Life is like a box of… spices?
Mykelti Williamson, best known for his role as Bubba in the 1994 film Forrest Gump, sat down with TheCelebrityCafe.com to talk about his recent roles and his surprising company, “Bubba Style” which sells spices that were handcrafted by his family and him.
Williamson is well known for his role in Forrest Gump but his first role was in 1978’s Starsky and Hutch, where he played Bruce. He also had a role in Free Willy and, most recently, was in television shows such as 24 and Touch.
When discussing his spice line and even his acting process, Williamson talked about his family, God and how interesting each of his roles are.
TheCelebrityCafe.com: Can you tell me about your new film Convergence?
Mykelti Williamson: I was just in Mobile, Alabama and wrapped a film called Convergence. Convergence is a thriller; a supernatural thriller. In a nutshell, it is about a group of detectives that go in and investigate an explosion. When they enter the building the real explosion occurs and they all lose their lives. But, in the process of that, their spirits are running around trying to find out where they belong based on how they lived their lives before their death. It is a very interesting and fascinating process, watching the negotiations go down. It is really fascinating. But, I really liked the project a lot. It is written and directed by Drew Hall, who is a local Mobile, Alabama guy. He’s a small town guy and loves writing stories in and around the south. His production partners are Scott Robinson and Kevin Duggin. It was a great experience. I had the chance to work with Clayne Crawford and it was good; quite and experience. He is a really talented actor. He was great. I worked with Chelsea Bruland. I had a great time.
TCC: So, does the film take place in purgatory?
MW: The main character [Ben] is played by Clayne Crawford. Ben’s character is hospitalized in critical condition so he goes in and out of that. It is really fascinating on how it is all done. I play a character, Captain Saul Miller, who is Ben’s boss. It was a great experience. It was a project- it was one of those movies that you find, a golden nugget, and you seize it. You say, “you know what, I’m going to do this interesting little film and take a little break from Hollywood just to do this.” It was worth it. It was so much fun and I worked so hard. There were great producers, great writers- like I said, Drew Hall is a Mobile, Alabama hometown guy. They are very proud of him, as they should be. He’s making movies in the south that takes place in the south. He tells stories about southern tradition and things like that. It was really fun my first time working with Clayne Crawford. He is an Alabama guy himself. That was a great experience. I got to work with Chelsea Bruland. She was wonderful. It was really good. It was a really great experience all around.
TCC: When will the film be released into theaters?
MW: I don’t know when a release date is because it was privately funded. They will have to work out that timing. As of this time, I’m not sure. They do have some excitement about festivals that they have been accepted in.
TCC: You’ve had some arcs on Justified, CSI: NY and a couple of other television shows. What made you decide to go from being in films to being on television?
MW: Just the caliber of the writing., the caliber of the actors that I worked with. When I had the opportunity to work with Timothy Olyphant, Gary Sinise and Kiefer Sutherland, it was a no-brainer. Those are all friends of mine and they are A-List in what they do. It is always a great experience; a challenging opportunity to work with it, to work your instruments. I’m going to be stimulated and I’m going to be around good people. Those are the reasons for doing the television projects. But television for the sake of doing television, it is ok. I like work but I don’t always do the projects that I am offered. They have to be more than just a job for me. Those projects, 24, CSI: NY and Justified, were more than just jobs to me. It is the whole package.
TCC: When looking at roles, what draws you to a role?
MW: What draws me to a role is how interesting is the role and have I done it before. Sometimes I will pick a role I have done before if I can find something different to do with this particular role. Like if I like playing cops. I am around a lot of police officers and different branches of law enforcement all the time. And stories that I hear, the stories I am told and things that friends share with me are so fascinating that I could hardly wait to bring an interpretation of those stories somehow. So, I always look for a role where I can have a great time and do something different than I have done in the past.
TCC: How do you prepare for a role?
MW:This is my process. I have never shared this before so this is the first time I’m actually sharing the details of my process. So, this is an exclusive.
TCC: Thank you!
MW: I have a production partner, James Lucero Jr. and James is a former rap artist that I put through film school. I trust his instincts. I trust him completely and if he and my wife respond to the material like I respond to the material then I will take it seriously and consider the role and if they say stay away, then I won’t touch it. I don’t make movies unless James approves it. He is my right hand. He’s with me every step of the way- it is a collaborative process. This is the first hurdle, getting past my production partner James and what he things. The second step in the process is whether or not the director has a big ego. If the director has a massive ego and won’t collaborate and wants it done their way, I don’t do those jobs. If the director really collaborates with me then I’m on board. The third thing is: does the writing surprise me? If it is predictable and we can’t make the adjustments to make it less predictable then I’ll pass. Those are the three elements and then I have to feel like I am spiritually ready to do it because sometimes I get a job and sometimes I’ll call back and say “no but who you should hire is…” and then I’ll give an actor’s name. Most of the time they will get the job because, if their agent negotiates, I actually call the casting director and talk them into hiring this other actor. I tell them that I think they have what it takes. That is my process and I can afford to do that because I have other means of making money. I have a spice company called “Bubba Style” so I am able to take care of my family and not do every single movie. I am able to spend time doing things I really wanna do. That is my process.
TCC: The website for ”Bubba Style” states that the company is named after the endearing nickname Bubba, not your character from Forrest Gump. Is that true?
MW: That is one of the projects that I’m really proud of. Forrest Gump is one of the best films ever made on Earth. It is America’s contribution to the top 100 films internationally but it was a privilege to collaborate with all the people I was in the movie with and the result of the popularity that we ended up walking away with. Because of that character, I’ve met so many people named Bubba from Bill Clinton, on and on. Bubba is actually a term of endearment and it is a southern form of endearment so I thought it was a no-brainer to call the spices “Bubba Style” because a Bubba doesn’t do anything fancy. They keep everything simple. They just don’t get outrageous or fancy and it is a down-home, wholesome project that I’m proud of. I was happy that I was able to get the trademark on the name. It is doing really well, thank God.
TCC: In March of last year, you stated that you wanted “Bubba Style” to go from a website and develop it to be sold in stores. Have you gotten to that step yet?
MW: We’ve had production, I’ve met the people and right now it is just getting the right deal. I could put it in store immediately, right away, but sometimes people think you’re so hungry that you are taking more favorable deals for themselves instead of a winning deal. I am in the position for the win/win deal. That is what we want right now.
TCC: How many flavors of spices do you sell?
MW: Right now, what is available to the public are three different spices. They are all low salt spices. It is not a salt. There is a “Good ole Seasoning,” “Spicy old Seasoning” and “Fry Bubba Fry.” It is an all-purpose seasoning like so many other brand names out there. People have tasted these seasoning and people like them without the salt. I use herbs and spices. I could make a lot more money if I used flavored salt but I decided not to do that. I put together all natural with no filler and no preservatives. It is natural seasoning for the sake and health of everybody that wants to try “Bubba Style.” There is southern style, there is Cajun style, there is Mexican style and now you got “Bubba Style.”
TCC: Is it true that you and your wife run the company?
MW: Yes. I also have two brothers who invested in the company to launch. So it is my brothers, Johnny down in Florida and Jerry in Los Angeles. Jerry and Johnny help. They are responsible for the financial end of the company.
TCC: Why did you decide to start “Bubba Style” in the first place?
MW: I grew up making spices and sauces and some of my friends in the business would like the sauce and say, “hey, can you make me a couple of jars of your sauce” or “hey can you make me some of that rub for my ribs or steaks?” It sort of caught on. People would tell other people and they would say, “I hear you can cook” and ask if they could get some. So, to make it easer for people to get it, I decided, and my brothers talked me into putting this stuff out there. My mom and my dad taught me how to cook when I was younger. As a kid, my step-dada was in the military so he was away a lot and my mom was raising us, pretty much, single parent so she would call us from work and talk my sister and I through cooking dinner. We would get home and we would cook dinner and tell us what to put in it. That’s how I learned to cook- over the phone. So I have a pretty big amount of people who like my cooking. I said, “if people like my cooking, they need to put my spices in it” and that is what this is. These are the spice blends I made when I was a kid.
TCC: You made spices as a child?
MW: Yes, my mom and my dad taught me how to make spices, sauces, ice-cream and all kinds of things when I was a little boy so I sort of grew up around these great, southern cooks and they taught me a lot of different things. I continue to experiment and cook as an adult and the result of all of that is “Bubba Style” spices.
TCC: Since your parents taught you how to cook, have you been teaching your daughters?
MW: I have three daughters and they all cook. I have a daughter who 20; I have another daughter who is 14 and another daughter who is 13. They all cook and they can go too. They’re creative in the kitchen and they make up different things. They have not been around the world but when they think up something that already exists, then we don’t tell them any differently. We let them take it in so they stay bright and motivated for cooking.
TCC: When creating the character, Bubba [from Forrest Gump], did you go off the words alone or did you bring something else to the table?
MW: It was an interpretation that I got from the Holy Spirit. I do prayer and meditation and a lot of things just by cleansing my mind. Some people do yoga, transcendental but I do prayer and meditation. Then I just shut up, relax and cleanse my mind. I got the character Bubba as a result of prayer. So, that is where the character came from. They didn’t even want to see me for that role. I told my students they should go try out and each time they struck out. So, I auditioned on a Saturday morning, they did not take me seriously. My agent called and said, “they’re not taking you seriously, they’re just seeing you on a Saturday morning to appease you but when you go in there, kill it.” I went in there and did that character and the rest is history.
TCC: Your students auditioned. Were you an acting teacher or a teaching teacher?
MW: I was an acting teacher [in Los Angeles]. I was a working actor but there were certain students that were close to understanding what it is that we do so I started helping those actors. Some of them learned really fast and didn’t have to study with me very long. With some actors, it would take four, five, six months and then they would have it. They would understand who they were and how to use their tools. Some of my students would learn really quick because they just had what it takes.
TCC: Have any of your students had the success as much as you have?
MW: Yes, even more so. One of the guys that learned really fast is, a couple of weeks as me being his teacher, he had it and it was off to the races. He has become an Oscar recipient and that is Cuba Gooding Jr.
TCC: Cuba Gooding Jr. was your student?
MW: For a few weeks. He just had what it took. He just had it figured out how to do what he does and what he is capable of doing in the camera. I just simplified that process for him and he went from there.
TCC: In the YouTube series, Lauren, you have been in one episode, are you going to be in any more?
MW: If offered, the door is wide open to come back. I actually wrote a script on teen bullying that I want to direct over there. I’ve been so busy. I just got home from this film, Convergence, and I’m taking care of things around the house. My kids broke the closet door so I’ve got to fix stuff like that and then launch into the next project.
TCC: How long do your projects typically last?
MW: If you put all of my days together, out of a year, normally I’m on the road for 10 months. I would come and see my family, we are never apart more than two weeks. There has been one instance where we were apart more than 2 weeks. That was when I was overseas in Africa working on [Ali]. It is not like you can fly back home for the weekend.
Mykelti Williamson can be seen in the film “Convergence” released next year and his spice line, Bubba Style can be purchased here.