>>> THE ARE BACK. QUEEN SUGAR, THE HIT TV SHOW
RETURNS TO OWN FOR THE SECOND HALF OF SEASON TWO NEXT TUESDAY,
OCTOBER 3rd. MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
IT KRON ALLEYS THE LIVES OF THREE SIBLINGS LEFT TO MANAGE
THE SUGARCANE FARM THEY INHERITED FROM THEIR FATHER.
IT ALSO TOUCHES ON THEMES OF INCARCERATION, POLICE VIOLENCE
AND THE WAYS THAT SLOOIFRY CONTINUES TO CAST A LONG SHADOW
OVER THE LIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS TODAY.
THEY WERE STILL DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF THE DISCOVERY THAT
THEIR FATHER INTENDED TO LEAVE ALL OF THE LAND TO HIS SON AND
THE YOUNGEST SIBLING RAFFLE ANGEL.
AND JOINING ME NOW IS THE ACTOR WHO BRINGS RAFFLE ANGEL TO LIFE.
IT'S SO GOOD TO MEET YOU. >> GOOD TO BE HERE.
>> SO THIS SHOW IS A PHENOMENON. >> THANK YOU.
>> I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE THAT SENSE OF IT YET WHEN YOU JUST
SORT OF WALK AROUND IN THE WORLD?
>> I DO. I SEE HOW PEOPLE RESPOND TO IT,
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE A CHILD, YOU KNOW.
WHEN YOU BIRTH THAT CHILD IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW AMAZING AND
BEAUTIFUL, HANDSOME, FAMOUS IT'S LIKE THAT'S YOUR BABY.
>> YEAH. >> YOU PUT SO MUCH TIME AND I'VE
SEEN IT GROW FROM NOTHING. >> YEAH.
>> IT'S LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ALL FEEL, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT
TO ME. >> AND YOU'RE VERY YOUNG.
WE WERE JUST JOKING BEFORE THAT THE PERSON THAT PLAYS YOUR
NEPHEW IN THE SHOW, MIKE, AND YOU ARE THE SAME AGE.
>> YEAH. >> WHICH IS MIND BLOWING BECAUSE
YOU DEFINITELY READ OLDER ON CAMERA AND HE READS MUCH YOUNGER
THAN HE IS. >> BECAUSE I'VE GOT A BABY TOO.
THAT'S WHY. >> EXACTLY.
AND YOU PLAY A DAD. >> RIGHT.
>> BUT IT IS YOUR CHARACTER, I THINK, HAS BECOME THE LINCHPIN
OF THE SHOW FOR SO MANY REASONS. HE'S A REALLY INTERESTING
CHARACTER IN TERMS OF HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD MASCULINETY HIS
TENDERNESS WITH HIS SON, THE FACT THAT HE WAS INCARCERATED
AND DEALING WITH THAT. DID YOU HAVE TO GET TO KNOW HIM
YOURSELF? >> I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I LEARNED SO MUCH THROUGH -- SITUATION RIGHT HERE.
>> SORRY. >> I LEARNED SO MUCH THROUGH
RAFFLE ANGEL. AS FAR AS IDENTITY, I AM A BLACK
MAN IN AMERICA, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WEIGHT, YOU KNOW.
IT'S INHERITED WITH BIRTH. BUT JUST THE MALIGNANCY INKARGS
RAGS, BEING A FATHER, HIS DYNAMIC WITH DARLA.
I HAVE BROTHERS. I DON'T HAVE SISTERS.
THERE'S JUST SO MUCH LIFE, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT IS INTERNAL FOR
HIM AND TRYING TO FIND THAT OR UNDERSTAND WHERE HE'S COMING
FROM. IT'S A JOURNEY.
AND I DON'T THINK HE KNOWS HIMSELF, WHICH IS WHY IT MAKES
IT SO FUN. >> WELL, THE OTHER PIECE OF IT
IS YOU'RE PLAYING THIS YOUNG SOUTHERN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN,
BUT YOU YOURSELF ARE FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN LIKE MYSELF
AND YOUR PARENTS ARE FROM BEGAN A.
>> I KNOW. >> AND ACTUALLY, I GOT A LITTLE
BIT OF A TIP THAT YOU'RE RELATED TO THE ROYAL FAMILY IN BEGAN
THAT. WHAT IS IT LIKE GROWING UP AN
AMERICAN KID IN AN AFRICAN FAMILY?
>> I DON'T KNOW. I JUST THINK IT'S THE BEST OF
BOTH WORLDS. IMMEDIATELY -- NOT IMMEDIATELY
BUT YOU INHERIT THIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S SO
MUCH MORE. IT'S MORE THAN JUST AMERICA.
LET'S KEEP IT REAL. WE'RE ALL FROM AFRICA.
SO JUST ACTUALLY KNOWING WHERE I'M FROM IN AFRICA AND I WENT
BACK TO THE FIRST TIME LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, SO I APPRECIATE
THAT. I'M OLDER NOW AND I ACTUALLY
UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO KNOW OUR ROOTS BECAUSE,
AGAIN, IDENTITY, YOU KNOW. I DIDN'T ALWAYS HOW MUCH IT
WOULD EMPOWER ME TO KNOW THAT MY BLOOD ISN'T HERE IN AMERICA, YOU
KNOW. I'M FULLY AWARE MY AMERICAN, YOU
KNOW -- >> RIGHT.
>> BUT IT'S LIKE LET'S BE REAL. WE'RE FROM AFRICA.
>> AND YET THIS ARCTIC YOU'RE PLAYING, THE FAMILY IS ENMESHED
IN THIS TRULY AFRICAN-AMERICAN STORY WITH ALL THE RESIDENTS OF
SLAVERY AND HAD THAT LAND AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THE FAMILY.
DID YOU HAVE TO SORT OF REACQUAINT YOURSELF WITH KIND OF
THAT ASPECT OF BEING A BLACK MAN.
>> THE CRAZY PART IS NEW ORLEANS DOES THAT TO YOU NATURALLY.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED, BUT COMING FROM L.A. THERE'S NOT A
PLACE TO REALLY DID HE VOUR THAT.
YOU COULD READ A BOOK. YOU COULD TALK ABOUT IT, BUT TO
ACTUALLY JUST BACK TO NORMAL LIKE YOU WANT TO GET DRINKS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE GAME.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STATUES. IT KIND OF JUST CAME WITH THE
JOURNEY. AND NATURALLY I'M SUCH A STUDENT
SO I'M LOOKING. I'M JUST FULLY TAKING IT IN.
>> WELL, YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY A STAR ON THE RICE.
AND YOU'RE COMING IN AT A HIGH LEVEL WORKING WITH A VA DO YOU
VER NAH AND OPRAH WIN FRIDAY IN YOUR FIRST SERIES AND GIRLS TRIP
THE HIT MOVIE OF THE YEAR. ARE YOU OVERWHELMED YET OR ARE
YOU JUST CHILL? >> I WAS OVERWHELMED AND I'M
CHILL. I'M TRANSITIONING, YOU KNOW.
IT'S HIGHS AND LOWS. HOW DO YOU ADJUST TO FAME, MASS
ATTENTION. >> YOU'RE ABOUT TOW TO ADJUST
WITH EVERYONE ON MY STAFF. IT'S SO GREAT TO MEET YOU.
CONGRATS