Woody McClain walks off Cam Newton interview in tears after discussing Hollywood's typecasting of Black men
To many of us, actor Woody McClain is the man behind characters like Cain Tejada in 'Power Book II: Ghost,' or modern depictions of R&B singer Bobby Brown. And while he has the ability to captivate audiences so well that they associate him with these fictional characters in the real world, McClain is striving for more.
In a recent interview with Cam Newton, the actor was asked to reflect on his acting process, which in turn stirred up some emotions for McClain. While he prides himself on authenticity, he admits he has concerns about being placed in a box. Just as social media recognizes him for this gangster portrayal of Cain Tejada, he recalls an exercise in his first acting class that placed him in a box.
'My first acting class I took in LA, they had this exercise on the first day of class and you have all these actors in there and then [the instructor] sits a chair in the front of the room,' he said explaining how the activity involved other students in the class type-casting the person in the chair. 'So I'm sitting in the chair and everybody's saying 'bad boy,' 'the thug,' 'the killer.' I'm hearing this stuff. They don't know me…That moment made me realize people judge you before you even talk, before you even say anything.'
Though he once used to 'pick any kind' of role to fuel his desire to act, he now says he looks at things very differently.
'I want to be very strategic of what I pick because I don't want everybody to keep perceiving me as this bad person,' he began to explain before visibly getting emotional. As his voice began to tremble, the actor ultimately got up from his seat and walked off-camera to compose himself.
Returning to his seat, sniffling and wiping his tears, McClain explained how hard he's worked to 'not be seen as that young Woody,' who would take on any role.
'I want to be a role model. I want to be that person people can look up to or go to. And I won't allow nobody to put me in a box,' he continued.
In addition to his emotional confession, McClain revealed that he is getting ready to be a father to twin girls, another milestone that he says played a part in shifting his mindset.
'Finding out I have twins on the way, two baby girls. And for some reason, now in the acting community, people identify you with what you play,' he explained. 'So I don't want my baby girls to grow up and think their dad is a bad person, so I'm just more conscious of the art I put out to the universe.'
'It's scary cuz I know nothing about being a father, so everything is blurry right now trying to figure it out,' he concluded.
More must-reads:
Misty Copeland broke barriers in ballet. Now she's retiring and moving to 'the next stage'
Trump's travel ban disrupts critical treatment for sick Haiti children in need of surgery
Sly Stone, leader of funk revolutionaries Sly and the Family Stone, dies at 82
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
SpaceX astronauts return to Earth after relieving stuck Boeing pilots from International Space Station
Four astronauts returned to Earth on Saturday after hustling to the International Space Station five months ago to relieve the stuck test pilots of Boeing's Starliner. Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Pacific off the Southern California coast a day after departing the orbiting lab. 'Welcome home,' SpaceX Mission Control radioed. Advertisement 4 Four astronauts returned to Earth after relieving the stuck test pilots of Boeing's Starliner. AP 4 SpaceX capsule with the four astronauts parachutes into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast. AP Splashing down were NASA's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russia's Kirill Peskov. They launched in March as replacements for the two NASA astronauts assigned to Starliner's botched demo. 4 The group included Russia's Kirill Peskov, NASA's Nichole Ayers, Anne McClain and Japan's Takuya Onishi. NASA Advertisement Starliner malfunctions kept Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams at the space station for more than nine months instead of a week. NASA ordered Boeing's new crew capsule to return empty and switched the pair to SpaceX. They left soon after McClain and her crew arrived to take their places. Wilmore has since retired from NASA. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! 4 The group went up in March, as seen on NASA's livestream. NASA/AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Before leaving the space station on Friday, McClain made note of 'some tumultuous times on Earth' with people struggling. 'We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together,' she said. McClain looked forward to 'doing nothing for a couple of days' once back home in Houston. High on her crewmates' wish list: hot showers and juicy burgers. Advertisement It was SpaceX's third Pacific splashdown with people on board, but the first for a NASA crew in 50 years. Elon Musk's company switched capsule returns from Florida to California's coast earlier this year to reduce the risk of debris falling on populated areas. Back-to-back private crews were the first to experience Pacific homecomings. The last time NASA astronauts returned to the Pacific from space was during the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, a détente meet-up of Americans and Soviets in orbit.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Hear Zach Bryan Team Up With Kings of Leon for New Song ‘Bowery'
Zach Bryan teams up with Kings of Leon, the opening act at his recent shows, for the new song 'Bowery.' The singer paired the track with a video of Bryan and the Followill clan recording 'Bowery' in the studio. Bryan sings on the opening verse and first chorus, with Caleb Followill contributing the second verse and chours before the two singers come together to close it out. More from Rolling Stone Zach Bryan and Brianna Chickenfry's Messy Breakup Timeline Zach Bryan Recruits Bruce Springsteen to Perform 'Atlantic City' at New Jersey Concert Zach Bryan Sings a Melancholic Duet With Gabriella Rose on 'Madeline' 'You picked the wrong one / If you're in it for the long run / 'Cause I got the passion / But I don't give it away,' they sing on the chorus to a girl sitting in a Bowery bar. 'Honor of my life,' Bryan previously said of the collaboration with the 'Sex on Fire' rockers when he revealed the song earlier this week on social media. Bryan and Kings of Leon recently linked up onstage to accompany Bruce Springsteen on a rendition of 'Atlantic City' during Bryan's concert at East Rutherford, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. The singer and the band have one more gig lined up together — Aug. 15 at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park — before they part ways, with Bryan performing some Midwest stadium gigs next month while Kings of Leon head off to Europe before returning stateside for the Ohana and Pilgrimage festivals. The always-prolific Bryan has been especially productive in recent weeks, dropping new songs like 'Streets of London,' 'Song for You,' 'River Washed Hair,' and 'Madeline' with Gabriella Rose over the past month alone. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ozzy Osbourne Funeral Procession Will March Through the Streets of Birmingham
Ozzy Osbourne will be honored with a funeral procession, complete with a brass band, that will march through his hometown of Birmingham, England, on Wednesday. The procession will start at 1 p.m. local time, the Birmingham City Council said, with a hearse carrying Osbourne's body through the streets of the city. The procession will end, fittingly, at the Black Sabbath bridge and bench, which has become a memorial site for Osbourne in the week since his death. More from Rolling Stone Zakk Wylde Honors 'Older Brother' Ozzy Osbourne: 'He Was So Easy to Get Along With' Geezer Butler Recalls Final Gig With Ozzy Osbourne in Touching Tribute: 'A Born Entertainer' Prints of Darkness: Sonic Editions Drops Rare Ozzy Osbourne Photo Collection Music during the event will be provided by the local group Bostin' Brass. And for those who can't attend, the live camera feed of the Black Sabbath bench will be up and running as always. The Osbourne family has also stepped in to help cover some of the costs associated with the event. The family has yet to announce details regarding Osbourne's private funeral. Birmingham's honorary lord mayor, Zafar Iqbal, issued a statement calling Osbourne 'more than a music legend — he was a son of Birmingham,' and adding: '[I]t was important to the city that we support a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral. We know how much this moment will mean to his fans. We're proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began, and we are grateful that they have generously offered to pay to enable this to happen and support the city is giving him the farewell he deserves.' Osbourne died July 22 at the age of 76, just weeks after his all-star farewell concert in Birmingham. The concert featured performances from an array of metal greats, including Metallica and Guns N' Roses, while Osbourne also performed for the last time as both a solo artist and with the original members of Black Sabbath. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
