Strip The Script

This episode is proudly sponsored by BetterHelp. Your mental health matters. Whether you're navigating rejection, uncertainty, career pressure or life's unexpected challenges, you don't have to face it all alone. Explore online therapy with BetterHelp and use promo code ACTORFLOW10 for your discount. BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com/ FROM FOSTER CARE TO BEL-AIR — THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF JIMMY AKINGBOLA. What happens when the television show that inspired you as a child becomes the show you're cast in decades later? Before playing Geoffrey in Bel-Air, Jimmy Akingbola was a young boy growing up in foster care in East London, watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and connecting deeply with its story. Years later, he found himself in Hollywood, starring in the dramatic reimagining of that very show. But his journey was far from straightforward. In this powerful and inspiring episode of Strip The Script, Jimmy sits down with actor and host Jazz Lintott to reveal the setbacks, sacrifices and decisions that shaped his remarkable career. In this episode, we explore: From foster care to Bel-Air: Why playing Geoffrey felt like a deeply personal, full-circle moment. The reality behind success: From delivering pizzas and working factory jobs to building a career in theatre, television and Hollywood. The audition that changed everything: How writing directly to Kathy Burke helped Jimmy land Blue/Orange, win a Best Actor award and transform his career. Rejection and resilience: The devastating moment a television role he believed was his went to his best friend. Starting again in Hollywood: Why Jimmy left an established UK career to take a chance on Los Angeles. Creating your own opportunities: How Monologue Slam and Triforce Creative Network helped open doors for underrepresented performers. The power of preparation: Why Jimmy believes actors must stay ready, keep learning and never lose their individuality. From an East London childhood to the Hollywood sets he once dreamed of, Jimmy's story is a reminder that where you start does not determine where you can go. "I feel like I'm in the middle of the dream." — Jimmy Akingbola If you've ever questioned your path, struggled with rejection or wondered whether your dreams are still possible, this conversation is for you. Subscribe to Strip The Script for honest, unfiltered conversations with actors, filmmakers and creators about the moments that shaped their lives and careers. Hosted by Jazz Lintott Season One | Episode 06 | Guest: Jimmy Akingbola 00:00 Introduction: From Foster Care to Hollywood 01:05 The Very First Meeting: National Youth Theatre Days 07:41 The Standing Ovation That Changed Everything 10:05 Drama School: Finding Technique While Keeping Identity 13:34 When the Industry Sees You Differently Than You See Yourself 18:46 Building Triforce: Creating Opportunities for Others 23:49 The Phone Call That Led to Seven Seasons 29:41 The Pizza Delivery Epiphany: Raising Your Minimum Standard 35:10 Learning to Bounce Back: When Your Best Friend Gets Your Role 36:37 Stay Playful: Reconnecting With Why You Started 44:04 Be Brave With Your Choices: Look Back in Anger and Othello 51:41 Starting Over in LA: The Bravery of Leaving Everything Behind 53:33 Living the Dream: Is This What You Thought It Would Be?

Before becoming the beloved Mr. Johnson on Abbott Elementary, William Stanford Davis was told his audition for Friends was terrible. His agent subsequently dropped him. Years later, he's an NAACP Award-winning actor and fan favourite. But the journey between those two moments was anything but easy. In this deeply personal episode of Strip The Script, William sits down with actor and host Jazz Lintott to reveal the reality behind his remarkable career — from struggling to pay rent and having cars repossessed to the unexpected phone call that changed everything. William opens up about: The Friends audition: How devastating feedback and losing his agent became a turning point in his career. The hidden cost of acting: Financial hardship, rejection and the moments he considered walking away. Abbott Elementary: How a guest appearance became a series regular role, and the emotional moment Quinta Brunson shared the news. Lessons from Hollywood: What Oscar winner Martin Landau taught him about acting, preparation and letting go of the outcome. The secret to longevity: Why he believes preparation, persistence and having a life outside acting are essential to surviving the industry. When Jazz asks William whether he ever considered quitting acting, his answer is extraordinary: "Every day." Yet he kept going. This is a conversation about rejection, perseverance, finding your purpose and refusing to let somebody else's opinion determine your future. Subscribe to Strip The Script for honest, unfiltered conversations with actors, filmmakers and creators about the moments that shaped their lives and careers. Hosted by Jazz Lintott. Season One | Episode 05 | Guest: William Stanford Davis 00:00 Introduction: The Rewards of Never Giving Up 02:33 First Spark: Sidney Poitier and the Magic of Cinema 04:20 Finding Your Way Without a Roadmap 05:09 When the Student is Ready: Moving to LA 06:02 The Friends Audition: Turning Rejection Into Fire 10:58 Martin Landau's Lesson: It's Always Just a Rehearsal 12:19 Theatre Makes You Good: The Importance of Stage Work 13:57 Your Instrument: Mind, Body, and Human Behavior 22:32 Abbott Elementary: I Forgot I'd Even Auditioned 24:45 When Rejection Feels Personal 25:11 The Cost of the Dream: Ramen Noodles and Repossessed Cars 26:59 Stay Out of the Results: Advice for Young Actors 28:52 Preparation Separates Those Who Last 41:29 From Guest Star to Series Regular 45:00 Recognition vs Being Seen: What Success Really Means 49:12 The Roller Coaster Never Ends 51:16 If It Happened Earlier, I Would Have Messed It Up 52:14 The Business of Acting: Networking and Social Media 56:20 Self-Tapes and the Loss of Collaboration 59:00 Final Wisdom: Don't Quit and Do the Work

What does it really cost to turn an idea into something that changes your career? In this episode of Strip The Script, Jazz Lintott sits down with Adjani Salmon, creator and star of the BAFTA-winning Dreaming Whilst Black, to unpack the years before the breakthrough. Adjani talks candidly about putting his own money into the project, reaching a point where he was £10,000 down and wondering whether they'd made a huge mistake, and why he kept going when quitting would have been the easier option. They get into the reality behind building Dreaming Whilst Black, the difference between talent and actually creating opportunities for yourself, the sacrifices that come before recognition, and why sometimes you have to back your own belief long before anybody else does. This is a conversation about risk, persistence, creativity and what success actually costs before anyone knows your name. In this episode: • The £10,000 gamble behind Dreaming Whilst Black • Why Adjani thought they might have messed it all up • Turning a self-funded project into a BAFTA-winning series • Why talent alone isn't enough • The personal cost of pursuing an idea • Learning to back your own creative instincts • What actors and filmmakers can learn from building their own work Strip The Script — Live Unscripted. 00:00 Introduction: From Frustration to BAFTA-Winning Success 03:22 Jamaica Made Me: Growing Up in the Caribbean 09:36 Caribbean Values vs Western Capitalism 15:36 The First Spark: Falling Into Filmmaking 20:41 Saying Yes When You Have No Idea What You're Doing 24:21 Learning Through Mistakes: The Edit Suite Education 29:06 Moving to England: Film School and Code-Switching 30:56 Architecture as a Philosophy of Design 41:39 What Film School Doesn't Teach You 47:34 The Cost of the Dream: Two Years and £10,000 52:13 Delusion Backed by Strategy 58:41 The Artist's Responsibility to Speak Truth 1:00:13 Fail Fast and Publish the Work 1:03:14 What's Next: Season 3 and Beyond

Steve Carr has directed some of the most recognisable comedies of the last 25 years — working with Eddie Murphy, Ice Cube, Kevin James and some of the biggest names in entertainment. But his route into Hollywood was anything but conventional. In this episode of Strip The Script, Steve sits down with Jazz Lintott to unpack how he went from designing album artwork and directing music videos to being handed Next Friday — despite never having seen Friday. Steve tells the story of stepping onto an $80 million movie with Eddie Murphy and immediately having his directing instincts challenged, what Ice Cube taught him about comedy, and why filmmaking leaves very little time for self-doubt. They also discuss the Public Enemy artwork that began on a diner napkin, what Steve looks for when auditioning actors, why one performer can stand out among a thousand, and the mentality behind a career spanning music, film and television. In this episode: • Breaking into filmmaking without waiting for permission • Directing Next Friday without seeing Friday • Working with Ice Cube • Being challenged by Eddie Murphy on Daddy Day Care • What directors actually look for in auditions • Why “you have to make your day” • Public Enemy and Steve's beginnings in music and design • Learning by doing rather than waiting until you feel ready Strip The Script is a series of unfiltered conversations with actors, filmmakers and creators about the craft, psychology and reality behind creative careers. Hosted by Jazz Lintott. Presented by BetterHelp. Get 10% off at BetterHelp dot com slash actorflow10. Subscribe to Strip The Script for new conversations every week. 00:00 Introduction: No Time to Doubt Yourself 01:48 From Def Jam to Hollywood: Was It Intentional? 05:03 The Art Students League and Early Beginnings 05:49 Free Lunch at Def Jam: Starting The Drawing Board 09:12 Bringing Authenticity to Hip-Hop Album Design 11:56 Managing DMX and Learning to Deal with Talent 13:38 Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet, and Six-Hour Waits 16:34 The Slick Rick Opportunity: First Music Video 17:33 Yelling Action and Cut Indiscriminately 21:19 Music Videos: Telling Stories, Not Just Performance 22:26 Moving to LA and Joining Propaganda 24:20 Brett Ratner and the Next Friday Opportunity 25:04 Pitching Ice Cube While Burping Diet Coke 26:01 Now What Do I Do? Landing Your First Film 30:10 Making Your Day: No Time for Doubt on Set 37:43 Eddie Murphy Said 'I Would Never Do That' 39:42 Russell Simmons: Put Your Dick on the Table 42:55 From Culture to Commerce: The Studio System 50:28 Learning Leadership from Ice Cube 54:33 The Rocket Ship Scene and Standing Your Ground 57:35 Casting: What Directors Really Look For 58:32 Self-Tapes vs. The Room: A Director's Perspective 1:01:09 Jacob Vargas: The Only One Who Got the Comedy 1:03:42 What's Next: The Naughty Listers and Breaking Up Mom and Dad 1:05:03 Advice for Filmmakers: Just Do It 1:07:05 Write to the Scale You Can Produce

Mena Massoud became known around the world as the star of Disney’s Aladdin — but the reality of what came next was very different from what most people imagined. In this episode of Strip The Script, Mena sits down with Jazz Lintott for an honest conversation about what Hollywood success actually looks like: from secretly applying to drama school and waiting tables, to landing Aladdin, navigating the expectations that followed, and learning why one breakthrough doesn’t guarantee a career. Mena also opens up about money, entrepreneurship and why actors need to think beyond the next role. He shares how his relationship with money changed, why he believes creatives should think like entrepreneurs, and what he has learned about building something sustainable in an unpredictable industry. They also discuss rejection, identity, ambition, resilience, the years before the breakthrough, and what it takes to keep moving when the career you imagined doesn’t unfold the way you expected. In this conversation: • The road to Aladdin • What happened after a billion-dollar movie • Why Mena made more money on Reprisal than Aladdin • Why actors should think like entrepreneurs • Money and financial discipline as a creative • Building a career beyond acting • Rejection, expectation and resilience • Finding your way back to the mindset you had before success Strip The Script — LIVE UNSCRIPTED. New conversations every week with actors, filmmakers and creators about the craft, psychology and life behind the work. Subscribe and follow Strip The Script for more. Sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/actorflow10 ActorFlow: myactorflow.com/signup?ref=STS15 CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: From Cairo to Hollywood 04:33 Growing Up Egyptian in Canada 09:33 Choosing Drama School Over Medicine 16:12 Waiting Tables and Building the Dream 21:16 Moving to LA: Mindset & Manifestation 23:24 Booking Jack Ryan and the Aladdin Audition 30:17 The Aladdin Pressure: All In or Nothing 32:40 When Success Doesn't Feel Like Success 34:00 What Aladdin Really Cost Him 40:05 Post-Aladdin Blues and Finding the Way Back 48:16 Think Like an Entrepreneur: Building Beyond Acting 52:46 The Self-Tape Era and Industry Competition 1:00:06 Playing Daniel: Faith, Preparation & Collaboration 1:06:27 Advice for Actors: Money, Perseverance & the Long Game 1:09:37 Savoring Every Moment on Set