Why Not Me? with Mike Jackson

On our final episode of Season 1, Mike is joined by Tika Sumpter! Tika talks all about growing up in New York, finding success on the soap opera One Life to Live and being nominated for a NAACP Image Award, being followed by paparazzi during the filming of Gossip Girl, getting to work with Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Robert Redford, and Chadwick Boseman, playing young Michelle Obama in Southside with You, what it was like producing a project A to Z, finding love, and so much more!

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Tim Story is on the podcast this week talking all about the highs and lows of the film industry, attending film school at USC, inspiration he took from Kevin Smith’s movie Clerks and deciding to make his first movie for $30,000, what he learned directing Barbershop that he applied to Fantastic Four, his mindset during tough times in the industry, living in true artistry, and so much more! 

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Prentice Penny joins Mike on the podcast this week! He talks all about growing up in the heart of the filmmaking world in Los Angeles and working as a substitute teacher, to feeling inspired by Spike Lee and deciding to follow his passions. Prentice breaks down his career journey from getting his first writing gig, to learning the business from Brooklyn Nine Nine to Scrubs, all the way to becoming Showrunner on Insecure with Issa Rae. He shares wise words of wisdom about trusting your instincts, using time as your resource, and so much more! 

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Zuri Hall joins Mike on the podcast! She talks about her journey growing up in Toledo, Ohio and attending Catholic school, how she grew out of her shy personality, her first date being at her Senior Prom, having integrity in her reporting, the momentum she felt in TV hosting and setting her sights on going national by age 25, her experience hosting for E! News, Access Hollywood, American Ninja Warrior, and so much more!

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This week, Mike’s good friend and talented multi-hyphenate artist Bresha Webb joins the podcast! She chats all about her move from Baltimore to Los Angeles, taking a gap year to figure out her acting goals, attending Cal Arts, finding her grit, working at Costco while handing out promos for her shows, creating her own one woman show, working on Run the World and Meet the Blacks, and so much more! 

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Robin Thede is on the podcast this week talking about her journey from Iowa to Hollywood, finding your voice in storytelling, the pursuit of your passions and what to pitch when you’re given the opportunity, her advice to writers when they receive notes, the challenges of creating a sketch show, and so much more! 

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In this special episode, Mike takes a look back at a few listener favorite episodes from 2024! This year Mike was joined in conversation by an entire roster of talented aritsts that have overcome hurdles to get to where they are today. In this episode, Mike chats about a few favorite moments from this past year and why these particular moments were so impactful.

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This week on the podcast, Mike Jackson is joined by Bresha Webb for a special AMA! Bresha moderates questions for Mike submitted by listeners about his own career journey: how he got into the industry, what different producing roles mean, his biggest challenges and successes, his best advice for young people in the entertainment industry, and so much more!

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This week on the podcast, Cory Hardrict joins Mike! He talks about growing up in Chicago, the impact of losing his mom during his formative years, moving to Inglewood with no money, working at Kmart even after booking iconic roles in Never Been Kissed and Crazy Beautiful, the grind of auditioning, the significance of the film Brotherly Love, producing under his banner Hardcor Films, and so much more!

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This week on the podcast, Kerry Washington joins Mike to talk all about her journey from growing up in the Bronx, to attending a private school and how that shaped her trajectory. She also talks about the impact of finding out her father was not her biological father, the fulfillment she found from playing characters like Olivia Pope in Scandal and Broomhilda von Shaft in Django Unchained, how public perception of her shifted after certain success, working with Reese Witherspoon on Little Fires Everywhere, what she hopes to pass on to her kids, and so much more!

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