At Office Depot OfficeMax
>>> SOON, YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR OUR NEXT GUEST’S NAME A LOT MORE
OFTEN.
OFTEN. YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II.
HE BURST ON TO THE SCREEN AS
CADILLAC IN THE SERIES "THE GET
DOWN."
DOWN." >> HE HELD HIS OWN AGAINST
DWAYNE JOHNSON IN THE FILM "BAY
WATCH."
WATCH." AND PLAYED W.D. WHEELER IN "THE
GREATEST SHOWMAN."
GREATEST SHOWMAN." >> HE IS PLAYING ONE OF THE
VILLAINS IN THE NEW MOVIE
"AQUAMAN."
"AQUAMAN." CANNOT WAIT.
CANNOT WAIT. LOOK AT THIS CLIP.
>> I’VE WAITED A LONG TIME FOR
THIS.
THIS. ♪
>> AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE?
ARE? >> I SCAVENGED THE HIGH SEAS.
YOU’RE THE AQUAMAN.
WE WERE BOUND TO MEET AT SOME
POINT.
POINT. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> YAHYA, WELCOME.
WERE YOU A FAN OF "AUK BAMANQUA"
THE TIME?
THE TIME? >> I WAS A FAN OF THE COMICS.
I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT.
I KNEW BATMAN.
I DIDN’T ASSOCIATE THAT WITH THE
COMIC BOOK WORLD.
>> HOW DO YOU DO THE RESEARCH
FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU’RE NOT
THAT FAMILIAR WITH, WHEN THERE’S
DIE-HARD FANS THAT HAVE HAVE
BEEN
BEEN BEEN FOLLOWING THIS WORLD
FOREVER.
FOREVER. >> I TOOK TO TWITTER AND STARTED
TO TALK TO THE FANS AND DID MY
INVESTIGATION TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE
LOVE ABOUT THIS CHARACTER.
IT’S A CHARACTER THAT PEOPLE
REALLY RESPOND TO.
JUST WANTED TO REALLY HONOR
THAT.
THAT. YOU DO THOSE MOVIES FOR THE
FANS.
FANS. >> I WAS READING UP ON IT.
IT SAYS YOUR COSTUME WEIGHED 70
POUNDS?
POUNDS? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. JUST ABOUT.
JUST ABOUT. >> YOU’RE NOT JUST WALKING.
YOU’RE DOING SOME MOVES.
>> YOU’RE WALKING AND FIGHTING.
WITH THESE MOVIES, YOU WANT TO
WORK OUT SO YOU LOOK GOOD WITH
YOUR SHIRT OFF.
YOU WANT TO GET THE MUSCLE TO
WEAR THE SUIT.
>> I DO THE SAME THING.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. RIGHT.
RIGHT. >> NOW, I UNDERSTAND YOU LEARNED
HOW TO SWIM FOR THIS.
IT MAKES SENSE.
IT’S A MOVIE ABOUT "AQUAMAN."
YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO SWIM.
>> I DIDN’T HAVE TO.
MY BROTHER, HE LIKES TO GIVE ME
A HARD TIME BECAUSE HE SAID,
"BAY WATCH" AND "AQUAMAN" YOU
ARE DOING MOVIES AROUND WATER.
YOU MIGHT AS WELL.
>> DID YOU TEACH YOURSELF?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. A LOT OF HOURS DOWNSTAIRS AT THE
HOTEL.
HOTEL. MYSELF, MY YOUTUBE, MY KICK
BOARD.
BOARD. >> NO WAY.
YOU LEARNED HOW TO SWIM FROM
YOUTUBE?
YOUTUBE? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. YOU CAN LEARN ANYTHING FROM
YOUTUBE NOWADAYS.
YOUTUBE NOWADAYS. >> I MEAN --
>> DID YOU SWIM IN THIS MOVIE?
>> NOT AT ALL.
>> WE HAVE A POOL HERE.
>> UH-OH.
>> UH-OH. >> YOU WEREN’T PLANNING TO BE AN
ACTOR.
ACTOR. YOU WERE ACTUALLY -- YOU WERE AN
ARCHITECTURE STUDENT.
ARCHITECTURE STUDENT. >> I WANTED TO BE AN ARCHITECT
SINCE I WAS 5, 6 YEARS OLD.
THERE WAS A SEGMENT WHEN I
WANTED TO BE A RACE CAR.
>> CAR?
>> CAR? >> NOT THE DRIVER.
>> YOU WANTED TO BE THE CAR.
>> YOU WANT TO BE LIGHTNING
McQUEEN.
McQUEEN. >> I WANTED TO BE THE CAR.
I WANTED TO BE THE CAR.
I SAID, I THINK YOU HAVE A
BETTER SHOT AS AN ARCHITECT.
>> AS A HUMAN BEING?
>> A HUMAN BEING ARCHITECT.
IT’S 2019, YOU CAN BE ANYTHING
YOU WANT.
YOU WANT. >> ON YOUTUBE.
>> ON YOUTUBE, RIGHT.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN
ARCHITECT.
ARCHITECT. I WORKED IN CITY PLANNING IN
STRAENSAN
STRAENSAN FRANCISCO.
FRANCISCO. I GOT LAID OFF FROM MY JOB.
I THOUGHT, I WANT TO HAVE A
LITTLE BIT OF FUN.
THAT TURNED INTO THIS.
>> HOW DID YOU PARLAY IT INTO
THIS?
THIS? >> IT REALLY STARTS WITH TRYING
SOMETHING AND CHASING IT FOR THE
FUN AND FOR THE PASSION.
MY PASSION LED ME TO ACTING.
AS SOON AS I CHOSE IT, I STARTED
TO GET YESES AT PRETTY MUCH
EVERY LEVEL.
EVERY LEVEL. I’M RIDING THAT WAVE.
>> I TALK TO A LOT OF ACTORS.
THEY SAY, IT’S MORE FUN PLAYING
THE BAD GUY THAN THE GOOD GUY.
TRUE?
TRUE? >> HUGH JACKMAN SAID, THE BAD
GUYS, THEY WORK THE LEAST AMOUNT
OF DAYS.
OF DAYS. THEY GET THE BEST LINES AND THEY
WIN ALL THE FIGHTS EXCEPT FOR
THE LAST ONE.
>> FUNNY.
>> FUNNY. >> YOU CAN’T BEAT THAT, RIGHT?
>> GOOD POINT.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE US THIS
MORNING, TELL US ABOUT, WE’RE
GOING TO SEE YOU IN JORDAN
PEELE’S NEW FILM, "US."
TALK TO US ABOUT THAT.
>> THE TRAILER JUST CAME OUT ON
CHRISTMAS.
CHRISTMAS. EVERYBODY HAS RESPONDED TO THAT
REALLY WELL.
REALLY WELL. AND WE’RE REALLY, REALLY
EXCITED.
EXCITED. JORDAN HAS ONE OF THOSE BRAINS
WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE GEARS ARE
ALWAYS TURNING.
ALWAYS TURNING. IT’S GOING TO BE A CONVERSATION
PIECE.
PIECE. I’M REALLY EXCITED TO SHARE IT.
>> PEOPLE ARE WAITING TO SEE
WHAT HE’S GOING TO DO NEXT.
>> YOU HAVE A LOT OF EYEBALLS.
>> IT’S A REALLY GOOD TIME RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT’S GOING TO
BE IN THE CONVERSATION FOR A
LITTLE WHILE.
LITTLE WHILE. >> 2018 ENDING GREAT FOR YOU,
AND BEGINNING 2019, AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.