“Rockmond Dunbar shares the rewards of acting”
Interview by Michael Aaron Gallagher of StayFamous.Net
Rockmond Dunbar. Photo by Prashant Gupta / FX.
Rockmond Dunbar is one of the coolest actors on television – and that’s not an opinion, that’s a fact. TV Guide called him one of “Television’s 50 Sexiest Stars of All Time,” but there’s no question, when it comes to delivering powerful performances, he’s just getting started.
As an award-winning actor, writer, director, producer and mixed media artist, Rockmond’s versatility sets him apart in Hollywood. Throughout his career, he has entertained audiences in a variety of television and film roles, including as Kenny Chadway on Soul Food (2000-2004), as the escaped convict Benjamin Miles ‘C-Note’ Franklin on the Fox series Prison Break (2005-2009) and as Detective Mark Gustafson on the short-lived FX show Terriers (2010).
In the fifth season of the FX biker drama Sons of Anarchy, he remains on the right side of the law in his recurring role as Sheriff Eli Roosevelt. Fortunately for viewers, the part (which was initially limited to a 10-episode run to conclude with his death), has been extended by the writers.
In a recent interview with StayFamous.Net, Rockmond, who had just finished shooting the season finale of Sons of Anarchy, talked about acting and what makes the series so unique.
Michael Aaron Gallagher: “What do you think sets Sons of Anarchy apart from other television dramas?”
Rockmond Dunbar: “The average–that we probably kill about six people every time the show comes on. I don’t know any other show that does that unless a plane crashed or something, but it’s just so intense. I remember the writing on Prison Break during the first and second season was so good because they painted characters in a corner, and you never knew if they were going to be able to get out.”
“I didn’t know if there was another show that could basically be like that and keep its intensity, but in the fifth season, Sons is continuing to do that. These writers are really incredible. They paint characters in a corner, and you think, oh my God, they’re gonna either kill this character or lose this character. How can you do this to your lead character, the hero or the heroine? They do it, and you wait to see what’s gonna happen the next week, and if they’ll be able to get out of this–the trouble, the danger or the death box.”
Rockmond Dunbar stars as Sheriff Eli Roosevelt in “Sons of Anarchy.” Photo by Prashant Gupta / FX.
Michael Aaron Gallagher: “You’ve had a chance to play some cool characters throughout your career. What’s been the most rewarding part about being an actor?”
Rockmond Dunbar: “The most rewarding part I think to me is just to see my mom and my dad’s face and them expressing that they’re proud of me, that I did something that they approve of in my life. That makes me very happy – very, very happy. I think out of everything, out of the money, out of the gift bags… I think that’s the most important thing to me – that it’s just my mother and father being happy.”
“Rockmond Dunbar shares the rewards of acting”
Copyright 2012 by Michael Aaron Gallagher
To request permission to use excerpts from StayFamous.Net on television or in print please contact:
StayFamous Media Contact: Michael Aaron Gallagher
