I flew to Johannesburg and sat down to have a simply great conversation with the wonderfully open, hilarious and great actor
Malik Yoba who can be seen as Bill Henson in the second season of
Alphas on the Universal Channel (DStv 117) on Sundays at 20:00.
Malik Yoba talked to me about who he considers heroes, what he thinks of the state of science fiction television, what's waiting for his character in the second season of
Alphas, whether he thinks television casting is diverse enough, how he's helping actors get a foot in the door and what he thinks of South Africa on his second visit here.
Malik Yoba visited South Africa recently - Cape Town and then Johannesburg - and did a series of press interviews to help promote the
new look of the Universal Channel which rolled out this past Friday.
Next to the swimming pool at the ritzy African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel
Malik Yoba was really one of the most pleasant, forthcoming, warm and really charismatic on-air talents I've had the pleasure to interview in a long, long time.
A lot of actors are incredibly guarded, they don't want to share and "play" when they have to sit for a lot of interviews - but not
Malik Yoba. The
Alphas star brought his A game.
If you could have any superpower [then I start laughing since I'm looking at his face. This is the one question he's been asked to death and simply loathes]...
Malik Yoba [who instantly gets that it's a joke]: Okay ... I can see how this is gonna go.
Can you talk about your workout regimen and how you prepared for the character of Bill in Alphas - he's obviously very strong.
Malik Yoba: I didn't do anything special for the character. For most actors I think working out is just part of the job, trying to stay fit. For me, I have this desire to be the same I was when I was 25 - ha ha. So just really more of a lifestyle choice to work out regularly and stay fit.
And how much of your stunts have you been able or allowed to do when you wanted?
Malik Yoba: It depends. Probably like ... I dunno, 70% of them.
And were there things where they were ready for stunt guy and you went "I want to do a little bit of it"?
Malik Yoba: In fight scenes you're always going to do both. You're always going to have yourself in some and the stunt guy for some of the tougher stuff - because of the way they shoot it. But I try to do as much as I can because you want to stay in the moment and really feel that.
And then when there's an episode like the "fight club" episode of Alphas, what are the bigger demands because a more intense episode like that where your character is central and pivotal, it surely must take more time you don't normally have to learn physical moves?
Malik Yoba: Well, yes and no. With a lot of things especially television, you don't have a lot of time. So for instance we're on the set right now shooting the scene. And they go, 'Okay you're gonna do this. Then go over and learn a portion of the fight, then do it, then go and quickly practice another portion.'
You just don't have a lot of time. Every now and then I still - I've recently been in a show
Revolution [M-Net Series in South Africa] and I had a big sword fighting scene.
So I spent a whole Sunday - four, five hours to learn sword fighting. Which is cool. That's one of the things. You get to learn new stuff. So with my trainer who's a former boxer, and I used to do martial arts, so you just try to incorporate as much as you can.
Where is the character of Bill growing to and progressing into during the second season of Alphas?
Malik Yoba: The big thing for Bill for the second season is getting his ability under control and not letting it control him. That's the number one thing.
Obviously the character is a more "control freak person". Are you like that in real life?
Malik Yoba: What do you mean! Ha ha.
Are there certain overlaps?
Malik Yoba: I think I'm definitely not a control freak. Some people may think that. When I work as a director, I get like 'attention deficit disorder'. If we were - can you hear those people talking - I can do this interview and it's fine, but if I'm doing something on set and I'm directing anything those people all the way over there would have to be quiet. And I marvel at directors who are able to function with people talking. I can't.
I didn't even know you're recurring on Revolution and I watched Defying Gravity. It's all science fiction as is Alphas. Do you have an affinity for science fiction shows?
Malik Yoba: It just worked out at this point in my career where there seems to be those kind of opportunities coming up. Before
Defying Gravity I've gone in for auditions for science fiction stuff, I just never got it.
You might not be able to answer it, but what do you make of the state of science fiction television? The amount of it, the quality of it. Obviously Alphas on Universal Channel is a character-driven science fiction show as opposed to the more event driven science fiction shows.
Malik Yoba: To be honest with you I can't say that I've been a huge science fiction fan. I tend to like things which are rooted in reality. But I can watch
Alien or
Terminator or
Bladerunner or
District 9 or any of these and really get into them. That new one by director Neill Blomkamp which is coming out -
Elysium - that looks amazing!
I enjoy it because I think science fiction fans are very dedicated. I'm definitely open to ...
being in Defiance ...
Malik Yoba: ..I won't necessarily say that. But the thing I want to do most is comedy. Because you think you're funny, but I will show you
real funny!
I just know how boring it is to sit for the 50th time and lame journalists ask you the same boring questions over and over again.
I think Alphas is also special because it has such a diverse cast. And I was thinking if you think television pushes that enough. What's your thoughts on how diverse television is?
Malik Yoba: Television should definitely be more diverse. I think that the world is changing and television should reflect that. One thing that I love about music - and I'm a musician - and I haven't been able to get my music to the level of my acting, but I was in Cape Town listening to my friend.
I can travel anywhere in the world. And I've travelled the world and I hear Usher or Diggy. I love that music travels and that people around the world listen to diverse music. Somehow the same doesn't happen with television.
There is something in that regard which I've been working on for a while which is something like American Idol for actors - a monologue competition. And I'm actually working with Universal in the United States right now which is creating a pipeline for underrepresented actors.
and what's it called?
Malik Yoba: It's called The Working Actor's Monologue. The class that I teach is The Working Actor's Workshop and The Working Actor's Monologue is a platform for artists to be seen. So this one we'll do in June and Los Angeles in September.
So folks from Universal we're invited. Casting executives, producers, directors will have an opportunity to see people. Most importantly agents and talent agents will have an opportunity to see talent which they don't have access to.
It's really important because a lot of talented people out there ask me all the time, 'How do I in?' And its a catch-22. If you don't have an agent then you don't get to be admitted for a show like
Alphas or
Revolution. And then when you go to the agencies, the agencies aren't representing these people. And if you just want to walk into an agency and sign ...
they don't want to see you.
Malik Yoba: ...they not going to see you. So we've created an opportunity. And it's really entertaining. It's more than just get up there and do something, it has an improvisational aspect to it and it actually would be fun ... that's what we're going to do, we're going to come here and do it!
We have the same problem here.
Malik Yoba: Yeah?
Mmm.
Malik Yoba: I think we've figured it out. That's what we're doing next.
How many times have you visited South Africa before and when were you here last?
Malik Yoba: This is my second time. I was here in 1996. So you were in high school.
Ha ha. Not really. I'm actually older. Ha ha.
Malik Yoba: How old are you?
I'm 37. In 1996 I was second year at university.
Malik Yoba: Ah, okay.
So what do you think of South Africa? Well, this questions that you just asked "What do you think of South Africa is the one which every single person asks me ...
I'm sorry!
Malik Yoba: No, no. No, no, no, no. It's okay. That's the biggest difference. Everyone asked that question before. 'What do you think of our country?' Because there was such a lack of exposure to the rest of the world. I enjoy it.
I feel as an American - and my former life working with young people, we used to do a lot of stuff in the 80s around ending apartheid - so we would do things with the UN in the States, just to bring awareness to the unjustice here in South Africa.
I'm glad things are progressing. It's good to see this kind of development. I was just in Cape Town which is a great trip because you can be in Cape Town and totally forget you're in Africa.
That's why i choose to live there.
My last question and tying Alphas and the recent Boston bombings together, I think a lot of people look to heroic characters or to heroes in real-life to save us, to solve or try and solve the problems of humanity. Who's some of your real-life heroes?
Malik Yoba: Teachers. I look up to anybody and admire anybody who is willing to make the lives of other people better. It doesn't matter who you are. There's so many people who are working to make a difference in this world.
