Get ready to explore life's highs and lows through the lens of a renowned actor who found strength in faith and comedy. He shares his riveting journey of staying afloat during the writer’s strike, his foray into stand-up comedy, and his upcoming project 'Bringing Back Christmas'. This family-centric film is all about overcoming hardships, embracing hope, and the importance of faith. You'll also hear his inspiring story of landing a role in the action-packed Terminator 2, a testament to his resilience and belief.
As we delve deeper, we address the crucial issues of mental health and suicide, underlining the significance of hope during life's challenging moments. Our guest imparts invaluable insights for the black community, especially black men, on how to express emotions healthily. The conversation takes an exciting twist as we discuss his recent collaboration with Microsoft, and the unique role comedy can play in shaping a talk show format. Join us for an episode that offers laughter, tears, and moments that will inspire you to persevere through life's challenges.
https://www.winoverdepression.org
https://www.patreon.com/tameratrotter
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/tameras-podcast
Get ready to explore life's highs and lows through the lens of a renowned actor who found strength in faith and comedy. He shares his riveting journey of staying afloat during the writer’s strike, his foray into stand-up comedy, and his upcoming project 'Bringing Back Christmas'. This family-centric film is all about overcoming hardships, embracing hope, and the importance of faith. You'll also hear his inspiring story of landing a role in the action-packed Terminator 2, a testament to his resilience and belief.
As we delve deeper, we address the crucial issues of mental health and suicide, underlining the significance of hope during life's challenging moments. Our guest imparts invaluable insights for the black community, especially black men, on how to express emotions healthily. The conversation takes an exciting twist as we discuss his recent collaboration with Microsoft, and the unique role comedy can play in shaping a talk show format. Join us for an episode that offers laughter, tears, and moments that will inspire you to persevere through life's challenges.
https://www.winoverdepression.org
https://www.patreon.com/tameratrotter
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/tameras-podcast
Okay, so you were talking to us about an upcoming project.
Speaker 2:Yes, bringing back Christmas, streaming everywhere coming November 17th. It's a faith-based film that brings to the people of a family-friendly approach to Christmas and really the reason why Christmas is Christmas. It gets back to that. It starts off as somebody having a life trauma and just really considering suicide and an angel appears and shows him somebody that has worse problems than him and it's really an uplifting piece. It's funny, it's touching, it's moving and really focuses on what Christmas is all about.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that. I love that. I'm sure that you're probably aware that over 600,000 people commit suicide every year, and that means that one in every 50 seconds. So that's what this podcast is all about really wanting to reduce the episodes of depression, but also educate people on how important it is to not give up, to stay in the game of life and accept the fact that change in life is going to happen, and we have to just learn how to cope with change, how to deal with change Well that's one thing about this industry, about this career, is that you have very high highs and then, when it's over, you can easily slip into some very low lows.
Speaker 2:If you go for several months without working, like we just did with the writers in Hector's Strike, a lot of people were very depressed and filled with anxiety and they were like I'm gonna pay our bills and all this. So this is right up my alley, this thing hits home.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it sounds like it. So how did you deal with the highs and the lows and just dealing with the writer's strike? Was there anything that you did in particular to help you make it through?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm a stand-up comedian as well, so I was able to just go and do some stand-up and go and see some events, and so that kept me afloat. And now that things are opening back up, opportunities are back, so we're just looking forward to what's next.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, absolutely, absolutely. So one of the things Plus faith, yes, absolutely. How can we forget faith? And so I'm glad that you talked about faith, because I feel like faith is what really keeps us going and then also hope, just really remembering that if we can hold on to hope, then we can continue to do what we do every day, knowing that nothing is going to last always and that's one of the messages that I share on the podcast on a regular basis is that, like you just said a few minutes ago, you have your ups and your lows. You're good in your bad. That's part of life, but you have to be able to bounce back when it comes to you, the lows.
Speaker 2:Well, I often tell people that when people choose suicide, for example, that's a very permanent reaction to a temporary issue.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:I had a friend in college tell me one time look, you know you're going to get through this. The thing you don't know is if it'll come out in your favor or not, and you don't know how long it's going to take. But you know you'll get through it, so persevere.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely. I often say that perseverance is 99.9 percent of success, even probably with starting your acting career. I'm not sure where you guys started, but you probably had some times when I don't know maybe you doubted whether or not this was your career path. And you know, obviously you've made it and you've been doing it for quite a while. So that's to me, that is belief in yourself, would you agree?
Speaker 2:Well, I'll tell you right now that every time that I've decided that you know things are not going well, I should probably be doing something else and I go to find something else to do, God continuously shows me that he is God and that this is my path, and he will close the door to which I'm trying to enter and immediately put me back into this performance space and say here's where I need you to be. And once I, once I let go and let God, then things really started taking off.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely, and so I know for me how many doors have the, how many doors have been closed before you move to the next one, because I know I'm a little hardheaded and so I'm like he's moving me in a different direction and I'm still trying to do the same things over and over again. So how good are you at that, with knowing when it's time to move on?
Speaker 2:Well, usually, when, when, when I mean it's been very dramatic instances of God closing a door. For example, before I did the movie Terminator 2, I had been out of work for the first time for more than two months and I had auditioned for Terminator 2 like three months prior. And I was looking through the LA Weekly for something else to do and I saw this ad. You know, it was like a full page ad. Learn to Deal Cards. We have placement in Monaco, reno, vegas, laughlin. You know, six figure incomes will teach you.
Speaker 2:Come to the first class for free and, if you like it, it's $499. So I go down to the first class and sit there and before the first break came, suits came in and shut the class down. Oh well, they were laundering money through the class and so I was so glad I didn't give them my $499 because I was really good at the board at that time. And and then, right the next week or the week after, I get a phone call from the wardrobe designer on Terminator 2 asking me for my sizes and I was like, what is this for? She says Terminator 2.
Speaker 2:And I said, oh OK, because I just like three months ago and did everything I just soon I didn't get it Called my agents and they said oh yeah, we're on the phone with them right now, and so that was the first instance of God showing me that this is where he wants me to be. So once he closed that door, I didn't try to go back to that door. It's like I just moved on, because now, all of a sudden, I have a job, and every time that he does something in that way, he presents me with an opportunity in the entertainment industry. That shows me this is where I'm supposed to be.
Speaker 1:That's where you're supposed to be, absolutely, and so what would you say is one of your greatest successes? What are you most proud of?
Speaker 2:Oh, wow, I mean there's so much, I think probably theater. In 2012, I did two plays the Raising in the Sun and Top Belving the Dog. I had a week off in between and I was nominated for San Diego Critics Circle Best Actor for both of those plays, and so there were six actors nominated. I was two of them, so I was like, okay.
Speaker 1:I can get shot. I can get shot at winning this and I didn't.
Speaker 2:It's like, as we're sitting there, you know, they announced Best Actor it wasn't me. And then they begin to talk about an award Outstanding Actor of the Year and they started describing the plays and my director was sitting in front of me at the theater where the awards are happening and she just started screaming. She turned around and looked at me and said I knew it was you, and so I ended up winning the Outstanding Actor of the Year from San Diego Critics Circle that year.
Speaker 1:Oh, congratulations, congratulations, and you and you do you live in San Diego.
Speaker 1:Still, I'm proud of that, yeah, yeah, that's your home, your hometown, where you, where you, where you live being acknowledged there is super important. So so you talked about, so you know, covid really has affected a lot of different industries, and so I know that you said that you went to do some stand-up comedy and some MCing here and there. So were you profoundly affected other than your career with what went on with COVID? Did you have any low times or how did you kind of manage COVID?
Speaker 2:Well, covid, I mean it shut everything down. I mean all the clubs were shut down. People started doing some things on Zoom, but I hated doing comedy on Zoom because people aren't focused when they're sitting in their home. They're animals and kids and everything they're running through. So for me that was it was very difficult, but what I did was I spent time between my home, my mom's home and my sister's home just to sort of keep some sanity. You know, it's like I needed, I needed my family in that time and so I spent time with them and that helped.
Speaker 1:And that helped, that helped. That's awesome. That's awesome. So this project that you're working on is coming out on the 17th, is that right? It's coming out on the 17th, the.
Speaker 2:Christmas project. Yeah, we shot that last year, so it'll be streaming starting the 17th.
Speaker 1:Okay, Awesome. So what would you say? Because oftentimes people that listen to my podcast, they are trying to learn to cope with situations and circumstances that enter into their lives. What would you say to someone who might be contemplating suicide?
Speaker 2:I would say that you look in and amongst your friends and family and figure out what your circle is and the people that you know. Give you real answers and real support and start having conversations. Don't fight the battle alone.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that as well, and so, as a black male, I know that we're probably well black people in general just are not really responsive when it comes to mental health. So do you have a message for the black community and black males in particular, when they're dealing with you know, just dealing with their emotions?
Speaker 2:Well, I think it's a simple message that that it's okay to have emotion, it's okay to grieve, it's okay to cry, it's okay to be upset, it's okay to be happy, and in that, you know again, don't do those things alone.
Speaker 2:You know, I think we as a people have three years as decided that black men, you know, have to be stronger than this, that or the other. But what we have to do is realize that, first and foremost, we are humans and humans experience situations where that drive our emotions and that drive our pains and our angers and our fears, and we have those things and they keep them bottled up inside. That's where we get into trouble when we don't have the opportunity to share with people that we trust, with information. And so I think that, like like for me example, I have we have nine friends that we are a very tight knit circle and we help each other in all kinds of ways and I can talk to anybody in that circle and know that it's safe and that we can have a conversation and I'm going to get real answers and I'm going to get real feedback and I'm going to get real support. And I think we have to, as black men, figure out what our circle is and tap into it.
Speaker 1:Wow, that is profound. Wow, that circle of friendship. Absolutely I love to hear that. So I just want to talk to you a little bit about your career. If there's someone that's listening, that's thinking, you know, I might want to become a comedian or an actor. Do you think that it's a saturated market? What kind of advice or information would you want to give them to encourage them to maybe pursue the same type of career path that you chose?
Speaker 2:Well, first and foremost, I tell them to get some training. You know, don't go in and think, because you look a certain way, that you're going to get a job, but because if you walk into a room for an audition and I'm sitting there, I'm prepared and I know how to do this and I do it very well, and we're reading for the same part, if you don't have any training, you're not going to get a job. So, first and foremost, get some training and continue to train. I train all the time. It's like I continue to take, for example, improv classes because that helps me in two ways it helps me with stand up and it helps me with scripted material. You know, it helps me to find different nuances in scripted material and stand up.
Speaker 2:Some of the characters that I create in my workshop for improv. I find them popping out in my stand up. Those characters will come on stage with me, sometimes uninvited, which becomes comedy goals. So if you have a dream, pursue it, because the thing is that you don't want to get to be older in life and have regrets that you didn't pursue the dreams that you were after. But train, get yourself trained so that you can do it right. Sure, absolutely absolutely All right.
Speaker 2:So where do you see yourself?
Speaker 1:Where do you, where does Mark Christopher Lawrence see himself in the next three, five, seven years? Three to five?
Speaker 2:What are you doing? I've already started building the platform of producing and directing, and so three to five, I think you know we'll be in a space where we are a recognizable brand and producing products that people will have a good time with, products that are safe for the whole family, and that's kind of what I'm looking into like. My stand up is clean, and so we're just working on projects that I want to be in, as opposed to waiting for somebody to put me into a project. So three to five, I'm working for myself.
Speaker 1:OK, I love that and I appreciate the fact that you do offer clean comedy, and because oftentimes it feels as though when you use vulgarity or just words, that you know the words, the F word and all of that, it just doesn't seem to add anything to the comedy. So was that something that you decided from the very beginning? I'm going to be a clean comedian. That's my goal.
Speaker 2:And how were you? Yeah, go ahead, I'm sorry. I was in the 11th grade when I started comedy, so I couldn't be anything other than that I was living in my mother's house, but then I used to open for Robin Harris, sometimes out in a park on a Saturday at 2 o'clock and he was doing the very same act that he was doing in a club on Friday and Saturday night, but squeaky clean.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:And he said to me he says, mark, always write clean, you can work anywhere. He said, a joke that's dirty by premise, you can't clean it up, he said. But if you write a clean joke, if you need to, if you're out in the middle of nowhere and All they're doing are f bombs and in private part jokes, he says you can. You can always dirty and act up, but you can't clean up a bad joke.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely, absolutely All right. So on that note, so you do write. I'm pretty sure you write all of your comedy. So do you? Yeah, times, seasons, quarters, or how do you decide when you want to add to your craft? I'm adding all the time.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm always writing stuff, but right now, you know, because I had a dry bar comedy set that's about 40 minutes. I'm starting to actively work on a new hour of material Because a lot of people have seen it, even though I mostly perform in the West. Now that I'm branching out more, I feel like I just want to do a new hour because somebody, sometimes you get bored with your act and I'm bored with it, but parts of it and and one of my best well, one of my Jokes that I do that the audience seems to like best, you know it's it's dated, because the thing that I'm talking about is Going away. It's like it's not in every city like it used to be.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:So now it's like you and it's about a, that's about a 10 15 minute chunk of my act. So I need to find something else. So I started actively writing a new hour and I'm probably about 10 minutes into it, 15 minutes into it now, and you know the process is is the toughest part of it. It's like you know, for me it's like I'm always doubting what to talk about and I had a friend tell me the other day he says, look, just write about you the way you always do. He says people want to hear about you and so I'm starting to write things about you know me, you know I'm getting older. I'm like you know I'm talking about that right stuff about my, my dad, right, you know. So it's, it's starting to get fun to write it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Absolutely. So I don't feel like I could put you on the spot, because You're stand-up comedian after all, and so I wanted to just thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to be with Me today, and I was wondering if you could maybe give us a couple minutes of something, something. So when you were doing it on zoom what what did you? Did you talk about zoom and how you know?
Speaker 2:Platform, or because you can't really see people's faces and expressions that well I guess sometimes they just have their, their Icon of they know they're emoji up, they don't, so you don't even see them, so you don't know if they're laughing or not. Sometimes, okay, they're muted so you can't hear them, and sometimes they are. You can see them and you can see what they're doing and you can see the kids running in. You can see the dog running through. Oh, I did a show for Microsoft and and the guy called me he wanted to do somebody recommended that says again, I want to do 45 minutes. I said no.
Speaker 1:Oh, 45 minutes. Oh, my God yeah.
Speaker 2:I said that's too long. He says he says what we're gonna do is we're gonna send, you know, shakur, replays and bottles of wine to, to our, our Employees, who are kind of all of a scattered all over country. Our team is kind of all over country and we thought it'd be great to have this sort of team building thing. And I said, well, this is what I'm willing to do. I'm willing to give you 15 minutes of stand-up and then I'm willing to do like another 15 or 20 and just a conversation, talk back, the people have questions about me or my career or whatever. And so we did that and it worked out perfectly. And, and as soon as I started, one of the people's dogs came up to the, to their camera and put his face right and I told him that you're, that kind of thing happens. I hear him laughing in the background.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so so that's why I hated do it. It was the only the only time that I had fun doing it. There's, there's a Comic in only in Atlanta, I believe, our Houston I can't, I can't think of his name right now, but oh, jason Earl and his platform. The way he did it was he knew you well enough that he could ask you questions. That set you up for jokes, so it was more like it was more like doing kind of a talk show as opposed to Just doing straight stand-up. So he would set you up so that you can log, throw you a lot, even bet your joke out there, and that worked great, and so that was the only time I enjoyed.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, awesome, awesome. So that is all I have for you today. I appreciate I would love to have you back on the show. I love to keep in closer touch with you and I'm hoping that we will be able to Maybe help one another. I'm really looking for someone to assist, so let me just stop the recording for a second, because that's not going to be on the video.