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Hey everybody, Scott Patterson, I am all in Podcast. One of their productions, iHeartRadio, I Heart Podcast, I Heart Media. One on one Interview, Episode five, Season seven, The Great Stink, and we are joined by de two Cambo McCormick. How did I do? That's it? Welcome, Welcome, thanks for joining us. You portrayed Philip for three episodes of Gilmore. You one of Logan's colleagues from London. You were born in Sierra Leone.
You are an actor producer known for Blood Diamond, Battle, Los Angeles, Captain America, The Winner, Soldier, The OA n CIS, and twenty four and Lost. You also lend your voice to animated series such as Castevania, Castlevania and video games like Call of Duty. Welcome, sir. We were very very very very very entertained by those scenes or that scene in the restaurant. We just got off the recap discussing it,
and it was quite controversial amongst us. Certain intelligent people were quite entertained by it and others weren't, but they had a bone to pic. But so first I'll tell us how you got the role on Gilmore Girl.
Well, I mean, that's an interesting story. So mar Casey actually called my agent up after seeing me in Lost, and she was like, who is the sky? We've got a cast in something and and thanks. So I came in for the audition and yas Mark Casey and she was like, yeah, you know, you're a tremendous actor. Let's see if you can find a place for you. And that's what happened. I auditioned the role fit like a glove. I very much like them as opposed to the other
characters I tend to play. I tend to play like you know, in Blood Diamond, that was someone who taught children how to be child soldiers. And you know, I play a lot of gangsters and that kind of thing, and I don't have a gangster's bone in my body. So I think it's interesting that they were like, Ah, this guy is amazing on lot, let's put him in
Gilmour Girls. I mean great thinking by you know, Marques and Jamierdovsky And yeah, I mean it was just a wonderful, wonderful role to play, and yeah, and I love doing it.
So you play one of Logan's college from London, and your first scene is at dinner with Rory and Logan's very fast paced. What do you remember about shooting that day?
My goodness, So I talked pretty quickly, right, But when I was on set, They're like, nope, fastest and fast enough is literally what they said. And I was like, wait, what I'd be I'm not speaking quickly enough, like nope, And I remember just going lightning speed and being like, am I even saying my words? Is this coming out correctly? I have no idea. I don't have time to big
blah blah blah blah, you know. And so I remember going pretty what I thought was a very fast paced and being told I think by take two that we needed to do it quicker, and and I was like, all right, let me strit myself in and go for it, so.
Calm and refrain from that's set. That's all I heard. That's the only direction I ever heard was faster, faster, funnier, faster, funny, faster, funny. So you Vanessa Branch who played Bobby, and Chris Payne played the three colleagues, did you guys spend a lot of time together because of the role, or do you still tend to stay in touch with those guys.
I stay in touch with Chris for a little bit afterwards, but I think I saw Vanessa once in an event, but unfortunately, know we haven't stayed in touch.
So what will you You have a favorite memory of being on set?
You know, actually one of my favorite memories is I think from episode fifteen. And it's not a memory just because it was entertaining, it was it was a It was a great memory because of how gracious Matt Zaffrey was, and you know, it was me telling him that whole you know, the sad story about our company going bust, and you know, and basically he didn't have to give me his lions. You know, he was off camera and he was like, no Ida, I've got to be here
for you. I've got to you know, I got to be here and do your life, do my lines for you. I was like, you don't have to know so late at that point, it's like two in the morning, and I just remember him just staying. We did the lines together and the scene was beautiful. So thanks, Matt, if you're listening, I appreciate it.
Whole stand up guy all the way around. Stand up guy. For sure, Ladies chime in any question I was going to ask one, was the last time you've seen like an episode.
You're in It's been a minute, but no, but it was such a fun show to do, you know. And I remember thinking, because listen, I do as I said, like Lost of Blood, Diamond and it's a lot of doom and gloom. And I remember being like I had an audition and this was like, wait, all these other things make sense on your resume, but Gilmore girls, you know, I was like, yeah, But what is interesting is because I think that was the one and only time I was on w It was on w B right rather
than warnerbellas exactly. And mind you, I've been told many times that I didn't have a w B look or CW look, and I was like, oh, well that sucks, you know, so but just the fact that you know, casting saw something else and not the traditional I guess a look for people that tend to be cast on those shows. That was something I really appreciated. And you know, I think that was just an amazing and an awesome
thing by j Me and MARAA. Casey. Why cannot say, you know, you know, good good things up about them, But yeah, it was great to actually be on that show. And I just said, I just have a lot of fun memories.
Tell us about being scouted at the age of twelve years old in Kenya for your first film.
Gosh, that was a long time ago. Well, interestingly enough, I'm having a full circle moment. So I, as you guys know, I did my first movie when I was twelve years old. It's called The Great Elephant Escape, and it starred Joseph Gordon Levitt and the late Junie Sands and late New Bremister. And I did a lot of plays when I was a kid. I was I just love being on stage. And I remember I did my first play when I was five. I was a bee
in a play called Be's. I remember falling off the stage and I have this memory of my dad, you know, coming towards me to like basically pick me up and put me back on and I was like, no, I got this, and I got back on the stage and I finished the play, and I just kept on doing other plays. And then at twelve, this casting director was like, we're doing a Disney film in Kenya. Are you interested?
Do you want to audition for it? And I was like, of course, you know, of course I wanted to do this once a lifetime opportunity, and and I did, and thanks to the booked the role, and and then that just basically started my career. And then I went to study Purchase Consideratoris Theater as the film, and then graduated and started working in Los Angeles.
What was that experience, Like, did you still keep in contact with some of those people from Sydney Purchase?
I do. I do just view of us, like, you know, Malcolm Goodwin and Victor Cruz and and a few other people. Yeah, I mean we're the Purchase mafia. We're a tight knit group.
How did your family take it when you wanted to move to pursue acting. I mean you where did you go? You left and left? Yeah, yeah, very back.
I went to first So first I went, I left Kenya and I went to New York. I went to the Sydney Purchases Union. My dad. You know, I'm the son of a diplomat. So my father was at first was like, uh, this is not something we really do. You know. Mind you my sisters all have PhDs and you know, doctor lawyers that kind of thing. But my dad was like that this is something that you really want to do. I'm going to support you one hundred and ten percent. And that meant a lot because that
was the time. You know, a lot of people from my country or you know, doctor, lawyer, engineer, partacists, whatever, but the arts isn't something that we pursue, something that parents even don't really support. But my dad was very supportive. I think it helps because my late mother was an actress as well, so it didn't come totally out of left field, you know, so I think, yeah, so they were very, very very supportive. And but I do remember
though when I graduated. Now, mind you, we have this thing that you know when you go to the CONCERTI Consortium of Professional theod Arts Training purchased as one of the universities I think Carnegian, Melon, a few others and after the consortium, and I was like one of the top in my class. But when I did consortium, I didn't get an agent or a casting direct or anything. And I remember I called my dad and I was like teariarus. I was like, Daddy, this is working out.
I didn't get anything, and my dad there's this long silence and was like, you owe me thirty eight thousand dollars intuition money figure it out. I was like, okay, but you know, it was tough love, and honestly, I was like, that's not going to be the setback that,
you know, stopped the ends of my career. And yeah, and I just was like okay, and I found the payment and got an agent, thankfully, and soon after graduation I ended up moving to Los Angeles and I think I booked Lost, and then right after Lost was I think Gilmore Girls came soon after that. Yeah, Lost in
a couple of things and gil More Girls. So but my parents have been very, very supportive, and I think always get a kick out of seeing me on TV or you know, hearing my voice on things like Pennsylvania. And I was going.
To ask you, do you prefer being on camera or the voiceover stuff, because they're very different.
They're they're different and the same, if that makes sense, because your my approach is almost identical. It's like, who's your backstory? Who are you? What are the stakes? You know, all of it. I think it's less precious sometimes because you don't have to look a certain way, and if you have a giant ZiT, I can show up in my sweatpants and you don't do my job. But yeah, but my approach is identical. I'm a complete maniac of the studio. I act up on my macines and I
have a lot of fun. So yeah, I mean it's just my approach is the same, and I love both equally. I guess, you.
Know, is there a difference between voiceover work for animated series and video games? Like? How does that is that different at all?
Yes? I mean a lot of the video games, I would say it's a lot more taxing on your voice, and so I you know, you have to have a lot of stamina, you have to learn your breathing technique, you have to It's just it's really really hard. So I would say it's just harder and it's just more more taxing, and it requires a lot more vocal stamina.
Interesting animation. And then as far as a lot of animation, I mean, look at things like Castlevania and The Blood of Z using of the other things that I've done, the dialogue is so elevated and it's just so beautiful and in some ways it feels very Shakespearean, and so I just really fall in love. I love language, I love dialogue and love words. So I think that's just what makes me just love what I do so much.
Tell us about The German King, that's your most recent project. Tell us about that.
Yeah, so that's actually why I think earlier I said it's everything very full circle. So I'm actually in Kenya right now. It's mourning for me.
Good morning, good morning.
But yeah, I'm here during pre production for this series, and we decided to shoot here in Kenya because of the fact that, you know, there's a lot of infrastructure here and the landscape and everything feels very similar to Cameroon.
But to answer your question, Scott, The German King is the incredible true story of Rudolph Dulla mangan Bel, who is a Cameroonian born German raised prince who grew up in royal courts and then he ends up becoming king and when he comes back to Cameroon to take the throne, he sees that his people being subjugated and enslaved on the tyrannical German colonial rule, and he rises up against it and leads rebellion against German coronalism, which begins this
domino effect across Africa to bring down German crony rule. Across the continent.
Well, yeah, place taking about what years sustained place.
So the story takes place in late eighteen hundreds and during the peak of the Scramble for Africa, and and it goes all the way to effect when Rudolph leaves Rebellion that's actually in nineteen fourteen rather the start of World War One.
Are you playing the title role?
I'm playing Rudolfdwell and Mangabell. Yes, I am playing.
Who's behind it? Who's who's producing it?
The Angel Studios, which is the studio behind The Chosen and Sound of Freedom, the blockbuster hit that came out last year, and Cabrini, which came out last month. So yeah, they're they're great and been really supportive, and you know, there was this is a show that amplifies light and that's what they're all about. Stories that are empowering and stories that are inspiring and heroic and you know, ultimately have a really positive message.
And who else who else is in the cave?
I can't announce it? Just yeah, Unfortunately, what they're gonna do?
How many episodes are you going to do?
So the first season is six episodes, and subsequent seasons would be a little bit more. But yeah, it's it's it's really really exciting. Uh yeah, yeah, it's just we did a short film based on but we did a short film that went to can and you know, Hollish played at Holly Shorts and won a bunch of awards and even qualified for OSCAR consideration, and and Angel Studios
was like, what is this thing? This is amazing. And originally I wanted to turn it into a feature length film, but Angel they really thought that because of the scope and how nuanced stories like this can be, it made more sense of a TV series. And so we talked about, you know, just how what we could do, and talked about just going from the beginning, you know. And also I got to learn a lot of about my history because growing up in Kenya, so I actually I grew
up here. The history we learned was very much about British history. It was like Queen Victoria and you know, Henry Thea than honor those people. But we didn't really learn about like Patris La Mumba, Toma Boya, any of the great African heroes. So for me, when I came to America and I started doing all this research, I was like, oh, my gosh, there's so much I don't know, and we get to put all this history into the story,
so people get to be educated about African history. In fact, I'm even hesitant to say African history because African history is world history. You can't really talk about Germany's history without talking about colonialism, without talking about, you know, the fact that they raped and pillaged and stole a lot of natural resources and minerals which did make their empire great. And also you look at England, you look at Belgium, and you look at the crisis that happened in Congo.
So we get to address all these things and talk about all these different people who also put back against some periodists and how it really took like a lot of people to basically fight back and they change.
Hm. Wow, and that's all going to be covered in this series. Yes, wow, Well, good luck with that. These are important stories and you must feel on top of the world getting to play a character like this. I mean, this is this is what you live for, and this is the sounds like a career defining role and I hope it brings you everything you deserve. I appreciate that should do some rapid fire. Well, now let's let's get just now and talk about the very important things. Okay,
and this is called rapid fire. Get ready for the serious, impactful questions. How do you like your coffee?
That's delicious?
Are your team Logan, Team Jess or Team Dean Logan?
Obviously?
Who's your favorite Gilmore girls couple? Luke and Lorelei or Emily and Richard? Thank you very much. Would you rather work with Michelle or Kirk Kirk Kirk?
I don't know, I just like the name.
Who would you rather hang out with Paris or Lane? Paris me too, honestly, Harvard or Yale? Or drop out and live in the pool unequivocally Harvard. Would you rather attend a D A R event with Emily or a town hall meeting with Taylor? Oh?
Top one, tough one, can, I says, sorry, that.
Is not an option. I'll give you a hint to the town hall meeting. Thinks the opposite Gilmore character that you would want as a roommate?
Oh, you know, I would probably say Rory.
As a roommate.
As a roommate, yes, yes, I would.
Yeah, she's kind of she would be very respectful of your space. She'd be she's she's kind of a very light touch. She's delightful.
She would replenish them. Yeah, conversations, you know, the whole journalist. I mean, she's intellectual. That's that person. I am so yeah.
Right, yeah, I agree. Congratulations for for getting this off the ground. I wish you all the best with it. I'll be looking for it, I'll be watching it, rooting you on. Thank you so much for your time. I know it's early there, I know you're busy and you have important stories to tell. The too Combo McCormick, you were a delight. You were a massive thank God, bless and good luck. Thank you saying okay, thanks for coming.
Thank you everybody. You guys are amazing.
Everybody else forget Follow us on Instagram at I Am all In podcast, and email us at Gilmore at iHeartRadio dot com.