Co-star of "Soul Food"

Showtime presents

January 03, 2001

Actor Boris Kodjoe, who plays Damon on Showtime’s “Soul Food,” chats about his role and his life before “Soul Food,” including his time as a model.

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Showtime: Thanks for signing on for our chat with Boris Kodjoe of “Soul Food.” Boris plays Damon, the love interest of Teri. Boris, born in Germany and an accomplished tennis player, first started as a successful model and then Showtime: found his way to the screen. Since then he has guest starred on several sitcoms and movies, including his current and very popular role on “Soul Food.” Let's get started! Showtime: Welcome, Boris!

Boris Kodjoe: Hello, everybody! Thanks for logging on to talk to me.

Natalie: How has your experience been on “Soul Food”?

Boris Kodjoe: It's been all positive. The cast is like a family, and the experience has been only pleasant, to say the least.

Hootie: Was acting a natural progression in your career?

Boris Kodjoe: It wasn't. It definitely was a new beginning. A lot of people think it is a natural step to go from modeling, but I have to disagree. I think acting takes a lot of work, constantly improving your craft and growing, so I decided to take my time and educate myself. Study. Go to class. And I knew that eventually I would feel confident to make it happen.

Kofi: How did you land the role of Damon?

Boris Kodjoe: I auditioned. They had been looking for someone for several months. And the director of "Love And Basketball" is best friends with the creator of "Soul Food," the series. And she basically sold me to the creator, so they called me to audition, and two days later, I was on my way to Canada to shoot.

Marzala: Are you interested in acting in more movies?

Boris Kodjoe: Yes, absolutely. I have received 24 scripts in the last two months that I have read, and I must say the quality of scripts out there is not as I expected it to be. So, I want to take my time and wait until the right project comes along for me to jump on it.

Julie: Do you think your life would have been very different if you grew up in the U.S.?

Boris Kodjoe: That's a good question. I think it would have been a little bit different, just based on the fact that I would have been exposed to different things. I probably would have played football or basketball instead of tennis. And there is also a difference in mentality, so when people tell me I act German, sometimes I have to agree because you are always conditioned and influenced by your cultural environment. So, yes.

Mamacitaa: Did you attend college and major in drama? I'm very interested in pursuing an acting career. Any advice?

Boris Kodjoe: Mamacitaa, I did not. I didn't graduate from college with a drama degree, but graduated with a marketing degree. However, I don't believe you need a drama degree to pursue an acting career. I think there are plenty of great schools, acting teachers, and so forth from whom you can acquire acting chops from. The bottom line is you have to study to lay a foundation.

Toni: What do you account as the turning point in your life that has lead to all your success?

Boris Kodjoe: I think it's your attitude that matters. The strong belief in yourself, and the courage to dream. If you believe in yourself and you are not scared to express your dreams, there are no limits to what you can do. My parents instilled these values in us from an early age. They always told us that we could do anything we wanted to do.

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