Embracing the Pivot with Chester Tre' Rogers

00:00:09
Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to this episode. To keep it positive, sweety, I'm Christaph n Aint Hazlet, and today I have my good good friend at Chester Trade Rogers with me. We are talking about all things, just all things life. How are you doing.

00:00:21
Speaker 2: I'm doing great, good, good. Thank you for you know, blessing me with your platform. I just want to say, I'm proud of you. Everything going so thank you.

00:00:30
Speaker 1: I'm proud of you too. That's why I wanted you on the sofa, had to get to you on the couch so we can really talk about everything, because people need to know your story. I feel like they really do. It is time, you know. When I think about you, I think about transitions, and since I've known you, it's been a transitional period in your life. And I think about the quote that says many speak of opportunities when one door closes, another one opens, but rarely about the hallway, the transition, the end between where you are and where you're headed. The hallway doesn't have to be a scary, dark, endless confusion. It can be a space of massive transformation, great memories and peace. And that's where I feel like you are right now.

00:01:09
Speaker 2: That's a good one.

00:01:10
Speaker 1: Absolutely yes, So, Trey, you are from Huntsville, Alabama. You are an active an actor and an NFL player, entrepreneur and investor. When I first met you, we were in the gym. We had the same trainer, and you were trying to think it's all season, but you are also just kind of getting your feet wet back into the acting world.

00:01:32
Speaker 2: Yeah. I think we had just started filming season two of BMF when I started at the gym.

00:01:36
Speaker 1: Wow season that was season two. Oh my goodness. Okay, so we're gonna take it back. You started acting as a child, so tell us about that because a lot of people know you as the NFL player, where they don't know that you also was a childhood star.

00:01:52
Speaker 2: Yeah. So I started back in two thousand and five. I was around the age of ten when I first got my first audition, which what's for the movie Constellation directed by Jordan Walker Perman, when I played the young Billy d Williams. So how that came about was I was sitting at the dinner table with my family and you know, we watching the news and it comes across as an open car audition for this movie. Really, so this wasn't nothing that I was preparing for it, right. I was just always, you know, like the life of the party, the class clown, and I saw the opportunity and we laughed about it, and my parents was like, you want to do it? I was like, let's do it. And the thing was I had had a basketball game that same day, but I was like, no, let's let's you know, let's go to it. Let's try My parents I don't think they thought I was serious about it. I was up at like seven o'clock, like we're doing it or not. So we go down to the audition and there's hundreds and hundreds of kids. I didn't think it was gonna be that it. I get in there and I and I knock it out and ended up blading my uh my first role. And I go from this kid in what third or fourth grade? And my life changed over night. I'm in the backseat of the car with Gabrielle Union's and Billy D. Williams, like, you know.

00:03:00
Speaker 1: Wow, what did that feel like you were ten years old? Billy Let's first of all, Billy D. Williams and gab Union Wow.

00:03:12
Speaker 2: So you know I heard about Billy D. You know, from all my aunties and wars and everything. So when I landed that role, it was just major, but I didn't know the magnitude that had behind it and where it would take me. And I think like after, you know, I landed the role and they saw like the charisma had just the talent that I had, just from the small part that I had, they were like, you got to move this kid out of LA. So from there, me and my mom we picked up and moved out to LA my dad and my brother that stayed in Alabama because he was in high school.

00:03:41
Speaker 1: So you know, wow, So I knew you were young then, but like, what was that like being away from your brother and your dad.

00:03:47
Speaker 2: That was tough, but it just kind of shows, you know, the commitment we had as a family, Like we go sacrifice, so we got to do. My dad he had his own barbershop, and again my brother was in school, and you know, for my mom to you know, sacrifice being away from her other son and her husband, yeah, you know, I just got to, you know, just give her all the praise and Gloyd because you know, she sacrificed the life for me.

00:04:07
Speaker 1: I love your mom. Shout out as Tammy, amazing mother, just an amazing woman as well. And I want to make note about how family oriented you guys are. Yes, like you guys are the epitome of family and I absolutely love it. So you move out to LA. You're a kid trying to pursue this acting career. What was that like at that age? Because I know once you got in LA, that's a different world than Alabama.

00:04:35
Speaker 2: Absolutely, coming from Huntsville, Alabama going to LA, it was definitely a culture shock. But you know, I kind of fit right there. You know, I can adjust in any environment. I feel like that's one of my my things, you know, just adapting. So just being out there in that in that spotlight, just being around other celebrities, other kid actors. I went to a school out there that was mainly for kid actors. We all stayed in this one apartment complex, all the Oakwood apartments, and we went to school right down the street. So it wasn't too tough of a you know, but you.

00:05:07
Speaker 1: Know, now what opportunities came up with auditions came up. I know there was some almost where you were supposed to be certain characters, and I want to talk about how that may have played an effect on your mental Yeah, so.

00:05:21
Speaker 2: Out there while I was out there, I think I landed. I landed quite a few roles. The next movie was with Coople Good and JR. Dirty. I learned that I landed the TV show on NBC. It ended up not getting picked up. We shot the pilot and I learned a few things. And the last thing that I landed was the The Is Stanley Reunion Tyler period yep man, thank you TP. But and then from there the next role that I almost got that you're talking about was Everybody Hates Chris. Yeah, I was auditioning for the roller Chris and I was right there. Yeah, to the point where we pretty much signed a contract. You know how they do cast if it don't look right. And you know that was a tough That was a tough blow, Yeah, for sure, because I really thought I had it. But as a kid, you know, I just I got used to you know nose. Yeah, get a lot of nose in this industry. So I just kept going. And then from there, the next rod was for House of Pain. So yes, I wanna say, Ruben Cannon and Tyler you know they had to that was his first show.

00:06:24
Speaker 1: Right, yeah, yess dell Yes, filming in Atlanta and they called me down there like, hey, we got this road for you.

00:06:30
Speaker 2: Come audition for it. And it was the same kind of exact way with everybody hates Chris. I thought we was setting up our apartment and everything here and it got recasted.

00:06:41
Speaker 1: My goodness, So what was that like as a kid, cause I know that was the first blow was everybody hates Chris. And then you get to Atlanta thinking Okay, I got this one, and then it's like stripped away from you. What like, what type of toll did that take on you as a kid?

00:06:54
Speaker 2: It took. It took a lot out of me because I just thought it was ool. This is finally my breakthrough I've been working for for the last three four years. But at the same time, if you can ask my mom, it was like I I took it and it you know, it just right up my shoulder. I was like, no, we're good. You know, whatever God got for me got for uh, he got for me. And I don't know how I had that mindset at the at that age, but I did. And after I lost that last one, I told my mom that I was ready to go back to to Huntsville and be a kid again, just to you know, experience different things.

00:07:23
Speaker 1: That's I love that. Okay, so you move back to Huntsville. I want to be a kid again. Yes, that's I mean, I can understand that, because that's a lot as a kid to pursue. As an adult, we know what it's like pursuing acting, so I can't imagine what it's like as a child. Was your mom supportive or did she feel like well, I didn't uproot it and did all this. No, I.

00:07:42
Speaker 2: Think she was ready to. You know, Like I said, we had been out there on the grind for three h three to four years, and I think we both just kind of needed a break and reset. I didn't know there was going to be that long of a reset. But again, I was missing out on so much time. I'm thousand miles away from my friends and I'm on my Space just seeing them have fun, and I right my Space. That's how you know.

00:08:02
Speaker 1: That's how old you are.

00:08:04
Speaker 2: Yes, I don't like that. I like that.

00:08:09
Speaker 1: I thought i'd be dating myself when I talked about MySpace. Okay, you was in the MySpace area. Okay, I guess you're not a baby. No worre Okay, there we go, we settle back.

00:08:19
Speaker 2: But no, like I said, I'm just want to be a kid again. I want to play sports because I didn't get to play sports out there, and I was working, I was legit working and getting homeschooled on set. So I just wanted to.

00:08:29
Speaker 1: Be a kid. Yeah, I get that. So I want to talk about you being homeschooled as a childhood actor on set and basically missing your childhood. Do you feel like that's okay or would you even want your son doing that at a young age.

00:08:43
Speaker 2: It's tricky. It's a tricky business. I feel like you can get lost in it, you know, if you don't have a strong support group, because they throw a lot of things at you, and they they love the vulnerable people. Kids are very vulnerable in that industry. There's a lot of things that happen out there that you know, I'm just not with. You know. It was different situations that came across when I was a kid, and thank God for my mama, she saw it, and you know, no, we're not doing that. No he's not coming there, you know what I mean. So, but as far as the homeschooling aspect, you know, it's definitely difficult. It's different from being in the classroom. I don't think it's necessarily necessarily normal. I would like for my child to be in a you know, a real school system and learning. I don't know if I'll let my son go out there. I just want to protect them, I know, I just want.

00:09:34
Speaker 1: To protect them, because, Yeah, I even feel like kids would miss out a lot of development for sure, you know, just being around other kids their age, and sure, I know you pick up at that age. You're absorbing everything. And I feel like you almost grew up really fast because you meet a lot of childhood actors and they are so mature, they almost act like adults. Sure, and it's like, oh my gosh, and at one point you're so impressed, but then it's like, dang, like you are other person.

00:10:01
Speaker 2: I see many good stories come from that from childhood actors, you know. And I met a lot of friends out there and I'm just seeing where they are now.

00:10:08
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:10:09
Speaker 2: I just sad, honestly, but I know it just comes from being in that spotlight and being in that industry at a young age, just taking over.

00:10:16
Speaker 1: So yeah, are you grateful that you had the wherewithal to say, hey, mom, I want to go home, I want to be a kid again.

00:10:22
Speaker 2: Absolutely, I don't know where I will be. You know, I would have stayed out there. Yeah, in Hollywood. It's scary there, it is.

00:10:31
Speaker 1: So you get back to Alabama and that's when you realize you love football or what was it that sparked that.

00:10:39
Speaker 2: Honestly, I really did start playing football against high school so.

00:10:42
Speaker 1: Wait a minute, yeah, okay, this is interesting.

00:10:45
Speaker 2: Yes, I got back around middle school and I was playing basketball. My brother played basketball, so I wanted to play basketball. That's what I was doing. And they were like, man, just coming out, just come out because I was good when I was a kid. But you know, I'm LA. We're not tackling. So I'm like, I'm good on that, right, will stay play basket? Well you know, but uh yeah, I got into football, I want to say, my ninth grade year and it just took off. No. I was never the five star, you know, recruit. I never had, you know, all these scholarships, but I just grinded. I had the discipline and I knew what I wanted, you know, And then I was like, okay. My mom always told me you going to college. So that was another reason I wanted to go back because we talked about them. Okay, I'll go to college. But if I'm gonna go to college, we're not paying for it, so I need to get a scholarship.

00:11:28
Speaker 1: Yeah you thought you thought like that as a kid.

00:11:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I didn't. I didn't think that we had the money to pay for college. I didn't, you know, but I knew I could get a scholarship, and I ended up not getting a scholarship, you know. Through So here's another situation that happened right before my senior year. I was at the Camp seven on seven camp and I broke both of my jaws, you know, I ran face to face with another player and I shot it. I shot it everything. So I got wie and screws as in my job. So I was wired down for six weeks and all of the recruitment and you know, momentium that I had going into my senior year went away. You know. So that was just another tough situation, and it ended up leading to me having to walk on to Granmar State University.

00:12:20
Speaker 1: Wow. I love it. So it's given underdog, and it's definitely given the story of an underdog for sure, and the overcomer. Yeah, it seemed like you had to overcome a lot.

00:12:31
Speaker 2: I truly I love that, you know, underdog, So that's me.

00:12:35
Speaker 1: Okay, So we get to college? What was next? Because how to college go? Were you like a breakout? Start your walk on? Another situation? I want you guys to pay attention to the story because a lot of times people see you where you are now on a hit show, but don't understand like what it took to get there and the different avenues that you take to find your passion and yours has been like blow after blow after blow, even from a childhood actor to now we're in college. Didn't get the scholarship you wanted, walked onto your constantly having to prove yourself. So what was that like?

00:13:11
Speaker 2: Truthfully, I think that everything that I went through as a kid and in high school it prepared me for that journey that I was about to take when I got to college, Cause legit, I I walk When I walked on, maybe one coach knew who I was, and I was through a friend of a friend, mm my best friend that signed a scholarship there, and I was like, if I'm gonna walk over somewhere, I'm gonna go with you. So wow, we end up choosing Grammar State University. And and like I said, nobody knew me. I wasn't a big time recruit. But I worked and I worked hard, and I and I earned my spot to the point where they had to play me. I didn't get a scholarship until like my junior year.

00:13:42
Speaker 1: Mm.

00:13:43
Speaker 2: Wow. So so yeah, and I broke out and I just started balling, honestly. And the moment I picked up, I started getting a lot of scouts coming checking for me by my senior year, and I thought I was gonna get drafted, you know, And of course I didn't get drafted, went undrafted. So again, that story just continues with me.

00:14:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, at any point network to college now, at any point where you like leaning on God or losing faith, because it's like dang, I like every time I get I feel like I'm making a step, it's like another roadblock. Was there any moment where you were kind of like come on now.

00:14:19
Speaker 2: No, definitely, I think you know, once you go through those type of moments, it touted your faith and it pushed you, you know, in a lot of moments where it's just you got to sit alone and truly figure out if this is what I want you know, and then you have to lean on your support system. I had an amazing support system, you know, my parents, my brother, and they just sticking with me, and at times, honestly, they believed in me more than I believe in myself. Yeah, you know, which I thank them so much for. But definitely I didn't know that if I was good enough. Always had that back in, you know, in the back of my mind, can I do this right. I'm coming from a small HBCU in Little Louisiana, so I didn't know if I was good enough. Well, I knew I had the formula to make it what I wanted to make.

00:15:02
Speaker 1: Mm hmm, that's good. I love that. So you get we're in your junior year of college, You're getting all these recruits, scouts are looking at you. Think you're gonna get drafted to the NFL. You don't get drafted. You know what happens next.

00:15:15
Speaker 2: Oh, and it's crazy because I legit thought I was gonna get drafted. And I say, my my phone was ringing multiple times a day. I'm having a conversation with these scouts and these coaches, and draft day comes and you know, Day one, you don't get picked. Day two, you got all your family around watching it, and day two, day three, and you still don't get picked. But you're getting cast about the draft to where the point are like, and you're still there. We're just checking on you something. Okay, cool, I'm gonna get picked by six seven round right.

00:15:45
Speaker 1: And you don't get the call, and it's like, how many days is the NFL Draft?

00:15:49
Speaker 2: Two to three days? Okay, yeah, two or three days. So just not getting that call it another gut blow. Yeah, but I got a call.

00:15:59
Speaker 1: I can't imagine.

00:16:00
Speaker 2: As soon as the draft was over, the Indianapolis coach had called and they were one of the first ones that really connected with me throughout the process. It was between them, the Jets and the Giants, and I ended up going with the coach. It's based off their roster and just how much they really you know, I poured in to me, M.

00:16:16
Speaker 1: M, I love it. I love it. So you are in the NFL and then something traumatic happens with your family. Yes, I feel like it's important to touch on this because there's so many highs and lows in all our stories and you just never know what people have gone through. Would you like to share what happened.

00:16:35
Speaker 2: So, I mean, so go back, going back to the draft day, I'll never forget the moment I got the call and accept it, you know, going out walcome being undrafted to the coach. It was a special moment that me, my mom, my brother, my dad had. But after we celebrated, my mom, you know, she got this discernment. You know that God bless you, I always know. Yeah, it was a moment where she was just like, I hope you' allready because the devil was he's mad, he just got blessed with this. But whatever you got going on, clean it up. You gotta walk a straight line because the devil was about to do this. You know, you hear it. But at the moment, it's like you celebrated turn up right, Like I'm not trying to think negative, but she just gotta, you know, keep it real. Going into my rookie year, I end up making a team and the first so the first away game we had, my parents came and the house got broken into right like they came. They took everything. I'm talking about everything, wiped it clean. Like it was probably one of the most traumatic moments for my family. Yeah, so that happened. Boom. The second is that happened my dad is coming home from Word. Two men you know, jump out at gunpoint trying to rob my dad and there wasn't nobody but God cause he didn't have a weapon. He just ran in and they ran away. And then the last thing that happened was my dad ended up getting jammed up in a situation to where you know, he ended up going to prison. And this all happens, you know, back to back to back in like in the five.

00:18:15
Speaker 1: Week spand oh, my God, of your rookie year, of my rookie year. This sposed to be like the highest moment of your life, absolutely, and all these things are happening.

00:18:22
Speaker 2: All these things are happening, And for the longest, I kind of I don't know if if I heard other name for it, it's survivor's guilt, but like I kind of I had it on me and I felt like I brought this attention to the family to where, you know, all this bad stuff started happening.

00:18:37
Speaker 1: So like, yeah, I.

00:18:38
Speaker 2: Was just walking around depressed for like the longest because I lost my father figure and my father in the special time in my life, I wanted to celebrate.

00:18:45
Speaker 1: With him absolutely.

00:18:46
Speaker 2: I needed him. He was going for three years, so it was tough.

00:18:49
Speaker 1: Wow. So every day that, every Sunday that you had to go out there, what was that like playing knowing that your I know, your mom and your grandparents and your brother were probably there. But what was it life looking up there knowing that my pause is not here.

00:19:03
Speaker 2: It was tough. It was tough because you know, you want him there. He was there when I scored my first because he didn't end up, you know, getting convicted and leaving until my second year, but he was there for my first touchdown when I scored it, I took the ball up to him, he came down running it down. So just knowing that he wasn't there for the next three years, it was tough. But I knew he was inside. I wanted to put on for him because I know he in there. Washington.

00:19:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, Yeah, it was.

00:19:28
Speaker 2: It was tough, but we made it through.

00:19:30
Speaker 1: Yeah. You talked about depression, and that's something that I feel like our community battles a lot, and we're just getting to the point now where we are embracing therapy or embracing talking to someone. I don't feel like therapy was as popular or trendy as it is now then when you were going through it, So how did you even deal with it or did you even realize I'm depressed or is it now that you were able to identify that was actually depression?

00:19:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, I didn't. I didn't really I didn't know what it was. I know what that feeling was. I never went through It wasn't until like I had no other choice and no one to lean on except you know, my God and my family, and ended up having to do my own research and try different people out to talk to to be able to release you know, certain things, and it really really helped and I'm doing it to this day. No, depression is something that I think, you know, it's it's relevant now. It's important. You got to be self aware and don't be embarrassed about it. Like we all go.

00:20:25
Speaker 1: Through something we do, Yeah, cause I think we especially I can't speak for me and myself, but I know the the the stress, the stress and the pressure that's put on our black men to where you have to be so strong and even black women we had to be strong. We got to keep pushing and a lot of times we don't deal with what we're dealing with we don't take the time to just sit down and be like, wait a minute, I'm really going through something right now, and you do feel embarrassed or you don't know how to talk to somebody about it.

00:20:51
Speaker 2: Like it's okay not to be okay, like we're human, Yes, exactly, obot. So yeah, I don't not be embarrassed.

00:20:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, I love that. I love that. So let's fast forward. You're playing football and then I meet you in two thousand and twenty two. Yeah, twenty two, and this is when you are still playing football. This is something that I don't feel like a lot of athletes have gotten to do, like actively acting and playing football. You were doing both at the same time. What was it like when you fact, well, actually, no, let's go back to how did even the role of Sterling Black coming art? Because I know you were in Atlanta off season and then this happened, Like, how did that even come about?

00:21:41
Speaker 2: So going back a little bit, I was with the Tennessee Titans and we had just finished the playoffs second round. We lost to the Bengals.

00:21:48
Speaker 1: Shout out of Titans lost.

00:21:51
Speaker 2: The was supposed to go to the Super Bowl. That Yeah, I'm still sick about that. But yeah, so off season hit, probably one into the off season, and I'm going into my you know, I just really got into my entrepreneur yeah, you know stuff, and I'm looking at buildings, you know for a business that I'm about to open, and you know, we're still on the side of the road and the family pulls up and they're asking, you know, where to go get breakfast. You know, it's another little spot down there called Two Thumbs Up. So we telling them where to go, and they be like, we're hungry too. So we go to two Thumbs Up and we're standing out there. It's a long wait. We see this guy over there with a BMF hoodie and his wife, so we ain't think nothing of but we're like, hold on, he can't be in a real BMS course, right right. So it's like he can't be with me, you know, right. You know. My Duke's she she always thinking, she always ten steps of heads. I see here, walk away. I'm still talking to Plops. She go over there talking to him. Okay, cool. She comes back. She's like, yo, that's the producer, you know, she has to producer BMF. She introduced herself. They were just talking, so we go we get sit down, they're still standing out there. So we're like, let's just invite them for breakfast. See where it goes. They come, they join us, and we just hit it off. You know. It's one of the most amazing families. Ian Wolf and Miss Patricia Wolf. I love them, and we really just hit it off. And and I just shot my shot.

00:23:17
Speaker 1: You know, I'm just now. Sometimes you gotta see what your shot scared.

00:23:22
Speaker 2: So I didn't have a resume or my head shots. I put all that together like this, and once he reached out to Randy and you know, told him about me, I left it at that. You know what I'm saying. I put it in God's head. I love it at that and legit, two weeks later, I met I'm in Houston with my son. I checked my email a like ten o'clock at night, and it says you have an audition doing fourty eight hours. You know, is that quick? You know all the time, So I, legit did not think that it was going to happen that fast. I really didn't think I was gonna get audition. It was just like a long shot. But I ended up getting that audition, and like we went right back to when I was ten years ten years old in La.

00:24:02
Speaker 1: Yeah, it was almost like muscle memory.

00:24:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was much.

00:24:05
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:24:05
Speaker 2: I flew back to Atlanta when it got my wardrobe. I called an acting coach. Wow, twenty four hours audition.

00:24:13
Speaker 1: How long did it take for you to find out that you actually booked the role?

00:24:16
Speaker 2: Truthfully? I got hit back in probably like an hour.

00:24:21
Speaker 1: You are lying.

00:24:22
Speaker 2: I promise you I got hit back.

00:24:24
Speaker 1: I wish I would get that. I need to know now the like, yeah, we just decided to go on a different nobody but god, so it was nothing but god.

00:24:33
Speaker 2: Wow, yeah GP, George Pier. He hit me back in like an hour, checking out shout.

00:24:37
Speaker 1: Out George Pierre.

00:24:38
Speaker 2: Yes, my god, yes, yeah, you know, checking my availability. But I didn't get confirmed probably like two weeks later. But I kind of, you know, knew, I'm just waitingformation happened.

00:24:51
Speaker 1: Quick, okay, So waiting on this confirmation. Was there any moment where you had a little doubt thinking like how you had gotten almost gotten all these other roles, where you were like, did they come through? Okay?

00:25:02
Speaker 2: That's why we didn't tell anybody, Like I told my parents about it, but we didn't want to tell anybody like, look, we've been here before. Yeah twice actually, so let's just keep between us, pray about it, and just let it happen. Yeah.

00:25:13
Speaker 1: I love that. So now we are in season.

00:25:16
Speaker 2: Three three, three is right now, we're about to shoot season four starting this month.

00:25:21
Speaker 1: This month. This is crazy and you're killing it like b is one of my favorite shows. It's so good, the cast is amazing, and every time I see you call on the scrount like, that's why I so proud of you are killing it. So a lot of times when athletes come out of that where that's all they've known all their life and they are stepping into a new area or even trying to figure it out. I feel like you're super blessed in the area that or in the I feel like you're super blessed that you were able to go straight from playing football right into acting. You really didn't have like that phase of like what am I gonna do?

00:25:59
Speaker 2: You know?

00:26:00
Speaker 1: But it was also it's a new world. You're an adult now, you're not a kid anymore, and what you're portraying is a real life character. This isn't just like a character. This is actually a person that you're portraying, So what type of I don't want to say pressure, but like, was there any pressure where it came to I've got to really nail this role because this is an actual person at first.

00:26:23
Speaker 2: So you know a lot of these guys that were really portraying or going through real life situations. M A lot of them still are in prison. So it was a lot. It was very minimal of the information that we got about the character, specially on mine, especially mine.

00:26:37
Speaker 1: Yeah, I tried to look him out. It's not a lot of information. It's like a ghost almost right.

00:26:41
Speaker 2: Is actually like I legit had to go through like court documents and read their cases just to get some information. Now, unfortunately, you know, especially this season, a lot of the guys from Pure To and av PA Boysy Boys, they're reaching out to me to.

00:26:55
Speaker 1: Give you information on your character. Is he still alive? Is he?

00:27:00
Speaker 2: Yeah? No, so one of them still locked up and so like the group, but another one's out so but they're still best for ends of this day and see. So yeah, the process of portraying this character has really start to pick up. I want to say the last two seasons because like one of the characters of his sister she connected with me, and like we've just been communicating. I'm really trying to, you know, get this character development down as much information. Like last night, I watched a documentary on the Pa Boys, and I'm like, Okay, I wish I had this in season two. I was blind in season two. I'm just going out there just like just reading the scription I got in my audition and winging it.

00:27:38
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:27:38
Speaker 2: I feel way more prepared, and that's good.

00:27:41
Speaker 1: I love that. It's amazing when you can actually like find information and actually build the character because sometimes when you like, even with my character on Sisters, I'm not learning a lot of things until the writer writes about it. So I'm like, oh, this is why she's like this. But if I hadn't known this in season one, I may have played some things differently, you know. So I know exactly what you mean when it's like you feel like you're behind the mark and the character development part.

00:28:06
Speaker 2: How does he walk right? He got family? Like, what is he like? Tell me who this guy is? And I had nothing, So it's a little difficult.

00:28:14
Speaker 1: Yeah. Something I struggle with as an actor is the character I portray and who I'm in real life and my relationship with God, and it kind of gets tricky sometimes. Do you ever have moments playing like this gangster, this killer because Sterling Black don't play. It does not play. Do you ever have any like moments where You're like, God, is this cool? Because I know for me it's Fatima, Like there's certain things that they have me doing. I'm like, Okay, I know this saint who I am, but this is the character I'm playing.

00:28:47
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, I could truthfully say in a moment, I don't think about it. But after I'm done with it and my grandparents have to go watch it, you know, stuff like that, I'm like, oh, please, look, grandmama, it's not me for real, stick your baby, you know what I'm saying.

00:29:01
Speaker 1: So, uh like it's my baby.

00:29:04
Speaker 2: They are into it, you know, like they love it. It's kind of a little embarrassing sometimes and I'm cussing and doing all that, right, you know you did be doing that.

00:29:19
Speaker 1: Like the first doing its.

00:29:21
Speaker 2: Uncomfortable smoking at you know what I'm saying.

00:29:24
Speaker 1: Nah, yeah, it's funny, but yeah, I definitely struggle with that as well. I finally come to an understanding that it's my job and that that's why I go extra hard and making sure that people know who Crystal is. And then I set the example as Crystal, not as my characters that I play, because.

00:29:42
Speaker 2: You do an amazing job doing Thank you.

00:29:44
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. I remember this part of the scene where you had to do like the switch blade, and you told me, like you had to learn. They didn't give you any training. You literally had to learn that.

00:29:54
Speaker 2: Like right, that was That was my first day on set. I'm reading the script, I'm reading the audition, so I got just like a regular night the whole time. As I'm preparing for this, I get on set, sitting in my trailer, stunt double just walks up like, Hey, that's what we need you to do. Get on YouTube, figure it out.

00:30:14
Speaker 1: Get on YouTube and figure it.

00:30:15
Speaker 2: Out like a real knife.

00:30:18
Speaker 1: So it was like swich blade.

00:30:21
Speaker 2: Let's do was something, but it's a certain way. It's like you just can't open it up right. I had like an hour maybe two at the most to figure this out and nail it from my first scene.

00:30:32
Speaker 1: Wow.

00:30:33
Speaker 2: So it went from oh I got this, I'm confident, I know my lines. One scene. It was one scene that together, I know my lines, I got this, to yeah, I'm tripping. I didn't forgot it when we got on set. I forgot my line because I'm so worried about this blade, right, but it looked good.

00:30:48
Speaker 1: It did look good, But I mean they just goes to show you you can be ready and then anything can be thrown that you set for sure. Yeah, no, you do. But I couldn't tell when you told me that story before where I watched the episode, I was like, I couldn't even tell, like, ye oh my god, but you're an actor because I couldn't not tell for real.

00:31:08
Speaker 2: And then I'm at the same time of opening the blade trying not to stab this man for real because you know, I got to come.

00:31:16
Speaker 1: So they it wasn't like a fake like when you got ready stab. It wasn't fake.

00:31:20
Speaker 2: So so no, so I had to stop right in between his fingers and we cut it and then then we did a reverse. You know, I had it in the table.

00:31:31
Speaker 1: You see it, It just looks wow TV magic, that's crazy.

00:31:36
Speaker 2: I got another scene this season too, a legit stabbing this time, and it's gonna be crazy. Wow.

00:31:42
Speaker 1: Grandma is gonna be like, oh lord, my baby's a killer. So what is it like? You're walking on set. You're the new kid on the block. You got little Meat who is we're like literally telling his legacy story, you know, of his father. And then you have advench you who's been on a lot of things. What was it like working with him? Did was there anything like timidus or were you kind of like kind of For me, I definitely feels a little timidus when I first walked on Sisters.

00:32:11
Speaker 2: I think just being in the NFL kind of prepares me for that, you know, you know, going on to new teams, it's always new faces. Sure, it was just like you know, walking into training camp. You know what I'm saying, seen your new teammates, But you know, you're definitely a little nervous because you know you're new to it, a new kid on the block. Even though I started the age of ten, I'm new with this. Everything is different, so you know, everybody's not really there to make friends when you first get on there to you know, get chemistry. And yeah, it took a little time, but I was just staying to myself and working showing, you know, letting my works before self. Yes, I'm not trying to win nobody over. I'm here to do a job. So that's kind of how I approached it.

00:32:49
Speaker 1: I love that. I love that. So you made it to your first big acting gig. What is next for.

00:33:00
Speaker 2: Well, for me, you know, just really continue to kill you know, b m F. I have a book that I'm working on, a children's book.

00:33:07
Speaker 1: What prompted the children's book.

00:33:09
Speaker 2: So what prompted it was basically my story and then my son, so you know, having two and a half year old he's about to be three in May, but just growing up so fast, no I know, but just you know, having him, it just opened up my imagination again. And man, I would truly say that process of writing that book and illustrating it was one of the best times I had. It's so fun and I'm gonna turn it into an entire series. But outside of that, you know, about to start working on the documentary. I really want to, you know, get some work behind the camera as much as I do in front of the executive credits and that, and you know, just really you know, get into my entrepreneurship and open up more businesses.

00:33:56
Speaker 1: That's what's up. I want to touch on the spirit of rejection, and you chose two of the most I would say careers that you get rejected the most an athlete and an actor. And I can speak on the actor part where no after no action, no after no aften know, but has that spirit of rejection ever flowed into other areas of your life, because I'm sure, like I know for me like that insecurity definitely has come up in other areas of my life.

00:34:29
Speaker 2: No, for sure, and a lot of people probably wouldn't believe it, but I think again, I start the age of ten, I've been hearing no all my life. So I definitely have a lot of insecurities, just never knowing if I'm good enough or something. Always doubted myself, feeling like others are better than me in certain certain things and I maybe not no experienced then, so I just have to fight that all the time. It's like even in relationships too though, you know, just wondering if good enough for somebody and it's like, yo, you are him, like I have period, Like you know what I'm say, You gotta tell yourself like you are to catch you are him, You're good enough, and you know what I'm saying, stop doubting yourself, like truly truly be that guy. And I think that insecurity has caused me to kind of play myself down in a lot of situations, being too humble.

00:35:23
Speaker 1: You are very thin, you kind of like in a room, you kind of like disappeared, like you don't like you know what I'm saying. Once you get to know he's like, oh he is a standout, but like in a room, you are super quiet, like dug off, like not attention sinking it all.

00:35:38
Speaker 2: I gotta, I gotta, I gotta fix that because you can, you can play yourself out of a position, you know what I'm saying, out of certain situations when you're too humble, And it's okay to be humble, but you gotta be a little arrogant, you know, you gotta be a little full of yourself in certain situations.

00:35:52
Speaker 1: And no confident.

00:35:53
Speaker 2: Absolutely, it ain't got to come off as you know.

00:35:56
Speaker 1: Yeah, pompous or like I'm better than you. But I know what I bring to the table exactly.

00:36:01
Speaker 2: And that's really what I'm getting to over the last two years. It's truly just YEA believe it in myself.

00:36:07
Speaker 1: Because sometimes that spirit of rejection can turn to insecurity and then in relationships, we use it as a defense mechanism to not get hurt. You know, we can kind of set something with our partner, whatever the situation may be. And I know, for me, like I'll get ahead of it and be like, for you try to cut me off, I'm gonna ahead and cut.

00:36:24
Speaker 2: You off out of me. Oh my god, I shut down so quick. I ain't eve gonna give you a chance to hurt. I'm gonna just look here, I'm gonna just shut it down.

00:36:32
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, because we put ourselves on the line time after time after time, with every audition, with every tryout that I think when it comes to other areas, we just want to protect ourselves.

00:36:43
Speaker 2: Sure, yeah, because I definitely became numb to it. You do auditions, I forget that I audition for it because once I'm done with it, you have to.

00:36:51
Speaker 1: Yeah, you have to. You have to leave it at the audition room when you walk out, send it to your agent. I'll send it to the Nora and I wait on her reaction, like all right after I'm done with it, I don't want.

00:37:01
Speaker 2: To think about it words because when I first started back auditions, and I audition with something like oh I kipt this and I'm talking, I'm checking my email all every day. You know what I'm saying, don't let you get a call back. I got a call back, or check my availability. I'm calling my manager, Yo, what's up? What we're doing that?

00:37:15
Speaker 1: Check your availability before would get you every time.

00:37:19
Speaker 2: Yeah, No, you gotta race short term memory.

00:37:22
Speaker 1: I love that. That's good. So with relation, how are you now with it? Do you feel like you're getting better with managing that and not getting in your own way as far as the spirit of rejection and relationships, relationships, so just even personal with business.

00:37:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I think it's every day, every day fight, you know what I'm saying. Just being more self aware, just working on myself. That's kind of where I'm at now everything. So I'm not really you know, focused on the relationships.

00:37:48
Speaker 1: But because you know, we gotta get to that.

00:37:55
Speaker 2: So I'm just working on myself.

00:37:57
Speaker 1: That's good. So are you dating? Do you like? What are you looking for?

00:38:01
Speaker 2: Like?

00:38:01
Speaker 1: Cause you're I feel like you're in a space now where you've got the job. You know, you you're settled, you successful, Like, what are you looking for or are you still in a space where No, I don't have time for that. I gotta get it.

00:38:14
Speaker 2: No, I truly just don't think I have time to really pour into a relationship like I do like to, Like, if I'm going to commit to something, I want to be one hundred percent there. Yeah, and with everything that's on my plate right now, it's like it's kind of impossible for me. It's like just learning to prioritize, trying to you know, be there for myseln as much as possible. I'm missing out with so much time, you know, trying to juggle all this stuff. That's probably one of the hardest thing about this right now. It's like, do I sacrifice this for this? But I know I have to do what I have to do, you know what I'm saying for him, Yeah, his you know future. So it's just I'm figuring it out.

00:38:48
Speaker 1: I love that Kyle kay is Kyrine. It doesn't call Kiro because as a deval condition Kiren. Yeah, I feel like when you're trying to bounce said, the kid has to come first, absolutely, you know, and then make time for other things.

00:39:04
Speaker 2: As you have time, everything will take care of yourself.

00:39:06
Speaker 1: It will. Yeah, that's good. All right, So ladies, he is not looking for anything right now. He doesn't have the bandwidth or the capacity so check back later. All right, guys, it is my favorite time of the show, Positive Outcomes, where you the listeners write into me and me and Terry are going to give you advice on it. All right. So this one says I saw one of your recent interviews and it literally changed my life. I was having a really tough time dealing with a career that I knew wasn't for me, especially knowing that I was meant to be doing something more. You talked about pivoting careers and being in the season of pouring into yourself, which is something that I need to work on. But I believe God often uses people to speak to others, and that day he definitely used you to speak to me, because that was a moment I felt the slow emotions and a voice say that it was okay to go after my dreams of being a graphic designer video editor, and that feeling has not gone away. But in pursuing my passion and finding my purpose, my life has been turned upside down on multiple occasions. I saw it seems like every time I start to gain momentum, there's a major life event that happens, a divorce, multiple death in the family, losing my job, you name it. That knocks the wind out of me. Sometimes it feels like I'm so close to my breakthrough, yet so far away. How do you find strength, motivation, and the courage to continue pursuing your passion, walking in your purpose during those moments when it feels like everything is stacked against you. Well, I feel like this is both our stories. We both can relate to this. First of all, thank you so much for writing in. I'm glad that my interview spoke to you. That's my story, and that's why I tell my journey, and I tell it as many times as possible, because you just never know who's going to be impacted on that particular day and inspired. But I would tell you that there's been so many times in my journey where I felt like the odds are stacked against me and that I was almost there. And I know Trey can attest this as well, moments where we really felt like we're getting closer and closer to our breakthrough and then something else happens, or the job doesn't come through, or I always picked somebody else in those moments, I just made sure that I stayed firm in my faith. If this is what God has planned in your heart, and you know this is what you really wanna do. Just stick to it because it's gonna happen. But it's gonna happen in God's timing. And often I feel like when I feel like when I find getting, when I find myself in those moments where I'm starting to say, Okay, God, is this what you really have for me, and I start to doubt myself, I just take a moment to be still, because in those moments, that's when God really reveals himself. He'll send you some type of affirmation, whether it's watching my interview or talking to a friend or getting a phone call that shows you, Okay, I am on the right path. That's when you know to stick with it. But I would say just to continue to go after what you really want and don't let anything to turn. Life is gonna life. So you know what I'm saying, Life is gonna life. But you have to keep going. What do you think?

00:42:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, piggybacking off what you're saying, just you know, saying standing the course for me, I truly embrace again, like I said, the underdog mentality and just knowing that you know God's not gonna take you out of a storm that he can develop you in. So whatever it is that you're going through, just try to figure out what you can learn through it. He got you in it for a reason.

00:42:28
Speaker 1: Oh he said, what you're going through, we're gonna get to that.

00:42:30
Speaker 2: That was good. Yeah, Like, whatever it is that you're going through, that's kind of how I try to look at things. Change my perspective, not oh why me, but okay, why am I here? What can I learn from it? And I just try to keep my faith strong and knowing it's gonna work.

00:42:43
Speaker 1: Out out, and it always does. It always works out exactly how it's supposed to be. But it's all in God's timing. I cannot stress that enough because there's so many times where'm like, Lord, I need this to work right now, I need this to heaven now. And in church yesterday they were talking about how we're always like seeking progress, but we're not always seeking God's presence. So sometimes you can be chasing after this thing, but you're leaving God behind and past the Tide gave an analogy where he was him and his wife are in the airport. They're trying to make it to their gate and he's walking fast, but he's not realizing he's leaving his wife behind. So he looks back and he realized He's like, where am I going? Because I know if I get to the gate, if she ain't with me, I'm not getting on the plane. So what am I doing? So I would say make sure that whatever you're chasing after that you also seek God's presence as you're trying to progress. That was good, all right, So what we're gonna do next is what I'm going through and what I'm growing through, and I'll go first. Right now, I'm in a season where I feel this immense like feeling of growth, transition, elevation, and I found that anxiety kind of creeping back, like oh lord, okay, this is almost like all right, we're going to another level. Now? Am I ready for this? Making sure like everything is right? I'm a perfectionist and I'm trying to get out of that because shout out to don A zmm men. My therapist. She tells me all the time that perfection is a cancer. So I'm trying to still like battle with letting that go. But I want everything to be right and I want to make sure that I seize the moment, you know what I'm saying, as it comes. And I think you can probably attest to this as actors whose careers are moving right now. You want to strike while the iron is hot, and you want to make sure that you don't you know what I'm saying, You don't want to fumble the moment. You know. So right now that's where I am. And also what I just talked about, making sure that as I'm trying to progress, that I keep God's presence in my life and I seek that first.

00:44:48
Speaker 2: Yep, I think we're kind of on the same page. You know. For me, I've just been getting backgrounded spiritually, mentally, physically, getting back in the gym.

00:44:57
Speaker 1: Yeah, I gotta get.

00:45:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, just that growth. I feel like over the last twelve months, I've just been baking a lot of things, just a lot of different things, just working on it from my businesses and the careers and just it's time. I feel like it's finally time. It's about to really take off. So I'm ready for it.

00:45:20
Speaker 1: So yeah, that's good, awesome, all right, So Leslie, we're gonna do keep it blank sweetye where we take something that we've kind of talked about that you want to tell the audience just some words of encouragement for them. So I'm going to tell you guys this week to keep it persistent, Sweetie. Keep persistent. Yeah, keep it persistent.

00:45:47
Speaker 2: Cool.

00:45:48
Speaker 1: So, Chrey, what would be yours your takeaway for this week?

00:45:51
Speaker 2: Keep it focused, Sweetie.

00:45:52
Speaker 1: There we go, Keep it focused, Sweety. There you have it, guys. Thank you so much for tuning to this episode of Keep It Positive. Sweety. If you want to write into our open listener letter, you can write in to Keep It Posisweetye at gmail dot com and that's Sweetye with an Ie. You can also follow me on all platforms at love Chris Orne on Instagram and Twitter and TikTok all the things. Try to tell the people where they can find you are even back on it because you insta.

00:46:18
Speaker 2: Instagram is at trip with three ps t R I P P P. You follow me on.

00:46:23
Speaker 1: There, okay, So makes sure you guys follow him. Check out the newest season of VMF, which is out right now. If you haven't caught on the other ones, make sure you catch up on all of them. Trey. I'm so proud of you, Trey. Thank you so much for stopping by. I'm inspired by your story. I hope you guys are inspired as well. Take this into your week with you. I love you guys in the meantime, in between time you know what to do. Keep it pods as sweetye door. Thank you so much for this day. Thank you for this opportunity to just bring your glory to other people. Dear God, thank you for everyone in this room. Thank you for their talent. I ask that you just be with us today. Let us have fun, let us be an amazing interview. Thank you for letting you Nora make it here safely. Thank you for trade making here safely. And why am as well? We do not take it for granted. Dear Lord and Jesus. Then we pray Amen