[THEME MUSIC]
Number 1 show on late night.
Nothing but illustrious guests.
Mero, who is in the building?
Oh man.
It's Damson Idris.
Ya dun know.
DESUS: Aye.
MERO: You know what I'm saying?
Franklin Saints from "Snowfall."
You know the vibes.
The Prince of Peckham!
Get your coke from him! DAMSON IDRIS: [LAUGHS]
Franklin, how are you feeling?
Oh, I'm feeling great, man.
That was a really good accent.
[LAUGHS]
DAMSON IDRIS: [LAUGHS] Happy to be here.
Hey, we're happy to have you.
First of all, congrats on season 5.
Yo. [CLAPS]
Thank you. MERO: You know what I'm saying?
"Snowfall."
DESUS: Where were you when you found out you were
getting renewed for season 5?
I'm not going to lie to you.
I knew it was coming--
Oh yeah?
--from when we first started season 4.
OK.
The show was doing so well.
Mhm.
It's thanks to a loyal fan base.
Yeah. Yo--
- Very loyal fan base. - Cult-like fan base.
Yeah, yeah. Cult-like.
That's appointment viewing, bruh.
DAMSON IDRIS: Yeah. - "Snowfall" is.
Yes. Yeah.
[LAUGHS]
You see people talking about it on the TL in real-time.
Like-- - Don't call me, don't text me.
- Yes. - Don't text me.
- No spoilers. - No spoilers.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Yeah.
You've got famous people-- shoutout to Pusha T.
He was like, yo-- - Oh yeah.
That's my guy. DESUS: --I love that show.
Yeah, yeah. DESUS: I love that show.
Yeah, Push. My guy.
You do an incredible job.
And then when I'm telling people we're going to interview you,
and I'm like, yeah, homie's from London, they're like,
he's not from London. He's from South Central.
- [LAUGHS] Yeah. - I was like--
I don't think so.
But--
Yeah, they do not believe I'm from--
DESUS: They don't believe it. - Yeah.
You worked with the rapper WC.
WC, yeah.
Because you got the official--
Oh yeah.
--South Central-- how did that come about?
Like--
Wow.
So just to get the accent--
I mean, I wouldn't have got the part if I couldn't do a South
Central accent somewhat.
Mhm.
So-- like, I was infatuated with "Def Comedy Jam"
when I was a kid.
OK.
So I would learn, like, all different accents
of the comedians.
And I would love, like, "Boyz n the Hood" and all John
Singleton's movies.
Yeah.
But WC really taught me just the essence
of being a kid from LA.
You know?
How to stand and how to walk.
DESUS: Mhm.
The West Coast. Yeah.
DAMSON IDRIS: Yeah. You know?
And he would always say, you know, (SOUTH CENTRAL ACCENT)
you could say shit a certain way,
or you could say shit a certain way.
There you go.
You know?
And that's what WC gave me.
But, you know, Singleton brought him in.
He helped out the kid who played Eazy
E on "Straight Outta Compton."
And he helped out Cory, who played Dr. Dre.
Yeah.
So, you know, Singleton learned of that,
and he was like, hey, maybe you could help this guy
I've got who's playing--
Yo.
Look at WC diversifying his career.
DAMSON IDRIS: Oh yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
But he hates being called a "dialect coach."
MERO: [LAUGHS] DESUS: Oh yeah.
He hates that.
He's like, (SOUTH CENTRAL ACCENT)
they wanna call me a "dialect coach."
You lose a little gangster in the hood with that.
DAMSON IDRIS: Yeah. [LAUGHS]
That's not-- that's not a respectable occupation.
Nah, nah, nah.
He's losing street cred with that one.
DESUS: Aw man.
What was it like working with John Singleton?
Word. R.I.P. to the god.
Yeah, R.I.P. R.I.P.
MERO: He was one of our best.
DAMSON IDRIS: It was a blessing.
It was a dream come true.
Talk about knowledge.
You know?
Mhm.
And being plunged into the deep end of Hollywood
at such a young age.
I think "Boyz n the Hood" came out when I was born, maybe.
And he was-- - Yeah, yeah.
Me too.
[LAUGHS]
DAMSON IDRIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You was not--
There was babies.
You still look-- you still look young, man.
You still look-- Black don't crack.
Aye.
[LAUGHS] So, um--
so Singleton, the greatest thing about working with him was he
was so, like--
he was all about empowering people.
Right?
He was all about putting you in a position
where you could shine. - Yeah.
So, like, I remember the first time he took me to a "Vanity
Fair" party at the Oscars.
Right?
Yeah.
Now, it's the notorious carpet.
It's, like, DiCaprio, all these people coming.
And camera people are like, [VOCALIZES] (FEMALE VOICE)
oh my god! Leo!
Over here! Over to your left!
To your left! - They see me, they're like--
- Click! - [VOCALIZES]
[LAUGHING]
We've been there.
They're like, uh-- Idris Elba?
DESUS: Yeah.
[LAUGHS]
Sampson-- Sampson Idris Elba?
- Dancing Address. - [LAUGHS]
[LAUGHS]
So then I get on the carpet.
Singleton comes out.
He's like, whoa, whoa, whoa!
That's the lead on my show! - Yep.
Take his picture!
This is Damson Idris.
He's the lead of "Snowfall," out in July.
Da-da-da-da-da.
I was, like, yeah, take the--
MERO: That's right! Tell 'em, John!
That's how you do it.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Also, shoutout to Showtime PR.
Y'all have done that for me a couple of times.
I appreciate it. - [LAUGHS]
DESUS: So--
But that's what he was. You know?
MERO: Yeah.
He was a pioneer, innovator.
And he was-- his main focus was about pushing us forward.
And that's what my main focus is now, too.
DESUS: Mhm.
And being a kid in the UK growing up watching these
movies, did that-- was that like,
yo, this is America, for you?
Or was it like--
Oh yeah, yeah.
Because prior to watching Singleton's movies,
I thought America was Brad Pitt.
I thought it was just a bunch of Brad Pitt's
with blond hair walking around.
[LAUGHS]
[LAUGHS] Is everybody over there good-looking?
[LAUGHS] Yeah.
A bunch of Brad Pitts and Johnny Depps.
- Yes. - [LAUGHS]
And I watched Singleton's movie,
and I related to it so deeply, because--
now, I'm from Peckham in London, which
is a South Central equivalent.
Shout out to Peckham. [VOCALIZES]
DAMSON IDRIS: You know?
Right.
And so many of the issues that people of South Central, people
of America face, particularly in inner cities,
Black people face, I faced back home where I'm from.
You know?
Fatherless households, police brutality, racism, and drugs--
MERO: Yeah.
--is something that plagued my neighborhood.
So just to see Singleton's movies, I was like, wow,
I'm seeing-- - The same thing.
Yeah.
--something that I can relate to on the screen.
Shout out to Peckham.
Shout out to my aunt Tat and my cousin Natasha.
[LAUGHS]
When I was wyling, they sent me out to Peckham.
I remember I have to go to the off li--
Wait, you was wyling and they sent you to Peckham?
- Yes. - OK.
And I was like, OK--
So you can wyle some more.
I was like, this feels like the Bronx out here.
Yeah. [LAUGHS]
And I remember going to the off license shop to get--
[LAUGHS] To off license.
- --top off my oyster card-- - Oh yeah.
Wow.
--to take the 37 to Peckham Rye Rail.
You really was out there. DESUS: I was really out there.
I was in those streets, bro.
It's so funny.
This location really reminds me of this store
we had on front line called Cracker Jack.
OK.
Like, as soon as I walked in there, I was like, oh my god.
It feels the same. Right?
Yeah, yeah.
It's taking me right back there, man.
When's the last time you've been to Peckham?
Because it's getting gentrified out there,
last I was out there. - Yeah.
They've got Starbucks now.
They've got-- it's gentrified.
Um, I cruise by every now and then.
I did a photo shoot, and the whole theme of the shoot
was, you know, let's go back to where it all began.
So I took this big photo crew, and we
went back to my block, Dursley Estate,
and we took these amazing photos.
And it was nostalgic, but it was emotional.
Because people were looking out their windows
like, yo, Damson Idris!
Damson Idris!
And I'm like man, man.
Like, I was on this very same block.
And look what God did for me.
- You came up. - Yeah.
It really is possible.
Yeah.
So you got your start on stage doing plays.
Theater, drama.
Yeah.
What do you prefer?
Do you prefer to have several takes?
That pressure of being on stage?
That instant gratification from the crowd?
Like, what do you-- - Yeah, yeah.
- What's your flavor? - I'm a theater guy, man.
Theater?
Theater.
Definitely the theater.
You know, the first time I received
my first laugh on stage, that's when I knew
I was going to do this forever. - Yeah.
DAMSON IDRIS: And--
Where was that at?
The play was called "Pandora's Box."
It was at the Arcola Theater.
It was directed by Ola Animashawun,
written by Ade Solanke.
It was 2012.
It's actually about a kid who's wyling in London.
And he gets sent to Nigeria, where they really said--
- OK, that's different. - Yeah.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
(NIGERIAN ACCENT) Go and get the water!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. MERO: [LAUGHS]
DAMSON IDRIS: You know? MERO: Yes.
So I played that character.
His name was Tope.
And, you know, I remember agents came, man.
And they pulled me aside after and they were like, man, you
were really good.
You know, you remind me of a young Will Smith.
I'm like, Will Smith? DESUS: Wow.
I know who that is.
"Bad Boys." "Fresh Prince."
Right?
Yeah.
I was so excited.
And, you know, the ball was in my court from then.
Because it was on me to develop my craft
and really respect this art form.
And that's what I tell young people today.
Don't think there's some entitlement thing.
MERO: Right.
You really have to work hard, put in those 10,000 hours.
I'm still putting it in.
How many hours you got now?
- I've got about an hour-- - You keeping track?
It's, like, on your Apple Watch? - About an hour left.
An hour left?
I've got about like an hour left.
- (ACCENTED) I got a hour. - (ACCENTED) About a hour.
[LAUGHING]
Now, you know we've got to ask you.
Let's hear the Denzel impression.
Oh no. DESUS: Come on!
MERO: [CHUCKLES] DESUS: Do it!
Oh man. He's going to kill me, man.
Nah. We had him on.
Yeah. He's mad cool.
- We had him on. - He was on.
And he's m--
like, he is mad cool.
That's the homie.
- That's Denzel from the Bronx. - Yeah.
MERO: [LAUGHS] - Oh man.
Yeah. (DENZEL WASHINGTON VOICE) No--
nobody could've landed that plane like I did.
DAMSON IDRIS: See? You see?
There you go. MERO: [LAUGHS]
There you go.
Because yo, you're--
I read a quote where you quoted--
you're quoted as saying, like, yo, this is the guy that
made me really want to do this.
- Mhm. - Yeah.
Yeah.
This is, like, my hero, you know what I mean, growing up.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - It's only one Denzel.
DESUS: That's right. - Yeah.
I watched "American Gangster," and I was like--
- Amazing movie. - Yeah.
And then you gave him all that praise.
And then in his interview, he called you what?
"Dancing Address."
- Crushed my soul. - [LAUGHS]
Wow.
Is that you right there with your--
Right there.
Damn, Denzel.
I don't know who that is.
Who-- no, no, no, no.
It was-- it was beautiful.
MERO: Mhm.
Because he said something that's going to stick with me.
And although he doesn't know me, he said, do the work.
You know?
And that's something I will never stop doing.
- Right. - You never truly make it.
That's what I'm-- something I'm chasing for.
And I'm also chasing for happiness.
Mhm.
And I used to want to be the greatest
actor of my generation.
But I don't want to be anymore.
Now I just want to be happy.
What's your definition of happiness?
Having my family with me at all times, having my friends,
and having people that I inspire to use my platform
and brand to create opportunities
for people like me. You know?
MERO: Got you. DESUS: True.
That's it. Yeah.
[CLAPS] UK battle to the death.
Boyega, Kaluuya, Idris.
Who wins?
Oh wow.
- [CHUCKLES] - Kaluuya, man.
That's my guy. - That's your guy?
You've got to get--
Love Idris, love Boyega. But Kaluuya.
That's my-- - Kaluuya?
[LAUGHS] - Mhm.
DAMSON IDRIS: That's my man.
How many times you go on Getty Wire images and they've
confused you with Idris Elba?
[LAUGHS] Oh my god.
Never. DESUS: Never?
He's too handsome. Never.
DESUS: Ever?
Um-- but it's so funny, because the first time
I met Idris Elba, it was at--
my good friend Edward he was doing, like, a little party
honoring Spike Lee in London.
And it was all these people.
And Idris Elba is like, (GRUFFLY) hey, come over here.
Mhm.
- [LAUGHS] - (GRUFFLY) Hey, come over here.
And he's like, (GRUFFLY) I know you.
I know you.
They always ask me-- they think that you're my little brother.
MERO: Yeah. - You're doing good.
You're doing good. - [LAUGHS]
And then, you know, now I can call him on the phone--
Mhm.
--and I could ask for advice, man.
This guy, Idris Elba, is an absolute G, man.
I'm so indebted to him.
Because when I was getting "Snowfall,"
when I was in the thick of it, probably I
met him around season 2-3, he--
I would call him and ask about "The Wire," man.
I was about to say, bro.
Like, did you tap him for "The Wire?"
DAMSON IDRIS: Oh yeah. - Because there's so many--
Oh yeah. Definitely.
- --parallels and similarities. - Yeah.
I was like, yo, how were you when you walked in the room?
Yeah.
Were you British when you walked in the room?
He was like, nah.
I walked in and I was String.
And I was like, man, this-- he motivates me so much.
Because he has transcended what it is to be in this art form.
He's a transformative actor.
He works everywhere.
He creates opportunities everywhere.
And he's still the same cool guy, man.
Still DJ'ing.
- Yeah, I see that. - Yeah, yeah.
You know?
He's just a vibe, man.
I love him, man.
I like to call him my big brother.
You know?
What does Damson watch when he's just chilling,
just in the crib, no shoes on.
You know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
Basketball shorts, no drawers.
You know what I'm saying?
Just back and watching TV.
[LAUGHS] No drawers.
You know what I'm saying?
I like-- I obviously love sports.
- Man U? - Man U?
- Manchester United. - You know.
You know the vibes. - A little footy?
Yeah, yeah. [LAUGHS]
- A little footy. - A little footy, innit?
- [LAUGHS] - [LAUGHS] Football.
The real football.
Oh, oh!
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
You could say that. I was at the Super Bowl.
I was like-- - Fingerball.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
We're doing a lot as Americans.
You know? - The handball.
[CHUCKLES]
Handball.
But I'm obviously a Rams supporter.
A Lakers fan, too.
Anything LA I was really forced to be.
It's like, you're playing Franklin,
you'd better be a Laker. - Yeah.
LeBron came and put you in a headlock.
Like, motherfucker, you're a Lakers right now.
All right? [LAUGHS]
DAMSON IDRIS: [LAUGHS] But aside from that, I
love watching classical movies.
You know?
Mhm.
I'm really a student of film.
And I love watching, you know, Brando, James Dean, Poitier,
Belafonte.
All the greats of the past.
And then on a modern sense, I love my TV shows, man.
Right now, I'm locked into "Euphoria."
Great show.
Zendaya is absolutely--
She's a powerhouse.
She's killing it.
I was like, whoa.
MERO: Yeah.
I watched episode--
I think it was episode 5, where she's,
like, just running around. And she's, like--
Running through the streets with the Chuck Taylors?
I was like, this is a force, man.
I'm so excited for the future of film and TV,
having someone like that at the forefront of it.
Yeah.
It's like watching a young Steph Curry.
Like-- - Yeah.
Because she's not even, like, leveled
up to where she's going to be.
Yeah.
You know, she's only going to get greater.
And I'm-- that's the thing, man.
People ask me, you know, what are your inspirations today?
My inspirations are my peers.
- Yeah. - I was about to say.
I was like, because you're right there.
I was like, don't sell yourself short, brother.
Yeah. [CHUCKLES]
You're right there.
You're in that league with Zendaya
and that-- you know what I'm saying?
Bless you. Bless you.
Like, the come-up.
Like, the-- young Hollywood.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Young Hollywood.
So when you watch these old movies,
are you, like, looking at how Brando delivered
this line, and all that stuff?
Completely.
I see a look, or a dot of the eye, and I see-- oh, wow.
So Leo DiCaprio got that from him.
Like, it's-- it really is an interesting thing.
You know?
Those giants really did start this form of acting.
You know?
If you want to call it "method," or whatever.
You know?
They really did transform what it is to be an actor
and to just be true in the moment.
And it's a compulsion of mine to perfect that as best as I can.
I'll never be perfect onscreen, ever.
Mhm.
But if I could even have a small, tiny amount of presence
as those giants, I'll be happy.
You'd be good.
Mm.
On set, are you a trailer until it's
about time to go guy?
Or are you floating around, talking to people--
I'm in character 24/7.
- --talking with the PAs? - Is that right?
- Oh, you're in character 24/7? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Like, (SOUTH CENTRAL ACCENT) aye,
aye, go get me a motherfucking Coke.
DAMSON IDRIS: [LAUGHS]
[LAUGHS]
No one on the show knew I was British.
Yeah.
For the whole first season, no one knew.
And then at the end, I gave a speech to thank everyone--
Everyone was like, holy shit!
So you fucked them up. [CHUCKLES]
DESUS: They was like, whoa!
I was like, man, I want to appreciate everyone for, you
know, such a hard season.
You worked so-- everyone was like, the fuck?
[LAUGHING]
All the PAs was like, that's why he always wanted beans!
She's like, ah, I get it.
I get it. - [LAUGHS]
That's why he wanted peppermint?
DESUS: Oh, wow!
Wow! I get it.
He kept asking for Pick and Mix.
We don't know what that is!
[LAUGHING]
What is custard creams?
- [LAUGHS] - What's a biscuit?
DESUS: Oh--
MERO: [LAUGHS] British food is derided
a lot in popular culture.
Yeah, yeah.
You guys hate that food.
What is one thing that you will
cape for that is British food?
DAMSON IDRIS: Oh man.
[INHALES SHARPLY] [BUZZES LIPS] I'm riding out for biscuits,
man. - Biscuits?
And you guys call biscuits, like-- you know--
Cookies?
The biscuit, you dip it in the honey, all that.
- Right, right. - Popeye's.
But our biscuits is what you guys call cookies.
So just the biscuits.
But we have cookies, which is, like--
Yeah
--I don't know, chocolate chip, or raisin, or whatever.
Mhm.
But biscuits, you know, custard creams,
digestives, rice-- oh, I'm getting all nice now.
Like, all of those amazing--
I have to beg family members to bring it over, or Amazon it.
You know?
You guys don't have it.
Also, I don't think you guys have custard.
I have cake and custard.
Our custard is different than what y'all talking about.
Custard is so important to a cake.
Oh yeah?
It's, like, this yellow type of syrup.
Say you're having carrot cake or whatever,
throw some custard on it.
Warm up the custard.
And it just-- it transforms the dessert.
I'm in Ralph's, Whole Foods, wherever, there's no custard.
I'm like, what's going on?
I'm missing that.
You don't have no saveloy.
That's a problem.
You don't have a lot of Caribbean restaurants in LA.
That's a problem.
LA, yes.
You don't have any Nigerian restaurants in LA.
You don't want a Nigerian or Caribbean restaurant in LA.
In LA. You don't--
- You want it. - Yeah.
No, no, no, no. It's--
No. We Jammin's good, though.
Listen.
Because you might get, like, tofu oxtail.
And that-- - [LAUGHS]
Oh, yeah. You don't--
Now your ancestor's looking at you,
and they're sucking their teeth from heaven.
Yeah. Like, how dare you?
- You don't want that. - You're in New York now.
Go to the Bronx for some good Nigerian foods.
For New York, you guys have great food.
You've got--
You have great food.
Please.
What's your favorite Nigerian restaurant in Peckham?
[EXHALES] That's a great question.
You fuck with 805?
You really know your stuff!
- Come on, folk! - [CHUCKLES]
- I'm proud of you. - Come on, folk.
Come on. We out here.
Wow. You know 805?
I mean, for real, bro.
We running these streets out here.
Oh my god. What you get when you go to 805?
You get the Jollof rice with--
It's been a minute. It's been a minute.
I've got to go back. - The goat meat, the plantain.
I was like--
it depends. It depends.
Because when I was out there, I didn't have money like that.
- [LAUGHS] - So it was a lot of looking.
Like, [SLURPS] yeah.
[LAUGHS] Yeah, it looks good. But let me get some chin chin.
Nah, we've got to go-- we're going
to all roll back there one day. - Yeah, yeah.
Just go out there in the streets.
- That would be fun, man. - Definitely.
That would be fun.
(ACCENTED) I've never been.
- He's ever been never. - You've never been to--
- (ACCENTED) I've never been. - He's never been.
So you've got to show him around and do the whole thing.
I just be throwing shit out there.
The Pick and Mix, I just figured that shit out.
Because, yo, they were telling me-- like, yo, y'all doing
Pick and Mix during COVID?
That's wild.
And I'm just like, what is that? DAMSON IDRIS: [LAUGHS] Oh man.
So then I had to go Google it.
We could go to London.
We could go to-- we could go to the Buckingham Palace
and be like, wow, this was not worth it.
- Oh no. - [LAUGHS]
You need to go to some real place.
Real places.
I say that to my American friends all the time, because--
So Brixton?
Brixton, Peckham.
Yes.
The McDonald's in Brixton, ooh! DAMSON IDRIS: Yeah.
We could go to East-- - Always a good time.
You know?
Go to East London.
Because the thing about traveling,
it's the cure to all ignorance is what I always say.
Mhm.
And my American friends, when they first met me,
they was like, chip, chip. Peerio!
I'm like, yo-- - Yeah, we don't do that shit.
- --I don't talk like that. - Yeah.
- I don't talk like that. - I don't live near the queen.
MERO: [CHUCKLES]
I do love peppermint tea, but--
[LAUGHS]
Listen, as Americans, we think the leader of England
is Peppa Pig. So, like--
[LAUGHING] - Yeah, exactly.
Like, come on. Like--
- We don't know nothing. - You have no idea.
So it's like when you guys travel
to the UK, particularly London, you stay in really nice areas.
Affluent areas. - Mhm.
And you're like, yo, where are all the brothers at?
The brothers are-- - You've got to go to the hood.
--where I'm from. You know?
And we're really, really cultured in that sense.
From the Caribbean, to African, to American.
Mhm.
You know?
Our history that we learned in school is American history.
I don't know no Black Brits from back in the day.
I grew up learning about Martin Luther
King and Malcolm X. You know?
So we're a lot more similar than we think.
And I think the mixing and traveling is what's
going to bring us closer.
That's what us people see, is we're the same.
I think it's a lot of-- I think it's semantics, too.
Yeah.
Because it's like-- you know, when you
hear "council estate," you think of something
very nice and proper. DAMSON IDRIS: Exactly.
You know what I mean? But you hear "projects"--
Yeah. [LAUGHS]
Yo, this is an experiment--
[LAUGHS]
--and we're going to put people in here.
[LAUGHS] You know what I'm saying?
Oh my god.
That's so true.
"Council estate" does sound very bougie.
What's one piece of advice you'll give--
you want to give to anyone starting out in this industry?
Keep quiet and let the work do the talking.
Ooh.
Always.
That's a-- ooh, that's a gem!
Dropping a gem right there, my brother.
Is that straight from Damson, or is that passed down?
That's straight from Damson.
Oh, my--
Straight from Damson.
Straight from the source.
Started right here.
Listen, this is a great interview.
We could chop it up with you some more,
but you're a busy man.
We are kind of busy.
[LAUGHS]
But listen, everyone that comes to the bodega
is an illustrious guest.
Every illustrious guest gets a neon sign.
DAMSON IDRIS: Mhm.
What would you like your neon sign to say.
Oh man.
I'd like my neon sign to say "DSS".
DESUS: "DSS".
MERO: That's right.
DESUS: The Dark-Skinned Society.
Yo, can I be a member?
- You're in. - Hey!
- [LAUGHS] - You're in.
All right, Bobby. I'm coming to join y'all.
[LAUGHING]
Yo, Damson in the building!
"Snowfall" season 5.
Enjoy it, ya heard?
FX.
[VOCALIZES] Bow!
Get your shit from Franklin!
[LAUGHS]
His shit ain't stepped on.
[LAUGHS]
(SOUTH CENTRAL ACCENT) Nah mean, cuz?
[LAUGHS]