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Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset
Killing Castro with Frankie Faison
00:45:56
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Transcript80 lines
- [00:00]
Narrator
Mike and Alyssa are always trying to outdo each other. When Alyssa got a small water bottle, Mike showed up with a four litre jug. When Mike started gardening, Alyssa started beekeeping.
- [00:11]
Frankie Faison
Oh, come on.
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Narrator
They called a truce for their holiday and used Expedia trip planner to collaborate on all the details of their trip. Once there, Mike still did more laps around the pool.
- [00:22]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Whatever.
- [00:23]
Narrator
You were made to outdo your holidays. We were made to help organize the competition. Expedia made to travel.
- [00:30]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Listen, you've got something really interesting coming out. Movie Killing Castro. They're screening it September 5th and 7th. I'm excited for this one. Very excited.
- [00:40]
Frankie Faison
This story, it just, it was a part of history that I didn't know anything about. Castro came over here, he, he checked into this expensive fifth Avenue hotel and stuff, but he wasn't comfortable being there. And there's even rumors that they say that he had chickens running up and down the hallway and they just. I don't know if that's true. True or not. So he wanted to go down to Harlem where the people were. The hotel was called the Hotel Teresa. The story of Killing Castro is about him going down there and he was having meetings with people like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. And it was at the same time there was a target on his back. The number of assassination attempts on his life are unimaginable.
- [01:30]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Frankie Faison, welcome to the show, man.
- [01:32]
Frankie Faison
It's a pleasure, pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me.
- [01:36]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Oh, absolutely. Wouldn't turn this down for anything. I, I, like I said, when we were record, before we hit record, I've been watching you in movies, you know, all the way dating all the way back to you and your landlord days on coming to America, just chilling in that hot tub, baby.
- [01:52]
Frankie Faison
All right. It goes back.
- [01:54]
Sean (Podcast Host)
It does. You just, you've been so good for so long and you have some amazing things coming out that we're going to get to. But you know, real quickly, you know, tell us, tell the audience about your journey into Hollywood and kind of what it took for you because there's a lot of people out there that don't chase their dreams. And in my show I like to bring even people of your caliber. Talking about what it took and the hardships and overcoming the adversity to, to achieve what you want to achieve in life.
- [02:24]
Frankie Faison
Okay. Well, it all began back in Newport News, Virginia, when I was a little church going kid. And I was drawn to the, to the church plays, you know, to Christmas pageants and all that kind of stuff. And I was always the guy who was speaking and doing in the little place from about 5 years old on and then into going into middle school, into kindergarten. In elementary school I was always the mischievous, most boisterous class clown guy. But they, my teachers turn this into something positive because they made me get out in front of the classes and speak, you know, give announcements and all that kind of thing. Same kind of thing I did in church. So that gave me a comfort about being in front of an audience from a very young age. And then I pursued it into high school. And from high school I decided to go. I knew that. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a professional actor. Had no idea what that involved. A friend of mine was speaking to me the other day. He said, did you imagine when you were back in high school that one day you'd be in pictures, you'd be, you know, like, you know, people will be showing you on television and film. And I said no, that thought hadn't crossed my mind because the only thing I knew was theater. And I was down in Virginia, have no exposure to, you know, the sophistication of New York or la. So I went to nyu, I went to Illinois Wesleyan, got my undergraduate degree in theater, then went to nyu, got my graduate degree in theater. And you know, so I had a. It was a long journey to get to my first professional job. I mean, I think I studied and prepared at least 15 years very seriously the arts, because I wanted to be the best actor in the world. Which I came to realization that, no, that's not really the goal that I should be pursue. I should pursue becoming the best act actor that I can be because there's so many brilliant talents out there that there is no best in of anything. I don't think you can be as good as you can be. And so I did that. And from nyu, I was already in New York. And I started doing theater. Lots of serious theater. Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway. And then that segued into me doing commercials, which allowed me to do even more theater and, you know, to keep a roof over my head. And from commercials I had a very. I call myself the triple 200 man. And no, I actually am quadruple 200 man. That means I have done. I've done over 200 plays, I've done over 200 commercials, I've done over 200 television episode episodes, and I've done about 200 films, including all the independent and low budget films. So I call myself, you know, which is, to me, it's an amazing it's an amazing accomplishment. I did those things because you cannot depend on. And those young audiences out there listening don't ever, you know, pin yourself into a corner and just depend on one thing. You've got to be diverse, you got to be open. You got to be able to do other things. And the important thing is to make an earn a living while you're doing your profession. So that's why I did plays, I did theater, I did film, I did, you know, I did everything. And that's why I call myself the quadruple 200 man club.
- [05:53]
Sean (Podcast Host)
I like that. I mean, gosh, the episodes for the tv, you almost had at least half of it covered. With the Wire, you're in what, 94 episodes of that?
- [06:02]
Frankie Faison
Yeah, yeah. And then there was an early series called True Colors, probably back. It was back in the 70s, you know, which was. Which was an amazing series. It was about the interracial couple raising their family and a comedy with Nancy Walker. You may not remember her, she was a bounty lady. You're too young too. But she was a very, very. She's iconic in her own way. And so that. And plus, I've done, you know, soap operas, I've done sitcoms, I've done dramas, I've done. I do it all, man. I love to work. I'm a working actor. Give me some work and I'll go.
- [06:46]
Sean (Podcast Host)
You know, you mentioned something. Sorry, go ahead. Sorry, Frank. I didn't mean to say.
- [06:50]
Frankie Faison
That was my journey. And the journey and in between, the journey was, you know, raising a family, three kids, three daughters. And it was. It was tough sometimes. Sometimes it was very tough. But I stayed the course for me and, you know, and I don't recommend this for everybody. For me, I said, I will either make it or just bus is as a career. Career as an actor. I would never do anything else. I wouldn't drive a cab, I wouldn't do a waitress, I wouldn't do a second job. I say my job is this and I need to be prepared for that. But I can't advise that to everyone to do now, especially with the. The cost of things, apartments and clothing and food and all that. You got to earn a living. So the important thing is to be content doing something that you're happy doing while you pursue what you really want to do, but never losing sight of what it is your main focus.
- [07:46]
Sean (Podcast Host)
So, you know, I agree with that. I mean, it's, you know, I did this while I also worked a corporate position in sales for a lot of years until I could do this solely. And while I was over there making a living and providing benefits and paychecks for the family, I never lost sight of this. I knew what I wanted this to be, but I just kept showing up in every avenue as much as I possibly could in refining the skills consistently. And you said something there that I want to, I want to go back to because at the very beginning you said it was 15 years before you really got your first break or, you know, however you want to define it. And so many people try something for a year or six months or even three years, like, well, it's not meant to be. And you're saying you waited 15 years and now you're the quadruple 200 threat, right? Like it, it took a long time, but you stayed with it. Hey, we're going to take a quick break to hear from our Powered by sponsor. We're proud to announce a partnership between White Sands Treatment Centers and the Determined Society. With multiple locations across Florida, White Sands provides luxury, top rated addiction treatment. From medical detox and inpatient care to outpatient support and long term aftercare. Their resort style campuses, expert clinicians and holistic programs create real, lasting recovery. Together, we're committed to bringing hope, resources and healing to those who need it most. White Sands Treatment Centers.
- [09:27]
Frankie Faison
And I also wanted just to put an asterisk to that, saying that that 15 years includes 15 years of very strenuous, committed training to become an actor. I mean, taking classes, you know, you know, going, getting a master's degree, an undergraduate degree, intensive in which I would eat, sleep, breathe, theater, morning, noon and night. And it was that to me, I could think of no other way than to be committed, to go out and do the things that I wanted to do and be prepared. Because there are a lot of people out there who have a lot of talent who can do things, who did not get, who don't have the pedigree or the training that, you know, that I know that I have. Because when I finished and I left graduate school and went out to compete for jobs, I knew that I had something that I would say 85% of the people out there that I was competing against did not have. I mean, it was just kind of, it's kind of shocking to go out sometimes and you would be auditioning for a role and let's say there's, there's, you know, some of the iconic figures who were out there during my day, they would be out there. Like I say, it was Morgan Freeman who once he had made it and they would say, you would go into a room and they say, well, we're looking for a Morgan Freeman type. And Morgan Freeman was in the room. So that's really, you know, you say, well, what do you. What do you want? But that just showed the competitiveness that you had to have. So you had to find your own. Your little own lane, a way to identify who you were so people could say, oh, yeah, he's got this special thing that I want. It's a little different from other people. And to be able to transform and do from, you know, to go from, you know, class. I mean, I was classically trained. I could do the classics, but I could do street as well or, you know, country or whatever was, you know, whatever was. Whatever was demanded. And I think that that's one of the key that I say to all the young people out there aspiring to become actors. Be, prepare yourself, learn your craft, because you're not going to become a doctor by going out there and just cutting somebody open and experimenting. You better go to. You better get some medical training. So I take the profession very seriously.
- [11:55]
Sean (Podcast Host)
So, no, I love to hear that because like you said, there's a lot of people out there that have a lot of amazing talents that, where they miss is they don't work every day to refine that talent is a constant refining, a constant growth. And I just love hearing that from you because someone who's done all the things that you've done, you are. You are literally telling everybody right now, follow the process, you know, dive into getting better. And when you can get better and you could be so versatile, then, you know, and once you know what's special about you and what you can bring, there's rarely, there's rare, there's. You'll. You'll lose at times, but mostly there won't be very many genres or silos that you cannot fall into.
- [12:42]
Frankie Faison
Right. And it's important to do. It's important to know that you're representing yourself in everything that you do. And so it's like, you know, when I, when I go to. Was going to auditions in the earlier days, and even now, I'm not going there necessarily. I'm going to win to get the job. But if I don't get the job, I want to just make sure that the person on the other side of that table who's auditioning me or interviewing me will understand that this guy has unlimited potential. He could do a lot of things. We may not be able to use him for this one thing, but maybe somewhere he may become, down the road, he may, you know, he, he could be used for his talent. And to give a classic example of that is one of the major pieces that I did of the film called Coming to America. I was not originally cast as the, as the landlord in that. There was another actor, a good friend of mine who was cast and he unfortunately had another commitment and couldn't do it. They had remembered my audition that I had done and they had to, you know, find a replacement for him and they came back at me and offered me that role and, and the rest is history because that's become a real important stepping stone for me in my career. So you don't always just go for the job, you go for the representation of your talent, who you are and what you potentially can do. And maybe they may circle back to you and come back at you again later in life. That's happened to me on many occasions in my life.
- [14:30]
Sean (Podcast Host)
So that's a good point. I mean, and that film is iconic. It still is, right? It's, it's a film that, it transcends generations. I can't show it to my kids yet, right. Because they're too little. But you can bet at the moment I can. I have a 6 year old, a 9 year old and an 11 year old.
- [14:47]
Frankie Faison
Well, the 11 year old can jump in there maybe.
- [14:50]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Yeah, actually he might, could. Man, we might have to do that this week. It ain't a father son bond until you show him Coming to America.
- [14:59]
Frankie Faison
Right? There you are.
- [15:04]
Sean (Podcast Host)
I love it, man. You listen, you've got something really interesting coming out. The movie Killing Castro, going to tiff. The Toronto Film Festival. Actually, the, they're, they're screening it September 5th and 7th. Walk us through that. It's, it's a, an amazing concept of a movie about the 1960s where Malcolm X had invited Fidel Castro to New York City and there's this big plot to assassinate him on U.S. soil. And I'm excited for this one. Very excited.
- [15:34]
Frankie Faison
I am too. I mean, it's like, it's. We shot it and then it just sort of disappeared and then it just jumped up and you know, I guess you know how it is when you do an independent film. But this story, it just, it was a part of history that I didn't know anything about. Came over here. He first. He was, he was, he was, he checked into this expensive, you know, like fifth Avenue hotel and stuff, but he wasn't comfortable being there. And there's even rumors that they say that he had chickens running up and down the hallway and they just. I don't know if that's true or not, but, you know, anyway, they kicked, he left, and he had to go someplace else. So he wanted to go down to Harlem where the people were. And so he went to this hotel down in Harlem, which is a. Which is. Still exists. It's still there. You can go by. And it. And it was a hotel that was on the down house. It was coming, you know, was really. It needed something to diffuse, to pump some juice into it. And so when. So when he came, he wanted to stay there. And. And so the story of killing Castro is about him going down there and he was having meetings with. With people like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King and, you know, and it was at the same time there was a target on his back. They say the number of assassination attempts on his life are unimaginable. And this film killing of cast, killing Castro tells that story, revealing about what it was like. And it also reveals a bit of Harlem, the history of this hotel, that. That where he stayed. And I happen to be the. In the film, I play the owner of the hotel, and my daughter is the one who, you know, said, look, we got to run with this thing with this guy coming here, use it to our advantage to rebuild the hotel. And it was like, it's a classic. It's a classic, interesting piece, and it's a piece of history that a lot of people are not familiar with. I was not familiar with it, and I lived in New York for, I don't know, countless amount. Amount of times the hotel was called the Hotel Teresa. And if you do a reading any history of it, you can see what it's about. It's turned into an apartment building now, but it was. It was a great role to play, and I'm really excited. I haven't seen the film yet myself.
- [18:14]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Are you going to Tiff or are you not going?
- [18:17]
Frankie Faison
I. I can't because I'm supposed to be starting another project and I'm. That will not allow me to go. But I was certainly, you know, I certainly would. I certainly would want to be there. I certainly. I mean, they told me that I should come, but I can't. I mean, I don't know how I can arrange it in my schedule, but.
- [18:35]
Sean (Podcast Host)
I mean, you could be in two places at one time, right? It's.
- [18:38]
Frankie Faison
It's physically in two places at one time. So I gotta do that. I'm hoping the best for it. I hope that. I hope it gets the kind of attention that I Think it deserves. Like I say it, I'm speaking from what I know of the experience I had making the film and reading the script and the story, the end product. I hope it stands up, you know, to my expectations, you know, I'm sure it will.
- [19:05]
Sean (Podcast Host)
You know, I'm sure it will. Right. I'm excited to see it. I'm excited to see what it does. You know, how did it feel playing a part? And, I mean, it's. It's. It's actual history. Right? So.
- [19:17]
Frankie Faison
But.
- [19:17]
Sean (Podcast Host)
But to your point, Frankie, I didn't know about this. And then when this was brought to me, I read up on. I'm like, whoa, this happened. Like, I. This hasn't been talked about. You know, there was rumors of the Mafia even being involved. Like, you know, all bunch of different things. But how did. How did this role differ for you? Because you've played a lot of dynamic roles and a lot of dynamic films and episodes and theater. How did it play for you to be in a film that was being created off of actual history in Harlem?
- [19:50]
Frankie Faison
Oh, it's amazing. I have a. And being a theater person, coming from theater and doing that, I have a very. A very clear journey in telling stories about history, about life, things that have happened before. And I've done a lot of historical pieces where I've played true characters who were. You know, like the film Till, in which I played Emmett Till's grandfather. I did this film called Summersby, in which I played the eulogist for the boys who were murdered down. Down in Mississippi. I love doing. Because I'm not trying to recreate the characters. I'm trying to tell their stories, and I'm trying to tell them in as a humane way as I possibly can. And I think that if the writing is good, you can connect to the character. It doesn't take much because I. I love writers, and I. I love their journey, their stories. Storytelling is so important in Facet as far as my work as an actor is concerned. So doing that, doing that film, it was. It was. They sort of sucked some of the air out of my body for a moment because I said, here I am playing a true historical character that really experienced this, that had this experience during this time. There's also another film which is actually. I don't know how to call it, I would say this is the film I did about four years ago. This very. Not widely viewed. You probably have never heard of it. Maybe you have, since you may have written something about me. But it's a film that, if I had Never done any other film after this film. I would have been content because it gave me all the satisfaction I need in every aspect of acting. Being a humanitarian, spreading a story that's so important and teaching instrument for people. And the film is called the Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain.
- [22:10]
Sean (Podcast Host)
I haven't seen that one.
- [22:12]
Frankie Faison
Please go out and see that. And that is my.
- [22:15]
Sean (Podcast Host)
You know, I will.
- [22:16]
Frankie Faison
That is my. That is the one film that. It's a. It's a calculation of all the things that I've done in my life, in my work, and. And. And in my life. It's come out in this character and broadly. Broad Strokes is basically about. It's. It's about a man who. It's, you know, the Black Lives Matter movement, and it's a man who is murdered in Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain. Of course, you know, he gets killed in his apartment when his alarm system went off accidentally. And the first responders were these renegade police officers who didn't know how. And this ties into something else we're going to talk about later because he had a bit of mental illness and they did not know how to. To deal with him. So rather than deal with him and his illness, they dealt with him as a man who lived in the slum area in the apartment building. There had been drugs in the place and all that stuff, and it was like a bam, bam, bam. And the rest is history. This is. This is a film that takes place in real time. It's about an hour, 35 minutes. And every moment of. If you sort of hold your breath and you say, how can this be happening? How can that happen? So that's. But that's the same kind of. I mean, to me, that's. I love doing that kind of work. It's. It's so, so important. I love doing comedies and things like that to entertain, too. But being a theater person, you know, coming from theater, and I'll tell you this story as well. It's like when I first did Coming to America, I was just coming off of doing the Broadway play Fences with the late, great, iconic figure James Earl Jones and Mary Alice, a wonderful actress. And when I got this role to do this and I did this, everybody's coming up to me and saying, oh, you're so funny. Are you a comedian? You. I said, no, no, I'm a classically trained serious actor. I sort of scoffed at the fact that people were looking at me as, you know, But. But I learned over the years to embrace that moment because that film has given so much to so many people. Over the years. So you can't knock any job or you just go in there and you do your work and do the best that you can and you hope. And that's why I sort of like, I think that I have a record of being dependable and doing these kind of characters that people can really smile when they see them and they can say that, you know, he's going to be bringing something to the table. So that's.
- [25:08]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Well, you, you look, man, you mentioned kind of, you know, in this film, holding your breath every second, you know, and you also mentioned working with writers. They're so skilled of telling stories. I go back to a film that you recently did, beyond the Rush with Robert Sayer as the director and writer. Brilliant, brilliant film. He's incredible. I did a piece on them early on. I think it was maybe in March, but, you know, and then we, you know, mentioned, you know, Mental Health. That that film, because I watched was incredible. I mean, from opening scene to the end, I'm like, I mean, almost the opening scene, I was like, I don't know if I can watch anymore. Like, because it was that earth shattering. It was like, dude, I have kids, right? And so. But I, you know, continue to watch. And just. The whole genius of that movie and in my humble opinion, is that, you know, we live in this world and if you were to walk up to me and I'm sitting on the park bench just like Bill's character was, right? Bill Barrett's character was walking by and someone sitting on the bench, he's like, hey, looks like you're doing great. All the while Bill's struggling in his life, this guy's struggling in his life. Like me and you are talking right now, but we don't know each other's struggles. If we go based on the interview and the conversation, it's all butterflies in our world. And it's not necessarily like that. So I thought that movie was genius. And quite honestly, it pains me to see it's not getting the attention that it, it deserves. But what a masterpiece, man.
- [26:47]
Frankie Faison
Yes. I mean that I came onto that piece. I read, I was, I was, I was presented the script to read, to consider playing the role. And I read the script and it just, it ticked boxes of things that I like to do and, and, and, and have my work influence or, or tell stories. And this is a. It deals with mental health and it deals with child abuse and it, to me. And it deals with family, very much so. And it deals with spiritual beliefs. But, but those two things alone, the Mental health and the family. Child abuse is like. Because if you have a child, you know what your feelings would be like if anything ever happened to them. And. And sometimes you don't know because it's a harsh, harsh thing. A lot of times it's pushed under the rug. It's pushed to the, you know, through the background, and you don't know what's going on, or something can happen to your child, and you may not even know for years and years and years. But this story is so powerful. And it. One of the things that recently, because I think when. About talking to you about this, in this interview, one of the things that struck me about this film is that it deals with mental health and it deals with child abuse. How connected are the two and how forgiving or unforgiving should we be when that connection is brought to the forefront? Because. Because of the sins of someone else caused one of the characters in this. In this film to become. To make other people victims the same way he was. And so I'm just. I mean, those things, they are so closely woven together. And Rob is like. He put his life on the line. His life. This is his life story. And it is so courageous when you are. When you want to tell a story and you. Because anything you write as a writer, you know, it's got to come from something. Usually it has something to do something about who you are. But he told his story in a way, and he committed to it. And he's been. He's been the pioneer for this thing and for this film and for the rights, the mental illness and. And the harm that they can do. And I take off my hat. You spoke to Rob, so, I mean, I take off my hat to him. He's just. And he's been such a fighter for this film to be. For this story to be shown, because he thinks it can help other people. And I think it can help other people too, because we. Too many times, we're ready to just say, oh, this is just a horrible person, but everything comes from something, from some part of your life, some aspect of your life, whatever you want to say. And sooner we have these stories that can deal with it, maybe they can help other people, which is what I hope. And the passion that Rob shows for this film. I mean, I take my hat off to him 100 and that guy's a fighter.
- [30:17]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Frankie, He's a fighter. He ain't giving up. He's determined. And, yeah, you know, to this day, me and Robert still communicate. He'll shoot me a text Message. He shot me one yesterday. You know, tell me, go Tigers, right? So I play baseball at lsu, and then in his bar at Judy's, right, He shows me the pennant of lsu. And so we've built this friendship to where we still communicate. And, you know, I would do anything for the guy. You know, if I could wave a wand and make it happen for him, you know, that was my one special superpower I could give. I would. I would do it for that guy because he's such an amazing human being, and he leads just from the soulful place, man. He's just incredible.
- [30:58]
Frankie Faison
Absolutely. And that's why, you know, that's one of the main reasons that I'm here, is because it is for Rob. I mean, you know, it just. And I, like, I. I don't do. I'm a very private kind of person. I don't, you know, and like, the things that I do when I do go live and talk to our podcast or anything else and talk about my career in my life, it's. It's got to be meaningful to me. Like, I mean, I've got to get. I got to feel like it's the right place for me to be. So. And for this and for Rob, and just even having the conversation, you know, that I'm having with you is delightful. It brings. It just. It helps me, you know, because I, you know, like you say you get. You gave a classic example. I could be sitting here in this chair talking to you, like I'm talking to you, but there are so many things that are going on in my life, and they just happen to. That there. It just have so happens that there are a lot of things. I mean, I just. My head is filled with a lot of things, because when you get older or even when you're younger, you know, things. Stuff happens, but you can't. You. You still have to be. You know, you still have to. And I find joy in speaking to people, and especially in talking about things that I can feel good about talking about and that kind of conversation. So I thank you for that.
- [32:25]
Sean (Podcast Host)
No, I. Man, that I'm kind of. I'm not really speechless a lot, Frankie. So that I received that, and I. And I appreciate that because a lot like you, I won't do things that I can't wrap around some type of meaning. You know, we just don't do interviews for the sake of doing interviews. They have to mean something. It has to make sense, and the mission and the message have to make sense, and it has to be impactful. So I'm just, I'm grateful because I, I, I always see things. Right? I, I can look and I can, you know, maybe count on one finger how many podcasts you've been on. Like, you don't go on them very often. Right. Or if at all. So it's, it's a huge honor. And, you know, I'm grateful for the fact that, hey, you know what? You looked at this opportunity, and you're like, this is a show that I want to do, and we're having this amazing conversation. And, you know, to be frank, I, I literally. No pun intended, but I, I literally run my show a lot differently than most podcasts.
- [33:28]
Frankie Faison
Okay.
- [33:29]
Sean (Podcast Host)
You know, it's conversation.
- [33:31]
Frankie Faison
Yeah. Well, you, you got a great, you know, you have a great sense of humor. You have a great sense of honesty about you. I'm just. And you make the audience. You make the, you make the person you're interviewing feel comfortable and want to talk. We're having this good conversation. I'm enjoying it.
- [33:49]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Well, me too. I think it's the shirts we're wearing.
- [33:52]
Frankie Faison
You know, I mean, these classic shirts. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to not compliment you on your shirt, because your shirt is really just right up there with my. It's spectacular.
- [34:04]
Sean (Podcast Host)
You know, it's got a bunch of the goats. It has Muhammad Ali. It has Wayne Gretzky. Yeah. Right here. And, you know, there's Tom Brady on here.
- [34:20]
Frankie Faison
It's cool. How about Djokovic? Do you have him on there?
- [34:24]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Hey, I didn't make the shirt. Okay. I didn't make the shirt. I'm just. He's pretty darn good, isn't he?
- [34:33]
Frankie Faison
Yeah, pretty darn good.
- [34:35]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Oh, man, I tell you, I, I, you know, you know, going back to it, though, I'm just, I'm super excited to watch some of the recommendations that you told me to watch. And then also just to see you in something else new, and you've got something else, another project you're, you're filming. So there's just plenty more from Frankie Faze on, and it's exciting.
- [34:56]
Frankie Faison
Yeah. And, you know, also, Sean, it's exciting to congratulate you on your podcast. You don't get there. Like you say. You don't get there by just saying, I'm going to go there. You got there by doing the kind of work that a person needs to do to get there, and it's important to you. And so I'm saying, yeah, it really, it's bursts out. It shines through. So congratulations to you. On that, you know, that's. I don't. I don't want to go. I don't want. I don't want to have this interview expire without me telling you that. And, you know, getting a little smile on your face is a little smile, man.
- [35:36]
Sean (Podcast Host)
I mean, there's been a lot of pain in building this, right? There's been an extraordinary amount of financial pain, growth gain, access gain. You know, there's just been a lot of things that go on with it. So to, you know, to get an endorsement from you like that, man, it almost made me emotional. Well, it did, but I. I held it in. I held it in because I. I truly. I felt that, and I thank you. Yeah. To your point, man, like, this. This isn't easy. There's this just like. Just like Hollywood, this. This. This industry is saturated. It takes a special person in a special mission. More importantly to. To kind of run, you know, the. The cream will rise to the top. And I feel like we're starting to rise. Right. We're close, and, you know, we're only going to continue to get better. And so it's exciting, but it's also damn frustrating. Oh, my gosh. There's moments, and it's been the last two weeks, you know, so that point, right, it's that point. Like, we know where we're at and we know where we should be, but we have to do more here to get here. And, and, and look, the last two weeks, I'm gonna tell you, it's been a struggle. I've been, you know, in and out of bad moods and. But, but. But that's. Hey, look, it's all about how you respond, right?
- [37:01]
Frankie Faison
It is. It is. It is about how you responded and how you let the bad moods affect you or, you know, they're going to affect you to a certain degree. Yes. But you also have to rise above it. I mean, look. And nobody has a picture perfect life, you know, there's always ups and downs. And so, like, you know, you. You're standing the test of time. You're going to be all right, you know, because you're going to be all right, you know?
- [37:29]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Yeah, that's right. Because that's the decision.
- [37:32]
Frankie Faison
Because I'm going to be all right. I just. Yeah, I just. I just. Yeah. So I'm. This is. This is really decision.
- [37:40]
Sean (Podcast Host)
That's the decision we both have made about ourselves. It's like, this is gonna be okay. This is what we're doing and commit to it for a lifetime of growth and a lifetime of professionalism. That's really what it is, right? It's making sure that whatever it is that you're doing for the audience, listening and watching is like. It doesn't matter what it is. Treat it like it's the most important thing in the world, whether it's the things that you hate doing in your business. I'm sure there was things in your career you did not like doing to get ready, but you found a way to love those things and you did them anyway, and it's made you who you are.
- [38:17]
Frankie Faison
Yeah, I mean, I'll tell you the truth, Sean. In my whole life and career, I. I can count on three fingers or less the things that. That I did not. I mean, that. That I did not want. I did the things I wanted to do and I found peace with it. I have been very privileged, you know, I've always stood my ground. I did what I wanted to do because I didn't want to go into doing something that I didn't want to do because I know it would make me unhappy. And when I'm unhappy, I cannot produce the kind of quality work or be the kind of quality person that I want to be. So I thank my lucky stars for the blessings that I've had because I just have always enjoyed just about everything that I've done. I could. If you told me to pick out my worst experience, I'd be so hard pressed to do it. I mean, I really. I mean, you know, I mean, there have been things that maybe short times I wanted to make more money doing something or things I maybe wanted to have a bigger part or something else. But I always enjoy doing the work that I do. I love it. I just love it. I gravitate towards it. And I just, you know, I just. And my life as well. My life is a reflection of that same work. I mean, I don't have bad. I don't have. I grew up in the south, kind of Newport News, Virginia, but I don't have bad stories to tell. I don't have bad experiences. I don't. I feel like I was. I'm walking under a cloud. Somebody's protecting me and making sure that. That I'm okay, because I don't. And even when I struggle, when we were hungry and penniless, you know, you know, just. I mean, I've been there, but even then, because I have the ability to. To. To provide for myself. I mean, I can cook and maintain myself. I can make my own food, which, by the way, you're going to be privy to an experience of. Can I have a bag of that? Just, you know, you have made the Frankie Faison send me a bag of granola lists.
- [40:33]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Oh, come on, man.
- [40:35]
Frankie Faison
I make granola. Been making it for 50 years. And recently my wife and I, we have decided to, to launch. To launch. So I'm launching my own brand of granola. Your children will love you. You won't get to eat any of it because your children will eat all of it. This is my bag. This is my product. I'm just done doing this little bit of us.
- [40:59]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Absolutely.
- [41:02]
Frankie Faison
It's organic, gluten free, nut free. It ticks all those boxes. This is the big six 18 ounce bag. And then I have smaller little pick me up little sizes. I, I copied from Paul Newman and famous Amos. I say, look, they can put their face on their bag. Why can't I put my face on my bag? I really believe.
- [41:27]
Sean (Podcast Host)
I will.
- [41:28]
Frankie Faison
Victoria, One of them. You'll get me your email address and I will send you a big bag and a couple of my smaller bags which are different flavors. And I want you to try it.
- [41:43]
Sean (Podcast Host)
I'm not sharing with my kids. I'm not sharing with my kids. I'm gonna keep it in my truck.
- [41:49]
Frankie Faison
You're gonna have to because I tell you, once they tasted you, you're out of luck. But we're, but anyway, that's, that's another thing. And that thing has kept me on point too, for my, for a lot. When I'm down and out, I'll go and I'll bake granola and give it away to people and I feel so much better. I've gifted thousands and thousands and thousands of bags of this. And my wife finally said, frankie, the stuff is very expensive. You, you're gonna have to start putting your stuff out there on the market. And I did. And we'll see how it goes, you know. When are you launching Frankie's? Fabulous Bruno?
- [42:26]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Oh, look at Fabulous Frankie's. When are you. When are you launching it? What's the date?
- [42:31]
Frankie Faison
Well, we don't have a launch date yet, but I hope that when I do launch it, maybe I could come back and we can do a little reprieve, a little quick little. I'll come on your show and say hey and let you know how things are going.
- [42:45]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Whenever, Whenever you want, buddy. Whenever you want.
- [42:48]
Frankie Faison
Samantha, we'll hook you up. We're going to get your information. Thank you. When I say I'm going to send something, you can just consider it received because you will receive it. Sure.
- [43:00]
Sean (Podcast Host)
I do No, I, I, I feel that from you, man. I appreciate you and you're more than welcome to come back on when, when you launch, that you'll always have a place here. Anything that you do, and you want to come back, you are welcome, my friend. You are welcome.
- [43:14]
Frankie Faison
Appreciate that, John. Yeah, absolutely.
- [43:16]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Absolutely. Well, look, I, I, I know you won't be there. You'll be out working and in production, but I really wish the best for Killing Castro at Tiff, and I can't wait to see it. And I hope I get that opportunity soon because I'm very interested in this project and it's just been really great to meet with you and get to know you and, man, I just, I cherish this conversation. Thank you.
- [43:44]
Frankie Faison
I thank you so much for being there and being here. Don't forget to watch the Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, though. That's, like I say, that's my, I couldn't say I should say swan song, but then that means I'm getting ready to fly away. I'm gone, so I can't say that. But it's, it's, I'm pushing that piece I want because I think that if you see that, you might want to come back and let's say, let's have a conversation about that. I believe it's that impactful. And it was, that's that.
- [44:17]
Sean (Podcast Host)
Well, hey, listen, we're writing it down over here, and I will be watching that movie. I can, once I tell you something just like you, you can consider it done. I'm going to watch it.
- [44:30]
Frankie Faison
Absolutely.
- [44:31]
Sean (Podcast Host)
My man. Well, dude, thank you again, Frankie. I, I just, I enjoyed this. And, and for the audience, please, when this movie comes out, go check it out. It's called Killing Castro. You won't be disappointed if you ever get the opportunity to watch beyond the Rush and the other movies that, that he mentioned in this, in this recording. Please, guys, go watch it. Support this man. He's amazing. And go all the way back to coming to America and some of the other things that he's done too, because he's, he's had an amazing career and continues to add on to it. So share this episode with someone you know, love and trust that would get something out of it. And until next time, stay determined.