[MUSIC PLAYING]
Your number one show in late night.
Yo, Mario.
Who do we got in the building tonight?
You might have seen them as Black Manta,
you know what I'm saying?
You might have seen him as Dr. Manhattan.
You gonna see him as the Candy Man, you know what I'm saying?
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Yahya, yo.
What's going on, my man.
Thank you for joining us.
How's it going, man? - Hey, man.
I'm feeling good.
I'm feeling great, man.
How about that introduction, man?
Shit.
THE KID MERO: That's what I'm talking about.
I ain't never got one of them--
You know what I'm saying? You earned that.
I ain't never got one of them before, you
know what I'm saying?
You earned that right there, man.
You-- that's what I try to do every time because a lot
of people like to be humble, you know what I'm saying,
when they have achieved a lot of success,
you know what I'm saying.
So I'm here to be your humble translator.
We gonna dump the humble shit--
I feel, I feel it.
You can stay-- you stay humble.
I'm gonna be un-humble on your behalf.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, you really did come with that.
I appreciate that.
You been doing the work, man.
You've been doing the work.
You've been in a lot of roles.
You-- you're one of those guys that you just like,
wait, where do I know him from?
And then you're just like, oh, wow.
And then when you realize it-- - --all over the place.
--you're like, yo, that wasn't some background role.
- Yeah. - Like, he had a main--
you've been out here, man.
I-- what's it like?
Because you-- your career right now, you're so hot right now.
You're, you're hitting on all the projects.
What's it feeling like?
Man, right now is--
it's a whole storm right now, you know.
I'm just coming off of the, coming off of the Emmy,
you know. I-- that was--
THE KID MERO: Congrats.
--that was both-- thank you.
I appreciate it.
That was unexpected.
That was exciting.
I mean, I'm in Berlin right now doing "The Matrix."
You know, we, we moving through that production.
- Nice. - I'm blessed.
I'm blessed, man.
You know, I, I really--
I-- you know, this thing really took off for me in about,
you know, 2016 with "The Get Down."
And I've been-- - Yeah.
Yes.
--able to be versatile since then, you know what I'm saying?
That, that's really been the name of the game.
For me it's be-- you know, being able to put myself
around the taste makers and you know, just, just not,
not pin myself down in the box.
So it's funny that you, you-- you
know, when you say, you know, this cat pop up everywhere,
you know.
I, I kind of try to make sure that I can be
versatile like that so that--
you know, so that, shit, I could do whatever I want to do,
you know what I'm saying? - That's it, yeah.
And that's tough, man. - Yeah, you been everywhere.
And should out to "The Get Down," BX all day.
You know that's what we're from, representing.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Gave our-- give our borough some love.
But yeah, you-- you've been in all those roles.
You got your "Aquaman" role as well.
Got to hit you on this one.
"Black Mirror."
My guy.
Oh, yeah. What's up, what's up, what's up?
Holla at me, holla at me.
That-- you, you, you kind of made it hard for me to play
video games with my boys now.
Like, you feel a lot of pressure--
Hey, but dude-- hey--
Now, what was it like when you saw that script?
Because you know "Black Mirror" is always like a mind
fuck, but then just to have two black guys in that role,
and you, you guys played the hell out of that.
Like, it was so-- you're so good.
Man, let me tell you something--
let me, let me tell you something about "Black Mirror."
"Black Mirror" is one of those shows where I watched the--
I think it was like season one, episode two.
And they had this situation where--
have you seen the one where they had the little
camera things in their eyes--
In the eyes and you could rewind.
--and you can go back. Yes.
And you can rewind it.
Dog, that one-- that episode had me, had me hot, dog.
Yeah.
That episode had me hot, you know what I'm saying?
So the thing I love about-- you know, it was just like-- man,
I, I don't even want to mess around
with no technology like that, you know what I'm saying.
Exactly.
The thing about this show is that it poses these type
of questions where, you know, it puts you in the situations
where you have these-- where you can have these heated,
heated moral debates, you know.
These, these "what would you do" type of scenarios.
And what I saw with my character was--
you know, everybody was looking at the sexuality of it all
and I was looking at a cat who was just, like, addicted.
You know, I, I went-- you know, I approached that
from a perspective of a dude that was just addicted
to this type of companionship, like this new sensation
that he had never, had never felt before.
And I really had fun, you know, making
this character who would do anything, who
would disturb all the peace.
You know, he's showing up at the-- you know, he's showing up
at dinner time like he the side chick,
you know what I'm saying?
That was-- I was watching that.
I was like, yo, I feel so uncomfortable because I've
been here before.
Like, woo.
Wilding out.
- So good, man. - Wilding out, man.
Oh.
But those type of characters are cool where you get
to stretch and you get to kind of, you know, wild out,
make people uncomfortable, and things like that.
Because you mentioned those are the type of things that--
you know, that people remember.
And then I can go and I can go and do the other things,
you know.
I think when you--
you know, when I, when I-- my calling card
right now is sort of, you know, I try to work with the taste
makers and I try to make sure that I stay versatile enough
that I can go and do anything.
So I don't mind going and doing something
a little bit mind-bending like a "Black Mirror"
because I know I can then turn the page and then, then go
do like a "Handmaid's Tale" or like a Bobby Seale or something
like that.
And then, you know, my "Aquaman" bag for a little bit.
So you know, I, I just try to mix it up.
DESUS NICE: Love it.
So yo, you, you just dropped the jewel, b, cause like a lot
of, a lot of young actors think that they
got to stick to, like, a certain lane or a certain role
or whatever. - Yeah.
And, like, versatility just kind of opens up the world
for you because you could turn around,
do a drama, do a comedy, do, do--
and you started doing musicals.
And then from there you went-- dove
all in, all over the place.
Because it's about, it's about freedom, right?
It's about freedom, freedom of choice.
And especially with black actors.
I'm working on "The Matrix" right now.
And about a month back we went and we did--
Keanu had a screening of fucking "Bill and Ted."
Yeah.
- You know what I'm saying? - Yeah.
And To.
Me that made me say, man, what black actor can do--
can be the lead in a film like "The Matrix" and then go
do "Bill and Ted."
THE KID MERO: You feel me?
And if Keanu wanted to go and do,
you know, some dramatic stuff like
a little independent dramatic film, guess what?
The seats going to fill up too.
THE KID MERO: Right.
That's called artistic freedom,
you see what I'm saying?
So I'm after that same thing.
And I would inspire--
or I would sort of implore other young artists, actors,
you know, to go and be able to, you know, to, to,
to explore doing the same thing if they have the appetite to do
that, you know what I'm saying? - Right.
And don't, and don't limit themselves.
Because I want to be able to go and do my "Pineapple Express,"
you know what I'm saying?
And then I want to be able to go and do my "Watchmen."
And you know, because I'm am--
I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm an actor, you know what I mean?
And so that means that I should have,
you know, the freedom to be able to flex however I,
however I want to flex, you know.
So I think that's really what I'm
after right now is artistic--
just complete artistic freedom which
means that nobody can tell me what I have to do, you know.
Which means that I'm, I'm the one
in the driver's seat of this machine,
you know what I'm saying?
So speaking of people telling you what you have to do--
Sure, sure.
--you are one of the carryovers from the original
"Watchmen," Dr. Manhattan.
Yeah.
Is there anything from, like, you know, that-- the--
I don't want to call them "comic book nerds," because that's
kind of pejorative. But like the fanatics, the fans.
YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II: Yeah, yeah.
That they-- that-- do they hit you up with like,
"He would never do that!
That's out of character for him!"
Also, followup question, what's up with the blue dick, my guy?
We got blue dicks all over the place?
You know what I'm saying?
Shorty got the blue dildo that looks
like it was made by Dyson.
Let's talk about it.
Yo.
[LAUGHTER]
Where I want to go.
Man, Dr. Manhattan, he was the, he was the magic man.
I mean, I mean, so you know what I'm saying?
What could you say?
The, the magic stick?
Shit, somebody-- hey, you know what?
I didn't say it.
[LAUGHTER]
Smart man, smart man.
I didn't say it.
But look, if she was-- look, when
he disappeared in what, like, 1986 or something like that?
Man, so she been, she been carrying,
she been carrying around that case for a long-- for, for,
for a long time.
A pull-out like that.
Dr. Manhattan, I imagine that's a tough act to follow.
He's a god, you know what I'm saying?
He could be in the past, in the future, multiply.
Everybody know the comics, you know?
Yeah.
That's a tough act to follow.
But nah, man.
You know, I try to, you know, listen to what the fans-- you
know, I try to value the fans' opinion because at the end
of the day they're the ones who are going to be, you know,
the toughest, toughest critics.
DESUS NICE: Yeah.
You know?
But then I also have to do what I want to do as well.
So with stuff like that, even with Black Manta, you know,
when I do stuff that comes out of a comic where it
already has a fan base, then I make
sure that I try to honor that.
I try to honor that history.
I'm not just going to come in and just,
you know, do my own thing and disrespect it.
I want to honor that history, but then I want to introduce
them to what attracts me to it.
Because if I'm doing it just for them
they're not even going to like it, you know what I'm saying?
They're going to be like, you know--
they-- you can't satisfy-- - Not going to be sincere.
--somebody trying to-- exactly.
Right.
You know, I can't satisfy them trying
to do what they want me to do.
You know, I have to also offer something
that they didn't even know that they wanted at the same time.
So that's sort of my approach when I'm doing, you know,
the-- when I'm working in the comic book world.
That's dope, man. Yeah.
You got your--
So what, what made you get into acting in the first place?
Like,what made-- did you see a certain movie or you see
a certain role, was there a certain person that you was
like, damn, I want to do that?
Or was it just natural.
You know, it's interesting, man.
I always wanted to be a architect.
I, I went to Berkeley.
I studied architecture.
DESUS NICE: Nice.
Ran track.
And I-- my sophomore year we was doing some-- like a team
building exercise where the underclassmen had to,
had to perform skits for the upperclassmen.
I go out there on stage and I do my impersonation
of all the coaches and things like that.
Yeah.
Everybody cracking up laughing.
Next day at, at practice they still talking about it.
And my dude JP, he says--
he said, dude-- he said, he said, dude, you
should take a theater class.
It's just like recess.
Oh, yeah?
So I was like, well, shit.
You know, easy A.
- Let's go. - You know what I'm saying?
Let's go.
So I go and I do--
I watched "Baby Boy" looking for monologues.
And I do the Ving Rhames "guns and butter" monologue,
you know what I'm saying?
I come out there with my pen.
I'm smoking a pen because Ving Rhames had a cigar.
So I come out there.
I was smoking a pen.
You know, two little white girls in the front, beautiful people,
you know what I'm saying?
They, they, they sort of, you know, running the auditions.
And I'm looking them dead in the eyes.
I'm looking them dead in the eyes, you know,
breaking rule number one.
I get there.
I'm, I'm doing my whole "guns and butter" monologue.
At the end I say, you dumb--
I say, "you dumb motherfuckers."
You know what I'm saying?
I'm just giving it to them.
And, and shit, I got into the class.
I, I had fun.
And, and really that was-- that was really the, the seed,
you know what I'm saying?
I just found something that was fun.
Eventually-- it wasn't that straightforward.
Eventually I worked in city planning, I got laid off,
and then I decided--
I said, look, I want to go and just try to have some fun.
Just go try it.
And I messed around and got, you know,
got, got into graduate school.
And then one thing led to another.
You know, that was--
I got laid off in what, October 2010,
got in graduate school in 2012, and graduated in '15.
So everything just kind of be rolling, rolling since then.
Yeah.
Everything seems to be working out pretty well for you so far.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You got, you got a little, a little film coming out,
a little something called "Candyman."
I don't know what's-- THE KID MERO: "Candyman."
Bro, classic shit.
YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
DESUS NICE: Haven't heard much about it, you know.
I want to come--
Working with-- you know, you working
with the, the, the homie Jordan Peele.
Listen--
YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II: Yeah, man.
What, what is that like?
So I'm, I'm, I'm very, very excited about "Candyman,"
you know, especially for our "Candyman" to take place.
We went back to Chicago, got back on the streets
in, in Cabrini-Green.
So it's very much a Chicago movie.
And what I love about it is that, you know,
in this climate, we-- you know, we
kind of taken this idea of monsters,
you know what I'm saying?
And, and saying, well, how does the--
how did "Candyman" turn into a monster, you know?
DESUS NICE: Right.
And a lot of times if you look at society, there you look at--
you don't have to look far.
Let's say George Floyd for an example.
Black man who was murdered and immediately
after he's vilified, you know what I'm saying?
So our movie is sort of, you know-- along with the horror
themes, it's also about the horrors of how black victims
of white violence are turned into monsters against their,
against their own will.
And then what are the consequences of, of that type
of thing, you know?
So what are the consequences of creating these monsters, then
what-- and what happens if these monsters strike back,
you know what I'm saying?
So that's it.
So, so that-- so that's some-- you know, some
of the things that we're, you know,
dealing with with "Candyman."
Nia DaCosta's real, real dope, exciting director.
You know, we already know what Jordan Peele can do.
So, so I'm real, real excited to bring that-- you know,
bring that to the screens next year.
And that's still releasing in theaters, right?
Or is there any-- - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
OK.
Yeah, it's going to be theaters 2021.
We don't got a date yet.
But you know it's, it's being pushing because, you know,
we want people to be able to have that experience
in the theaters. - Yeah, man.
Yeah.
Talk back to the screen and all that, you know.
Do the whole thing. - Decades.
We, we, we-- - Yeah.
The hood been waiting decades, bro.
Because have we had, like, a legit horror film?
It's always, like, some kind of, like, goofy--
like leprechauns in the hood type of situation.
YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Like, this is like a legit, you know what
I'm saying, like, horror movie.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - You know what I mean?
So I'm excited.
I'm excited to bring that, you know what I mean?
So how are you, how are you handling the pandemic?
You just working through it?
Just powering through or--
Man, I been, I been, I been real blessed to be one
of those-- one of the few actors really in the world
that's been kind of working directly through this pandemic,
you know.
So I'm blessed in that way, you know.
Everything is, everything is good on a professional front.
Being in Berlin, I'm away from the family, you know.
The family can't, can't travel over here.
So that's been, that's been tough.
But you know, I'm I'm just--
it's, it's really just one day at a time,
you know what I'm saying?
I'm, I'm-- you know, I sent all my prayers back home.
Hopefully everybody's safe.
My family's been able to be safe throughout it.
That's good.
And man, I'm, I'm, I'm sort of just like everybody else,
you know what I'm saying?
Going through this trying to figure out how to-- you
know, how to make it day after day and get on the,
get on the other side of this thing.
This thing is wild, man.
It's wild, bro.
You know, we, we, we in a middle
of real history right now.
Yeah.
You know, real, real history.
And you very rarely get to realize that you in history,
right?
You know, you sort of look back and say,
oh, we were in a, in a historic moment, you know, at that time.
But-- DESUS NICE: Yeah.
--right now you can look left and right
and you know that you in it, you know what I'm saying?
So--
Yeah, future generations going to look at us in the textbook.
Like yo, you really--
yo, y'all was really out here in masks every day.
We're just like, yeah, bro.
Right.
The interview is going to be in somebody's syllabus.
Yeah.
You know what I'm saying? In 30 years.
You know what I'm saying?
Oh, man.
But, but yeah--
So all the--
--you ask me, it depends on the day.
Yeah.
Well, I'm glad that you--
I'm glad you making it out here, man.
I'm glad you getting through.
YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
What are you doing to relax?
Like when you're not in front of cameras, just
like, what do you do to chill?
Word.
What's Yahya's self care routine,
you know what I'm saying?
Because I know I, I roll a little something up,
play a little "Call of Duty," whatever.
All right.
[LAUGHTER]
- I love basketball. - Nice.
- OK. - I'm always--
I'm either playing basketball or watching basketball.
All right, all right.
"The Office."
"The Office" is like my, my guilty pleasure.
I could just kind of lunch out, lunch
out and watch "The Office."
Yeah.
You know.
Hennessy ain't never did me wrong,
you know what I'm saying? - That brown liquor.
Little bit of Hennessy ain't never did me wrong.
Lot of bit of Hennessy ain't never did me wrong.
I'll put it that, I'll put it that way.
[LAUGHTER] - That's it.
Right.
You know what I'm saying?
Real niggas only.
Real niggas in the building.
You know what I'm saying?
Oh, man.
I'm super--
You got the, the Henny boom dick.
Oh!
Hold up. No, no.
Hold up.
That's called the, that's called the hypnotic right there.
The, the Henny and the Incredible Hulk.
- Yeah. - That's the hypnotic.
Hey, that's a--
Make yourself the Incredible Hulk.
That's a long, that's a long night.
Yeah, that's it.
Hey, bro, look.
That's, that's a-- I'm, I'm seeing that on the Vegas Strip.
The big blue joint with the drink it it with the straw
in the top? Listen.
YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II: Can't take that no more, man.
Cash out, bro.
Get that bachelorette party money.
Listen, listen, once we start talking
about Hennessy dicks, that might be time to wrap it up, bro.
Yo, Yahya.
Thank you for this interview, my guy.
Yo, everyone that comes on this show is an illustrious guest
and they get a neon sign that can say whatever
they want the world to see.
Oh.
What would your neon sign say?
Ooh.
Let's see.
Unapologetic.
My guy right here.
- Unapologetic. - Yeah.
Yo, Yahya.
That's better than Henny Dick, though, right?
Yeah, that's better.
A little bit better, but yeah.
A little-- it's, it's not really-- hey,
hey, hey, let's keep it real.
It's not really.
It's more professional.
It's not really, but it's more professional so--
It's more professional.
All right?
That-- unapologetic is your work email,
Hennessy Dick is your play email.
So you know what I'm saying?
Let's put in parentheses Henny Dick on the bottom.
Henny Dick.
Yeah.
Hey, hey, hey, I appreciate y'all, man.
Real talk.
Yo, we appreciate you.
--time man.
- I feel you, my brother. - Thank you, bro.
Appreciate it.
Keep doing your thing, keep making that great entertainment
that we love.
Yo, give it up for Yahya in the building!
Yes, sir.
You're--
Peace, love.