A man's character might be his fate, but his talent determines how he gets to his destination. Multi-talented Wayne Brady is headed the right way and traveling in style in his new Escalade.
The performer's gifts and interests are far-ranging. We're all familiar with him from his TV work. But there's more to this performer than playing host or doing improv, and his fans will soon be able to see his expanded repetoire in upcoming projects.
We sat down for a conversation during which he nimbly touched on disparate and various topics, easily switching from movies to manga to Shakespeare to the latest first-person shooter video game.
Wayne Brady is a serious gamer who has a dedicated game room on his property (yes, we're talking computer networks, several monitors, etc.). That explains why he wasn't about to upgrade the factory setup on his new luxury SUV without adding some extra multimedia action.
Slick Esc
The goal for the guys at Icon-TV was simple: to put together a system in the Caddy SUV that would fit Brady's needs as well as style. They didn't need to turn it into an over-the-top show car. The setup is fairly minimal, but it is a versatile and powerful A/V system that provides the entertainer with all the multimedia entertainment he requires.
While the factory head unit with navigation remains it was modified so that the driver could use it for receiving video from the rear view camera or the DVD player, Icon's DVD100 located in the center console. The head unit sends its audio signal through two MTX amps, the 1502 and 1004. Music is delivered to Critical Mass speakers, 6.5" components in each of the four doors and two 15" subwoofers elegantly installed in the trunk area. Total system wattage is 2500 watts at 4 ohms.
The installers used a plasma cutter to cut the subframe and spare tire frame out of the floor. Then they placed a welded steel enclosure under the wooden enclosure which was employed for the sake of acoustics. The top of the enclosure was sandblasted and trimed with 3/4" acrylic.
Video Mania
There are seven monitors in the vehicle. As mentioned, there's one up front in the dash, which is complemented by an MT-8001w 8-inch visor monitor for the passenger. Rear passengers can watch movies or play games off the headrest screens, two 8-inch TVs in the first row and 6.5-inch monitors in the second. If that's not enough there's the 15.2-inch ceiling-mount overhead for a better view. The SWB-4x4 handles the video traffic.
Of course the system wouldn't be complete without a game console. An Xbox located under the back seat keeps passengers (including Brady) occupied on long trips. We assume the wife will be doing a lot of the driving in the Escalade.
Cosmetically the vehicle was upgraded too with suede for the headliner and center console as well as theseat and door inserts, that together add to the status of the SUV. On the outside, LionHart wheels improve the exterior appearance. The vehicle is understated but clearly very luxurious.
Overall, the sophisticated stylistic elements combined with the multimedia gear equals a beautiful ride that improves on form while adding functionality. And that's just what Wayne Brady ordered. Judging by his reaction when the Escalade was delivered to him, it probably won't be long before the rest of the cars in the garage are upgraded as well.
CA&E: You mentioned a little bit about the projects that are coming up--and you just finished up your show.
WB: Just wrapped the show, but it's going to be on until September. I have two movies that I'm working on right now. I can't talk about them because I haven't signed any contracts, but one is a big action film. That came about because I just finished guest starring on Dave Chappelle's show.
CA&E: I heard about that.
WB: Folks at this point are used to [me] clean cut, no goatee, or da-da-da. That's the guy that ABC made, but that's not necessarily me. So Dave and I got together and he let me do this thing where we do a spoof on Training Day, where I was actually able to act. And all of the sudden my phone's blowing up and now I've got a role as a--I guess he's a crack dealer in this action film and the other one is a comedy that I'll be starring in. And then in August, I start rehearsing for Chicago on Broadway and I take over the role of Billy Flynn for three to three and a half months. That's been my dream since I wandered into that theater class, to be on Broadway. Then my very first CD will be out in September/October and then we'll end up touring in January.
CA&E: What genre of music?
WB: Straight up R&B, but old soul, like I'd say close to late '60s Otis Redding--maybe the album that Otis and Sam Cook would have made if they still would have been in line with some of the production values from today. I've got a band, a horn section...
CA&E: You were just on the ABC special, Motown 45.
WB: Big big fan of Motown. Someone asked me to come out and sing, so I did it. [Wayne Brady sang Stevie Wonders' "Superstition."]
CA&E: So, what are your musical influences?
WB: Man, everything... I've got a lot of Motown in me, but growing up, being a child of the late '70s early '80s, I am steeped in hip-hop, all the early stuff--Run DMC, Rakim, UTFO, Whodini, even Will Smith to a degree, like you can't call it old school, old school, but you know like in the mid-80s when he was doing his thing. I remember listening to him and when I'd freestyle--"Hey, I sound like that guy. That's cool!" But now, I love Outkast. I love the Roots. On the R&B end, I love Jill Scott, D'Angelo, Kanye West. I know I'm leaving out a lot of people. But I've got influences that are so weird or random, like, I love Elvis, I looove Elvis. James Brown is a huge influence, Marvin Gaye. I think even on the rock end, I love Lenny Kravitz, Journey, Foreigner. I think I'm one of the only brothers on the planet that can say that I like, like Skynyrd.
CA&E: Yeah, one of the few, definitely.
WB: That's why when I'm on stage and someone says, "Sing a 1950s do-wop song." Okay, I can. "Sing a country song." Cool, I can too. "Do Zydeco." With pleasure. I've got to be a fan so I can do my work.
CA&E: What past comics have influenced you and who influences you today?
WB: In the past, I can say that once again, I'm going old school on you. As a kid, I remember laughing so hard, and now I've gone back and studied him, especially when I was doing my sketch show--Danny Kaye--his physicality and his gracefulness in being able to do his characters. Bill Cosby, I think if anything has been a huge influence on me. Which is why especially in the beginning when I started on the variety show, and when I toured, I wanted to keep my comedy clean. I can make double entendres and say things that go over the kids' heads and that's cool for me, but especially at that time, I knew I had a lot of younger viewers, so I ended up taking a lot of flack from some guys in the black community because oh well, "He's white, he thinks he's this because he's not doing that." Like no, I just don't have certain people watching me. That's loosened up now because I think those kids have grown up with me and now I'm more of an adult myself, so I'm dealing with more adult issues. I also like people like Chris Rock, who's smart, intelligent. I think Dave Chappelle is a genius. He is picking up the torch for Richard Pryor, and Pryor himself, God bless him he's still around, hands down one of the funniest men walking the face of the planet to ever do what we do in our business. Eddie Murphy--older Eddie--not like family Eddie now, but delirious and raw Eddie, Saturday Night Live Eddie, Trading Places, that Eddie. I don't think you could have found a guy that was funnier or sexier while being funny, hands down. Steve Martin, genius. Robin Williams, genius. Martin Short, genius. Paul Mooney, who guest stars on Chappelle's Show sometimes--very, very funny political comedian. Dennis Miller makes me laugh. Whoopi Goldberg still makes me laugh. I think those are the people past and present right now. There are a lot of other people that I can say are incredibly blessed, but those are the ones that I think I've blatantly stolen from.
CA&E: With regard to the system in your vehicle--are you much of a bass guy, you're definitely into hip-hop, or do you really look for sound quality, a very balanced system?
WB: I like a system that can go back and forth, because I think it all depends on your mood. Because, if I'm listening to rock, let's say I just bought the Def Leppard's greatest hits and I was playing that a couple days ago, it doesn't sound the same. You want the bass a certain way so that--[makes bass sounds]. You want that, but you don't want--[makes alternate bass sounds]. You want that crisp rock sound so it hits you. But then if I turn around and put in Kanye West, I want every bit of bass that I can bleed out of that, so that I can feel it. If I put on Jay-Z, if I'm playing one of his tracks--(I'm thinking of one that I love right now, "99 Problems") you need the bass up for that. So, I think you need a well-balanced system that you can push as far as you want.
CA&E: Are you a car enthusiast?
WB: I'm a car admirer. I'm so mechanically un-inclined. So, it's hard to be an enthusiast because I could never even look under the hood and say, "Yeah, that's the crankshaft, get a little bit of oil on it." No, I love how cars look. I love hot cars. I just bought that BMW 7 series, smoking. I had the rims re-done. I'm going to have the guys at Icon do a little something inside--I think definitely that is one of the sleekest cars. I also bought a brand new Lexus, I think it's the Lexus RX300 or something, for my wife. Nice little family vehicle, with a lot of pickup, it's very classy. I also have, I actually have two BMWs, one in white and one in silver. I've got that Lexus in Hawaii. I've got a Cadillac here. Of course, the crown jewel in my little collection is my Escalade. Icon did it up right, they took suede and put it on top all through it, took out the seat liners so it's leather and suede. I've got TVs everywhere, but it's really tasteful so the TVs don't jump out at you like, "Hey look, BLING BLING!" It's a really tasteful car that happens to have like 10 screens in it and a big 15-inch that comes down. Each person can listen to their own thing. It has touchscreen navigation, back-up camera, so I'm very much a car enthusiast in that I dig cars for the aesthetic. I'm not necessarily a speed person, so I don't buy the fastest. I want the nicest looking. Oh and I've got my Xbox in there. I lie and say it's for the kids. It's for me.
CA&E: As a rule of thumb, when is it just too much bling?
WB: If you look at my truck, the rims are sweet. I've got a sweet grille. I've got my TVs, the Xbox underneath so you don't see it. It's a lot of work, but it doesn't need to look like, "Check out all my TVs!" And you don't see me with a big-ass chain, I don't have a mouth full of platinum. I would rather have one fine piece of jewelry that may cost, I'm throwing out a number, $15,000, than 17 with tiny pieces of diamond--having diamond hoops, a diamond thing in my nose, your name written in cursive in gold here, a tattoo laced with uranium... You know, you don't need that stuff. Done right, bling is great because it shows your status, it shows your taste, and it is nothing new, it's just a coin. You know, white folks have being blinging for years, just differently. So I think as long as it's tasteful--there's a certain line of ostentatiousness that I think, you know, you end up crossing when you have the chain around the neck that has, "My name is MC Killa. I am from..." You don't need that.
CA&E: You're not just about comedy which you touched on before. So what are your influences are on the dramatic side?
WB: I would say definitely Denzel. There was this gap between Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington, where when you saw a black leading man, race didn't matter. Denzel is a strong black leading man who is just a leading man. He has shared the stage with a ton of other folks, but it's never been, "Oh, he's the black lead and he did this and..." No, he's just a strong cat, where you know when he's in a movie, it's going to be a good movie. That I think is the ultimate goal, to be that guy.
CA&E: With Washington, is it mostly the presence he exudes or is it a technique or a combination?
WB: He has technique, he's very well trained, but he has a certain level and you can even see this in interviews. He as a person has a certain level of confidence. Following up on the last question though--Sidney Poitier, he was definitely an influence, too. I went back and started watching a lot of Sidney's work. But even behind the camera, because in the '70s, he and Bill Cosby teamed up and they started doing stuff like Uptown Saturday Night, and those films, and that inspired me. So now that I've got my own production company, I'm thinking, "You know I want to do stuff like that." Also Mario Van Peebles, behind the camera. I'm trying to think if there's anyone else. It sounds weird, but a guy like Gene Kelly actually helped, because watching a guy being a musical performer--he's another example of a leading man. You have to be pretty confident and graceful to be a guy who in the middle of the scene goes, "Really, La la la la," and you start dancing, but dancing like a guy. So when I started dancing and doing theater, I said I never wanted to dance because I always thought guys are going to make fun of you and you're in tutus. Look at Gene Kelly. You show me a guy that can do the Singing in the Rain dance; that's incredible.
CA&E: You're more of a Gene Kelly guy and not Fred Astaire?
WB: I really respected him, but I just think that Gene Kelly was the guy. He was the equivalent of the guy back in the day that would go out and have a beer with you and he would get the girl too. Fred Astaire was very dandified. And, I also have to say Gregory Hines.
CA&E: What's the name of the CD you're releasing?
WB: I'm just going to call it Wayne, as of right now.
CA&E: Are you doing a video backup to the CD release this fall?
WB: Oh yeah, we're going to do videos, the whole nine. This is exciting for me, 'cause it's really what I've wanted to do for a long, long time and I'm lucky that I think I've got a pass to a certain degree. Folks know you as an actor, even though I made my living as a singer for years before I got a break, you're an actor, or comedian or whatever. They go, "He's coming out with a CD. Nice, Nash Bridges." But folks know that that's what I do, so I've got that respect. The plan is to do a video, have a tour bus--on the inside I want it to be one of the most modern rigs around, you know, really hook it up. But on the outside, I want it to look like one of the old Motown Soul Review tour buses that used to tour the old circuits. The sign on the side will fold down, you know, "Coming to your city, the Wayne Brady Soul Review." So we're just trying to do something different.
CA&E: Are you ultimately looking to direct film projects, is that something you'd like to do down the line, or do you want to stay in front of the camera mostly?
WB: The way I see it, I'm 32, I would like to have a life-long career in this business. That being said, I want to do everything I can do. Now, that also being said, just because you're a good actor or comedian, doesn't mean that you're a good director. A lot of people go, "Well, ultimately I want to direct." I think it takes a certain eye. I think I have that eye, but I also think I'm very unseasoned, and if I go that way, I'm going to make sure that I study under someone who is incredible. Because, I don't think I have that kind of ego. I look back and I see a lot of my friends, guys who are in Hollywood: "Yeah, I'm directing my first feature. It's a little 16mm short that I'm going to go out and do in the desert. We're going to take out a..." Like, "You're an idiot, you just got off a sitcom, what makes you a director?" So I'm going to take my time, get good at that craft. Like, right now, I'm going back into acting class next week. I'm going to train, to study. I'm not working full time right now, so I want to keep at my stuff. I'm taking voice lessons. I'm going back to dance class so I can get ready for Broadway. So, I'm going to keep trying to get better at everything I do, so that when I'm 60 I can look back and say, "Hey, I was good."