And so he was able to be a partner that I think helped me grow, if anything, helped me, you know, expand into who I am as opposed to being somebody who's a patch - you know, a patch for the scars. The cars of Custer, Berry, Sheldon Creed, Busch, Brandon Jones and Gray Gaulding will go to the rear for using backup . There's a lot of gray. And I thought that I could write an anti-racism book of some kind. That's my hope. Brandon Kyle Goodman may be best known for his hit Netflix series Big Mouth, but the actor, writer, and activist has many talents in his arsenal. Brandon Kyle Goodman, an actor, writer and activist, near his home in Los Angeles. I hope this might be useful to anybody who's been chasing their dreams. Shortly after I graduated from college at 21, my mother and Uncle Ronnie had a big falling out. Can you talk a bit more about being non-binary and how that intersects with other parts of yourself? I didnt attend his funeral, which took place in Delaware, where he was from originally. GOODMAN: Because, you know, everyone wants the idea of queerness and wants the performance of it but not always the people. Have they been protected? Cool with it like he was into it or, like, cool with it like, [expletive] happens? They grew up in a religious immigrant household, and they know all too well what it's like to hide, to hide the most meaningful parts of yourself. I so enjoyed this. So I was latching on GOODMAN: To this thing of, like, I'm missing something. He is proud of that degree, as he should be. But the community in which all those things come from, which I would say is Black and brown queer folks, aren't protected and aren't valued and aren't validated inside of that. Spoiler alert: It doesnt. He started his acting career in the year 2012. He has appeared in the movie Plue One and the television series Modern Love. I think CHANG: Well, as you say, we are enough exactly CHANG: As we are - so easy to say, sometimes so impossible to internalize. I always say that I live out loud as Black and queer and non-binary because so many couldnt and they fought for me to be able to. Human Resources, which depicts the office dynamics and inner lives of Big Mouth 's wide array of hormone monsters and fantasy creatures, has given Goodman the chance . Cindy Ulshafer Justin Ulshafer Katherine Ulshafer Micaela Ulshafer Michael Ulshafer Amanda Jones Amanda Taylor Ann Taylor Anne Walch Artesia Girgis Ben Taylor Benjamin Taylor David . You know, I think she, when I was very young, really instilled in me, what is your mission statement? My therapist explained it best, which is when you have these moments of trauma and you revisit them to try and get the lesson, theres a retriggering that happens. Brandon Kyle Goodman is an actor, writer and activist who currently writes and stars in the Netflix animated series Big Mouth and its spinoff, Human Resources.. Brandon Kyle Goodman, a Nonbinary Voice of Big Mouth, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/style/brandon-kyle-goodman-big-mouth.html. Both had a different experience of the situation, and my Uncle Ronnie in particular expressed being hurt. Goodman, a voice actor and writer on the hilariously raunchy animated shows Big Mouth and Human Resources (whose credits also include Feel the Beat and Curb Your Enthusiasm), grew up in a religious household in New York and came out as gay in college. I didnt call him back. CHANG: That is the work. Pour en savoir plus sur la faon dont nous utilisons vos donnes personnelles, veuillez consulter notre politique relative la vie prive et notre politique en matire de cookies. In fact, so much of his own writing is focused. Brandon Kyle Goodman stars in the film as Deco, the best friend and neighbor of Sofia Carson's April. Just this morning, there was a tweet from the co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party where she called Pete Buttigieg a weak little girl. Do you find reading the news triggering and how do you react? He also serves the position of a motivational speaker and activist. I would often teach 7 a.m., 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. classes, which meant, before my afternoon sessions, I would have what we instructors referred to as second breakfast too early for lunch, but still a full meal because I always ate before my classes and needed even more food after. My approach is to always say that there are two things that get to be true. Copyright 2023 NPR. Her writing has allowed her to visit NYC for Fashion Week events since 2015, and she's worked with clients in almost every field, from dentistry to law and family to entertainment. He andJack Quaidboth appeared in the movie Plus One. The Big Mouth actor talks about being Black and queer and his solo project on the latest episode of the podcast hosted by theGrios Cortney Willis. Brandon Kyle Goodman's You Gotta Be You answers her call. Brandon Kyle Goodman's new book is called "You Gotta Be You: How To Embrace This Messy Life And Step Into Who You Really Are." Thank you so much for sharing this time with us, Brandon. And then, you know, when you start getting . Follow. Hey, girl. His first acting role was on the television seriesNext Time on Lonny. Since Uncle Ronnie was my godfather and not my biological father, my choice was clear: Blood is thicker than water. I started playing this character about ten years ago, and his name is Latrell Jackson and hes a talk show host who has this New York, kind of Harlem, Im from Queens kind of way about him, Goodman said, adding, But hes extremely femme and extremely comfortable in his flamboyance and his Blackness and queerness, which in many ways was me in my twenties, trying to reckon with the intersections of my identity and finally finding the safe space on stage to do that, he says. CHANG: When in life did you decide that what you wanted to do through your art, through your personality - what you wanted to do was to help people learn to love themselves more? GOODMAN: Oh, my goodness. Goodman's book, "You Gotta Be You," is an ode to shaking off the expectations of others and tossing out the boxes that society nudges us all into. I hope this generation really pushes the needle that our identities are our own and we get to decide what they are. And so that to me means the other side is gonna swing harder and unfortunately theres no decorum and there are no boundaries that theyre not willing to cross because they want to fight to hold onto that power that was never theirs to begin with. But one thing I know about my community, our community, is that we are strong, were fighters, and were not gonna back down. When did that hit you that that's what your purpose is? And my hope is that these white men will fill that void. He is extensively known in the country for his project on #Black Lives Matter. He hopes the book will serve as a guide to self-love, especially for Black queer folx, while also offering white/non-Black folx a candid look inside the experience of Black queerness. How challenging was it write about your own story so honestly? This work is a laboratory of love: an essential companion for our journeys toward self-actualization. And I think I learned that from my mother. I also felt too much shame. Latrell was my coping mechanism. To me, its about building community. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. February 1, 2022 10:15am. During a recent episode of Acting Up, he discussed his activism and his engaging IG account where hes constantly serving up tons of inspiration and weighing in on everything from sex to race issues, to our ongoing fight for equality. He wants to make sure its a positive situation. And thats never the most fun process. Writer + Actor; Author; Speaker; Educator; Activism; Messy Mondays NPR's Ailsa Chang chats with Brandon Kyle Goodman about their new book You Gotta Be You: How to Embrace This Messy Life and Step Into Who You Really Are. Can you talk about that pressure? Whenever I copped an attitude, he knew how to put a smile on my face. But just maybe don't have the sound on if you are at work. We're required to fit into boxes based on our race, gender, sexuality, and other parts of our identities, being told by others how we should behave, who we should date, or what we should be interested in. Kyle Busch (180.156) qualified 11th. She said, oh, well, if I ever see you in a movie, I'm going to point and say, he can't drive. Brandon Kyle Goodman's new book is called "You Gotta Be You: How To Embrace This Messy Life And Step Into Who You Really Are." The big-name reposts, Goodman proceeds to effectively take a stand in opposition to the shameful acts that have been tormenting the African American people group for a considerable length of time. They also get weekly meetings with me and they get to meet all the writers. You know, I think that as a kid, when you're, like, you know, 2, 3 and you're just playing, people kind of let you do whatever you want. And so you dated white guys in part for the proximity to white privilege. For so many of us, those boxes begin to feel like shackles when we realize they dont fit our unique shape, yet we keep trying because we crave acceptance and validation. Personal Life. TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. You'll get so much nostalgic TV, you'll hear about their black queerness, their unique lens on writing for TV and what steps we can take to love ourselves?! I will call him back. My stomach rumbled, and I was reminded of my usual routine. Or you see our fashion. Theres nothing he is not willing to discuss with those who are curious or want to learn. Compassionate and soulful, funny and revealing, You Gotta Be You is an unapologetic call to self-freedom. Michael Tyrone Delaney for The New York Times. BRANDON KYLE GOODMAN: It's Monday, Messy Monday. You know, I think in our experience, you feel like youre the only one. Cool with it like he was into it or, like, cool with it like, [expletive] happens? EXCLUSIVE : Brandon Kyle Goodman, an actor, writer and activist who hit on a career breakthrough as part of the team behind Netflix's . And then, you know, when you start getting to that preschool, kindergarten age, then there starts to be these rules that I feel like get put on you. Her Confidence Gave Me Wings. The murder of George Floyd was shocking and changed all of us regardless of our racial identities. Uncle Ronnie did the same. How do I perform being a man so that I can fit in and also, like, stay safe? Why we published an obscenity. Brandon Kyle Goodman they/he BKG/Black/Gay / Non-binary . Actor, Writer, Motivational Speaker, Activist, Television Personality, and Entrepreneur. I said, I'm an actor. So thank you for that. And we get to hold multiple truths. But its most necessary I think. Don't say gay, regulating bodies, Black people being murdered while shopping for groceries--I'm afraid to feel the monsoon of pain threatening to rip up the beams of my heart that has tried desperately to stay rooted in hope. BRANDON KYLE GOODMAN (he/they) is an actor, writer, and activist. Matthew is a former teacher and advocate. He would be a compass that would point my life in the right direction and guide me effortlessly into Black manhood.