AT&T Presents: An Ear 2 the Future! Joyful Drake

The star of BET’s Let’s Stay Together notes the importance of African Americans not only aspiring to the higest levels of the acting profession, but expanding the number of jobs therein. “If you look at the Oscars that are coming out, there were no African American nominees at all—actors or directors—who were nominated for anything. And I feel like, instead of saying ‘There are no roles out there for us, why don’t we create roles?” Joyful Drake tells Keeping It Reel host Tim Gordon. If you look at some of the most successful shows, like OZ, what Shonda Rhimes did with Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice—they’re all multi-ethnic. So if you have the training to write and produce, you should definitely use it.”