Not to be a typecaster, but you'll always be Shazza to me. Which of your characters do you hold close to your heart?
"Well, Shazza was just the beginning for me and he was a great character to play- he was the kind of guy who talked a lot of crap to get ladies and respect. That period was also the first time that I began to recognize that I had a voice and could get a certain amount of power out of a character which really helped me out a lot with my acting. Even though my dialogue usually didn't make any sense, that character helped me project more. You know Debbie comes from Broadway, so she always insisted that I project on her show. She pulled a lot out of me and was instrumental in getting me more involved. She taught me a lot."
"Looking the way that I look, I certainly never thought that I'd be a working actor, so when I was finally able to play a biographical role like Malcolm X [in the TV movie, "King of the World"], I was blown away. I got to delve into the history of this man. I found past publications, his writings and speeches, but there were also lots of things that were out of print. It almost seemed as though there was dust over his legacy. He traveled to Africa and witnessed people of different nationalities under one religion and there were so many positive things he tried to do to help our society. Staying committed to portraying that character helped me, as a human being, and also, in my career. That was one of my favorite jobs."
There was a period where you were not very visible. How did you maintain your momentum when things slowed down a bit?
"Well, I certainly lost some momentum. I was going back and forth between L.A. and New York, working and then I went through a spiritual change with respect to the image I was providing on TV. I was probably the first guy with dreadlocks to be on a national TV show and I didn't realize that [my image] had taken on such a life of its own. I certainly didn't realize what kind of reaction the entertainment industry would have toward that character [Shazza]. So, I was getting a lot of parts based on [my] being that Rastafarian fella with the 'locks'. Sometimes, I would play the consciousness of the plotline and other times I'd be the drug dealer, but eventually, the roles became caricatures."
"I went through a lot of changes with friends and in my love life and even with things going on back in New York, I needed a change and I think a lot of things got caught up in my hair. So, I went to Egypt and I cut my 'locks'. I had a big buzz about me after I did Alien: Resurrection, but when I attended the premiere, I was bald-headed. People were like, "Who the hell is this guy? Was he in the film?" Jean-Pierre Jeunet was like [with French accent and laughter],"Gary, what did you do to your hair?" Then, I didn't work for a while because no one knew who I was. That was definitely an experience for me.
"I began to feel thwarted by the business and I tried to lay low for a while. I got into it for the craft and all of a sudden, the notoriety took over. I wasn't ready for that. But now that I look back, I see that I probably broke a lot of molds and continue to do so. I'm certainly not into molds or all of the romanticism of the 1950s and trying to keep things looking like that. I'm more into the revolutionaries who've tried to change the look of things by portraying a well-rounded culture of many, many different colours and hues so that when we look at TV, we can see seomthing that opens up and inspires us instead of keeping everyone in a fear zone.
Who or what inspires your creative work?
"Gregory Hines inspired me a great deal. I would see him around in Venice and he'd grab me and hug me and tell me how well I was doing and how much he believed in my work. He'd give me so much good energy every time I saw him. Sam Jackson does the same thing for me as well-he's so open. I saw him at an audition once and he said,"Man, I've been looking at your work and I like what you're doing." That made me feel like I wasn't doing this for naught, you know? I knew that I wasn't doing shit work. I was on a plane recently and got the chance to catch up on about 10 episodes of "Friends". I thought Matthew Perry's timing was incredible and when I saw him [at the Emmys], I had to tell him so. I appreciate the collective awareness of artists who are not afraid to talk to other artists. It's about having the security to give support to other artists- it's not a competition.
Is there any more film on the horizon?
"Yes. I'm working on the story of George Jackson, the prisoner of the Black Panther/post 60s revolutionary movement. He's a very intriguing character and I'm glad that I was approached with this film project. Initially, I wasn't sure if I wanted to jump into it at this point in my career, but America has a lot baggage to deal with these subject matters. The gatekeepers might think that this project will dig up some old dirt, but really, it's about continually showing these types of characters so that we can remember and also, try to figure ways to change this society. Sam Styles is directing and Cinque' is the writer. It's great script, it's like a piece of poetry. We begin shooting in aobut a week or so and I'm looking forward to getting into it."
"My brother and I are also working on a film called "A Song for My Father" which is the story of a father, an avant garde jazz musician, who leaves behind a legacy of ebt to the mob for all of his recordings. His son, who later becomes a jazz musician as well, is chased by the mob for his father's 30-year-old debt. It's an exciting story and we look forward to incorporating more music into film.
Tell me about your work in music?
"Well, we have a recording studio and have been releasing a lot of projects and compilations throughout the U.K. and Europe. I like to use pseudonyms for each project because there'snothing worse than an actor trying to sing- no one's looking for an old Don Johnson or Eddie Murphy album at a garage sale, you know? So, I've tried to put out good music and have people listen and make their judgment based on the music rather than the notoriety that I have as an actor. We've been pretty successful and we're still building.
"Garth Trinidad from KCRW, Mathieu Schreyer (a producer), and I have a company called Metisse. We're working on music supervising some films, cutting some tracks, and also, trying to get more artists, who need to be heard, on the air with Garth. There are a lot of great artists, like Zero 7, Jill Scott, Beck, Bjork and even Norah Jones, who got their start through word-of-mouth. These kinds of artists don't get played in the middle of the dial, so we're trying to re-shape more radio and video stations. We want to expose better music out there - that's the strength of our company."
You've performed on stage, the large and small screen and also in music. Which medium offers you the most freedom?
"Well, I want to mix mediums so that it's not about making a choice between music and film or TV. I don't want to have to make an either/or decision. That's why I mentioned Gregory Hines and also, there's Harry Belafonte. Back in the day, they had to do it all- sing, dance, act. Gregory Hines was one of the best performers of all time. I saw him in "Jelly's Last Jam" on Broadway- he sang his heart out and danced like you wouldn't believe. It's about incorporating each medium and then you can give a good show. I just want to give a great show."
So, rumor has it that you live in Venice...
"Yes, I've lived in Venice for about seven years now. I really like it here because there are so many different cultures- it's like a village. My tagline is "the lower east side with a beach." Unlike in Hollywood, people know their neighbors and will jump on their bikes and ride around, instead of just hopping in their cars all the time. I lived in New York for so long and when I moved out to L.A. I underwent a culture shock. Everything is so spread out, you've got to get in your car for everything, and people aren't as collectively cool, you know? In Venice, you can find your crew. They're a lot of artists in the community and right now, I'm working with William Attaway. We're trying to make Venice look like a Dali-esque city."
How would you like for your story to unfold?
"Well, I look to the boundless energy of those people who brought me up. I want to continue to work in every aspect to elevate the craft to the highest level and leave a legacy for the younger cats that is not held by boundaries."
