
Loading summary
Gianni Paolo
This is an iHeart podcast.
Uncle Murder
Guaranteed Human.
Gianni Paolo
I was ordering food from our usual
Tony A
place for the big meeting.
Gianni Paolo
My VP said, please God, no. For workplaces suffering with corporate catering deficiency, every day's a struggle. The food was always meh and over budget before Easycater.
Tony A
I thought that was normal.
Gianni Paolo
EasyCater is designed to treat CCD with a huge variety of restaurants. Help meet dietary needs and stay on budget. Use daily weight. One platform lets you save time and thrive. Ask your web browser about Easycator or start an order@easycator.com.
Tony A
he can't do that. Me and him, we went to acting class. Not to cut you off. We went to acting class. Shout out to Wendy. Shut up. You hear me, Johnny?
Uncle Murder
We went. Shout out to Wendy.
Tony A
Shout out to Wendy.
Uncle Murder
I'm the sc.
Tony A
Shout out to Wendy. I did that.
Uncle Murder
Carried a big bag.
Gianni Paolo
I looked at it.
Uncle Murder
Carried a big bag. I was nice.
Tony A
He didn't get stabbed.
Uncle Murder
Shut the up.
Gianni Paolo
Okay. Ruling Willis movies with.
Uncle Murder
Real Report with Gianni Payolo. Whoa,
Tony A
cuz.
Uncle Murder
He's getting that money. And Tony A. We don't got to do that all the time.
Tony A
I mean, I was just saying, don't forget your name.
Uncle Murder
We don't even got to do that. We had 100,000 subscribers.
Tony A
Are we popping?
Uncle Murder
We love y'. All.
Tony A
Yeah, we popping.
Uncle Murder
We love y'. All. We love y' all so much for supporting so fast. We are blessed. Thank Uncle Murder. Thanks, Gianni for being here today.
Gianni Paolo
Oh, yeah.
Uncle Murder
We got power in the building. Come on, man. Got Gianni in the building.
Gianni Paolo
What's up, bro?
Tony A
What's going on, brother?
Uncle Murder
What's happening, man? What's going on?
Gianni Paolo
I'm proud of you guys.
Uncle Murder
Thank you, man.
Gianni Paolo
I deadass. I'm proud of you guys. I know we talked like, I think it was maybe a year ago, and I was like. Cuz you were doing kind of something on your own. I was like, you guys need to do a pod. It's going to blow up. And look, four weeks, 100K subscribers say
Uncle Murder
that we was in Vegas. Shout out to Dreus. We miss Dreus. But now we go to Club Live now. Fontainebleau, definitely. So we'll see you there. We'll see you there. April 18th. Yeah, I'll be there with 50. It's always a movie with 50 Cent, you know. Now with Power. Power is a show that, you know, you got a lot of shows, right?
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
Like we would say back in the days, you got the Wire, right? You had Oz, you had the Sopranos, right? Classic, classic, you know, Classic classic. But when you look at a show like Power that's lasted, what you say, eight years, nine years?
Gianni Paolo
No, it's longer than that. Longer than six of power. Four ghosts. If you add on a couple, the two that have gone on of force and then Canaan, I say around 12, 13 years. Kind of nuts.
Uncle Murder
Definitely. That should be crazy.
Tony A
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
So you coming from Vermont? How did you, you know, shelter Vermont?
Gianni Paolo
I grew up in Rhode Island.
Uncle Murder
Oh, Rhode Island.
Gianni Paolo
They gave him the wrong thing on
Tony A
the who the gave my man the wrong information again. They setting this up.
Uncle Murder
I like it though, some of them.
Tony A
Why the fuck is how. You don't know what fuck. My man from Vermont. Vermont.
Gianni Paolo
Vermont, is that it's the whitest place on earth. I'm from Rhode Island.
Uncle Murder
So let's ask Eddie. Where do you find this information at? Do you Google it? Like,
Gianni Paolo
I never heard Vermont ever. He looked at my picture, he's like, this looks like a guy from Vermont.
Uncle Murder
No, that's who I'm like, Vermont. So coming from Rhode island directly, right?
Gianni Paolo
Coming from.
Uncle Murder
You were professional, but we unprofessional here too.
Tony A
You know the real part.
Uncle Murder
So coming from Rhode island, shout out to Rhode Island.
Gianni Paolo
Hell yeah.
Uncle Murder
Saying shout out to Vermont too. I guess, you know, even though you're not from there and getting to acting in New York City and being around 50. How. How did you make this happen, bro?
Gianni Paolo
I moved to la on my 19th birthday and I was like, I'm doing this. This is what I wanted to do my whole life. I knew I was meant to do it. Everything had pushed me towards being an actor, being an entertainer, just everything. Like stuff would weirdly happen in my life where it would just keep pushing me towards her. I made the move, go to la. I'm catering for a little bit, you know, I'm doing this, I'm doing that. Trying to make ends meet. Booked a couple of voiceover gigs, which helped me get out of the restaurant. I was grinding in acting classes, improv, doing live stage, theater, comedy, all of it. And then I booked a couple different guest stars of some shows. And then I almost did an audition for Power because I just booked that movie Ma with Octavia Spencer. So I was going to go shoot that Mississippi on my huge Universal Blumhouse movie. I get an audition that came in for Power, that was a local hire, which means I need to fly myself and put myself up there in New York. So I'm gonna lose three, four bands on this. Whatever. At this point, I'm so broke as fuck. I'm like, I Don't have this money to do this. And it was only a co star, which means it's one. One or two scenes, like, less than, like, five to eight lines. So I'm like, it's not worth it. Call my mom. Yeah, I just got an audition for the show Power, but I booked that movie, Ma, so I'm gonna go shoot that. She's like, can you please, like, please audition like my. Me and your father love that. Please audition for it.
Tony A
Look at that.
Gianni Paolo
I know. So I was like, ah, at this point, I'm not tapped into anything because I'm so broke in la. I'm hustling. I'm. I'm.
Tony A
You didn't even know about Power, bro.
Gianni Paolo
I wasn't watching anything on TV because I just, I, I, at this point, I'm like, I need to make it happen for myself. I'm not watching any other. I would watch, like, good movies that came out to, like, you know, look at my craft and all that stuff. But I was so locked in seven days a week that I was like, I. I don't even care about anything. So. Audition for it. Sent in the audition. It was the fastest response I've ever gotten. I think I booked it in like 12 hours. Like, usually week, two weeks, sometimes a month. In 12 hours, they're like, you booked it. You're going to New York next week. I was like, fuck. I'm like, yeah, now I'm going to lose this money. But I was like, whatever. So it was one scene. Go there, shoot the scene, do it with Michael. Now, me and Rainey don't say a word to each other.
Tony A
This. This is your first time meeting them, correct?
Gianni Paolo
Yes, my first time meeting him. And there's like a skeleton crew. So this was season five of Power, where there was no. There was like, really nobody there. Like, it was Christmas. Everyone had already, like, kind of broken and, and went away. So it was just Tariq and Brayden all day long. And at this point, Braden wasn't supposed to be what he was. He was just, like, supposed to be a roommate of Tariq's that they were supposed to butt heads in that scene. But the director was super cool, so she was like, you can improv, have fun, do whatever. After I had done a couple takes, so all my comedy and improv training, all that stuff came in, and I just did whatever I wanted to. And then the whole crew was laughing. I was like, oh, it seems like everyone liked it. Dipped out, went and filmed that movie in Mississippi. And then there was kind of Like, a little bit of a low period where I was like, still audition, whatever. And then all of a sudden, the episode of Power comes out, and everything that I'd improv made it into the show and everything that was written got cut. So I was like, oh, they really liked what I did. But I was like, cool. Great. It was great. It was dope. Whatever.
Tony A
How did you feel, though, seeing that shit for the first time?
Uncle Murder
Like, oh, tell you got. Hold on, Merck. He has to tell the people what improv is because a lot of you don't know.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. So improv is like, you have your lines, you have your scripted lines, and then improv is like, you improvise, so. Which I think always makes the best fucking scenes because it's real shit. Like, me and Mike improvise all the time now because we know each other so well, we know the characters so well. So it's more real of a moment if you're not stuck to, you know, the guidelines of what the words that you have to say. Because sometimes you just want to say, fuck. Like, what the fuck? Like, what the fuck are you thinking? But the line might be, tariq, we shouldn't do that. So there's a lot of stuff as an actor, like, subtext, like, maybe you should feel that way but still have to say the lines. I always say, like, the lines are the road is the road map of the scene, you know. But some shows and some directors are more forgiving than others and let you improv, so that's kind of what you do. So I. I just. I. I had a lot of comedy improv, like, on stage at Groundlings and ucb, kind of like where Will Ferrell came up and all those guys really learned how to, you know, become comedic actors. I did a lot of work there and training there, so when it came time, I was like, this is easy compared to, like, being on stage in front of, you know, 100 people. Crushed it, did that movie. And then Power came out. And then my team calls me and they're like, oh, they wrote you a whole storyline for. For season six. So I was like, oh, they like what I did. I'm excited again, still in credit card debt, still kind of like juggling, like, you don't make on those episodes. Like, I lost money in that first one, and. And then the second one you make probably, like, they upped it a little bit. Maybe like 1500 bucks an episode.
Tony A
So you wasn't feeling good when you saw the first episode?
Gianni Paolo
Oh, I was feeling amazing, but I just don't really remember those times because, like, I was so wrapped up in, like, the movie. And I was like, this universe is so crazy because power is the thing that broke me out. But at this time, like, this was supposed to be a giant movie. It was tracking, like, get out. It was Octavia Spencer. And I'm like, I'm going to be a fucking movie star. And I was like, I wasn't even thinking about power. Power came out, and I was like, cool. But I think I was just so focused on the movie that power slipped up. So when they brought me back for season six, did a couple more episodes, and then 50 was directing episode three, now, that was fudgeing so dope because he comes up to me at breakfast and, like, at this point, I'd only done one or two scenes. So I'm like, I don't really know, like, kind of the crew or anything. I go to get fitted, and Frank, the. He does all the clothes. He was like, yeah, we thought you were going to be terrible, but you were so funny. And I was like, why did you think I was gonna be terrible first off? And second off? And I was like, thank you. Like, I appreciate that. Like, I only had two scenes, but thank you. I go to breakfast and 50 comes up me. And he just was like, you can kind of do whatever you want. Like, I see your. Like, you're funny. Like, just have fun. And, like, that was wild. So then I start improving more of those first couple episodes, and even the camera guys were like, they don't let anybody improv on this show.
Uncle Murder
They're.
Gianni Paolo
Oh, you really. I was like. So that was just, like. It was just kind of. Because I knew the work that I'd put in and the. That I was doing. And I was like, I. It was just all, like, approval to be like, the work that I did paid off, you know? So 50 comes up to me and Michael, that episode he's directing, and he whispers in our ears. He's like, you guys take over. And he walks away. Now, me broke after. At that time, I'm like, I'm doing all episodes this season. I'm doing all 10.
Tony A
Great.
Gianni Paolo
That's best case scenario for me. I do every episode now. I do episode four, and then I never get called to come back. And then there's announcement on deadline powers ending with season six. They're doing 15 episodes because they did that extra five to close out the show. I was like, damn, fucking 50 Cent lied to me. He said, I took over, and I
Tony A
don't take over I'm about to be back trying to figure this shit.
Gianni Paolo
Oh, I know. But then. So the movie was about to come out in May, so at this time I'm in like 15, 20 grand worth of credit card debt and I'm like, the way that Blumhouse, which they do. They did, I think they did get out. They do a lot of like 5 million dollar budget movies. They pay the cast scale and then you get back end. So like if the movie does, you know, 20 mil in the box office, which it was more theaters back at that time, you're getting, you're getting, you know, 50k every, every 20 mil it gets. So you could walk out of. There were quarter million dollars. You know, my team had fucked up my contract, so I didn't make any money unless the movie hit $50 million US. Not global US. The movie hit 47.8. Get the million dollars US yeah. So it's like a week before the movie's about to come out. Now I'm sweating. I'm like, we're going up against Godzilla, Rocket man, the, the Elvis movie. I'm like, or not Elvis, Elton John. I'm like, we're gonna get fucking crushed. We did well, we finished third that weekend. But like a couple days before that movie came out, I got a call from Courtney and she's like, yeah, you're, you're going to be the lead of the spin off with Michael. All from a one episode co star that I just improv and had fun with. And it turned into what this, all this was being on stage with five, meeting you guys, meeting all my favorite rappers. Like, I, I would be heartbroken. Like, I even have a story where like I, I would audition for shows, like, you know, 13 reasons why or Riverdale or big, big, big, like iconic teen romance. You love like shows. And I'd be heartbroken when I didn't get it. And then I see these K. 30 million followers. I'm like, but when I booked Power and then everything unfolded. I literally was like, oh. Like I said, oh to God. I was like, it all makes sense. This no one else could is like, I don't know. It just all made sense to me. It just, everything fit. Like I, I showed. There's a picture on my Instagram and I showed 50. It's me with the G Unit T shirt on it, like 10 years old. I'm like, it's just like everything was meant to happen the way that it happened. And, and look where we are. You know, I'm with my boy.
Uncle Murder
So Crazy my. You gotta understand, lad. Jet. Lenny, Eden, look up Training Day. What's the acting Training Day again?
Gianni Paolo
Ethan Hawke.
Uncle Murder
That whole movie. From what I see, how many people tried out for Training Day? Cause there was supposed to be a whole bunch of actors for Training Day, but Denzel wanted them to all improv. So Ethan Hawke was like the fifth guy to do it. Like, he was the only guy to improv. Cause that's like me and you being in the movie. And. Well, you've been.
Tony A
You did, of course.
Uncle Murder
Well, you. You was a co star. You had like five lines.
Gianni Paolo
He didn't swat too stupid.
Tony A
Let me tell you something right now, how this whole podcast thing kind of almost even started. We got to shout out to my man right here, right? We got the shout out to my guy. Cause he caught me and this guy right here arguing about who was in a better movie. Which it was me. I was in a better movie. I was in the movie with Bruce Willis. You understand what I'm saying? That was on Netflix.
Uncle Murder
That was in the movie. What do you call it when you only have five lines? Co star?
Tony A
It don't.
Uncle Murder
No, I had more than that.
Gianni Paolo
I had more.
Tony A
But nobody cared about, though. He was in Bum Ass Swat. He was in Bum Ass Swat, too.
Uncle Murder
I ain't going to lie. I haven't even seen.
Tony A
I know you did.
Uncle Murder
Where's your movie?
Tony A
You can go check that.
Uncle Murder
I can't find that movie.
Tony A
No, you did him dirty.
Gianni Paolo
That video went so viral. I feel like I. I feel like I always catch those moments. Like, I don't know what it is. Like, I always catch those moments. I think that has like 20, 30 million views.
Tony A
Yeah, that was. That was crazy right there. That was a good movie.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, but at that point, they were like, you guys got to do a show.
Tony A
Yeah, definitely. It was lit for me.
Uncle Murder
No, I think the illest moment with Gianni is. Was like, yo, every time you see G Unit, you said something in London. We was.
Gianni Paolo
That went viral too.
Uncle Murder
Shout out to London. That was an epic drunk night in London.
Gianni Paolo
I was drunk. I was like. I was like, you say G Unit, just yayo appears. And I looked at my cameraman. I was like, just get this. Like, we're not even need to play anything. Just record this. And I was like, juju, Juju. All of a sudden, Yale drunkenly comes out a tape. He's like, gee, you now, dude.
Uncle Murder
Well, nice. And London, how do you keep the balance? Because, you know, a lot of people. You know a lot of. They say a lot of people that you see, you know, homeless in the street, old actors that came to LA and trying to follow the dream. You know, everybody wants to come to Hollywood. Yeah, but how do you keep your balance? You got drugs out there, beautiful women,
Gianni Paolo
wild parties, and I'm around it every night. But I don't know, I just, like, I just don't need. I don't know, I just don't need that. I. You want to know what I've come to? My conclusion is why there's a lot of Disney stars or actors that become drug addicts is that there's a lot of downtime as an actor. Like, there just is. Like, maybe with, like, you guys, you go to show to show you're on the move, you're traveling, you go to your next show, you gotta, you know, you're in the hotel, we don't have that, we get to set, and then you sit in your trailer for a couple hours, you go do your scene. You're kind of sitting around all day long, and then you might wrap early. And you're shooting in fucking Vancouver for eight months. Like, a lot of shows are shooting there. Who. Who do you know out there? So now you're going to do like four or five hours before you go to bed, kind of, if you don't have a girlfriend, you're just kind of sitting there alone or with your castmates, even if you're cool with them, and half of them got their own shit going on, so you're just sitting around. Now when you go to, like, an event or you go somewhere, you have all these people yelling at you. There's all the serotonin even being on set, like people catering to you. And then all of a sudden, you know, you go back home and you're dead quiet and you're like, bore you. Like, you know, do a little drugs, do this. That's how I feel. Like all these kids kind of get involved with all this stuff because there's just so much downtime. Then you go film something for six months, then you're off for three months, you're like, okay, gotta book the next job. Now you could have potentially six to eight months of just not working and just being in la. Like. So if you don't have a strong mindset and a lot of these kids out there don't, they'll just fold. They're doing. I see every actor, these kids, every night, doing blow, doing this, doing that, and they just can't control themselves.
Uncle Murder
I thought it was to play the part. Like, if you tell me, yo, I got to play Batman tomorrow. You know what I mean? I might want to. Somebody might say I got to do a drug or some shit to be getting a character. I don't know. I mean, that's what I was thinking. No, just really think about it, like, to get in the character. Like, say you playing Batman.
Tony A
That's why I'm.
Uncle Murder
No, he played the Joker. I forgot. And that was one of the best. And that was one of the best. He was one of the best jokers.
Gianni Paolo
That's. That's actually my favorite performance ever. My favorite performance ever of any actor. It's number one for me.
Uncle Murder
Like, yeah, that was the best joker.
Gianni Paolo
It's the best performance, I think, of all time. Like, you just can't beat that. But, yeah, like, I don't know. I guess maybe if in your mind, if you're. If you're that crazy, like you have to do drugs to get in a character. Like, there's so much downtime. How the. Are you gonna do drugs all day long?
Uncle Murder
You tell me. I gotta play Batman. I don't know how to, like, pop a pill and I think I'm Batman.
Tony A
Yo, this is.
Uncle Murder
No, I'm just thinking that's. That's what actors do. That. Yeah, actors do that. Look, no, I'm just saying. Listen. No, I'm not a perk man. But how many. Listen, how many actors have you heard say they played a part and it took them a while to. To. To weed off of being actual.
Gianni Paolo
I'm not gonna lie.
Tony A
I even heard shout out to my. That's our guy, Mike Epps. I even heard him say he was coked up when he was doing. I think one of the movies that he was doing, he said he was coked up in one of them, doing a whole bunch.
Gianni Paolo
Know that always blows my mind because what people don't understand was a hangover.
Tony A
I think it was one of them way. I think. Well, one of them where he said he's. I think it was. Was it Friday? One of the Fridays.
Gianni Paolo
Oh, I did see that. Yeah.
Tony A
I think it was one of them he said he was actually coked up on.
Gianni Paolo
But think about it. You gotta do 30, 40, 50 takes. You're. Then you break for lunch. Then you gotta do hair, makeup. You're gonna do blow all day long. You're like. Like for 12 hours, you'd be dead. You'd overdose. So it's like. You get what I mean? So it's like. It's all day long. As an actor, there's like. Like the whole Your whole day is like this. You get to set. Oh, hair, makeup, hair makeup. And then all of a sudden, they sit you in your trailer for two hours. You're like, oh, all right. Then you sit there for two hours. Then they go, okay, we need you on set asap. So I don't know, I just think it would be hard to realistically do drugs and be an actor, and it's unprofessional. Right, right, right. But maybe if you have, like. Because I had that crazy scene where I. I slammed the drug dealer's face into the. Into the cocaine because he sold my girl the. The fentanyl. And that day I, like, I took a little bit of an Adderall. So I was like that. Oh, took an Adderall. And then I was drinking Celsius all day long. But, like, that's as far as I'll go. Like, I think, like doing real coke, like, you just would have to do it all day long.
Tony A
Yeah, well, my man said for Batman, he'll pop a pill.
Uncle Murder
You pop a pill to be joke.
Tony A
That's your.
Gianni Paolo
One dream role. What would it be?
Uncle Murder
Dream role for me? Old movie, new movie, anything.
Gianni Paolo
If you. You could pick your role tomorrow, you start filming it, what would it be?
Uncle Murder
I would want to be like, in. I would say they supposed to be making a Scarface too, but I want to be in Scarface.
Tony A
I don't think that could work though, man.
Uncle Murder
I don't think so.
Gianni Paolo
Well, he was in SWAT too. He's the king of the movies.
Tony A
That make no sense, right?
Uncle Murder
I was on your side.
Tony A
5, 2, Scarface too,
Uncle Murder
but he was a co star. He didn't even. Did you even say anything to Bruce Willis? You didn't even say what up to Bruce Willis.
Tony A
Bruce Willis is my man. Put like that.
Uncle Murder
Benny Boom get fucked up, cuz we
Tony A
cannot find Benny Boom. You got him looking crazy good looking for that movie.
Uncle Murder
I can't find it on Tubi. Nothing, man.
Tony A
Netflix, nothing. That's. That's a good thing, a movie. Oh, man. The ideal role. I don't know.
Uncle Murder
So. So you saying I like to be
Tony A
some Godfather, Harlem type days, like ye like that type, man.
Uncle Murder
Word. Yeah, but it's like when you look at like, power and like, you be on set, like, you know, because I know, you know, when Meech was on set, smell like weed and all that crazy shit Fifth used to say, like, yo, yo, yo, yo, murder. If you ever go on set, be on time, be professional. Yeah, how much does that really. That really counts, like on set? Cause you said it's 12 hour day.
Gianni Paolo
Dude, it's so weird. I mean, like, power is an anomaly. Like, you go on a power set, but obviously it's like, you know, 50 cent produce, and there's a little leeway. I've heard. I heard that Wu Tang was a little bit like that, too. People smoking and drink. You go to a, like, a real proper, like, Amazon or Apple TV set that does not fly. Now, maybe you got a crazy actor every now and then, but, like, I don't know. Like, I just feel like that that shit only really happens because it's power and there's a little bit more. You know, like, obviously there's a lot of rappers that come on set. So, like. Like, Meech was kind of doing his thing on. On bmf, but, like, I know there's
Uncle Murder
just so many, like, yo, listen, that was getting. That had to get to y' all head. Y' all niggas was like, y' all was the only actors that actually 50 booked y' all at, like, rap artists. Y' all had walkthroughs. Meech made. Meech made a lot of money. Michael Rainey made a model of money. Gianni made a lot of money. The Ghost made a lot of money. Tommy. Like, the way 50 had it set up is, like, y' all had rappers. Like, y' all was rappers. That's the first time you ever seen actors do walkthroughs like rappers.
Gianni Paolo
And the only other equivalent of that is, like, I guess an actor going to, like, Comic Con. But it's like, who the fuck wants to sit at a booth all day long and sign papers? I'd rather be at the club of bottles. Like, 50. Really, like, and he. He did that. He made that happen. He posts us on his Instagram. He made us stars for that reason, to have us make money like that. Like, that wasn't for him. Like, sure, he's promoting the show, but, like, he does a lot of shit for us to help us out and, you know, have us do shit like that, where I don't see any other actor ever doing what we do. There's like seven or eight of us that can really, like, go to a club in Tallahassee or Houston and. And sell out a club. Like, definitely kind of nuts.
Tony A
Definitely.
Gianni Paolo
I talk about that all the time. I'm like, if you. If you. When I go to set and I, like, I shot a movie last year with Sophie Turner from Game of Thrones.
Uncle Murder
She's.
Gianni Paolo
That's the biggest show ever, probably, right? And I was Explaining to her. I was, like, telling her, like, what a club hosting is, and she's like, so people just pay to come and party with you in the club? And I was like, yeah. She's like, this is the coolest thing I've ever heard. I'm like, you're on Game of Thrones.
Tony A
How? You don't know.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, like, but they just don't know because it's just such a different world.
Uncle Murder
Definitely different world. It's crazy, man. And you. You had to, like, crowd hype because, like, your scenes, like, you being in court and everybody thought you was going to snitch.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
And you didn't snitch.
Gianni Paolo
The writers love me, man. I always tell people, like, do good work because then the writers want to write. Good for you. But if you show up to set and you're a. And you don't take your seriously, you don't have your lines memorized, the writers don't want to make you succeed. So every time I would come to set, I'd be improving. I'd be going to talk to the writer who. Because every writer for that episode is on set. So I'm like, what do we. What should we do? Can we add a joke here? Should we switch this out? Even? Like, that YSL Rico joke that I made that went viral, and I said that in one of the scenes that we. At the. The money thing, whatever. I don't even remember what the fuck it was.
Tony A
I know. So. I know.
Gianni Paolo
So I changed that out. It was like, Gambino crime family. I'm like, if you help the writer and you talk to him and the producers see that, because I really was trying to make every episode of times
Tony A
I'm gonna bring you into right now, this is what's going on.
Gianni Paolo
I cared about the show so much. I was like, some people just show up and they get their fucking paycheck and they go home. I'm like, I want to make every episode as good, good as possible. I would go up to the producers offices, and I'd be like, what's the episode? What's next episode look like? Like, I want to go through the wall. When I went through the wall. That wasn't scripted, like, shit like that to elevate the show because I cared so much. So then the writers cared about me, and they gave me cool shit and they made me look lit. And that's kind of like a push and pull as an actor writer. Like, you want to make them look good, they make you look good, you know?
Uncle Murder
Right. Did you Go to acting classes or no.
Gianni Paolo
Before, yeah. When I first moved to L. A. I was doing a little bit in Rhode island before I moved. And then I was doing. I did live improv classes at Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade, which is called ucb. And that's kind of like Donald Glover started there and. And Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, like, all the great start at Groundlings and UCB. That's like, where the comedic acting comes from and where, like, you know, a writer's brain of. Of jokes and stuff. But then I took, like, more serious acting classes for the first, like, couple years I was in LA and I popped in and out with an acting coach. But, like, I don't know. Sometimes I'm like, I know everything I need to know about acting at this point. Like, I'm gonna learn more just by working now. Like, a teacher's not gonna teach me anything that I haven't already done.
Uncle Murder
What gives you your drive? Cause I done seen you in London.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
Then we could be in Miami. Then you're in Italy or Paris or something. Michael Rainey's in Jamaica. You in Jamaica. What gives you your drive? What made, say, this guy from Rhode island to all the people that want to be actors out there from Rhode island gives them this drive to go to LA. 19 years old, no money catering. You was, you know, you went from serving food to, you know, Aston Martin trucks and all that shit.
Gianni Paolo
I really just. Fuck. I love it. Like, I legitimately love it. Like, I love pulling up on you guys. You're going to tell me when I'm 10 years old? Look, you're going to be friends with all your favorite rappers. You're going to be on $0.50 TV show. He's going to bring you out on stage in front of 70,000 people at Tottenham Stadium in London. I'm going everything.
Tony A
I'm.
Gianni Paolo
I'm living in the moment. I'm having fun like that. I think that's just, like, I enjoy it so much. This is where I think other people do it for, not themselves. They're doing it to prove something to someone or this. I generally just do it because I have so much fun. And that's why I'm an actor, because of the fun that I have doing it. The second it stops becoming fun, I'm not going to do it anymore. But I just have fun. Like, that's why I do the podcast with Mike. Like, I leave the studio after doing two episodes. Like, God, that was so fucking fun. Like, we really just had, like, Michael Ealy in here. Like, I grew up watching him, like, Fat Joe in here. Like, we just have crazy people that I grew up idolizing that I just sat down and chopped it up with for an hour and had him on my podcast.
Tony A
Like, definitely.
Gianni Paolo
I just love what I do. Like, that's really it.
Uncle Murder
That's crazy.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
To live your dream. Just to think, you know, they said he was from Vermont.
Gianni Paolo
The kid from Vermont.
Uncle Murder
Rhode island, too.
Tony A
So what's next for you, though, man? What's next? What you. What you working on next?
Gianni Paolo
So that movie just came out that I did Trust. I did that last year. We got crushed in the box office, but it's killing it on streaming now.
Uncle Murder
Okay, Shout out to Trust, where we can see that?
Gianni Paolo
At Param on Paramount Network. But, dude, it's so hard, like, to do those types of movies. There's, like, genre horror movies or their superhero Marvel movies. Like, there's kind of no in between. It's kind of hard to be in theaters and make a movie do like it used to do five years ago.
Uncle Murder
But we're.
Gianni Paolo
We're crushing on streaming now. And, yeah, dude, I'm just. I'm getting ready for the next thing. I'm just auditioning and figuring out what the right plays. Because you could go and do something and get stuck on a show for eight, 10 years and not be happy. You know what I mean? Like, the money doesn't mean anything to me. I'm like. Like, I'll tell my team all the time. Like, not that, not that, not that. And then when the right thing comes in that, you know, it's hard, too, because once you do a show, like power, you don't want to go backwards. So what if you do power, and then all of a sudden you're doing, like. And no shade to any of, like, the procedural shows, but you do, like, a. Like a fire show or you play a firefighter this or that. Like Da Vinci right now.
Tony A
Damn.
Gianni Paolo
But it's like you go from such a lit show when you were 50, and then all of a sudden you're just like. Like, I don't know. I don't want to take a step back. So I'm being very, like, strategic, because
Uncle Murder
I remember we was talking earlier, and you said you could either take a role where you're making $20 million, or you could take a role that makes you a big star.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. So this is a story from. You know, Chris told me that there are these two. Two guys. And I won't mention the names because I don't know if they Want the story out there. But one was a show, that Dick Wolf Show. So it's going to go seasons. You know, if Dick Wolf's getting involved, it's Law and Order, it's Chicago Fire, it's all those shows, you know, you're. You're gonna go for 10 seasons. Now the other show was Ballers. Now, I. I don't. Obviously, Denzel Washington, San Juano booked it, but another actor booked Ballers and then another role at the same time. And they were essentially like, do you want to be rich or do you want to be, you know, famous? And he was like, I. I kind of want to be rich. So he. He took the role that now it's on, you know, 14, 15 season, whatever, and he's rich. He took. He wanted what he wanted. His family will be good forever. And now, you know, Denzel Washington's son, he doing Tenant, doing Christopher Nolan movies. I don't know what his paychecks look like, but, like, I essentially would say that they're both pretty rich at this point. But, like, he made a decision to go. Maybe if I did Ballers, I wouldn't have gotten to that next step. It would have just ended my three,
Tony A
four season and all that.
Gianni Paolo
Right. So it's kind of. That's the game with acting is like, everything is like a strategic, strategic move. And it's like, if they think you're hot, if they think you're doing well, then this casting director or this producer will bring you in for this movie. So it's a very strategic game that people don't really, you know, kind of know about. But they're both rich. And I, you know, I love for my friends.
Uncle Murder
Well, you hear about the stories. Because wasn't Will Smith. Will Smith, he was supposed to be in the Matrix, and he did that stupid cowboy movie, I think, back in the days. Am I wrong or right here? He did that flop, that dumb movie. Remember that movie? Will Smith did Wild, Wild West. Wild, Wild West.
Tony A
So Will Smith was.
Uncle Murder
He turned down the Matrix.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. But here's the thing. When. When you get a script, you don't know if it's going to be good or not.
Tony A
You don't.
Gianni Paolo
You could read a script and go, this is incredible. And then the director could ruin it. Or even afterwards, the director could have directed it great. And the producers are like, we don't think this is going to do good. And they chop the movie up. So Will like Will Smith, that could have been better than the Matrix in his mind, probably.
Uncle Murder
That's what he thought there.
Gianni Paolo
But. But. So I'm saying that's how these guys.
Tony A
He probably thought that, right?
Uncle Murder
The decisions, right?
Gianni Paolo
It's all about, like, when you get to that level and you have 10 scripts. You. You've seen Entourage, right? You have 10 scripts, and you got to pick the best script to. That's going to blow you up. The most in your lane that you want to do. It's a very strategic game. It's not just like, oh, I booked this. Let me go do it. They'll lock you down for seven years. You can't do nothing.
Uncle Murder
So how do guys like DiCaprio and guys like that pick the best scripts? They just get lucky.
Gianni Paolo
Well, not at this point. So DiCaprio was a child actor, so he got Gilbert Gray real young, and he's obviously a great actor. But once, like, he's kind of grandfathered into where he's done so many hit movies. Now it's. Now it's a thing where the biggest directors come in. Best writers are coming to Leonardo DiCaprio as opposed to, like, there's 30 or 40 A list actors, but they're all fighting to do a Christopher Nolan movie. They're all fighting to do a Paul Thomas Anderson movie as opposed to, like, these. The best scripts are going to Leonardo DiCaprio no matter what. That's why he has 20 years of hits, because he's getting the best scripts that he's seeing all these scripts first before any actor in town. So he's kind of grandfathered down. Yeah. Oh, he turns everything. He turns everything down, and he picks what director he wants to work with and who he trusts. It's why he works with Scorsese a lot. He knows it's going to be a banger Scorsese's not doing, you know, so once. Now, my. If you look at me like, my path is to go, okay, cool. Do a great movie with a great director. Boom book that. Do a big series, you know, get a lot of notoriety. Then I might get a better script, and then you get to the top, and then you can pick whatever you want, but it's getting there. To be able to pick shit is kind of like the life of an actor to get there, right?
Uncle Murder
Cause what y' all did was so big, man. Like, me watching tv. I remember it was three shows on that. We always watch Merc, Snowfall, Facts, Godfather, Harlem and Power. Yeah, I think, like, that. To me, that was like a classic year of tv, bro. Like, for real, like, I was just bouncing back of all them shows.
Gianni Paolo
I mean, what would 50 say. If you didn't watch Power, though, would he be like, what the fuck, man?
Uncle Murder
No, I mean, you got. I mean, it's good tv.
Tony A
Yeah.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
You know, people think, yo, we going, yes, man, 50 to death when it's good. It's good, man.
Gianni Paolo
I agree.
Uncle Murder
Yeah. The actors.
Tony A
The actors, good. It's dope. It's dope.
Gianni Paolo
I mean, the original Power is. It's a fucking masterpiece. Like, those six seasons are a masterpiece. You know, it's hard when you start doing spin offs and you have different writers rooms and different actors in different places and kind of tie it all together. Like, sometimes it gets a little difficult, but, like, those six seasons of Power are fucking masterpiece. And I didn't watch an episode of Power until after I had already shot those four episodes of season six, because I didn't want to. I didn't want to know more than what Braden should have known. Like, there's actually a scene where me and Tommy meets in season six of Power, but that wound up getting cut.
Tony A
And why they cut that?
Gianni Paolo
I think probably just for time, but he. He came into the dorm room where he found out that Tariq stole his drugs and was selling it. And he came in the dorm room and he sees me, and he goes, get the out of here, Bieber. And I run out. So we had already met, but it cut to the point where. Where it. He was already in the room, and I think it just goes right into him being like. Like, you. You stealing my drugs. So I forgot the what? The. Oh, so we had already met. What was the point of. Why the. I was saying that. Damn it. It's great tv. It's. It's. It's. It's six. Six seasons of a masterpiece. Right?
Uncle Murder
Think about lives for the next movie. And you see, that's what actors do.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, but. But it's six seasons of a masterpiece, and then they just need to, like, kind of go off and figure out what. What's the best way and kind of like, you know, Joseph. Joseph did his show that. But. But it's hard to really, like, make it work all together after. Like, there's different.
Uncle Murder
So when did the bond with you and Michael Rainey start? Because it was like, you know, it was so funny. Cause y' all used to go on Instagram, and, you know, y' all used to. Who had the best outfit? Y' all used to go against Meech. Meech used to hate on y'. All. You know, y' all used to hate. You know, y' all used to hate on him, whatever. Y' all used to go back and forth, but it's like, you never seen two actors, like, mesh like that and actually be brothers outside the studio, in the club.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, it started. So it started actually just the first episode that I came back for, season six of. Of Power, where I was just. Like, I said I was living in la. So they flew me to New York. And I'm just in New York City. I know a couple people, but you rap and you're just like, oh, like, I'm not doing. So we were on set and like, most actors you meet are very proper. They're very, like, you know, reserved. They could be a little crazy. But, like, Michael's not, like, an actor actor. Michael's a kid that grew up in Staten island that just so happens to be on a TV show. Like, he doesn't let that fame or
Tony A
anything get to him.
Gianni Paolo
He's very like a normal kid because he grew up in his family home with all of his friends around him. And his day job was just Go to Power. Now, obviously, like, he got bigger and bigger as, like, ghost happened and all that. But when I had first met him, him, he just. He brought up a girl. He brought up a car. And I. My head, I was like. Started talking about that girl looks fine as. And I, like, look over at him. And then we just started talking. And that was day one, back of season six of Power. Pick me up that night. Me and him went out to the club. It was over from there. We were going out every night. I was flying back and forth to do the episodes. And then I would. Me and Mike would go out, and then he'd hit me. Be like, you coming back for next? I don't know. I was like, I don't know. I'm not reading the episodes. Like, am I coming back? So I would. I was like, maybe I'll just go to New York and kick with Mike, even if I'm not in the episodes. And then that's when we got the call for Ghosts. And I was. We were just outside every night. I mean, Garrett will tell you, like, he's sitting over there. He ain't never seen a set. Like, me and Michael. We.
Uncle Murder
We would.
Gianni Paolo
But here's the thing. We would, like, we'd be sitting courtside of the Knicks game, and we'd be like. Like, okay, we got the club set up tonight. Got a bunch of girls pulling up. Gotta be at work at 6am we gotta be off book because we gotta be professional. So we'll be sitting at the Knicks games, like, running lines with each other, being like, all right, well, you got the. Yeah, whatever. All right, well, Cane this and that, and we're running lines, sitting in the Knicks game, and we're not going to the club until we got the scene. Without looking at the paper.
Tony A
Look at that.
Gianni Paolo
We got the scene down. We're like, all right, now, should we take care of our. And then whatever. And then you, you know, you pull up the set, next morning, you're 100%, and you're ready to go. We fucking party like crazy. But, like, we had our shit all the way down, and I think that's what, like. I think that's just, like, the producers and everyone, like, loved about us. Like, we had. We were on our shit, you know?
Uncle Murder
Yes to talk of New York. Tony. Yo.
Tony A
And this the boy Led Zed. Lenny. Whoa.
Uncle Murder
And right now, we representing Baskin Lava Black Owned. One of my best products that I love to use is the beard grow, because I want to use, you know, pull a whole bed out.
Tony A
I've been working on my waves, so I've been messing with this one. Yeah, I ain't gonna hold you. I'm gonna show the people how my waves is looking, too. On the next couple episodes, I gonna be like, oh, whoa.
Uncle Murder
Yeah. They known for good nutrients, you know, for your hair, circulation, a lot of things. They got a men's healthcare kit that's wonderful and great.
Tony A
You could go to baskinlathercoat.com and if you mention realreport, you get 20% off. You heard, that's Baskinlab. Mention real report, get 20% off. You heard.
Uncle Murder
Explore viral bestsellers and products of healthier hair of all types from Baskin Laver. Go to Baskin laverick co.com and use the code realreport for 20% off, and
Tony A
that's 20% off@baskinladderco.com Cold RealReport. Whoa.
Uncle Murder
Yeah.
Tony A
Do people be surprised when they meet you in real life that you really act like Braden? Like, oh, this motherfucker really is a little crazy. Like, it's a little off.
Gianni Paolo
Like, I mean, I don't know. Like, I guess I'm pretty like myself on social media, so people see me, like, got you this it. Even people in high school. Like, I know a lot of people will be like, oh, he only dresses like this or wears change or does this because he thinks he's cool with 50 Cent, or he's. He's a unit. And. And I'll. I'll post people saying, like that, and people from High school or knew me when I was 12 or 13 years old. Be like, this. The same I met when he was in.
Tony A
Like that.
Uncle Murder
He's.
Tony A
He.
Gianni Paolo
You know, I was. I've been collecting Jordan since I was 11 years old. I was wearing the G unit T with the G speakers at school, and. And being crazy. Like, that was always me. So that's why, like. Like I said, even, like, a lot of Braden's writing paralleled my life. A little bit of, like, you know. You know, growing up around, like, tough areas, but also at the same time, like, your parents, you know, you gotta be presentable. And, like, a lot of shit mirrored my life. That's why, like, when Braden happened, I was like, this is literally, like, perfect fate. This is fate. Like, you can't write a better show for me to do, you know, meet all my heroes. I mean, you. And it's just like. Like, it's just wild. So, yeah, I'm grateful for it.
Uncle Murder
Well, you did a great job. It was great tv. And we want to see more from you because it was like, yo, remember your brother? Your brother. Because you was the black sheep of the family.
Gianni Paolo
Yep.
Uncle Murder
Sister kidnapped brother, drugs in the crib.
Gianni Paolo
But here's the thing I always say, like, it doesn't. It stems from Tariq a little bit, you know? Like, it's all. You know. And I'm not. It's not Michael's fault. It's Tariq's fault. Okay. They write. But I always make this joke because I'm like, everyone's always mad and angry at power, and this not. And it's like, imagine there would be no show if Braden and Tariq. Oh, wow, we just sold a million dollars worth of dope. Nothing bad happened. Let's go to Miami. There'd be no TV show. Of course, when you're driving there, you got to get a flat tire, and then a Cops got to pull you over, and then someone hits you. But really, the cop is dirty. That's what makes the show so, like, people get so mad at it. And, like. Like, if you wanted it to go the way you wanted it to go, there would be no TV show. There'd be no beef with Monet. Ghosts would still be selling drugs. Like, there'd be no issues.
Uncle Murder
Yeah. Because there was a point where we wanted to know who was. Who was more dangerous, Braden or Tyreek.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Uncle Murder
Because we didn't know what to expect from this guy.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. I. I think more towards the season four, when I was getting on the drugs, which I liked. I Liked when Braden was on the drugs, because it was. And the show should have continued, but, like, it was a vehicle to get Braden to be crazy. Because if you. You saw Braden, season six, he was a lacrosse player. He was. He was just like, nice little kid who maybe took a couple pills. You're gonna say in a year and a half, he's murdering people. And it doesn't make sense.
Tony A
So the writers were like, girls, start turning you out. Like, let's turn him out. Get him acting a little crazy.
Gianni Paolo
That's kind of. It was kind of like a vehicle, which the writers did, to like, make Braden go crazy and really turn him into what he turned into now, season five. He would have been fucking nuts, which I would have loved to see. But they had different plans, you know, definitely.
Uncle Murder
It was Must see tv. Any show that makes me want to run home to go see it, it makes me feel like the Wire or the Sopranos or any of them shows that we talk about. That's why we always want to know what you're doing next. You know, what's going on next, what's the plans?
Gianni Paolo
I definitely like the next thing. I want to do another show. I want to do another show. I like movies, but, like, you go do a movie for two months, and then you don't really create, like, a family, you know, you just shoot a movie for two months. I. I don't haven't seen not one crew member from that movie trust that I did the year ago. So I'm like. Like, I. I'm family with, like, the power crew. So I want to go do another TV show, do it for a couple years, and then. Then I start picking my movies. That's really the. The.
Tony A
See, people don't know that we all film, like, the whole part. I remember it was one time people thought you and Joseph didn't like each other.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, people.
Tony A
Why people thought that? Or did y' all not like each other?
Gianni Paolo
That was real. That was.
Tony A
Y' all really didn't like each other.
Gianni Paolo
That. That. That was real. That beef was real.
Uncle Murder
Oh, I thought it was. I thought I had, like, show beef.
Gianni Paolo
No, that. The. That happened. That was on stage, which everyone saw, and we squashed it. And, you know, it is what it is now. But, like, yeah, we. That. That was real. And it was just like a miscommunication that snowballed into something and then obviously, like. Like, it. It got squashed. But yeah, that was real. That. That wasn't for the. Everything. Everyone. Half people thought it was real, Half people thought it was Fake. But, like, that wasn't for, like, the cameras or anything, but I stood on business. He stood on business, and that was it. And we. And we squashed it.
Tony A
My God. They still on business. You heard my. But they still don't. But now we all family. But.
Gianni Paolo
But. But family even have.
Tony A
Of course, man. This guy right here, you know, I can't stand this person.
Uncle Murder
YouTube.
Gianni Paolo
I'm curious about the dynamic of the podcast. Like, who's coming in late, who's doing what.
Uncle Murder
Listen, I'm running the show, man.
Tony A
Fuck out there. You see who run the show. You can see who run the show.
Gianni Paolo
I just dropped a bomb, and now I'm just gonna take the mic.
Tony A
Trust me, when I went to YouTube,
Uncle Murder
you seen how hard I was working Vlad, your show, Breakfast Club, Shannon Sharp, Kill Tony.
Gianni Paolo
I will say your numbers are nuts. Like, Nobody gets those YouTube numbers.
Uncle Murder
Yeah, they was laughing at. Laughing at me on the jet when I was talking about YouTube. Vlad, man, get out of here. Now he's doing Vlad, and the whole world is doing Vlad. Everybody followed the Yayo blueprint. Shannon Sharp, Vlad, Breakfast Club, tmz. It's the Yayo blueprint. It's cool, but I stay humble. You know what I'm saying?
Tony A
He want to say it's the Yayo blueprint, but just say he stay humble.
Gianni Paolo
Get the ball.
Uncle Murder
I gotta get.
Gianni Paolo
Give you your flowers. You were doing all of it before anyone was doing it. You were going viral. You were doing like it really is.
Uncle Murder
And I appreciate all the people out there that support me. Support this guy support Uncle Murder when he was laughing at me. I love you guys, and I love that y', all, like, subscribe. Matter of fact, what we going to start doing? We're going to start doing giveaways on the show. That's something me and Murder thought about. Next week, we going pick out the subscribers.
Tony A
We appreciate.
Uncle Murder
We got some. Some nice gifts for y' all coming. And no other show is doing that. Yeah, this is what we do. Cause we got 50 Cent, we got you, we got the whole power staff. You know, we gonna get all the actors.
Gianni Paolo
What's next for you guys? Are you guys gonna tour? Are you guys dropping new music? What's the vibe with you guys right now?
Uncle Murder
We just. We parting tours. I mean, he got some new.
Tony A
I'm definitely about to drop some new music. Shout out to Empire. I just did a new deal with them.
Gianni Paolo
Hell, yeah.
Tony A
So I'm definitely about to drop some new music. I got a project on the way, so I'm about to. The streets up right quick.
Uncle Murder
You know, you never. You never know what's going to happen. Like, we were 50, you know, we. We had live fountain blue in. In Vegas.
Gianni Paolo
Now when he's beefing with people on Instagram, are you waking up like. Like picking your eyes, being like, oh, now I gotta beef this guy? Like, what's. What's going through your life?
Uncle Murder
This is. This is what I tell 50. I say, 50? You got so much money, all I would hear is, blah, blah, blah, 100 mil, blah, blah, blah. You know, 100 million, he wakes up, blah, blah, blah. 100 mil with the Planet Hollywood thing, blah, blah, blah. He gives a half a mil away in Shreveport to, you know, domestic violence and stuff. So we on the phone and he's laughing. I'm like. I told him if I had his
Tony A
money, he don't take it serious. So to him, if he ain't taking it serious, we can't. How the fuck we gonna take it serious? Like, he's just having fun with this shit.
Uncle Murder
But I told. Listen, this is what. I know him better than anybody, right?
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
And I feel like this. And I hope he don't get mad that I say, yeah, serious.
Tony A
Don't say it. Hold up.
Uncle Murder
No, no, I don't care. I'm gonna say it. Fiff is already crazy. But I feel like when his grandfather passed away, I feel like he got even more crazy. Like, when we was at the funeral, I know, like, all he had was his grandmother and his grandfather. So I know when he put his grandfather in the ground, I said. I said, yo, everybody better watch out. Even me. And murder. Yeah, better watch out. You know, he fire you on Christmas.
Tony A
You know, yo, this guy's. Yo, this guy's crazy, man.
Uncle Murder
So make sure, you know on set. But. But if you do do and you know, and. And talk about your experience with 50, because if you're coming to set and you're doing what you got to do, he's going to respect you, because that's what we see him do. You know what I'm saying?
Gianni Paolo
I guess me and 50 just, like. I guess when I just started, like, kicking it with him and coming to shows and, like, he called me one time when he called me last year, like. Cause sometimes you don't know. You're like, I think he likes me. I think he loves me. Like, he's always bringing me. You know what I mean? Like, you're like. You never really know.
Uncle Murder
Trying to figure it out. Yeah, yeah, you're 50 or Canaan.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, you're 30 years in you're like, I still don't.
Uncle Murder
Trying to figure it out, right?
Gianni Paolo
He, he called me when we were talking about the Fightland stuff and, and he. It was like one of the best phone calls I've. I've ever had because he called me, he's like, I really with you. Like, you know what you're doing, you know how to move, you know how to post on social media, you know how to be you, but also make people attracted to the show and draw people in. And you and Mike are going to hosting together and going outside. He's like, a lot of the other actors on Power, they don't do that. So you, you cast someone because you're just casting someone. You don't know if they're gonna be comfortable going in New Orleans or. I'm flying to Poland and pulling up on you guys. There's probably amount of actors on one hand that would fly to Poland dolo to pull up on five. Now I had a Poland fine out there that I was going to visit. I like to pull up on five. Like, what other 25 year old white actor from Vermont is pulling up and doing that?
Tony A
You know what I mean?
Uncle Murder
You. You, Eddie.
Gianni Paolo
So I think that's why me and,
Uncle Murder
yeah,
Gianni Paolo
I think that's why me and five, like have such a good relationship is because he knows that I get it and I know, like that's the shit you got to do. You know what I mean? I'll pull up to Vegas, I'll be outside with Chris Lofton. Like, I'll go to the shit that you need to go to to create hype for the show and do what needs to be done. So he called me and he, and he expressed all that to me. And that's when the first time I was like, okay, yeah, like, because sometimes you don't know, like, you know, you. It's just. You hit him, you're like, oh, really? Yeah.
Uncle Murder
You know, the energy's different when he's.
Tony A
Nah, nah, nah. He fuck with you.
Uncle Murder
How do you, how do y' all deal with that? Because I done been in clubs and people be like, tariq Braden, want to shoot you. Like people. When people take the character a little too far, like want to fight in the club or bro. Because people really be stuck on the character.
Gianni Paolo
Five years before that, I was sleeping on a pop air mattress with no bread, no motion, hustling every day, wearing the same clothes, going to acting class. My socks were so dirty. I come home and I take my shoes off. My shit would be all dirty on the floor in my apartment in la. My shitty apartment. Call me Braden, as much as you want. I'll take. I'll take every picture you want me to take. I'll be at the club. Like, I'm not too cool for anyone because I know where I came from.
Uncle Murder
From.
Gianni Paolo
Like, so if someone's gonna pay money to watch Power, they're paying their 1099 on stars to watch the show. They're following me on Instagram. They're commenting on my. Like, that's someone that's a fan of you and supporting you. Like, I never understood. And no shade to like me, but, like, I never understood, like, the man don't touch me in the club. It's like, without this person, who the would you even be? So I. I feel that because I'm like, I was hungry and wanted to be an actor, and I've. I've done everything that I've ever wanted to do because of these people that love the show. So it's like. Like I'm not going to be too cool for them. I don't think I'm better than anyone else because I'm an actor. People know who I am. I just get to laugh every day. And, like, my Monday night is doing the Real Report with Uncle Murder and Tony Ao definitely, like, what's. What's. Who else is. You know what I mean? I just, like, love doing it. I'm like, it's going to continue because that's the attitude that I have. And a lot of people don't continue because they're on set or then directors and producers, they know that and they don't want to work with people like that. It's all relationship.
Uncle Murder
Yeah, definitely. I know. And I know. But, you know, when everything happened so fast for y'.
Tony A
All.
Uncle Murder
Yeah. Like, when I seen it, like, we. Michael Rainey was kind of different because he kind of was a kid.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
On the show. Was he seven years old? Eight years.
Gianni Paolo
He was. I think he was around ten.
Uncle Murder
Ten. So. So what? To. So eight years. What was it? What was.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, he did. He's 24 now, so he did. Probably. Yeah, for the four. 13 years on the show. 12 years in the show.
Uncle Murder
13 years.
Gianni Paolo
I remembered it. So I was. When. When it aired because we took a break for the pandemic when it aired. I was staying at this. The director of Ma's spot. I was staying at his spot in East Village, and I would walk to Equinox, the. The gym to work out on my days off. I would. When I. Before the show Aired like, I had done a couple episodes in the original Power, but, like, you do two, three episodes, people don't really notice you. When Ghost aired after that second episode, when I was, like, in it more, bro, I couldn't walk down the street. It happened in two weeks. It happened in two weeks. The week before I was on the. I would call. I call my. My mom or I call, like, family or my friends. Like, walk into the gym, and I have my headphones in. I just walked to the gym down whatever street it was two weeks later. Braden, Brady braid. Every five seconds. I couldn't walk to the gym anymore. Even my mom would be like, are people, like, people? Can I stop asking you for pics? And, like, it happened so fast. Like, and I just did that giant movie with Octavia Spencer, and I don't. I've never gotten recognized that, like, the second power happened. Like, it all changed.
Uncle Murder
How do you stay humble now? People see you in the street. You got beautiful women. You know, I've seen you in London. You know, you like beautiful black women.
Gianni Paolo
You like Asian.
Uncle Murder
You like the Spanish. You like all kinds of women. So how do you keep yourself level? Then the jewelry, then the cars and.
Gianni Paolo
But, but, like, but what does that even mean? Like, what do you mean? Like, stay.
Uncle Murder
Like, how you keep yourself humble?
Gianni Paolo
Like, but, But I. I don't know that I don't think there's, like, a non humble to, like. Like, I feel like I'm just. I, I. I just don't see the change. Like, I don't see or faking it or it just doesn't. It doesn't compute to me of, like, why you all of a sudden are getting recognized, that you just turn into a dick.
Tony A
A different person.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. Like, it never. It doesn't make sense to me. So that's why I'm like, oh, I don't know. I'm just, like, being myself. Like, most of these actors are not being themselves.
Uncle Murder
All right, let me. Let me give you an example. That's like, y' all went to the club, right? You're drinking Shout to the Branson boys. You're drinking the Branson.
Gianni Paolo
Love it.
Uncle Murder
You know how that should have you.
Gianni Paolo
I like him.
Uncle Murder
And, you know, I like the shim and the Branson. You know, the wild nights. Branson nights.
Gianni Paolo
Yep.
Uncle Murder
Wild nights. Now you. You got to be on set six in the morning.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
I don't know if me and murder. You think you could do that? I mean, off the Branson on a wild night, six in the morning. How do you do that off the Branson and. And drinking. And then you gotta be on set six in the morning. You got up last night, you had a chick in your bed. You had a wild night.
Gianni Paolo
You want. You want to know what, what gets me to do is that 10.8 million people are gonna see what I'm about to do the next day. 10.8 million people are gonna watch what I'm about to do. So it's really on me. Do I want to look like I've been looked like shit and be drinking all night and have a bloated face and do this and do that? Or do I want 10.8 million people to be like, damn, he was funny and he was sharp and he knew what he was doing. So it's. I don't know. It's kind of like up to you. There are a lot of actors that show up to set and off and they don't work again because they're just like. Well, it showed in the scene. Like, people watch the show, but other people that are doing other shows watch power. So if they're gonna be like, I don't think he's a good actor. You just yourself. That 10.8 million people saw because you wanted to hook up with a girl one night that you could hook up with on Saturday. You know, now, wow.
Tony A
Discipline. Yeah.
Uncle Murder
This discipline. Because you got to think about. Tell them how you remember your lines. That's one question. Yeah. And how many takes you got to do.
Tony A
Doing.
Uncle Murder
Doing the show?
Gianni Paolo
A lot of people memorize lines different. Like, Michael Rainey will just legitimately look at the page. He's got a very photographic memory. So he'll look at it and he'll go, yeah, I got it. And then I'll have, like a whole paragraph. I'm like, what the.
Tony A
That's how I do.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. That's crazy. I wish I had that.
Tony A
He can't do that. Me and him, we went to acting class. Not to cut you off. We went to acting class. Shout out to Wendy. Shut up. You hear me, Johnny?
Uncle Murder
Shout out to Wendy.
Tony A
Shout out to Wendy. Shout out to. When these guys acting. I did that.
Uncle Murder
He carried a big bag.
Gianni Paolo
I looked at it.
Uncle Murder
I was nice.
Tony A
I was nice.
Uncle Murder
He got. Carried a big bag.
Tony A
Nice.
Uncle Murder
He got shot. You didn't even say nothing.
Tony A
Shout out to the Bruce Willis.
Uncle Murder
Shout out to.
Tony A
I looked at that. This guy could not do it. He, he, he. He could not. It took him a little.
Gianni Paolo
Some people have different. Like me. I h. I would FaceTime my little brother at night. Like, even if it's like 2am I'm like wake up. Like we got to do this. And I have to hear it. I have to. I have to hear it every time. Like in my. In my bed before I go to bed. Cuz I can't do it the day of. You got to sleep with that in your brain. So I. I have to hear it now, Michael. Very photographic memory. I just run it back and forth. I just run it back and forth. And I'll. Okay.
Tony A
What.
Gianni Paolo
I won't move on to the next line until I have the fully. The whole one memorized.
Uncle Murder
When you. Let me tell you. When you do a movie, right, Like Murder and you get out. You get out to. You get the big bag. Does that count?
Gianni Paolo
Get the out of me.
Uncle Murder
I had locked out. You gotta let me talk you a swat. Look, you is SWAT too. That in his movie. Look, in his movie he had a bank bag, right? And got shot.
Tony A
I don't get.
Uncle Murder
He was looking like a cop.
Tony A
I was. I was protecting the money. I was protecting the money.
Uncle Murder
I played a gangster that nobody saw. Benny Boom. Gotta fix that. You gotta fix that.
Tony A
Exactly. Nobody saw two. Nobody saw him. That's like Shotas too. That nobody saw. Remember? They had a shotist too. Nobody ever fucking saw Shotas too. And that's like this Scarface too. You just asked him what movie he wanted to be in, right?
Uncle Murder
I said I was the scar.
Tony A
See, that's.
Uncle Murder
That's.
Tony A
That's.
Uncle Murder
You killed me off. But listen. But this. What you're not understanding, right? What I'm saying to him is my part that y' all didn't see that he claim.
Gianni Paolo
And he extended.
Uncle Murder
I'm not going to ever get me mad anymore, right? Right. Y' all extended cut, right? We didn't see his movie either, though.
Tony A
They saw my.
Uncle Murder
Haven't seen it on.
Tony A
It was on Netflix.
Uncle Murder
The movie theater, bro.
Tony A
Listen, we was number three on Netflix.
Uncle Murder
Look, I haven't seen it on Netflix or Tubi. You know, I always go to Tuby a lot.
Tony A
I think you might have made.
Uncle Murder
No, I haven't seen it on Tub.
Tony A
Yours.
Uncle Murder
He had a bank bag and got shot. Like it was my part. I had a hostage.
Gianni Paolo
There are no small parts, only small actors.
Tony A
There you go.
Uncle Murder
Listen. No, that's a small part.
Tony A
No, he had. Listen, your part didn't even count.
Uncle Murder
I had a line. Look. I had lines. Lines, right. I had lines. I had. I had to practice because I got shot in the head, right? Don't want to mark myself. I got shot in the head, right Yeah, I had an actual hostage. That was Benny Boom's wife.
Tony A
You definitely gotta explain all this. Go ahead, though.
Uncle Murder
She was Benny Boone's wife. She was a hostage. It's gonna come out now because I'm so. Look, I had. And Benny Boom's like, yo, that's my wife. You got to be careful with blood links. He don't. His gun was in the holster. He ain't do no action. Nothing happened. Like, nothing happened. I'm falling.
Tony A
I was gripping.
Uncle Murder
Like. I know I'm a better action.
Tony A
I was gripping on my hamm and everything.
Gianni Paolo
Gianni, did you find it hard or no. Or did you. Did you enjoy it?
Uncle Murder
Pause for both of those. But. You got to say it different when
Gianni Paolo
you were on your back. And that's.
Uncle Murder
Look, no, what I'm saying is he did nothing. He took a bag and got shot. I had squid packs on the top of my head.
Gianni Paolo
See, they were blasting face.
Tony A
Yo, how long was you going say, how long was you going sit. He said, too many pauses.
Uncle Murder
I did stunts. Too many pauses on this story. But I did stunts.
Gianni Paolo
And they blasted you in the face when you're on your back in that same pa.
Tony A
When I did my movie with Bruce Willis, I had to get like. I was.
Uncle Murder
You didn't do anything.
Tony A
You actually went to Cincinnati. Yeah, you know that. And I was on set for like a week.
Uncle Murder
It was a real movie.
Tony A
It was like.
Uncle Murder
I was on set for. It was a real.
Tony A
No, you wasn't. Yeah, yeah. I had to go to Cisn that fifth. Had me lit out there and all that.
Uncle Murder
Yo, bro, I was never.
Tony A
Put him in the movie because he know he can't act. I'm just being honest with you. That's why I play.
Uncle Murder
Yo, look, Benny Boom. It's Benny Boom four. If you ever see that movie. I actually. He doesn't even. He don't even know how to deal with blanks and guns. I'm shooting blanks.
Tony A
That's what I had at the movie.
Uncle Murder
You didn't do anything. You got shot in two seconds.
Tony A
You didn't even have lines for 10 minutes.
Uncle Murder
We ain't going to talk about this.
Tony A
Give me some paper towels.
Uncle Murder
And before he did. And before he did. Money and valve. Shout out to Money.
Tony A
Money and bath. Don't let my money come for you. Yeah, they could come for me.
Uncle Murder
It was in 1K. I don't care. They didn't have the technology back then. Shout out to y'. All.
Tony A
Money and balance was popping back then. We had it lit. Shout out to my guys. We had money and balance lit. That was popping.
Uncle Murder
You was okay in that?
Tony A
I was popping in that.
Uncle Murder
There was nothing else going on.
Tony A
I was popping in money.
Uncle Murder
I love money and violence. It was a great show.
Tony A
I sat my little brother.
Uncle Murder
The lens. The lens we have.
Tony A
Remember that, right? I sat my little brother. See that? I got fans. Ain't nobody saw swat2. You remember swat2?
Uncle Murder
You remember swat2, right?
Tony A
Nah, he don't remember swat2.
Gianni Paolo
I didn't know they made a second one. I'm not gonna lie. But the first one was really good.
Uncle Murder
Swat.
Tony A
The first swat, right? SWAT was good.
Gianni Paolo
So that's not really the one that he wasn't in.
Tony A
Was good.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
Yo, let me explain something to you. If 50 put me, all you see is put Yayo on the show. Put Yayo on the show. I don't never see nobody say put
Tony A
on the show now. They definitely say, put murder on the show.
Uncle Murder
Put Yayo on the show.
Gianni Paolo
Did you talk to him about being in power?
Uncle Murder
I don't even worry about it. Cause I. I got other things coming. Yeah, you know, I got big things coming. Murder. Don't even know what's going on. So, you know, still, my brother, he
Tony A
don't want to tell me that.
Uncle Murder
I ain't messing, you know, I'm just staying humble, man. So, so what's next? What do you, what do you want to do? What's the goal? I see you in the gym. I see you working out. I see you staying healthy, you know,
Gianni Paolo
it's movie star time, you know? No, I, I, I want to do, like, someone's career. Who I love is Bradley Cooper. Like, he did. He did Hangover. He did, like, a. One of the most iconic comedy movies of all time. And then he just started doing, like, you know, Silver Linings playbook. He just started picking the right movies. I mean, Limitless. And he just not. Like, he's someone's career that I, like, really love. So, like, that's, like, my blueprint. Like, he started on a show for a while, too. I think it went four or five seasons, and then he kind of bounced around, and then he found his footing. Like, that's like, my goal is like Bradley Cooper. And if I. That, that's it. Like, that's, that's the. The bar for me. Like, I can't. I'm not going anything lower than that.
Uncle Murder
How do you. How do you feel about, like, would you. Would you be happy to do, like, franchise movies?
Gianni Paolo
Oh, of course. I don't know. Why? Like, I mean, I guess, like, people kind of can get stuck in something. But like, even like you look at Robert Pattinson, you know who that is? He, he. He was the. The kid from Twilight. He played the vampire.
Tony A
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.
Gianni Paolo
I mean, yeah, he like played a corny vampire and I like those movies, but like he played a corny vampire for five movies and, and people were like, he's gonna get tight. The guy is. He's Batman now. He's the new Batman. The guy. He's doing cool ass a 24 Safdie Brothers movies. He's doing whatever the fuck he wants to do. So like, please bring me the franchise movie, because a franchise movie is going to get you the movies that you actually want to do.
Uncle Murder
Do.
Gianni Paolo
Because once you're associated with the Marvel, you know, with the superhero movie, then your name carries enough to greenlight that script that you fucking love. You know what I mean? That, that, that five to $10 million script that you're like, this is a story I want to fudgeing tell. So go do the. The superhero movies, make the big money, get super famous, get the Instagram following. So then when you want to do this A24 project, you have enough clout in your name to just get investors to go, yes. You know what I mean? That's why I don't ever turn down. I'm not going to say no to a franchise.
Uncle Murder
You know what you feel is the biggest movie to you that I would
Gianni Paolo
do or just in general.
Uncle Murder
In general. Or you would do both.
Gianni Paolo
I mean, a dream like everyone said. But like dream role would be Joker. I now I don't want to like
Tony A
go as far he.
Gianni Paolo
Heath Ledger is like, like, that's my favorite performance ever.
Uncle Murder
Yeah, definitely.
Gianni Paolo
So I like, even me being like, like I would have to compete with that is still like, that's daunting for me. But it would, it would probably be Joker or like even maybe Batman. Like the Batman franchise, I think is the biggest. Batman and Spider Man. Spider Man. Like, those are the two biggest. Now like you could go to like Fast and Furious, but like internationally, those just don't do the numbers that Batman and Spider man will always do because of the comic books, you know?
Uncle Murder
Right.
Tony A
I think Harry Potter was a big franchise.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, that was. I think that was.
Tony A
Yeah, yeah, that was.
Uncle Murder
There's a lot of franchise movies like he just named Fast and Furious.
Tony A
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
Harry Potter.
Gianni Paolo
But a lot of that acting kind of like sucks. Not. And I don't mean the actors suck. I mean it sucks going to set, set and like Fast and Furious is probably a lot of fun because there's a lot of driving like that, but a lot of the Spider man and the. It's a lot of CGI now, so you're like, it's like dead quiet and you're. It's a lot of fake. So you're not really having to pour any or do any effort into that stuff. That's what, what might be challenging for me, but like, some of the best actors say, like, I get paid to wait, I get paid to do. You know, I act for free because I love it it, but I get paid to do the dumb. That's where these big checks are making me be like, all right, I'm not gonna acknowledge the fact that I'm doing a fake spider out of my.
Tony A
You know what I mean?
Uncle Murder
Because you feel like the AI move. AI is making movies better? No, no.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, I don't think.
Tony A
Do you feel AI is making movies?
Uncle Murder
Yeah. Why not?
Gianni Paolo
I don't think they are.
Tony A
Are you a fan of AI? But you feel like it's fucking up the acting game a little bit?
Gianni Paolo
I don't, I don't think I will ever replace an actor because someone at home wants to. Wants to see an actor. Actor. Do people go to the movies because Zendaya is in it?
Uncle Murder
Yeah. No, I'm not saying actor. I'm saying just the AI technology. Like he said the actors just doing this like DiCaprio. When he fought the beer. What movie was it? When did Capri fought the bed? Yeah, when he fought the beer. That was AI. Yeah, that looked real as hell.
Gianni Paolo
Okay, I get what you're saying.
Uncle Murder
Yeah. I'm not saying you.
Gianni Paolo
I thought he was talking about like the AI vertical overall with the actors. Yeah, of course. Oh, it's killing it. Yeah. I mean, like, like certain AI, like that technology is like, you need it and it actually helps movies because you can make them for cheaper so people can get their projects greenlit. Like without having a 60 million dollar budget. You're like, oh, we could AI this in. Maybe this budget goes down to like 20 million and more stuff can get made. Now it gets rocky with like, what kind of. They're trying to replace actors and take away jobs from people. But I just don't think it'll ever do it because people want to go see 50 in a movie. People want to go see. See Zendaya or Robert Patton.
Uncle Murder
Oh, yeah, definitely, we want to see them. I'm not, I'm not talking about the actors. I'm talking about like, what's the new Movie that just came out, Hail Mary.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, I saw it. It was.
Uncle Murder
It was, huh, Project Hail Mary. Now, I watched. I watched that.
Gianni Paolo
Did you love it?
Uncle Murder
I loved it.
Gianni Paolo
It was one of the best movies I've seen.
Uncle Murder
I'm not going to give you too much on it, but it's one of the best movies I've seen in my life. And the graphics was crazy and the writing was crazy because when you watch Alien movies, right, the alien is always somebody evil or something crazy or gonna kill you or something. When you watch Aliens, it's usually scary. So the only Alien movie that really was, like, where the alien was friendly was E.T.
Gianni Paolo
yep.
Uncle Murder
So we seen E.T. years ago. So when I seen this, I was like, hail Mary.
Gianni Paolo
This is so good.
Uncle Murder
It was crazy.
Gianni Paolo
And he was fucking unbelievable.
Uncle Murder
A friendly alien. There's parts of that thing where you felt it like, oh, shit.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, it was amazing. I didn't know what I was getting into when I. Because I didn't see the trailer.
Uncle Murder
I was like, project Hail Mary. I'll make sure y' all see that. And what's. What's the guy? Who's the guy? Russ Gosling.
Gianni Paolo
He was unbelievable. And he was so good. I think he win an Oscar.
Uncle Murder
Who's the female actor who's in there? It was. It was great, man, that I just watched that, went to the movies. Go see that Project Hail Mary. That's what I'm talking about. And that's what I'm saying. AI, like, just how everything.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, I get what you mean. Yeah.
Tony A
So that.
Gianni Paolo
So.
Tony A
Because I didn't see that jack y' all gonna make. We don't want to spoil it. Had a lot of A's AI involved.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. There's a robot in the movie that he. He talks to pretty much the whole second and third act. So like, he.
Tony A
Yeah, okay.
Gianni Paolo
A lot of AI.
Tony A
Okay.
Uncle Murder
And, you know, I'm. I'm into like, all the SpaceX stuff. Like, you know, because think about it, like, the way future, like, technology's going now, like, they're trying to make. SpaceX is trying to get, you know, a station on Mars. You know what I mean?
Gianni Paolo
Just.
Uncle Murder
Just thinking about that, like, in the next next 10 years when, you know, people are, like, living on Mars that, like, I just want to be around to see something like that. That's crazy, man.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
When you really, really think about it, you know what I'm saying?
Gianni Paolo
I like Earth too much, I think. I think I like. I like the. On Earth too much to go to Mars.
Uncle Murder
Yo, imagine. Imagine.
Gianni Paolo
I like Dre's.
Uncle Murder
All I'm saying is imagine you taking one of your girls, taking one of your girls to Mars. That's the ultimate trip right there.
Gianni Paolo
Somebody's gonna get so crazy. You're like, I'm taking a baddie to Mars this weekend. What are you doing? That's actually hilarious.
Uncle Murder
You gotta think about it, where technology's going, man. I'm like. That's why I kind of liked it, because I was like. And just the whole fact, you know people, you know, alien concept. And it was just the last friendly Alien movie. Like I said we seen was E.T.
Tony A
yeah.
Uncle Murder
Come on, E.T. everybody love ET.
Gianni Paolo
Where's your favorite place to go when you do travel? Because you travel a lot.
Uncle Murder
Yeah, I mean, I love to go. We've been everywhere, man.
Gianni Paolo
That's why I'm, like, curious. Like, you've seen every place.
Uncle Murder
Oh, I always tell people, start off with Paris, Amsterdam.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
And I would say Dubai. Yeah. And for three different reasons. Can't smoke in Dubai. So you'd be tight.
Tony A
But it got mad at that.
Uncle Murder
And then you. You do, like, 10 years over that joint in the sand, you know? So we got Dubai. But I love Dubai, man. Made beaches, the buildings, the vibe.
Tony A
What about you?
Gianni Paolo
Where do you like going?
Tony A
Me, I like. I like Dubai, too, because of, like, the. But he said, like, the man made infrastructure and all that. How they got that set up. Set up. I like Australia a lot. I like. Yeah, Australia is dope, man. I like Australia. I like London. I like Paris, too.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. London's always. We have.
Tony A
London is always a good time.
Uncle Murder
London got the best Jamaican food.
Gianni Paolo
Oh, my God.
Tony A
Paris, you could go.
Uncle Murder
Did you.
Gianni Paolo
Did you go to that Somali spot with us?
Uncle Murder
No, I didn't go. I gotta go next time.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, Somali spots, crazy.
Uncle Murder
They got good African food or anything. Just London. London feel like New York without the guns. Just nice and different accents. Fucking stab you quick in London. That's the only thing. But I love travel, man. You know that. I think that's the best thing about us. It's the best is meeting the people. Like when you say you meet all these people, like, to me, like, being an actor, like, what would you rather be? Honestly, an actor or a rapper?
Tony A
Me, I would really have to say. I can't knock my path, so I would say rapper. But I want to get into acting. Acting. Yeah. I want to eventually get into acting, but I love the music, man. All that.
Uncle Murder
I'd rather be an actor.
Gianni Paolo
But I think. Here's the thing. I think they both have their pros and cons. Obviously, you guys live, like, a faster, more fun and lit kind of life. Like, think about it. You are only seeing, like, me and Michael and people who are on power 99.9 of actors. That does not happen. They're going to their. Their show, whatever, Amazon prime or Netflix or show that they're on. They're with a bunch of married cast members that are very proper. They're. And. And honestly, sometimes. And yeah, they grew up doing theater. And. And it's. And it's this big thing, and then all of a sudden, everyone goes home to their own thing, and you're on set and somewhere, and you got to go back to your hotel room. Like, you don't have. It's not lit with 50 and murder. You're not going to the clubs. Like, if you were to just be an actor. Actor. The only reason it looks cool to you is because you see power, which is sick. And no other actors live like we do. But that's the only reason why you're like, I would rather be an actor. Green light gang right now. Go do a movie in Australia or wherever, and you're there for six months. And I'm telling you, he's gonna be like, I want to go back to being a rapper. I promise you. It's like, it's not as lit out of the power universe.
Uncle Murder
No, I like being on. I like big budgets. I like.
Tony A
Because I was in. When I was in budgets, I'm like, damn. Luckily, I had to connect to get some bud out there, right? Other than that, it was boring. Like, some set. And I'm just in my hotel room waiting for them to call me back the next day to do the same old again. It was like, damn.
Uncle Murder
We was in Detroit. They was beefing about coming to the store.
Tony A
It was different. I'm talking about this professional. The professional that me and him talking about is different. Like real. Like, yeah, Bruce Willis professional set. I know what you talking about.
Uncle Murder
Boom Hood.
Tony A
He talk about. He just said they was at the grocery store. Of course you probably.
Uncle Murder
But I will say about killing me without this coming up, but I haven't seen his movie either. For real.
Tony A
I haven't. I'm just.
Uncle Murder
I have. What's the name of your movie?
Tony A
Reprisal.
Uncle Murder
Reprisal.
Tony A
Reprisal.
Uncle Murder
Somebody let me know. I haven't seen it on Uncle Murder.
Tony A
Y' all could Google it. My was on Netflix in the movie theater. Swat too. You probably can't even Google swat too. Yeah, I actually went to the movie theater. I actually went to the movie Bruce Willis.
Uncle Murder
Come on.
Tony A
Watch that. I was pumped up. Like, I'm in the movie with Bruce Willis.
Uncle Murder
You got Mr.
Tony A
Die Hard. You crazy.
Uncle Murder
I was in that Benny Boom that was supposed to be in SWAT 1. He was with Bruce Willis. Come on, Legend. Doc.
Gianni Paolo
I will say it is like being an actor, as opposed to that is like, I'll get to go somewhere, and I'll get to live there for, like. Like, if I go shoot a movie in Ireland or Italy, you get to live there for two months. And, like, you're not staying in a hotel. They're getting you a house, and you're. And you're walking up the street and you're getting, you know, getting your car or whatever, and you're living there like, you're from there.
Tony A
From there.
Gianni Paolo
You guys are in and out in a day. So I think that's kind of like,
Uncle Murder
the thing for me is I'm a movie guy. And Murder knows this.
Tony A
He knows I'm a love his movies.
Uncle Murder
I'm a movie guy from, like, back in the days. Like, I'll say people, I'll be like, what movie Richard Pryor was in? I always ask Mike, and nobody would know that. I'd be like Superman 3. To me, that was his breakout movie. Because Superman back in the days. Come on. Because to me, TV back then, like, is more classical than kind of now. Like, I'm not saying any classic movies or TV now, but the Godfather, yeah, Scarface, the list goes on.
Tony A
All type of sh. I know.
Uncle Murder
Look, he laughed at me because I love Uncle Buck. That's one of my favorite.
Gianni Paolo
We had this conversation. My podcast, the crew has it hit podcast. Me and Michael Ray Jr. We had this conversation, and you were saying that there weren't as many hits, but, like, you. There are. There are hits now. But, like, I get what you mean. They're classics to maybe you because you grew up with them. But, like, you think about, like, a Wolf of Wall street or like, like, I. I don't know many movies that are as good as Wolf of Wall Street.
Tony A
And that's. And that's a classic to some of the young boys now. And he Right.
Gianni Paolo
That's like my classic.
Tony A
They shit like, you can't tell them nothing about.
Uncle Murder
Okay, but some movies can never be done. Like, you laughed at me about Scarface, too.
Tony A
Only about Uncle Buck. About Uncle Buck. Hold up. I want to give you a hold up. Hold up. Cause my nigga Wizzy and a few people from the hood did say, like, yo, Merc, how you don't know about Uncle Buck. But then some people told me, like, nah, Uncle Buck wasn't like. It wasn't. But they said it wasn't a home alone.
Gianni Paolo
Right, But. But.
Tony A
But it wasn't a home alone. It wasn't.
Uncle Murder
You can't compare Uncle Buck to home alone. Just Macaulay Culkin was in there. That's it. And Uncle Buck came first. I'm a movie guy.
Tony A
He love Uncle Bucky.
Gianni Paolo
You can say anything about my family, but Uncle Buck is where I grew up.
Uncle Murder
Yo, look, Uncle Bucky, I'm watching movies before I was born. Meaning, like, my favorite Sean Penn movie is Bad Boy.
Tony A
Yeah. Did he say he was watching movies before he was born?
Uncle Murder
No, I'm watching movies that was out before I was born. That's what I'm saying.
Tony A
No, before he was born, you mean.
Uncle Murder
No, before I was born.
Tony A
How you was watching movies before you was born, nigga.
Uncle Murder
No, I'm telling. You're not listening to what I'm saying.
Tony A
I watch. Am I bugging y'?
Uncle Murder
All? He's not listening. Go ahead and listen. Etiquette. I said I'm watching movies that was out before I was born.
Tony A
Oh, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Did you know what I mean?
Uncle Murder
We can rewind the tape. Rewind the tape. I said I watched movies.
Gianni Paolo
I've never been higher and not smoked in my life, but I'm good.
Uncle Murder
That's him.
Tony A
You know, the murder.
Uncle Murder
You know, this guy got no etiquette. When we go, I showed him what a salad fork was. He my brother. But look.
Tony A
Nah, nah, look.
Uncle Murder
This is what I'm talking. I like you. I like you, you know? Yo, look, so what I'm saying to him is, like, my favorite Sean Penn movie you ain't probably watch is Bad Boy.
Gianni Paolo
I have not seen it.
Uncle Murder
Yeah, you gotta watch that one when he's in jail. It's old school. He run over this gang member's little brother, you know what I mean? These two dudes is wilding in the house doing extra stuff, and he get the cans. Cause one scene could make it for me, you know, I'm a TV guy. Michael Knight, back in the days, the A Team. Just to me, that was classic. I like that.
Tony A
Shout out to the A Team.
Uncle Murder
Karate. Karate on Sundays. Bruce Lee, you know, look at Wu Tang. Like, you know, all that. The Five Deadly Venoms, Wu Tang, all that come from, like, our era karate movie. So it's just classic tv. Like my favorite movie, the Mask back. Richard Pryor was in that. Yeah, that's one of my favorite Actors Richard Prior, John Candy.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah, I don't know, I. I just. I just think that there's. There's unbelievable movies at both times. I don't think a time is better. Like, people could be biased, but like, better than Scarf. Think about like, like even the comedies
Tony A
stand up for your time.
Gianni Paolo
You look at Hangover. Hangover is the best comedy movie ever made. Hangover at Tropic Thunder. You'll never beat those. No comedy movies. What comedy movie back then is beating them? Name one movie that's funnier than Tropic Thunder or Hangover.
Uncle Murder
I mean, Hangover it was.
Tony A
I never. I don't even know what the tropical thunder is.
Gianni Paolo
You never seen Tropic Thunder?
Tony A
No, it's.
Gianni Paolo
It's one of the greatest comedies of
Tony A
all, Mr. Movie Man. Football Thunder.
Uncle Murder
No, I'm.
Gianni Paolo
I'm.
Tony A
Because I'm ask you a question.
Uncle Murder
Hold on. You know, because. What was the movie with Dave Chappelle? Take me to Samson. What was that?
Gianni Paolo
How high? Or Blue Streak?
Uncle Murder
No, Dave Chappelle Half Baked. Half Baked is better than that, bro. Take me to Sampson when he had the weed deal. That, that, that's a classic for me. Dave Chappelle.
Gianni Paolo
I don't think.
Uncle Murder
I don't think coming to America. There's so many classics that are better than the 80s. You're bugging. There's not going to be another Scarface. There's not going to be another Boys in the Hood. Not a men of society. What? He called. He still call Mayor Tate Old Dog. Yo, Old Dog. What up?
Tony A
He said Mayor Tate.
Uncle Murder
He called Mayor.
Tony A
You said Mayor Tate. Who the is Mayor Tate?
Uncle Murder
No, no, hey, Councilman Tate. Counterman Tate.
Tony A
He said Mayor Tate for power. Yeah, but. Yeah, Lorenz.
Uncle Murder
I know Lorenz Tate, mother.
Tony A
But you said Councilman Tate.
Uncle Murder
Cause we talking about the show that he's on. I just said you had too much Don Julio brother. Councilman Tate. He called him because we, you know. You know what I mean? I know. His name is Lorenz Tate. Councilman Tate. He's at dinner calling him yo oh Dog. Yo oh dog.
Tony A
I do feel called Old Dog.
Uncle Murder
When did Men in Society came out?
Gianni Paolo
Look at that.
Uncle Murder
How many years ago?
Gianni Paolo
That was like 90. What? 94.
Tony A
My man. Old dog.
Uncle Murder
How many years?
Gianni Paolo
34.
Uncle Murder
30 years ago. He's still calling them old, though. That's what I'm saying. All to me, all older movies are just more classical. Scarface, I watched a thousand times and like Goodfellas, the list goes on and on. Now, I'm not saying Wolf of the Wall street ain't good.
Gianni Paolo
Right?
Uncle Murder
But there's a lot of.
Tony A
Now, Wolf of Wall street is a classic.
Uncle Murder
That's a classic. This new Classic Classics. I'm just saying there's more classics that seem like.
Gianni Paolo
I think in 30 years, you'll call these movies now classics. And people will be like, oh, like, people will be calling, you know, someone from Twilight, they'll be calling Robert PATTINSON, Edward in 30 years. Like, it's all relative to the time, I think.
Uncle Murder
Bro, bro, let me explain something to you.
Tony A
No, I agree with you.
Uncle Murder
Let me explain something to you. First Blood, Rambo. Come on, bro. Ain't making like that. It might not.
Tony A
Did you see Rambo? What?
Uncle Murder
You never watched First Blood? First Blood?
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. You just said Project Hail Mary was one of the best movies you ever seen. It came out.
Uncle Murder
It was. It was dope. No, that was dope. But now.
Tony A
Thank you. Thank you.
Uncle Murder
Nah, that was dope. It was one of the best movies you've ever seen.
Gianni Paolo
Interstellar, they've never made something.
Uncle Murder
The only reason why I liked it because. What? They took something from the eight. It was the first friendly. The second. Some friendly alien movie.
Gianni Paolo
But it's way better than E.T. is it not?
Uncle Murder
Nah, you're bugging. I'm not gonna say it's way better graphically wise, but ET Is. ET Is a classic. I'm not gonna say that.
Gianni Paolo
It's good, but it's not anywhere near.
Uncle Murder
Look, I'm gonna listen, okay? I'm gonna say Project Hail Mary. The graphics, like when he was shooting 1K, and money and balance to that. You know what I mean?
Tony A
I need all my money advanced. When y' all see this, he be trying to sit on us. They talking about I still was in.
Uncle Murder
So what are you saying?
Tony A
Saying we made history? We made history.
Uncle Murder
So what you saying? I didn't say that. It was in 1K. It was 1K. It did. Cool. Then the dudes had a fallout. The business was up, old show was up. You know what I mean? Shout out to them, though. I love money and balance. But if. If that's the biggest movie role for him, though. What I'm saying is. Hold on. No, no, we're gonna get off that. But graphically, yes. Project Hail Mary is. Come on. It's the graphics, AI. All this shit is new. Of course it looks better, but ET Is kind of like almost the format. It was different, but still. It was a friendly alien with your man. It was a friendly alien on ET So every other Alien movie, the alien is killing everybody. Come on, bro. I Know my movies. But you can't tell me when.
Gianni Paolo
I'll give you that. You do know your movies.
Tony A
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
When I watch First Blood and Stallone is all jacked up.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
And he's cut the fuck up and he's beating motherfuckers in the precinct. And, you know, he's got the voice. And he getting shot with rocket launches. And it. To me, it was just classic shit. That's another franchise. Rambo 1, 2 and 3. Rest in peace to Chuck Norris too.
Tony A
This motherfucker. Facts. Rest in peace to Chuck Norris, man.
Uncle Murder
That's what I said.
Tony A
Legend.
Uncle Murder
Then we go to Bruce Lee.
Tony A
Don't.
Gianni Paolo
Don't.
Uncle Murder
Let's not talk about karate movies. We go to Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. One of the best fight scenes scenes ever on tv. Did you ever see that movie?
Tony A
Yeah.
Uncle Murder
What's the name of that movie again? Because I watch all Bruce Lee into the Dragon, the Way of the Dragons. Because I always get it mixed up. Now what's the movie? When Bruce Lee fought Kareem Aldu Jabbar. You don't even. Y' all don't even notice.
Gianni Paolo
I don't know that.
Uncle Murder
See, I don't even know that.
Tony A
They don't even know movies. Game of Death.
Uncle Murder
Classic. Rest in peace to Bruce Lee. But Chuck Norris passed away. And you know what I've been doing? I've been on Tubi all day watching. Because they got like five Chuck neighbors
Tony A
trying to find SWAT too.
Uncle Murder
It's not on there. It's not on there. It's not on there. I haven't. I. Only I haven't even seen it yet.
Gianni Paolo
What's crazy about my generation is that, like, I only knew who Chuck Norris was growing up because of Dodgeball.
Tony A
He.
Gianni Paolo
Because he had that one scene in Dodgeball.
Tony A
Oh, wow.
Gianni Paolo
And it's like.
Uncle Murder
Wow.
Gianni Paolo
Sometimes I think. Sometimes I think of, like, that where I'm like. Like, like at the time, like, Steve McQueen was like, the dodgeball.
Uncle Murder
You.
Tony A
Right. I was thinking.
Uncle Murder
No, there was a movie called Dodgeball 1 and 2, I think, right. I. I don't think I seen the
Gianni Paolo
first dodgeball with Vince Vaugh.
Uncle Murder
I think I have seen Dodgeball, one
Gianni Paolo
of the greatest comedies of all time.
Uncle Murder
But what I'm saying is Chuck Norris, like, he got a fight scene with Bruce Lee and they fighting this crazy. And you know, Chuck Norris was like karate hero. Bruce Lee was karate hero. Rest in peace to both of them legends. But that fight scene, people don't understand how serious that was for movies like they fighting. They fighting. You know, Chuck Norris had the taco meat on the chest. He had the hair and Bruce Lee is he get him.
Gianni Paolo
What the.
Uncle Murder
He grabbed the hair off his chest and then he blow and like that fight scene when you gotta watch that movie. And then the other movie when he fought Kareem Al Duj Jabal. Oh, man, that was like classic. Now.
Tony A
Those was classic moments, yo.
Uncle Murder
I'm telling you, back then it was. I watch all Chuck Norris movies, bro. Yeah, like, I'm on to be now shout to Netflix too. But you know, they talking about Netflix prices went up. But I let me.
Tony A
I'm on to be Netflix prices. They go up.
Uncle Murder
That's what they said.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah. What shows are you guys watching now that you like? You have anything new that's come out in the past couple months?
Uncle Murder
What I'm watching. I watched you see Mobland.
Tony A
Mobland, I think.
Uncle Murder
I think Murder had me watching.
Tony A
Mob Land is. I'm waiting for the second season to come out now, man. They come out.
Gianni Paolo
I would love to be on that show.
Tony A
That's the reason they come out there, right? No, that is fire.
Uncle Murder
What's the. What's the movie? What's the thing with it yourself.
Gianni Paolo
I like the first season. I didn't watch the second.
Tony A
Second one. Second one is good too. I watched the second season.
Uncle Murder
Besides that, I just go to be. I go old school because they got Rambo 1, 2, 3 up there. They got all the old.
Gianni Paolo
He's just not watching anything new. He's just watching Chuck Norris movies.
Uncle Murder
I love it, man. I love it. Chuck Norris passed away. So they got all his movies up there. So I just started watching all. All Chuck Norris movies and like that, you know, because, you know, it's classic TV for me. Not saying ain't classics now. Yeah, but you know, classic TV for me, man. What's your schedule like? What you doing?
Gianni Paolo
I'm chilling, bro. We're doing our podcast this week, so we're. We're cooling. Probably, you know, hit Nicks, do all that. Do the New York. Because I'm only here for a minute. I live in la. But yeah, dude, I mean, you pulled up on us. Like, I. I always, like, I remember like that. Like, we need. We need.
Uncle Murder
We.
Gianni Paolo
It was December. Everyone was home. Everyone was everywhere. And I was like, yayo, we need a guest pulled up on us. Nothing. And now, you know, it's time to return the favor, of course. And you guys are killing it. Like, this is. This isn't a favor for me to you. This is a favor for me.
Tony A
I'm coming on to plug my podcast, man. We appreciate you coming on.
Uncle Murder
We appreciate you coming. What's next? Let the people know what you got going.
Gianni Paolo
The crew has it podcast. This is my camera. I've been looking at this camera the whole time. The crew has it podcast, you know, subscribe. Meet Michael Rainey Jr. Every week we bring a hit up. These are the two best podcasts in the game, baby.
Uncle Murder
Yeah. Let's go, baby.
Gianni Paolo
I got some new shows. Movies are coming out. We're getting ready. I'm excited, so.
Tony A
That's right.
Gianni Paolo
Yeah.
Tony A
And his movies ain't going on tubi.
Uncle Murder
My movies wasn't even on tubi. It's a rap. We love y', all, man. Murder had a lot of jokes today.
Gianni Paolo
I appreciate you.
Uncle Murder
Keani in the building.
Gianni Paolo
Thank you.
Uncle Murder
Power star, movie star.
Gianni Paolo
This is an iHeart podcast.
Uncle Murder
Guaranteed Human.
Episode: Gianni Paolo on Power Book II: Ghost, 50 Cent's Influence, Acting with Michael Rainey, and Hollywood's Dark Side
Date: April 1, 2026
Fat Joe and Jadakiss serve up another energetic installment of The Real Report, hosted alongside Uncle Murder and Tony A, this time diving deep into the world of Power, acting, and Hollywood’s lesser-seen realities. Their guest, Gianni Paolo (Brayden from Power Book II: Ghost), shares his journey from Rhode Island to LA, the grind of building an acting career, his unique chemistry with Michael Rainey Jr., and unfiltered stories about 50 Cent’s mentorship and the power of improv. The crew also tackles the lure and pitfalls of Hollywood, actor dynamics, franchise films, and what it means to stay grounded through fame.
Origin Story:
Quote:
Breakthrough on Set:
Improv as a Game-Changer:
50 Cent’s Influence:
Financial Struggle:
Hollywood’s Dark Side:
Discipline and Professionalism:
Power’s Unique Club Hosting:
Club Life vs. Typical Acting:
Typecasting & Strategic Roles:
Hollywood’s Evolution:
Dream Roles and Franchises:
AI and Movie Technology:
Generational Gaps in Movie Classics:
Memorable Quotes from the Debate:
Summary for the Uninitiated: This episode isn’t just about crossing from acting to hip-hop—it’s about hustling in any lane, the unpredictable path to stardom, appreciating the craft, and above all, doing the work with love, intent, and respect for those who support you.