In this one-on-one interview, I sit down with the multi-talented Dennis L.A. White—actor, director, producer, and acting coach known for The Family Business, Notorious, and Atlanta. He opens up about his journey, career highlights, his love for teaching, and what’s next. You don’t want to miss this powerful conversation!
#DennisLAWhite, #CelebrityInterview, #TheFamilyBusiness, #NotoriousMovie, #AtlantaFX, #ActorLife, #BlackHollywood, #FilmDirector, #EntertainmentIndustry #thedemiaaveryshow
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 This is the Demia Avery Show hosted by
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 Demia Avery where some of your favorite
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 entertainers, celebs, and entrepreneurs
00:00:08 --> 00:00:12 come to highlight all of their many
00:00:12 --> 00:00:20 [Music]
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 talents. Hello, hello, hello everyone.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 This is Demia Avery of the Demia Avery
00:00:24 --> 00:00:28 Show and I am so excited today to have
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 my next guest. You know him from the
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 family business Atlanta and his
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 unforgettable portrayal of DRock in the
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 movie Notorious. Please welcome
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 director, writer, producer, acting
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 coach, the amazing talented Dennis La
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 White. Welcome. Thank you so much for
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 having me. Oh, you are so welcome. I I'm
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 I'm absolutely honored that you come on
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 the show today and listen for our
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 viewers. I have to start off a little
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 bit to the beginning. So, if you don't
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 mind telling us what inspired you to
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 pursue acting and what was your first
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 role? I'm curious to know if you
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 remember what your first role was.
00:01:12 --> 00:01:16 [Laughter]
00:01:16 --> 00:01:21 Um, I was doing play singing and doing
00:01:21 --> 00:01:25 poetry as a kid. Um, I love watching um
00:01:25 --> 00:01:26 old
00:01:26 --> 00:01:30 movies. Cab Callaway, Bing Crosby, Louis
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 Armstrong. So, that was kind of my my
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 first motivation.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 Um, my first play was like in
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 kindergarten. And I play like the
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 um the
00:01:43 --> 00:01:48 the a lion or troll or something in a
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 play. It was crazy. I got a picture of I
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 had a crazy wig on and all this stuff.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 That was my first play as a kid. Um I
00:01:56 --> 00:01:57 used to
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 do I lived in when I lived in
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 California. I used to every Black
00:02:01 --> 00:02:05 History Month I would do performances.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:10 I would um perform a dream deferred po
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 the poem. Um I would impersonate Louis
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 Armstrong like I was always performing
00:02:15 --> 00:02:23 and playing sports. Um my first film was
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 um I can't even remember my first film.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 Swimming. It was swimming with Lauren
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 Ambrose and some other people
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 and we shot that in Mr. would be uh
00:02:35 --> 00:02:40 South Carolina. My very first See, I had
00:02:40 --> 00:02:41 to take you back a little bit.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 Mind-blowing just all the aspect of
00:02:44 --> 00:02:48 it. Yeah, I was that I forgot about
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 that. I totally forgot about that. But
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 yeah, that was my first
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 That was the first one. Yeah. Okay. So,
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 of course, we know you from different
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 things, but I have to bring up
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 Notorious. It was a breakout role. I
00:03:04 --> 00:03:05 would say it was one of one of your
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 breakout roles for you. How did that
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 come about for you? And how did it shape
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 your your career in general? Well,
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 during that time, we didn't really have
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 a lot of social media. We had only
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 MySpace, if people remember that. And
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 so, you know, there was buzz about film
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 being being produced. And, you know, I
00:03:26 --> 00:03:29 was a big big Smalls fan. So, I
00:03:29 --> 00:03:30 definitely wanted to be a part of it.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:34 And so I knew the casting director
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 um from I auditioned for her for a
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 project for MTV which I didn't get but I
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 knew her and so I was just reaching out
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 to her Wendy McKenzie and just you know
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 letting her know like hey you know I'm
00:03:47 --> 00:03:48 here you know anytime you have auditions
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 let me know. And so I ended up running
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 into her and Twinkie Bird who is the
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 main cast director at my acting coaches
00:03:57 --> 00:04:02 class. I just stopped by randomly and
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 um and she was there and so I spoke to
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 them and let them know I was interested
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 and that was probably like on a Tuesday
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 Wednesday. Um that Friday I got a call
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 for an audition. So it happened that
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 fast and but I still the audition
00:04:19 --> 00:04:20 process was pretty long. I had about
00:04:20 --> 00:04:24 four or five call backs chemistry reads
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 and it was a lot just making sure I was
00:04:27 --> 00:04:31 right for the role and um I really I
00:04:31 --> 00:04:35 really prepared heavy for it and um you
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 know get that call you know I I my
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 acting coach told me that I don't know
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 if people know but when you're when
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 you're they're casting for films when
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 they cast a person they have all their
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 pictures on the wall and so she went to
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 the to the office. My picture was on the
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 wall. This was like on a Thursday and
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 she's like, "Dennis, you booked the
00:04:56 --> 00:04:57 role." I'm like, "Oh my god." So, I got
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 a call to come in the next day for
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 another call back and no one said
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 anything about me booking the role. The
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 director, he walked past me, didn't
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 speak to me. And I'm like, I was
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 confused. So, they said nothing. So,
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 that whole weekend I'm going I'm at
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 home. I was living in Brooklyn at the
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 time and people were just for some
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 reason people just really wanted to play
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 Biggie Smalls that weekend. So I was
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 hearing Biggie left and right everywhere
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 I went. I'm like I better book this
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 role. So Monday they called me and told
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 me that I booked the role. So I was
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 ecstatic. That's amazing. And you know
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 what I wanted to ask you? You know,
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 without going into the whole Diddy trial
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 and all that other kind of stuff, but by
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 you playing the character of Drock,
00:05:44 --> 00:05:48 which was definitely um you know, in the
00:05:48 --> 00:05:52 whole Diddy team, how does it make you
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 feel now? Is it like knowing that, okay,
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 he's been put out, you know, out front,
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 his name comes up all the time, and
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 knowing that you played that role, does
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 that make you feel any kind of way now
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 that you played it at
00:06:07 --> 00:06:11 all? Um, no. So, my relationship with
00:06:11 --> 00:06:15 Diddy um has always been cool,
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 professional. He's never came at me
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 crazy. He never talked to me crazy. He
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 never approached me crazily. Um, I've
00:06:22 --> 00:06:26 been to a lot of Diddy parties and from
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 this house in the Hamptons to the one in
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 LA. I never been to his his house in
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 Miami. But I've been to a lot of his
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 parties, his 40th birthday party at the
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 Plot Hotel, his 50th birthday party,
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 which everyone and anybody was there.
00:06:41 --> 00:06:45 And I never had any
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 situation. And I I just thank God about
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 um and whatever he has done, he has his
00:06:52 --> 00:06:56 cross to bear. And whether wrong or
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 right, you know, you know, if justice is
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 served in the courtroom or not, he still
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 has to, you know, atone for what what
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 he's done wrong or what he's done right.
00:07:06 --> 00:07:10 So I can't judge him, condone things
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 he's done um negatively, but we all have
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 our our have our
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 idiosyncrasies. And so I just pray for
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 everybody involved, especially his kids.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 I love his sons. I love his kids. I love
00:07:22 --> 00:07:26 them. And so um those are my littleies.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 And I I pray for them. I pray for his
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 kids, you know, and that they get peace
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 within the situation. Yeah. Love that.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 Now going forward, you you've had other
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 roles also reoccurring roles with the
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 family business in Atlanta. Now you are
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 a true actor. So do you how do you
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 prepare for your role? Do you get like
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 do you have like special things that you
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 do before you you prepare for the role?
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 Do you get really into it? How do you
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 prepare for your roles? Yeah. I'm not
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 I'm not like a a method actor where I
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 have to go and do certain things that my
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 character does. like I'm not crazy like
00:08:04 --> 00:08:08 that. Only thing like play Drock, I did
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 go um up to a prison a couple times to
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 see some of my homies and just kind of
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 get that essence. But when it comes to
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 the family business, you know, that was
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 a fun project because, you know, it was
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 truly family. We all knew each other
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 before that. You know, um Sean Ringold
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 was in Notorious as well. Darren Henson
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 is my big homie. Like I we all knew each
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 other. So the energy permeates on the
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 screen. So I just for me I just make
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 sure I study my character. I break down
00:08:37 --> 00:08:41 my character and I I understand what the
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 character's um viewpoint is in the
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 script and trying to convey that. Yeah.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 Yeah. Now if you could tell me what was
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 your most challenging role, what would
00:08:51 --> 00:08:56 that be? My most challenging role
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 um I don't know. I mean, Atlanta was
00:08:59 --> 00:09:00 different because you didn't know what
00:09:00 --> 00:09:04 you were doing. We didn't know how it
00:09:04 --> 00:09:09 ended up. So, it didn't make random. So,
00:09:09 --> 00:09:13 um you know, I didn't even I had no
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 inkling of how it was going to play out.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 Okay. And then when I saw I was like,
00:09:16 --> 00:09:20 "Oh, that was doing." So, that was that
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 was different not knowing the end
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 result.
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 Um, I mean, every role is challenging
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 and easy. Every role is challenging
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 because I I make every role different.
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 Like there's no role that I play that I
00:09:34 --> 00:09:39 portray that's the same um as before.
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 Um, that's a great question. I don't I
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 don't I can't think of any my most
00:09:43 --> 00:09:47 challenging role. Um, probably a role uh
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 my role in a movie called All In with
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 Little Mama. Uh because I didn't really
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 like my character. I didn't like
00:09:55 --> 00:09:59 So, okay.
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 When I didn't like and trying to find
00:10:01 --> 00:10:05 was was extremely challenging.
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 I hated that guy. He was the worst. But
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 other than that, um it it I've always
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 had roles that I can really bite my
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 teeth into. Like the Brave One with
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 Jodie Foster. That was that was my first
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 major film and that was that was
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 eyeopening as far as learning and the
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 experience.
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 Yeah. Now you wear so many hats. You
00:10:28 --> 00:10:32 you're an actor, writer, producer,
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 director. How do you you're a busy guy.
00:10:35 --> 00:10:39 So how do you like balance all of all of
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 that stuff? Do you like okay so this
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 season I'm just going to do all acting
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 and then there's another season where
00:10:44 --> 00:10:45 I'm just going to break it down. I'm
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 just going to hold that off and then I'm
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 going to do some directing. How do you
00:10:49 --> 00:10:53 balance everything? Well, the check is
00:10:53 --> 00:10:57 always important situation. So, you
00:10:57 --> 00:11:00 know, uh it's not all about the money,
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 but it's all about the money, but it's
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 not all
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 about it's not all about the money. Now,
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 um I just open myself to what's was
00:11:08 --> 00:11:12 pertinent important at the time. I um
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 teaching is something I love to do and
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 I've been teaching um my company out
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 like you know I've been doing that for
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 like
00:11:21 --> 00:11:25 like 16 years now. That's crazy. And so
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 um I I love to do that. So I'm
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 constantly doing that. Acting is
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 something that I'm I feel I'm great at
00:11:30 --> 00:11:33 and and I love to do. Directing is
00:11:33 --> 00:11:37 something new and and fresh and more
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 challenging to me. So I get more vigor
00:11:39 --> 00:11:42 for that. um writing. I'm just my pen
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 game is nice. So just I I I have to
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 balance it out and just do everything.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:51 You know, we only have one life and for
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 you to wait and not do what you want to
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 do is
00:11:55 --> 00:11:59 a so I try to do everything.
00:11:59 --> 00:12:03 Yeah. Yeah. Well, if you could I as you
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 could tell I like to ask a lot of
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 questions. So, if you could share the
00:12:07 --> 00:12:11 most memorable or surprising moment from
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 the behind the scenes on, what would you
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 say that would
00:12:15 --> 00:12:19 be?
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 Um, probably
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 like like I almost died in
00:12:25 --> 00:12:30 Notorious. Um, there's a scene uh when
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 um Biggie was murdered and or
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34 assassinated.
00:12:34 --> 00:12:38 Um, we we had a a guy who was like an
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 extra and he was sitting in the in the
00:12:40 --> 00:12:43 in the driver's seat of the truck and he
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 wasn't supposed to drive off. So, you
00:12:45 --> 00:12:48 know, I we we do the scene. I get I'm
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 jump about to jump in the car. He drives
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 off and I'm
00:12:52 --> 00:12:59 hanging like onto the door. the
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 door swelling in the air and you know
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 when you when you shoot at night we they
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 wet the ground so it could reflect the
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 light so the car is fish tell the truck
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 is fish telling and I'm hanging out in
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 the air it was so
00:13:13 --> 00:13:16 crazy and um he got fired immediately
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 after that but that was that was one of
00:13:18 --> 00:13:21 the craziest things that happened you
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 didn't have to method act at that point
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 you was you was actually doing it. Doing
00:13:25 --> 00:13:29 it for real at that point.
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 Oh [ __ ] I was scared. Yeah. Shook. I
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 was shook like dice. It was crazy.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 Now, have you ever But it looked good on
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 camera. It looked good, but woof. It was
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 crazy.
00:13:40 --> 00:13:43 Have you ever turned down a role due to
00:13:43 --> 00:13:47 like maybe personal values or or vision
00:13:47 --> 00:13:50 or anything like that?
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 Definitely.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 Definitely. There are certain characters
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 I won't portray. Um, there are certain
00:13:56 --> 00:13:59 things that I I have I feel like I have
00:13:59 --> 00:14:02 a responsibility to my family, my
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 friends, and people that follow my
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 career to have a certain type of um
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 honor and what I portray, whether it's a
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 bad character or whatever, but certain
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 things I I won't do on camera. I just
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 I'll leave that to other actors, but
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 there's certain things I definitely
00:14:18 --> 00:14:22 won't do. Understood. Now you mentioned
00:14:22 --> 00:14:25 so there's roles that have been present.
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry. There's roles
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 been
00:14:28 --> 00:14:31 presented that I I I said no I I don't
00:14:32 --> 00:14:35 do that you know and you know I stand on
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 my morals. Yeah. Yeah. Now I know that
00:14:38 --> 00:14:41 you you you teach you um teach you have
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 an acting school act like you know.org.
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 Tell us more about that.
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49 So when I first started it, it was just
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 because I was getting a lot of calls
00:14:51 --> 00:14:54 from actors asking me questions about
00:14:54 --> 00:14:56 things and I had the answers. I knew all
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 of them. I was like, "Wow, I know a lot
00:14:57 --> 00:15:00 about this business." And so I decided
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 to do a a workshop in New York and I
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 expected maybe four or five people come,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:08 but it was packed out and I was like,
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11 there's really a need for
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14 knowledge that I have. So, I started
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 teaching
00:15:15 --> 00:15:19 um I teach, you know, kids to aspiring
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 actors to working actors to celebrities.
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 I have a lot of celebrities that I work
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 with one-on-one and just giving them the
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 the business and how to approach each
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30 character properly and not just what
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 they do on screen, but behind the scenes
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 as well, how to set up their their
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36 business, how to look for jobs. Um, I've
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 been traveling, me and my my business
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40 partner, uh, Brayley Evans, we've been
00:15:40 --> 00:15:43 doing workshops in different cities. um
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 just helping these
00:15:45 --> 00:15:48 actors and we we have one coming up in
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 in Chicago where we're actually that
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 register or also get a chance to
00:15:52 --> 00:15:56 co-produce and and be in a movie that
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 we're going to shoot during the
00:15:57 --> 00:15:59 workshop.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:02 Okay, I love that. Now, if what message
00:16:02 --> 00:16:05 or legacy do would you want to leave
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 behind that you hope your work leaves
00:16:07 --> 00:16:16 behind? What would you want that to be?
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 that
00:16:17 --> 00:16:20 Dennis successfully portrayed every
00:16:20 --> 00:16:24 character he he had. Like there's no
00:16:24 --> 00:16:27 character that I I took a I punted on.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:32 Every character I gave my all and and
00:16:32 --> 00:16:35 helped move the story
00:16:36 --> 00:16:39 and then stand up man. You know, there's
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 a lot of
00:16:40 --> 00:16:43 um conversation about toxic
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 masculinity, and I don't think
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 masculinity is toxic. I think is it
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 should be cherished. You know, just like
00:16:51 --> 00:16:53 femininity should be cherished. I think
00:16:53 --> 00:16:55 masculinity should be cherished. And,
00:16:55 --> 00:16:59 you know, I I surround myself with with
00:16:59 --> 00:17:02 men that are strong stand up men. And I
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 I appreciate that. That's something
00:17:05 --> 00:17:08 that's been in society has been
00:17:08 --> 00:17:11 downplayed, but um I'm hoping there's a
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 resurgence. There's nothing wrong with
00:17:13 --> 00:17:17 being masculine. I love it. I love that.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to ask
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 you some questions. It's a little bit of
00:17:21 --> 00:17:25 a rapid fire type situation, so it's
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 just a few questions. I promise it's not
00:17:26 --> 00:17:32 gonna be too bad. Okay. Okay.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:35 First question. Uh, one, give me one
00:17:35 --> 00:17:41 role you wish you had played.
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 [Music]
00:17:42 --> 00:17:45 Um, Black Panther.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 [Laughter]
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 That was my R. I think my boy Chad Chad
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51 with Boseman. But yeah, I think that was
00:17:51 --> 00:17:55 a great character. Love it. Most
00:17:55 --> 00:18:00 starruck moment on set.
00:18:00 --> 00:18:04 Beyonce.
00:18:04 --> 00:18:07 when I I used to host a had a TV show
00:18:07 --> 00:18:10 infused um network and it was a music
00:18:10 --> 00:18:13 like a a TRL situation and she came
00:18:13 --> 00:18:17 Destiny Child came um to the set and I
00:18:17 --> 00:18:21 was just like I was mush it was so crazy
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 the whole crew knew I I love Beyonce so
00:18:23 --> 00:18:26 they was laughing at me oh it was so
00:18:26 --> 00:18:29 crazy but you know we you know we became
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 friends and everything you know I love
00:18:31 --> 00:18:34 Beyonce her Jay. Uh, but yeah, that was
00:18:34 --> 00:18:37 I was star struck. That is funny. Okay.
00:18:38 --> 00:18:42 Dream co-star or director to work with?
00:18:42 --> 00:18:48 Um, dream co-star will have to be
00:18:48 --> 00:18:54 uh Jeffrey Wright
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 and Scorsese.
00:18:57 --> 00:19:01 Nice. Nice. Okay. Go-to hype song before
00:19:01 --> 00:19:04 a big audition or scene?
00:19:04 --> 00:19:08 Uh,
00:19:08 --> 00:19:12 uh, 50 Cent. If I can't do it, it can't
00:19:12 --> 00:19:16 be done. All right. Yeah.
00:19:16 --> 00:19:18 I love it. I love it. So, what's next
00:19:18 --> 00:19:20 for you? Any upcoming projects or
00:19:20 --> 00:19:24 anything you're excited about,
00:19:24 --> 00:19:28 man? Um, so I I start a film next week
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 called To Be or To Not to
00:19:30 --> 00:19:35 Be. Uh, like Tubi, like it's a parody on
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 on Tubi movies, comedy. Uh, that's going
00:19:37 --> 00:19:40 to be fun. I have a movie, a TV series
00:19:40 --> 00:19:42 coming out called Dope Unit that's
00:19:42 --> 00:19:46 coming out in the fall. Um, so that's I
00:19:46 --> 00:19:48 I can't wait people to see that. There's
00:19:48 --> 00:19:52 a lot of great actors in that. um news
00:19:52 --> 00:19:54 cycle that's coming out. I think it's
00:19:54 --> 00:19:57 coming out in August. It's about a a
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 news team who gets hijacked
00:20:00 --> 00:20:02 um by a terrorist. Um that is going to
00:20:02 --> 00:20:06 be really a riveting film. Um my film
00:20:06 --> 00:20:09 Care for What You Ask For. We're putting
00:20:09 --> 00:20:11 it finishes finishing touches on that
00:20:11 --> 00:20:13 right now.
00:20:13 --> 00:20:16 um the the workshops I have in different
00:20:16 --> 00:20:21 cities, uh Memphis, uh Baltimore,
00:20:21 --> 00:20:23 Chicago,
00:20:23 --> 00:20:27 LA. Um and I just I I got a bunch of
00:20:27 --> 00:20:31 movies coming out that I've shot past
00:20:31 --> 00:20:33 the past
00:20:33 --> 00:20:36 um u this year. I've been really busy.
00:20:36 --> 00:20:38 So, there's a lot of movies coming out,
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 but those are the ones I'm really
00:20:40 --> 00:20:43 excited about uh for the world to see.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:45 And, you know, hopefully we're shooting
00:20:45 --> 00:20:49 Cold and Windy season 3 soon. So, um
00:20:49 --> 00:20:53 that script is crazy. Yeah. Yeah. What
00:20:53 --> 00:20:56 advice would you give to young to to
00:20:56 --> 00:21:01 learn, to study, to soak it up every
00:21:02 --> 00:21:07 information you can to go after it.
00:21:07 --> 00:21:10 um and to enjoy yourself. You know a lot
00:21:10 --> 00:21:13 of times in this business
00:21:13 --> 00:21:16 um resting on your laurels is not
00:21:16 --> 00:21:18 appreciated and you know the question is
00:21:18 --> 00:21:20 always like what's next? What's
00:21:20 --> 00:21:23 next? We have to
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 learn to
00:21:25 --> 00:21:28 appreciate what the next is or we focus
00:21:28 --> 00:21:32 or we we lose ourselves. So those are
00:21:32 --> 00:21:34 the things just make sure you you
00:21:34 --> 00:21:37 appreciate you enjoy the journey of it
00:21:37 --> 00:21:39 and because it is a journey. It's not an
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 easy road. It is a journey but it's a
00:21:42 --> 00:21:45 beautiful journey. Um and love on your
00:21:45 --> 00:21:48 family in the meantime. Take time to do
00:21:48 --> 00:21:50 you.
00:21:50 --> 00:21:52 Okay? You know it can get overwhelming
00:21:52 --> 00:21:54 sometimes pursuing work and you're
00:21:54 --> 00:21:59 pursuing success. You have to have that
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 time where you can just enjoy your
00:22:00 --> 00:22:03 friends and your family to keep you
00:22:03 --> 00:22:06 sane.
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08 I love that. I love that. Now, if fans
00:22:08 --> 00:22:11 want to to follow you and support you,
00:22:11 --> 00:22:14 where where would they go to do that or
00:22:14 --> 00:22:17 get some acting classes?
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 Yeah. Well, if you're interested in
00:22:18 --> 00:22:20 acting, you can go to act like you
00:22:20 --> 00:22:23 know.org. Um, it's just how it sounds,
00:22:23 --> 00:22:26 act like you know.org.
00:22:26 --> 00:22:29 And I do private coaching. I do
00:22:29 --> 00:22:31 consultation. I do workshops. I do a lot
00:22:32 --> 00:22:34 of different things. I do unset coaching
00:22:34 --> 00:22:37 for for celebrities. If you're want to
00:22:37 --> 00:22:39 follow me social media is Dennis Law
00:22:39 --> 00:22:42 White on all social media platforms,
00:22:42 --> 00:22:45 Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Only Fans.
00:22:45 --> 00:22:49 I'm just playing. But
00:22:49 --> 00:22:53 uh but yeah, so that's it. you know, I
00:22:53 --> 00:22:56 engage with my people and, you know, I'm
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 all about building this acting
00:22:57 --> 00:22:59 community.
00:23:00 --> 00:23:02 Okay. So, before we go, I have a
00:23:02 --> 00:23:05 question that I ask of all of my guests.
00:23:05 --> 00:23:07 I am in my I ain't gonna tell you how
00:23:07 --> 00:23:10 old I am, but I love old school music. I
00:23:10 --> 00:23:12 love old school music.
00:23:12 --> 00:23:17 28. H How How old? 28. I'll take it.
00:23:17 --> 00:23:21 I'll take it. I'm 57.
00:23:21 --> 00:23:24 Oh my god.
00:23:24 --> 00:23:27 So I I'll take your 28. I'll take your
00:23:27 --> 00:23:31 28. But I'm a old school lover and I ask
00:23:31 --> 00:23:33 everybody name your favorite old school
00:23:33 --> 00:23:38 artist and or song.
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 Oh
00:23:40 --> 00:23:43 god. Old school
00:23:43 --> 00:23:46 artist.
00:23:46 --> 00:23:49 Um, I mean, I don't h I don't know if I
00:23:49 --> 00:23:51 have a favorite cuz I I love music so
00:23:51 --> 00:23:54 much,
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 but
00:23:55 --> 00:23:59 um um I like slide and family stone. If
00:23:59 --> 00:24:03 you want me to stay, I'll be around
00:24:03 --> 00:24:08 and I love slide stone. Yeah. Um I mean
00:24:08 --> 00:24:11 I don't know if you call like guy old
00:24:11 --> 00:24:15 school. Okay. Yeah. 90s. But for Jackson
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 Fives,
00:24:16 --> 00:24:18 uh I was a big Michael Jackson fan, man.
00:24:18 --> 00:24:23 I don't know, man. It's so many. Um
00:24:23 --> 00:24:28 uh I I I'll stick
00:24:28 --> 00:24:32 with Stone and um and Donnie Hathaway.
00:24:32 --> 00:24:35 Awesome. Okay. The song's for you. Yeah.
00:24:35 --> 00:24:39 You can't go wrong with Donnie. So
00:24:39 --> 00:24:41 yeah.
00:24:41 --> 00:24:44 Awesome. Awesome. you know, music grew
00:24:44 --> 00:24:47 up on, you know, through our parents and
00:24:47 --> 00:24:49 us, I feel it has more, it had more
00:24:49 --> 00:24:52 heart and more soul to it compared to
00:24:52 --> 00:24:54 the music nowadays. There's some I I
00:24:54 --> 00:24:57 mean, I like music from all genres, but
00:24:57 --> 00:25:00 you know, there's a lot that's like uh
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 Are you still there? Because it broke up
00:25:01 --> 00:25:05 a little bit. Oh, I'm still here. Oh,
00:25:05 --> 00:25:10 okay. Okay. So, we're gonna go
00:25:10 --> 00:25:12 That's okay. We're we're gonna go. But
00:25:12 --> 00:25:14 and I agree with you about the whole
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 music thing because people always say to
00:25:16 --> 00:25:18 me, you know, you use you listen to a
00:25:18 --> 00:25:20 lot of uh old school music. You'll never
00:25:20 --> 00:25:22 listen to what's going on today. I
00:25:22 --> 00:25:26 rarely turn my radio on. But the thing
00:25:26 --> 00:25:28 is is
00:25:28 --> 00:25:30 that it's not dissing like the stuff
00:25:30 --> 00:25:33 that's happening that today. I mean it
00:25:33 --> 00:25:33 is this
00:25:33 --> 00:25:37 generation but and not that they don't
00:25:37 --> 00:25:39 have heart or any of that but it was
00:25:39 --> 00:25:43 just different back you know in old
00:25:43 --> 00:25:45 school music like you said everything
00:25:45 --> 00:25:47 had that had true heart and had lyrics
00:25:47 --> 00:25:52 and we had look we had the the intro the
00:25:53 --> 00:25:56 bridge and then we and then we had the
00:25:56 --> 00:25:59 ending of the song you know so I'm so
00:25:59 --> 00:26:01 I'm so used to that I'm I love it you
00:26:01 --> 00:26:05 Awesome.
00:26:05 --> 00:26:08 And I think that, you know, because of
00:26:08 --> 00:26:11 the the censorship of music back then,
00:26:11 --> 00:26:13 they had to find more innovative ways to
00:26:13 --> 00:26:16 say certain things. So now they could
00:26:16 --> 00:26:18 just like I want to put it in you right
00:26:18 --> 00:26:20 now, right? Give it to me. You know,
00:26:20 --> 00:26:23 take it on top my booty. like all they
00:26:23 --> 00:26:26 can say all kind of now but you know
00:26:26 --> 00:26:29 previously had to be more how you say
00:26:29 --> 00:26:33 things and be smooth with it you know um
00:26:33 --> 00:26:36 so you know I I think that that made it
00:26:36 --> 00:26:38 more creative
00:26:38 --> 00:26:40 um selectively now it's just you know
00:26:40 --> 00:26:43 there's no no hoes barred and you ain't
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 lying about
00:26:44 --> 00:26:48 that but listen thank you so so much for
00:26:48 --> 00:26:50 coming on my show come back anytime
00:26:50 --> 00:26:52 anytime you got anything going on that
00:26:52 --> 00:26:54 you you want to to get out there, you
00:26:54 --> 00:26:57 want to promote, please come back. Um, I
00:26:57 --> 00:26:59 enjoyed you very much. Thank you for
00:26:59 --> 00:27:01 having me. I appreciate it. So, you're
00:27:01 --> 00:27:04 so welcome. All right, guys. We want to
00:27:04 --> 00:27:06 thank Dennis La White for coming on the
00:27:06 --> 00:27:09 show today. Um, make sure you go to all
00:27:09 --> 00:27:11 of his social media links. I'm going to
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 make sure that we got it right down
00:27:13 --> 00:27:17 below as well as any acting um coaches
00:27:17 --> 00:27:20 coaching that you may need. Look at this
00:27:20 --> 00:27:22 man here. Get all of that information
00:27:22 --> 00:27:26 and we are out of here.
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