hello welcome to the Bev Moore Show live streaming on the iHeart Network and / 185 broadcast stations and 37 country on your head Bev Moore
I guess today is a well-known network television and film actor Brian Anthony Wilson is my guest today
he is best known for playing the role of detective burning Holly and the HBO TV series The Wire is also landed roles in film and TV hits including HBO's Mare of Easttown CBS network FBI Most Wanted Blue Bloods Sopranos the movie ocean 8 breed and more interview with Brian Wilson after the break
yeah yeah yeah
said I woke up to the summer Shannon Prout my friends asking what's the most
play the only Road and walking with the one outfit that's been sitting in the sun no topic
distance between Lake that the Lord has made
and then don't let it slip away I'm going to bed
I got the feeling that you get when you get new tape bell ringing on the last day of senior year and everybody but week
recognize that slow your rope they don't they get that but you got to know
this is the day that the Lord has made
coronavirus WI
I don't know, I got the I got the actor Brian Anthony Wilson is coming out
we come back brown chairs how how would award winning actor Kevin Costner help him land a role in the movie Postman break as an actor
play with us after the break
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I would like to welcome my guest Brian Anthony Wilson Brian is an actor and producer welcome to the show Brian
hi Beth I'm thank you for having me on I am honoured to be here
Brian you known for the postman with Kevin Costner and you played Woody
yes that was my very first film role in class until 3 and then that was your first Big Break was Kevin Costner in The Peasant bread at 8:37 are you 1997
wow wow so tell me how you landed that roll
I will tell you Bevin this is funny. Because as you know we're in 20 23 25 years later but at the time I climb in the cash and direct from Philly unfortunately he passed away about a year ago now but anyway he did me a favor and and take these two things my character would I only have like six lines of screen time but
it was like you know what kind of character didn't say a whole lot but he was you know you helped anyway so I might give me a favor and take these two scenes for me and this is how long ago was I had to get was on VHS VHS tape so I had to FedEx to be a VHS tape cassette tape out to California and they
I ate at the time he's retired now for some good anyway a time so they The Producers like you they want to fly you out on location to Tucson Arizona will meet Kevin if he likes you be compared to stay for rehearsal if not you'll be on the next flight back to Philly I was like oh great so I threw out there and I got out there mister Carson was out location scouting he was he was he produced it directed wrote it and start in it he was saying he was even casting extras he was school and a lot of hats right before they let me back to this room and above the room with the room number which was 222 which is my birthday February 22nd so I was like oh wow that's a that's a yeah
I know he introduced himself and you know sitting in there with this Academy award-winning icon and you spoke about maybe 13 14 minutes about the spirit of the character and about my 50 film with TV training or credits the time I had no fitter credits but I had never done a film or TV show and after speaking to know if I said 13 14 minutes he offered me the role you know man to man in this room and it was just kind of surreal I was like I had to pinch myself but and that's how my
film career began on an 80 million dollar budget 1997 I don't know how many with that translate to Dollars this unit probably 100 and million something like that but I mean that was one of the last you know times when a studio back of Starlight that you know with with that kind of autonomy and like I said he was producing it directing it eroded a starting it was casting extras he was doing everything but you unfortunately the movie did not translate well to audiences but I mean it's kind of like a cult classic now is you know people who really loved the film but yet it didn't. It was it was a bit of a problem when it came out in 1997
and it is actually I mean he was a good sport about it he made he he he has that year and like he was on the Titanic and in his post-match outfit so he kind of fun of yourself so he had a good sense of humor but lovely to work with I'm really learn so much you know me as my first film said that I was on and he can give me a lot of screen time he trusted me with stuff is out many times when we were filming it would be the last shot of the day we were losing like and it would be like all right. This out you don't have you got maybe one or two truck chances and luckily you know I was up to the task but yeah it just was an amazing amazing experience you know
you got to learn the lesson about Hollywood pretty quick if you know you know you doing this big budget movie and they fly you out first class but you up your per diem all that nice stuff and then the very next form I did was a low-budget independent film in New York where I slept on the director's floor for like 5 days and you know how I actually bought the what The Croods some donuts one day and I was just a little I was like Wow right now I guess how the industry goes to spank you if you're on top and then I'm not going to talk but any shooting this big budget thing and then the next thing you do is like this low budget think so that was a good inch intro into the you know two movie make in his like nose and you know it's it's rare to get a job like that you know I was blessed certainly to get it and I will always
unicredit mr. Kostner and also have a soft penis a special place in my heart and forgiving me by intro the same you know somebody had no you know no film experience and it was a pretty good huh pretty sizable the movie for like a half hour temperature
that's wonderful you know how many people get that experience the first time out you had the first you know big Burly bald-headed I guess it happened for a reason yes as they say it's luck timing and sometimes at least of his talents
everybody's been down at the bottom hit the ground
do you want to
interview with Hollywood actor Brian Anthony Wilson continues when we come back from talks about what it was like to work with Bradley Cooper Jamie Foxx and many other A-list actors no word in the English language is less convincing than probably are you sure we should get matching tattoos probably stay together probably
it's been 23 minutes since I ate probably swim you should wait 30 minutes
I have a cramp
I can probably hit the Green from here probably
can I get a mulligan hey are you sure you're okay to drive yeah I'm probably okay
probably okay isn't okay especially when it comes to drinking and driving if you're drinking call the cab a car or a friend buzzed driving is drunk driving I message brought to you by Nissa and Ad Council about pretty much got the ball rolling for you because you you're also and some other big films let the actor that was the law abiding citizen I don't know if it was them but you were with some good strong stars like Gerald Butler and Jamie Foxx security officer but I don't even appear until 2 hours into the film is it's a scene where Gerard Butler's characters you know he has to come to the security building in the city hall Destiny filmed in City Hall in Philadelphia and then Jamie Foxx you know both of you know it stars
right and then you have another film Limitless you're with Bradley Cooper
oh yeah I have threesomes with Bradley I mean he was amazing such a very gracious very down-to-earth it was with finished filming one day and it was raining and we were headed back to the trailer and stuff is a group of schoolgirls it's all men that you know he stopped and took pictures with that he was so he's just so very down-to-earth I actually did some like feature background I audition for a part on Silver Linings Playbook David O Russell movie and then I was told that by the casting director that he requested me for this scene it was a a group scene and I was as featured after I was playing a guy that was coming to take Chris Tucker's character back to this mental facility and but it was a scene with the narrow and Bradley and a bunch of other people but you know Bradley sauce
probably about three years since we shop Limitless and gave me a big hug I didn't think you would remember me but he was so nice and you know I met the Nero on the set and I got a chance to see him working and watch him you know where to so what up you know even though it was just basically the extra features extra but it was it was a gift just to be able to watch these you know Giants do that in the work on their craft and I just learned a lot just by you know being being a fly on the wall and that little scene
but I can imagine yeah Lining Playbook so I was wondering if you had another opportunity with Bradley so you in A Star is Born but I didn't get that part but that would have been great to work with NSA director it is funny when we were on the set of
Limitless he caught it was giving me some direction and I was like well he's so bright Bradley's very very you know he's also in his flu I think he's full of the few languages and then another at least French and maybe Italian but he's a very bright person and gifted actor in a very giving to very generous even then when he was acting but it was really great working with them I learned a lot there too
will you know they say that you are one of Philadelphia's busiest and most loved actors was love but you have me I've been lucky to be busy and I'm doing a nervous for a play now and yeah it's
yeah but it's it's kind of fun
what do you call that I guess is finished before I mean this is like catcher catch catch catch 22 thing is you know and I I'm driving in a lot of theater because I needed the help weeks you know health insurance please cuz that I recently had a hip replaced like almost 3 months ago now but I needed the insurance weeks while I was turning down a lot of high-profile TV film stuff and I mean they were going to do dishes at Bryce I recently just put something on tape for The Blacklist and they were interested but it was occurring doing our first week of rehearsal so I had to turn that down I was a nice little guest star spot but yes like either you know if I've lost a lot of butt
theaters is my first love I mean I certainly liked on the TV is much more lucrative financially but you know
futurecast a lot further in advance film TV is usually pretty pretty quick and other usually casting something and shooting it within a week or two and sometimes I'm just too darn it I already committed to something months ago so that's the best of tricky part of it but I am going to be able to work in all three mediums and I love all three mediums out I mean is acting is acting of course but they're filming TV require different muscles than you know where you working on stage and having to reach too much of the laundry is done a pretty good job with the 214 is probably more acting credits by now right
no no no I mean and I think that's a little what's the word
can't think of the word over-exaggerated but cuz there's this a few projects today but you know in this business is always people looking for money or trying to get money for the project so and a couple of things have just just went by the wayside cuz they didn't get funded so yeah I mean it is probably more around maybe about 190 something may be closer to 200 but some things are alright IMDb that are old
where did that how did that happen in a couple of things just like I'm in this movie full length is 1 Credit on their this definitely false and that's Bad Boys 2 I don't even know how I got on there but I am not in that movie I would have loved to have been in but I'm not but for some reason is under my credit so I don't know how that happened but I didn't put it up there
well I would love to be in the next Bad Boys Bad Boys 4 so if anybody
I'm sure somebody that's making them bad boys 4 will hear this and maybe they'll Reach Out fingers crossed
about your other television appearances I mean listed the series such as hack and Law & Order SVU the soprano I mean that's a big one and it was amazing yeah yeah I was in all five seasons of The Wire but The Sopranos was wonderful because they did invite me to the table read up in New York and stories Studios I was in the room with you have the late great mr. Gandolfini in the adult cast I guess they have been on Hiatus so they hadn't seen each other for a while so it was just nice being in there and seeing their camaraderie
and just stop being a part of that thing and just being around them I didn't get a chance to meet Mr Gandolfini unfortunately cuz they were signing some stuff but I met you know like the guy that played Paulie Walnuts 1/4 easy passed away I think last year and in a couple of the other characters but yeah that was that was amazing and I was the most nervous I've ever been called back and I walked into the room they were about maybe 20 people and David Chase was in the room the creator of The Sopranos I was like oh my God but I kept it together and did My Little Pony and I'm not casting the casting director was like you know keep it simple and I was like all right I forgot Direction and tried and did that and I got the job and we shot to soon's Unfortunately they only kept one
this is the same with Chris's you know Michael Imperioli character is being each dressing me down for something I was trying to tell him you probably would do it this way and you know he lost a bunch of money as you know, consoling him but I guess they ran out of time and they cut that one but it was fun you know working on a brand new so I don't think people knew how big it was going to be but it was amazing to be part of that and I wouldn't even more better I'm just some kind of using a phrase from love Spike Lee mo better but even being on the The Wire yeah cuz I had a recurring part on that and I learned so so much on the wire set
yes baby you actually got because I took a class with
oh God. Jonathan Strauss has now it's executive producer at the time he was a casting director and he was teaching a class in New York which is the best selling TV class overtaken and as a result of that he called me in and he cussed me I was like 3 for 3 with him at one point he cast me into Law & Order SVU use different characters that played a cop in one and a DMV employee in the other in a scene with Ice-T and Christopher Meloni and then the other thing I was a reason I was a cop arresting his Maloney's daughter and then he cast me in a film called See You in September 4th to go bring a bunch of other people and it was Tamara tunie is a directorial debut so incidentally is shot the same day as the last the very last episode
otherwise I was being shot the last scene and they wanted me to be there for that but I had I had booked this to my attorney movie so I couldn't be there so I was kind of bummed about that have been great except for the last you know the last you know filming day but it didn't work out that way
Vision name Atkins die every year do my face in my darling I know one thing for sure
is where it is in French
father you say everything is going to be alright but my circumstances to say I want to do tonight I need you worried about me now need you to call me through I need a miracle of breakthrough I need you
can you take my phone
everything will be alright
don't bother. It's the Disco beer.
don't forget that I can take its natural Brown to a note l a r s e b r e a k r e o
penis head
everything will be alright
He's Got The Whole World in His Hands got the whole world
95 broadcast stations in 37 countries around the world I'm a witness to hear more about his successful career
hot I'm easy Williams for American Humane for thousands of years dogs have been our best friends and our worst times today we're also learning that I were best friends millions of whom are abandoned each year are often the best medicine when people are facing obstacles
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are you have a lot of experience I'm just going to highlight just a few more films with some some big stars that you've been in from cuz I have I have some questions in the end with Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bullock and Anne Hathaway and then glass with Bruce Willis and Samuel Jackson
yep
and Night Shyamalan with a guy great director was Edward Norton's directorial debut he sees a prince yeah so you've got a big plate I mean it's big where I told you when I got started reading it I couldn't stop it was like oh my gosh I do license to use for Frankie Beverly
really what I want to ask you will you tell me how you did it and how you got into it but how did you or how do you think you were able to stand out you know Above the Rest and entertainment well that's a great question you know I mean is real and is truthful as I can do anytime I'm onstage or in front of the camera but you know I guess I'm a big guy and I'm 63 to 290 something on fair skin with freckles and I'm bald too so I guess I have a, different look cuz you don't meet on TV I mean maybe a few and the movies but not a whole lot so I guess I have a little bit of a different look
but you know when you're a big no black guy usually there really going to be a cop or a convict and I play both played a lot of cops oh yeah probably about 20 to 30 of them but and people some people say hello and I'll drive them so but I think maybe might you know maybe my freckles can have help and I get those for my my late father so it may be that does help you know a black guy black guy with freckles and entertainment
you know yes you is your urine unique look that you have
I think so late flight for the postman you know I mean it unfortunately there it was a derogatory term but I mean it was it was real and you know the guy says it looks like you have some you know n-word in you and they needed somebody who was I just kind of ambiguous cuz I am fair skin with freckles so they wanted somebody that was like in the net that was because I'm not round enough to say you know cuz it's like they don't want to it's a black what is it you know or you know if we definitely ambiguous so that I have lost because of that so
so tell me what do you like about acting the most what do you like about it the most
I'm in the world is something that is because when I was in college I mean I didn't finish unfortunately and I didn't have at it I was kind of been when I discovered acting when I took that acting class I mean that I still sing but I was singing with the R&B band the time where I was going to this Freedom theater this black theater in Philadelphia and I wanted to improve my voice so I took the same class there but it's part of their curriculum even if you were a singer you have to take an acting class in the movement class and I did this thing has culminated in a I was like Wow and then the next semester I went back as an acting major and I was in class for 22 weeks and
today or not because I was a star I mean a great or anything but they have fired two people and they they threw me into this play I was like in a play before I even saw a play and when I heard that you know the Applause from the audience and that the response it was like it was like you know drug addict getting her one or whatever it was just I was hooked and I love that that interaction with the audience what you know people have asked me before if you had to do only one thing with Abby you know film TV or theater and I'm like what we could do one thing it would be theater because of this love that that live in her action with the audience is nothing like if it's just this exhilarating you know when they get it and then again you're riding with them you know so this is that that that that repartee with the audience and and
and also be nice to be able to express myself artistically you know yeah and I know you know touching people and and and and them being in a move by your performance you know I'm at 5 have you no pride of performance and that's something that I'm looking to do that but I'm glad that they have been moved by you know something that I did you know and yeah I mean I'm going to keep up a couple of one-man shows too with your kind of crazy 60 pages of dialogue and they almost broke me but they made me a better actor and better person I'll buy doing them but yeah I just was nothing like that that rapport with the audience
what would you say is challenging about bringing a script to life
oh my goodness so many things I mean just trying to to do something all right in the right now we're doing this August Wilson peace and he has this is a there's a rhythm to this fight doing Shakespeare really I call him the black Shakespeare but there's a certain Cadence has a musicality to his work that if you don't get it right I'm really sound and be bad I seen that Productions of August Wilson plays but if it's done right it's a thing of beauty is so you know the challenge is just getting the language right getting the rhythms right you know and I think I have in this one like seven or eight like these long one to Pace monologue so there I mean if it's so many challenges in this trying to be authentic you know cuz this
you know because I'm always know that I've played a whole lot of characters that I like me I play with people who aren't like me which is a wonderful channel to step into somebody else's shoes and to become that person you know somebody that's not like me and it's like this the guy I'm playing now is an ex-con who robbed the bank and and he's he was an orphan so it's like oh my God that's totally opposite of who I am and you know but so it's just that part of that it's like a puzzle and when you doing a character that that's the puzzle of it is trying to get those pieces to fit into that making making this other person, live and be real and and to make somebody believe that you are this person you know so that's that's part of the challenge always just ended I'm just being authentic and being believable
and I'll bring you some people be able to get along with people because they're people that are certainly a lot more talented than me but I think I have a good reputation of being easy to get along with and play well with others you know cuz there's some people who are super talented but they are a pain in the butt to work with him nobody wants to be on set with somebody for a month or if you know you know too much when you do want to play it the people on you know Mina Boo and an affable and easy to get along with and any of play well with others so there's that too
I tried it so what is your strength as an actor
my strength as an actor I think on my listening skills my Stillness you know I'm quoting some stuff but people say I have a strong presence let me know I'm a big guy pick up a lot of space but I think I think I have a quiet kind of dignity that I usually imbuing to a lot of my characters that are that the people have had mentioned and you know they mention my presents a lot
you know and I'm just a believability factor of just of just emailed when I speak that it sounds like the truth it is to trick you know
Industrial
yeah my dad has been paid
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a never-before from day one they've treated me like family at my local care center and the a is the only one that funds over 150 Care Centers across the US to provide state-of-the-art care for adults and kids like me 70 years India has been transforming the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy ALS and other related near muscular diseases they fund the research for breakthrough treatments care and cures for by supports a thousand families like mine and Ethan's in communities like yours thanks to MVA kids and adults can live life to its fullest and learn more. Org today that you have performed as an which one is your favorite and why
I probably would say
stage pieces that they called King Henry the second written by August Wilson and it's because it was it was basically like I was like playing Lear Shakespeare this character had everything and he was just Dynamic was a leading role character actor so but you know you had a wife and a bit and it was a beautiful scene with us you know and this story arc was just you know need to actually died and so I mean everything you could want to do on stage or are you know it's kind of just covered it all you know and that was
I think might wear my favorite role he probably tells her between dad and thurgood's is this a one-man show at it about Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall so those are my top top 20 you know but if I had to I would say probably can't have it because I mean I don't I I love being on stage with other actors and communing and kind of Disappearing into the role and with you doing a one-man show you you have to break the fourth wall that the audience is the other this the other character in the police so you have to be a with them but I'd rather kind of disappear and not be with the others just deal with my classmates or whatever so probably can't have him the second play that I did and
I think you know one point as far as the TV or from work is considered I would say the wire was just if I get recognized once a month or whatever but people recognize me from The Wire my power trip a homicide detective running Holly so
those are those are my favs
yeah you were in like 19 was it 19 seasons in my right you were burning hot foods yes
okay so you know that's a rarity.
I kept trying to thank you note Vernon Holly you were burning Holly you were there and watch that again but I'm going to have to do
nope if I had never seen all of the episodes and right when the pandemic hit cuz I had I had the hosted at trivia night thing at this bar and and these people pick my but we could eat and seeing the show and probably wash it three or four times and I have never seen every episode so I took advantage of the episodes that I was into but I finally watched all of them into Trenton 2020 so better late than never right I was like wow that was so where do you think it's playing right now is it on Netflix or a bunch of different
oh yeah I know these Bo
ritual what I do is everyone I interviewed on the show I go back maybe writing out right away but eventually I always go and watch one of the shows or one of those TV series or whatever they were in a film doesn't matter
I'll tell you but the fourth season was my the biggest Arc of my characters is but yeah and the season 12 episode season 21 episode season 4 so we all experienced difficulties in life
military veterans know that sometimes it takes strength and determination to make it through for help when you need it for November is like us a reach out for help and hear stories of strength and recovery at make the connection. Net
lucky one last question since we're about out of time here and what would you suggest to budding actors and artists out there
that's a great question babe I always say to the gun lightest
anytime you get a chance to perform even if it's just doing a reading or even doing a poem in front of your family you know take that chance to do that and also if if you want to be an on-stage go see theater in a go to Broadway go to your local you know find out what's playing in it whatever City you are and we always go to see theater if you want to be good you got to see good you know go to the movies I rent the movie look at a foreign film even though you can't understand the language you can understand and you know
Jack & Beyond the motivations when somebody is doing something with his true so in the crap you know study how many people are like I don't need lessons but it's like to know you do there's a craft to acting you know learn your craft and go see no good stuff go see theater go see film support the Arts and you know an anniversary self even if it's going to an art museum you know it's important should I call I used to do that on my birthday kind of treat myself I get a bottle of champagne and go to the Philadelphia Art Museum and explore it and Goofy different parts and you know try to see a show that date you know what day my birthday will fall but no computers dark on Mondays most of the time so
this emerging yourself in the Arts and and any chance you get to perform over even if it's a birthday party or I mean I've sung at funerals outside at Sun at weddings so just anytime you get a chance to work on your breath and and make sure you're studying it you know read end in a form when you can and I'm not good at this but you got a network to you know because I I recently had a I mean and I've never been to New Orleans that's what I was amazing but I got a part on AMC Interview with the Vampire and it was because of the record I had auditioned for years ago on years prior he didn't pass me in this role but he says he said I remembered you and when I saw
your headshot I was like yes I'm going to work with them and you know so 20 years later so they got me on Interview with the Vampire and I got a chance to fly to New Orleans and be put up in a nice hotel and and you know shoot but also you know explore the city that I've never been to so because somebody remember me from 20 years prior Hollywood actor Brian Anthony Wilson role of detective Vernon Holly on the HBO TV series The Wire
thank you for listening to the Bev Moore Show broadcasting on CBS Radio on the iHeart Network worldwide I'm bev more until next time bye bye