Breaking everyone.

>> I'm Steve Harper and my play is called for the dark skinned Moviegoing People of the World.

The play is about a young woman who is a pop singer who comes to visit a director.

She actually dresses up as a maid and sneaks into his hotel room to try to convince him to hire her on a movie that he's shooting.

He's not interested in hiring her.

I hope audiences take away kind of a deeper thought about what goes into the creation of stuff in the entertainment industry.

And I hope people kind of question their own assumptions, you know, whether they think those are great casting processes when musicians and artists, those sorts of people come in as actors or whether they think it's not, they kind of take a look at what their assumptions are.

No, we're not.

>> Going with that location.

I don't like it.

Why are we still talking about this?

No, it doesn't go with the script.

I don't care if it's just a Hold on.

Hi.

Oh.

What are you doing in my room?

Are you cleaning?

>> They cleaned it.

It's clean.

>> Then why are you here?

>> To meet you.

>> Get out before I call security.

Brad.

I'll call you right back.

>> I'm Jasmine.

>> Jasmine.

>> Truth.

Mega Booty Club.

>> Mega booty clap.

>> Mega booty clap.

>> Mega booty.

>> Clap.

Doo doo doo doo doo.

>> Always make that booty clap.

Oh.

I just want to talk.

You're probably wondering about the outfit and how I got in.

People do anything for an autograph and a selfie.

Most people.

Some.

So I went all undercover.

It's hard to find you.

>> Well, how did you.

I'm not even here under my own name.

>> I followed you.

Or had you follow.

>> I'm calling security.

>> Relax, Carl.

I had no choice.

You've been avoiding me.

>> No, I've just been busy.

Yes, well, that's my life.

>> Man, too.

But you're so busy, you can't return calls.

Well, more calls anyway.

Except for Brett, I guess.

Is that what people got to do to see you put out an APB?

I want to be in the movie Coral.

I know you heard.

I heard.

And you didn't even want to discuss it with my people.

>> You're not right for the part.

>> Because she's a secretary.

I've been a secretary called.

It's called acting.

You thought I was amazed.

>> Only for a second.

Because of your clothes.

>> That's proof I can't transform just because you've seen me on stage in spandex hoop earrings, platform shoes shaking my doesn't mean that's all I can do.

>> Well, I haven't seen you shaking.

>> That's insulting, Coral.

You got to get out more.

My shows are off the hook.

That's not enough for you.

>> Oh, this isn't about your show.

>> It's about my abilities.

And I got what it takes.

She's a secretary.

I was a secretary.

She's a black woman.

I'm a black woman.

And in that scene where she pleads for her life, I've been in dire circumstances.

Carl.

Shoot.

I can tell you some stories.

So why am I not good for this?

My fans, people will come and see it.

I'll be good for box office, that's for sure.

Breaking all kind of box office records and all that.

So why are you being like this?

Give me the truth.

>> Are you recording.

>> Me?

Why would I be recording?

>> Are you going to put this on your Twitter or your insta face or.

>> Some self-importance right.

>> There?

Well, well, well.

You haven't answered the question.

Is this a private conversation?

>> Sure, yeah.

Trust.

>> Trust.

To the woman that broke into my room.

>> I used a key card.

I won't tell nobody what you say in this conversation, Carl.

Not the public, anyway.

Maybe my reps. Definitely my reps, but not the public.

I swear I was raised in the church.

Well.

>> You're not an actor.

>> That's it.

You.

How do you know what I am?

You, my reader.

Now I got you a crystal ball or something.

>> I have instincts, Jasmine.

>> Like, I don't.

>> You do.

You have all sorts of musical.

Shaking multi-platinum instincts.

>> Nothing wrong with shaking it to emphasize the lyric.

No, no.

>> You've got skills that I couldn't even dream of.

>> You got that right.

>> And I've got skills that you can't dream of, like making movies, writing, directing, creating, casting.

And for this role, you are not it?

>> Why?

>> Because I know who I want on.

>> It's not cast yet.

You're still deciding.

You just know that you don't want me because I'm not an actor.

You say what you don't really know.

You just projecting that all over me like you write all the time.

Carl, you're not right All the time.

I've seen your work.

That's all right.

I die.

And there was a lot of missteps.

I'm just saying.

>> It was a great film.

>> Take it up with the critics.

>> You are not a critic.

>> I saw Punchbowl.

That was good a while ago.

You need you a hit son.

>> Don't call me son.

>> I'm here to help you get that hit.

Your success is my success or it could be.

And I'm as much as an actor as anybody.

>> Have you even trained?

You've been to class?

Been, I don't know, gone to drama school.

>> You mean Stanislavski and all that?

I heard of him.

Oh, don't be too surprised.

No, I didn't do any of that stuff.

But it doesn't mean I can't be genuine.

I've lived, Carl.

I've struggled.

I've fought, I've cried.

I got multitudes.

>> I believe you.

>> Do.

Then give me the.

>> It don't work like that.

>> It could if you say it does.

>> Oh, my God.

I'm looking for someone who has done this before.

Jasmine.

Someone who's been to school, done, seen study, taken classes.

Someone who has devoted her life to this, or at least been on a stage or on other movies.

>> Sounds kind of elitist, kind of single minded, Eurocentric supremacist even.

You've been brainwashed.

>> This is just the process.

It's not just about making a big crowd.

>> If nobody sees your movie.

>> People will see.

>> It.

Not if it's not cast.

Right.

Drama school isn't everything.

Neither is being on stage.

>> Have you ever been on stage?

Ever?

I mean.

No.

Outside of concerts?

>> Yes.

High school.

Oh, my God.

Oh, don't roll your eyes.

I was up there.

>> I need more than that.

>> Your producers are open.

Kenneth Herman loves me.

Jared Katz.

>> You spoke to them?

>> We've been trading calls.

Oh, no.

>> So now you've been stalking them, too?

They look at the film the way that I look at the film.

And you would know that if you talked to them.

>> My manager did.

And they said I needed to talk to you.

>> Which is why you're here.

>> Yeah, honey, I'm persistent and unexpected in life and in your movies.

That's a plus.

You see, I'm the kind of actor where people go.

What her?

But so was Queen Latifah.

And look at her now.

Mos Def Eve, Common LL Cool J, Ice Cube.

They were all up there.

Jennifer Hudson got her Oscar.

Audiences love them.

What's wrong with you?

>> You go to the dentist, you trip him.

Well, no.

You want your dentist to have gone to dental school?

>> Not the same.

>> Thing.

Oh, well, you go in for your cleaning, and your hygienist is Snoop Dogg.

>> That's dope.

>> Oh, it's dope at first.

But then what if he didn't know how to handle a scraper?

What if he couldn't run an X-ray or handle a drill?

>> Hi, Janice.

Don't drill.

>> You better hope not.

Oh.

Oh, and you?

Every single singer you named has ruined the movies that they are in.

Oh.

Oh, yes, they tried, but they're really not that good.

None of them.

None of them.

And the fans may love it, but every single director who has hired them has compromised the final product.

I mean, and maybe the time on set waiting for them to get there, waiting for them to learn their lines, waiting for them to learn how to act.

Audiences deserve better.

Black audiences do.

My audiences do.

And all of those actors of color going into debt to learn the craft and all of those people out there looking for work, thinking that nobody sees them, that nobody believes in them.

Look, Jasmine, I get it.

You're trying to up your career, but this ain't about you.

I have been working on this script for a long time.

A long time.

I have poured my life into it, and I may not know who I want specifically for the role, but I know it's not you.

In my favorite movies.

The black actors are actors Denzel Ving Rhames, Jonathan Majors, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong'o, Brian Tyree Henry.

They went to drama school.

They studied.

They came up in the ranks and they can deliver.

They can change my view of the world.

Not hit or miss.

They know the craft.

For this role.

I'm looking for someone like them.

Someone unknown.

Someone who has been sharpening her craft.

Dedicated, deserving.

That is what I'm looking for.

And if I do this right, I might be able to help change somebody's career or get somebody in the audience to dedicate their life and be excited about learning the craft.

Oh.

>> You went to film school, right?

>> Of course.

>> Did everything by the book.

But I'm still more famous than you.

And if it's not about that, then I don't agree with your narrow minded viewpoint.

It's not right.

It's keeping people out.

Seems to me that we don't have to do that to each other.

But I heard it.

I heard you.

I know where you're coming from.

You're the director.

>> I admire your persistence, Jasmine.

>> You're just scared.

I've seen it before.

Scared of what we got going.

You in that that narrow minded view.

Can't comprehend.

Jealous of us out of the box singer types.

I'm going to take it all away from you and your craft.

You just scared because we come in with that realness.

Okay.

But hey, there's enough room for all of us.

If you have imagination, you should know.

>> Hey.

Hey.

>> Okay.

You got us in here waving that gun around.

But the cops don't give a damn about you.

They're going to mow you down when they get a moment.

And then all I want is to be with my little girl, Kira.

But instead, I'm going to die right here.

Because you're too stupid to know how little they think about you.

They going to get you for sure, and there'll be nothing left to bury.

As saying.

>> You didn't say that you wanted to audition.

>> Nobody told you.

Sometimes these agents ain't worth nothing.

Right about that.

I wasn't going to pull an offer.

Only I knew I had to convince.

And it was good, right?

>> Come on.

Yeah, it was.

Yes.

>> See?

No bragging, but I told you, I work hard.

I put in the work.

That's what I do.

But I'm not going to beg you for it, Karl.

I just hope you do the right thing for the role and for your vision and for all the dark skinned movie going people of the world who will watch whatever you make and my fans will support you if I'm in it.

And they'll be loyal and they will love you too.

But you got to give them what they want.

You said it.

>> Have you ever thought about making your own film?

Oh, that's.

>> So much damn work.

>> Exactly.

>> I feel you, Carl.

I see.

You keep thinking about it.

Your success is my success.

If you want it.

>> Well, though, I don't think you should be breaking into people's places.

It was nice meeting you.

>> Yeah.

Yeah.

I know.

>> Make a booty clap.

Make a booty clap.

Clap, clap.