Over a decade ago, Carl McDowell turned in his cleats to pursue his acting career. From Chicago to LA, he has made his way to HBO’s hit series Ballers. His contagious humor and easy-going spirit have both given him ways, not only out of his hood, but to a lane of evolving success.
You weren’t always an actor. In fact, you were headed towards a different career path. Can you speak a little on that?
I played football most of my life: in high school, college, and the semi-pros. When I was in college, my teammates and I, we took easy classes, so we didn’t really have to focus on the classes. We just focused on football.
When did acting begin for you then given your focus was football?
One of the classes they gave me was Theatre Practicum. It was a class where I was supposed to build sets and break down sets for plays. My teammates would tell me, “Get this class. We never go to this class.” When they said they never would go, they meant they’d skip from time to time. But, I took it literally and I never went to class. So, come grade time the teacher called me and said, there was no way he could pass me because I had never been in his class. If I wanted to pass, I had to do a play for him. The play was called Of Mice and Men and I was to be Crooks. I didn’t like it. I went to coach to see if he could get me out of it, but the coach thought it would be funny if I did the play. He bought the team to watch me do this play.
So then, after that occurrence you chose acting over football?
I had to do the play and I just fell in love with it. I fell in love with the whole process. We had opening night and I got a really good response. After the play, I didn’t really focus on the acting anymore. I focused more on football until I was in the semi-pros. I tore my ACL. Then, I gave up on my football dreams and I started to pursue comedy and acting.
You’ve starred in Gridiron Gang and Snoop Dogg’s Bossn’ Up, along with other notable movies. What has been the most impactful for your career and why?
Bossn’ Up with Snoop Dogg was pretty impactful. It was my first speaking role and it was with Snoop Dogg. It was on BET and I knew my family and friends would see it. So, that was really impactful. The Longest Yard was also impactful. One, it was a football movie and two, it was with so many stars: Adam Sandler, Nelly, Tracy Morgan, football players. It was just so much fun to meet all these different people from different walks of life and then see how they interacted. Then, I did the Gridiron Gang with The Rock. It was so much fun to be on set. We would go to Malibu and camp and we would just hang out for like a month to a month and a half. Those were the three most impactful movies.
Awesome! So, did you get your role on Ballers by that connection you made with The Rock on Gridiron Gang?
No, I didn’t! I don’t think The Rock remembers that he and I were in Gridiron Gang together. It was so long ago and I was different. I had hair then. I was skinnier. I was a kid then. I don’t think he knows, but next time we are around each other I’ll bring it up.
How did you get your start on Ballers?
My manager sent in this audition. He’s from Miami, my manager Andy Anderson. He sent me this audition and he was really stoked about it and he was saying, “This is going to be filmed in my hometown with The Rock, so you got to get this one!” I went in and read for FAT Reggie, London’s role a couple times. Then I went in and read for TTD’s role a couple of times. It was the “Her” scene that I’m sitting on the couch smoking weed, watching the movie Her, and critiquing it. I remember and it was really easy to do.
Interesting! For those of us who aren’t actors, we’re probably thinking it takes one audition or you get one try to land a role. However, you’re saying that you had multiple auditions. How do you persevere through all of those auditions?
I love auditioning! So, it’s not one time you’d go in. The first time you go in you’ll probably put yourself on tape with a casting director. The second time, with a callback, you’ll go in and be with the casting director, maybe the director and the producer. Then the third one might be a chemistry read. You’ll go in and read with the person you might be reading with. That’ll probably be the extent of it, but I love auditioning. When I get a piece, I like to just jump right into it. There are different ways. Sometimes I’ll record the whole thing. I’ll just listen to it over and over and get it to memory. Once I get it like that I can put feelings into it, add adjustments. But every time I get to do an audition, the first one to the call back to the chemistry read, I get to know it more and more. I get to do different things with it and have more fun with it.
Pretty cool! For people who have never seen Ballers, can you explain your character TTD?
TTD is a stoner. He’s also Ricky Jared’s best friend that gets everything done for him. When there was a fun house, he used to run the fun house. He used to bring the girls, drugs, the party. Now that Ricky has a baby, he’s like a nanny. He takes care of the kid. Anything Ricky needs to be done, he takes care of it. He makes Ricky’s life easy. Even though he’s kind of annoying and just a stoner. That’s TTD.
How do you make the transition from Carl to TTD?
From Carl to TTD isn’t much of a transition, as I am TTD. The only differences really between us is that I really don’t wear jewelry or watches. I’m not as fancy as he is. I’m just a “jeans and t-shirt” or “sweatpants and t-shirt” kind-of-guy. But the other stuff is all me. I am “that guy” for my friends. I make their lives easier. I am 420 friendly! I wear those crazy t-shirts. That’s me. What you see is what you get. TTD and Carl are pretty much the same guys.
You live in California and marijuana is legalized for recreational use. Have you ever thought about starting your own marijuana business, given the role you play at TTD?
Given the role that I play, it seems like it makes sense to do. I haven’t yet. There are a lot of dispensaries where I’m at now. My friends tell me that I should cross over into the marijuana medium, put TTD with the marijuana and start a strand or something like that. I never gave it much thought, but if people keep saying it then it must be something to it. I’ll maybe look into it now.
That’s definitely dope! Other than Ballers where can we catch you?
I have a short film, French Fries, going around the festival circuit. It won a few festivals and it played on TNT with the Refinery29. I have a movie called Realm of the World coming out at the beginning of the year on Netflix. I also have another movie coming out called Be the Light. It should come out at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year.
Sciler Williams
