Celebrity Jobber with Jeff Zito - Brandon T Jackson
Update: 2025-01-25
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Brandon T Jackson is on Celebrity Jobber with Jeff Zito this week. What type of work would Brandon do if not for being a member of the successful actor and stand-up comedian, known for his roles in the films Roll Bounce, Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson & the Olympians? Many celebrities will tell you that if not for that one lucky break or meeting, they would be a Bartender or a Radio DJ. They may have been, just a jobber. Thanks for listening, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Celebrity Jobber with Jeff Zito wherever you get your podcasts.
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Transcript
00:00:00
Hey, it's Jeff Zito, and thank you again for checking out another episode of the Celebrity Jobber Podcast.
00:00:11
You know, some of these guys, it's just like a big break out of the blue, which turns them into a star.
00:00:17
Others had little breaks along the way, and gradually worked up to what they wanted to become.
00:00:23
You can follow on Instagram, Celebrity_Jobber_Podcast.
00:00:29
Also YouTube.com/the@signcelebrityjobber streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, please subscribe, would love a five star rating,
00:00:41
and please leave a review.
00:00:42
Past guests are also on celebrityjobber.com.
00:00:47
My next guest, I met when he was first coming up way back in the day.
00:00:52
He was a young actor comedian, I was a younger, morning radio DJ, and we really hit it off.
00:00:59
He's been in movies like Roll Bounce, Tropic Thunder, Lottery Ticket, and has a new series on BET.
00:01:06
What else is Brandon T.
00:01:08
Jackson involved with?
00:01:10
Does he have any other outside interests or businesses?
00:01:15
We'll find out.
00:01:16
Actor comedian Brandon T.
00:01:18
Jackson is my guest this week on Celebrity Jobber.
00:01:22
What's up man, you know,
00:01:37
you don't remember this,
00:01:48
but it was early on in both of our careers, you were young stand up, I was a younger radio DJ, and my friend owned a comedy club still does in South Florida,
00:02:04
and you went to perform there, that's right, Brian Spina, right?
00:02:11
And man, you had an incredible conversation, like a high level conversation about race, and it was like right around Tropic Thunder,
00:02:22
and looking where we are today, Brandon, do you think?
00:02:26
'Cause I thought that movie would never, ever be able to be made again.
00:02:30
What do you think now, I mean, a lot different than it was six months ago, right?
00:02:35
I think it's time to do "Crab With Dome 2".
00:02:42
You know, Hollywood has changed so much probably in the time that you've been in the business, hasn't it?
00:02:50
Oh, yeah.
00:02:51
What's the biggest change?
00:02:52
You know, it's a lot of like, I don't know, I think everyone is really, you know, I think it's a balance, I think everyone's really sensitive now to everybody, and besides, actually got it, it became a little, it's like almost you can get so liberal as you can serve,
00:03:03
but I think it's just a conservative, that's a liberal, you know, you guys are bound to balance it all around.
00:03:08
You know, I think humans got to come with intent, right?
00:03:11
And with good intentions, with the right, with the right vibrations, I mean, you know, there's gonna be a problem to do things that are racy anymore because that's actually what kind of identified us and made us learn from each other.
00:03:25
Our difference is by actually the comedy and actually the stereotypes and the things that we, the perspectives on how we see everybody, not that it's always true, but there's always some truth to these things where it made us identify two different people.
00:03:40
Now, it is racy now, it is dicey, we're always not supposed to say that, all you can't, you know, but, but it is, you know, it always started out in our culture, our African-American culture, where we always used our uncomfortable trauma to teach other races on what was,
00:03:56
what we went, what we were going through, and then it became cool, you know what I'm saying?
00:04:00
Right.
00:04:01
So now it's cool.
00:04:02
Now it's like a rock album, it's not as like everyone, it's familiar with the African-American experience, and then it becomes other communities want to have the same thing, and then it becomes like,
00:04:13
okay, who's doing what, what are we, do you see a fan?
00:04:15
So I think at this point, we're getting a little place where I think everyone's just like, y'all, you're good for human beings.
00:04:21
Right.
00:04:22
And if you're attempting to hurt people, and I think everyone is kind of like, well, eff you.
00:04:25
If you're attempting to be a pain aided to bring people together, I think people are more open, so I think now we're getting to a place where it's not what you are, it's who you are.
00:04:35
So I think as long as we know who you are and why you're doing it, I think people have more leniency for erasing and stuff coming up.
00:04:42
Greed.
00:04:43
Well said.
00:04:44
You know, Brandon, when I was looking at first chat with you, I just kind of looked over the notes and it said the family business, and I started looking at your bio a little bit,
00:04:55
and I go, oh, wow.
00:04:56
I was confused.
00:04:57
I have since seen the trailer, and it looks great.
00:05:00
It reminds me of BMF, which is one of my favorite shows on TV right now.
00:05:05
Wow.
00:05:06
Thank you.
00:05:07
When I saw originally, I said, oh, the family business, I found out that your mother and father were preachers, and I thought this was going to be like a documentary on maybe you starting to be a preacher.
00:05:18
So I was completely wrong about that, but tell me a little bit about growing up in Detroit with mom and dad and your grandfather all being in the Jesus business.
00:05:30
Hey, listen, you can't escape it.
00:05:33
I say that.
00:05:36
As much as I tried, I've learned that, actually, I've had a lot of peace in my upbringing and my roots, and I've had a lot of successes with keeping my roots.
00:05:47
So the moment I kind of went away from that, I learned that my life kind of went into this spiral of chaos.
00:05:54
And as I stick closer to my roots, it aligns things.
00:05:57
So, you know, I tested both models, and I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up kind of like Denzel Washington later on in the life, you know, a minister degree.
00:06:05
I wouldn't mind that.
00:06:06
Right on.
00:06:07
I really don't want to do it, but I think that it is what it is.
00:06:11
I think it's kind of destined at this point, but yeah, I really don't want to be in the ministry.
00:06:17
That's why I kind of ran the Hollywood, but at the same time, you know, I feel like there was so much good things and peaceful love that I dealt with in that upbringing and so much love and so much companionship that I was able to thrive in that environment,
00:06:31
and even in Hollywood, I was able to thrive in Hollywood because of that rooted grounded in spirituality and doubt.
00:06:39
So, I think that really grounded me, you know what I mean?
00:06:42
It keeps me in line, and as I get older, I start to learn that there's not a lot of risk you want to take when you have children and different things, so you got to really focus on how did your father get through,
00:06:54
how did his father get through, and start following those pathways.
00:06:57
And it's not easy, it's not easy doing it.
00:07:01
You want to see when you have consistently, you know, all your peers are in a place where they won't have a great time, but we get to a place where I'm as fun do we need to have, so if we call that fun and just try to grow up a little bit,
00:07:14
but it is definitely different being the pastor's son in Hollywood, definitely a little bit better.
00:07:21
I bet it would be.
00:07:22
Not to mention, I was kind of surprised to see how they supported you.
00:07:26
The Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Sido, Celebrity Jobber.
00:07:31
But before, before all this branded, can you tell me about your very first job, like before Hollywood in Detroit, what was your very first job paying job?
00:07:40
I always, my comedian is the only job I've ever had.
00:07:44
Really?
00:07:45
So, your first job?
00:07:46
Yeah, my first job was comedy, I would do comedy clubs to make money.
00:07:49
Wow.
00:07:50
Do a little church gig, you know, with do a little comedy clubs.
00:07:53
And you were 14?
00:07:54
Wow.
00:07:55
Holy crap.
00:07:56
And you did, you did work at a radio station in Detroit, growing up, didn't you?
00:08:00
Yeah, intern there, yep.
00:08:02
Okay.
00:08:03
Intern there.
00:08:04
And I was called the kid comedian by the time.
00:08:06
Yeah, it's fun.
00:08:07
I would do Sunday morning, gospel, and then I would do Q93DRQ.
00:08:10
This was a radio station in Detroit at the time.
00:08:14
I would do that.
00:08:15
It was a pop station.
00:08:16
So, I would do a gospel station on Sundays and a pop station and, um, it's like my real life.
00:08:21
The pop station, um, they got pop stations, urban stations, you know, different programming.
00:08:28
So, yep.
00:08:29
What do you think your, your big break was?
00:08:31
Was there a particular moment, a particular role, a particular phone call that you got?
00:08:38
You left Detroit, you went to Hollywood to become a star, comedian/actor.
00:08:44
Can you think when everything changed with one particular moment in time for you?
00:08:49
What was it?
00:08:50
I had a couple breaks.
00:08:52
I think I, I think I keep having breaks, you know, I had a couple of breakouts.
00:08:56
Of course, my first breakout was Roe Bounce, no one had ever seen me before, my first studio film.
00:09:02
I mean, personally, Jackson and me was a breakout, Chopper Sunder was a breakout.
00:09:06
Even to me, the soundly business of the breakout, no one's ever seen me lead a drama theory.
00:09:10
I mean, it's just different.
00:09:11
Now, do you really look back at my career and really go and look at what I'm, what I've done?
00:09:16
It's, it's really, you know, I've been going to pay attention to these things a lot out here.
00:09:20
So I've done a lot of versatile work and different markets and different, you know, different places.
00:09:26
And different social groups, I would say, relate abilities to everybody.
00:09:30
And from book series to even this book series, I like doing book series too because it has an insulated fan base and it gives you a chance to see the character from the book side of it.
00:09:42
And to see how people react to it and watch your character on screen from the book.
00:09:47
So, you know, I had a couple of breaks, man, I mean, I actually have multiple breaks.
00:09:51
I can't even, I think my comedy special is going to be a breakout because, you know, I've been gone for so long and I came out so young.
00:09:59
I think this is even like a rena, rena, rena, reduction to me, to the world, you know, I think people don't know the, uh, the grown brand of Jackson.
00:10:06
I think they know our kids, you know, I think you're right.
00:10:09
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00:10:48
Celebrity Jobber.
00:10:53
And the family business New Orleans, which I just watched a trailer two days ago online.
00:10:57
It's going to be on BET and I mentioned earlier when we were talking how my favorite show on TV is BMF and that's a, that's a show based at a Detroit, you know, it's a Detroit show.
00:11:04
This is about a family in New Orleans.
00:11:07
Can you tell me a little bit about this family and the family business?
00:11:12
Yeah.
00:11:13
Family business, they own a, we own a casino down in New Orleans and we, you know, the whole drama starts out when, well, I can't, I can't, I don't want to tell story, but, yeah, yeah.
00:11:22
If you read the book, you know what happens, family business New Orleans, you know what happens and why we end up going to, going, I could tell you this much, we, it says in a trailer, we end up going to war with another family.
00:11:32
And as you can see, that this is a different environment that you've never seen on TV with African-Americans.
00:11:38
You've never seen African-Americans on TV or on casinos.
00:11:41
I've never seen that.
00:11:42
I mean, maybe Harlem Knights, you know, but that's it.
00:11:45
When have you seen, when have you seen that consistently?
00:11:48
No.
00:11:49
So the midnight blues, I own the midnight blues and I'm, I'm kind of like the, for Godfather, I'm kind of like Al Pacino's character where he's the, the next one up and he's learning how to run the business.
00:12:00
He's becoming the man in season one.
00:12:04
He's not the man yet, but he's becoming the man and he's learning how to be, do the right, make the right decisions for the family business.
00:12:10
And speaking of family business in real life, Brandon, any outside interests, like a business stuff that you do that people don't know about,
00:12:21
are you, do you invest in stuff or do you have other businesses outside?
00:12:27
One business I'm about to do, if you look at my Instagram, I have some shit that I might be, I might be starting a little mini custom suit line, but we're starting to figure that one out.
00:12:37
I mean, you know, the business model and how we can give, and maybe, let me ask you a question.
00:12:41
Yeah.
00:12:42
Would you pay, would you pay a subscription model if you didn't get two custom made suits among?
00:12:48
What's the, what's the, how much is the subscription?
00:12:51
Well, how much would you pay for two suits among?
00:12:53
Well, two suits a month, I'd say, I mean, if they were special suits, I'd have to say, you know, maybe $1,500 for two really nice suits.
00:13:04
Wow.
00:13:05
No, isn't that what they, how much do suits go for, about six, seven hundred bucks?
00:13:09
No, I'm saying, so you do $1,500 a month.
00:13:12
No, I couldn't do that.
00:13:13
I couldn't do that a month.
00:13:14
I'm just kind of, I'm trying to price together how much suits cost.
00:13:18
That's what, that's what we're trying to figure out.
00:13:21
Like, what would, is there a subscription model?
00:13:23
I don't want to ruin your business.
00:13:25
You'll, you'll go bankrupt if you listen to me.
00:13:27
I know, I'm asking, no, no, as a consumer, working consumers afford it and what's our target.
00:13:33
And that's been our big deal, trying to find if you could have a custom made suit and clientele, it takes $500 a month or so much.
00:13:41
Yeah, I think it could be per month, could be, could be a lot if, I mean, look, but you're looking for a different kind of clientele.
00:13:47
We don't know, so that's been a, that's been our hold up.
00:13:49
If you go online, look at, look at my suits and my team, we make it from scratch, so.
00:13:54
Very cool.
00:13:55
The family business, New Orleans, the series debuts on BET and how many, how many episodes in the series, Brandon?
00:14:04
We have eight right now and we're excited about doing more for the next season.
00:14:11
So we got another season, but we're excited about that.
00:14:13
It looks great, man.
00:14:14
It really does and good luck to you, it's been so good, kind of catching up with you.
00:14:20
Like I said, it was a long time ago, but I remember this very special interaction we had for about 15 minutes and we just had a really great conversation when you went down to South Florida.
00:14:32
Are you doing stand up anymore?
00:14:33
I got a, I got a comedy special coming out with my future back around, but it's comedy special.
00:14:39
Yep.
00:14:40
I got a comedy special coming out this year.
00:14:41
Excellent.
00:14:42
All success to you.
00:14:44
I hope you figure out the subscription model and the suit business.
00:14:47
I'm sorry, I couldn't be of more help, but like I said, listen to me in that business.
00:14:52
And now we're trying, man.
00:14:53
That business will bankrupt if you listen to me, Brandon T on celebrity job or kind of funny that he was coming out with this series, the family business and initially I thought it was going to be like a docky series about his life because his mother,
00:15:10
his father, his grandfather.
00:15:12
They're all preachers from Detroit, but that's not the case.
00:15:16
The series is about a black family owning casinos in New Orleans.
00:15:21
Brandon didn't rule out at some point in his life, maybe reverting to the family business, the real family business and becoming a preacher.
00:15:30
He said he won't rule it out, but it gave him good roots, kept him out of trouble when he was younger, grown up in Detroit, not to mention his first job in comedy.
00:15:39
He was a stand up comedian.
00:15:41
That was his first job performed at his father's church, along with other comedy clubs.
00:15:47
He said he did intern for a radio station in Detroit back when he was in his teens, but then left Detroit for Los Angeles to become a star.
00:15:56
So his big break, he mentioned a few of them, but it seems like what really put him on the map was his role in the movie role bounce.
00:16:05
He also mentioned Percy Jackson, Tropic Thunder, as being really important movies for him in his career as well.
00:16:13
And he's designing custom suits and trying to figure out a subscription model type business for those custom suits.
00:16:20
I hope I didn't screw him up with my bad advice.
00:16:23
I tried to warn him.
00:16:24
He's a really cool guy, Brandon T.
00:16:27
Jackson, check him out on BET, the new series, The Family Business.
00:16:32
So thanks again for checking out another episode of The Celebrity Jobber Podcast, streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, ask guests are up on celebrityjobber.com,
00:16:45
please subscribe, we love a five star rating, and leave a review.
00:16:49
You never know what these celebs might have turned into, if not for their big break.
00:16:53
I don't know.
00:16:54
I don't think Brandon T.
00:16:56
Jackson would have been a minister, his real family business, stand up comedian, his very first job.
00:17:01
So some people were just born to be a star.
00:17:04
Anyway, thanks again for listening, and until next week with another new episode of Celebrity Jobber, I'll see you then, I'm Jeff Zito.
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