Milauna Jemai Jackson. We're saying it again because you need to get used to hearing it. You'll be seeing a lot more of her. The tough thing in this business about being on the brink, is that you still can't see on the other side. But you know it's there. And when you have a mother that has your back, a resume that that kicks more ass than your characters, and a belief that everything is going exactly how it should be, well, the rest is gravy. Wanna hear a little bit more about how just when she tried to get out of the business, they pulled her back in? Punch Play.

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Milauna Jemai Jackson is flipping the script on  what a black actress can do in Hollywood. For starters, don't do it in Hollywood. With a breakout role in the hit Cinemax action series "Strike Back", Milauna is a one-woman American Invasion, taking roles in Britain while Brit counterparts like Naomie Harris and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are exploring their options stateside. A bold move for a girl from the Southside of Chicago who has always known she belonged in the limelight.  And if that's what you're trying to do, grabbing a prime role in the NBC drama "Aquarius" next to David Duchovny doesn't hurt. Wanna know the secret of 3:22 and what went down in Hungary with her mother? Punchplay.

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Omar Dorsey has more than a few things to say about more than a few things. That's why there's a part two to this conversation. His story is about turning up, turning around, turning down, and turning it out. The man's got three Oscar nominated films to his credit and you're just finding out his name. Don't get it twisted. That's a good thing. If you've been sleeping on Omar Dorsey, you're about to get a wake up call. Now you know. Punchplay.

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Omar Dorsey is that dude. That's probably what you say when you see him in another film, another tv show, where he comes in and wrecks it, because that's what he did the last time you saw him. "That's that dude!" Well, now it's time to check the credits, because you will be seeing a lot more him. "Selma", "Django", "Ray Donovan" (where he put the name "Cookie" back in play before he got jacked...), "Eastbound and Down"... The man can act. And he has several moves to the bucket. So don't sleep... You want to know how this man was killing the game before he barely even got in the game. Punchplay.

 

 

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You cannot rain on Sunny Anderson's parade. She is a self contained eco-system where everything always turns out right. Not that it starts out that way, because into every life a little rain must fall. But when she unleashes her megawatt mindset, and focuses on clearing out the clouds and getting down to getting to it, she comes on like a star that can't help but to shine. The name is not an accident. You might know her as a TV personality, celebrity cook, author, or maybe even a hip-hop radio jock,  but for her, it's all just work. And Sunny Anderson gets the job done. Find out how. Punchplay.

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John Ridley is a writer. In the truest sense of the word. If it can be written, he probably wrote one. Books, television shows, movies, columns, blogs... Maybe not a play, yet, but give him time. And he's crossed genres from comedy to drama to biopics to adaptations to satire to whatever you can write about. And he's not just a writer. He's a good writer.  He got an Oscar for it. He's such a good writer people let him direct stuff, too. It's rare that he talks about these things because he's too busy writing. So, we now present to you, John Ridley, talking... not writing. Punchplay

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She Ready. That's what you remember after an encounter with Tiffany Haddish. Comedienne/Actress/Energy Producer, she is a triple threat of her own making. It's not easy to pin her down, which is why she also fancies herself a "Unicorn." Yes, she is given to the occasional display of long luxurious flowing hair and a stride which will have you looking for a horn in the middle of her head, but what's more important, is that she has charisma, and talent that makes it clear, that whatever she is, you will not be seeing another one of her anytime soon. So saddle up, enjoy the ride, and Punch Play.

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Royale Watkins doesn't get shook. After a stint in Desert Storm, taking the stage at Def Jam was a cakewalk. While Bernie Mac said he wasn't scared, Royale didn't have to say a word. They knew. With a cold hard stare and an easy smile, Royale has been on a ride with life that a lot of people would have begged to get off of a long time ago, and he takes each turn like it's just that, a turn. Star making set on Def Jam. Turn. A sitcom on NBC. Turn. Losing all his money in a the real estate crash. Turn. Building the hottest stand up show in New York City from the ground up and turning himself from a standup comic into a standup promoter and back into a stand up comic again. Turn. Want to know what kind of tricks Royale really has behind his back? Punch Play.

 

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Stanford by way of Brooklyn,  writer Cheo Hodari Coker takes the street cred game to another level. As a journalist with Vibe Magazine he was a written bridge to hip hop, giving us an inside look at that world and it's personalities in a way that made us, and them know that we were in a great many ways, all the same. As a television writer he's landed on the edge, writing for "Southland" and "Ray Donovan." While his relationship with The Notorious B.I.G. and his work on the film "Notorious" may have served as a cornerstone to his larger career, it's being punched in the face by a member of The Wu-Tang Clan that garners him mad respect. He brings a perspective and a story that must be told.  On the real,  who else do you know who can roll with Prince and Masta Killa? Want to kick it with the hardest n*gga that ever went to Hotchkiss? Punchplay.

 

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"You Are Here." That should be the name of The Autobiography of Todd Bridges.  Because the thing that he has, the thing that he has always had, as a child, as a star, as a man, is that no matter where he is, he is absolutely able to inhabit that space, and be where he is. Granted, it isn't always an advantage, but what it does allow for, is to move and to grow, and to let go, and dig in, hold on, and be somebody, and do something. You are here. It's a statement of fact. It's not a good thing. It's not a bad thing. It's just a thing. It's the shit you're going through. As the players used to say, "it ain't nothing but a spoke." Todd Bridges. You are here. On this podcast talking. What you talking 'bout Willis? Punchplay.

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