THANK
THANK YOU
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE LIKE THAT KIND OF MADNESS.
>>> IT'S ONE OF HOUSTON'S
HISTORICALLY BLACK
HISTORICALLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS.
NEIGHBORHOODS. OUR FIRST GUESTS HIGHLIGHT THE
STRUGGLES IN A PRODUCTION
SERIES CALLED FIFTH WARD.
THE MAIN CHARACTER IS A SINGLE
MOM PLAYED BY GRAMMY AWARD
WINNING SINGER MAYA.
>> HOW YOU HOLDING UP?
>> SOME DAYS ARE BAD.
SOME DAYS ARE WORSE.
>> I HEAR YA.
BUT YOUR KIDS ARE HAPPY AND
HEALTHY?
HEALTHY?
HEALTHY? THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS; RIGHT?
>> I GUESS SO.
>> AT THE SAME TIME WE SEE THE
HARDSHIPS WE ALSO SEE THE
RESILIENCY IT TAKES TO THRIVE.
ACTOR CARL ANTHONY PAYNE IS ONE
OF THE ACTORS.
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER HIM FROM
MARTIN.
MARTIN.
MARTIN. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. DOMINIQUE, LET ME START WITH
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. WHEREVER WE SEE A NEIGHBORHOOD
WE SEE IT ON THE SURFACE.
SOMETIMES WE SEE A NEIGHBORHOOD
ON THE SURFACE WE STICK TO
STEREOTYPES.
STEREOTYPES. YOU GO WELL BENEATH THAT AND
YOU START TO SEE INDIVIDUALS,
PEOPLE AND STORIES THAT CAN
RELATE TO ANYBODY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO
DO THIS SHOW IS BECAUSE I ALSO
COME FROM A VERY DIVERSE
NEIGHBORHOOD.
NEIGHBORHOOD. AND HOUSTON IS JUST THE
PINNACLE OF THAT.
YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, ALL RACES,
ALL NATIONALITIES.
ALL NATIONALITIES. SOMETIMES WE ALL HAVE TO LIVE
IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE
HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT.
THEY ARE DOING THAT IN THE BEST
WAY.
WAY.
WAY. WHEN
WAY. WHEN WE STARTED TO FILM THERE
OUR WRITER DIRECTOR GREW UP IN
HOUSTON AND SO HE KNEW THE
BACKGROUND AND THE HISTORY.
AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING WHAT'S
HAPPENING HERE IN NEIGHBORHOODS
EVERYWHERE.
EVERYWHERE. WHICH IS PEOPLE MOVING IN,
PEOPLE MOVING OUT AS THE AREA
GETS POPULAR BECAUSE IT'S CLOSE
TO DOWNTOWN.
TO DOWNTOWN. SO WE HIGHLIGHT.
>> YOU HAVE A LITTLE PUSH AND
SHOVE.
SHOVE.
SHOVE. A
SHOVE. A NEIGHBORHOOD IGNORED FOR A
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. NOW IT'S VALUABLE PROPERTY.
>> VALUABLE PROPERTY.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING. BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING TO
STAY THERE.
STAY THERE. >> IT'S WHERE NEWLY FREED
SLAVES SETTLED.
SLAVES SETTLED. THIS IS THE TYPE OF HISTORY
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS?
>> I'M FROM NEW ORLEANS
ORIGINALLY.
ORIGINALLY. FIFTH WARD IS REFLECTIVE OF
EVEN THAT TOWN OVERALL IN TERMS
OF THE RICHNESS OF THE PEOPLE
THAT LIVE THERE.
THERE'S ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
IT'S AN AREA WHERE ANYBODY CAN
ADAPT TO ANYONE COMING IN OR
GOING OUT.
GOING OUT. IT'S SOMETHING ABOUT COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY AND THE RICHNESS OF
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. IT'S THE STRUGGLE FOR FAMILIES
TO STAY OR LEAVE.
THOSE THAT LEAVE, DO THEY GO
BACK OR GIVE BACK.
THAT WAS A GOOD ATTRACTION FOR
ME.
ME.
ME. >>
ME. >> FOR YOU, NOW THAT YOU'RE IN
IT, HOW DO YOU LOOK AT IT?
>> ORIGINALLY IT WAS THE FACT
IT WAS FREE FOOD.
>> I GOTCHA.
>> FOR ME I'VE BEEN DOING THE
WRITER DIRECTOR.
WRITER DIRECTOR. HE AND I HAVE WORKED ON SEVERAL
PROJECTS TOGETHER.
PROJECTS TOGETHER. IT WAS THE RICH CHARACTERS IN
THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
MY CHARACTER IS SO, HE'S MANY
THINGS.
THINGS.
THINGS. HE IS SO COMPLEX.
I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE
CHARACTERS AND THE STORY ARC OF
THE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS AND
THE FACT OF YOU HAVE SOMEONE
WHO IS NOT NECESSARILY
NECESSARILY DOING, HE JUSTIFIES
THE THINGS HE DOES.
EVEN IF IT MEANS QUOTE UNQUOTE
GETTING IN BED WITH THOSE HE
SHOULDN'T BE.
SHOULDN'T BE. BUT IT'S FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. THERE YOU GO.
>> WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS.
>> WE KNOW EVERY SINGLE
CHARACTER IN HERE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> AND THE CHARACTER YOU PLAY?
>> SO I PLAY WANDA KENNEDY.
SHE IS MARRIED TO ROBERT
KENNEDY, WHICH IS A POLICE
OFFICER ON THE, CHIEF OF POLICE
ON THE RISE IN HIS CAREER.
>> JUST GOT A PROMOTION.
>> SHE'S A NURSE.
THEY DON'T HAVE KIDS.
SHE STRUGGLES WITH HIS CAREER
AND HIS DESIRE.
NOT TO HAVE KIDS BECAUSE HE'S
WORRIED SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN
TO HIM OR THE CHILD.
THAT COMFORT OF HAVING A SUNDAY
PARTICULARLY IF SHE COULD.
IT'S AN INTERESTING CHARACTER
TO PLAY.
TO PLAY.
TO PLAY. SHE'S STRIVING TO HAVE A BABY
AND SHE'S GETTING OLDER.
IT REMINDS ME OF MYSELF.
I HAD MY SON AT 38.
MAKING DECISIONS TO HAVE
CHILDREN LATE IN LIFE.
>> YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN
CONNECT TO THAT STORY NO MATTER
WHAT RACE, COLOR.
>> EVERY DAY.
>> AND THE SINGLE MOM RAISING
TWO KIDS.
TWO KIDS.
TWO KIDS. >> SHE'S ACTUALLY RAISING
CLOSER TO FOUR AS IT TURNS OUT.
I JUST HAVE TO SAY, HE'S SO
DELICIOUSLY BAD IN THIS.
>> SOW SINISTER.
>> IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE
THINGS TO WATCH.
>> YOU HAVE TO ENJOY THAT.
>> IT'S A LOT OF FUN.
>> YOU'RE THAT COMEDIC PERSON.
WE FORGET THAT A GOOD ACTOR IS
A GOOD ACTOR.
NO MATTER WHAT ROLE.
WHICH ONE DO YOU LOVE BEST?
>> ALL OF THEM.
THERE'S NO FAVORITE.
IT'S JUST FUN IN GENERAL TO
PLAY AND TO GO INTO DIFFERENT
AREAS.
AREAS.
AREAS. NEW DEPTHS.
NEW DEPTHS. >> WHEN LIFE IS GOOD FOR
PEOPLE, LIFE IS JUST GOOD.
WHEN YOU HAVE STRUGGLES YOU SEE
WHAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE MADE OF.
SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT ALSO
FORCES COMMUNITY.
FORCES COMMUNITY. WHICH IS I THINK THE UNDERLYING
MEANING OF ALL OF THIS.
SO THIS IS LIKE RICH AND
DELICIOUS AND WE LOVE THIS AND
WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT
DEVELOP.
DEVELOP.
DEVELOP. I WANT TO GET INTO SOMETHING
ELSE.
ELSE.
ELSE. WE'RE ASKED ALL THE TIME BY
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. YOU HOLD FORUMS.
HOW DO I BREAK INTO THE
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES.
AS ACTORS, PRODUCERS, WRITERS,
DIRECTORS.
DIRECTORS. >> YOU DON'T SPEND YOUR MONEY
ON A BILLBOARD.
THAT'S WHAT YOU, DID YOU SEE
THE STORY?
THE STORY? YOU SAW THE STORY.
TYLER PERRY SAID DON'T DO THAT.
SAVE YOUR RENT MONEY.
>> THIS IS OUR SECOND TIME
FILMING IN HOUSTON.
I GET A LOT OF KIDS THAT COME
AND SAY I WANT TO BE IN THE
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. GREAT.
GREAT.
GREAT. COME IN.
COME IN.
COME IN. START HELPING ME PICK UP TRASH.
YOU'VE GOT TO WORK YOUR WAY UP.
>> YOU'VE GOT TO SEE.
>> YOU'VE GOT TO SEE WHAT
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS. WE REHIRED A BUNCH OF PAs MOVED
UP AND THEY'RE LEARNING THE
BUSINESS AND LEARNING THE
CRAFT.
CRAFT.
CRAFT. FILM HOUSTON IS HELPING US
BRING PEOPLE IN.
WE BROUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE,
DEPARTMENT HEADS IN FROM L.A.
ALL THE PEOPLE IN HOUSTON ARE
LEARNING HOW TO DO IT.
>> THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID
ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. AND FOR ME, I WAS AN ACTOR
BEFORE I WAS A LAWYER.
I'M THE PRODUCTION ATTORNEY ON
FIFTH WARD.
FIFTH WARD. >> THERE YOU GO.
>> MY E-MAIL IS MORE THAN JUST A
LAWYER.
LAWYER.
LAWYER. >> I'M AN AUTHOR.
WROTE A BOOK ON THE BUSINESS.
I PRODUCE, PLAYWRIGHT.
I WEAR MANY HATS.
I TELL ACTORS IF YOU WANT TO BE
AB ACTOR IN THE BUSINESS, YA
GREAT.
GREAT.
GREAT. YOU CAN'T JUST HOPE AND PRAY
ALL DAY THAT YOU'LL GET THAT
ROLE.
ROLE.
ROLE. YOU
ROLE. YOU HAVE TO CREATE WORK FOR
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF. YOU HAVE TO STAY BUSY.
WRITE, WRITE, WRITE IF YOU CAN.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHY WE CALL IT
A PHONE ANY MORE.
>> THAT'S A MINI OFFICE.
>> THERE'S JUST SO MUCH MORE
OPPORTUNITIES TODAY.
OPPORTUNITIES TODAY. >> THERE'S SO MANY OTHER JOBS
THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH A
PRODUCTION THAT MAKE UP A
PRODUCTION.
PRODUCTION. I MEAN IT'S A WHOLE TEAM.
AND AGAIN, IT'S HANDS ON
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. SO ONCE YOU'RE IN, YOU'RE IN.
YOU MANEUVER FROM WITHIN.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GETTING
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. SHOUTOUT TO OUR MOST AMAZING
CREW WHO IS WEARING A BUNCH OF
HATS.
HATS.
HATS. >>
HATS. >> THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. FIFTH WARD THE