 Nicole Fong Photography Darrell Lake has an incredible life. At least that’s what his newest web series, “The Incredible Life of Darrell Lake” seems to presume. In reality, the web series touches on some comically awkward situations of a young man and his life in a small town. It’s produced by the real Darrell Lake, a not-so-awkward, and incredibly talented creative, living in Los Angeles, CA. He’s a multi-hyphenate - acting, directing, writing, and even helping out generously on our photo shoot, where you’ll see he shines both behind and in front of the camera. You can see him next on the hit show, Hawaii-Five 0, airing tomorrow, Friday, 2/13/15, so check it out. A huge thanks to Darrell for doing this interview and photo shoot with us, we had a blast! What were the obstacles you had to overcome to come to the U.S. and what were the steps you took to make moving here a reality? I visited the U.S with my family about 15 years ago, on holiday. We moved back to Sierra Leone from Eritrea, about a year later, and I was about to finish high school. By then, I’d fallen in love with film making, since seeing Terminator 2. For some reason I identified with the John Connor kid. We were around the same age. It opened up this whole world to me, that you can create and live in a world so different from mine. You can materialize the words on the page, and there’s no limit to what you can do. I wanted to make movies desperately. So, I had just finished high school, and was a about to start a new phase of my life. I would either go to college there, or move to the U.S. But there isn't much of an industry in Sierra Leone, and my parents have always been incredibly supportive of me and my aspirations, so they decided we should move. And I’ve been in Los Angeles now for 10 years!  Nicole Fong Photography It seems like you had a more challenging childhood than most. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself, where you were born, and the situation you were in as a young kid? I was born in London, England and moved to Sierra Leone (where my parents are from) when I was about three years old. Most of my childhood was in Africa. It was tumultuous growing up, due to the conflict in Sierra Leone at that time. As a kid it was unnerving, but you have to be very adaptable, because this is the environment you are growing up in. We left Sierra Leone for a period of time and moved around to Guinea, Gambia, Ghana and Eritrea. Though it was tough at the time, looking back at it now, I’m grateful for the experience, because I got to come across all these distinct languages and places, and really appreciate how people of other cultures and customs expressed themselves differently. I encountered alternate ways of living that were very different from what I was accustomed to, and subsequently formed very lasting friendships and a greater view of the world. Darrell Lake has an incredible life. At least that’s what his newest web series, “The Incredible Life of Darrell Lake” seems to presume. In reality, the web series touches on some comically awkward situations of a young man and his life in a small town. It’s produced by the real Darrell Lake, a not-so-awkward, and extremely talented creative, living in Los Angeles, CA. He’s a multi-hyphenate - acting, directing, writing, and even helping out generously on our photo shoot, where you’ll see he shines both behind, and in front of the camera. You can see him next on the hit show, Hawaii Five-0, airing tomorrow, Friday, 2/13/15, on CBS - so check it out! A huge thanks to Darrell for doing this interview and photo shoot with us, we had a blast! Photography: Nicole Fong & Grant Van Duker You’re not only an actor, but a writer and director. How did you get into acting, writing, and directing, and which field do you feel is your main focus? Is there one medium you enjoy more than the others, and is there something else you’d like to get into that you haven’t yet? Writing was the first thing I started doing. My mom is a voracious reader, and always took me to the library when I was a kid. That was one consistent thing I had, when moving from one place to another. She’d always find the closest place to get books. So I read a lot, and later started writing. For me, it was about telling a story. Just as I had spent all my time growing up reading other stories, I just started writing mine. I wrote my first movie when I was 15. It was more like a novel, with a lot of dialogue. I had never seen a movie script before. I was just communicating ideas, with paper and pen. I wanted desperately to be in these worlds I was creating. Then one day I saw Terminator 2, which, like I said above, opened up my mind to the possibilities that I can actually have these worlds materialized. So I love all the mediums. They all support each other and allow me to fully express myself. Something I would be interested in getting involved in would probably be music. I love music. I’ve always had fantasies of performing in a big arena. I love the medium, and how you can express yourself so articulately. I would love to be great at it, and I have a lot of stories to tell!  Nicole Fong Photography
Shooting Hawaii 5-0 was like one amazing vacation. The process of getting on the show was very fast. I got an audition around 7pm, for 10am the next day. The day after the audition, I received a phone call from my manager, saying “Aloha!” The cast and crew were all very welcoming. It was a blast! (The episode airs this Friday, 2/13/15, at 9:00pm on CBS. It’s definitely a must watch. Oscar Nominee Barkhad Abdi also guest stars in it.)  Nicole Fong Photography You also recently came out with your new web series, “The Incredible Life of Darrell.” Tell us how you came up with the idea for that, and take us through your journey of creating it and putting it on YouTube! Throughout the last year, I had been studying comedy with Shari Shaw (she’s amazing), and I quickly fell in love with it. I’ve always done drama, and never saw myself doing comedy. So it was truly a revelation when I realized that I, in fact, could do it, and how much fun it is! Right after doing Hawaii Five-0, I came back to LA, and went straight in to shooting “The incredible life of Darrell.” I had written the material a month earlier, and loved the idea of this character finding himself in these very intimate and awkward situations, against the backdrop of a small town. It was such a beautiful experience. I got to collaborate with my close friends and although it was a lot of fun, the tricky part of shooting a comedy is keeping a straight face! Everyone was cracking up on set.  Nicole Fong Photography If you could create your dream project, without regard to budget, what would it be about, who would be in it, and where would you shoot? It would be this Sci-Fi action feature I’m currently writing, and aim to make someday, hopefully soon! It’s set in an alternate reality, where we share the planet with a different species, and it’s about the conflicts that ensue. I can’t reveal many details, but I plan on starring in it, and it’s set in America, mostly in the East coast. What are some things you enjoy doing outside of the entertainment business? Outside of the entertainment business, I like design. I’m fascinated by other types of creative works. I’m also a big fan of the outdoors and nature. So I’m always hiking and exploring my environment. What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to experience within or outside of this industry, and how did/do you defeat it and learn from it? The hardest experience is adapting to the unpredictability of the entertainment industry. Now I find the beauty in it. Because, one minute, it can seem nothing is happening, and the next week you are in Hawaii shooting!  Nicole Fong Photography If you could give any advice to people aspiring to do what you do, what would you tell them? Do! That’s the best advice I can give. Do whatever it is you are interested in. You need to explore it. You gain confidence by doing. You might not even like the thing. The best way to truly find out if what’s nagging at you is viable is by putting it to the test. If it doesn’t work out, you’ve learned from the experience and you can move forward.  Nicole Fong Photography Alright, you heard the man - get out there, and DO! :)
Thanks again Darrell, we look forward to seeing you on the TEL-AY (bad British accent). If you'd like to find out more about Darrell, and follow him or his work, check out the links below: Note from Darrell: My production company’s YouTube channel is where I’m posting all my new work. Please subscribe! YouTube: www.youtube.com/darrelllakefilms Website: www.darrelllake.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/thedarrelllake Instagram: http://instagram.com/thedarrelllake Twitter: https://twitter.com/darrelllake Tumblr: http://darrelllakefilms.tumblr.com
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I was lucky enough to be the still photographer for my friend's short film, "Blind Date." Thanks Alex, for letting me be a part of it! :) If you'd like to use/post any of these photos anywhere, please make sure to list photographer credit! Thanks! :) |
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