← The Stephen A. Smith Show
The Stephen A. Smith Show
Interview Only: Newly engaged Jonathan Majors | tumultuous few years | New movie Magazine Dreams.
00:37:05
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- [00:00]
Stephen A. Smith
The 2025 NCAA March Madness Men's tournament is back and this time it is bringing all the feels. The biggest event in college sports is here with games happening all day long and you don't want to miss a second of the heart pumping action. Catch all the clutch shots, big time plays, upsets, Cinderellas, blue bloods and more. Tune in to the NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball Championship March 18 through April 7 on TBS, CBS, TNT, TruTV and Stream on Max. AT&T has a new guarantee because most things in life are not guaranteed, like getting through self checkout by yourself. Not guaranteed in a world where Nothing is guaranteed. AT&T is bringing something new to the table. AT&T is introducing a guarantee with connectivity you can depend on, deals you want and service you deserve or they make it right. Learn more@att.com guarantee@&t connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.comguarantee for details. My next guest is an Emmy nominated actor known for the hit films Creed 3, Ant man and the Wasp, Quantumania and the Heart of They Fall. His new film is called Magazine Dreams. Please welcome one of the best actors in the business right now, the one and only Jonathan Majors, here with yours truly. What's going on, Jonathan? How are you, man? How's everything?
- [01:33]
Jonathan Majors
Everything's good, brother. How you feeling?
- [01:35]
Stephen A. Smith
I'm doing all right. Before I get into the movie, you got to get a lot of stuff to get into because I can't wait to talk to you about this movie. What is this I'm hearing? There's some, there's, there's some news about you're a married man now. You just got married. Is that true?
- [01:49]
Jonathan Majors
This happened yesterday morning. Orchestrated by my mother who married us in our backyard, man. Yeah.
- [01:58]
Stephen A. Smith
Well, listen, congratulations on that. To the wonderful Megan. Good. Everybody loves Megan Good. There's no question about that. Major, major props to her. What if she's a sensational actress in her own right? And so I'm really, really happy for the both of you. Talk to me about why now was the right time for the nuptials in your estimation.
- [02:18]
Jonathan Majors
We had been putting it off and we saw that the film was coming to life and my mother was coming out and my mother's birthday was the same day as the premiere and we called her, she knew she came from Texas and it was just the perfect time. There she is. Yeah, it was just the perfect time and had the whole family on the FaceTime and. And that was that. So, yeah, I love that woman Death. And she's my best friend. And. And it was. It was time, you know, so. And we had scheduled it, so we just kept our. Kept to the schedule.
- [02:56]
Stephen A. Smith
You know, it's an odd question, but I think it's an appropriate question because, you know, as a man, you think about what makes a woman special. It's not just the beauty on the outside is the beauty on the inside. And obviously, you know that. You know that we're going to ask you about what you've. What you've endured over the last year, but before we into that, how much did that play a role in you ultimately getting married to her, considering the fact that she has been by your side seemingly every second of the ordeal that you've. You've. You've had to endure over the last year?
- [03:32]
Jonathan Majors
Plus or so person once said to me that your partner, you know, you want to. You want to see him and be with him through all the seasons. Up, down, hot, cold. Yeah. Fall, spring, winter, etc. You know, but all the seasons of your life, you know, things that you're experiencing. And Megan and I did that. You know, she came into my life at a time when everyone was running away. And I very clearly said to her right at the beginning, this is going to be very real. And I don't know how long it's going to last. And at that point, we were very close friends, but we already kind of got into a place. I had feelings for her and she had feelings for me. And all I was saying was, you know, you can go now. You know, like, this is going to be tough and you don't need to be dragged into anything. And very much what we're talking now right in the face, if I FaceTime and said, I'm not going anywhere. And literally the next day, she was on a plane from Vancouver to New York City, where I am now. And that was a rat. You know, a woman that can love you when you're broken, completely broken, you know, she saw the potential. She saw something in me, and she helped put me back together and made me a better man. And she inspires me to be a better man and we balance each other out. She's my real dog. She's my best friend. That's my wife.
- [05:02]
Stephen A. Smith
When you talk about being broken, obviously everybody's gonna think about December of 2023. That's when a New York jury conv you a one count of misdemeanor third degree assault and one count of second degree harassment of your then ex girlfriend, Grace Jabari. You avoided jail time, but were Ordered to do a 52 week in person batterers intervention program. Talk to me about that case, that situation, but most importantly, tell me how the last year has been for you in light of having to endure that and to be found guilty.
- [05:32]
Jonathan Majors
Well, the trial and the case in that situation, I mean, that's. This point is common knowledge. You know, the viewers can go online. I can't speak to that anyway, you know, but the verdict is also common knowledge. And you know, in that moment, I mean, it was heart wrenching in many ways. You know, there was so much shame and confusion and was just lost in a way, you know, lost to myself in a way. But I knew when I looked around, right, and we start the journey, you know, the year, that year. And so after the realization and confronting all of that pushed me and allowed me to really orient myself to myself and find a way back to myself, you know. And so the growth has been like a tattoo on my neck now that says rebirth. And I think I got that, you know, I definitely got it. I got it after the trial, you know, living in the apartment that I was, you know, during the trial, you know, and. And that became my mission. And Megan was there for that. And I got, I mean, I got. I feel like I have an all star team of support around me, you know, between. Megan, you mentioned the sessions, the 52 sessions. Those things are incredible. I love them. I love them. I intend on staying with it, you know, even when this is done. My personal therapist, my pastor, my family, I began to really try to utilize them and ask them, you know, for help in many ways. Because the two years of that saga, you know, of the struggle was extremely confronting. And I got to really witness parts of myself that I didn't like. I didn't want to keep moving in that way, you know, I didn't want to keep feeling like that, you know, And I'm an athlete, you know, and I'm an actor. And one thing I did learn in those things where I feel I'm. I'm okay is I was built as an actor. There's a group of people that helped me become an actor. You know, I went to my programs, I went to my schools, I went to my summer camps. I did all that and became, became an actor that I'm. I'm proud of being. Same thing with my fitness and my body. I have a huge amount of people that I ask questions how to lift this, how to do that, where. What I didn't have was that type of system, those types of coaches and friends for myself, for me, you know, when you're not in the gym, when you're not on set, I didn't have that, you know, and so those two things far surpassed and far outran, you know, my inner self, you know, and so now I had to. And what I've been doing, what I will continue to do for the rest of my life is stay in the self gym, stay in the mental wellness gym, stay in the. What can I do to be a better man?
- [08:41]
Stephen A. Smith
You, you were stating that immediately once the court case had ended. And obviously you had to endure what you had to endure. And then you're moving on and this movie's about to come out. And then all of a sudden some recent audio tape was released of you admitting to choking your ex girlfriend. And so now that's in the news. Weird timing, I might add, that that's in the news the week this movie is coming out. But I want to know what you have to say about all of that. And do you believe in any way that that has derailed the momentum that you were building leading into the premiere of this movie?
- [09:14]
Jonathan Majors
I think it's all God's plan. You know, something in the past few years that I've kind of realized is there's. There's no control. You know, we're all in here trying to figure that out ourselves. You know, I can only take care of myself and control myself. You know, a great example of that is we planned on getting married, you know, March 18th day after my mother's birthday. That's what we planned on doing. And if we would have let something like that derail us from that, I wouldn't be married to the woman of my. Of my dreams. You know, I've got to keep my path and keep things forward, you know, is the timing, I mean, the timing to timing, you know, I. I can't say anything about that, but I see it, you know, the derailment of the film. Who knows? You know, at this point, the film has a. Has a, has a life of its own. Yes, I'm an integral part of it, but it has a life of its own, you know, and I hope people will come and see it. I stand by it. I think it's probably one of the most beautiful films I've had the opportunity to be a part of. It's definitely surrounded by some of the most creative and heartwarming people, you know, like everyone's pushing to get this thing made and to get it out. So if it derailed it or not, we'll see if it derailed it, we can always get it back on track. And if it. And if it didn't derail it, you know, glory to God.
- [10:31]
Stephen A. Smith
What is it about this film, magazine, dreams that everybody. I should say, I shouldn't say anybody. Let me focus on you. What is it about this movie that you want people to peel from. From it in terms of how it represents you, whether it be physically, mentally, or whatever? How do you want people to see you based on this film?
- [10:57]
Jonathan Majors
As the film's concerned and seeing me, you know, I've dedicated a great deal of my life and my energy and my time to my craft of acting, to, To. To the craft of acting. And this film challenged that to the nth degree, you know, and I poured everything I could into it. Where, where, where Killian and I, you know, the character, the protagonist of the film, where Killian Maddox and I kind of align, is that there's a. There's a sense of not giving up. You know, this man, this man refuses to give up. He has a dream, he has a goal for himself that he's trying to achieve. Now, my dream and my goal for myself, you know, to be honest with you, brother, it goes from my hierarchy is quite simple. God, family, art. But I can't give up. You know, Killian Maddox doesn't give up. You know, there's nothing about him. There's no quit in him. And I've had my hurt, I've had my pain, I've had my trials and tribulations, and I'm still hurting, but I'm still healing. And that is an aspect that Killian really, really, really leans into. And he himself deals with his trauma and pushes through. And in this time, even talking to you, you know, big bro, I'm dealing with mine, you know, and I have hope, like Killian has hope that I can achieve my dream, you know, as an actor, but chiefly as a man, you know, as a man of God, and now as a husband and a father, as I, as I've been for the past, you know, almost 12 years now. So that, that's where we, that's where we agree.
- [12:32]
Stephen A. Smith
Killian and I, just to, you know, educate our audience. All right? This film, it premiered to critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, has been called Oscar. It's been called an Oscar worthy performance by you, who plays the character Killian Maddox, obviously. And one of the things everybody is looking at, everybody's going to appeal from it is the physique, you know, the, the body, how you transform yourself physically. My attitude is I saw that transformation when it was in Creed 3. Both of us was in Creed 3. See, you're an actor. I'm just. I'm just. I'm just playing around like one, you know, in moonlight every now and then. Exactly. So we were.
- [13:10]
Jonathan Majors
We didn't.
- [13:10]
Stephen A. Smith
We wanted to see together, but it was. We did a scene where we weren't together, but it was great. But the way you transformed yourself physically, I saw that in Creed 3, obviously before this talk about what you've done and how. And what it takes for you to do what you're doing. I'm told you're getting up five in the morning. I'm told it's about six. What is it, 6,000 calories a day. Educate us about what the hell is going on with you and what you do to transform what you've done to transform yourself physically.
- [13:40]
Jonathan Majors
Devotion. Devotion. And I mean, let's talk about. I mean. I mean, we're sportsmen, both of us, right? So, yeah, it's the grind. You know, I do wake up at. I wake up at 4:20 every day. That gives me 40 minutes to get my dogs fed, get my. Get my shake in and get to the gym. I'm in the gym from what, five to seven every day, me and a couple buddies. And. And we just hit it. You know, we just hit it. And. And the eating is important, you know, I eat, you know, now. Now I don't eat as much. But during the. During magazine dreams, I was. Yeah, yeah, the word on the street is correct. I was taking in about 6,100 calories, you know, and I remembered every single plate of food I ate because every single food, every single bite was. And sometimes excruciating, you know, having to wake up at, what, go to bed at 9:30 at 10, then wake up again at 1 to take a shake. Right, because you want to take a shake, because you have to build the body up and build the body, and then you just. You're just kind of hurting, you know, your body's just kind of hurting. For the. For the first three months of it, it was just excruciating, you know, because you're trying. We're trying to force our bodies to adapt, you know, and so you really have to surround that body, you know, and your mind around those circumstances, right. In order to adapt the body. That's. That's all, you know, muscle building, stretching, flexibility. That's all that is. It's your body adapting to the environment. And so for the time we were shooting that film, the environment was I mean, it was. It was hell, you know, and after a while, you begin to get comfortable in that space, you know, you begin to learn that the pain is a sign that a. Is working. It's working. And. Yeah, I mean, what, three times a day and posing is.
- [15:27]
Stephen A. Smith
Is that the advice. Is that the advice you would give to people, that the pain is a sign that it's working? So when you're feeling pain, understand you making progress, is that what you're trying to say, is that. I'm just checking. I'm just checking.
- [15:39]
Jonathan Majors
Well, I would, I would, I would. I'm not, not saying that, but I think I'm saying that that pain is a part of it, you know, I mean, pain is definitely a part of it, right? That the discomfort, you know, to get the body to, to grow, you know, especially in. I'll speak right to the bodybuilders, especially for a bodybuilder, you know, like, there is a certain amount of mental toughness that is needed because your body will tell you to stop, you know, and then you realize that, I don't know what it is, but you can go further, you know, and you must go further to achieve your dream. You know, if you want that bicep to pop the way you want to pop, if you need that, you know, 4% body fat, you know, I think we stepped on the stage at maybe, maybe three. Maybe sub three. You know, that takes. That takes work. But, you know, my dream was to be. My dream is to be an actor, you know, and these roles, especially for my demographic, well, frankly, our demographic, they don't come around, you know, and so Elijah Bonham and I, I mean, we were working, you know, to, to exit. Hey, you just, you just, you just went to oppose.
- [16:44]
Stephen A. Smith
That's. I'm in a little bit of shape. I'm in a little bit of shape. Not just kind of shape, but I'm in a little bit of shape. Let me, Let me ask you this, Let me ask you this, Jonathan, with, with, with all that you've been through and we've already talked about the conviction and what have you in your mind, what did it cost you that highlighted.
- [17:00]
Jonathan Majors
Part of the journey or the film or. I guess the same answer is the same, right? It. I mean, I guess, bro. I mean, it cost me everything. You know, there had to be, There had to be some type of death, right, to become the man that I am now and the man that I'm striving to be, you know, that old, that old me, the old way of thinking, you Know, I'm nervous because I know my old way of acting, you know, I mean, my process as an actor, even that. Even that had to die, you know, some. So many things had to be put.
- [17:37]
Stephen A. Smith
Explain that. Explain that for me, please. When you say that old process of acting, even that had to die. What exactly had to die? What it. Be specific.
- [17:48]
Jonathan Majors
Yeah, it's a mindset. Like, I was just listening to podcast and they were talking about Usain Bolt, right? And how when he runs, he's the fastest man in the world when he runs. He's a boy and he's playful, you know, he's happy about it. I mean, he's still out there to do. Do the thing, you know, but he's playful, you know, and for me, I was so. I was so focused, you mean, on. On the work and on achieving my goals as an actor. And, you know, yes, I had a great amount of fun, you know, but I was keeping everything and everybody at bay. You know, we would. We didn't work together. We worked together. We weren't in the same scene when we shot, when we did Creed 3 together. Right. Even that picture where I'm. Where I was working with one of my, you know, now one of my closest friends, you know, the process for me, yes, there's method. Yes, there's training. Yes, there's emotion. Yes, there's personal and past and, you know, an imagination. All the trauma, all those things are there, but just the way of being on set, you know, like, I didn't. I had so much fun, but I couldn't. I wasn't connecting to anybody except for between action and cut.
- [18:57]
Stephen A. Smith
Is that why you relate so much to this film? Is that why you relate so much to this role in Magazine Dreams? Because that character doesn't really relate.
- [19:04]
Jonathan Majors
Yeah. Yeah. This character. This character has a different reason why he can't connect. Right. He's dealing with. Well, I guess we're both dealing with, you know, trauma, but his is. His has affected him in a way that makes him think and move a little bit differently. Right. Glory to God. I don't. I don't have that diagnosis, but. But I do. I do fall into the. The category, you know, of a severe depression. Yeah, I'm impressive. You know, I'm not claiming that that's just what it is, you know, but to be able to. Yeah, I saw. I saw. I saw that in Killian, you know, I mean, and I. And I. Only. If you spot it, you got it, you know, and I knew it was in myself. So, yes, I Felt, oh, I can take on this role because I understand it. But that then led to me understanding it and then now going like, yeah, but that's not. That wasn't good for Killian. And Killian actually metabolizes his trauma throughout the film. And at the end, we see how it goes. You know, same thing for. For me in my life, you know, I'm trying to metabolize the things that I connected to with him. Right. He got to get it off in the film. Right. I had to do it. I'm having to do it, you know, in real life.
- [20:18]
Stephen A. Smith
Strange question. It may be a strange question, but I'm going to throw it at you anyway. I mean, I had the pleasure of meeting you for the first time. It was in the immediate aftermath of everything that that had happened with your court case. And I met Megan as well. And I've always been a fan of us. I ain't gonna lie to you, man. I don't know a black man, any offender. Megan.
- [20:36]
Jonathan Majors
Good.
- [20:37]
Stephen A. Smith
I just don't know. I don't know if. If he exists. I don't know who the hell he is. I don't know a black man that ain't a fan of mega good. Okay.
- [20:43]
Jonathan Majors
It's just.
- [20:43]
Stephen A. Smith
It's just a fact. Okay, so congratulations to you again and your nuptials with her. But I want to ask you this question. I want to be very delicate when I ask this question. In all fairness to you, when I saw you, for obvious reasons, you had looked very depressed. The conviction came down within an hour. My day job, you know, because I work for Walt Disney, essentially, it owns espn. They had dropped you, you know, I mean, you were looking forward to, you know, being, you know, the Marvel villain, all right? Kang the Conqueror, for crying out loud. And everything went awry. Did you feel the misery, the depression that you were experiencing based on everything that was revealed, based on everything that you. That you were going through? Did you feel you deserved it? Point question number one. And number two, what did Megan say to you at that moment in time where you were going through those emotions?
- [21:42]
Jonathan Majors
Do I feel like I deserved it?
- [21:44]
Stephen A. Smith
I'm only asking that question because you. You talked about reflection and looking at yourself and what you endured. So I'm talking about what you was feeling.
- [21:51]
Jonathan Majors
Yeah, yeah, it's us, man. The confusion was definitely there. You know, it doesn't help to compare stats, right? It doesn't help to, like, that'll make you miserable, right? But I gotta, you know, I love you, big bro. So I'll keep it a Buck, like, yeah, I was confused. I was. What you saw what was coming off of me, that sadness, that depression. Yeah. Because, look, you saying that. And I thought I was trying to hold it the best I could, you know, I mean, and apparently I couldn't. You know what I mean? Yeah. So. Yeah, so there's. There's that part. So did I feel like I deserved it? I felt like I take what I'm. What I was given, you know, I. And I don't complain. You know, I don't complain. And, yeah, I don't complain. And I take all of that. Those feelings and. And the events that occurred and the actions that were taken, the verdict or take all of that. The dropping from everything, not just marvel, but from everything. I take all of that and I. I had to metabolize it, you know, and I'm. And I'm happy that I metabolized it, you know, I mean, because I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be the man I am now, know, looking at you, talking to you, you know, without that. I also wouldn't be here without, you know, Megan, you know, who said, you know, to answer your question, you know, we went back. We were staying in New Jersey at the time, you know, went back home, and I hadn't wept, I hadn't cried. And she just looked at me and she said, God's in it. And I looked at her and I said, yes, he is. But even then, you know, it was a. It was a hallelujah from. From. From my niece, you know, it wasn't, you know, trying to praise in advance. You know, I couldn't see it. I couldn't understand it. But Megan, she. She wouldn't let me fall, you know, I mean, she said, I got you. We got this.
- [23:59]
Stephen A. Smith
Would you have fallen without her?
- [24:02]
Jonathan Majors
Glory to God. I would. I don't have to think about that. But I don't know what I would have done. I mean, she. I don't know what I would have done, you know? I mean. Well, you know, we can talk straight, man. Like, she. She brought me out of a. She brought me out of a. She saved my life, man. You know what I mean? Like, and I don't mean that in. In a hyperbole. I mean that in like, heartbeat, consciousness, breath, presence, she kept me on this planet, you know what I mean? When. When it felt like nobody else wanted me here, you know? Nobody. Nobody, bro. Nobody wanted me here. She did. And. And that was enough for me in that moment. And even after the verdict, bang, bang, she kept me Here. You know what I mean?
- [24:56]
Stephen A. Smith
Yeah, yeah. No, no, no. Take your time. Take your time, man. Take your time. You were the brother talk. You talking to a brother that's rooting for you, my man. You know, I ain't apologizing for that to anybody. You're one of the great ones, and, you know, make no mistake about it. And we all. We all make mistakes in the eyes of God. That's just how it goes. Take your time.
- [25:15]
Jonathan Majors
Yes, sir.
- [25:16]
Stephen A. Smith
I want to touch on something that you wanted people. Evidently, you wanted people to know about you. You recently uncovered some childhood traumas in therapy, and you revealed that you had been sexually assaulted as a child. Have you worked through that? And when did you start working through that in light of the kind of conversation that we're having right now?
- [25:36]
Jonathan Majors
Yeah, it's been a journey. You know, like I was saying. I was saying to one of your journalistic colleagues earlier that, you know, it was a process, and I first started with. You start with your heart. You know, I started with Megan. You know, I had just come out of a therapy session, and I was really shook up because my therapist had walked me through this thing called limited beliefs. And when I say therapist, I've got, like. I've got. I'm work. I got five. Five support systems that, you know, when I say therapy, except for my pastor, you know, I'm talking about that in general, you know, But I just come out of a personal therapy session, and he walked me through that, and I landed right on it. And I immediately went into denial. I'm 35 years old, you know, and I never touched it. And I called my sister, and, you know, because I was down, you know, I was feeling really activated and really ashamed, like, shame on. Shame on shame. And my sister said to me, you know, I know something happened to you when we were young, and I should have been there, and. And I. And I wasn't. You know, it's like. It's like on the Waterfront, you know, you're my big sister. She looked after me, you know, and. And when she said that, she said, I know something happened to you, and. And. And that's why you're different, you know? She had never said something like that to me before. Oh, yeah. She had never said something like that to me before. And that just made it real, and it made it where I couldn't run from it. I couldn't act my way out of it. I couldn't try to lift a weight and try to get out of my system. She had brought it right to my door, and it's my flesh and blood saying, yeah, this happened to us. You know, this happened to you, you know, and I was there, and you're not crazy. And then from there, you know, once you kind of peel. Peel that back, it became clear that, like, you know, older men in my family, you know, the. The young ladies, you know, who tried it. That wasn't the first. That wasn't the first go around. You know, the first go around was with, you know, you know, a member of my family, not my immediate family.
- [28:16]
Stephen A. Smith
I was getting ready to ask you who. Who was it that assaulted you? I mean, that's the question that everybody would want to know. Knowing that.
- [28:22]
Jonathan Majors
Yeah, I mean, all. All I can say is that it was a family. It was two family members. All right. Yeah, it was two family.
- [28:30]
Stephen A. Smith
And how many siblings do you have, by the way? How many siblings do you have?
- [28:33]
Jonathan Majors
Two. Two.
- [28:35]
Stephen A. Smith
Okay. Are you the youngest? Okay. You're the middle? Oh, yeah. The middle always gets lost. The middle always gets lost. The youngest of the babies and the oldest, like an extension of the parents, the bullies and all of that. You know, before I let you go, listen, you. You know, with. With what you've gone through, there's a lot of people who still got a lot of love for you and want to work with you. Michael B. Jordan's one of them. He starred with you in Creed. Whoopi Goldberg on The View. Matthew McConaughey. He starred opposite of you in the film White Boy Rick. I mean, when you hear about the love that they have for you, the admiration they have for you in terms of how you go about, you know, performing your craft or what have you, especially at this moment in time? A, what does it mean to you? And B, what does it mean to you now compared to what it meant it would have meant to you years ago?
- [29:32]
Jonathan Majors
Yeah, the guy. The guy. The guy in the past, he was incapable, you know, I mean, of. Of really feeling love, of really connecting, you know, I mean, like, really connecting. The type of connection and love that I experience now, I've. I've never. I said to Megan yesterday, you know, today's the best day of my life, you know, I mean, like in bottle, like. And I've done some really cool quote unquote things, you know, within our. Within. Within the career, within my career in the industry that we all share, but I just couldn't accept it. You know what I mean? I just. I just couldn't accept it. And now, you know, Whoopi and Mike and McConaughey and, you know, hell, you, you know, to hear the support and to hear the love, it means everything, you know, it's, it's, it's a battery in my back, you know, because those individuals know me, you know, and, and one of the things that, you know, Matthew said, McConnell said to me is, you know, I believe in you. You know, I mean, they got nothing to do with making movies. You know, Michael B. Jordan is a friend of mine, you know, he's a friend of mine. We may never step on a set again together.
- [30:51]
Stephen A. Smith
I hope he's a good brother. That's a good brother.
- [30:54]
Jonathan Majors
Yeah, that's a, that's a damn good brother. And that's a friend of mine, you know, and Whoopi fed me, you know, I mean, feathers at our house, you know, and we talked and we cried and she gave guidance to me. They, they only nothing from me. They have their own careers. They have, that was everything, right? And to be in a place now where I can actually accept community, you know, it feels like I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but presently I know I'm on the right path. As hard as some of these conversations are, as, as hard as, you know, exposing things, you know, about my past, you know, things that are known and things that aren't known, man, I just, I'm just so grateful, you know, I'm just so grateful to them.
- [31:34]
Stephen A. Smith
Well, what do you mean you don't know what's going to happen to the future? You sitting here talking to me. I'm telling you right now, you one of the best actors in the business. What, what do you mean you don't know what's going to happen in the future? I mean, what do you, I mean, what, what, what do you think is gonna be you, you sure you don't know?
- [31:50]
Jonathan Majors
Well, well, I, I, I got, I got some ideas, you know, I got some ideas, but, you know, it's God's plan. I know that my team is, is pushing like madman, you know, to, to, you know, line everything, you know, for, for a few things that, that, that could happen this year, and, and I'm excited about those things, you know, but what it looks like, you know, with, with, you know, what it feels like, what the work's going to be, you know, I'm really excited to see that, you know, so that part, I don't know, you know, I leave that to God.
- [32:23]
Stephen A. Smith
Last question for you, Magazine dreams. What do you want people walking away feeling about this movie? Not just your performance, but you want them to walk away, to take away, to apply to their own lives. What would that be?
- [32:43]
Jonathan Majors
Open your heart, you know, as hard as it may be, sometimes open your heart and see the, see the woman and the man next to you, you know, and love them. And chiefly, chiefly look at the person that stares back at you in the mirror and love that person and give them unconditional love. And sometimes it's going to be tough love where you've got to go in there and, and lift the weight, you know, for yourself. Lift, lift your soul up, you know, and finally help each other. Help each other, even if you, even if it's hard, help each other, listen to each other. And let's not throw, let's not throw individuals away, you know, Killing is a man that's been thrown away and he tries to give himself back. And I, I, I can, I can relate to that too. So.
- [33:37]
Stephen A. Smith
Magazine Dreams in theaters March 21. Everybody be sure to check it out. The one and only Jonathan Majors. All the best to you, my man. I'll see you down the line. You take care of yourself.
- [33:46]
Jonathan Majors
All right, thanks. See you down the road.
- [33:49]
Stephen A. Smith
All right. Give my best to Megan. Congratulations yet again. Congratulations, man.
- [33:54]
Jonathan Majors
You the man.
- [33:55]
Stephen A. Smith
And I meant it when I said it, ladies and gentlemen. He is a great actor. He is a great actor. I mean, people talk about the greatness of Denzel Washington, my all time favorite. Love me some Morgan Freeman. I'm a huge Robert De Niro, Al pacino fan. Matthew McConaughey is fantastic. Tom Hanks is all world otherworldly. It's a whole bunch of people that I absolutely love and marvel at in terms of their talent and ability and abilities as actors and actresses. You know, Anne Hathaway, I love her. Meryl strip. Meryl Streep. I'm sorry, I love her. You know, of course, I mean, it's just so many people. Angela Bassett, I mean, the Queen, the, the, the, the, the, the Queen, okay. But this brother, Jonathan Majors, is a special, special actor that was in route to starting. People were talking about him ultimately being the next Denzel in terms of his cachet because of how much they marveled at his acting ability and all of it got derailed. Now, to be very, very clear to reiterate to our audience, he was convicted. He was convicted. One count of a misdemeanor third degree assault and one count of second degree harassment of his then ex girlfriend, Grace Jabari. There's no getting around that. None of us were there. We weren't eyewitnesses. He was found guilty, Damn it. That means he's guilty, okay? In our court system, that's the way it is. He didn't come on here and say he was innocent. All right? So let's get that out the way first. And then the recent audio tape that a lot of people want to point to, that's where my eyebrow gets raised. Because, you see, the guilt has already been established and so has whatever requisite punishment the courts have handed down. And now that he's trying to resurrect his career because as he articulated, he had lost everything. The week the movie is coming out, this audio tape comes out. That a coincidence? Are we at least allowed to say that's a bit peculiar or weird? Are we at least allowed to do that again? This is not absolving him from what he was convicted of. He can't be absolved from what he was convicted of. That stays with him for the rest of his life. He openly admits that. Ain't nobody sitting up there trying to give him a pat on the back for something like that. But in our society, once you pay your penance, you're supposed to be allowed to move on. And clearly it appears someone doesn't want that to happen. And by the way, he's been accused by others in fairness, because we gonna keep it 100. We gonna keep it a buck here, right? But with this ex girlfriend is where the conviction kicked in. Fair enough. Fair enough. I'm just saying the timing of all of this. How can we hear about this at the trial? The timing of all of it. Y'all make of that what you will. I hope this movie is successful. I hear I have not seen it yet. I heard his performance was sensational. And I hope everybody gets to move on and live a happy life. Nobody wants to be defined by their worst mistakes. And I'm not planning on judging him that now I might be in the minority. Other people might be about doing that, fine. But he is a sensational actor, and I'm looking forward to seeing him in this movie. And I hope that if he is every bit of sensational as I think he is, as others have told me he is, that he will be recognized for that and be allowed to move forward it. That's where I'm coming from with it. That's where I'm coming from with it.
- [38:11]
Jonathan Majors
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- [38:47]
Stephen A. Smith
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