Sam Prince is joined with Karl King. Karl shares his story of how being the grandson of Motown great Maurice King set him on a journey for his love of writing. Karl has been a screen writer, ghost writer, executive producer, and more! He also has a few new projects coming up with opportunities for you! If you're interested in being a part in his play: Old Heart reach out by emailing him: oldhearttheplay@gmail.com or visit his website: www.princeofthecitythemovie.com For acting classes from your host; Sam Prince, check out his website: www.samber.productions and follow along on Instagram: www.instagram.com/samberproductions
Sam Prince 0:05
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a great actor on stage or television? Do you wish you had an acting coach to help you get to the next level? Or maybe you just have a great idea for a movie series are played but aren't quite sure where to start? Well, you are in the right place my friend. My name is Sam Prince and I am the director of a production company here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and have been an actor for over 30 years. I've directed and written plays, and screenplays and taught many acting classes. This podcast is your place to learn how to move forward with your career in acting, theater, film, playwriting, screenwriting, and much more. There will be inspiring conversations with special guests as well. So welcome to the creativitorium podcast, and action.
All right, welcome back to the creativitorium podcast new episode. Thank you for joining us. I am your host, Sam, Prince. I'm so honored by being joined by V. Carl King. How are you sir?
Karl King 1:36
I'm very well. How are you?
Sam Prince 1:38
Good. Good. Thank you. Thank you. You are.
Karl King 1:41
And thank you for having me. First and foremost.
Sam Prince 1:43
Yes, yes. I am honored to have you. I mean, you are a legend and industry. I mean, you've done everything from directing to writing to all kinds of things. And it's just amazing. Refresh my memory. Mr. King. are you originally from Detroit?
Karl King 2:03
I am born and raised in a 40 217 most polluted zip code.
Sam Prince 2:11
Yeah, yes, I'm for a 235. So, you know, that's, that's more west side.
Karl King 2:19
But you know, we're southwest. But I mean, it was the pollutants that help that thing. I don't know.
Sam Prince 2:25
Yeah. Yeah. So it's, it's amazing that in both of us from Detroit that we haven't run into each other, artistically. But we're about to, which is I'm excited about.
Karl King 2:39
But yeah, and then and then the funny thing is, because there's so much talent in Detroit, and the pool you draw from, you can still get some great talent, but there's so much more out of out there. You know, and I've worked with, you know, all kinds of I thought I may never work with but this project is a little unique. And I think that's the difference.
Sam Prince 3:00
Right? Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Well tell those you know, those three people who aren't aware of who you are, your journey, you know, and what got you into the performing arts and the film and the writing and take us back and catch us up to how you are today.
Karl King 3:27
Okay, it was summer 1963. The my journey in a world my journey is very strange when I tell people I live both a term and a checkered life. My grandfather was a Motown, great, Maurice king. He was arranger, producer, conductor and personality coach for Motown for many years, you know, he discovered Gladys Knight, hold on one second. Ria come podcast. During the pandemic, dogs are loud. Oh, you know, and so he was on that side of it. And I got a chance to see that with him. I wasn't hands on or anything but I there's times I've been around him since a famous people. I just always liked it. But since I can't sing dance or anything like that, I thought my you know, talents would be better, you know, serve behind the scenes kind of thing. And I everything I believe that happened in my life was haphazard. My first writing gig was in like 2008 or seven or eight. It was a switch out TV show called Switch play TV. It was sketch comedy here in Detroit on the web. I saw it one night. And they said if you're a writer, so and so I submitted a script. I didn't even write it. My at the time my 12 year old daughter wrote it. And I submitted it. They accepted me only because I thought I was real boisterous at the interview, which I can't seem that way to people. But they said, what what genre do you write? I say, why don't you guys try to give me something you think I can do? And let's go from there because I think I can do anything. I end up being head writer for that show a year later. And everything from there just happened. Some people came through Dennis Reed who's doing so much stuff. Right now in the movie world. Here in Detroit. He came through with a play that he had called, he said, she said, and he wanted us to direct it. And I read it. And I said, Well, I didn't like it. And I said, The only reason I want you I would work on it, if you would allow me to rewrite it. He did that. We went on to do cheaters after that. And that and once that happened, I started ghost writing for other people produced and directed some pieces of my own, which I'm really, comedy is really my thing. You know, and I was writing drama these I call them for other people. But I had a chance to really display I did call there goes the neighborhood. When I really let my comedic angst to come loose completely. I just put all by foolery on the stage. And that one thing just turned into so many things. And I we were doing Genesis play reginal Ballard, I can't tell the story, how it really went. But reginal Ballard was on a bus that's from Martin, Birdman. And he was he was complaining about some things, and I'm really kind of a direct person. And I told him what rather than say these things to a person who really doesn't care, why don't you call your wife because you look like you're hurt, you know, cuz I don't really care what's going on with you. And he told me, I lost him to me to talk to me because he's a Sunni Muslim. And he came back, and I could tell that he had a real serious conversation with his wife. And he told me we were brothers for life. I shunned him off like gone. And it's early, when the two of us going up to Jackson. A week later, he called me and he did a show for me. I can't tell you how much he did it for it. Or he will say if I ever tell anybody never speak to me again. But he put me into comedy when my company clicked up comedy. And I've been doing that for 12 years because of that chance meeting with him. And everything I've done from that point, from an entertainment such as live entertainment, not my stuff. I partner with Joe Vicario on the IMO for years. And it's just been one heck of a ride for me. And it's all been things that just happened haphazardly. But I've always been a writer, but I never, ever had written anything that I was showing anybody until switchblade came along.
Sam Prince 7:27
Well, that was crazy, because that that's another story that I didn't know that you. You told me so many stories, since we've known each other. Wow. Because there's the other one right with the Asian gentleman was a very wealthy man that you met.
Karl King 7:48
Well, I've met a ton of those, you know? Yeah, but none of them have been agents. You know, Gary, is the owner of andiamo and, you know, Joe Muir restaurants and all that. He became my benefactor for a while and that literally was our situation. My ideas, his money. And that's what we did.
Sam Prince 8:10
That's that's one thing wasn't Asian was he's Italian, Italian. Right. That's what I was thinking. Yeah. And, and you live, there's a story behind him, as well.
Karl King 8:24
I mean, no, no, I mean, other than the fact that Joe's just one amazing person here in Detroit, even though I don't even want to go political. You know, but no, I don't I don't I don't have any other story for Joe, other than the fact that Joe is a very straightforward, and it's really funny, I guess the only funny story about Joe and I don't know if he would be bothered by hearing this. Joe Cecilia, you know, and you know, the stigma people get, you know, things to sell us and all that kind of stuff. But when it comes down to certain things, like if Joe gets upset, he becomes more Italian to me. You know, it's like, his voice changes. Like I did this one show and lost quite a bit of money. And his voice was like, oh, no, I gotta get this money back. You don't like we were I lost the Buddy was like, No, I'm not taking losses. That's not happening. You know, it was just it was just so funny how it's gonna change completely. Like I felt like I was in the middle of the movie. I was waiting for the little mandolin things to be playing.
Sam Prince 9:32
It takes me back in dregs.
Karl King 9:36
Something to that effect it was born like we split the laws like my thing is your benefactor you do this? I don't take any losses. This is a win win win win for me. He let me know No, you can lose too. So we and he told me it had to go that way. I was like I shouldn't be talking about Joe like this because these are these partners. Is my mind working But the day he came for something else, it was a little guy with him. In my mind, I want to say he was a bodyguard or something I don't. But it was a friend of me. And he came with Joe. And I'm sitting this we first was first meeting first deals. And I was sitting there and it was about he was there trying to watch this money to see what happened with something. And that's how we became partners. I was with someone else doing the show. They didn't pay the money from the show before that, but I was producing the shows for them. And he told them over the phone when somebody will go like, That guy didn't pay us last time, we're not going to do this. And he asked Is that guy Karl King there? says, Let me speak to him. And he says to me, are you going to make this right by me? I said, Joe, I promise I have everything under control. And he showed up with a guy. Let's see how it went. I'm just somewhere minding my own business. This guy's seems like 100 feet away from me somewhere else. I turned to talk to somebody instantly. He's right behind me going. Phil wants to see you. Like moving at different times space. And he did one thing. He said something to me from across the room. But you know, he is like, he was the whisper that could throw his voice as he was over there. And restart. He was right next to me. Yo, see you again.
Sam Prince 11:14
Right, right, right. So, you know, obviously, you know, being from the end entertainment industry, with the family and everything. I mean, was there a bug was there like a, like a, like a moment where you were like, This is what I'm meant to do?
Karl King 11:32
No. And that's, that's why I try to tell people, even with my grandfather, and all that, that wasn't it, it was just part of it. Because I believe, you know, hereditary characteristics. But it's just, I'm a very, all over the place. scatterbrain kind of person, you know, for real. And it's just I touch on things, I do them, I move on to something else. I do that but I'm kind of a hoarder as well. So when I say I touch on something, I move on to something else, I move on to something else, but I always hold the other thing. So it gets to the point where people think I'm crazy, because I have like 20 Facebook pages. And I have several of them under different names that don't even remotely sound like my name. But I do this because I was doing something I had like a play up. I had a comedy show up, I had a musical concert up like r&b show and I had a jazz show. So it was something like every week, and a purse people who knew me like I can't just keep giving you my money every week. And it made me think this is just my mind. It made me say this is now I don't want I think that if people look at things like this, let's just say I owned a block of bus shops, and I had a hair salon Beauty Supply laundromat grocery store. Now I said Carl's this, people would come and see my name so many times that they wouldn't go to every store, I think because they have in their mind, they want to keep giving me their money. But if it says four different names, people will be more relaxed going to everyone, I think. So I would create other names and do shows under other names. And when I'm in my inbox talking to people.
Sam Prince 13:13
I am looking for two types of creative cats. I'm looking for people who want to learn how to act or want to improve their acting skills. I provide acting, audition coaching for every level. But I'm also looking for all those creative cats out there who have a play or screenplay idea. Or maybe you're just stuck and need help writing your masterpiece. I can help you with that too. Just go to Sambre dot productions. That's S A M b r dot productions and click coaching. All your options are right there. And we will achieve your goals together. It's never too late. Alright, let's go
Karl King 14:00
when people would say something negative because that you get that. And as Carole King, if I say you know, something back, something seems kind of mean, even though this person said a negative thing about my show. But the fact that I spoke up for myself, other people go, why are you talking to him like that? He's your customer, he's your consumer. So I created other entities that could come in and just curse people out in their name. And I would step in still me going no, no, please don't do that. He has the right to his own opinion. So I look like a good guy. I could be the bad guy. I could be the good cop and bad cop in that big and I got that ticket too far. So I credit people to other states. I started doing things in Ohio was the funny bone. So I would I had to have Ohio personalities. You know, everyone that I created somebody for that region that I was working in. And um, you know, I think that makes me schizophrenic, but I don't know. But again, your question No, I'm not never have my mind 72nd thing I love doing more than anything, is I love writing. And I literally write something every single day. Just like for Black History Month, I write a poem a day, based on Black History Month, I've been doing it for years. And every day throughout Black History Month, I write a poem about my blackness, or our blackness. And you know, the whole Something about black history month, every month, that creativity, it lends to the fact that I'm a very, very proud man. And it gives me something to do because I write every day and I'm married to a woman who hates poetry. You had a rough, I don't have anybody to write poems to. Like, well, I was really funny. They hurt me writing a poem for 20 years. I wrote this poem one day, and I, she didn't respond like she really does. Oh, that's real nice. Oh, no, baby, wait, because I really liked it. I was like, No, tell me when you really, really invoked and you once you really feel after 20 years of doing this and said, I don't really like poetry. And I was like, Oh, damn. He knows I write her poems all the time. I just never read them to her anymore. I'll be posting them on my page, or just send them out in the world some other kind of way. But again, I'm just all over the place with things. I can't say anything just grabbed me. I just saw things I liked. And I did it.
Sam Prince 16:27
Wow, that that so great. And I mean, going back to your, your multiple accounts. I mean, that's many people do that. You know, there's athletes that do it. There's, there's major companies that have, you know, what they like to call burner accounts. But I mean, you can call them whatever you want to, but it's genius. It really is.
Karl King 16:50
It just helped me, you know, I mean, for me, it's when you think about actors will do it. I was Tiffany Haddish has been on my mind all day, because I saw this thing about her in common a day. And I jumped on YouTube and say, cuz I know Tiffany, well, we've hung out several times. Matter of fact, I was the only person who had ever bought her Detroit for years before she got big. So when we've had some great moments together, I was doing a show, I created caught reality hits the stage on the demo. And my concept was everybody on the stage was from a reality show. And Tiffany was with Kevin Hart's, you know, Husbands of having to fake husbands thing. Yeah. And I love Tiffany. And I'm not believe I'm saying this out loud. Tiffany, was a good comment for me. But she was a comic that had, you have to have certain amount of time and you and Tiffany for me, only had about a good strong 15, maybe 20 minutes in her. So when I'm putting on a show we're not in it's gonna go longer. It's got to do 30 minutes with fizzle for me. And I just like her when we're riding around, just talking, she was just a lot funny to me off the cuff. So I'm bringing her in as a host, as opposed to get to stand up comedian, something like that. And he just gave me better. But I was doing this show. So Michelle was on the show. So as Tiffany Michelle and I riding around cuz I told Tiffany, it will look you're going to come in. But somehow I mentioned Michelle is coming in three days early, because she didn't have a band and I have a band here that's going to rehearse her songs with her. So she was like, I want to come in at three days early. Why can I come to LA? No, I'm like, Tim, you can come do whatever you want to do. No, she came. So it's us three, just riding around three days doing like late night eating and stuff. And the two of them were so funny together. Fox Two here has always been gracious enough to always let me come on the morning shows with my shows and things like that. And I brought Tiffany and Michelle Aon. They impressed them so much with their just the chemistry they had, that they let them stay for every segment of the show. And I told them and you guys back to California, you all should talk because they had this great chemistry had never met each other before. But they just had great chemistry. So my thing is, you're talking people with different names and highly stuff. Tiffany would never do that. I don't think because she is who she is. Everything you see about Tiffany Haddish the things she say you can believe it, cuz she's the most genuine person I've ever met in my life.
Sam Prince 19:16
Mm hmm. Yeah. And she's doing right I mean, every talked her lately.
Karl King 19:22
You know, that's funny. Um, I reached out when I started drunk driving thing. And she hasn't responded back, you know, and usually when I reached out to her, she'll might respond in a few days. But she hasn't responded back yet. And I didn't ask her about the common thing because that's not my business. You know, but I know Tiffany loves her and when we went when she was divorcing her first husband, we were friends and talking about that and I know that that hurt her but the thing is, is Tiffany is a beautiful woman. Her doing comedy, jealousy, thinking you're doing this you're doing that but it was a hard grind. And people realize Tiffany Haddish has been out there for Ever they think they all of a sudden saw her and thought, Oh, that's a good. No, Tiffany had been out there doing comedy for years and years. 20 some odd years, she has so much peace of credit for so much. So many things she's done before, that people don't know about, like her voice and video games and stuff like that. Yeah, I don't know, she was, um, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. People didn't know she did that she did a lot of things. She got a lot of film credits that people don't know about. But she's worked really hard to get where she is. I tell people that all the time you think that people just pop up, but you don't know the work they put in like, even Ben Affleck was in doing movies when he was a kid, you know? So it's not, it's not like some people, you know, have that jump into the limelight instantly. But most people you see, worked hard people like ludicrous. They got college degrees. I mean, Master P went to college, you just think because of what you'd like, you see a Jay Z and go with Jay Z go to college. But at some point, Jay Z sat down with somebody and they taught him some things. Right? Because he's a businessman. For real. He's not my no stretch of the imagination is anything less. But these are people who work. And you have to put in the work for it to be successful.
Sam Prince 21:07
Right? Right. Mm hmm. Well, great. That's all good stuff. So let's talk about old hurt, the play that you're gonna be doing in May, right?
Karl King 21:21
Yes, we're on May 14, and 15th. We work this supposed to be the Valentine's weekend. But because of COVID restrictions with the venue, we had to push it to May 14 and 15th, which I think in many ways, made it a little bit but I wanted to I wanted it to be a Valentine's weekend for the you know, it's a love story. And it was Black History Month. And it changed some things up in that now old heart. It's a play about a gentleman who's World War Two vet, he was over there fell in love with a young lady named Sarah bot in Prague. And he was supposed to bring her back with him, but he didn't. But now that he's going into assisted living is no good son, a terrible person actually named Brooks. I think that's what you're playing.
Sam Prince 22:11
Right? Yeah.
Karl King 22:14
You know, they're trying to put him in assisted living. So he goes there to try and find this person love. And the book is by a gentleman by the name of Peter ferry, I had a chance to read the book, which was great. And like I discussed with Dennis, anything, I work on directing, I need power to the autonomy to change things. And I when I read it so much, much, but the difference was, and I always try not to sound like a bigot when I say this, because I've said this to a lot of people. And well, I'm just gonna say, a lot of Caucasian people, and then look at the one I'm looking at me like, I didn't change the lead to a black man, which created your character, your sister, and the granddaughter, and the daughter over there. I didn't, I didn't create those characters because I'm a black man. It's just that it was a white man who was over there Jewish woman and she was like, You're not gonna, you know, the Jewish thing. I think it was. A bigger story would have been a black man, I really do. And they, they went there with me on it. And then Roger's wife. She put in the dynamic of the Red Ball Express and the thing it was already great. But with the additions and her coming in and doing her what she did, it just made it that much greater. I'm, I'm almost as proud of this as I've done anything I've written myself. It's really an amazing story. And it has so much to it. It's it's a very robust play.
Sam Prince 23:44
Wow. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. And there are a lot of characters.
Karl King 23:50
Yes. Oh, yeah. That's, that's the truth. That's one thing kind of reminiscent of what I do, because when I I always put a lot of characters in my plays in my part, it will be like, you have 15 different people that people want to hit only only said, Hello, I'm like, What is this works for me? I just, I need that. You know, and they want to double the characters like she could do the bag lady and she can play this but I'm like, No, we need 13 actors. I don't I for me, because I know I don't believe in Hollywood magic at all.
Sam Prince 24:19
Right. I hear you. i So plays in me. There are still rules that can be filled. Correct. And what Yes. What's the best way for someone listening to this podcast? To get a hold of an audition?
Karl King 24:40
It's simple. The name of the play is old heart. And you can reach me at old heart. The play@gmail.com As simple as that it's old hurt the play@gmail.com You know, we're filling some of the smaller roles. We lost our lead Amazing, amazing man, anybody in this podcast has to know bought in Washington, you know, and then and then he isn't passed or anything, but he's not able to do it. And so replacing him has been, it's been arduous, in a sense, you know, I've read with so many different people, but I need somebody who was really gonna feel this part because it's a very pivotal role in the play, you know,
Sam Prince 25:24
any be about is the older gentleman right
Karl King 25:27
there, right. We need a gentleman, I've gotten to the point where I think we'll take 60 and make him at, you know, something like that. Yeah. And I'm loquacious and I put my foot in my mouth. You can't talk as much as I do without putting your foot in your mouth several times. There was even a thought of trying to age you for the part. Man, Roger saw you as Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass picture. Yeah, he did this. And I was thinking, I was thinking, well, that's to Hollywood magic. He for me, that's too. That's too far, you know, making you look at him. I mean, there's, there's no way a person could believe that you are 80 years old.
Sam Prince 26:15
You Right, right. Yeah. But I guess I guess a couple dudes I know, from this side of the state that that are in their 60s 70s that I'm gonna recommend for sure.
Karl King 26:26
Please, please. I know, you've already been helpful. And this with a couple of people that you sent our way. Anyway, so continue to do that work harder for us.
Sam Prince 26:35
Well, sure. I definitely will. I definitely will. Thank you so very much. No problem. And you know what, I think that's a great spot for us to end. This segment. We're gonna have to do another one, sir.
Karl King 26:46
Yes, sir. Not a problem. It's such a pleasure.
Sam Prince 26:50
Yes, it is. Yes, it is. And I'm honored. So we'll wind this up. And then we'll have part two next week. Thank you, Mr. King.
Karl King 27:02
Thank you for having me.
Sam Prince 27:03
For sure, for sure. And thank you for listening to the creativitorium podcast yo, see you next time.
Hey, thank you for listening to the creativitorium podcast. Again, my name is Sam Prince. And it is my honor to be your host and thank you so much for listening. I would also be honored if you could leave a review on Apple podcasts and say some nice things about what you just heard. And definitely please listen every week. We come out every Tuesday. Also, for more information about coaching classes, workshops, and upcoming productions, please check out our website Samber dot productions, that's s a m b e r dot productions. And you can also subscribe to our newsletter. And remember all the worlds a stage!
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