Strip The Script

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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.

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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

Katherine McNamara has spent most of her life performing — from Broadway at just 14 to becoming Clary Fray in Shadowhunters, Mia Smoak in Arrow, and building a career across film, television and theatre.

In this episode of Strip The Script, Katherine sits down with actor and producer Jazz Lintott for an honest conversation about what it really takes to build a lasting career in an industry where talent alone is never enough.

Katherine shares the Broadway audition that changed her life, the story behind #WhoIsClary, what happened when she landed Shadowhunters, and why she believes an actor's job isn't simply to book the role.

They also explore rejection, resilience, preparation, relationships, the pressure that comes with success, and the mindset that has kept Katherine moving forward since she was a teenager.

Strip The Script goes beyond the credits and success stories to uncover the decisions, setbacks and turning points that shape creative careers.

LIVE UNSCRIPTED.

Hosted by Jazz Lintott.

Subscribe/follow Strip The Script for new conversations with actors, filmmakers and creatives every week.