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)
Dear Darryl,Hey Baby! Have a Mellow Monday and a nice start to your week. It's back to work for me after a restful week off. Summer is always busy with trips and things for my little ones but i'll take afew more weeks later during the summer.I hope your summer has been good so far. Love YOU!! 365 & 24/7 ETERNALLY YOURS,Barbara
Hey darryl, how are you? Any new projects in the works? Just stopped by to show some love. I can't believe how time flies. Today i am 23yrs old it seem like yesterday i was 18. Anyway... Love ya much.
Hey Darryl, How are you!? I haven't wrote you in a hot mintue! So How are things with you? anything coming up soon? oh yeah have your video for acmecomedy been posted? I would love to see it again!
..exactly...that is why i mentioned it- if u get tha chance, check it out! it is cool that e. lynn edited tha collection, but we definitely need voices such as urs- with stories like urs- 2 help shape a more wholistic picture of tha african american experience.. from a technique standpoint, i think it will be inspiring..
Enabler, Please read the poem I posted on my blog, I meant to post it during Pride after you returned from SF, but my bad. It's really beautiful, you may have already read it, I don't know. Reading it brought back so many memories from my childhood about family members, friends and the things I heard people say.
**I can't believe u posted u know what, cuz I was hittin the pipe during my rant and I was vulnerable, I wasn't thinking clearly. So I now know you can't keep no secrets", lol.
one, i owe u an apology. greek IS good. just saw a bunch of old episodes. smh. and two, i owe u money. how tacky of me not to offer u the cost of shipping at least. happy weekend. <3
I just wanted to stop by and wish you a fantastic weekend. I have been so sad and crying daily due to the loss of our Icon, but I guess we have to move on, slowly. I was able to finally smile with your "bobbing baby's arm" description of Sandy. Indeed, I laughed for about five minutes because in my mind I juxtaposed that with "thumper the thumb" - a description one of my Friends who is a lawyer described one she was embarrassingly obsessed with in the past. She would fall on the ground begging this man not to leave her only to discover he was on drugs. I guess the old adage is true . . . "laughter is the best medicine" and I would love to just have one prescription of Y-O-U because Jamie slapped me back into reality at the right time. I am seriously in love with you. (Big Grin Smiley!)
Peace. Blessings. Hope. TeYoJe (Your No. 1 Fan in Elmsford, New York)
Thanks Darryl for being one of my newest friends, and I really hope that you will come and say hello. I enjoy what you do :) It's such a pleasure of having you as a friend.
...have u had a chance 2 read the best african american fiction: 2009 collection yet? gerald early is the series editor & e. lynn harris is the guest editor for this 1st installment.. it is a collection of short stories, novel excerpts & young adult fiction..
Hey Mister, I was at Patrick Finley's art exhibit a few nights ago at Bar Marmot, and ran into a couple of older gentlemen. After chatting with them for a while, it turns out that they were Phillip & Christopher producer of Boy Culture. He said to send you tons of love. -Brian
Cocoa Bliss, I'm am just sick over Max's new joint. I'm hooked. Bad Habits has become THE ROCK in my crack pipe, dare I say, THE CAKE on my plate, lol. I was fighting sleep so I could listen to it over and over again. The lyrics, the hook, the music, the groove is tight!! I'm listening to the cd now--trying to give the other songs their chance after I listened to BH 10x. Cold, the single trumpet blast the up beat, the singing style--"you can't just leave thIS, you can't just think you can quit thIS" I agree there are elements Of Marvin and I think Prince too. The beginning of fistfuloftears has elements of Prince--and the piano sound during the course of the song too. Have you noticed how the beginning of each song has a distinct ummph that grabs you and then as you listen he flips the script and the musical style kind of shifts? He definitely has taken the music to a different level. He and Mary J are two "younger artists" I can think of who really musically evolve. They are not where they were 10yrs ago and they were in a great place then, but you know, there personal growth is reflected in their music. I can still listen to urban Hang and groove like it's a new release. Timeless. Why am I "talking" to you like we are at a musical symposium?
Make me crazy, don't speak no sound, I want you to prove it to me in the nude, Addicted to the way you move, honey if anything ever should change in you, Don't worry I'm standing still, I'm moving with the right of will...
That is tight!!!
I hope your day is nasty, stanky, funky--you know that kind of day where you smile, like you've got a secret.
Smooches, Bettye
***Will you forgive me, will you forgive me for such a long comment, I can't help it you and Max are my bad habits, lol
Blue like anti-freeze or Coolant! Ha! Guess what? we have no 7-11's here. sad, I know. we do, however have Volero's. you can get a vat-o Tea, soda or Icee for cheap. Hmmm.. ICEE! ICEES are kinda like slurpees.
Chocolate kiss, what songs are u feeling on Max's new joint?
I love them all, but the ones I'm wearing out at this moment--well let's just say, I'm tired of crying a fistfuloftears, so I'm trying to break a bad habit before I go cold so that I can love you.
OOOOOH! COME AND HELP ME! 101 degrees! I am way to much brown sugar to melt into oblivion! Day 20 Of over 100 degree heat! somebody set the thermostat on Hell and got up and left! How you doin in sunny,cool Cali? Love you anyway! melted gloss kisses your way! xxo ~v~
Hey Bro, I know its been a minute!!!!!! Been grindin' you know how that is. Question are you in love with the Maxwell Album?????? I am in heaven. Feel me in on T!
