After appearing as DJ Mister Cee in the 2009 Notorious B.I.G. biopic “Notorious”, actor Edwin Freeman has now stepped into the role of Young Pop, the younger version of Frankie Faison’s character Henry “Pop” Hunter in Marvel’s Netflix series Luke Cage. Edwin recently chatted with us about the role and working as part of the series.
Hello Edwin, so what made you decide to audition for the role of Young Pop?
I received a call from my agent telling me that I had an audition for the recurring role of Young Pop on an upcoming television series. It wasn’t until I arrived at the audition the next day that I learned it was a Marvel/Netflix project. I was very excited, but they made all of the actors sign non-disclosure agreements, and keep everything under wraps until the release of the project. Of course you know I couldn’t wait until they gave us the green light to let the cat out of the bag. It feels great to be a part of a television series of this magnitude.
How did you go about preparing for the role?
When I found out I was doing all of the 80s flashback scenes, I immediately started listening to hip-hop music from the Golden Era like, Eric B. & Rakim, Public Enemy, Kool G. Rap, Run DMC, Big Daddy Kane & Poor Righteous Teachers, just to put me in a certain frame of mind. I’m an 80s baby, so it wasn’t hard for me to go there, I just had to reflect. The music really helped me do that.
In which ways would you say that Young Pop is like yourself?
Young Pop’s a nice dresser, he likes matching his outfits from his Kangol hats, all the way to his stiff blue Levis jeans, Wallabee Clark’s and Adidas sneakers. Every now and then he’ll rock a nice gold rope chain with a matching Rolex watch. Besides his good fashion sense, he’s very overprotective of his crew, I’m a lot like that myself.
What would you say is the contrast between Young Pop, and mature Pop?
Young Pop is more of a hot head who acts off of impulse. All he cares about is being loyal to those nearest, and dearest to him, and protecting them at any cost. Pop in his older years is more of a calculated, strategic individual. He thinks about the consequences and repercussions before making a move. He knows that what he does not only affects him, and his friends, but also the good people of Harlem who he has a special love for.
What was your favorite scene to film and why?
My favorite scene to film was the fight scene in the alley. I got to work with legendary stunt coordinator James Lew, who said that I was a very fast learner. He recommended that I take some martial arts lessons, and get into action films. That’s something that I’ve been working on for the past six months now.
Now you worked with Cheo Hodari Coker on Notorious, what was it like working with him this time around on Luke Cage?
It was great reconnecting with Cheo Hodari Coker who’s the creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer of Luke Cage. He arrived to set on my first day of filming, and we discussed his vision for Young Pop, and how he saw the scenes when he wrote them. As an actor who’s serious about his craft, I think that’s very important.
What do you think a series like Luke Cage being on Netflix means for the future of bringing black superheroes to film and television?
With the success of the Luke Cage series, I’m hoping we’ll see more projects with black superheroes in both television and film. I’m looking forward to the 2018 release of Marvel’s Black Panther starring Chadwick Boseman, and what’s to follow. I really wish we didn’t have to wait so long, but I’m sure it will be more than worth the wait.
What’s next for you?
More film roles, more television roles, and if the Universe says the same, more Luke Cage!
Thank you Edwin. We look forward to speaking with you again.