MUSIC, tenderness, the art of story-telling, soft kisses, babycakes, intelligent conversation, my lovely and amazing friends, people-watching, shits and giggles, drinks on the lower east side, rampant humanity, beautiful smiles, LOVE...
Music
Lately listening to a lot of Janelle Monae, Countre Black, James Morrison, Jazmine Sullivan, SugaRush Beat Company, Fink, Raphael Saadiq, Ra-Re Valverde, Radiohead, Lupe Fiasco, Joss Stone, Daedelus., Lykke Li, Kenna, Gnarls Barkley, Estelle, P!nk, Sam Sparro, Robyn and John Legend ... but I like all kinds of music.
Movies
Some recent faves: MILK, Let The Right One In, Towelhead, Lars and The Real Girl, Slumdog Millionaire, Starrbooty, Superbad, The Diving Bell and The Butterfly... Some all-time favorites: Clue, Under the Cherry Moon, Wild Reeds, Billy Elliot, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy... but there are more movies that I love than you would feel like reading.
Television
30 Rock, The Office, The Comeback, Chappelle's Show, Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, Greek, Will and Grace, The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman, Arrested Development, Damages, Weeds, Ab Fab, The L Word, Project Runway, So You Think Can Dance...
Books
The War of Art, The Fortress of Solitude, The Color Of Water, The Secret History, The Rules of Attraction, Running with Scissors, Dry, The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things, Sarah, Wicked, The Lazarus Rumba, Tomato Red, Geek Love, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Holidays on Ice, Barrel Fever, You Shall Know Our Velocity!, Confederacy of Dunces... and on and on...
About me: i'm much cooler than someone who would post his bio--or talk about myself in third person--in his "about me" section. but people keep asking me the same shit, and i'm supposed to be acting like a professional... so deal with it. (smile.)
"Darryl Stephens started acting while attending UC Berkeley. After studying and performing for three semesters, he joined cult camp theater troupe SASSYMOUTH and performed in shows like "Medea the Musical," "Joy," "Napoleon, the Camp Drag Disco Musical Extravaganza" and "Combat!: An American Melodrama" in San Francisco's theater district. After taking "Medea" to HBO's Aspen Comedy Festival, he moved to LA to get into film and television.
His first television role was on MTV's "Undressed," where he played a horny high school student trying to seduce girls with scary movies. Soon after, he played opposite Shannon Elizabeth and Steven Segal's son, Kintaro, in what he calls 'one sucky ass movie,' "Seamless." Within the year he also booked the role of Julian, the DJ predisposed to love-triangles, in the film "Circuit." After supporting roles on CBS' "That's Life" and a short- lived VH1 show called "Red Eye" with comedian Katt Williams, he decided to get back to the stage.
He did a few small plays ("Joy," "Bent," "Medea") and soon realized that he would never be satisfied with the lackluster theater scene in LA. He studied with Tony Greco in LA and with Gary Imhoff at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, booked a few commercials and then decided to try and get serious about his film career.
Anxious to get more work under his belt, he played a "slacker with a dark side" in the very indie-film "Not Quite Right."
Then he read for a role in a project tentatively titled "Hot Chocolate." He was familiar with an earlier film by the writer/director, Patrik Ian Polk, and when he booked a day player role as one of the main character's store clerks, he was just happy to be working. When Polk called him and told him he was changing the name of the project to "Noah's Arc" and offered him the role of Noah, Darryl was thrilled... and confused. He had no idea what was to be expected of the Noah character or what the plan was for launching the project. After filming a number of promotional short films and one and a half pilot episodes, the show was picked up by the new LOGO network. The television series ran for two seasons and became a cult hit. LOGO then decided to broaden Noah's audience by producing a feature film called "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom." Many in the industry were shocked when the show's legions of loyal fans made the low-budget romantic comedy a huge hit. The network then decided to entertain bringing the show back to the network. (Stay tuned...)
The year he filmed the first season of "Noah," he also played a main character in Q. Allan Brocka's "Boy Culture" and a supporting role in Todd Stephens' "Another Gay Movie."
Recently, he played a waiter on "Ugly Betty," wrapped principal photography on the jazz biopic "Bolden," starring Anthony Mackie, Jackie Earle Haley and Wendell Pierce, voiced one episode of "Rick and Steve" with RuPaul and played a pimp in the "Tranny McGuyver" short film starring Willam Belli and Coco Peru, among many talented others.
He is also collaborating with two of his best friends on feature screenplays that he is very proud of and hopes to get produced within the year. Darryl is excited about continuing to expand his body of work and challenging people's preconceived notions about what black men can do."
Word.
Who I'd like to meet: "The Announced Intellectual Renaissance"
"I believe that at the essence of high-minded civilization lies the heart of the independent thinker. At no time has society needed so honest an offering as a free man's art and craft-as right now. I have committed myself to a way of life that is uncompromising-and includes nothing malicious, derogatory, frivolous or culturally digressive in the work that I present.
But, In the past I have passively/ aggressively attempted to sell my music with the brand of 'ghetto music'...music born out of (and for) the underbelly of Negro society. While the story I painted of my experiences is certainly true, this attempt to paralell my talents with street life was one of desperation. It was a short-sighted and impulsive calculation.....to get my music heard. It was, simply, an insult to myself. the reality is that the origin of my talent remains a gift that comes from a place much older, deeper, richer and more alive than anything that an unfortunate byproduct of our times could ever hope to create. Proper credit to the development of my talent goes to my enablers, my mentors and my own self- determination...not to anything that belies intellect, is demeaning to what culture should aspire to or is lacking in integrity. I shall never again bow down-in any measure-to insecurity, corporate or peer pressure-to do anything other than my very best and most honest.
I sincerely regret ever having associated myself with the ignorance people have perpetrated upon themselves in the name of survival. I will be the one to qualify what is survival and what is success for me. And, If I am to be one or both, it will be based on the merit of my work alone.
--Van Hunt"
Van Hunt posted the above in his myspace blog.
I want to meet artists--no, fuck that... HUMANS with this kind of integrity. There is a lot of bullshit being glorified in our culture right now. I want to meet people who strive to stand above mediocrity; people who DO NOT glorify cruelty, thoughtlessness, vapidity and greed. I want to be surrounded by people who value life and love.
I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
Good morning Choux Choux, I'm thinking about you. I read Open Artists with Open Arms tweets and it sounds Like soo much fun. I can't wait to hear the details from you after the show. **does one still say break a leg"?
Smooches :)
Wow! That is great! Rah is one of my favorites and so is LH!That is if you are speaking of RP..lol! He laughed as LH blew you away with her vocal performance, am I correct? How was the GLAAD event and did you enjoy yourself? You definitely had a busy weekend! Always a pleasure to hear from you. I will see "Precious" this week, as part of my birthday celebration for this month! Peace Always, -De Andre'
hey there! making my rounds tonight. how you be? my sister has the Swine!! she's doing well though. resting at home and my mom is taking care of her. my dog is there too so she is quarantined and can't come home til all are well! take care of yourself. love ya
What's up Darryl?! How was your weekend? Gordully you are doing very well and your projects are jumping! Always good to hear from you. Peace Always, -De Andre'
hey darryl i wish you the best in all your endeavors. i am doing well. i am taking my time with this story and diging deep. i am loving this gay hip hop genre! how do you feel about some of the artist in this elevated genre? agape' love brother!
Dear Darryl, Hey Baby! Did you miss me? I'm feeling better now but i was under the weather for a week. I had an upper respiratory infection and it triggered my asthma. So i wasn't feeling like doing much of anything.You know it had to be serious to keep me from checking in with my baby.I see you're keeping busy and i hope all is well with you.Have a Blessed Monday and a Beautiful start to your week. XO LOVE YA!! 365 & 24/7 ETERNALLY YOURS,Barbara
Hey D, back from vacation. I cannot get away from you at all. The first part of my trip was to London w hubby celebrating my anniversay and while there, do you know people are still frantic as most of us are over the movie and show NA. We went to a Pub and started a conversation with these 2 guys, towards the end the 2 guys state " well it was nice meeting you 2, enjoy your trip, we have to go we are having a Noah's Arc viewing party at my flat" I am so stupid, I was so excited and told the guy's I look at it to and we stayed almost another hour just talking about it, it was so fun Darryl. Before I left I met Rodney, that was fun. Last of trip in Chi town, visiting fam and my gay cousin was watching the NA series like it was being shown currently on Logo, but I watched it with him, Again. Hope your shows are a success...
Aww so I missed you :(- Well maybe one day if I ever travel I will get to see you. You are just a inspiration to alot of ppl and I would have loved to see you. Someday...Well i hope you enjoy the resy of the day babe. Love ya!!
..i luv this res track - from the lyrics to the way it's recorded...with her vocals out front, not embedded in some autotune-digital mess....- isn't the whole idle warship collabo just amazing?!!
OK it's Oakland, dont know where the heck I got EnCino from I swear I'm losing it. She has a 510 area code. Yep, Oakland, that's what it be. We soon come (that's Bajan slang). xo.
YO D! when am i gonna c u on tv again? whats next with ya? u know babe, i just looooooove seeing u on tv. for now, i keep watching Noah's arc over and over and over lol. i cant help it man :O
Just wanted to say I love your work and you are a true talent to the gay society. I always wanted to meet you but never got the chance to travel. Hopefully one day you will come to Milwaukee to some of the misguided men here because they are so off track. Hope to see you in upcoming shows soon!!
Hello Darryl. How are you? Long time no see. Wish we could be there for the Open Artists thingy, would've loved to support it, but maybe next year. Just found out my mother has a cousin out there in I think EnCino - somewhere really close to San Francisco she said, like 20 minutes away, does that sound right? If not maybe it wasn't EnCino but some Spanish sounding city close to San Francisco. She her husband and kids emigrated there from Barbados like 40 years ago and I never knew of her until my mom's death when she called the house back in February, can you believe it?
Wasnt my fellow Bajan girl Rhianna strong and smart and beautiful the other night on 20/20? She is young but yet so strong and just knew she could not be with a man who abused her and I'm so proud of her because most women go back and forgive and never break that cycle until it's too late. She is so right though, it's like putting nails in a wall, you can remove the nails but the holes will still remain. I am just so happy for her and proud of her to not take that bullshit.
Anyway, my girls send you love and I'm leaving some also. Holla when you get a chance. Muah!
