Shownotes
Episode 79 - Real Talk for Actors and Producers
In this episode of the Faith Family Filmmakers Podcast, hosts Geoffrey and Jaclyn Whitt continue their interview with comedian, actor and producer Mark Christopher Lawrence. They delve into Lawrence's ventures in film and television production, his long-standing experience with live events and stand-up comedy, and his collaboration on projects like 'Sleeper Agent' with Leland Clausen and Matt Falk. Mark Christopher shares his perspective on changes in the industry, the increasing outlets for new filmmakers, and the importance of authenticity in acting. He also offers advice on vetting potential collaborators and recounts valuable lessons from industry veterans like Della Reese and Earl Bowen. The discussion touches on treating cast and crew with respect, the significance of small comforts on set, and personal anecdotes from Lawrence's diverse career
Highlights include:
- Mark Christopher’s Producing
- Changes in the Industry
- Current Projects and Narratives
- Working on Sleeper Agent
- Experiences on Diverse Sets
- Advice for Smaller Productions
- Lessons Learned in Acting and Producing
- Financial Advice for Actors
- Personal Values and Accepting Roles
- Mark Christopher’s Comedy Special
Bio:
MARK CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE is a Producer / Actor / Comedian / Emcee / Inspirational Speaker / Auctioneer
He has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work on the short film The Flourish and on his co-produced short $TACK$. MCL is a recipient of the San Diego Critics Circle’s Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Actor Of The Year. He’s a national headliner that has worked with the likes of Sinbad, Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Dangerfield, and Jeff Foxworthy as well as, having headlined clubs and colleges and churches all over the USA and Canada. This year MCL has garnered many accolades for his Lead role in a film for the holiday season “Bringing Back Christmas” streaming now on Amazon, aswell as the Lead role in the PureFlix.com miniseries “Fragment:Oblivion”. MCL is best known for his series regular role as Big Mike on the NBC TV series CHUCK. He can be seen on the Tyler Perry tv drama “All The Queens Men” streaming now in it’s fourth season on BET+. Also he can be seen as a guest star on the sitcom “Sprung” on Freevee TV. MCL is co-executive producer on the comedy series Pure Laughter on KPBS. He is in pre-production on several projects as a writer and/or producer. Don’t miss MCL’s DryBar Comedy special “Mark Christopher Lawrence: Clean Outta Compton”.
Website: www.markchristopherlawrence.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MCLactorcomedian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markchristopherlawrence
X: @MarkChrLawrence
Tic Toc: https://www.tiktok.com/@markchrlawrence/video/7273301450405563691?_r=1&_t=8nfmBWUVGHa
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/markclawrence
Cameo profile: https://v.cameo.com/80GPDRuqw6
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492924/
The Faith & Family Filmmakers podcast helps filmmakers who share a Christian worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. Releasing new episodes every week, we interview experts from varying fields of filmmaking; from screenwriters, actors, directors, and producers, to film scorers, talent agents, and distributors.
It is produced and hosted by Geoffrey Whitt and Jaclyn Whitt , and is brought to you by the Faith & Family Filmmakers Association
Support Faith & Family Filmmakers Our mission is to help filmmakers who share a Christian Worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. If you would like to assist with the costs of producing this podcast, you can help by leaving a tip.
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Copyright 2024 Ivan Ann Productions
Transcripts
You're listening to the Faith Family Filmmakers Podcast.
Jaclyn:Geoff and I are speaking with Mark Christopher Lawrence today.
Jaclyn:This is the second portion of the interview.
Jaclyn:And I want to start by getting into, now, you are actually starting to produce movies.
Jaclyn:Is it movies or television?
Mark:well, we're doing a bit of both, uh, film and TV and some live events.
Mark:I've been producing live events for years, like live stand up.
Mark:Um, I, I, produce, at four different theaters right now, live comedy.
Mark:I've produced two, DVDs back in the day, Shout.
Mark:Gospel comedy, even a gospel comedy.
Mark:And, now I'm partnering with some friends and we're doing some live stuff.
Mark:We'll do huge pay per view comedy, special.
Mark:And then we're doing like an MMA thing and we're doing, Some film and TV, like right now we have four films that we acquired that we're, aggregating and then, from there we're producing some of our own content, which, actually one of the films that, uh, two of the films that, that we have in the can already are ours, um, but we have, uh, some film and TV stuff that we want to produce.
Mark:ground up.
Jaclyn:Okay.
Jaclyn:so, curious, do you have narratives included in that, or is it more events based?
Mark:No, uh, those are scripted, films, and, television, shows.
Mark:yeah.
Jaclyn:okay, so you've been doing this a while, so then I can ask you this question.
Jaclyn:What has changed?
Jaclyn:Like, for people that maybe did it 10 or more years ago, is there a different approach today, if I may say post COVID, because a lot of things changed during that time, and brought out a lot of new technology.
Jaclyn:Did it change that part of the industry as well, as far as how to, approach producing not only the events, but the films.
Mark:I think the thing that has changed is that there are more outlets
Jaclyn:Okay.
Mark:now.
Mark:So, let's say you produce a film and back in the old days, you know, there were only a few places you could go with it.
Mark:And now there are so many more outlets.
Mark:it's kind of, you know, it's Uh, situation where, you know, you just gotta find the right fit for your project to figure out where it goes, you know.
Mark:So I think that's changed.
Mark:number of outlets has really opened the door, especially to new filmmakers.
Jaclyn:And so what, narratives are you working on?
Jaclyn:And what are those storylines like, if you're able to share?
Mark:probably can't talk
Jaclyn:Okay.
Jaclyn:Okay.
Jaclyn:I get it.
Jaclyn:I get it.
Mark:haven't started shooting.
Mark:will tell you that we have one film that's, sort of about my life.
Geoff:up
Mark:And that's probably the one that I like the best in have a very small role in it, but it's, it's going to be a good film.
Jaclyn:Interesting.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:I'd like to see that.
Jaclyn:That'd be fun.
Geoff:Let's talk for a moment, let's get into Sleeper Agent, and you've worked with Leland Clausen a bit.
Geoff:Like you said, you're looking at perhaps a second edition, Sleeper Agent 2, tell us a bit about that experience, it looks like it was fun.
Mark:Well, Leland called me and said that he was doing this film and wanting me to be in it.
Mark:And once I read it, I was like, oh, this is hilarious.
Mark:Yeah, I'd love to And it just happens that, Matt Falk, you know, our chemistry together was really good.
Mark:And Leland, Leland was great to work with, and, I think it was his first, film.
Mark:And he, was like a sponge, it's like I, I give him a couple tips, and he'd pick it up, and, but he's so Graceful and giving and kind and just, you know, really, I'm really looking forward to working with him again.
Jaclyn:Yeah, when the three of you were in a scene together, it was like magic.
Jaclyn:it was hilarious.
Jaclyn:The timing, everything was just so on point.
Jaclyn:It was a lot of fun.
Mark:Yeah, I really enjoy the give and take in that way.
Mark:And some actors, you know, don't have that give and take.
Mark:I mean, years ago, we were producing a film and we had to recast one of the characters
Mark:because we had done a short.
Mark:And the ITC Entertainment Group didn't really care for the guy that was playing the other character.
Mark:So we had to recast and we did a lot of auditions and couple of guys just didn't have that give and take.
Mark:It's like they would just sort of steamroll and they didn't understand, you know, the pullback and go forward.
Mark:so yeah, it's, it's a skill and I don't know that you can teach that, you know
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:Timing is one of those things, almost like a dance.
Jaclyn:You have to, you have to feel that and, and sense with the other person.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:definitely.
Mark:Exactly.
Geoff:up.
Geoff:Geoffrey does
Mark:Well, I work with him, uh, stand up, but film or television.
Geoff:Yeah,
Geoff:so you worked with Nathan, there as well, whether that was the first time, I don't know, but obviously you worked with him more in, Fragment Oblivion?
Mark:yes,
Mark:Nathan, that was my first time working with Nathan, and, then he called me about Fragment of Oblivion,
Mark:and he sent me, what they had shot during the quarantine.
Geoff:hmm.
Mark:which was, I guess, like part one of what Fragment of Oblivion became.
Mark:And it was really interesting to me and I liked it.
Mark:And I said, yeah, sure.
Geoff:Cool.
Geoff:I'm curious, uh, obviously throughout your career you've worked on quite a variety of, sets and projects from major studio, films and sets to, well, we've just been talking about what would have been some smaller independent films and faith based films.
Geoff:Um, Tell us about your experience with the variety of projects.
Mark:Well, it's interesting in, in that, um, some of the, like the major ones, it's like, they really take care of you it's like you get to set and they want to make sure that you're good, you got everything you need, dah, dah, dah, dah.
Mark:And then sometimes it's like you work on these smaller ones where we're really, I'm doing you a favor.
Geoff:Uh huh.
Mark:Cause it's not like, you're paying me enough to make this make sense.
Mark:And sometimes those smaller sets, uh, have been, you know, not user friendly.
Mark:It's
Mark:like, it's like, I think, if you're not paying me what I get, then you should probably treat me
Mark:better.
Jaclyn:Interesting.
Jaclyn:So what are some things that would help a smaller set to, to treat their actors well?
Mark:creature comforts.
Mark:I mean, it's like, you know, we have a 12 hour
Mark:day.
Mark:Then
Mark:part of your budget should be a decent lunch, a really good lunch, you know, because it helps keep morale on set.
Mark:And I've been on projects where lunch was not good.
Mark:And it's like, in fact, there was one project that comes to mind.
Mark:I won't mention it, that me and another actor, you know, we would figure out where we were shooting that day.
Mark:And when we broke for lunch, we just go fine food
Mark:Because
Mark:the food wasn't good . And then, um, you know, just, the way.
Mark:You know, you talk to somebody,
Geoff:worked
Mark:you know, I think it's important.
Mark:like I worked on a big film.
Mark:my first film was Caddyshack 2 and Jackie Mason played lead in that because they couldn't get Rodney Dangerfield, there was a big lawsuit going on and they treated Jackie so terribly and I remember.
Mark:And when Chevy Chase came, it's like, it was just like hugs and kisses, right?
Mark:And they were treating Jackie badly.
Mark:and I think part of it was, you know, they didn't like his acting style or whatever it was, but you know, this is who you
Mark:hire.
Mark:You should
Mark:probably help him do his job.
Mark:And.
Mark:so fast forward to Bringing Back Christmas, the film that we did, they started the day with prayer.
Mark:You know, if you were there, you know, everybody would circle up and pray.
Mark:And then they get through the day.
Mark:And the attitudes and the, professionalism and the creature comforts.
Mark:you know, was just on point.
Mark:It's like they got it and they really took care of you.
Mark:know, we shot me out of that whole film in, I think, 16 days and it was record breaking heat in Texas.
Mark:And, after every take, there was a young lady standing there with a towel for my neck
Mark:and electrolytes.
Mark:And, it was just one of those situations where I felt so taken care of,
Jaclyn:Mm hmm.
Mark:you know, that, that if they ever asked me to do anything else again,
Mark:yes.
Geoff:know, And
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Mark:and that started at the top.
Mark:you know, just step by step.
Mark:It every aspect of production was that way that we're really mindful of taking care of people.
Jaclyn:Mm hmm.
Jaclyn:That's a good word.
Jaclyn:Mindful.
Jaclyn:You know, cause even just thinking about like, okay, so not only is it hot, but What will my actors need in order to continue to do the day?
Jaclyn:Well, yeah.
Mark:Right.
Jaclyn:what are some things that you learned at any point, whether it was acting or producing or, or standup, whichever, what are some things that you learned that maybe it took you a while to learn, but once you got it, you were like, Oh, this makes a difference for me that maybe other people can benefit from if they can learn it faster.
Mark:Um, I'm a very quick study.
Mark:It's like, I learned things very fast.
Mark:and, you know, as an actor, it's like the way I approach the job is, is acting one on one, you know, I go, I asked myself the question, what do I want, you know, as the character,
Mark:And,
Mark:I play that.
Mark:And, and I think a lot of times you see, Actors playing emotions, you know, okay, uh, this scene I gotta cry so they don't really hit The need in the scene, they just hit the cry.
Mark:Okay.
Mark:I got tears out, but there was nothing else underneath it.
Mark:so I think from an acting standpoint, that part is the most important part to be able to add layers to your character and not play emotions.
Mark:If you play, your want, if you play your desire, then the emotions are The by product of you either getting or not getting what you need.
Geoff:then you're
Jaclyn:And I think, that's where the audience can see it too, where there are times where I'm watching something and I can say, wow, like the acting it's so believable.
Jaclyn:you know, that you forget that they're acting, right?
Jaclyn:and that's because of that authenticity that they bring to it, where it's not just going through the motions and the emotions, but you actually believe that almost that they actually are this person.
Jaclyn:Like you can really settle into that.
Jaclyn:And yeah,
Mark:Right.
Mark:I'd say before, before I became an actor, John Lithgow in terms of endearment really stood out to me in that film.
Mark:it's like, wow, he is so good.
Mark:It was a very small role, but I believed every moment of it, you know?
Mark:And I, and I think that's the job.
Mark:As an actor, that's the job,
Mark:as a producer, I think, the thing that, that I've learned recently is that, not everybody that, you're trying to work with is a good person to work with,
Jaclyn:Right.
Mark:so, vet, vet the people that you're working with,
Jaclyn:that's a really good point.
Jaclyn:I guess in some scenarios, like you can just, they work with you, you pay them, they move on and, you know, and you're like, okay, well maybe not next time.
Jaclyn:But then, you know, when you're getting into partnerships with people where you're building something that is moving in a direction that's going to be longer term, yeah, definitely.
Jaclyn:you gotta be equally yoked in as many areas as possible.
Jaclyn:do you have any advice for people as far as vetting goes?
Jaclyn:How would you do that?
Mark:Well, the first thing you do is you, you talk to people that, know the person.
Mark:and then work with them and, you know, where there's overlap in your life and their life and see if, if they've worked with them, what that experience was like.
Mark:are they on time?
Mark:they, the type of person that, gets things done?
Mark:You know, cause sometimes I think, one thing that holds you up is when somebody is not doing their part, it's like, okay, you're responsible for this, but you didn't get it done.
Mark:And now we're behind the eight ball.
Jaclyn:Yeah, that can cost a lot of money and aggravation.
Mark:Yeah.
Mark:And, you know, it can shut a production down if you don't get things done, you're stuck.
Jaclyn:Any other advice?
Jaclyn:Like, things that you've learned?
Jaclyn:things that you've picked up along the way?
Mark:I the best advice I got.
Mark:on a film was from Earl Bowen, uh, Rest in Peace.
Mark:He was the doctor in the Terminator movies.
Mark:And he said to me, he says, Mark, and this was back, you know, way back in the day.
Mark:he said, look, get another bank account.
Mark:You know, way across town.
Mark:Don't take the ATM card.
Mark:If they send it to you, just cut it up.
Mark:He says, make it hard to get to, and take 10 percent of every bit of money you make and stick it in that bank account.
Mark:He says, and then when you get offered a job that you don't want to do, that you feel like it's beneath you, you have some money in the bank to be able to say no.
Jaclyn:Mm hmm.
Mark:and it builds up very fast.
Mark:He you won't even miss it.
Mark:it was probably, at that time, the best advice I'd ever gotten.
Geoff:So that came in
Geoff:when I you have that message,
Jaclyn:Mm hmm.
Mark:Right.
Mark:And for me, you know, at the time, I was doing a lot of commercials and so that, really came in handy when I really needed it.
Mark:You know, like, that first commercial strike all of a sudden, you know, I was like, Oh, I have this money over here that I just shouldn't leave it alone.
Mark:I can use this.
Jaclyn:Right,
Jaclyn:right.
Mark:great advice.
Jaclyn:Yeah, and like it also because when you were saying that it gives you the freedom to have choice, I mean, obviously you have choice anyways, you can always say no to a role if it's not something that you want to do, but knowing that you have that money set aside so that you have that, Uh, freedom, and you can breathe easier knowing that saying no doesn't mean that you don't have money.
Mark:Right, right.
Mark:I worked with Della Reese on, Touched by an Angel.
Mark:And, she did this movie with Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor and, Red Fox, you know, these big names
Mark:. Funny guys.
Mark:And, her character was a madam and, you know, she cursed a lot.
Mark:And Delores was, the minister.
Mark:And so I asked her, I said, you know, I said, just watch Harlem nights for like the 20th time.
Mark:It's like, it cracks me up.
Mark:There's so many funny little things in it.
Mark:I said, did you as a minister get pushback from people because you're a Christian and that language?
Mark:And she says, you're asking me because you're wondering if you should take a job.
Mark:God opens doors for you because sometimes he's trying to reach somebody and whether you know it or not, people are watching you.
Mark:So if you say you're a Christian and you're acting a certain way on set, there's eyes on you.
Mark:although they had me cursing like a sailor, she says, uh, God opened that door for a reason.
Mark:so when you go to work, she says, don't turn your jobs down because you think somebody else is going to have a problem with, what you're saying or doing.
Mark:She says, because there may be somebody on that set that God needs to talk to and he's using you to do it.
Mark:She said, so take your job and then let God's love and light and grace flow through you so that God can do his work.
Mark:I was like, okay, in the game, like a rap turned down only two jobs.
Mark:Cause I don't think I'm in a position where, where I can really turn down a job.
Mark:You know what I mean?
Mark:I have to pick the job.
Mark:but there were two jobs that turned down and it was right after I did a movie, called Fear of a Black Hat, where I played a rapper.
Mark:And, first one was a cigarette commercial, and I knew, at that time, it was just young people listening to rap music.
Mark:I said, so they're selling cigarettes to kids.
Mark:So I told my agents I passed and then, there was another similar situation.
Mark:And, you know, both times I just passed, I was like, Hey, I don't feel right about selling cigarettes to kids.
Mark:I don't smoke, you know, it bugs me that my mom smokes, when I was a kid and, so I turned those two jobs down and that was more of, just me and the way I felt about cigarettes than
Jaclyn:Mm hmm.
Jaclyn:Yeah, well, and that's, I guess the thing, is I mean, even though acting, you are being true to your character, at the end of the day though, you're looking your own in the mirror, right?
Jaclyn:Like, so you still have to be true to yourself as far as, the choices that you make.
Jaclyn:And that's good because being intentional as you're thinking things through, that you can decide, yeah, I'm going to take this job, and then in a different situation, you decide, no, I am not going to take this job, which means that you
Jaclyn:have, you are the one making the choices in your life and you're being intentional about those choices.
Jaclyn:So, you know, right or wrong, they're yours and you're not going to be victim of circumstances or whatever.
Jaclyn:Like you're actually thinking through decisions.
Jaclyn:And I, I think that's a big part of life because I think it's easy sometimes to just kind of roll with whatever comes and not really think about it much.
Jaclyn:So, I appreciate that you're, you're thinking it through and, the fact that you set that money aside shows that, know that you always have the option.
Jaclyn:So that's great.
Mark:Yeah.
Mark:Well, I think one thing that, Della said that, that really stuck with me was that if somebody is, opposed to something that you say in a film as a character,
Mark:their problem, not yours.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:It was the character and the writer.
Jaclyn:You know, I, it's the same for quotes.
Mark:Yeah.
Jaclyn:I see it all the time where people will have like a meme and they'll have a quote of something from a movie that a character said, and then they credit.
Jaclyn:the character, and I'm like, you realize you should be crediting the writer, right?
Jaclyn:Like, who actually wrote that line?
Jaclyn:It was not the character.
Jaclyn:The character is, it's fictitious.
Mark:right.
Mark:pretty funny.
Jaclyn:tell people where they can find your comedy special, because that's good stuff.
Mark:my comedy special Marcus for Lawrence Clean outta Compton
Mark:is on dry bar.
Mark:Um.
Mark:Go and watch it, go to my website, watch the clips, you know, whatever, I think I was really happy with it, at the time and now when I look back at it, there's one bit that I do on there that, had just happened in real life.
Mark:So it's not as funny as it is now.
Mark:It's like the way I tell it now is much better than I did that
Mark:night,
Geoff:that time.
Geoff:Yeah,
Mark:Yeah, it got a big laugh that night, but now the bit, the way I tell the story, it's, so much better.
Mark:And it's the bit about, uh, killing the guy,
Geoff:And that's
Mark:uh, during my act, this guy dies
Mark:real life.
Mark:And, um, there were four doctors there and they, resuscitated him he woke up giggling
Mark:this is, this is, this is comedy gold.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:Yeah, for sure.
Mark:But, but after it happened, it's like the guy that hired me, he goes, You think we should bring them back over and, and you go up and finish your set.
Mark:I said, no, I'm not following the dead guy.
Mark:Let's leave him one more.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Jaclyn:Yeah.
Mark:What do you want me to murder the whole audience?
Geoff:Oh
Geoff:that's funny.
Jaclyn:Good stuff.
Jaclyn:Good stuff.
Geoff:take a look for that, uh, comedy special.
Geoff:And your website again?
Mark:com.
Geoff:Ah, that's easy.
Geoff:That's easy.
Geoff:We'll put it in the show notes and, look forward to taking a look at it myself.
Mark:Oh yeah.
Mark:it's fun.
Mark:Thank you.
Jaclyn:I've enjoyed getting to know you and, and hearing your advice.
Jaclyn:It's been wonderful.
Jaclyn:Thank you so much for taking the time.
Geoff:so much for your time today.
Mark:Thank you.
Mark:Thanks for having me.
Mark:I appreciate y'all.
Geoff:Take care.
Geoff:God bless.
Mark:All right.
Mark:God bless.
