At this year’s Emmy Awards, host Seth Meyers joked that the HBO network “is like the kid you grew up with who ended up doing way better than you expected.” Well, FX has always been the cool, slightly-off kid, originally broadcasting classic shows from back in the day like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Eight is Enough, before venturing into original programming with The Shield and Nip Tuck. This year the network is making it even more difficult to watch traditional sitcoms. With the series premiere of You’re The Worst (along with Married), it’s clear that FX is seeking to redefine the experiences of love and commitment, which have long since had a very particular look on television. You’re the Worst centers on a young quasi-couple (played by Chris Geere and Aya Cash), but many of us got hooked on the show as a result of supporting cast members like Brandon Mychal Smith, who plays Sam Dresden.
It’s true that there are no small roles, and it’s incredibly important that Smith is playing Sam—a young, black, skater-type, foul-mouthed rapper, whose sexual ambiguity is unique and refreshing. In short, he’s a little weird—and, unfortunately, something as simple as “weird” can be hard to come by for actors of color. The FX network and showrunner Stephen Falk are unafraid to play around with racial stereotypes (their black movie theater bit was brilliant), and Smith is right there with them. Paste caught up with the actor to talk You’re the Worst, diversity, and his critically-acclaimed performance in Get on Up.
Paste Magazine: So, I watched that old Nike commercial you were in with Tiger Woods.
Brandon Smith: Oh, wow! That’s amazing. That was my first audition, my first job ever. That’s amazing that you saw it.
Paste: Can you remember when you had those first inclinations to perform?
Smith: Definitely. I was five years-old, and my mother saw this spark in my personality. We would read poetry from Langston Hughes, and Shel Silverstein. And the interest from there came out of wanting to make my peers laugh in class. I was entertaining, and trying to get the girls to like me, of course. And then I’d be trying to win the guys over on the basketball court. I was an avid basketball player—I still am. So, it was really just about trying to impress people, and trying to make them laugh.
Paste: I can’t believe you mentioned Shel Silverstein! A Light in the Attic!
Smith: (laughs) A Light in the Attic started my career.
Paste: Sam Dresden is kind of an odd character. I was just weirded out—in all of the right ways—when I first watched You’re the Worst. What was your first reaction to the script?
Smith: My initial reaction—I was flabbergasted, amazed, and I was ready to work. I trust Stephen Falk greatly. He was one of those creators I’d sought to work with for years. I’ve watched him since Weeds. He’s a true visionary, and that’s not an overstatement. I tell him, to this day, “You write better for black people than I could.” It’s funny, but it’s true. He’s genuine, and he’s a man of the people. And the cool thing about being a man of the people is that you understand everyone’s plight. He doesn’t hold back, and he’s in your face.
This particular character doesn’t give a fuck how he expresses himself (laughs). That’s what makes his energy so raw, and in-your-face, and pulsating. Sam Dresden beats to his own drum.
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