Dexter Darden Dives into the Highs and Laughs of 'HALF BAKED: TOTALLY HIGH' as JR

[00:00:00] , Pop Culture Unplugged w

[00:00:05] Dexter, thank you for joining me today on Pop Culture Unplugged.

[00:00:12] Elias, thank you for having me, man.

[00:00:14] I'm happy to be back.

[00:00:15] It's great to see you again.

[00:00:17] You're last time we spoke.

[00:00:18] We spoke about the binge too.

[00:00:20] It's a wonderful binge.

[00:00:21] Now you got half baked, totally high.

[00:00:23] Man, like you've been like, I was keeping track of you've been busy.

[00:00:26] Like it feels like you're going from project to project to project.

[00:00:28] I haven't seen you think I break yet.

[00:00:30] I mean, I'm fortunate.

[00:00:31] You know what I mean?

[00:00:32] I've we've been working.

[00:00:34] I'm a workaholic, but I also take what I do very seriously when the

[00:00:37] opportunities present itself, you know, if I'm auditioning and the job

[00:00:42] calls, I'm going to try to answer, especially if it's in the vein

[00:00:45] and in the realm of what I've been doing.

[00:00:47] But, you know, we had a strike too.

[00:00:49] So I'm blessed to be working after the strike and in a few projects

[00:00:54] that have been going.

[00:00:56] So, you know, I'm just trying to keep it going, man.

[00:00:58] Just trying to keep it.

[00:00:59] Hey, you have to grind in this industry, don't you?

[00:01:01] That's it, man.

[00:01:02] That's it.

[00:01:03] You got to grind.

[00:01:04] If you don't grind, then what are you doing?

[00:01:06] So, yeah, so let's jump into your latest project.

[00:01:08] I know you've been doing a lot of interviews for this.

[00:01:10] I have baked totally high.

[00:01:12] We see you as JR in the film, you know, how would you how

[00:01:16] are you approached for this for this project?

[00:01:18] So I got a call shortly after binge one.

[00:01:24] I know they had they were in talks with somebody else and

[00:01:27] then I had fallen through.

[00:01:28] And then I got a call from the director, Michael Titus.

[00:01:31] He called my agent and was like, yeah, I really like this

[00:01:33] kid from the binge.

[00:01:34] Would he be interested in kind of carrying half baked and

[00:01:37] seeing what we could do with it?

[00:01:39] And so when Michael and I got in the first zoom conversation

[00:01:42] similar to how you and I have talked and passed interviews,

[00:01:45] we just hit it off.

[00:01:46] You know what I mean?

[00:01:47] It made sense.

[00:01:48] I understood the character.

[00:01:49] I told him my approach.

[00:01:50] And we've spoken about Saved by the Bell and Saved by the

[00:01:53] Bell was not necessarily a remake.

[00:01:55] It was a continually.

[00:01:56] And that's the same thing I wanted to do with half baked.

[00:01:59] It's not a remake.

[00:02:00] It's not a contortion.

[00:02:01] It's a continuation.

[00:02:02] And it's a really interesting story of people giving a shot.

[00:02:05] So I think it's funny and I'm happy to be kind of carrying

[00:02:09] the mantle of what Dave Chappelle had brilliantly done for,

[00:02:13] you know how many times did you go back to watch the

[00:02:16] original before you jumped on set for this?

[00:02:18] I think I watched it like maybe four or five times.

[00:02:23] As soon as I got the offer, I watched it.

[00:02:25] I read this script for this one.

[00:02:27] Then I watched it again.

[00:02:29] Then I read the script and just to kind of see how I can blend

[00:02:34] what Dave did in with what I wanted to do for JR.

[00:02:38] And then after that, you know, I watched it maybe two or

[00:02:40] three more times, but you don't want it to get too stale

[00:02:42] because you don't want to just like there's things that

[00:02:44] are already written into the movie that are paying homage

[00:02:47] to the first one.

[00:02:48] Right.

[00:02:49] So you don't want it to get stale when with what your

[00:02:52] performance is because you want to give this current audience,

[00:02:55] this current generation who's familiar with cannabis or has

[00:02:58] a very different relationship with weed than in,

[00:03:00] than they did in the nineties.

[00:03:02] Right.

[00:03:03] So you got to make sure that we're making it modern enough

[00:03:05] for kids to understand and enjoy it.

[00:03:07] I have a fun with it for anybody who enjoys that kind

[00:03:09] of stoner comedy.

[00:03:11] What was the description you were giving for JR?

[00:03:14] He's, you know, just a guy who's kind of smart,

[00:03:18] but hasn't really reached his potential because he fell in

[00:03:21] love with cannabis and he's just enjoys going with the flow

[00:03:24] with his buddies.

[00:03:26] He's kind of the centerpiece him in, him and Joel

[00:03:29] Courtney's character kind of him Bruce are kind of the

[00:03:32] centerpieces of the group while Miles and Corey Ramona

[00:03:36] Bichay young and Moses are we're just friends, you know

[00:03:39] what I mean?

[00:03:40] So JR had a lot of potential to do great things and

[00:03:43] just kind of didn't.

[00:03:44] And you know, I kind of feel like in my,

[00:03:47] in that space of my career where I have the potential to do

[00:03:51] some great things.

[00:03:52] And so I'm going to make sure that I can and that's kind of

[00:03:55] what I wanted to bring to JR.

[00:03:56] I know like in the sequel, you know, like down to the

[00:03:59] originals like pretty much was on it or with the like,

[00:04:01] but did you get a chance to talk to Dave Chappelle?

[00:04:03] Or did he give you a calling?

[00:04:04] Hey, you know,

[00:04:06] unfortunately, I didn't.

[00:04:09] You know, and I, of course, Dave is I've met him

[00:04:13] before the kindest guy, the nicest guy.

[00:04:16] And I, but once I found out that he wasn't going to be a

[00:04:21] part of the project because I think originally that there

[00:04:24] was talks that maybe he would have been,

[00:04:26] but that was before I even signed on.

[00:04:28] So once I when I signed on, I knew that he wasn't going to

[00:04:31] be a part of it.

[00:04:32] And I know that the way it kind of ended with him and

[00:04:35] Neil in the past with the original with the negotiations

[00:04:38] that it was kind of a sour sour face.

[00:04:42] So I was just like, let me just go ahead and do this one

[00:04:45] this way.

[00:04:46] We also have the original Mary Jane on, you know what I mean?

[00:04:50] We also have a Harlan Williams came back to.

[00:04:53] So yeah, so, so we, so we have some OGs who are

[00:04:58] affiliated with the original who still felt like this

[00:05:02] was in the vein of what they had did.

[00:05:05] But I didn't get to talk to Dave unfortunately, but,

[00:05:08] you know, next time I see him, I'm just going to say

[00:05:10] thank you just bow.

[00:05:11] You know what I mean?

[00:05:12] That's it.

[00:05:13] Just bow to the goat.

[00:05:14] Right.

[00:05:15] Well, like the original too, you know, it's got like, you know,

[00:05:17] it's like a, it's a cult hit now.

[00:05:19] Like any pressure, like trying to continue on that,

[00:05:21] like a legacy kind of in a way.

[00:05:23] Well, you know, I think when the first one came out,

[00:05:26] people didn't really understand it originally.

[00:05:28] You know what I mean?

[00:05:29] It was kind of like Newsy's in the sense of it bomb

[00:05:32] in the theaters and then boom later became this

[00:05:35] cult classic.

[00:05:36] So I think that the expectations when making this

[00:05:39] one were kind of in the same, you know what I mean?

[00:05:42] Because when you caught lightning in the bottle with

[00:05:45] the first half baked, you know what I mean?

[00:05:47] So we'll catch it again.

[00:05:48] Who knows?

[00:05:49] But yeah, when we have a great time with a great

[00:05:51] director and a funny cast making a great movie was

[00:05:54] kind of what we just wanted to do.

[00:05:56] And I think that's what we did.

[00:05:58] What's the thoughts now if you see a third one

[00:06:00] down the road?

[00:06:01] Yo, I definitely see a third one down the road.

[00:06:05] The movies kind of left it with that ambiguous

[00:06:08] base.

[00:06:09] Hopefully Dave sees this one because there is some

[00:06:11] hints and tips as to where Dave fits into the

[00:06:14] story.

[00:06:16] And so I think that a third one would be great, you

[00:06:19] know, and I think that getting this cast back

[00:06:22] together again too.

[00:06:23] I know Moses has gone on to do some really great

[00:06:25] things with his stand up comedy.

[00:06:27] He's doing Netflix's comedy next week, I think.

[00:06:30] And at the Hollywood Bowl, which is going to be

[00:06:32] awesome and Ramona is just so fantastic.

[00:06:35] You know, we got Dave Keckner back still.

[00:06:37] And so we got hitters in this movie who can make

[00:06:40] a sequel great with Dave Chappelle attached to it

[00:06:45] eventually.

[00:06:46] So we'll see.

[00:06:47] Right.

[00:06:48] Last question on the movie though, what was your

[00:06:49] favorite thing about JR?

[00:06:50] What did you enjoy about this character?

[00:06:52] Man, JR came into my life in a very great time

[00:06:56] when I was playing him.

[00:06:58] I had just got done with Save by the Bell.

[00:07:01] And so I was kind of trying to figure out

[00:07:03] what was next.

[00:07:04] You know, Shank and Dunk did really well

[00:07:06] and it was its own thing, but it hadn't come out yet.

[00:07:09] You know what I mean?

[00:07:10] And I had just shot Shank and Dunk when I was shooting

[00:07:12] Save by the Bell.

[00:07:13] So with half baked, it was done.

[00:07:16] I was trying to figure out what I was going to

[00:07:18] next to do in my career.

[00:07:20] How can I transition from high school comedy

[00:07:23] into teen adult world?

[00:07:26] You know what I mean?

[00:07:27] And that's a very hard transition for actors to do.

[00:07:29] So when JR came along, I really kind of poured

[00:07:32] in where I was in my career into this character

[00:07:35] because he's kind of in a very similar tradition,

[00:07:37] transition in his life.

[00:07:39] Like my friend just passed away.

[00:07:41] I'm living at my mom's house again.

[00:07:43] What am I going to do next?

[00:07:44] You know, I know I have potential to exceed greater.

[00:07:47] I'm working well.

[00:07:48] I keep a steady job.

[00:07:49] I'm getting promoted at my job even.

[00:07:51] You know what I mean?

[00:07:52] But still, I'm a pothead who doesn't really

[00:07:55] have any ambitions or goals.

[00:07:57] And so Buck and Dexter used in his own ambition

[00:08:00] in his career to kind of fuel JR's drive.

[00:08:03] And I think that's what I did.

[00:08:05] Amazing.

[00:08:06] What can you tell us about your next project?

[00:08:08] I saw you sign up for Fight Night.

[00:08:10] I did?

[00:08:11] That's what I did.

[00:08:13] No, no, no.

[00:08:14] I did.

[00:08:15] I did.

[00:08:16] I did.

[00:08:17] I did.

[00:08:18] I did.

[00:08:19] Don't mess with me.

[00:08:20] I got to keep an eye on you.

[00:08:22] I got to get you.

[00:08:23] You know, when the next project comes around,

[00:08:25] I got to make sure you're inviting me back to you.

[00:08:27] Oh, definitely.

[00:08:28] I like it.

[00:08:29] I'm going to leave greatest boxer of all time.

[00:08:32] What can you tell us about this project?

[00:08:34] You know, we can't say anything yet.

[00:08:37] Unfortunately, but I mean, I can tell you some great things

[00:08:40] that I've already gotten out.

[00:08:41] Like the cast is absolutely incredible.

[00:08:45] It features Kevin Hart, Samuel Jackson, Don Cheadle,

[00:08:48] Taraji B. Henson, Terence Howard,

[00:08:50] St. Clau Walls, Melvin Gregg, Miles Bullock,

[00:08:54] Chloe Bailey.

[00:08:55] The list just goes on and on and on and on.

[00:08:57] And so we're coming together and we're kind of

[00:09:00] assembling like the Voltron of, of life story,

[00:09:05] true story biopics.

[00:09:06] Cause this is a moment of Muhammad Ali's life right after

[00:09:10] military suspension where he came out and it's just about

[00:09:13] his first fight back with Jerry quarry and the crime heist

[00:09:16] that went down in Atlanta when this fight took place in the

[00:09:18] great city of Atlanta.

[00:09:20] So there's multiple story lines happening at one time,

[00:09:23] but it's great.

[00:09:24] And I think with this cast,

[00:09:26] I'm really excited for people to see it.

[00:09:28] It should be out sometime by the end of the year.

[00:09:30] And, you know, playing the great Muhammad Ali, like what can I,

[00:09:33] you know, it's an honor.

[00:09:34] And I think I'm so grateful for half big totally high because

[00:09:38] it showed me how I can lead a movie, be number one again,

[00:09:41] like I did in, you know, with a binge and,

[00:09:44] and so I think I took that experience and applied it to

[00:09:47] what I needed to do to hang with these icons.

[00:09:50] You know, anytime I'm in scenes with Don Cheadle all the time,

[00:09:53] it's like, whoa, what's going on here?

[00:09:56] You know,

[00:09:57] that's right.

[00:09:58] Yeah, let's end this by like, you know, I got it.

[00:10:00] I was told to ask you how often do you get asked about save

[00:10:02] by the bell and is there still like any chance for something

[00:10:05] to come back? Have you heard anything?

[00:10:07] And, you know, I get asked about it all the time.

[00:10:10] And, and I think a majority of our cast does feel like we

[00:10:13] left something on the table with it.

[00:10:17] You know, I think we felt the strike looming and they

[00:10:19] kind of canceled us before we got to do season three

[00:10:22] and kind of tie it all up into a bow.

[00:10:25] So who knows, man?

[00:10:26] I mean, I get asked about it all the time.

[00:10:28] Devante is definitely one of my favorite characters.

[00:10:31] I'm still very close with a lot of the cast and,

[00:10:34] and Mario actually helped me train with some of the boxing

[00:10:36] stuff for Ali.

[00:10:37] I got to work out with Mario Lopez, which is really great.

[00:10:40] So, you know,

[00:10:41] I think we leave it a lot on the table with that show

[00:10:43] and Tracy Ligfield is so brilliant Franco Barrio,

[00:10:45] the original producer.

[00:10:47] I think we got to bring it back in some way.

[00:10:49] Maybe a movie.

[00:10:50] How about a say by the movie would be fire?

[00:10:52] There you go.

[00:10:53] That would be fire.

[00:10:55] Because, you know,

[00:10:56] Josie's going on to do such great things with her Apple TV

[00:10:58] show.

[00:10:59] Alicia is coming out right now on a new Bel Air and new season.

[00:11:03] So we're working.

[00:11:04] We're doing things.

[00:11:05] And I think it'll be great to kind of use our momentum

[00:11:09] and the OGs still camaraderie to bring it back to close

[00:11:13] and finish that world.

[00:11:15] You know, what happens with Jesse and Slater?

[00:11:17] What happens with high school kids when we graduate?

[00:11:19] And while I'm still young enough,

[00:11:21] I think before I start letting this space for him.

[00:11:23] There you go.

[00:11:24] Hey, friend Dexter,

[00:11:25] how can the viewers and listeners find you on social media

[00:11:28] to keep up with you future projects?

[00:11:30] I know you'd be posting pictures soon or volley and stuff like that.

[00:11:33] Yeah.

[00:11:34] Yeah.

[00:11:35] Definitely check me out on Instagram primarily.

[00:11:37] That's where I am at Dexter Darden.

[00:11:39] I also have a tick tock at Dexter Darden.

[00:11:41] And other than that, like just just keep up there.

[00:11:44] And you know, I think coming soon,

[00:11:46] I'm going to start finding ways to just keep informing people

[00:11:50] on my social media about what I'm doing next outside of the projects

[00:11:53] that I have going on.

[00:11:55] It's independently building my own brand in my own industry

[00:11:58] as I grow, you know.

[00:12:00] Amazing.

[00:12:01] Dexter, thank you for coming on.

[00:12:02] Let's do round three next year sometime or next project.

[00:12:05] Yes.

[00:12:06] So you got it buddy.

[00:12:07] Absolutely.

[00:12:08] Thank you.