God, Please Save These Troubled States

Continued from Part I.....


Mark: So I know you initially started off [and] did…well, I guess you were a stuntsman and you did stunts for “The Water Boy”?

Molale: My first ever job in Hollywood was doing football stunts on the set of “The Waterboy.”

Mark: So how did you make the transition from doing just stunts to having speaking roles in movies?

Molale: It was just like everybody else starts out. I also started out as a non-union extra just like everybody else. 99.99% of everyone in the business starts out that way. That’s what you start out as.

I moved to Los Angeles in ’98 and I didn’t plan on being an actor. I fell into to it because of my abilities as a football player and an athlete. I met some people and they said they’re doing this movie called, “The Waterboy,” and you’re perfect for this movie. Here’s the casting people. Get in touch with them, tell them we recommended you. Next thing you know, I’m working on this movie. So I discovered, “Wow. Here’s this industry I know nothing about.” So it was interesting to me, because I’m one of the only people who didn’t move to L.A. to get into acting. If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I’d be doing this, I would have never said I would be an actor. But now, this is what I do! And I very humbly blessed to do this because, A) I love it and B) I think the athlete in me…I’ve pushed myself mentally and physically playing football for so many years that…this is a challenging business!

Mark: Right.

Molale: So I think that competitive drive to keep going and going…well, it helps me to survive in this industry.

Mark: Yeah, I know what you mean. I ran track and cross country in high school and you develop a sort of mental endurance doing those kind of physical sports. It translates well to other things.

Molale: Absolutely. You’ve got to be a jack of all trades and hopefully, you can master something along the way. You know, getting back to your first question, the transition from being a stuntman…well, I never really was a stuntman!

Mark: So it was more of a one-time thing?

Molale: No, I’ve done a lot of physical work in my career as an actor. A lot of the stunt coordinators know me as a guy who’s very physical and I can do dialogue really well. They say, “Well, we know Brandon and he’s a great actor. He can take a punch and he can throw a punch and we don’t have to worry about Brandon. We don’t have to train anybody.”  A lot of times, there’s a lot of parts out there where whenever there’s something physical, production has to get a double for them. So they bypass everyone and go right to me. I’m all all-for-one deal.

Mark: There’s no need for anyone else!

Molale: I mean, the guys from Reno [911] hit me with a car! And that’s really me, not someone else. That’s what makes me unique.

Mark: Meeting you…well, you’re a big guy. Even taller than I expected. A lot of the roles that you’ve been given have been specifically because of your physical stature. Do you ever feel that you’re unfortunately typecast…for only physical roles? Would you like to break free from that? Or are you comfortable with it?

Molale: I fight that stereotype all the time. It can frustrate me at times. Because the people look at me, or they’ve seen me for my bodywork, and [they say], “Oh, Brandon, he’s a big bouncer type,” or, “We’re going to consider him for the meathead or the jock,” or whatnot. People don’t know I’ve worked on Shakespeare, I’ve worked on…one of my favorite playwrights is John Patrick Schandling, I’ve worked on his material. People don’t see that because casting, a lot of times, unfortunately is jaded and they have their set ways.

There’s some 6’4”, 6’5” actors who do comedy, as well as other things, and I’m not going to let other people tell me what I can and can’t do.

Mark: That’s a good mentality to have.

Molale: And I want to play Captain Marvel in Shazam!

Mark: That’s actually my next question. Tell me about Shazam!


Molale: Well, I’m flattered that they’re considering me and Duane [The Rock Johnson] for this part. I want to play Captain Marvel.

Mark: I mean, there’s no denying your resemblance to him.

Molale: Ha, let’s quote you on that. I totally agree. If there’s ever any superhero that Brandon Molale looks like, it’s Captain Marvel!

Mark: Before we go, one last question, favorite Motorhead song?

Molale: THE ACES OF SPAAADDDESSS!!

Balls of Fury is out August 31.