Brian White talks ‘Men of a Certain Age’
December 5, 2010
by Rodney Ho
Brian White, who plays the cocky car salesman on TNT’s drama “Men of a Certain Age,” was in Atlanta this past week to visit “The Mo’Nique Show.” I stopped by the Midtown W Hotel to gab with him about the show, which starts season two Monday night at 10 p.m.
White, 35, said the low-key, critically acclaimed drama actually shoots at two real auto dealerships. “They’re selling cars while we’re shooting,” he said.
For White, being a car salesman is not a major stretch because he was an NFL football player with the New England Patriots. “It’s like a football locker room,” he said. “They’re all competing to be No. 1. They’re always cracking jokes.”
Watching the real salesmen inspires him, provides him insight for his own acting.
During season one, White enjoyed playing the man who comes between Owen (played by Emmy-nominated Andre Braugher) and Owen Sr. (Richard Gant), who has run a Chevrolet dealership for many years. Owen has a complex about living in the shadow of his dad, who in many ways prefers White’s character Marcus, a better looking, younger, superior car salesman to Owen. In one episode, Owen Sr. even tapes a TV ad that implies Marcus – not Owen – is his son.
Soon after, Owen quits and works for a rival dealership. While there, he sells with a vengeance. This inspires Owen Sr. to invite his son back into the fold to run the dealership. Marcus is out. But without giving away too much in season two, Marcus will return to the show.
“You can’t remove the foil,” White said. Owen “is finally seeing what his dad sees. Marcus isn’t a bad guy.”
Why would Marcus even want to return? “This is a black-owned dealership,” White said. “There’s something to be said about that. Marcus sees what Owen Sr. has done as an aspirational goal. He wants to be like that.”
Naturally, Marcus thinks he can run the joint better than Owen. For now, he is the alpha male among the car salesmen. But the arrival of charismatic Terry (Scott Bakula) as another salesman creates a potential rival to Marcus.
White is a recently married man who owns a home in Sandy Springs but spends 95 percent of his time in Los Angeles. “I come here to hide out,” he said. “Atlanta is very friendly.” Ini fact, he has shot three films here in Atlanta: “Stomp the Yard,” “Daddy’s Little Girl” and “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.” He remains busy and has three films coming out the next few months including two romantic comedies and a Joss Whedon horror/action flick “Cabin in the Woods.”
“Men of a Certain Age” is an oddball series on a network packed with serious cop dramas and escapist fun such as “Leverage.” There are no grisly murders, no gritty criminal acts, but plenty of talk about colonoscopies, weakening vision and thoughts of pending mortality.
“Our show would never survive on broadcast networks,” he said. “It’s not that kind of show. It really feels honest and real.”
White said he’s been honored to work with Michael Chiklis from his days on “The Shield” as well as Braugher. “It’s a master class every day,” he said. “Andre is very gracious and giving. Last season, halfway through, he pulled me aside. ‘I want to thank you for always hitting the ball and being present.’ ” His job, he said, is to lift the leads. “I’m always around Scott [Bakula] trying to figure out what I can do to help without being annoying.”
Odd trivia: a decade ago, he took a two-year acting master classes with Mo’Nique and Boris Kodjoe, a former Atlantan whose show “Undercovers” was just axed by NBC.
On TV
“Men of a Certain Age,” 10 p.m. TNT on Mondays
Courtesy of Access of Atlanta
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