Image via Starz
Myles Truitt is fresh off the success of STARZ’s latest hit show BMF. The 50 Cent produced series received a Season 2 order just four days after its strong Season 1 premiere and has since averaged 6.5 million viewers per episode. BMF tells the true story of brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory (Demetrius Flenory Jr.) and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory (Da’Vinchi) as they build a multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering empire in the late 80s and 90s. Truitt stars on the show as the brothers’ right-hand man Brian Mickie, a.k.a B-Mickie. The BMF cast ranges from newcomers like Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr., 13 Reasons Why star Ajiona Alexus, and grown-ish’s Da’Vinchi to Hollywood vets like Russell Hornsby, The Wire’s Wood Harris, Steve Harris, and also has special appearances by musicians Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Kash Doll. Truitt, a 19-year-old actor from Atlanta, Georgia, is somewhere in the middle.
He started crafting his acting skills at just 11-years-old and has since landed roles in projects like The New Edition Story and 2018’s Kin, alongside Michael B. Jordan and Zoë Kravitz. Truitt found his calling in acting as a kid when he was turned away from football camp one summer, which landed him in acting camp instead. That’s where he got the life motto that has helped him in his career and in life: “Every no gets you closer to a yes.” Even with a few projects under his belt, Truitt chooses to remain teachable and sees every opportunity as a chance to learn and grow as an actor and as a person. Being part of the 50 Cent TV universe now is so fitting for him, as they both have a goal to help others with dreams of becoming actors. Complex caught up with the actor ahead of the BMF Season 1 finale airingon Sunday, Nov. 21, and he opened up about what it means to tell the Flenory brother’s story, what his hopes are for his character B-Mickie and why after taking on several drama roles over the years, he’s ready to explore the next phase of his career as the next action star. Judging by his performance on BMF, Myles Truitt is well on his way.
Image via Starz
You play B-Mickie on BMF, and he is an integral part of everything that the brothers are doing, you’re their right-hand man but it’s clear that he starts to want to be his own person. How was it for you to portray on screen?
It didn’t take a lot for me after really analyzing and reading over the dialogue in the script. I understood where B-Mickie’s character was coming from as far as his misplacement and the placement that he was trying to prove that he was deserving of, and the fact that he was doing it for so long and with the amount of energy that he was putting behind it, comparing it towards the other 50 Boyz. He felt like he wasn’t being held up to par like he should have been, in regards to Meech and Terry. He’s been in the game for so long with them, he’s been killing and doing things to people that they wouldn’t necessarily do. So he’s been their right-hand man for them for so long. And he feels like he hasn’t been given that deserved spot yet. And that’s honestly what I found out while I was reading. I really didn’t have to talk to Brian [Mickie], have any different sources to look up, I just had to read the script and the dialogue and understand where my character was coming from throughout the whole season, just building off of that.
Image via Starz
You’re a ‘90s baby, so you weren’t really around for the height of the BMF era. So now being on the show, do you have a better understanding of the impact that they had not only in Detroit but also on the culture as a whole.
Music, hip-hop, all the way down to them coming 40 cars deep in foreigns all the way down to Lamborghinis, the Corvettes, to the club. They were one of the first big groups that would pull up maybe 40 to 60 cars deep. All foreign cars, Range Rovers, Bentleys, Lamborghinis pulling up to Magic, Diamond, all the different strip clubs and clubs in Detroit and Atlanta. They were the first ones to do that. That was just one of the things that I didn’t even know that they had an impact on when it came to the culture of the clubs in Atlanta. When it came down to the culture and the hip-hop and the placement of time that BMF was filmed, I was actually kind of comfortable. Because most of the films that I’ve filmed, TV shows, what have you, have majority been placed in different times, the ‘80s or ‘90s. New Edition, I did Atlanta. Stranger Things is ‘86 in Season 4. So I found myself really comfortable in that time zone. So when it came down to filming BMF, the Kangols, the baggy chains, the baggy hats, the shoes, the Adidas, the tracksuits, all those things made me more and more comfortable in who I was and who I was trying to pursue on-screen as B-Mickie.
I saw a YouTube video where you talked about how you really wanted to go to basketball camp, but you had to go to acting camp instead. And now you’re here.
Every no gets you closer to a yes. That’s the motto that I live by. Consistency is key. This job occupation does not wait for you. And that’s what I’ve found out. Indulging into acting and doing theater and then actually making it my job, I couldn’t stop. I have to continue auditioning, I have to learn character development, I have to learn different mannerisms of different characters from different states and different countries. All of that revolves around the respect factor that I have around acting.
When did you know that acting was what you wanted to do?
When I found out that I enjoyed, loved doing it, and I was getting paid while doing it. That’s when I really was like, “Oh, I love this.” I enjoyed doing theater as a hobby, going there for summer camps, getting my mind out of the gutter for like three months. Then I realized I can do this while I’m in school. I joined a youth ensemble program. And then from there, from that youth ensemble program, I was like, ‘Wow, I can do this consistently. Let me make this a pattern for my life.’ So it wasn’t really something that I initially wanted to do out the gate, but it was different tests that made me want to do it.
Looking back, what impact did landing the role of a young Ronnie DeVoe in The New Edition Story have on your life, both personally and professionally?
I feel like that role in itself was a huge stepping stool for me. It was that one “yes” that I needed. Every no that gets you closer to a yes. I had so many no’s before that. And that one “yes” gained me 24.7 million views off the first three nights. Just that exposure in itself from casting directors, directors, different agents, managers, I was very much grateful because I knew that it was a blessing. I didn’t really honestly work for this. I didn’t go to school for acting, I didn’t pay anybody to learn acting, I figured out that I loved and enjoyed doing it. And in the end, I could make it a job.
You also did Kin in 2018 and you got to work with some pretty big names. Zoë Kravitz, Michael B. Jordan, James Franco. And in an interview, you said that you treated them like they were your friends.
I treat everybody as an equal. The person that takes the trash out of my trailer, I treat them the same way as I treated Michael B. Jordan and Zoë Kravitz. My mom was my manager all the way until I was 18. So her being in my circle, being in my back pocket throughout the whole majority of my childhood acting career, I really didn’t have anything to make me feel like I’m more than the other person next to me. My mom always told me that my legs can be taken away from me and there are not a lot of handicapped roles. That right there had made me just realize the blessings that I have and how much that I can’t take them for granted. So I just stayed humble throughout my acting career. I tell myself all the time, there aren’t a lot of handicapped roles and my legs can be taken away from me. So I was grateful every day. The circle that I had around me kept me so well-grounded, I guess it was just my mom and my team. I have a good team. I have a financial advisor, my manager, everybody around me keeps me grounded in my mental, not altered by any distractions. It’s all about your team. It’s all about the circle around you.
Do you think that prepared you for working with people like 50 Cent and the BMF cast?
I learned to listen to everybody because everybody knows something that you don’t. I learned from one of my castmates, Tyshon Freeman, who plays Hoop in BMF, and he was telling me about the lenses that we’re using and how they used those lenses on Interstellar and nobody else has used those lenses before. He’s only been acting for two years and I’ve been acting since I was 11, 12. So that prime example in itself showed me how much I could learn on set, have listening eyes, and just be genuine around the people that are around me. At the end of the day, we’re all trying to illustrate a story that is real. So we all have to put in our best efforts in what we’re doing together because good chemistry’s going to show on camera.
Image via Starz
I love the chemistry between you and Ajiona Alexus, who plays Kato on the show. What does the relationship mean for your character and what do they represent to each other?
Well, first of all, our relationship in real life is amazing. We have great chemistry and I feel like that overpours into what you guys see on screen with B-Mickie and Kato’s character. She was like a big sister to me. Every scene that we were getting ready to do, before the scene I asked her, “Are you comfortable?” Because if she wasn’t comfortable then I wasn’t comfortable. And that played into effect throughout the whole season throughout our moments and different scenes that need to be more diverse and built upon between both of us. And she understood that, both of us did. When it came down to our characters and the story though, I felt like it was a lot for Brian because it was balancing the best of both worlds. The money side and his placement as far as the caliber of power that he was deserving of, and him trying to grieve and grab upon that from Meech and Terry. And on the other hand, the secrecy behind Kato and his relationship, that’s a no-go. But him trying to keep them separate, I felt like it was a lot. It was a mental battle for Brian for sure that he was going to be facing throughout the whole season.
There’s a whole new crop of young actors in Hollywood, especially Black actors that are super, super talented. You, Da’Vinchi. Now, Lil Meech is in the mix, too. What does that feel like for you when you look around and see so many people that look like you that are now taking over?
I love how as a race, we aren’t settling in this industry. That’s what I’m seeing. We’re not settling for the roles, we’re not settling for the money, we’re settling for what we’re satisfied with. I’ve been seeing that a lot in a lot of my peers and actors and actresses around me. Everybody is satisfied and being satisfied and not settled. Not just playing the high school jock that’s opening up his locker, and not just the lunch lady, or not just somebody playing Martin Luther King Jr. We’re more than that. You know what I mean? The fact that I’m being a part of a story that hasn’t been told yet but is true, that’s the main thing that I wanted to do. I told my agents I want to be part of a project that can illustrate a story, a true story that hasn’t been told to the public yet in the correct way.
Congratulations on Season 2. What do you hope is in store for the next season and especially for your character?
I just hope that we get to show a little bit of the internal side of Brian’s character. His mindset, what’s going on with him. And I can’t go too in-depth because y’all haven’t seen [everything] yet. So I really can’t tell you what I want to see in Season 2. But really just the internal aspect of what’s going on in his head and really just be able to illustrate that on camera. Because I felt like this season, it was shown a little bit, but I want to see different parts of his rage if you know what I mean. Because we know he’s crazy, but how crazy is he? There’s different types of crazy. Lamar (Eric Kofi-Abrefa) has been this consistent, crazy ass n*gga the whole season. With Mickie, it’s like, we knew he was crazy but we didn’t know how crazy he was. Now, we want to see how crazy he can get. That’s what I’m anticipating. I’m waiting for you guys to watch and see what happens. We’ll make two episodes. Y’all are going to flip out.
I’m excited to see the rest. I know you also started your own production company, New Village. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
It’s just a main outlet for any local kids or teenagers or people that are around my age that are in Atlanta that need an outlet to show who they are, their skillset as far as when it comes to gaming, designing actors, actresses, modeling, all the way down to being a director, film, all those things. That’s what New Village is, it’s a new village. It’s surrounded by family and it’s all new. Everything that we’re going to create, if it hasn’t been created before, let’s create it now. I created this for also an outlet for myself because I never really knew where I could go to film something, or where I could go to act in something of my own, or where I can go to go to the team and create a film or a concept of my own, where I can make my own origin myself. That’s why I figured out where I can just get a team, get some money involved, put my name around it and start from there. I’ve always wanted to film my own projects, come up with different cross platforms where the audience can interact with different films while they’re watching it. Just different ideas that are just always in my head, but I never really had that outlet. And who’s to say there’s not 10 more of me? But it’s the fact that it’s here and not a lot of them are. It’s not a forced outlet, but it’s the fact that it’s an outlet that is here and it’s local to you.
Especially in Atlanta where there are so many talented people.
Yes, and a prime example, there were so many people on BMF that we did not know of before and now we do. And they showed their skillset. 50 Cent gave them that outlet. Myles Bullock for an example. Nobody knew who this man was, but this man has been doing theater, plays, shows. He’s 30 years old right now and he got that one “yes” and now he’s probably going to be Emmy-nominated. Now he’s going to get films and TV roles after this. And that just pinpoints what I said earlier, every no gets you closer to a yes. And he got his one “yes.” And I’m just trying to get somebody else there.
Congratulations on Stranger Things, too. How do you feel about joining that universe?
Oh, I love it. I had a blast filming it, it was an amazing experience. And it was my first time ever playing a basketball jock. So that was cool, I love basketball. I got to play basketball and act. And I got to see Caleb McLaughlin. He was actually one of the first actors I ever worked with, in The New Edition Story. So I got to see him again and work alongside him. So I got a reoccurring role on that. So I’ll be in six episodes out of nine, so make [sure] you guys watch out for that. I had an amazing time, man.
After that, what is your dream role for you in the next five years?
My dream role it’s not really a dream role, but I want to do a lot of stunts. I want to do an action movie. Because that’s what seems like what the audience really be watching the majority of the time. You have to have a really good movie to have a lot of dialogue in it. You have to be really good. Nobody’s going to sit in the movie theater for two hours to an hour and a half just to see people talk. I’m only going to see you talk if you’re Denzel Washington, Will Smith, or if you’re actually good. And not a lot of people are good. They got to have robots or Transformers as a distraction or somebody jumping off a cliff.
Even Denzel has to do a couple of action movies every now and then to keep things exciting.
That’s what I’m saying. I’ve done a lot of drama roles, one. And I feel like that’s what I’ve gotten comfortable in and I need to get out of, because I know I have comedic relief. I know that I like to do a little bit of exercise every now and then. I could do more than talk. I could do a little bit more. I want to jump off a building, I want to climb a ladder.
Well, you got to put it out into the universe. Next thing you know you’re going to be a Marvel superhero. Who knows?
Right. Miles Morales, I would love to do that. Actually, that’s my dream role. I would love to play Miles Morales, for sure.
