Called to Act: André Holland on Purpose, Community, and Creating Room for Others

Mick Unplugged

Andre Holland discusses his purpose, community involvement, and the importance of storytelling in this episode of Mick Unplugged. He reflect

Key takeaways

• Andre Holland feels called to use his platform for storytelling and community upliftment.
• He grew up in Bessemer, Alabama, and credits his parents for instilling a sense of responsibility and service.

Main topics

• Purpose and calling in life
• Community involvement and giving back

Notable quotes

"I feel called to do it. You know, I feel that this is my calling."

Conclusion

Andre Holland's interview offers valuable insights into the power of purpose,

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) Even sometimes, like, the kind of dreams I allow myself to have, but sometimes a little too small, if I'm honest with you. You know, there were certain things I didn't know were even possible. God has shown up in my life in ways that I can't even describe, you know, doors just keep opening. Doors that I didn't even know where they're open themselves to me. And I know I'm eating the fruit from trees I didn't plant, so I want to do my job to plant some trees for the next folks that come along. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged. And today I am with the legend. The Legends and the Goat of Goats. He is someone who I have looked up to for a very long time, not just from his acting chops, but what he means to community, the things that he does to uplift others, and the fact, you know, he's from the South just like me, ladies and gentlemen, please join me and welcome me, the brilliant, the amazing, the one of the kind. Mr. Andrea Allen. Andre, how you doing today, brother? Man, I'm doing better now. Thank you for that beautiful introduction, man. That's very generous of me. Thank you. I have been a fan from day one. We're going to talk about Bessemer, Alabama, in a moment. But I've been just a huge fan. Like I said in that intro, not of just your acting ability, but just who you are. I believe that talent does take you so far, but I think you know it better than I will in the industry that you're in. character matters more than almost anything. And the character that you have speaks volumes of who you are. And I just want to give you your flowers of just the human being that you are. Man, thank you for saying that. Thank you for recognizing that, man. I appreciate it. And it means a lot to me. I mean, mainly because my parents, you know, are my, are still my biggest influence, man. And they raised me to be a person who's concerned about community and who, you know, tries to move with integrity and kind of. And so, you know, the fact that you see that, I think, is really a testament to them, man. So I appreciate it. No, all day, brother, all day. And, you know, I love to start the podcast by asking my guests about there be cause. I call it your true purpose, that true reason for doing what you do. And it changes from season to season. And to me, it's deeper than your why, right? Like, if I'd ask you what is your why, it's probably your kids, your family, your community, whatever it is that you're working with. But when I say, but why, that sentence usually starts with, well, because, and that's what I care about. So if I were to say, Andre, bro, like, you do all these amazing things. You continue to find the better version of you and everything that you do. What's your because? What's your true purpose of why you continue to do those things that you do? That's a great question. I would say it's because I feel called to do. it. You know, I feel that this is my calling. You know, I think, um, storytelling of all facet, um, being concerned about community, trying to be a, uh, you know, of use to other people feels like my life's calling. So I would say that's why, you know, um, and it's also because that's how I was raised. I grew up around people who, who walked in their, walked in their calling, you know, who really treasured the gifts that they were given and, and, you know, saw them as being precious and tried to take good care of them. And so I want to do the same, you know, and I want to be, you know, I want to be respected by the people that I respect, you know, and I think in order to earn my way into their company, I, you know, I got to live a good life, man, and that involves those things, you know, being concerned about community, taking care of myself and caring for the gifts that, that, that, uh, that, that, uh, that God has given me. And again, I'm going to keep saying it because I want you to hear it and receive it and feel it, man. Like, that's what makes me adore you, is all of what you just said, and embodying 100% of that because it's real. And talking about growing up in the South and growing up in Alabama and then having the amazing opportunity to win the part in Selma that you did, like when did you know that this was really your true calling? And again, I'm not talking about acting. Like, I'm going to give you all those accolades. But I'm talking about the leader that you are, the human being that you are. Like, when did you know that you had that responsibility? I think I knew that before I knew I wanted to. I was an actor. Yeah. You know, like I can't say enough about my mom and daddy. You know, my mother is a person who's coming to mind right now. because, you know, I was just with her, and so she's on top of my mind. But, you know, she grew up when I was growing up, she was always active in the community, always, everything from, I mean, we talked about Selma, man. We would go down to do the commemorative march to Edmund Pettus Bridge since I was a little boy. My mom would take me and my sisters and we'd go down there and we'd do it, you know. And anytime there was anything going on in Birmingham that was at all related to civil rights or to history or to civic engagement, she was like, come on, we're going. We're going to be a part of this. So she just lived in that kind of ethic. You know, when she graduated from college, she worked on the voter education project. So she was doing a lot of organizing work. You know, I got to be in the movie of Selma, but she actually did work for Julian Bond and John Lewis. and, you know, she did the work. So I think, you know, that's just what I, that's just like the kind of like water I swim in, man, that I grew up in, you know. So I knew that I had to make her proud and I had a big calling on my life long before I knew I wanted to be an actor. Yeah. That's amazing, bro. And, you know, again, I'm going to talk about Bessemer for a minute. I'm from South Carolina, but I know the history of Bessemer. I know the history of Birmingham and in the high school you went to. and growing up in Bessemer, right? You got Bo Jackson, you got James Winston, you got James, you got them all. Brett. Gucci, Maine. Gucci, Maine? Exactly. Exactly. You carrying that torch doing your part for Bessemer, man. What does that mean to you, personally? Man, everything. You know, Bessamer has gotten a bad rap over the years. You know, if you Google this, you probably saw, it doesn't have the best reputation in terms of, crime and, you know, the education system is often struggling. And yet, like, I know the people of that place, you know, and more how beautiful they are and how deserving they are, you know. And I think, you know, in my case, man, the only reason that I'm sitting here talking to you today is because somebody, in this case, it was my parents, saw fit to give me some opportunity, right, to explore my gift and to make the most of it. And that wasn't, you know, they did more for me than I deserve. You understand? So like the fact that I am here today is really just because I was planted in a place where I was allowed to flourish. You know what I mean? And my parents made sure that. And so I feel like if given the opportunity, if the young people in Bessemer are given that same opportunity, man. There are gifts that will come out of that community that we can't possibly anticipate, you know. So I feel it's my responsibility to give back. I don't mean give back in a sense of like I'm, you know, in a, you know, in a, in a sort of top-down kind of way. But I mean, like, I am a part of that community, and I want to always be shoulders to shoulder with those folks. And if I have something that I can offer, you know, then I think that's just repayment for all that they've already given to me. Yeah. I love that, dude. I love that so much. And, like, this next part of the show, I always call the unplugged truths. So I'm going to give you unplugged truth right here. Okay. And I'm going to try not to get emotional because I mean it and everything that I'm about. the same. I feel like you are a symbol of hope for a lot of people. A lot of people that, that I'm going to be real, that look like you and I, that most of the time, and I don't know what it was like for you growing up, right? But I know for me growing up, we didn't have a lot of just, I want to be that person or I can be like