably under fifteen bucks. Yeah, and it's really healthy.

Yeah. And you can look and you can and you can go ahead. And you know what I'm saying.

They don't add cheese to it, though I don't need to. Looks beautiful.

It looks Come on now, look all right.

Let's see. Let me hook you up. Let me just make sure the mic is hooked up.

All right?

Here?

Fix your chair? Is your chair comfortable?

Yeah? Yeah, we did good.

Here we go.

All right, hold on, let me do a little prayer.

Thank you for the food, but you see for the national Rabbi bodies blessing hands, prepare food and we.

Pray, Amen, thank you Jesus.

Letting him make it short pray.

Indeed, a man short prayer.

Mhm, career right, I'm not gonna lie.

I was concerned because the crust on the salmon was like so like barbecuous.

It is perfect.

Yeah mm hmm season not too salty. The skin sets it off too.

I gotta show you, right, yeah, cooreem Yeah, Okay, who you cooking for at home?

You know? Listen who you cooking for at home? And here's the crazy thing. I'm not really a cook like that cause I'm so much on the go.

I would not give up this dish ever, Right, this is amazing, right, I really like the way you cook the salmon.

I never cooked the salmon.

Like this, got too man pan ser.

What you did really high heat?

Don't take that long either.

It didn't take that long. But the way you did the outside of the salmon.

Nailed it.

Yeah, stop avoiding the question who you cooking for at home? Hilarious, I'm cooking for the women.

Listen, I cook. No, I'm not, I'm not.

The thing is that I'm not really a cook, like I'm saying. You got me on here cooking.

So you mean to tell me when was the last time you cook for yourself?

Did they?

What'd you make?

I sam a salad?

I mean, besides its meal? This is delicious. You gotta met you don't you want to eat this?

You? Ever?

Sometimes I do the interview and the food's really good, but like we needn't take a food break to just eat it's good.

Right.

Let me tell you something, man, this is it's very humbling that you are enjoying this salad as much as I am.

I really is.

Thank you and I And this is the thing you gotta remember, guys about trying new things, like sometimes you can have a bias like I was like, oh I hate kutons. I hate kutons, But trying it like this it makes sense.

Absolutely. You knowee what I'm saying.

Because you said it's smoky, I'm like, don't worry about it.

It's gonna be all. It's gonna be right.

Yeah, guys, I love that you added avocado and tomatoes and you made sure to add all these special ingredients because it makes it go from an affordable dish to like affordable but like fancy.

Right man.

You know this is like I said, if you are cooking for somebody, you give them a little bit of just not a plain salad, but it you know, it definitely elevates the experience.

See this, You know that.

Shouldn't be like all rape, you ain't never cooked for me.

Some people are gonna be like, yep, I've had that salad before. I love it.

That's all I wanted. I had to try like ten different ways.

It's good, Okay, it's good.

All right, career, Now let's get back into your story. Yeah, it'll be fully true. And during this whole story, I'm sorry. Good alright, after baby boy, yeah you do? What was the done imc hammer story?

Yeah?

Then from there what happens.

Mc hammer story. That's when I made a lot of money and I blew it.

I blew it. What just buying stuff? You know what I mean? Really didn't have nothing to show for it. Afterwards that happens.

Yeah, but that was a lesson that I learned. And from that point on, I was just like, I'll never I'll never be in this situation again. But after the mc hammer story, you know, of course, you know, you work in those jobs, you know, until you get the next gig.

Oh you went back to work.

Yeah, I started doing a brand ambassador work.

And what does that entail.

Brand ambassador work?

Is there's a product or yeah, there's a product, and you know you are hired to promote and talk about that product.

You know, whether you're at a convention, whether you're at a like a store, a store, a grocery store.

I wanna say, my first brand ambassador job was with Cisco UNI. And when I say, it was one of those jobs to where it was like, I can't believe I'm getting paid this much.

So I was about to ask you, was it a l a little bit of bang?

Listen? I was getting paid twenty five dollars an hour. Okay, this is maybe.

Two thousand, two thousand, one, two thousand, yeah, two thousand and two three for one of those twenty five bucks an hour to sit in a room.

Right.

At that time, Cisco had a TV, a big T big screen TV with a camera, so you were able it was FaceTime before FaceTime, okay, so you were able to contact people with your UH with this camera on top of your TV and talk to 'em. So they had these set up in uh like four different malls Dallas, I think, a Minneapolis, the Mall of America, where else I think Atlanta or somewhere. And we were in a room they had I think it was four or five of us in each room, a couch and a TV.

And you were getting paid to do this.

Listen.

We were working eight hours a day and sometimes, you know, you may see four or five people within those eight hours. So I'm on a computer, I'm you know, I'm studying lines, auditions, the whole nine And it was just one of those jobs to where it was just like, I can't believe that I'm getting paid this much to sit down and talk to people randomly in in the malls.

Now this is after MC hammer though, right, Yeah, So how long did the mc hammer money?

The big check last year?

It didn't last that long. It didn't last that long.

Cause I was I was up at the galleria balling, you know what I'm saying, Gucci, Gucci glasses, you.

Know what I mean, just buying stuff.

And like I said, when I got back, it was like I didn't really have anything to show for it, yeah, you know what I mean. And it was just like, alright, can't l can't let this happen again.

So when's your next big break?

After that?

Oh? Man?

I think it was like a couple of maybe a couple of months to a year. You know, I book a TV show here and there, commercial here and there, and then you know, it was always back to work because it was my career was a slow grind.

It was nothing consistent. Yeah, you know what I mean.

So it was just like book a job, all right, back to work, book a job, back to work.

And you start looking at that money is like bonus money instead of like like your acting money. Did you start looking at.

It as like.

The acting money was yes, like extra money. The acting money was big lump sum. Let me put that in the bank. Okay, let me work these nine.

To fives to pay the bills.

Yeah yeah, and then whatever I have left, let me stack that on top of the acting money, you know what I mean. Yeah, so you know, helping helping my mom out, you know, getting a car, paying insurance, you know, all that, all the grown up stuf, you know what I mean. But it was always the acting money sits in the bank.

There's nine to five money is.

To pay the bills, but also add on to what I stacked up from the acting exactly.

Okay, so what's your next big gig that's more stable.

From there?

I think it was, Oh, it was either Shield and The Shield. I audition for that show seventeen times, audition for the Shield seventeen times, the seventeenth time, I end up getting it, and I end up doing three seasons.

Now it's not consistent. I'm just a reoccurring Yeah, you know what I mean. You know, I'm able to.

I don't get it. You're saying it's not consistent, but reoccurring.

Yeah, so I wasn't a series regular.

So out of they maybe had thirteen or twenty episodes, I maybe did you know, maybe two or three in that season, you know what I mean. So it wasn't, like I said, it wasn't consistent.

Yeah, you know. So once it and I'm back on my grind, it really.

Wasn't the the the big the big show that really did it for me was All American.

All American was freaking huge, you.

Know what I'm saying.

And All American I ended up booking that and I was only supposed to do two episodes on All American?

How did that evolve?

They loved?

So here's here here's a fun fact. The showrunner for All American NK and catch I did her first uh script that she wrote for television, which was a show called.

Bones okay, and I remember that sh yeah okay.

And that was her first script, and I played a young man from Sierra Leon who was a amputee who was accused.

Of murdering his best friend.

And on that show probably the most money I made as a guest star, okay, because the actors, the main actors, Brandon, they kept getting sick.

Okay, it was flu season, Okay.

So I think I that particular episode took almost like a month to make, when usually episodes take seven to eight days.

Yeah, so that's probably the most money I made.

But we were able to have a great relationship from there showing up doing the work and then you know, boom. And then also the show The Shield that auditioned for seventeen times. The Cold showrunner Jamie Turner was a story editor on that show, Okay, And we connected cause it wasn't like I said, it wasn't any wasn't I mean melenated people in those rooms got it. So me and him connected, and here you have those two individuals now on all American.

Geez, you know what I mean?

And I you know, I'm only supposed to do two episodes, and you know, n K the showrunner, which never happens, but because of the relationship, calls me. It is like, hey, I don't know if you got the season finale script, but you get shot, you know, and as an actor, you're like, okay, thank you for thank you for the opportunity. But she was like, hey, you don't die. We planning on keeping you around for a while.

Holy cow.

And did you smile?

I mean yeah, it was just like, you know, hey, I have you know, I have another opportunity for work. Yeah, and you know, those words rang true. And I've been on that show for seven seasons incredible, and we just got a renewed for eighth, so we start back for season eight, uh pretty soon. So you know that by far consistent. And it wasn't until season three that I was able to let my jobs go. So working on

For a Master Chef.

Oh I love that show.

Yeah okay, And so we shot it around here. So when I wasn't working on set. I was a talent wrangler for a master chef. So big shout out to Desi because she always gave me a job.

And then did did your co stars also know that you were also hustling other jobs?

Oh for sure?

For sure, Like I wasn't afraid to talk about it, you know what I mean. But also tools me just in stealing wisdom on you know, instelling wisdom to them as well. Yeah, to let them know my journey. Yeah, you know what I mean. And so really I had four jobs. So I was working as a talent wrangler, and I was working graveyard, so I did overnights. So what it was is I would go to the hotel, yeah, where the contestants were six o'clock at night, and I would stay until six seven in the morning geez.

So therefore I can.

Be able to have the rest of my day to be able to audition or if I had.

To do Brandon bassa work.

I was able to do that in addition to shooting aditional shooting.

Now, when you decide to pull the trigger on going one hundred percent acting season three, how does that feel and what makes you finally pull the trigger?

Well, I it was always one hundred percent.

It was just now, I mean they were they were saying, hey, we wanna be able to take your storyline and this is what we're going with.

Yeah.

So then it was just like, oh, okay, well now we're giving you a guaranteed six seven episodes.

Yeah.

So it was just like okay and more money. Cool.

So now I was able to leave those jobs. But knowing me, because the hustle was always in me, so the shooting schedule, if I wasn't on the episode, I'd be like, yo, I'm available for X amount of days.

Yeah.

So it was always I always was working. Let's just put it like that. If it wasn't in front of the camera, I was working a regular nine to five you know what I mean.

Now that you're stable, and what about the Vince Staple Show.

Yeah, so the Vince Staple Show comes around season six six, season five or season six, Yeah, I get that, and you know, auditioned for it and I didn't get the apart, but they offered me a role.

They said, hey, you mind playing the uncle, and I.

Was just like absolutely yeah, And you know, find myself on set and you know the relationship I have with Vince goes back to a good friend of mine by the name of cal Mattick, a director who was directing a lot of Vince Staples videos. So that's how I was able to meet Vince Staples prior to being on the Vince Staple Show. Okay, so you know, we do The Vin Staple Show, and you know, I have some memorable lines cause they let me do my thing, and you know, that show does very well, and we get

Yeah.

One of the things that I like is when I approached you, you're very approachable, you know, and I think as a woman, I think when you approach guys, you never know how it's gonna.

Go, especially in this game hilarious.

But one of the things that sticks out to me in this whole interview, which I personally struggle with, is ego. And I just don't know how you're able to it just seems like the entire your entire life, w ego was always checked absolutely.

Do you know where that is rooted from.

I think just.

Like I said, I've had examples, you know, of just being in this business and how people are treated, you know, because you're on TV and you know things that nature and and just my regular jobs is just like you know, I put on my pants just like you. It's just so I just happen to be on TV, yeah, you know, and just raised and brought up to just treat people

Nobody wants to work with a asshole. Nope, you know what I mean. So for me, it's just it doesn't cost anything to be nice.

Yeah.

So that's just how it is. Man.

I'm I'm blessed. I'm doing what I love. So when you are living in your purpose, why you gotta be angry, Why you gotta be a jackass? Why you gotta be uh you know, stuck up? Yeah, you're I I literally asked for this. I literally wrote on my vision board in two thousand thirteen that I wanted to be on a hit TV show. I wasn't specific, but I literally said I wanted to be on a hit TV show and it happened.

It happened.

So what do I need to be, you know, angry for? And I've went through the I've went through the process. I went through the grind.

Yeah.

So when you're when you worked jobs that you really didn't wanna be at. Yah, And and I'm visualizing being on set and doing what I love, and then once you get that opportunity, why God be angry. I'm grateful. I'm blessed, you know what I mean. So I'm excited, you know what I'm saying, just to be able to be in a place, in a space to do what I love, you know what I mean. So that's what

Yeah, I love it.

You cook amazingly.

Oh thank you.

My family, my family and friends will be like, yeah right, dude, don't cook.

No, you cooked really good.

And he told me a lesson about searing salmon in a pan high heat, not that long, not that long.

Definitely have a smoke or mask on.

Ye look usually have a stove with a fan.

Yeah, so it wouldn't be as bad. But we're on a set, So thank you so much for coming by. Where can everybody keep up with everything Korean?

You can say Korean grimes on all platforms Instagram, tik top, Facebook, Snapchat, spiel whatever it is all all Korean grimes.

Talk to me.

I talked back A A R E E M j R I M k R E E M g R I M E S.

You're ready for season eight of All American?

Yeah?

Also season two of the Van Staples Show.

Uncle Mike is back and this season two is funnier than season one. And yeah, just also have a short film called Soul of the City a Joy Brunson, amazing actress, Mark Prince, myself rector, a bio, Roger uh Roger Melvin.

So that's it, you know what I mean?

And then before we sign out, is there any piece of advice you give to anybody else out there in the game coming up?

Yeah?

For sure, I think you know, you gotta make daily deposits, you know, daily deposits and whatever that you whatever it is that you want to do in life. Once you make those daily deposits, you know your return will be great because each and every day you're doing something towards your goal of whatever it is in life. And you know, just being in the business, you know, enjoy the process, don't cheat it, treat it with respect, and just simply be nice.

Yeah, it simply be nice.

And guys, don't forget you can eat healthy while being broke.

Absolutely no, there's no excuses.

All right, guys, Thanks for tuning in. Peace out

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