Tommy Davidson Opens Up: Pain, Comedy, and the Fight to Belong

Summary

Podcast Summary: Tommy Davidson Opens Up: Pain, Comedy, and the Fight to Belong

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Determined Society with Shawn French
• Host: Shawn French
• Guest: Tommy Davidson
• Episode Title: Tommy Davidson Opens Up: Pain, Comedy, and the Fight to Belong
• Release Date: May 19, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Determined Society, host Shawn French engages in a heartfelt and revealing conversation with Tommy Davidson, a comedic legend best known for his role in the groundbreaking show In Living Color. The discussion delves deep into Tommy's personal journey, exploring themes of identity, adversity, and resilience that have shaped both his life and illustrious career.

Early Life and Identity Struggles

Tommy Davidson begins by sharing his harrowing childhood experience of being abandoned and found in Greenville, Mississippi. At the age of five, he discovered that he was Black in a predominantly white family, a revelation that profoundly impacted his understanding of race and identity.

Tommy Davidson [03:45]: "I didn't know my life was any different than anybody else's, you know, until I was five."

Moving to Washington D.C. amidst racial unrest, Tommy recounts facing hostility from Black peers who taunted him with racial slurs, leaving him confused about his own racial identity.

Tommy Davidson [08:09]: "They were saying, 'white cracker,' to me and my siblings."

This early exposure to racial tension forced Tommy to grapple with complex notions of color and belonging from a young age.

Educational Challenges and Mentorship

Tommy discusses his struggles in school, particularly with mathematics, and the pivotal role his math teacher, Ms. Coleman, played in his life. Her unwavering support and belief in him helped steer him away from a troubled path.

Tommy Davidson [25:22]: "She helped me to let me know that I care about you, to learn something. It's the care part that you need to learn."

This mentorship not only improved his academic performance but also instilled in him the importance of genuine care and support, lessons that would later influence his professional relationships.

Career in Comedy and 'In Living Color'

Transitioning to his career, Tommy reflects on the creation and impact of In Living Color, highlighting how the show's diverse cast and innovative comedy styles fostered a sense of unity and understanding among viewers.

Tommy Davidson [17:15]: "We were privy to grow up in the 70s and the late 60s where we're liking someone else's culture was actually hip. It actually was cool."

He emphasizes the versatility and depth of the performers, likening their acting skills to martial arts, where each actor could morph and adapt seamlessly to different roles and scenarios.

Tommy Davidson [20:14]: "What it did for me was, you know, every other actor on TV or movies or anything, every other performer knows, like, karate, but I know kung fu."

The camaraderie and creative synergy among the cast members are credited as foundational to the show's success and enduring legacy.

Personal Struggles and Recovery

Despite his professional successes, Tommy candidly shares his personal battles, including a downward spiral involving addiction. He speaks openly about the challenges of recovery and the importance of accepting imperfection.

Tommy Davidson [35:43]: "The best thing that came out of it was that it's okay that I'm not perfect."

He highlights the significance of behavioral changes and genuine remorse in overcoming past mistakes, underscoring the necessity of personal accountability for sustained growth.

The Birth of 'Varney Hill' and Persistence

Tommy introduces his latest venture, Varney Hill, a spin-off of Martin featuring his character from In Living Color. The concept intertwines the fictional and real-life worlds of television production, offering a meta-narrative that mirrors Tommy's own experiences in the industry.

Tommy Davidson [42:35]: "Varney Hill was an idea that I brought to Martin. Dude, there's no black talk show hosts on the air anymore."

Despite facing multiple rejections over five years, Tommy's unwavering faith and persistence eventually led to the show's greenlighting, demonstrating his commitment to representation and storytelling.

Tommy Davidson [44:15]: "They haven't said no."

Philosophical Insights and Reflections

Throughout the conversation, Tommy shares profound insights on humanity, survival, and the essence of being present. He draws parallels between societal behaviors and individual actions, emphasizing the critical moments that drive collective change.

Tommy Davidson [53:07]: "Only the time we change is when we are at the precipice of our survival."

His reflections encourage listeners to embrace the present, highlighting the transient yet impactful nature of each moment.

Closing Thoughts

As the episode concludes, Sean French wraps up by urging listeners to share Tommy's story, explore his book Living in Color, and anticipate the release of Varney Hill. The conversation leaves audiences inspired by Tommy's resilience and dedication to personal and professional growth.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tommy Davidson [01:39]: "Now we know the only time we change when we are at the precipice of our survival."
• Tommy Davidson [35:43]: "The best thing that came out of it was that it's okay that I'm not perfect."
• Tommy Davidson [53:07]: "Only the time we change is when we are at the precipice of our survival."

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Conclusion

This episode of The Determined Society offers a deep dive into Tommy Davidson's life, illustrating how overcoming personal adversities can fuel both personal development and creative excellence. Through his candid storytelling and insightful reflections, Tommy serves as a beacon of resilience and determination, inspiring listeners to navigate their own challenges with grace and perseverance.

Transcript

[Advertiser]

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[Tommy Davidson]

And it was us running into the next clan, man, that was living there already, man. And they just said, man, you guys, what's going on? You don't have any. You don't have one of these. But trade changed. Somebody one day said, no trade is this rock. You can give me five of those big old logs and you can give me three of those cows and they're going get out of here. Take the rock. How does this happen? Racing for resources. Racing for power. And we have abandoned being mankind. Now we know the only time we change when we are at the precipice of our survival. Sharp.

[Sean French]

French. What up? This one. Luck. I let the pain inspire me. I put my all in. Everything I'm doing up until it's done, I'm me for the entirety. I put in nova time. I'll be working. Just know I'm a go for mine.

[Tommy Davidson]

Because I earned it.

[Sean French]

They watch and I know it's time I confirmed it. I host a society determined, determination.

What's up, everybody? Welcome back. I am your host, Sean French. And today I have with me a legend, a comedic legend, an amazing individual who's had an amazing career. Someone that I've been following and watching ever since I was a young boy. In fact, I used to sneak out of my room on Sunday evenings because his show was on after my bedtime. You may have heard of it in living color. Absolutely epic show. Was raised on it. Hysterically funny. This man is still going. In fact, BET just greenlit Varney Hill, a spin off of Martin, starring our own author of Living in Color, Tommy Davidson. What's up, baby?

[Tommy Davidson]

You got it. You got it.

[Sean French]

All right.

[Tommy Davidson]

That was. You got it.

[Sean French]

All right, dude, I mean, it's like, you know, it's kind of like it's my job, right?

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, it is, it is, it is. I look for that. Yeah, I look for that.

[Sean French]

But no, man, I, I truly, I'm so excited.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, thank you.

[Sean French]

I'm excited, man. It's, you know, like I told you off air, I've, you know, been, and I just told the whole audience of the world that I've, you know, been, been a fan of you for a lot of years. And so, you know, when, when Val talked to me about you, I was like, oh, this is a no brainer. I, I, I love it. And you've had such a great career, man. And, you know, from what I can already tell, and from what I've heard, you're an amazing person, too.

[Tommy Davidson]

Ah, thank you, thank you. It's, it's been a, been a, it's been a life's work, you know. It's been a life's work.

[Sean French]

Yeah, man, for sure, dude.

[Advertiser]

For sure.

[Sean French]

So you, you have an interesting story, right? And you've been pretty public about it, right? Your childhood, if you don't mind, can you give the audience that may be a lot younger that didn't get to watch all those years of amazing things of you just a peek behind a curtain of who you are and, and how you've become where you're at right now.

[Tommy Davidson]

I didn't know my life was any different than anybody else's, you know, until I was five. You know, when I turned five, I found out that I was black. And my, my, my family was white, but I, I never looked at people as black and white. So that, that was my brother, my sister, my grandmother, my uncle. That was my family. You know what I mean? And I found out years and years and years later that I had been abandoned in a trash in Greenville, Mississippi, IN, IN 1966. And my mom and my then dad were students at Colorado. I think it was a Dion. Dion Sanders, Colorado. She found me random. They were there. They heard Kennedy's speech. John F. Kennedy had a speech during all the racial unrest in our country. That was just crazy back then, you know, it was totally different. We were hated, despised, killed, you know, all kind of stuff. You know, everybody was, by the, by the way, who got here to the US Anyway, so so. So. So they go down there to work on a project. They end up coming through there a year later or something. And we're looking for a young lady that worked with them on immunizing children and doing voting drives in Greenville, Mississippi. They said, she's gone. She left. She took her kids, but I think she left her baby at this house over here. And so my mom went over there, being nosy, walked in the house. People in there doing drugs and, you know, drinking. And so she got out of there fasting, said something, told me to look under this tire that was on a pile of trash. And I saw your foot. And so then I pulled the stuff away. And you were there laying unconscious. You got a red shirt on that said, I will be president in. And then the rest was ripped, you know, and I was in a coma. Was. Was starved, had been physically abused, contusions in my head and stuff. And I lived. I live. And they took me back to Fort Collins, Colorado, where I grew up and where I was. Grew up until I was 4 or 5, you know, which is, you know, I'm basically Midwest white boy, I guess. You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

Yeah, man.

[Tommy Davidson]

Horses and, you know, rivers and just meadows and farms and, you know, and we moved to Washington D.C. when they broke up. And that is when I found out I was black. You know, white. Because we came into Washington D.C. during the riots. You know, me and my sister didn't know that. We were five. So it was just like everywhere. And my mom told us to lay on the floor, and, you know, there was just army men, you know, I said, there's army men, you know. And when that cooled down, I was in Washington D.C. where I grew up. You know, I ended up growing up in Maryland, but that was my first impression was DC, where we moved. And they asked, my mom makes friends with anybody. So they said, you know, the kids are playing over at the pool. I said, why don't you have them go to the pool? So we were so excited, man, to go to the pool. And we got to the pool, and, man, the black kids kicked our ass so bad, man, all the way home. And really, every time they saw us, man, they would beat our ass, boy. And they were saying, white cracker. White cracker. To my brother and my sister. I don't see anybody would beat them up. They were so nice. They wouldn't do anything to anybody, you know, my brother was like, if I was 5, 6, he was like 8, you know, my sister, we're like twins, but you can't tell because she's blonde. So they were. So I went to my mom, and they were calling me white cracker lover.

[Sean French]

White cracker lover, right.

[Tommy Davidson]

So I went back to my mom and I said, why are they calling me a white cracker lover? Because I like graham crackers. You see?

[Sean French]

Come on.

[Tommy Davidson]

And I was like, I don't even like white crackers. They're dry. You can't swallow them. You gotta have, like, tuna or something on them that you don't even like, you know? Yeah, man. Some soup with it. You know, A graham cracker is maple juice. You know, you're at.

[Sean French]

Graham crackers are giving, bro.

[Tommy Davidson]

They're good. Yeah, man.

[Sean French]

Them cinnamon ones?

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, man. Put a little peanut butter on them, too, boy. You got it? Yeah.

[Sean French]

Come on.

[Tommy Davidson]

Got it. So. Especially in the s' mores, too. Okay. So anyway, and that's when it's explained to me, you know, you're. That's what people, your color call people my color when they don't like them. I was like, wow. I was like, what color are y' all? She said, we're white. I was like, no, you're beige. You know? Yeah, I know the colors from crayons. You know, I never understood why I saw one Korean that said flesh. You know, like, what is this? This is kind of pink, but it ain't, you know? But anyway, I was a little even saying that. So we moved from there because it was. It was a bad neighborhood, really, actually. And we moved to the suburbs. That's the first time I heard the word because grown men were chasing me, like, kill that nigga. Like, teenagers be in a truck and just jump out. And I, like, barely got in the house, you know, they run past my sister, man. You know, And. And that was scary. So I asked my mom, like, who are these niggas? Because we got to stay away from them, you know? They must be some pretty bad people.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. And that's when she said, well, that's what your people, your color copy. But that's what people are color called people your color when they don't like them. I tell this story like it's the first time every time, man. I'm telling you. Because it still confused me what the color. Who said what? You know? And I said, well, what color am I? She said, well, you're black. And I said, no, I'm not black and brown. She said, but that's what people call you when they don't like you.

[Sean French]

Wow.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, and it split my whole brain at five because I. I was Just like this is the stupidest thing ever, you know? How am I? Well, who do you. What, What. Where am I? What? You know, it's atom bomb up here and here. Mainly because, yeah, I thought that we were like animals because I grew up with animals, man, especially litters. You know, we couldn't wait till the. The horse had a coat or the, the dog would have puppies because we have like 10 little things to play with, man, you know, and they were. The cat could be a brown cat and have two white ones, a black one, a speckled gray one, you know, a speckled. A speckled brown, gray and white one, you know, whatever, you know.

[Sean French]

Sure, of course.

[Tommy Davidson]

Brown horse and have a black cult, man. You know, So I thought we were like that, you know what I mean?

[Sean French]

That makes so. That's interesting, man. That. Let me, Let me stop you real quick. That's perspective, right? It's like the innocence of a five year old, right? Or an eight year old, however you were at that time, you know, you just thought like, okay, cool. It's like a horse, like, right. My parents got together, they. They had me and I, I came out brown.

[Tommy Davidson]

Brown one.

[Sean French]

I'm a brown one. I'm a brown horse, right? Like, right, right, right.

[Tommy Davidson]

You see? So that was like crazy because people were seeing a color that wasn't there, really, you know what I mean? So I'm like, this is st.

[Sean French]

Wow.

[Tommy Davidson]

So that was, you know, just started the spark in. In me, you know, because I'd never. I don't think I really ever changed as a kid, you know. The only thing I changed, the only thing that, that really changed me was, was the black fact, you know, because, you know, there was certain realities that came with that as I got older where I was like, well, wait a second, you know, why, why, why is this. They like us, you know. And then started looking into that. I think I looked into that way earlier than most kids should, you know what I mean? Yeah. But I started reading a lot and you know, I had James Brown on black and I'm proud, you know, that was the song that was out. So I loved music, you know, and. But I mean, you know, we went to folk festivals and I'm like a little hippie too. The folk festivals and square dances. I mean, I got it all, man. You know what I mean? I got it. Yeah. Yeah. So it all just kind of. I guess it all just stuck to me. But the main thing that was, that was really cool about me was, you know, I was loved a lot.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

In My. In my house, in my family, like, I was special to them. I was. I. I. You know, like, I was kind of, like, spoiled in a way, you know, because my grandfather. Each time we had big get togethers or whatever, my grandfather would say, he doesn't have to do any work. He's gonna hang out with me and watch football. You know what I mean? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean French]

Hey, hey, go do that over here. I'm gonna hang out with grandpa.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, yeah, you go work.

[Sean French]

You go work.

[Tommy Davidson]

Why does he have to come and clean up the thing? Thing, thing? It's like, nah, man, we watching the game, you know? Yeah. You know, take me fishing and just. Really?

[Sean French]

That's awesome, man.

[Tommy Davidson]

Gave me my first camera, you know, when I wanted to be a photographer, you know, he was my. He was my guy, boy. He would make me learn the. The names on the jerseys and match them with where the person was, the country they were from, you know?

[Sean French]

Walk me through that. How did you distinguish. I mean, that. That's. That's some critical thinking right there. So walk me through that.

[Tommy Davidson]

It's just. Was on the spelling and stuff, you know?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Just anytime you see, like, Polanski or whatever, he's. He's probably Polish, you know, if he's here in America, you know what I mean?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, maybe Russian, you know, or, you know, Brown, you know, he's. Oh, he's. He's. He's American. Yep. You know? Yep, he's American. You know, Burdur, who's something with the X or something, you know, something he said. This is weird if it's spelled. Really weird. He's French, you know. You know, it was like, you know, that was my thing, you know?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, he'd get down on the ground and he'd go, all right, man, you're the Indians, man. The Indians are the heroes, so you guys better come out on top, man.

[Sean French]

Yeah, that's right.

[Tommy Davidson]

And he was a guy, you know.

[Sean French]

Okay.

[Tommy Davidson]

Wyoming.

[Sean French]

Wyoming.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

Yeah, Good old middle America right there, man.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, but I got it all. Got it all. He. He was a. Was a. He went to Bolivia when my mom was like eight or something and worked at a coal mine until she was like 13 or something, so she knows fluid Spanish, you know. Plus, you know, they were close to the Chicanos in Colorado. I had this other thing coming in, you know.

[Sean French]

You know, so eclectic, man. Like your experiences.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. Wherever we lived, whoever couldn't speak English, she was the one that they came to, you know, it didn't matter. Guatemalan, you know, Mexican or whatever, Puerto Rican, whatever, You know, they, you know, mommy is home. Yeah, come on. You know. You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

Yeah, man.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

Yeah. It's interesting because, like, I'm hearing all this stuff, like, all your experience, right? And it. It's.

[Tommy Davidson]

It.

[Sean French]

I don't know everything yet, but, you know, and it would take years to know that. Right? But I could. I could just. I could seriously tell. Just like these experiences have molded you into the intelligent and hysterical individual you are, right? Like, yeah. I mean, heck, man. And then, you know, you. You are in living color. You know, in the 90s, that had to been an experience too, right? Because, you know, you're a young man that didn't know he was. Was black until he was five. Now you're in a show in your 20s called In Living Color. And then you wrote a book, Living in Color.

[Tommy Davidson]

I know, I know, man. Yeah. You start to, you know, outside of our, you know, primitive selves, you know, like, all the, you know, other animals that are here, whatever, you know, when you start to think of, you know, the miracle of it all, then it all is that's one to come from that and then have a book named that. But the title's true, you know, and the title's true both ways because the title was true for the show. Like, come in a place where we're living in color, you know, where we're not seeing all that about it. It's about instant happiness, laughter, you know, observations that feel good, stuff that makes you go, man, wow, whoa, let me get to school. What the hell? You know, and then everybody's talking about it, you know, we get on the radio and everybody's like this and that and that. And it's all types of radio. It's not your urban radio. And, you know, you know, rock and roll is every station across the board, every kid, you know, And I credit that to. To. To how a lot of us grew up on the show because we were. We were privy to grow up in the 70s, you know, and the late 60s where, you know, we're liking someone else's culture was. Was actually hip. It actually was cool. And everything was just.

[Sean French]

It's. You look at that cast, right? And it's like, well, the show is epic and legendary, right? And I think that if I were to put that show on in my house, my kids would binge the heck out of it. They wouldn't want to stop watching it because. Because to me, it. It transcends all generations, right? Give them the opportunity, put it in front of somebody. Someone's going to watch it and be like, I'm never watching anything else. If I want to laugh, I'm going to watch this. This is genius. But you look at the cast, it's like most of everybody who's somebody came from that cast, you know, you, Jim Carrey, right? Jamie Foxx, JLO was one of the flight, huh?

[Tommy Davidson]

Jennifer? Yeah.

[Sean French]

Yeah. I mean, it's just, it's. It was incredible, you know, it was just absolutely incredible. How, how did working with all that, all those people shape you the rest of your career?

[Tommy Davidson]

What it did for me was, you know, every other actor on TV or movies or anything, every other performer knows, like, karate, but I know kung fu.

[Sean French]

Really?

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. It's. It's. It's like the advanced form of performing where you can morph. You got the ability to shape change. You have the ability to, to, to empty out. When I say empty out, the other person is doing some things where you're supporting them by absorbing what they're doing. You know, you actually can. You actually can be funny as the guy that's not funny in the thing. You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

So when. When, When I say to Jim, you know, you know, are you all right? Yes, I am all right. You know? Yeah. You know, but, but it's me going, you know, it's, it's. But what, what, what, what likes that is me going, are, are, are you all right? You know, you know, because it says, what the hell? You know, and that's what we do.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, see something, we go, oh, my God, you know what, what? You know, we're not the same. Whatever we saw is extreme, but it was nothing to him.

[Sean French]

All right?

[Tommy Davidson]

You know what I mean? So, so, so it's, it's a little bit of everything, which, which is what you want. You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

It's what you want, genius. Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

It's like a life balance, you know, we only get in life balance when we're in a situation where we all could be killed quick. You know, you never see anybody being mean on the plane unless something's wrong. Right. You know what I mean? Because everybody's going, you know, hey, you know, yeah, this is cool and everything, but, you know, we're gonna need each other really bad, I think, you know, at a point, if you know what I mean. So it's, it's like, you know, it's like one of those things that, that I noticed when I was a kid and it was, you know, I made observations, man, about stuff that I don't think people. Other people were thinking about. You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Because of, you know, being on both sides, you know, And I never really felt like the white people that call me that really hated me. Really?

[Sean French]

No. Right, right, right, right. Okay.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, I knew that they were taught to.

[Sean French]

Learned.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. Behavior, man, because of my friends, you know, all my friends when I was a kid were from somewhere else, and we had a backyard where we lived and we all played and stuff, you know, so it, you know, if. For. For a person to say, you know, you're a. And. And really mean it, they can't.

[Sean French]

Right.

[Tommy Davidson]

Because if the. If they were in a car and the car's on fire and they're pinned, you know, they're not gonna say, come and help me. You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

No, they're not.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. And so. And so that's. That's. I had a common sense about it, like a common life and death kind of sense.

[Sean French]

You were able to disconnect the emotion of the word to what it really didn't mean. Right. Like, it.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. What it did to the person.

[Sean French]

Yeah, yeah. That's not. A lot of people have that perspective.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. Obviously, if you got this blindness that my mom is describing, where you're calling me black and other things and I'm calling you cracker, obviously you got that certain kind of blindness.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Be happy. Like you can't be happy with other colors. You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

Yeah, I do.

[Tommy Davidson]

It's interesting. It's apparent.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Because.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

When I was growing up, you know, it wasn't just black people that were beautiful to me. Just white people. He's all people.

[Sean French]

It was all.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. Remember, I was on the sidewalk one time and there's a guy from the Vietnam, and he leaned down, you know, and. On the sidewalk with me and my sister and started doing little magic tricks, you know, he made it look like he ate a rock. And we thought it was really, you know, and I went to try to swallow, he said, no, no, no, no. You know. You know, just the little things.

[Sean French]

Yeah, man.

[Tommy Davidson]

The little things, man. You know, my. My. My math teacher, Ms. Coleman, and she wasn't even my math teacher, man. I just sucked at math, you know?

[Sean French]

She was like me. I did, too.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, man. Bad.

[Sean French]

God awful, bro. God awful.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. And she was one of those teachers that would sub for other teachers in the school, and they didn't. And so she. Her house was actually on the way to my house, and she said, why don't you come over and we'll work on that? And we worked and we worked and worked and we worked and we worked and worked and working. I wasn't that much better in math, but, you know, I missed her, you know, so, you know, once in a while, I come by the house and just knock and say, hi.

[Sean French]

Hey.

[Tommy Davidson]

Hey. You want to be scanned or something? Gone. You know? And years and years and years and years later, I went back to knock on Ms. Coleman's door. I don't. You know, and it wasn't in living color yet. I was working at a hospital in. In Bethesda, Maryland, and I was probably about 19 when I realized, wait a second. She helped me. Like, I don't have to know the math, right?

[Sean French]

Exactly. She impacted your life.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, she helped me to let me know that I care about you, to learn something. It's the care part that you need to learn, you see?

[Sean French]

Very good. Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Right? Because she was like. Because if it wasn't, she'd be like, you gotta get this. You have to. This is what you need, you know? She was never like that.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, man.

[Sean French]

It's. It. It's all amazing, man. Like, I'm. I'm just. I'm entrenched in this because, you know, a lot of people today, right? And I would imagine over the years, you know, something happens to them, they have a trauma when they're little, something that happened that they can't control, but they let it define the rest of their future, right? And. And you had. And, Tommy, like, straight up, dude, you. You could have let that childhood, you know, of how you were found impact your mind and your soul the rest of your life, and you would not have become what you've become as a human being first and foremost, and then as a professional. Right? So what my audience loves to hear is, like, they. They need help, man. Because we all kind of get stuck in our ruts, and they love to hear perspectives of how someone has chosen to overcome those adversities. So, like, give them a little peek behind how you. You know, because it seems like you've always had perspective on it, but were there certain checkpoints that you went through daily to be like, all right, man, you know what, Tommy? You may have been there. You have great parents, but I'm gonna get way up here and I'm gonna show everybody what is possible for people that count it out.

[Tommy Davidson]

It was more like a. Getting to that level was more like just being on. On a. Holding on to a train, you know? Making its way through, you know, because, you know, life in general, not that I know it. Like, here it is, guys, and let me tell you, you know, Nah, man. You know, you get shaped as you go.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You go. You know, you do things that you don't even understand as you go. You know, you get hurt by people that you didn't intend to hurt. I mean, you get hurt by people who didn't intend to hurt you, and you get hurt by people who intended. And you do the same thing.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Finding out who I. Who I am as I go, you know, I was. I can only tell you that I got to the point when I was 17 that I didn't want anybody to control where I went in life.

[Sean French]

I like that.

[Tommy Davidson]

And I could tell you that that happened. I was at the bus stop. A bus stop in, like, February. Freezing. Right. We had moved from the projects that we lived in, from the apartments that we lived in, to a house. So I wasn't hanging out in that neighborhood. That was kind of bad neighborhood. People sold drugs, whatever, right?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

And I finally got a job at a hospital, you know, and I got that job through a friend of mine who's one of my best friends, who I wanted to be in high school with because I got thrown at high school because I was crazy throwing at junior high. A lot of anger problems. And, you know, I. The early fighting and being hurt changed me because I was like a fighter. Yeah. You know, so I hung out with. With. With my friends that I met when I was nine. You know, they were all from the city of D.C. from. In the city because my, My. My neighborhood changed, you know, and. And my little friends in the backyard, you know, they didn't count anymore because you can get your butt whipped if you're by yourself. Right? So I wanted to be. I got thrown to junior high. I wanted to be back in high school so bad with my. With my friends. So I went to summer school and did all this stuff and went to behavioral school and all this. And I got back and they dropped out the first week, you know, the ones that I hung out with. And one of them had a job, an OJT job at a hospital. He said, man, you know, after school, man, you. You want my job, man? I was like, yeah, I do.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Because the reason why I like jobs, because if my mom threw me out of the house When I was 14, he said, I cannot come back and did not let me come back until I had a job. And that's, you know, So I was like, well, the job I have at the fast food place, this is a better one, you know. And so that's how I got that job. The job started changing me because people on the job weren't. Were saying, you know, you can have a car, right? You know, they're workers, people that worked. Not college or nothing, you know, you can get a used car, man. Yeah, yeah, you can get a used car. Come here. See this one? See that one? Look how much you get? How much you get paid a week? Okay? They tell me, you know, if you just do that and do that, you have that, okay? I'm serious, little Tommy. You can have it. You can't spend all your money, but you can have it.

[Sean French]

You.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know. So it was that these things started catapulting me ahead, you know, I ended up, you know, dropping out of college because I didn't get the radio gig at the university music station. And I interned. I interned. I had two jobs at my little apartment, you know, and they gave it to the frat boy when it came. And I cleaned up for months, you know, in there getting the food, you know, and so I was like, I'm out of here. And my counselor liked me for some reason. And she would call me in her office and she'd just sit and talk to me, you know, she thought it was pretty interesting, you know. And when I came to her, she said, I don't think, I don't think, I don't think. I don't think college is for you, man. You got two little cars, you got an apartment, you got a cat, you know? You know, I think there's something out there for you, you know? And so I just went with that. Eventually, 25 years later, I was in a. The lobby of a hotel in Miami. I'm gigging this Tommy Davidson and comedy club. And she walked up to me crying, man. And she. First thing she said to me was, you remember me? I said, of course I remember you. She said, I was so afraid because I never told any student not to go to school, and I was so afraid of what would happen to you. And her husband's with her. He said, yeah, she thought of you often, man. She said, when I saw you on TV and doing that stuff, it just warmed my heart, you know?

[Sean French]

That's incredible, dude.

[Tommy Davidson]

So it's, It's. It's what went on with me, you know? But I'm. I'm. I'm no singed or less scarred than anyone that just reacts out of what has shaped you, you know? I went through A lot of hard times, you know, once I got there.

[Sean French]

Oh, I bet.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

So now what you got, what everybody said was good, this makes you, you know, okay, and all of this. And I wasn't. I had some stuff to know. I had some stuff. A journey to make, you know, I stopped doing all the things I was doing in my neighborhood and drugs and stuff like that, and that never really looked back on that. And it started to permeate, you know, and it wasn't anything that I did on purpose and it wasn't. It wasn't anything that I did. It wasn't anything that I did consciously, but it was. It. It just became to get really hard, like life, you know.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

And that was tough. And. And I had my own downward spiral. I had to. Had to get into recovery and get myself together and, you know, get back on the path, and it wasn't. It wasn't an easy thing to do, you know, And I had to realize. I had to realize at a point that this is not something that I just do. It's a way that I must live.

[Sean French]

Yes. Yes.

[Tommy Davidson]

But because it's the way that I live, you know, and it gets me in balance, doesn't mean that I'm going to live perfectly. The best thing that came out of it was that it's okay that I'm not perfect.

[Sean French]

Yep. Yep.

[Tommy Davidson]

But what was haunting me was the fact that maybe I. Maybe I think I'm not, because how can I be black and white at the same time? But that's my own personal issue.

[Sean French]

Sure.

[Tommy Davidson]

Just like a Vietnam non vet who goes out into the field at 19 years old and wanted to be there and bam, loses leg, you know, and then there he is.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, carrying, you know, you know, what's. You know, you know what I mean?

[Sean French]

You know, what's the one thing that I want the audience to really key in on as. As they're listening to, to. To your story is going back to hanging on to the train as it goes. Right. Because I think we all get in those modes. I'm. How. I'm on my own train right now, and it's going fast as hell, and I'm holding on. Right. And I'm becoming who I'm becoming in the middle of it. Right. But I also think it's super important to understand that those are the moments. Right. That you grow as a human being and a professional. And the one thing that I loved about your story, outside of all the obvious things and hopefully the audience that's really tuned in, picked up on this. You can't judge your journey of where you start and where you're going to be. Because if you say, hey, you know, your acting career, how did that happen? You know, how did you become. Would it, Would it. Would somebody mention a hospital? No, but somebody mentioned, you know, a counselor, right? Saying, hey, college isn't for you. Probably not. So all this whole journey led you indirectly to where you're at now. And so, so that, that's the beautiful part about life, man. You know, and, and, and, and like, I just, I, I just want them to really key in on that because people are going through, man, you know, they, they, they want to be this, you know, a certain thing, and they think that, well, if I go over here and do that, it's not going to leave me there, brother. I played baseball in college, right? At Louisiana State University, playing the College World Series. Then I sold mortgages. And then I. Yeah, and then I. And I lost everything. And then I. And then I was a teacher and a baseball coach. And then I had my first child. I have three now. I'm like, I need to make more money, so I'm gonna go sell payroll. So I'm talking to all these different types of people. Doctors, dentists, construction workers, you name it, traffic controllers, whatever. And I'm having all amazing conversations with these people. I'm like, man, this isn't getting me anywhere. And then I went to the medical industry, right? And so I'm having all the eclectic style of talking to multiple walks of life. And then all of a sudden.

[Advertiser]

One.

[Sean French]

Of the top shows, right? Podcasts. Well, it's because all those moments that I was judging was. Was actually building me for this.

[Tommy Davidson]

Right? Right.

[Sean French]

Just. It, It's a. Life is beautiful, man. It just really is.

[Tommy Davidson]

It really is. But, you know, some of the facts, you know, some of the, the, the true facts have to go along with. For me. Have to go along with me. You know, one of the facts is that, hey, I can't control something that I already did, and I can't.

[Sean French]

Yeah, I can change.

[Tommy Davidson]

I can change my behavior. You know, I can say I'm sorry, but if it's not followed by. If it's not, you know, followed by atonement, it doesn't work.

[Sean French]

That's it right there, man.

[Tommy Davidson]

Even if the person is gone, you never see him again or whatever, you know, the change in the behavior is the key.

[Sean French]

Yeah. I mean, for sure.

[Tommy Davidson]

Ain't nobody got one behavior that ain't gonna keep following them. You Know, but the thing about it is one of the best things that life that God has created. I will call it that, you know, people don't. And that's okay.

[Sean French]

I do.

[Tommy Davidson]

Is the mo. Is the mo. Is the moment. Is the moment. Give the moment a minute. And it's hard to give the moment a minute. How am I going to give a moment a minute when I think a thought every second? I. Me. I'm me.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

So putting on the brakes had for me had to be grooved into a habit. Grooved, Grooved into a habit. Had to be a routine and all that to. To get this to be a reflex that when I start going, nah, man, this don't mean that, man. I can't. What the. You know, man. All right, okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. You know, listen to the air conditioner for a second, you know? You know, lean your head against the jet, you know, just listen to the engine for a minute. Don't listen to you for a second to something that. That has. Has something that you don't, you know, something that has something that has continuity and will not stop. They borrowed. They borrowed little print. They borrow. We borrow little things from what we saw and created this air conditioner that will not stop. And we created this jet that can fly and with the engine will not stop. But we're not what. What makes everything go forever. So why don't I just take a chip of it real quick and tap into that power?

[Sean French]

Yeah, man, it's good to tap into that other energy and feel it. Right. And get your mind off of what's going on. I. You know, because. Respectful of your time, I. Before we land the plane here, I. I want. I always start it. Okay. I love it, man. I honestly could sit here. I could sit here for two hours with you, man. I. I really could. I really. Yeah, I. Dude, I want you to talk about Varney Hill, man.

[Tommy Davidson]

Varnell Hill was an idea that I brought to Martin. Dude, there's no black talk show hosts on. On the air anymore. Like, they're having all the fun, you know? So I thought of a way we can get one on there. He said, what's that? I said, why don't we take the character Vanilla here, who's a late night talk show host on your series and make him a late night talk show host. For real?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, and the TV show will be about the TV show at the same time as being a TV show.

[Sean French]

Oh, wow.

[Tommy Davidson]

You see? So we have real guests, you know, it's in the same time slot. You know, we're having fun like everybody else, but when I leave, when. When. When I leave the chair, they walk back with me to the dressing room and see me in conversations with people who work with me and da, da, da, da, da. I am Varnell Hill. It is the Darnell Hill show. It's the people that work there. It's the world that we're in, you know, it's. It's about our world, right? In real time.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

See, so. But it took five years, man. Five years. We closed the contract. He loved the idea, and then, wham. Five years, man. And what faith can do. What faith can do, you know, Just. Just a little bit every day. Just a little bit. Just. You know what? It's. It. They haven't said no.

[Sean French]

All right? It ain't over yet.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. They haven't said no. George Lucas taught me that.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, man. George Lucas called me, had sent somebody to my hotel room randomly during the Aspen Comedy Fest and said. And they said, george Lucas wants to have lunch with you. I'm like, nah, man, get out of here. George Lucas wants to have lunch with you. Kidding me. And he did, you know, and we talked like. We talked for like an hour and a half, almost two hours. And it's almost like he was sharing with me.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

What helps him get. Helped him. And what helps him, you know, And. And we. It wasn't like a strike of lightning. We were there celebrating living colors, color at the Aspen Comedy Fest along with American Graffiti. So we had these big symposiums where everybody came and talked to the cast and question, answer. So we went to American Graffitis, right? Harrison Ford, Howard, all the whole cast, right? And so they come to see us, you know, and in that particular. At that particular time, for some reason, Keenan kept saying, tommy can answer that. Tommy can answer that. You know what I mean? So I answered all stuff, you know, and he said, I, you know, was listening to you and. And impressed, you know, so after that, the friend of mine is a friend of his, and he said, want to open up maybe a. A. I. He turned to her and went, if you're going to do that production company, I think that he would be good for you guys to join forces and. And that, you see? So. But that happened. And what he told me was. And it stuck. He said, tommy, no one's ever to this day said yes to any of my projects. Jaws freaking. Not Jaws. That's Spielberg. Star Wars. I said Jaws because him and Spielberg did Indiana Jones. Yeah, yeah, that's what I meant to say. Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones. They were like, you're crazy. Says swashbuckling architect man. You know, and we just kept going and kept going and kept going. See, the way that I got where I am is they didn't want to do Star Wars. But I called. I think he's called Scorsese. One of them that had supported him in film school, I think it was the Godfather, dude. And he had a deal, 20th century, and they owed him that because he had a contract and all this. And he just simply called him and said, can you call them and have them honor my contract? He said, yeah. And they said, here you go. You can have your movie, whatever, here. And he said, I want a hundred percent trademark. And they were like, sure. So he said. He said, if ever you have an idea and they, you know, are messing around with you, you get to that final, you know, negotiation, ask for 100 of your trademark. You know, they don't really care about that. If they don't think anything, it's going to make any money. They might say, well, you know, you get 50. He said, that's a lot, man. That's a lot. To have your creativity out into the world, you're gonna touch. You're gonna touch more people than you're going to touch money, you know?

[Sean French]

Yep, that's it. It's interesting, man. Interesting. We don't know when something's going to hit, right? We just don't know. And it's so funny. It's like, you know, they haven't said no yet, right? And I think that it's a good lesson because, you know, you sat there, like you said, for five years, and then just overnight. Overnight. I mean, for the outside looking in, obviously, right? Overnight. It was like an explosion. I think it was like a week and a half ago or something like that, where the Internet just blew up about. About your show. And I'm just like, yeah, okay. I was like, I'm. I'm jacked about this one. And then Val and I talked about it. I'm like, dude, like this guy. I'm telling you, man. And she's, you know, obviously loves you, and. And, you know, so it's just. It's just one of those things, man. I think it's a. It's a testament for people that are listening that, hey, it may suck. It may feel like you're walking through hell and your clothing drenched in gasoline, but you know what? Hey, walk through it anyway. It's gonna be hot. But one day, something's gonna happen, right. If you stay faithful, you have a sliver of faith right? In God, in anything and even in yourself. Like, like, yo, come on here.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, Kindness. Kindness helps. It just. It's your, your disposition, you know. Yeah. You. You're apt to, you know, you have to lean towards, you know, the side that the gravity is heavier.

[Sean French]

Yep.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know. You know, I hate this. I hate that and hate that and hate this and that.

[Sean French]

These.

[Tommy Davidson]

Son of a. You know.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, this is not going to happen because I don't think that whatever. You know, instead of, you know what, you know, I didn't put that dag on sun up there. You know, I didn't make an orange, but it's sure I can just pick one, right?

[Sean French]

Anytime.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

Yep.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, the amazing thing about my children when, when, when they were born and it was only. It was my, My observation, man, was that they loved everything here right away. They love everything right here right away. Water.

[Sean French]

Yep.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, a piece of bread. You know, I remember I gave my son a piece of cotton candy and he was lit and I just gave him a piece like that and he just went.

[Sean French]

His eyes got huge.

[Tommy Davidson]

You like what's already here?

[Sean French]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

So I'm going to say, you must have been put them. Put here for them, you know, and so does a monkey and so does a fish. I mean, they're just like, having their way, man. You know, those little turtles are just going to the beach. They're just like, well, you know, that part's over.

[Sean French]

Let's go to the next thing. The gift of being present. That's why it's a gift, right? Why it's called the present.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah.

[Sean French]

Presence, man. Like, to be present is a massive gift. Right. Because every moment, every moment is so precious if you allow it to be. Right. So, dude, thank you so much for coming on. I, I just, I'm I'm so excited to. To watch more of your work and I know it's going to be awesome. And these are the important things.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, important things. When, when, when we traveled far as clans and we were, you know, and we got a little bit colder than where we were from or whatever, you know, it was us running into the next clan, man, that was living there already, man, you know?

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

And they just said, man, you guys, what's going on? You don't have any. You don't have one of these? You know, you need one of these or, you know, water, you know, or whatever. And it's this. We think it's something else. Yeah.

[Sean French]

You know, it's this.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. For some reason, we think you can buy your way there. And. And then. But trade changed. You could trade lumber, someone who has meat, because you can use it to build and keep your family warm. And you can eat that. Somebody one day said, no, trade is this rock. Trade is this rock. You know, so if I get the rock, this. If I got this rock, you give me. You this rock. You can give me five of those big old logs, and you can give me three of those cows, and they're going, get out of here. They're going, no, take the rock.

[Sean French]

Yeah, and give me that. Then currency began, you know.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah. I mean, as a kid, I started looking at things like that because I was like, how does this happen? How does this happen? And all just. That made sense to me.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, we're the human race, racing for resources, racing for power, racing for this. And we have abandoned being mankind.

[Sean French]

Let's see right now. Tommy. Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

So. So the. The jet parallel that I drew is just as real as hell.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

Because in the pandemic, nobody was hating nobody. Everybody did what they had to do together. You know, it's when I was watching a. A movie with Keanu Reeves that I just. I just love, man. And the guy. The aliens come and they take over Earth, and, you know, they. And they take us. They take all the animals off where they ex. They. They slaughter us, you know? Right. And there's this professor that says, man, just don't do it to us, man. You know, we. We know now. We know, okay? It's. That's when. Only. The only time we change is that when we are at the precipice of our survival, you know?

[Sean French]

That's impactful, man.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know what I mean?

[Sean French]

Mic drop. It's a mic drop. Tommy.

[Tommy Davidson]

Hey, man.

[Sean French]

My man. My man. I appreciate you, dude. Hey, no, I can't wait for it to come out. I know there's not a date yet, but I got your cell number, so I'm gonna be texting you. I'm like, bro, give me some inside info, dog. I need to know this.

[Tommy Davidson]

Hey, you got a great p. Podcast. So, you know, this is. This is. These. These are the ones that count.

[Sean French]

Yeah.

[Tommy Davidson]

You know, we can have a. This could be about, hey, this person did that. Now, what do you think of that? You know, this person. This person just, you know, their marriage, you know. You know, I already was cheating anyway, you know.

[Sean French]

You know, this show's not that, man.

[Tommy Davidson]

Yeah, let that.

[Sean French]

This show's not that, bro.

[Tommy Davidson]

That'll be the thing. You know what I mean? That'll be the thing. You know, instead of. You know what? Sometimes relationships don't work out. You know, we don't know what really was really going on with that person. You know, it makes everybody want to be like.

[Sean French]

Crack dog. Yeah, I do. I get you, man. I get you. But I'm gonna land the plane here, big guy. And I just appreciate you so much, and I can't wait for. For just a lot more of Tommy. Right? And to the audience, I really hope you do three things. One, first and foremost, share the show with somebody you know, love and trust. That. That this story, his story would resonate with them. And then go check out his book, Living in Color. And then ultimately, ultimately, when that show pops Barnell Hill, I need y' all to go watch it. Because if you haven't been exposed to Tommy's work, you need to go back and binge all the cool stuff he did and then watch how he hasn't missed a beat. Hasn't missed a beat. And so, y' all, thank you so much for listening. Until next time, stay determined.

This one luck. I let the pain inspire me. I put my all in. Everything I'm doing up until it's done, I'm me for the entirety. I put in nova time. I'll be working? Just know I' ma go for mine?

[Tommy Davidson]

Cause I earned it?

[Sean French]

They watch and I know it's time I confirmed it? A whole society determined to turn it.