The Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper spoke to actor Dorien Wilson about his role in Bounce TV’s number one show “In The Cut.” Wilson, the veteran actor who gained popularity for his role as Professor Oglevee on the UPN sitcom “The Parkers,” plays the character Jay in the show.
Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper (LAS): Can you elaborate on how you began your acting career?
Dorien Wilson (DW): I did theater for many years, including children’s theater for seven years in the Bay Area. I’ve played forest creatures to tree stumps. You name it I’ve done it. I went to a training program in San Francisco and did more plays. It wasn’t until I graduated that I moved to Los Angeles.
LAS: What happened when you finally made the move to Los Angeles?
DW: I did the waiter and bartender thing for a while. Within six months, I landed my first role on an HBO show called “Dream On” as a regular. I did that for six years while also doing a show called “Sister Sister.” I received my SAG credentials when I did a Long John Silver commercial as a pirate.
LAS: Wow! That is a peculiar experience especially as an actor.
DW: Yeah it was. I was even the first African American on the show “Friends.” One of the guys could not fulfill the role. The creators of “Friends” were also the creators of “Dream On.” They knew my work and needed someone.
LAS: Tell us about working with the other actors on the show.
DW: We have a phenomenal cast. I’m so grateful. We all have known each other for years and came up through the ranks together. It was easy to fall into because we understand our strengths and weaknesses. In all the years I’ve known Ken Lawson, I’ve never seen him in a bad mood or bad behavior. He is the most positive, uplifting dude I’ve meet in my life. Kellita Smith, who plays my love interest, is great as well. We go way back to the “Sister Sister” days.
LAS: Any funny stories involving the cast?
DW: John Marshal Jones plays my best friend on the show. For years people have mistaken us saying we look alike. We finally discussed it when we first met. We were wrapping our second season and they mentioned July 5, which is my birthday. Little did we know that July 5 is also his birthday. Not only that, we were born the same year!
LAS: What makes the actors on the show work so well together?
DW: I use to teach acting and one of the things I told my students about the business is the importance of training. You can be in the right place at the right time, but you have to know what you are doing. Actors who I work with are seasoned professionals. They have to be because we shoot the show in 11 days. Because everyone has been in the business for so long, we know exactly what our duty is. We get it done.
LAS: You guys are in the fourth season. What is the secret to the success?
DW: It touches a lot of people. There are so many single families out there. They can relate to someone on the show. Whether its single mothers or fathers, there is someone you can relate to on the show.
New episodes of “In The Cut” premiers on Bounce TV. Check your local listening for specific times. To watch past episodes, visit the subscription video-on-demand service Brown Sugar which also features popular African-American programming.
