My Most Challenging Role: That Time The Big Fella Had To Shed A Tear 🥲

Me and TEAM talked about it and looked at this as an opportunity to possibly place myself in a position to get more dramatic roles moving forward if I could pull this off. What I did not realize is I would have to do this under immense pressure with ALL EYES ON ME 👀!

Fantasy Football: This was going to be the movie I get to show my RANGE as an actor. I was of course playing a security guard, but this role was a bit different. I was not your resident tough guy! BigFo was going to have to show some emotion in this scene I was going to have to SHED A TEAR. I was excited about the opportunity but a little nervous at the same damn time. I am not doing anything NON-MASCULINE (I’m not that seasoned of an actor )!! I’m not really an emotional wreck kind of fella. I’m more of a PUT THESE HANDLEBARS on you football player kind of dude!!!

I WAS SO UNAWARE OF THE PRESSURE AHEAD OF ME!

Imagine 200-400 (felt like a thousand) TRUE Falcon Fans, seasoned actors and one Destiny’s children to go along with (Ghost from Power) and other actors on the field shooting scenes all on PAUSE while you shoot your close up!

In this particular scene we are in the Mercedes Benz Dome and there is a football game ongoing. As the scene progresses this kid stands up and starts to sing this opera like song which puts everyone in the stands around him in this sort of trance. Me like everyone else gets caught up in his angelic rendition. In the scene I walk toward the retention wall caught up but while I am walking, I am supposed to get so enthralled in this rendition that I have a tear fall (🫣)!

Now we shot the entire scene several times and as we shot the scene there were several angles and several changes to the way that everyone was reacting to buddy singing. The BUILD UP starts to begin. The director and the people on set kept saying Forrest we will shoot your close up soon (👀).

For a better understanding of what a close-up is:

A close-up shot in movies is a camera shot that tightly frames a subject (ME), often an actor's face, to emphasize detail and emotion. It's a powerful tool for conveying intimacy, reactions, and narrative details, drawing the audience into the scene. 

THE TEAR- Menthol is often used to create a mild irritation that triggers tear production! They put that drop in my eye and the BURN began (although I had help with that tear, I was still going to have to display the physical and facial emotion that went along with the scene)!

Hold it Fo! Hold it!

Working with my acting coach the Great Vince Pisani early on one of the things he taught me was letting myself go. You have to ENGULF yourself into a role. Nothing outside of where you are as far as that character at that moment matters. That was what I had to do big time in this scene. I had to forget about all of those eyes totally focused on me. I had to place myself in that moment. It mirrors football in a way. When I’m out there on that island it is only me and the defender. The crowd noise exists but I can’t hear that once the ball is snapped. It’s me and him! All I can hear is my mind telling me what to do (3 kick steps keep that outside shoulder back away from the defender). It was the same premise. Hold that tear Fo! HOLD IT DAMMIT! Don’t BLINK or it’s going to fall! Walk slowly move with purpose Big Fella! DON’T MOVE TOO FAST! You are caught up in this angelic/iconic voice like everyone else, but it’s not time to let it DROP. C’mon Big Guy you got this! They are all looking (staring)! ATL Falcon lifers. ATL gangsters. ATL football moms. Ghost and all them boys on the field! Remember this is not only being taped it’s being viewed on the BIG screen in the Mercedes Benz Dome! EVERYBODY IS WATCHING 👀!! HOLD IT HOLD IT HOLD IT! Alright Big Fella LET IT DROP! Yessir!! You know when you've NAILED IT (it only took one take) but you've got to act like it’s just another day at the office! I’M An ACTOR (Lol)! I remember texting TEAM afterwards like I did my thing! Even got an ovation from the crowd! I am not going to lie I was feeling myself a little bit at the time AHAHAHAHAHA!!! Some of the extras were like BIG DAWG I see you! This one brother that was sitting front row gave me a pound like OKAY!

A DAMMIT MAN MOMENT!

One thing I pride myself on is being able to control myself around beautiful women. I’ve never been the type of dude to just black out or stumble when in the presence of a beautiful woman but DAMMIT MAN! Kelly Rowland had the BIG HOMIE on STUCK! AHAHAHAHAHA!! Mad cool sister. When we were enroute daily from base camp to the set she me Marsai and the other actors talked often. General casual convo nothing outlandish but you were able to really see Kelly was one of the homies and understand this world-renowned superstar was one of the most down-to-earth people ever. I soon began to realize something though. I can’t look at this woman when I’m talking to her. It was like Keith Murray looking at this woman (outside of TEAM) she was the most BEAUTIFULEST THING IN THE WORLD! AHAHAHAHAHA!! You can’t look at her in the eyes for more than 7 seconds or you're going to say something SILLY (Lol)!

When we finished the scene, she myself and the director were talking, and she kept telling me bro you KILL’T that shit I smiled and said thank you, but I had to TURN AWAY QUICK! I love my HAPPILY MARRIED LIFE, but man look, I also knew the goofy was trying hard to reveal itself! I was absent of all of my superpowers when I looked at her AHAHAHAHAHA. I APOLOGIZE if she ever reads this because it was obvious my avoidance of sustained eye contact during conversation. I was almost brushing her off! NOTHING BUT THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR MS. KELLY though✊🏿

So DISAPPOINTED!

They edited the hell out of that scene! All that THESPIATIC EXCELLENCE (Lol) I displayed was GONE! Dammit Man This Was Supposed To Be My BIG "Show My Range As An Actor" Moment!!!

All Well........... 🫤!