BET’s "The Porter," tells the stories of those who have fought on and off the railroads to create the first Black labor union between the United States and Canada, premiering on May 5. Actor Aml Ameen joined Cheddar News to talk about starring on the show and also discussed having an all-Black writers' room. "We're living in the age of authenticity," he said. "I think audiences crave that truth these days."

Between Bells

Aml Ameen on Having an All-Black Writers Room for BET’s 'The Porter'

and welcome back everyone in between Bells. I'm baker machado in new york. And a new show on B. E. T Plus is telling the true story of black train porters back in the 19 twenties. The porter features an all star cast, including actor Alfre Woodard who executive produced this series. The show follows the journey of characters who hustle dream cross borders and even pursue their ambitions all in the fight for liberation, both on and off the railway. It also highlights the journey that railway workers went through all to give birth to the world's first Black Union. Take a look at this. Do you think I need a partner? I think you need a man who knows every vein in the trains. I know y'all might be scared of what might happen if we do this, but maybe it's time we start thinking about what happens if we don't what I offer these boys is not one day, maybe it is in their hands right now, but assuming you're talking that's dangerous. And joining us now to discuss all this is a melamine actor, director and star of the Porter and Mel Great to have you here. Welcome to Cheddar news. Hello, nice to meet you. Your energy is amazing by the way. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It's a it's time of coffee, that's all I'm on right now. So by the way there's a lot of buzz on this show and Mel, you play Junior Massey, tell us a little bit more about this character here and what viewers can expect is this show looks really great. Yeah man, I think it's a really, really good show that's been done by some, you know, Black Canadians with their first, the first shot. And Junior Massey, this Junior Masses, this particular guy who's kind of rebelling against the system and and and not taking no for an answer. This particular in this particular time in history. He's a man that is a porter working on the train station, but he has a different route to what he sees freedom looking like and that at the time is running running booze or for his wife and his his child who's suffers from an illness, I have to admit, Ml I was unfamiliar with this story and tell him, you know, earlier this week when I was researching this story about the unionization efforts of the black train porters between the United States and Canada back then, were you familiar with this storyline before being british? I wasn't I wasn't familiar at all, you know, I've never really heard of it, but what I find particularly fascinating about what the poor did is often you see in like Hollywood movies is this kind of marginalized um idea of what porter or Butler is and they go behind the scene and really humanize these guys and also tell the history of how they helped and uplifted their community, which I think is um, you know, paramount in today's era for people to really have context to how people have, like, kind of lifted everybody. So you know from from that Prv I learned so much and just finally felt proud of being a part of the black diaspora, you know? Absolutely and by the way I mentioned at the top you know this has Alfre Woodard in it, she is an icon in this industry, she is executive producing this and there she is right there, what was it like to work with her and what sort of an eye does she have as an executive producer when creating something like this? You know, she she lent her energy and her strength to the project, really uplifting, you know the Canadian creators, me and her were both E. P. S on it together and so it was very fascinating like having brief moments, we didn't get to work with each other as much, but she was like you know, you know if someone has an anchor and you know that they're a part of it, it just kind of really galvanizes the energy and then we all felt and knew that we had this thing would have legs, you know, so it was special having her around and especially someone that's you know, I've been in the game so long. Absolutely, by the way this has an all black Writers team on this, how important is that animal in terms of capturing sort of the essence of what these characters went through, especially back then for me personally like um you know I love creativity. I'd like to the idea that creatives can imagine all circumstances, but to get down to the specificity of experience, especially this era, we're living in the age of authenticity. I think that having the voices of black or whomever, when when you're telling a very particular story, it's it's really paramount because the nuances and getting behind the skin of the character, it just becomes more real life. And I think audiences crave that truth these days as an actor. Is it more difficult to portray real events, real characters given the fact that for a lot of people they know who these characters of the events are. Is that harder for you as an actor to do that sometimes, you know, for this particular role. You know, I had a bit more freedom and legs. Um listen, I've just played martin Luther King and that to me in Rustin that is intimidating beyond belief because you're playing someone that everybody knows so often, you know, you you have the responsibility to really sit close to the character think about it. Imagine the circumstances I'm really honored the details of those people's lives, you know, So that's yeah, so let's talk about Rust in here because that's really impressive because you're in netflix's upcoming series called Rusted and you're playing the late civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Tell us a little bit about this character in particular and what sort of drew you to this role here? Well, um Colman Domingo's playing Bide Rustin and Bayard Rustin was part of the civil rights movement, that kind of lead at the march to Washington. And he was, he was a gay black man at that particular time. And you know, his, you know, his sexuality was, was, he was someone that didn't shy away from it. He was very proud. And so this story really uplift that I play martin Luther King who was by Rust is one of his close advisers and we kind of go through the story of their relationship and how, you know, buy it helps martin get to that. I have a dream speech. So that's, that's kind of what that's about, It's going to be, it's going to be very interesting, very interesting. Has playing, has been being able to play MLK been something that you've always wanted to do. I mean, I would almost feel worried about the pressure of playing such a huge icon here. Yeah, yeah, I'm worried, mate. Which obviously I'm worried, I'm worried, I'm not messing everything up. No, I think with them. Okay, it's not something I've always thought about doing necessarily. Um you don't necessarily think you gonna get that opportunity, you know, But when it came along and I auditioned for the role and, and George C Wolfe offered me the part. I just went into complete focus mode. I even I called David Oyelowo, who who who played him also in Selma and spoke with him and kind of really worked with historians and then also people on the voice. You know, it's, it's a daunting thing taken on em, okay, especially in, you know, the Obamas first movie, you know, with, with, with netflix at the helm of it, It's really big. Everybody's going to see it. And so I'm looking forward. I hope I've done it justice. I hope I hope I've done it justice. So I look forward to people seeing it and hopefully you like it. I already know I'm going to love it. I know you're going to crush. Yes, exactly. I'll spread the word. Last thing I do want to talk about one other project that you've done because last year you directed, you wrote you produce and even start in this room called called Boxing Day and it's on amazon prime for, for our viewers to watch. Tell us a little bit about this one too because that is basically the jack of all trades to do all those rules on this film. Yeah, Well listen, it's, it's definitely my future. It's something that I've always always loved writing and directing and I got the opportunity to Warner Brothers film Form B. F. I two to direct a feature film, which is essentially about my family being a black british caribbean man and then introducing my american girlfriend to my, you know, caribbean family, which has happened in my life before and how they receive americans and you know this kind of world coming together, it's kind of an oh and homage to love actually my best friend's wedding films that I loved growing up, you know philadelphia story of jimmy jimmy Stewart and Katharine Hepburn. So yeah man, it was a special special thing and it's it's definitely marking what I'll do more of in the future. Directing is definitely I've fallen in love with it and who doesn't love love actually. So this is the perfect sort of movie which by the way is available for everyone to watch on amazon prime and there is such a pleasure to meet you. A melamine actor, director, dr director and star on the B E. T Plus show The porter, which you can watch the new show tomorrow on B E T Plus.