SPOILER ALERT! This submit accommodates particulars from Monday night time’s episode of All American: Homecoming.
Mitchell Edwards has definitely gone on a journey with Cam Watkins, the character he’s performed throughout a number of seasons of each All American and All American: Homecoming.
“It was a full journey of a personality to go from the pompous, cocky soccer jock who thinks he’s higher than the result in changing into the sleek, supportive boyfriend and good friend to the chief of the [latter show],” Edwards informed Deadline, talking about Monday night time’s episode, when the arc actually got here full circle for him.
After Cam’s breakup with Keisha, he’s tasked with pouring his ache into new music for a significant recording artist. Whereas that artist finally doesn’t admire what Cam brings to the desk, the character handles such an emotionally fraught second with a degree of grace that will’ve appeared unlikely to return from the model of Cam audiences meet within the first season of All American.
Not solely was Edwards in a position to discover new depths to his character on this episode, he was additionally in a position to infuse extra of his personal artwork into it, as his personal music, “Taking part in No Video games,” is featured towards the tip.
Within the interview beneath, the actor spoke concerning the intersection of his artwork and mirrored on every part that’s led Cam to this second the place he may deal with such heartbreak along with his head held excessive.
DEADLINE: What was the dialog to get your music, ‘Taking part in No Video games,’ on this episode, and what does it imply to you for that to occur?
MITCHELL EDWARDS: I used to be very excited to get a pair placements on the present! I wrote this music about 5 years in the past, and it was a few state of affairs that was fully imagined. So quick ahead to 5 years later, our showrunner [Nkechi Okoro Carroll] and reached out to me and…briefed me on what the journey of my character was this season, and clearly the breakup with Keisha was mentioned. So that they requested me if I had any songs in my catalogue that would probably work alongside that storyline. I pitched this music to them. They beloved it, [and] they have been in a position to construct the script across the music a bit of bit. The music form of places fault on the woman, so to talk, so on this case, they made certain that Keisha was responsible of the issues that, basically, the music is about. So it was form of cool. They simply form of constructed the script round that, tweaked it a bit of bit, and, increase, we have been in a position to simply use the music.
DEADLINE: That’s so attention-grabbing to listen to that the story was really influenced by the music you had already written.
EDWARDS: I believe too, as a songwriter, generally you will get imposter syndrome since you’re like, ‘Man, I haven’t been by means of this.’ that was the case with this music. I had no actual supply materials for the story of the music. It simply was the sensation of the beat. So to discover a story later was actually dope. I simply applaud and thank [Nkecki] a lot for all the time pushing myself and my whole forged and tapping into the issues that we like to do, looking for methods to offer us the chance to showcase these issues on the present and simply to make the present higher. It was simply nice to have the ability to be of service to the script and have a music already prepared, and be capable of deliver each of my passions collectively and inform a terrific story.
DEADLINE: How have you ever felt about Cam’s journey this season, particularly given the breakup with Keisha, but additionally attending to discover his songwriting?
EDWARDS: I believe having music and now having an entire new path in life actually excited him. And I believe, like most issues that we’re enthusiastic about, we’re solely excited concerning the good issues, proper? We’re not likely fascinated with the challenges which will come. So I believe for him, as soon as these challenges begin to come, he’s not likely certain navigate it. He simply is aware of that he’s very excited concerning the alternative. He does open up to Keisha, as he all the time does, however she has her personal state of affairs happening, so she doesn’t even know totally help him within the second, in the way in which through which he wants. So I believe for him, it’s a terrific enterprise into his personal solo journey, no matter it’s that he’s alleged to be doing. Now he’s not doing soccer, He’s engaged on music, and he’s simply looking for his means, and he has to do it on his personal…I believe that’s a problem for him as effectively to discover ways to navigate the duties of his profession path on his personal. There is no such thing as a companion or no pacifier that you may depend on to get there.
DEADLINE: I believe he’s dealing with all of it with rather more maturity and beauty than the model of Cam we met in All American. How has it been so that you can see him grown over so many seasons?
EDWARDS: I believe that was what Cam form of yearned for in All American, was to have a possibility to be an actual particular person. For those who suppose again to Season 1, him having a dialog with Spencer and being like, ‘Hey, I didn’t have that Fairy Godfather are available in and save my life and provides me an opportunity to be an entire new man.’ And so I believe Bringston is that for him. When he goes to Bringston, it’s actually an opportunity for him to form of redefine himself. He mentions that to Simone, like, ‘Please don’t maintain the previous towards me primarily based off of who you might be acquainted with me being.’
I believe one other factor to consider is that he loses soccer very early. Whereas in All American, he had soccer as a masks, and he was in a position to be the large, proficient soccer participant that no one may discuss unhealthy about, as a result of his efficiency was so excessive. So dropping that, he just about misplaced his defend or misplaced his masks in life, and has to discover a new one. I believe that that naturally simply form of humbles him and [we see] him studying navigate a relationship, being in love, studying navigate a good friend circle, and being supported. I believe all of these issues mixed actually simply form of broke down his partitions and made him open up and be a member of the neighborhood. I believe he actually loved it, which is why we see extra grace come from him.
DEADLINE: Do you suppose that’s additionally a part of the explanation that he feels so betrayed, not simply by Keisha, however by JR as effectively?
EDWARDS: Yeah, I believe so. I imply, I don’t suppose brotherhood is one thing Cam takes flippantly, coming from sports activities, coming from soccer. He mentioned final season throughout his pledging, he discovered that KEK has a lot extra to supply than simply scholarship cash. There’s a brotherhood that he was craving to be part of that he didn’t know. The primary brother that he made was JR. He made that reference to him effectively earlier than KEK, so I believe that’s why he was so harm and brought aback when JR wasn’t so excited to assist him be part of. However as soon as he finally did and helped him get funding, I believe it took that relationship to a different degree, and I believe Cam was in a position to take a layer off or enable one of many partitions to fall with JR as effectively, as a result of JR had proved himself to be such good friend. That’s what precipitated that betrayal to be much more painful. I believe with each Keisha and JR, Cam was sluggish to like them. He took his time to essentially to be taught who they have been, after which determined to be their good friend, and determined to be the complete, loyal Cam that he is aware of he’s, and for that to be reciprocated with betrayal, I believe could be very, very painful for him. I positively suppose he mourns each Keisha and JR, the lack of these relationships.
DEADLINE: Their breakup scene within the earlier episode was very heartbreaking. How was it to movie that scene with Netta Walker?
EDWARDS: I imply, apart from all the nice issues I get to do, singing, dancing on the present, my favourite factor to do, and the very best a part of my job, has all the time been working with Netta, just because the 2 of us have nice respect for each other and nice respect for the craft at giant. We’re each theater infants, and we knew what the task was when it got here to Keisha and Cam, as a result of this was the one relationship that was sustained over the three seasons to date. So not only for the 2 of them, but additionally for our universe, for our present and followers, this was the largest breakup, so to talk, as a result of they’ve been collectively the longest. It was one of many first scenes, I consider, we shot that episode, and we have been prepared. Me and Netta simply have nice belief for one another. We’re all the time excited to do scenes like that with loads of emotion, as a result of we maintain nice house for one another on and off digital camera. When it’s her take and when it’s my take, we’re each in it. I believe that we did that that day, We got here in, we have been prepared. We knew what the task was, and the method was, actually, let’s simply do what we do. Let’s actually honor this relationship between these two characters and provides them the emotion that it deserves in the case of their breakup.
DEADLINE: You’ve gotten to work a lot extra along with your different forged mates this season as effectively. How has that been?
EDWARDS: That’s all the time loads of enjoyable to combine up the circle and alter the dynamics. I believe within the first season, season and a half, actually, the main focus is about establishing the first relationships. So I spent loads of season one working with Netta. So once we began to interrupt that up, that was already enjoyable. Then this season, I really feel like I’ve labored with just about everyone. It brings an entire new facet of the job out. Every character has a unique relationship with the opposite. I actually love the connection between Cam and Simone, and the place their relationship is now, as a result of they do have probably the most historical past out of the circle. I like that they began as potential foes along with her relationship his former teammate or former finest good friend, and the 2 of them having odds of their relationship to now being like brother and sister. I like the thought of Cam taking Lando below his wing, and now doing for Lando what JR did for cam. Simply exterior of that, with the ability to work with the totally different actors, Geffri [Maya] and I are actually shut. Me and Martin [Bobb-Semple] are actually shut. So with the ability to go to work with these guys and really feel out their totally different appearing habits and what that brings out of me, it was loads of enjoyable. It was loads of pleasure, with the ability to shuffle the playing cards, so to talk.
DEADLINE: How did you’re feeling discovering out the present would finish after this season? Do you’re feeling closure with Cam?
EDWARDS: Me particularly, I definitely do have loads of closure. It’s been an extended journey. Everyone knows the place this character began. There was no foresight for the place he was going to finish, and the truth that it ended the place it did, with him entering into music, entering into dance a bit of bit with Keisha. I believe it was fulfilling. It was a full journey of a personality to go from the pompous, cocky soccer jock who thinks he’s higher than the result in changing into the sleek, supportive boyfriend and good friend to the chief of the following present. I believe that that was superior. We noticed him enjoying sports activities and the way he has different abilities within the arts. We received to see all these various things. So, for me, with the ability to present these totally different dynamics inside this character, I really feel extremely fulfilled and at peace, and I do really feel like I’ve closure. The information additionally got here on my final day of filming. So it was the day that I used to be placing the present down anyway, and so after I received the information, it simply made it a closing occasion. This could be the ultimate time I put the present down, however I used to be very blissful and happy with what we achieved, and really proud to be part of this present and the opposite present, and be capable of characterize the tradition in such a phenomenal means.
DEADLINE: What’s subsequent for you?
EDWARDS: So my journey is similar to Cam’s, in that the following factor can be music. He mentions in episode 12, in a pair weeks, it’s time for his subsequent chapter, which goes to be superb, and that’s how I really feel. It’s time for my subsequent chapter. In fact, I’m an actor for the remainder of my life. I’ve already established that, however I’m very excited to have been in a position to drop this music on the present and get the ball rolling. I’ve one other one coming by means of as effectively, and after that, we’ll simply be dropping music and sharing that and pushing that ahead, in addition to persevering with to audition and persevering with to work and search work as an actor. Along with releasing music as an artist, I’m additionally actually trying ahead to creating new music for reveals and movies to proceed to merge my presents and passions as a storyteller.
