Choosing Joy

Ser’Darius Blain on Miami Holidays, Caribbean Traditions, Jumanji & His Funniest Christmas Stories | Holiday AF


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Actor Ser’Darius Blain, known for his breakout role in the Jumanji franchise, joins Holiday AF for a warm, funny, and inspiring conversation with hosts Deborah Joy Winans Williams and MAJOR.. Born in Miami to a Haitian and Dominican family and raised with a blend of Southern and Caribbean traditions, Ser’Darius reflects on how his multicultural upbringing shaped the way he celebrates the holidays.

He shares how he secretly nurtured a passion for acting while following a pre-med track, eventually dropping out of medical school to pursue his dream in New York — where he also experienced his very first “white Christmas.” Ser’Darius dives into the foods that defined his childhood holidays, including cornbread, collard greens, curry goat, oxtail, griot, rice and peas, and Haitian-style legume.

As he reflects on family traditions, Ser’Darius talks about the improvisational nature of Caribbean-American Christmases, the last-minute planning, and the joy that always comes from bringing everyone together. Now in adulthood, he’s created a new tradition: flying his family to a different holiday destination each year, from New York to Big Bear, as a way to give them the gift of exposure and togetherness.

He shares stories from booking Jumanji, his shock at being cast as a high schooler at 30, and the lessons he learned watching superstars work up close. The episode wraps with a fun conversation about his culinary skills and his holiday cooking company, King’s Cuisine.

This episode blends culture, comedy, warmth, and legacy — everything that makes the holidays meaningful.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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