Money, POWER, Respect with Marcus Callender

I didn't hang out until Sunday. I came outside a little bit on a couple of spots. But this weekend was real chill, taking it easy because next weekend it's Super Bowls. It's let it's Reana Bowl right now. I do want the Eagles to win, Okay, I feel like they are. They got out your good energy, so yeah, yeah, um, I don't know, I don't know. I don't know. I have any place in particular. I'll find someplace, but then I'm pretty sure a few people gonna be having some

Super Bowl parties. I could pull up all right, I want to go get all the Super Bowl food. Just all I can have is meat and vegetables, though in cheese, I can't have anything sweet or bread or I know I funked up last night though I'm out of cutosis. I know I am today. I'm starting back over now. I can't do a super restrictive diet like that. I

have tried, Jesus Christ. I mean, the most restrictive thing I think, and it's just not restrictive anymore, is just like stop, you know, eating meat, like big, big, big meats. Other than that, I'll just try to cut back because if it, you need a chocolate your cookie every now and then. Alright, so let me see what we got going on there this week and stupid internet news the

sins of a week. It's Black History Month, and like Malcolm X once said, the white man will try to satisfy us with symbolic victories rather than economic equity and real justice. That's when Malcolm X once said, and here we are in and we got schools in New York City serving our children chicken and waffles and watermelons. I like that ship. I that ship. I'm sorry. I love chicken. I love waffles and I love watermelon. I would have

been so happy at school with that meal. Yeah, but serve it every day, have it, serve it as a delicacy once a month or something. I don't know why you wait till Black History Month to serve that to the students. M hmm, all right. It's kind of like, damned if you do damned if you don't like how do you how do you want to celebrate Black History? It was I feel like we want the check I

just told you with Malcolm mar An elementary school. At an elementary school, they thought that they probably thought it was a fun way to incorporate something that black people enjoy for Black History. You are assuming that all black people enjoy. I don't need chicken. I don't eat fried chicken. When I get the waffles, I might get fried shrimp on the side. White people eat that ship too, What

are you talking about? They're gonna eat it on Black History money on the first day in school with these everybody else And watermelon And if I wish people would go look into the history as to why black people are associated with watermelon, it really wasn't because we just enjoyed watermelon. That was one of our main crops, especially in the South. It made black people a lot of money selling watermelon, and that would include selling watermelon to

white people. Everybody likes a nice cold watermelon slice on a goddamn Sunday when it's hot outside. That is that should not be like you was so happy to have it at school, though I would have been so happy, all right, So y'all. New York school apologizes for Sara watermelon chicken and waffles on the first day of Black History Month after complaints it reinforced negative stereotypes of food.

Vendor issued an apology after the lunch they gave students at Knack Middle School on the first day of Black History Month was deemed in sensitive. I agree lunch, excuse me, lunch of chicken and waffles with watermelon for dessert, which a student claimed reinforced negative African American stereotypes. A student, a middle school student, had to correct adults man, waffles stupid, stupid, and then you got down in Miami. Down in Miami, they decorated a police car. Okay, now that was just stupid.

Now that's stupid. But the chicken and waffles ain't stupid. This is what chicken and waffles is so Florida State Representative Dottie Joseph says that the Miami police car misses the mark on celebrating Black History Month by highlighting the wrong continent. It was the wrong continent on the goddamn ship. But yeah, we need money. We don't need um even

with Juneteenth. I'm trying to figure out who even though Juneteenth is important, Juneteenth was mainly down in Texas, right because there were black people down there who didn't know they were free. M But there's a lot of black people in the South period that chose to remain on plantations because they didn't know what to do next after being freed. But to make that a national uh holiday, I don't know who wanted that. I would prefer reparations.

So they keep giving us these symbols as opposed to giving us real while celebrating Juneteenth. But I agree, we want the money in the holiday. Yeah, it's just all it's awesome bullshit. You know, every other group of people you got the Holocaust, you even have And we talked about this last year during the pandemic, how the Asian community they got all these moneys in the COVID nineteen hate crime bill. We're get nothing. We never get anything. We just got the anti lynching bill passed in Mattel

Anti lynching bill passed. Either it was last year or it's not. We need we need some real life, um economic advancement at this point, and they ain't trying to give it to us. So what's next? I say, force? But anyway next? Yeah, because Matil died in very long time ago in our lifetime, we're just now seeing an anti lynching bill. Why because black people are still being lynched in three that's a fact. Mm hmm yep. Happy Black History monthy guys. What else happened? Yeah? The Grammys

this weekend. I missed it. I was out eating and in the city. I don't ever watch it anyway. I'll catch a little clips and highlights online, but it's not something like I gotta see the Grammys. I should be looking boring as hell. But I watched some people that I knew who went, you know, I watched their stories and ship like that. Um, that's about it. Are you gonna do our batty of the week for Black History Month? Yeah? Might as well. Why are we talking about the Grammys?

So listen the Batty of the Week. This week goes to Viola Davis. Okay, Viola Davis Jones only seventeen other people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, Oscar and a Tony completing the ego feature um And she did a speech yesterday at the Grammys, Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful. She said, the only thing I could think to do was to go back to the beginning of my story, because I think that once you tell your story over and over again, you start to hear it and you start to think, Okay,

how did I get here? It's it's always the journey, m right. People always think it's like the end goal. Is this the actual journey to get to where you're going? That matters, that's most important. Absolutely, Congratulations Viola Davis. You are the Batty of the week. We salute your girl, Batty who talks back. So I want to talk about this balloon. Tell me that was floating over the United States for about a week apparently, and it was just

shot down. When was that Friday? Yes? What took them so long to shoot the damn throwing down is what I need to know. China said. Look, China got rebuttaled after they shot that balloon. And down. China said it is cool when they do it. It's a problem with I do it. Fo China says it reserves the right to deal with similar situations after US jet shoot down suspective spy balloon. The thing is, I don't believe that

the balloon was a spy balloon. China conspire on us in so many other ways, which they do a k a TikTok and all these other things. Devices are made in China. Everything we deal with right now is made in China. So if China wanted to spire on us, they would not have to put a balloon in the air. That was symbolism, is what that was like. Play with us, We're pulling up. That's how I felt about the balloon in the air. It was just symbolism, symbolism for what

we can pull up. We will pull up. That's what it looked like to me, because we know they can if they really want to spy on us, they can do that in many other ways, and they do do it. They have all of our information. Did you let's go send a balloon over there? But that's what they're saying. We're having a party. Yeah, obviously this is nothing abnormal. Obviously, this is stuff that maybe the United States has done in the past, two little threatening, little reminders that will

pull up. It's symbolism. So with China is saying, Okay, y'all shot our shut down. They reserve the right to do that next time, y'all pull up on the territory. I don't want. Ain't gonna lie. I think it's inevitable. At this point, they're gearing up huge. They're gearing up to I saw an article. I don't know how true it is. I didn't do any deep research, but they're gearing up to um invade Taiwan. Yeah, and then I

got nothing to do with us. Well, we can't mind our business because the United Nations and stuff like that. So just like we in Ukraine right now sending more weapons and more tanks and ship like that over there, the United States don't mind our minded business. And then they'd be fun them both sides of the war. So like that's like me, you're fighting with somebody else. I'm gonna give you money and empower them at the same time. What's the the Swiss, that's who we need to be.

Like the Swiss don't mind, they fun, They mind they fucking all the fun up things you can think of starts in Switzerland for sure. You know, people be like, oh, we're gonna put in a Swiss bank, that's where all the secrets are at. But they don't funk with no. But they don't get in nobody's ship, not publicly. But their hands being everything is what I'm saying, their hands literally being everything in history. Switzerland has something to do

with every fucking thing. I like that. I like to say when people like, what do you think, I'm like, I'm like the Swiss, you know, the ship, but you starting ship behind the scenes, bitch starting ship. Yeah, that's it's wild man, It's a wild time. And I just think that we may see war in our lifetime we make another one. I mean our knows that I'm talking about on American school, that American soil, I think. So, you know, and what makes me scared about that balloon

being over? Uh? You know Charlotte in South Carolina. You know, Charlotte is the number two banking hub in the United States Myrtle Beach. Think about that. How close Charleston is. We have a naval base, Fort Bragg, Fort Jason, all the bases on Charleston and the banking Hub. Mm hmmm mm yeah, they know what they're doing to Jamaica. Yeah, that's why I want citizenship in another country. You're gonna gonna be having that sh it out. But I really

want to go to Barbados. I want citizens citizenship in Barbados. Yeah, you're gonna have to get you wanted them in. All right, y'all, we got someone really interesting and very special on our show. We are gonna tell Wu Tang claiming there ain't nothing to cream get the money dollar dollar, Hell, y'all do like that? Not on my OUs. All right, we'll be

right back, y'all. All right, y'all, So listen. Today's guest has starred in some of your favorite films and television series like The Brakes, Power, and he's currently starting on the Hulu's drama series Wu Tang in American Saga Ray Ray. I mean, Marcus Callender, welcome to We Talked Back. What's up? Hey, Marcus? Thank you for joining us, Thank you, thank you for

having me. Yes, all right, I just gotta say this, all right, there's characters and movies and shows that when you see them in real life, you're gonna be like, yeah, we got smoked because of what you did on that show, right, And I always felt like if I ever saw you, I was gonna have to throw hands because you're killing rain Now, man, how are you gonna kill the baby? I mean, she she had it coming, she had to go, She had to go. Do you have like weirdos like me come up to you and be mad at you

for real life? Sometimes you can't from real life? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, honestly, it happens quite often, honestly, you know what I mean, Like though, you know, because first because I think people had you know, they kind of have this image in their head as to like who I am. So sometimes when they see me in person, you know, you know, because it's I'm just me. I'm just being regular. So it kind of throws them off because in their head they're like, wait, you're supposed to be this me, motherfucker,

that's right exactly. But then when they meet me, it's like, I'm pretty cool, I'm pretty chill, you know what I'm saying. So it's like it's that initial oh ship, that's you, that girl? Right. If I had a dollar for every time somebody asked me why to kill that girl? Yeah, on the internet. The Internet's how crazy? Was the Internet's

going on? You? You know, stupid ship. I don't remember that was that was like years ago, but there was definitely like funny memes and a lot of people onto my comments like Yo, I'm gonna get you like if I ever see you out, you know what I'm saying. So all right, So I took acting classes a few years back, and I had to do like this scene where I had to like like getting my emotions right and get sad so I could do the scene, and

I couldn't get out of that sadness. Like after it was over, I went home and I was sad all day and I was like, damn, like I'm holding onto that. Do you like, do you walk away from it just like the scene is over? You just kill the kid? You know? Do you just walk like, oh, let's go have Starbucks now? Or how does that? I mean? I remember that that night we shot that scene. It was it was probably like it was like three or four in the morning honestly when we shot that scene in particular,

and it was super cold outside. Um, but for me, like I don't, yeah, I don't really take it home like that, Like once once they cut, I could let it go. Well yeah, but then you got some you know, no offense. But you've got some actors that like, oh I need to eat, breathe, and sleep the road, which is cool, but you know this, it's called acting for a reason, right, you know what I'm saying. So you know, now that's not to say like I don't you know,

do my best to like you know, internalized things. We just kind of make um, these characters real for myself, you know what I'm saying. Like one of my a strong philosophy of mine is that, honestly, I feel like every character lives somewhere inside you. What makes it different is that you know, like no one in the world is like you. You know what I'm saying. So my version of Ray Ray might be different from say, your

version of Ray, Like you know what I'm saying. So for me, I always look at it as okay, so what how would I approach this situation or like what how can I make this scenario real for myself? Which is gonna make it um unique and specific, you know what I'm saying, Because we don't want to like generalize things because then you know, there's nothing interesting about that. So for me, like, you know, working on that character was actually kind of fun to tap into that evil.

I guess you know what I'm saying. It was a lot of fun. It was fun. It's crazy, it's kind of fun. It's kind of fun, Like I know, you want to touch the rekas right. He see, he was the one that was really supposed to get it, you know what I'm saying, Like he was really the one. But you know, his sister guy in the way, she knew too much. All right, So I went on social media and you don't post a lot. You don't post

a lot at all. You're like me, I don't. I hate I honestly hate having having I feel like now I have to share my life more because of this podcast, but it's not something I enjoyed. Are you similar in that way or why are you so like not? Okay? Yeah, I think for me, I mean like I'm just kind of I'm just using pretty much a private person just in general. But um, I actually am on like a similar path, like I did tell myself, like, okay, like maybe I should uh start posting more being more sociable.

I mean, I ain't about to be brand new with it. You know what I'm saying. I'm gonna still be me, but I just you know, let you in a little more. You know, you know what you mean, you know, because because I get it. You know, some people, you know, they look at you know, they look at people on you know, the platform that I'm on and doing what I'm doing. You know, for some people it's inspiration and for some people it's you know, for them it's how.

You know, because I get a lot of questions about like yo, bro, like how did you get into the industry, or like how do you get on the show and things of that nature. So I know that you know, probably be good too. Just give a little insight as to like what I'd be doing. Nothing crazy though, you know what I'm saying, nothing crazy for those for those who were my close friends, they know what's going on. Yeah, I'm notorious for my close friend activities. I'm a little

notorious for green green circle stories. The green circle stories. Y'all know what. Y'all know what's good the time? It is because you know, I travel a lot. You know what I'm saying, things happen in different like a rapper, you'd be out here acting like la No, I'm still I'm still low key with it a little bit. Distant loving. Yeah, that's like a Marvin Gay song, Distant Lover? Is that how you came over that? There you go? Yeah, I'm so. I'm a big Marvin Gay fan. Marvin Gay is my

favorite artist of all time. Um, I love Marvin Gay everything, Marvin fun with um. So it was just a play on the song distant loving. Okay, you got a girl. It's a player on the song distant Lover. Sorry, um, just in it. But if you think about it, that's literally what social media is. Just in love it, you know what I mean? Because we're because we're looking at pictures and videos from a distance, we're not necessarily there, and we're liking them. You know what I'm saying, loving it? Okay,

hearten it. I mean a woman somewhere like I love you bit in l a you know. Look, I don't I don't know, I don't know. Right. Look, So since we're herewhere here, I got a question about one of your relationships because I watched one of your interviews on YouTube. Uh it was my mind your Business or something like that, Mind your Business. It was you and two other guys y'all was outside. I heard iren's fire trucks. I don't know what the fun Oh those are my Yes, those

are my guys. Those are my guys. Okay, So you and your guys you're talking about you were talking about how you had an old lady in New York that was supposed to move with you when you picked up and moved to l A, but you got the check and you dipped out on her. Ask wit, hold on, hold on a second, hold on, hold on, hold on a second. Wait, wait, let me gather. So I mentioned what now what I do? All right? So right, this

is after you shot Raina. Wait wait, wait, just for the people, just so the people know that's a podcast where they give you could you drink as as the interview goes, just so you know, so you know what I'm saying. I might have got a little loose with the tone. So you gotta remind me if you was my ex nigger, I was trying to smack your ass after that interview. Let's just be clear. So he was saying, to let me tell you what this nigga was saying.

So this nigga was saying, he basically said, okay, after Raina after he shot Raina checks got kind of funny a little bit. Nigger got an epiphany talking to his manager for a little bit for months, and his old lady was holding her apartment down, but he only knew her for about three months, right, but she had the house holding her apartment down. He goes back to New York, they get the check out. All of a sudden, relationship

went down to dream. He moves to l A without his old lady, and he smashed a bit, and he smashed the bitch that she'd been asking him about. Damn, Marcus, Damn, you're doing it like da hungry greedy asked Marcus. Marcus. See, this's what I'm saying. That's why I don't let you'all niggas no ship because of ship like this. Okay, uh, let me let me explain myself. You you fucked up the story a little bit. Some women do. But first of it, we don't think you're a bad person. That

was what happened. This is what happened. Yes, I was. I wasn't a relationship. This was years ago, Mike. This was a no no no, no, no, no no no, right before the pandemic. That wasn't like two thousand and Rain ain't been dead. That that was no, no, no, that was like in twenty sixteen. Okay, that was in Um that was no, no, no, no, I'm bugging, I'm bugging like so any who. Uh, yes, I wasn't a relationship, Um, but me shooting Rain or the whole power situation, that

wasn't the reason we broke up. The relationship was on the outskirts anyway. Um, we had talked about moving to l A together, but I knew in my heart of heart that that was a trip that I needed to do solo dolo, and I think I was right about that, Like it paid off. But yeah, unfortunately our relationship did not last. And yes, it just so happened to be around the time when when the when the whole rain of ship was going on. So you know, everything happens for a reason, you know what I mean? I mean,

you know her and I you don't talk anymore. But I'm sure she's great. I'm sure she's great, she's loving, I'm sure she's great. Got funnier ship. So I saw that you were right in a play called Spades. Yeah,

how's that go? How's that? Already wrote it? Um, I'm actually in the process of trying to get it produced, but I want to produce it independently because um, along with putting up this play, I'm also really trying to like a rate this um idea of what it means for us as black people to go to the theater, right because I feel like, say, I feel like theater kind of has a bad rep when it comes to like us going to the theater because you know, you

go to Broadway shows is predominantly white folks in the audience. Even if you do off Broadway, it's predominantly white folks in the audience. But I also think a large part of that has to do with like this just shows that's just ain't for us, you know what I'm saying, Either it's not for us, or it's a lot of

like if it is written by a black person. A lot of the time, the plays that are written by black people that get produced on those on a scale like that, it's like trauma related, which in my opinion, white folks love to go to the theater and watch black folks in trauma, you know what I mean, They love to right right exactly crying boo hoo about oh no, you know what I'm saying, Woe is me? I say, funk all of that. You know what I mean. We we live, breathe, that's every day. So for for me, yo,

just tell me a story. What happened today? You know what I'm saying. Tell me your story. And with with Space. So basically, Space is about a group of friends, four friends that uh well three of them. They all went to college together, real close friends. Um. They get together on a Friday night for a game of space. Right, we love us some space? Do you play space? Yeah? Yeah, Okay, I need to know. And that's the exactly So that's

the energy, that's the energy of the play. Right. So it's a Friday night, takes place in harm It actually takes place in two thousand and thirteen, so it's a it's a period piece, I guess, um takes place in Hall on Friday night. They're getting together for a game of space. What's different about tonight is that Corey just lost her virginity to another character named on three days

prior to this Space game. Now they're all twenty three years old, fresh out of college, figuring it out, their actors, artists, they're just living in New York and that that New York City life, trying to figure it out. Right, So Cory is low Sufforginity three days prior to Andre. It's the first time she's seeing this nigga since they haven't really spoken, and j has been kind of ducking and dodging her. He's been on some nigga ship. So now

they're getting together for the space game. On top of that, another character named Gil whose house they're at this nigga don't went and invited one of his co workers for this game of space. Now you know how it is with a new space partner. I don't know you like that. I don't trust you, right you betting Irene. So so now you've got a new space partner. But not only is she a new space partner, show they don't know how to play, she says she did, but she don't

really know how to play. On top of that, she's way old than the three of them. She bought in her thirties hanging out with these twenty something year olds. On top of that, herr Andre got a little something and something. So that's what the play is about. Oh that sounds good, Oh it's good. So so the idea is so the idea is like, not only do I want to put this play up because I just think it will be I just think people will will really

enjoy it. It's also it's what I'm trying to curate for the night, you know what I mean, Like it'll be dope, Like you come in and like, yo, maybe you know before the show starts, like there's a little there's you know, some tables in the libby. Get a little space gate, go and get the camaraderie. Gonna get a drink. I love to get a space that's smoking friendly. Yeah, I watch the PA walk one up. You know what

I'm saying. I want that call and response vibe. You know what I'm saying, because that's that's I want the audience to feel like they're in the living room with them at this space game because she's getting crazy. Yeah, but you know sometimes space table can get dangerous though it can't exactly. So you already got the You already got the energy of what a space bread a Spades game brings on top of the layers of Lightwait, Corey ain't seen this, nigga, since what I wanted? Why is

core three just losing her virginity. It just gave it away. So oh that comes up and that you gotta you gotta watch. Yeah, that's probably be pressing her since da was eighteen, just to get the fly and then you know, you know how it is when you're young man, you know sometimes you you know. So yeah, I think it will be dope. Um. So it actually took me five years to write it. Um. So now that it's written, it's just it's um. It's the process of getting produced,

which is has been a a long process. But at the end of the day, I'm trying. I want to do it right. I'm also gonna direct it myself too. So so you're a trained that's being So do you prefer theater or a screen or you know, moving? Um uh, I think both are really good. But you know, the theater always wins for me. Man, it's nothing like it, you know, because it's it's it's live, and it's it's fresh every night. Um. And it's just it keeps you on your toes. To me, that's where you learn how

to act. If you don't know how to do it on stage, I can't, I can't. I can't funk with you, no offense. You know, say, my favorite actors know how to do it on screen and on the stage just as good. There's no oh they're better on screen because no, this it's not that on screen acting is bad. It's actually like you know, if you if you can master that as well, it's a really beautiful craft. But you know, in my opinion, you should be able to do both.

You should be able to know how to act for the camera and then turn around and go do a show eight uh and turn around and go do a show eight shows a week. You know. Yeah, So how old were you when you knew? Yeah, how old were you when you knew you wanted to be an actor? Like? Was there something you always grew sixty years old? Um? I was sixteen. I mean, when I think back about just how I was as a kid, I was always

naturally a performer. Like I was one of those kids where when I was at home waiting for my mom to come back from work, I was, you know, I had to imagine every friends. I would, you know, make up little shows. I had this little this little um, this little wooden this little wooden thing that I would stand up on and brush my teeth and like I would use it like that would be my little platform and ship. UM. But I didn't really get into it

till I was sixteen. I had a teacher name is m and shout out to miss Ballman Um who basically, you know, recognized the gift that I had. And UM, it just so happened that they were auditioning Raising in the Sun at my at my school, UM, and I audistioned forward, I got the lead, and I've been acting literally ever since then. I caught the bug, as they say, you spoke of your mother and I saw that you were named after Marcus Garvey. Yes, yeah, yeah I did.

Oh yeah, yeah, you know what. I think I posted it. I think I posted that. I'm out of posted that. But yeah, So, UM, are your parents very politically inclined? Is there any like organizations that you you black panthers? I would I wouldn't say that. UM. So Marcus Garvey is Jamaican, My dad is Jamaican. Um Um. But also if you don't know about Marcus Garvey, he's definitely worth doing the research on. Very powerful leader. Back in the day,

UM he started something in Harlem called um UM. They called it Garvey is UM and he had people that followed his work called Garvey. Yikes. His whole ideology was, Yo, they don't want us here anyway, so let's go home, back to Africa where we that's our spot. So his his whole thing was about bringing black people back home. Um, but he is Jamaican. Um, so I think that's probably where my You know what also inspired my dad to

name me that. I actually just came back from Jamaica for vacation, and like, you know what I learned there too, was that Bob Marley was also like a big admirer of Marcus Garvey. Like in his room he has a huge portrait of um Um Hill Selassie, which is who um he prayed to, and um Marcus Garvey. So when I found that out, I was like, okay, where So, yes, I am named after Mr Marcus Garvey. We're gonna have a real quick commercial and then when we come back,

we're going to get into Wootang. Okay, all right, let's second, y'all we'll be back, so I want to get into Wootang. Right. So I know you're from Brooklyn, New York. Were you a big Wu Tang fan growing up? Nah? Yeah? Like the age the age difference, you know, I mean a little younger, Yeah, I mean a little yeah, a little bit. I mean they were out when I was kid, for sure. But I was the reason I was an incident is well, when I was younger, I didn't really listen to rap

music like that. Um uh. And on top of that, I remember that album cover that it always kind of looked a little scary to me, like what's what's this about? You know what I'm saying? Um So, yeah, never to get different. They were different, they were different, they were very different. Um So I never really got into them as a kid at all. Um. It wasn't until like doing the show that I really started to like Hold.

I mean even prior to doing the show, like I was a big Ray Kwon fan, Like only Built for Cuban Lynx is the album I really enjoyed. Um. But in doing artists right exactly, in doing the show, you know, I got an opportunity to learn a lot about them and hear a whole bunch of these songs. So I'm

definitely a fan. I got a big old Wutang tattoo on my leg now so big that So you played the executive producer on Ultang, But did you have to sit down with Power himself, like to learn his mannerisms and things and to learn how he moves or like, I guess, how did you ultimately become Power? Okay, uh so the beautiful thing is that, Um well, first of all, it real lifed. Me and Power are actually really close. Um we definitely um formed the friendship outside of the show.

Um but before before I started filming it, I didn't know who Power was, you know, because Power is you know, he's a He's a background kind of dude. You know what I'm saying. He's not you know, he's not really one for flashy. Him and I have actually pretty similar in you know, because you mentioned like I don't post on social media. Him and I like kind of similar like that. You know, we we we chilled, you know what I'm saying. But if you know, you know, um

so I didn't know much about him. I looked up some interviews that's about like two or three on YouTube. It wasn't even that much. But my whole time, like going through the audition process to like, you know, my screen tests, all of that, I didn't look up. I hadn't looked up anything. I was just going off of what I was doing so mynd I'm like, Okay, clearly

what I'm bringing they like it. This is working because I didn't want to like get in my head, like I didn't want to look him up, and then like all of a sudden, I'm in my head and I'm like trying to do him. I'm just I was just going in based off of my instinct from reading the role. Mhm, get the role. I looked up the interviews and I'm like, oh, ship, Okay, I kind of see why they cast me, as I get it. Him and him and I off Rip have

similar we have a similar energy, you know what I mean? Um. And then I didn't actually meet him in real life until we were about seven episodes in season one, until I actually met him, Like everybody else had met who they were playing, and I was like the only one. I'm like, yo, what am I gonna be? Power? You know what I'm saying. But in knowing power and how he moves, it makes sense that yeah, I was the last one of you know what I'm saying, because he you know, he got a yeah, you know, he gotta

scoop it out, you know what I'm saying. As he right as as he likes support. As he likes to say, he had to send a couple of kites out, you know what I mean. So he met me. We met on set. Actually he actually surprised me. I was I adn't expecting to be there. We got on the phone. Um, we got on the phone because we we had to pause production because it was raining crazy, So we got on the phone for a little bit and our first conversation we spoke for like three hours, just chopping it. Yeah,

just chopping it up, you know what I mean. New York, New York, you know, you know what's said. That's another thing about Power. Power is a big hand gesture kind of person. He'll smack you on the arm a lot when he's talking, like yo, yo. Um. So we got on the phone. We spoke for like three hours. Next thing you know, he was on set. So he came to my trailer and we was just chopping it up, and it was like yo, like oh ship, like this is this is power, Like this this is the dude

I'm playing. That's crazy, you know what I'm saying. So in my head I'm just like yo, I hope I'm doing a good job. I hope I'm did he ever say like, na, nigga, that ain't me. Don't do it like that, do it no no, no, no, no no no no no never never. I think from and and and I'm really thankful of that because from from Jump he trusted me. From Jump, he just kind of was like, yo, like do your thing. You know what I'm saying, I'm

gonna I'm gonna just watch season one goes by. But in season one you don't see my character too much because you don't see my character that in season two when we realized exactly exactly, cause I mean, because that's the thing in Growing up Power he knew he knew, um, but his man's was like Ray, Ray kwas was his man's. You know what I'm saying exactly, Ray was his man's. He knew ris it through you know what. I'm also fun fact me and Risen went to the same elementary

school in Brooklyn. Three shout out to that. That's some ship. Um so um yeah. Growing up Ray was more his man's than Risen. So that's why you don't really see Power season one because it's like powers off doing his own thing. Because Power Power was already a boss from that, you know what I'm saying, which is why he was able to contribute what he did. When you saw season two, when he dropped that money, he was already he already had that, um but it was like that decision to

like make that cross over. So before we started season two, Um, luckily, you know, due to the pandemic, you know, we kind of got delayed in filming and all of that, and that allowed for me and Power to like talk a lot. We was on the phone almost every day, um, but just as but not even just on something like yo, this is how I talked, this is what I do. Study me. We just really got along like that, you know what I'm saying. So it's just we was always

on the phone talking and I got an opportunity. Um. So he does pop up sometimes for who with in different cities. So I got to go to a couple of them, I did. You know, he didn't want in Miami, didn't want in d C, didn't want in l A. And I went to all of those. So in that time too, I just got to spend a lot of time with him, just you know, be around him, see certain mannerisms and you know, just kind of take them

in and study it. Um. So yeah, I got some time with him, but it didn't feel like it was organic still, Like it didn't feel like, oh, this is I'm only hanging out with you because I was right. We was kicking and shooting and ship and just in the back of my mind, I'm like, okay, world, I keep that, you know, I'm yeah, you know, even a small I'm big on details. Yeah, just that. Yeah, that's it.

That how he smoll sweed. Uh, how he even counts money, you know what I'm saying, because Nigga's like that count money in a certain kind of way. They don't want to. It's you know what I'm saying. So it's like even getting that you know what I'm saying, all of that ship, you know. And I remember meeting some of his people's after season two and they're like, yo, you got powered down pat Yo, Like Yo, I thought I was watching power on TV. Yo he put the battery and you

know you appreciate you know what I mean. So, um, but we're not that far off from each other, you know what I'm saying. So it wasn't. It wasn't. I wouldn't say easy. It just wasn't. It felt it felt it felt almost second nature a little bit, you know what I'm saying, Like, yeah, like we don't dress the same, you know what I'm saying that maybe like we walk slightly differently, but it's like our my set, it's very similar.

So like how I approached you know, even some of the dialogue is just it was just like, oh word, like I I understand this. I feel the same way too, you know what I mean? Yeah, So a lot of that were a lot of the group members on set when you guys were recording, like Rizzin Rizzon was there sometimes, but they were very, very very hands off, which I thought was a good idea because at the end of the day, you know, everyone was cast for a reason.

Even if they don't look like the person that they're playing, everybody at least had the spirit, the vibe, you know what I mean, Like everybody felt like their character, know what I'm saying. So you met rizz though, right a bunch of times? So that is it the guy who plays his character, Aston Sanders, Is that how Rizzin acts

in real life? Come on? She was like, Yo, I've been watching and I'm worried about that nigga, Like that that real you gotta ask you, gotta asks you, So you don't know how he felt about his character, Like, I know you know some inside ship who felt what way about who played them? No, I was like, is this real? It's happening? No, dick that that guy is a good actor though, asking Sanders, So, I'm assuming maybe he studied. It must be right and that must be how it was if that's what he was doing. Do

you have any more questions? I have a question overall? So I hear a lot of actors say that, you know, some of the characters that they play helped them grow as a person. Is there any character that you played that like, really like changed you just by being this character? Mm hmm that's a good question. Um uh, that's a good question. Um, has a character changed me as a person? You're like, no, you ain't become a murderer, right, we know you hopefully. Um that's a good question. I got

a theory about niggas in Hollywood. Now, what is it spelling? Why you think about it's easy for them? Like, I don't know why we think that people like celebrities and should are exempt from real life ship, like they could be serial killers, you know, and nobody would ever serial killer. It's some crazy nigga. UM, But I can't believe that was the theory. I thought that I just described the serial killers too. Should they can depended out of cities. Yeah,

it's kind of weird that you think about. That's the point, Um, I would say, I would say Um. I mean, I would say Power, Playing power UM has definitely Um has had a huge impact in my life because just even playing that role, understanding who power is, that's the thing to like power and and and I talked to him about this too too, Like Yo, like you gotta tell your story because there's a lot of people that need

to hear this side, you know what I mean. Like because not every you don't gotta be a rapple all the time, you know what I mean. There's also another lane too, where you know, you could be the person putting up the bread. You could be the person that's that's putting shipped together, starting the label start, you know what I mean. There's executive positions in the music industry and not just performing all the time, but in playing power. UM. One thing I love about Power in real life he's

the same way everywhere he goes. He's not like he don't switch up, you know, change how he talks depending on who he's talking to. He's the same person everywhere he goes. And I just find that very admirable because, you know, I think one of the most beautiful things we could do as human beings, as human beings, is be ourselves. You know what I'm saying, no matter what the scenario and so who you're talking to, what the

situation is, um. And I think that that, you know, that was something really big UM that I take from him, you know what I'm saying, Like, not that I felt like I was not being myself, but if anything, it just it inspires me to tap into that even more, you know what I'm saying. There was a period and you know, this was a this was a side effect of you know, going to drama school. There was a period where I didn't want people to necessarily know I

was from New York or I was from Brooklyn. Like I would try to put on like a neutral accent so that you don't know, you know, because I'm an actor and you're not supposed to know where I'm really fun funk all of that. I'm from Brooklyn, born and raised. I'm a Brooklyn as nigger, Okay, and I'm proud of it,

you know what I'm saying. So it's like, you know, and that's something I embraced no matter what, you know, what role I take on or you know what I'm saying, Like I mean, obviously, if it's a specific character that's not from Brooklyn and I gotta tap into that, that's a different story. But who I am is Marcus Calendar. I'm from New York. I'm from Brooklyn. And you know, if you know anything about New Yorker's I should tell you a lotus just got to say about what you

know Brooklyn. I don't know, girl is known for something. What is Brooklyn known for? Uh? Fly? I thought that they want to be known for that, But everybody know Brooklyn is the flyes because we don't try that hard, all of them they try hard on speaking of flyingness, you did a random act of flying? Yell, how was that experience? Because I used to watch that a smoke. I'd be like, Yo, that's a perfect that's the trip all you gotta smoke watching? Um that was that was

a wild experience actually filming that. Um, I'm in it for like a second. I'm not. I don't even do anything crazy and it, but um, just even being a part of that. What was also cool was that, like, um, a friend of mine when I went to school with is the choreographer on the show. It was cool to like, you know kind of right exactly. It was a nice little full circle moment. Um. Yeah, No, that show was That show was wild. That's a wild show. Terence is

really cool. Um, he was fun to work with. But yeah, it's it's it's an interesting show. Season one is very different from season two. And you weren't Compton straight to Compton too, right? I was, I was, But there's a there's a whole story behind Okay, So basically what was that in two thousand and like what was that like or something like that? Um, So I tested to play Dr Dre initially, that was my initial relationship with that movie.

I was. I was up to play Dr Dre in it. Um. I did the screen test and everything I thought it went really well. Um, you know, I am waiting to find out if I get the role. Next thing, you know, Billboard publishers that I had the role. Right. The problem is, didn't nobody tell me that. They didn't tell me that you know what I'm saying, So I hear it. You know, I'm reaching out to my managers like, yo, like, how did that happen? It's on the internet that I've been

cast to play Dr Dre but they didn't. Why does Billboard know before I do? I don't sound right, you know what I'm saying. So, but like all these you know, because once you know, say, like a Billboard breaks that kind of news, basically all the other outlets take the same information and posted as well. So it was all over the place. So my friends is hit him like, yo, you goot to be Dr Dre. So Yo, that's crazy, and I'm like, wait, hold on, I don't know yet

they didn't. I don't know, long behole. I'm on Instagram. You see my relationship with Instagram. Here this ship. I'm on Instagram. You know what I'm saying. I scrolled So the guy that plays uh Dr Dre in the film, Corey Hawkins, is a friend of mine. So I'm scrolling and I get to his page. He's an l in l A with the sun in his face, looking refreshed. I'm like, wait, looking like Dre. Right, So I'm right, wait, hold on, if he's in l A right now. Damn,

my heart dropped. Yo. That was like my first experience in learning how the industry could be very tough, meaning like nobody reached out on something like Yo, that was awful. We should you know that new shouldn't have came out. It just nothing ever happened at the sort. What they did do was offer me that role and straight out of compa. It's a small role. I'm in the scene where the recording um boys in the hood for the first time, and I'm a part of the rap from

New York. So it's a it was a nice moment. Shout out to f Gary Gray, the director. It was a nice moment where you know, you could get a little screen time and ship you know what I mean, right right right. There was still no We're sorry. It wasn't verbally said, but um yeah, so that's that's that's and I just told you all the short version of it. So that's how I ended up in the film. But

um all and on I love that movie. Like I was, I ain't gonna lie, like I was salty that I didn't get the role, especially and how I found out that I didn't get it. But you know. Once I saw the film, you know, it was it was all good. That's one thing about me I'm gonna give credit credit is do regardless. You know what I'm saying, You hater, Marcus, I ain't know, Hayter. I saw it three times in

the theater. It's good. It was really good. All right. Now, I want to give your business real quick, and we're gonna let you go in a minute. Back to distant loving. Have you ever been in a long distance relationship? Yeah? Are you in with now? No? No, I don't do those anymore. Why Uh, it's too especially like with my lifestyle is too it's too hard. It's too it's a

lot of extra effort and work. Um not that I don't want to put an extra effort and work, but I you other people, No, no, no, no, no, no no no, it's just it would have to make sense. It would have to make sense, you know what I'm saying. Also, you know you know what I'm gonna do. What I'm gonna do on on the on the on the nights. You know what I'm saying, Like like y'all, I don't know people get you know what I'm saying. I want

to say yeah, that's cool. But you know, ain't nothing like the real thing one mom, and ain't nothing like exactly. So you know, it's it's it's cool. I think it. In order for me to be in a long distance it would have to make sense, you know what I'm saying, Like, it'll have to make sense, like I if I dated on one in l A, that will make sense because I'm there all the time anyway, you know what I'm saying. So, but I still prefer not long distance. I prefer that

if possible. So you so you single? Now the ladies want to know. Yeah, yeah, yeah I'm single. Somebody think that your girlfriend? Why is that like that? Because you don't sound too show exactly. I'm just saying like that. I didn't saying like exactly that. I mean, look, is there somebody that I really really enjoy spending time with right now? Yes? There is, um And you know, we were gonna see, we're gonna see how that blossoms. So far. It's it's really nice so far, So we're gonna see

how that blossoms. Technically, technically, I am saying, yet, are you for a marriage? They see the value in marriage? I do, But there was a time when I did it, meaning so I didn't grow up, I didn't grow up in the two parent household. So for me, it's literally foreign to me. Like I don't even I don't even know what that looks like. So for a long time, I wasn't really that wasn't really something I looked at as a goal, you know what I'm saying. I definitely

want to have kids for show. I definitely want to have children, but I was cool with having kids without the marriage. That was very fine with that. Um. But you know, in conversations that I've had with people who are either married or um have grown up with parents that are married, it kind of changed my perspective a little bit in the sense that like, yeah, it can there's there's a lot of benefit to that, you know

what I mean. Um, So you know, I'm you know, I'm getting a little older now, so it's like, yeah, that's that's that's I'm definitely dating with intention, Like you know, if i'm if if i'm if I'm seeing you, like if if we get together, if I you know, if you become my girlfriend, I'm definitely looking at you as somebody who, um, I see potentially being a wife. Absolutely so. All right, we have this segment on our show called

Dumbing Story or SIMP series. Right, easy way to say this, and it's a time when people share a time where they got played by the opposite sex. Can you think of a time where a chick like you was like, damn had to do it like that. You don't stemmed once or twice. Let us know everybody has and don't tell us no where I got played. Yeah, um, let me see, don't talk about the ninth grade. Every time I nigga on here, they'd be like, yeah, when I was because girl stole my candy, you know, like NY

could tell us some real ship. Damn, Like you said, they'll be trying to put that ship so far back far in the back of their mind. Remember, oh, you flew somebody out and then they left with your homies. She actually for money, but it was really fun to get something. They got a jail. I would say, like, um, I mean the only thing I could think right now is there was a young lady I was This was a couple of years ago. Um, this was like right before I started from the root tank. Actually, there was

this young lady I was very interested in. Um, and I thought we was on a good accord, but she kind of she kind of ghosted me basically, Um, I was on my way to the airport. We're on facetimepor keep oh like hit me when you you know, when you land and all that. I hit her up when I land. Nothing, called her again. Nothing. She goes to me. She knows who she is too, because I've seen a sense you saw her. According to her, I stopped talking to her. You know, like that's another thing you'll like

to do. You'll like to do it a little switcher. Ya. No, I did it. She didn't go to me like it ain't a ghost. Okay, I didn't go you know, I'm gonna use I'm gonna use that one to let me use that one. Oh no, we don't count we are. Sayah, I'm gonna use that one to you said it, Yeah, you said because y'all, yeah, y'all be on some other ship and women y'all like we don't we uh, we probably do like a mutual ghost. Oftentimes either were friends on your ass or we don't talk to you no more.

But men they're gonna snatch you first then then disappear, or friends on you. I don't do that no more, I don't do that. That was the That was the old. Oh you know what I'm saying now if I know it's not going on, what or if I know, like, yeah, I'm not feeling that this ain't gonna work, I don't even want to do you tell her though? Are you just ghost But if we didn't smash, it s not ghosting? Right, it's not so she didn't she didn't go what if?

But what if you've been talking for a couple of months? Are you still in smash? But like the report has been there and you stopped talking just out of that Definitely, as long as I didn't give my coochie up, I do not feel like I got Really you can you can have feelings for somebody without having sex sex. Yeah, that's what I feel like. Ultimate see for me the mindset I'm in that I mean obviously, like, if there's somebody who like this is the relationship we have where

you know, we just funking around and ship. If that's the case, that's the case. But for me, if I'm interested, if I'm really interested in somebody, oh, I need to get to know you first. I need to see what's good because yo, sex is always better when you like the person right or for it or for it even if like oh, they don't do it, like, it's still popping because you like the person. You know what I'm saying,

Like this is somebody like I like to cuddle. I wanna I want to I want to cuddle left, I wanna. Know what I'm saying, If I'm not feeling you like that, You're gonna see a different side of me, you know what I'm saying. So, um, if you develop a relationship with somebody, getting to know somebody, you know what I'm saying, and then all of a sudden, you stopped talking, that's still a ghost You still ghosted. We didn't have sex, but there's intimacy there. Like, right, did what does she

say when you sorry? She said, I stopped talking? She just basically bullshit? Yeah, and then I then I saw her I with her fucking boyfriend and ship. I said, that's your man. Alright, cool, you know what I'm saying. Everything happens for a reason. Everything happens for a reason, Marcus, Tell everybody where they can find you, tell them about this show where they can watch it. All that good stuff.

What you got coming up next? Everything. So um, think of social media wise, you can find me on uh at at distant loving on Instagram is one word um. That's also my um my tag on Twitter too, it's at distant loving. Um. What I got coming up next? I'm actually writing a movie right now. I'm a co writer on the film, so that's kind of like yeah, yeah, So that's kind of been my main focus right now. Woo Tank is coming out February fifteen. Make sure you're

tuned into that on Hulu. Season three, our final season, by the way, perfect for that that. You know what I'm saying, And we dropped and we drop. We're gonna drop three episodes from when it comes episodes to watch. Thank you so much, Marcus for join us. You give us a really good interview. Thank you, Thank you for having me. All Right, we're coming send us information for your party because I'm turning up. Yeah, I'm gonna send it.

I'm gonna send it. It's a Nigeria spin find me a little something something out there time the Mail Attractive Dance. All right, y'all listen. So if you enjoyed this episode, please tune in every Thursday on your I Heart Radio Apple wherever the fun you get your podcast that this is your co host A J. Holiday two point oh on Instagram's follow me down if you won't get on. What's up Sam, y'all, it's me official Tam Bam. Follow me on Instagram. I love y'all. Thank y'all for tuning in.

Remember to speak now and never hold your piece.