Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (2:24)

Oh, my God.

Lauren LaRosa (2:25)

So what is Wonder Man? So Wonder man is this, like, series and it's set in the Marvel universe and basically Yahya Abdul Mateen, who plays Simon, is trying to get on in the acting world, but because he has these superpowers, he's trying to suppress them. Because the last time Hollywood let actors in, I mean, like, superpower actors into the universe or to the world, they had a little issue that was the X Men when they did that. So they. So what I'm learning, because I'm new to the Marvel universe, is that all these shows and characters connect. So Wonder man is of Marvel. Yes, yes, yes. See, they be making people the fuck up.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (3:03)

Oh, my God.

Lauren LaRosa (3:04)

Can I cut some wigs, bitch? They be making people to fuck up. Ain't no fucking Wonder Man. Okay? No. So Wonder man is a part of the Marvel series already. And then Sir Ben Kingsley, who's also in this Wonder man series, he reprises his role as the. As Marvel Universe's Trevor Slattery and that. I had to do all this research for this, and I'm like, this goes so deep. This is like Real Housewives. But when they all come together for, like, the reunions and like, the travel shows and they like. Okay, okay. So do you have to do a read for this? No, I did an interview. I talked to Yahya Abdul Mateen. Oh, so you talked to Wonder Man. Okay. Me and some HBCU students from Norfolk State University, Hampton University. Yeah. They were making. What is his superpower? He wonders.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (3:54)

He.

Lauren LaRosa (3:54)

So he thinks a lot. Girl, I'm out of here. That's hilarious. It's crazy. No, no. Y' all have to watch the series, but let's get into the conversation so you guys can hear straight from Yaya Abdul Mateen. This was so cool because the students got a chance to ask questions. And these are students with, like, journalism backgrounds and radio backgrounds and all that stuff. Let's get into it right now. What's up, everybody, and welcome. This is a very special Wonder man virtual HBCU roundtable conversation. I am Lauren LaRosa. The latest with Lauren LaRosa via Black Effect Podcast Network and the Breakfast Club. And I'm really excited to be here. I graduated from HBCU myself, Delaware State University. And I was telling some of the students, I've never experienced anything like this when I was a student. So I'm so happy for them to be here to be having this conversation. I'm joined by five incredible students joining from HBCUs all over the country. And I love what I'm seeing already. Everyone is so proud. They're representing schools. If you went to hbcu, you understand the pride. You see the merch. So everything is on full display today. And this conversation is going to be super interactive. We also want to send a big thank you to Watch the Yard for all of their continued support and partnership as they uplift HBCU voices and culture. And of course, of course, we are honored to be joined by today's special guest, actor, producer, and star of Marvel Studios new series Wonder man, premiering January 27th on Disney. Yaya. Adul Mateen II.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (5:27)

Welcome. Thank you very much. What's going on? How y' all doing?

Lauren LaRosa (5:33)

They're on mute, so you just wait.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (5:35)

All right, all right. It's all good. It's all good. I see everybody.

Lauren LaRosa (5:38)

Yeah. So thank you for joining us today. You know, we really are excited to have you here. How are you feeling today?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (5:44)

Oh, I'm chilling. I'm doing even better right now. I'm glad to be with you all.

Lauren LaRosa (5:48)

Yeah, right. Isn't this so cool of an experience? For this? I'm more excited for the students than anything.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (5:52)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, me too. I mean, I'm excited for myself, you know, I'm excited for y', all, too, but I'm excited for myself, too, you know, being. Being with you.

Lauren LaRosa (6:03)

Yes. Well, okay, so we got. We all got a chance to take a look at, you know, at the iconic work that you did on screen. So you definitely should be excited for yourself. You're stepping into a whole new universe. And we're excited today to talk about the creativity, the purpose, and the journey that goes into this. So to kick off this HBCU roundtable discussion that we have happening, we're going to bring up Trinity Pender from Dillard University.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (6:30)

Hi. Yay. What's going on, Trinity?

Lauren LaRosa (6:32)

Excited to be here. My name is Trinity Pender. I'm a graduating senior at the illustrious Dillard University. My major is mass communication, and I have a concentration in multimedia journalism. And my question for you today is, after living inside this character for months, what do you think the biggest difference is between the Simon Williams on the page and the one the audiences will meet?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (6:59)

Hmm. Oh, man. You're taking me back a couple years. A couple years now with the question about being on the page. I mean, hopefully, you know, to me, the Simon Williams that you'll see, the Simon Williams that you'll see that you'll see is the Simon Williams that I saw on the page. So it's the interpretation of what it was that I saw on the page, which is a guy with a big heart, a guy who really cares about acting, a guy who can be selfish and a bit manipulative in order to get what he wants. A dude who's insecure, who's very, very passionate. Sometimes he's a bit of a nervous wreck, but I think his intentions are good and he cares a lot. And also someone who's willing to learn, too. I hope that they see all of those things, but I think if you do see those, then you'll only see those, because that's what I saw on the page. So hopefully it's actually the same.

Lauren LaRosa (8:09)

Thank you so much for that. Thank you for that question. Trinity, you heard the. The illustrious. I think we heard a lot of that on this call.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (8:18)

Yeah, for sure. Represent. Represent, Exactly. Welcome to the A building. I'm Hans Charles. I'm Menelek Lumumba. It's 1969. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King had both been assassinated, and black America was at a breaking point. Rioting and protest broke out on an unprecedented scale in Atlanta, Georgia. At Martin's alma mater, Morehouse College, the students had their own protest. It featured two prominent figures in black history, Martin Luther King Sr. And a young student, Samuel L. Jackson. To be in what we really thought was a revolution. I mean, people were dying. 1968, the murder of Dr. King, which traumatized everyone. The FBI had a role in the murder of a Black Panther leader in Chicago. This story is about protest. It echoes in today's world far more than it should, and it will blow your mind. Listen to the A building on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Lauren LaRosa (9:23)

Okay, so up next we have Kendall Parks from Prairie View A and M University. Hi, Yaya.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (9:29)

Hey, Kendall.

Lauren LaRosa (9:30)

Nice to meet you. I am coming from the Prairie View, Texas, the illustrious Prairie View AM University.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (9:39)

Come on.

Lauren LaRosa (9:39)

And I'm the PR and marketing coordinator for our student run television production. I wouldn't say club because we're more than that, but definitely heading into marketing. And I'm so glad to have been able to have this conversation with you because my question is, what would you say was your most memorable moment being on set?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (10:02)

Oh, man, I had so many fun moments on set. So many memorable moments. You know, Sir Ben Kingsley just left and he plays a character. He plays it. He. As Trevor Slattery. He plays a character called the Mandarin. And he's. He's. I think that was from the first Iron man movie. And there was a day I wasn't working this day, or I had already finished my work, but I got to watch him put on that character. So I sort of got to be a fan, you know, as a Marvel fan. I got to be a fan of Sir Ben as the Mandarin, and I sort of snuck in the back and. And watched. Watched him work. And that was. That was cool because most days, you know, when I went to work, it was about me working and the camera on me. That was a cool moment because I got to step aside and just have a moment for myself and be a fan of what it was that we were. That we were creating. And to work with Sir Ben, you know, that was a. That was a really good moment, watching him. Watching him recreate that.

Lauren LaRosa (11:13)

Well, thank you for that.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (11:14)

Thank you. I appreciate you.

Lauren LaRosa (11:16)

Thank you. Kendall, I have a question. Yaya. So, you know, when I think about, like, sci fi and animation, just television and entertainment in general, I think about the way it's kind of like a form of escapism, like we could watch it in our households to get away from so many different things or just to see things that we might not have gotten to experience or whatever the case may be, right? And when I'm watching you on screen, a lot of the story that I'm watching you tell is about this character that you're dreaming to be forever, right? Because it takes you into this place that just makes you feel whole. What part of your real life did you pull from to execute that so well on character?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (11:51)

Well, I think the. The part of myself that. That. That's. That. That still has a dream, you know, the part of myself that is still on a journey. You know, when I filmed this, I had been out of school for. I think out of. I had been out of. Out of college for eight years, nine years or something like that. And so, you know, I remember being in graduate school feeling like I had something to offer. Knowing that I had something to offer, but also knowing that nobody knew that I was here. I feel like I'm in this. This tiny room in this big, big world, knowing that what I have to offer can feel the. Can. Can feel the globe. You know what I mean? And that's where. That's where we meet Simon. You know, Simon has this dream. He knows that he has something special inside of him that he has to offer, and he feels like nobody knows. And, you know, in the first episode, I think he said, I just need you to. I just need you to believe in me. You know, and that's sometimes. That's what it's like as a. As a creative, you know, as a student, as somebody with ambition. You know, no one does it on their own, you know, and we all need someone to just take a Take a chance. And so I. I know what it's like. I know what it's like at some point to be in Simon Williams. Simon Williams shoes. And I think that that'll be something that's relatable to. To a lot of artists that are, you know, gonna tune in to watch this show.

Lauren LaRosa (13:24)

Definitely relatable to get out of your own head thing. I was like, ooh, why he all.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (13:28)

Up in our business today?

Lauren LaRosa (13:29)

Yeah, it was so on point.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (13:31)

Yeah. And the over. Yeah, the overthinking, the overanalyzing, the anxiety, but then the ability to persevere through that. You know, sometimes even in the acting scenes, I've got the internal motor that's, you know, but to know that I've done the work so nobody can see what's actually going on. You know, nobody can actually tell. So, yeah, there are definitely times where sort of the fiction blends over into reality. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Lauren LaRosa (14:05)

I appreciate that. All right, so now we're going to go back to another student question. Let's continue with Malik Davis from Norfolk. Norfolk State University. You guys say that, right? Yeah, yeah. They'll get you if you don't say it right.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (14:15)

Yeah, I know.

Lauren LaRosa (14:17)

University.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (14:18)

Yes, most definitely. Hey, yaya. What's going on? Davis, also known as Leak tab in the building with Pot 91, the Solar VA know for state University's radio. So my question is, is the series highlights what it means to be an actor in the early stages of their career? Can you talk about your character's journey and how it parallels to your own start in the industry? It doesn't really, you know, I had a. I had a. You know, my character didn't go to school. You know, my character has been, you know, just sort of plugging away, doing smaller jobs, coming in and doing a little bit of background work here. You know, coming in and having, you know, two lines, two lines here, one line there, maybe a guest spot on television. My personal journey was I was. It was different, you know, I had an opportunity, you know, to. Play a larger role in my very first job. And. And I sort of hit the ground. Hit the ground running. Still had those moments of doubt in the nerves and things like that. But, you know, my story is not Simon Williams story. My story is. My story is my story. Simon Williams story is Simon Williams story. But we did both start off with a big dream and a small trailer, you know what I'm saying? And when Simon Williams got his big trailer, he's still in there doing the work. And when I got my big Trailer. I'm still in there doing the work. I think that the commonality is the passion, the real true passion for the craft, although our paths are markedly different. Thank you so much. And you know, behold the green and gold. Thank y'. All.

Lauren LaRosa (16:15)

Thanks, Malik. All right, now we're gonna hop on over to Sydney Frank. She's here. Here from Hampton University.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (16:20)

Hi. Hey. Hey.

Lauren LaRosa (16:23)

I am Sydney Frank. I am a second year journalism major with a minor in film from Los Angeles, California. On campus, I'm an active member of the National Council of Negro Women and an active member of our student film organization. And today I'm asking you, how have your past roles in superhero movies contributed to your portrayal of Simon Williams in Wonder Man?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (16:43)

You know, that's a great question. I think it'll probably take me a little while to really answer that, to really understand that question in its totality. But, like, I was really fortunate to be able to put all of the superhero things aside and just play a dude, you know, and Watchmen or in Aquaman, you know, I was very much involved with the supernatural elements of those characters and inside of those worlds. With this one, you know, I just got a chance to be a dude with a dream, you know, and he had. He had powers, but they sort of look like anger management, you know what I'm saying? It sort of looks like anxiety, you know, the things that he's dealing with. He sees his powers not necessarily as an asset, but more so as a liability. And so I really got to play a guy with anger issues with. With. With anxiety, a guy with a big heart, a guy with a dream, and to let the Marvel people do all of the superhero stuff around me. So, you know, that, that's. That's really the setting for the story that we're telling. And my job was just to go out and to just portray an actor in pursuit of a dream. And so it's really the best of both worlds because I do get the superhero stuff because Simon gets some of that. And then at the other end, I get the heart and the soul, you know, of a story about a guy with a dream. So I sort of got the best of both worlds.

Lauren LaRosa (18:32)

Thank you so much. Okay, now, last but not least, our final student. We have watch the yard's lucky giveaway winner. Her name is Kaylin John Louie, and she is from Florida A and M University. What's your question for yaya? Thank you so much. Hello, Yaya. As she said, my name is Kalyn John Louis. I am a graduating senior journalism student at Florida A And M University, also known as firing K on WANM FM 90.5, the flavor station, and a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated. Yeah, I loved watching your performance in Wonder, man. It reminded me about the bigger impact of storytelling. And with us both being in Greek letter organizations, we understand what it means to represent something bigger than ourselves. So my question is, how does that understanding influence the kind of stories you're drawn to tell?

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (19:24)

It's a good question. It's a great question. Hmm. You know, I'm gonna be honest. I. I don't think much about representation, right? It's not to say that I don't value it, because I absolutely do. But this is sort of the way that I approach it, right? I know who I am. I know where I'm from. I'm a black man. I'm American. I'm from New Orleans. I grew up in West Oakland. And my path is my path. I believe that if I make work that for an audience of one first, right? And that audience is me. I really believe that if I make work for myself, then the people who I want to respond to it will respond to it. What that allows me to do is to always be considering first my truth, my personal appetite, and to not be swayed by other people's opinions, to not let my art and my creativity be swayed by other people's opinions or the desires of what other people want to see me do. Now, I do hope at the end of the day that when I make. When I do my work, that the people who I've met along the way, that they respond to my work. Because if I'm making it for myself, then I'm making it for the extensions of myself. But that's really the extent of how I think about representation. At the same time, I do, you know, even in my production company, I do think that it's important to open doors and to make sure that, you know, people who come from where I come from have the same type of education and opportunities to do what it is that I'm able to do so that they can go and tell stories and represent in the ways that they want to represent as well. So I sort of realized that I represent something. I represent something that is bigger than myself. But I do that by. By first representing myself. And then I let what I represent speak for. I let what it is that I represent hopefully be seen in the work, you know, in the work that I do and for the opportunities that I then create. So I hope that. I hope that answers that question.

Lauren LaRosa (21:56)

It did. Thank you so much. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're Greek.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (22:01)

I'm an alpha.

Lauren LaRosa (22:03)

Oh, okay. Okay. She said both of us. I'm like, I didn't know he was Greek. So this is the close of the conversation. It's been an incredible conversation. Thank you to our students for all of the thoughtful questions representing your. Your school so well today. You guys did such a great job. A huge thank you to watch the yard for their partnership and their support, and of course, Yaya. Thank you so much for joining us. Joining us, sharing your time, all your insight and your energy. I don't know if you have any advice, encouragement you'd like to say for anybody that's watching, but if so, now's the time.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (22:33)

Oh, yeah. Look, keep on going. Like the. The is. The world is wide open right now, so, you know, make your stuff for yourself. And it's a long. It's a long road, but find friends. That's what I would say. Find friends who believe in you, but you got to believe in yourself first. So, you know, keep going. And if I'm still around, then I'll see y' all when y' all get here.

Lauren LaRosa (23:01)

We appreciate it. So, guys, make sure you go and check out Marvel Studios Wonder Man. You'll see Yaya and you know, all the other amazing cast in the storyline. It premieres January 27th. Streaming exclusively on Disney Plus. Thank you guys so much, all of you, for joining us.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (23:18)

All right, y' all take care.

Lauren LaRosa (23:19)

All right, guys, so that has been another exclusive conversation here at the latest with Lauren, the Rosa, the podcast. The people have been telling me we need to do more of these conversations. I know we this week alone, if you missed it, go back and check it out. We had Takara Jones of America's Next Top Model talking about that new Next Top Model docu series that is coming. We hear Derek Johnson, the president of the naacp, talking about Kanye west and his apology. And now here we are. We didn't talk to Wonder Man. Thank you guys for tuning in. I tell you, every single episode, my low riders, y' all could be anywhere with anybody talking about all of the things, and y' all choose to be right here with me, and I appreciate that. I'll see you guys in my next episode. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.