"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE."
>> HARRY STYLES PLAY BOTH HOST
AND MUSICAL GUEST.
STERLING K. BROWN KNOWN BEST AS
HIS ROLE OF RANDALL PEARSON ON
THE HIT NBC SHOW "THIS IS US."
"THIS IS US" HAS BEEN AMONG THE
HIGHEST RATED SHOW IN ALL OF
TELEVISION, TURNING BROWN INTO
AN EMMY AND GOLDEN GLOBE WINNING
STAR.
WHAT MAY APPEARED TO BE AN OVER
NIGHT SUCCESS WAS A 13-YEAR
BEGINNING AT GRAD SCHOOL.
STERLING AND I GOT TOGETHER
TALKING ABOUT HIS LATEST FILM
AND HIS RIDE FROM THAT OLD NYU
STOMPING GROUND.
>> NOW, THIS IS A GOOD MOMENT
BECAUSE YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WERE
IN SCHOOL AND WATCHING
EVERYBODY.
AND NOW EVERYBODY IS WATCHING
YOU.
>> IT IS KIND OF CRAZY.
>> IT HAS BEEN KIND OF CRAZY FOR
STERLING K. BROWN SINCE THE
PREMIER THREE YEARS AGO OF THE
HIT NBC'S SHOW, "THIS IS US."
>> CAN I HUG YOU?
>> I WILL BE LIKE YEAH, I AM
DOWN FOR THE HUG AND WE JUST
SQUEEZE IT AND SOMETIMES THEY
HOLD ON.
ALL RIGHT.
AND THEN THEY LET GO.
>> WE ARE PERFECTLY IMPERFECT.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT "THIS
IS US" THAT HAS SO CONNECTED
WITH PEOPLE?
>> I THINK IT HAS BECAUSE WE ARE
DISCONNECTED.
I THINK FOLKS FEEL COLLECTIVELY
THEY GET TO ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE
WITH THE PEARSONS.
WE DEAL WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT
TOPICS THAT PEOPLE SEE
THEMSELVES IN ONE OR ALL OF US
IN ONE DEGREE.
>> SISTER RINTERLING K. BROWN.
>> LAST YEAR, BECOMING THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACTOR TO WIN A
GOLDEN GLOBE FOR BEST
PERFORMANCE IN A DRAMA SERIES.
>> I AM BEING SEEN FOR WHO I AM
AND APPRECIATED FOR WHO I AM.
>> DO YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT
THAT AS PART OF YOUR LEGACY OR
TOO MUCH RIGHT NOW?
>> IT IS WAY TOO MUCH AND WAY
TOO SURREAL.
I AM NOT THE DUDE WHO'S AT THE
AVAN GUARD OR AT THE FOREFRONT
OF THE MOVEMENT.
I AM A GUY THAT DEEPLY LOVES
EVERYTHING HE DOES.
I FEEL ILL EQUIPPED TO BE THE
FIRST.
>> BROWN GREW UP IN ST. LOUIS
PLAYING FOOTBALL AND PERFORMING
IN HIGH SCHOOL PLAYS, HE STUDIED
DRAMA AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY AND
EARNED HIS MASTERS FROM NYU.
>> I SAID "GOD, WE SPENT A LOT
OF MONEY ON THIS DEGREE.
I KNOW THERE IS NO GAUARANTEES
THINGS WORKING OUT IN ANY
PARTICULAR WAY, CAN I PAY MY
BILLS BY DOING WHAT I LOVE"?
IF I CAN DO THAT, I CAN CALL IT
A WATCH.
>> BROWN PAID THE BILLS FOR MORE
THAN A DECADE WITH GUEST ROLES
AND LIFETIME'S "ARMY WIFE."
>> WAS THERE A POINT OF THOSE 13
YEARS WHERE YOU SAID TO YOURSELF
I DON'T KNOW IF I AM GOING TO
END UP WHERE I THOUGHT I AM
GOING TO END UP.
>> I DID MY FIRST SERIES ON AN
FX ROLE CALLED "STARVED."
BINGE AND PURGE.
>> YOU THIS I YOU CAN RUN RED
LIGHTS BECAUSE YOU ARE ON A
BIKE?
>> MY MOM WATCHED THE PILOT AND
I SAID MOM, I APPRECIATE YOU
WATCHING THE PILOT, IF YOU DON'T
WANT TO WATCH ANYMORE, I
UNDERSTAND.
AND MY MOTHER TOUCHED MY KNEES
AND SAID "THANK YOU."
>> LIKE SHE PASSED OUT AND
QUIQUAS
QUICKLY AS SHE COULD.
>> 2016 WAS THE BREAK THROUGH
YEAR FOR BROWN.
HE PLAYED CHRISTOPHER DARDEN IN
"THE PEOPLE VERSES OJ SIMPSON."
>> THIS CASE IS A CIRCUS AND THE
DEFENSE MADE IT INTO A CIRCUS.
>> AFTER OJ IT WAS LIKE WHAT DO
YOU WANT TO DO?
HOW CAN WE BE IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH YOU?
AND YOU ARE LIKE ME?
AFTER JUST LIKE WAITING FOR
PEOPLE LIKE OH, I HAVE A MOMENT
TO BE ABLE TO WORK AT WHAT YOU
LOVE, THAT'S SUCCESS.
THIS IS JUST CRAZY.
LIKE DELICIOUS CRAZY.
I HAD A GREAT BISCUIT AND NOW I
AM SOBBING AND IT IS JUST STUPID
GOOD.
>> IN HIS LATEST FILM "WAVES,"
BROWN PLAYS THE DOMINEER FATHER
IN A FAMILY NAVIGATING
HEARTBREAK AND LOSS.
>> WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS STORY
THAT JUMPED OFF THE PAGE TO YOU?
>> THIS GUY IS A FATHER WHO'S
VERY MUCH PRESENT FOR HIS FAMILY
BUT IS A HARDM MAN.
I ENJOYED THE CHALLENGE OF
INHABITING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
READILY LIKABLE BUT WHO ARE
HUMANE AND GOOD AND MY GOAL IS
NOT TO BE LIKED BUT TO BE
UNDERSTOOD.
>> THE THEME IN THIS FILM ARE
PERSONAL.
HE WAS JUST A YOUNG BOY WHEN HE
LOST HIS FATHER SUDDENLY TO A
HEART ATTACK.
TODAY IT SERARED INTO HIS MEMOR.
>> THE WHOLE DYNAMIC WITH FATHER
AND SON RESONATES WITH ME REALLY
STRONG RIGHT NOW.
MY DAD WAS 45 WHEN HE PASSED
AWAY AND I WAS 10.
I REMEMBER LIKE REALLY SPECIFIC
THINGS, WAKING UP THAT MORNING
AND GOING INTO THE KITCHEN.
MY MOM BEING ON THE PHONE
CALLING THE PARAMEDICS AND
ASKING ME TO PUT CLOTHES ON MY
DAD BECAUSE HE WAS NAKED IN THE
BED AND HIS BODY WAS STIFF AND
AS I WAS CARRYING OUT ON THE
STRETCHER, HE LOOKS AT ME OVER
THE RAILING AND HE WINKED, I
CARRIED HIM OUT THE DOOR, LAST
TIME.
>> I WOULD SAY THIS ABOUT
STERLING BROWN JR., HE FILLS ME
UP WITH LOVE WILLIE BUT WHILE
THE TIME WAS SHORT, IT WAS
EVERYTHING THAT I COULD HAVE
HOPED FOR FOR TEN YEARS.
>> BROWN IS PASSING ON THAT LOVE
TO HIS OWN SONS ANDREW AND OMAR
RI WITH HIS WIFE.
>> I HAVE TEN GOOD YEARS AND I
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MY KIDS
HAVE MORE.
MY KIDS ARE EIGHT AND FOUR.
SO HE'S JUST TWO YEARS AWAY.
>> I FEEL THE TEMPLATE FOR
FATHERHOOD, I GOT IT FOR THE
NEXT TWO YEARS AND AFTER THAT, I
AM A WHOLE NEUWS THE TERRITORY,
WE NEVER HAD THE SEX TALK OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO COME
DOWN, I WILL MAKE IT UP AS I GO
ALONG.
>> SUCH A GREAT GUY.
STERLING'S LATEST FILM IS IN
THEATER RIGHT NOW AND YOU CAN
HEAR HIS VOICE IN "FROZEN II"
WHEN IT COMES OUT NEXT FRIDAY.
TO HEAR STERLING TALK ABOUT THE
REACTION OF HIS YOUNG SON TO HIS
BEING IN "FROZEN II" CHECK OUT
OUR WEB EXTRA AND DON'T FORGET
TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR STREET."
WE ARE BACK IN 30 SECONDS.