Telma Hopkins, D.K. Uzoukwu, Laverne Cox and George Wallace star in 'Clean Slate,' a Norman Lear project that tackles family dynamics around gender with wit and humor.
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00:00Well, what drew me to the project was audition and I really wanted the job
00:05I wanted a job, but I landed this part and it's just been a blessing to be a part of
00:13Telling a wonderful story with this wonderful cast
00:16And this character sort of like really
00:18It's tangentially related close to me a little bit. You know, we have a lot of similarities
00:23I grew up in a choir. My character Lewis is a choir director
00:28You know, he struggles with coming out to his family. I had those struggles as well
00:33So it's very topical but it resonates with me
00:37So I love that aspect about this show. I mean I first of all Norman Lear
00:47To get a chance to do a story that is timely
00:51Sensitive but you know, it's going to be handled with care with a Norman Lear project
00:57I mean that is such an honor for us to be a part of his legacy and
01:03The other thing well George
01:06Yeah, I love me some George
01:08Never worked with him before
01:09But I was looking forward to the chance of just really having that acting moment with him
01:15But a great cast lover. Come on, you know orange is new black. This girl is phenomenal
01:21So it was just a chance to do something and I could swear
01:25That's a first for that's for me, I'm never on a show where I could I'm an adult I'm an adult
01:32I'm adulting on this show, but just a wonderful opportunity
01:36Wonderful project a wonder
01:38Exciting, you know, I mean this is is a project that we know may not agree with everybody
01:44But it's gonna help so many more people than it hurts. Yeah, I think the show is I mean first of all
01:51We're a family comedy, right? We're family comedy. It's a Norman Lear
01:57Project and you know in line with his legacy we are
02:02Talking about, you know sensitive topics, but we're doing it with laughter and laughter is literally the best medicine. We've been saying that all day
02:09And so I think people can rest to be rest assured that it's going to give them laughs
02:15And it might teach them a couple things and it's okay to learn
02:18It's okay to be challenged and changed. But at the end of the day we are here to bring joy and
02:25Laughter and love and teach you about acceptance. Yeah
02:31Our fans and our friends and just if you if you think you might not know whether it's a show for you
02:37Give us one show and give us one show. I
02:41Guarantee you come back. Yeah, watch the watch the pilot see how you feel
02:45Yes, all the scenes were powerful and great and it's all about love and it's all about listening
02:51learning living
02:53Loving and laughing. That's what it's all about. So when you watch all of the scenes, listen, there's gonna be some moments
02:58You might drop a tear and it's all we try to tackle everything with a bit of humor
03:03We have we know what's controversial
03:05We know this is actually real life people are living these lives and and we were proud to tackle it
03:11And I'm proud to have
03:13Come up with the idea to do it all and we made it come to fruition with a great co-executive producer
03:20Miss Laverne Cox and it's just wonderful and I'm just blessed to be on the spot and it came to fruition
03:26We started this seven years ago
03:29Came up with my head seven years ago. We had kovats and we had to write a strike
03:33Well, guess what we're doing it and guess what?
03:36made in Georgia
03:39All my favorite pieces just all the time actually it would be a natural stand-up
03:44I love my stand-up more than anything else and I love doing it all over the world
03:48I'm blessed to have worked from Hong Kong to Singapore and
03:52Making people happy and when I see happy people, it makes me happier
03:56Valerie and I decided that for this particular time
03:59We were doing a lot of press for young and the restless that we wanted to do our own
04:03Particular thing which is something we did on half and half and that's when I would like casually go by and just take her wig
04:09And walk out the door and she always has another wig in her purse
04:14We did a whole thing where I came down the stairs
04:17She had the dog hi Coco and then I just went past and just took the way
04:21And she was just standing there in a wig cap and that got over a million views