[ROLE PLAY]
The veteran actor breaks down his role in Indie film, I’ll Be There
UpRising: What drew you to work on I’ll Be There?
Dorien Wilson: It was so well-written. It's a true story. Cindy McCreary, the writer, it’s her and her brothers’ story. My character is Clint. I'm married to a white woman in the ’60s, so we already know what that entailed, the racial challenges and everything that we went through as a family and as a couple. She brought her kids in. I had a young man and then we had a kid together, Grace. Because she was our biological child, the other kids gave her a hard time and treated her like she was the favorite. She kind of got picked on, but her brother, AJ, the oldest son of my wife's, he kind of protected her and shielded her from a lot of the B.S. that went on in the household. As an adult, she got tired of it and moved away from the family and did her own thing. And it wasn't until AJ was diagnosed with cancer that she decided to come back home and be by his bedside because they were that close. The rest of the movie is all about bonding and how we move forward as a family.
It's a very tight and moving piece, beautifully directed by Andrew Shea. He had a true vision of what he knew this family was all about, and so he kind of sat us down individually, and picked our brains on what it really meant to us. I had two wonderful parents that I grew up with, so I didn't have the dynamics of this type of family. We grew up on an Air Force base, so the racial tension in the division was prevalent. But when it's in your household, it's a whole different ballgame, you know?
As someone with a comedic background, what was it like acting in a weighter, more dramatic film?
It was definitely different for me, but it was such a moving piece. I’m drawn to the pieces that show my versatility, especially the older I get. I was kind of thrown into comedy when I first came to L.A. I did the bartender/waiter thing, but I was still working, acting-wise, doing plays and commercial work. Six months into it, I landed my first role on an HBO series called Dream On. It was comedy; I played opposite of the lead character as the best friend. We lasted for six years. In the meantime, I got other roles, and they knew me as the funny guy, so I kind of got pigeonholed as the comedian. It was hard for me to do other roles. It's not easy doing comedy, but I wanted to show my chops as a dramatic actor. This piece gives me the opportunity.
There’s a Michael Jackson connection and theme in the film. Can you speak to that significance?
It was a bond that [Grace] and AJ had. She was a big fan and they got closer together through Michael's music. It also marks the time era, especially as they they got older. I remember that date of his passing and what a big deal that was. That in itself was traumatic, but for her to be going through all she was with her brother, that kind of sealed the relationship they had. Music throughout our lives plays a critical part in your mood and what you're going through. And it can help you get through certain challenges. I believe this is an example of that.
Can you speak about the mysterious janitor in the film? What’s up with him?
I actually love that character. I wasn't really privy to it, because I had no scenes with him. But it was almost like a guardian angel feeling that gave [Grace] hope, [like] don't give up, be you, be strong. It had the Michael Jackson undertones of the lyrics of his music and the encouragement that she needed to help her brother get through all of this. I think everybody's gonna take away a different analogy of what that really meant. But it was very mystical to me, and I thoroughly liked it.
You mentioned getting your start in Black sitcoms — you appeared in virtually every one of them in the ’90s.
I went from one to another. I actually was the first African-American that had a reoccurring role on Friends. The executive producers of Friends were executive producers of Dream On. They had hired another African-American actor to play a certain role and he couldn't fulfill it. So they were like, “Well, what about Dorian?” I became Chandler's boss. I did, like, four episodes. I did Seinfeld. I was on Living Single for two years. I was on Sister Sister for two years.
Why did that genre of TV series largely go away?
By the end of The Parkers, we were making an absorbent amount [of money]. It was cheaper for the studio either to start a new show or get a reality show to cut the budget down. That’s basically what happened. My take on it, anyway. Reality TV [stars were] basically people who were unknown that didn't require a huge salary. They didn't have to have sets. That became an easy fix for studios. Now, it's social media people who don't have to have a bunch of talent, but they're good at what they do. I'm not taking anything away [from them], but that was the breakdown. With all the streaming services, I'm seeing more and more that they are trying to bring back the traditional sitcom format.
What was the magic of that era and genre? Why did it resonate the way it did?
It was a combination of things. The shows that were successful, it wasn't just one person; it was an ensemble cast. The Parkers, Living Single, Moesha — all of those shows had strong casts. The writing was so clever and funny and relatable. Everybody could say, “That's my auntie!” or “My brother acts just like that!” It was a mixture of all of that. The music, too. They were so well written back then. Characters were so defined. We could all relate to them and watch them as a family.
The beautiful thing about ’90s shows as well: It was like doing theater. We had a live audience, so we had that instant response when me and Monique were doing something crazy. It's a naturally funny bit that they're hollering at. Of course, they'll add a laugh track in certain areas, but it was like doing theater. That was the beauty of it. Now they're trying to crank these things out. There's no live audience, so you just gotta feel where the funny [is].
What's next for you?
I just got finished doing a thriller I shot in Louisville, Kentucky — one of the best experiences of my career. It was so dope. I play this ex-judge who convicted this man of multiple murders years ago; he hung himself in the jail cell. Years later, his daughter wants revenge because she doesn't feel like he was guilty. So she tries to get at me through my daughter, who is a detective. I don't want to give too much away. It's called Checkmate.
I'm shooting another movie in two weeks called Wedding Material, and I play Novi Brown's father. Very funny, very beautiful, charismatic. I start my promo press tour for A Wesley South African Christmas. And lastly, I’m doing a play called Home for Christmas in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 14. I'm very excited about that. Just started rehearsals. I play opposite of Eddie Wilson, who is another actor who's very funny, just a great actor and great personality. He's done the show several times; this is my first. We just completely bonded. The chemistry was off the chain. I'm excited to see you know how this is going to play out.
Have you done theater since earlier in your career?
Absolutely. I will always go back to theater. There's nothing like it. I'm classically trained; I've done everything from Shakespeare to August Wilson to [William Hanley’s] Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. There's nothing like that instant gratification from an audience. You don't get another take. You don't have the opportunity to be like, “I don't like that. Let me do it again.” Anything can go wrong, and it does.
Is that exhilarating to you?
It is such a rush. I'm not a comedian, so I don't do stand-up, but I can understand that adrenaline rush when you're on stage and you get that audience feedback. You'll have a different show every time you perform.
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