In order to make it in Hollywood, one must be a hustler. When it's your time to come off the bench and make a move, you can't miss the shot. Few know this notion better than Markice Moore, the breakout star of Netflix's Point Blank.
I had a chance to speak with the actor over the phone last week about finding the cast and crew of a lifetime at Netflix, his upbringing, rise to fame, and how he wants to tackle the Marvel Cinematic Universe next.
Moore makes quite the entrance in Joe Lynch's film, but it was all by design. "That was all Adam Simon(the writer) and Joe Lynch, the way their minds work together, was insane. That was a shot that I thought was magic," Moore said.
Moore's character, Big D, was an even bigger secret, popping up in the film's third act as an uproarious drug kingpin/cinephile who helps mastermind a key scene in the action-adventure, written by Adam G. Simon.
For Moore, a former battle rapper out of New Jersey, the experience on this film wasn't just a refreshing reminder of why he got into acting, but a crash course on a legendary filmmaker. In the film, Big D's idol is none other than William Friedkin, a director who heavily influences Lynch's film.
The second Moore landed on location, he got a crash course in "Friedkin School," something he previously wasn't aware existed. "I love Joe Lynch. He's my brother for life. When I first got to Cincinnati, he sent a car for me. I drive to his place, and he asked me if I knew who William Friedkin is, and I said no. He told me I was going to watch every single movie of his. That's what I did for three days," Moore said.
The hope is that he isn't the last young soul to find the filmmaker's work. "I fell in love with it. He opened my eyes up to a whole new era of filmmaking. 'Point Blank' should do that for a lot of people, like me, who missed that era of filmmaking. It should inspire people to check out more Friedkin movies," Moore explained.
Moore appreciated the mystery of his character leading up to the film's release, crediting the producers with threading that needle. "Joe Carnahan and Frank Grillo told me how that was going to go. I was just as excited as anyone else. I couldn't even tell my own mother. Facebook is a powerful thing. No one could know who Big D was. When it came out, I could finally tell everyone that I was Big D!"
Sharing the screen with big time talents like Mackie and Grillo helped. "The thing about it, when you are working with masters of the craft-who came from a place where nobody is the star, everyone plays a part-they allowed me the room to create a different character for Big D," Moore said. "Shout out to those guys for being great team players and allowing me the room to explore some fun stuff."
Moore's battle rapper background helped him improvise a key line late in the film that made me laugh out loud several times. It happens when Big D explains to Mackie's Paul, who is expecting a baby with his wife, why he has eight kids. "I couldn't even pull out of a parking space" is the line, and it was all Moore.
"I ad-libbed that line! They gave me some liberty to have some fun. That came out of nowhere, so I'm glad it landed," Moore said. It was amazing to have the freedom to make those choices. I was very comfortable with Joe Lynch and Adam, the writer. It helped me find some funny moments."
One thing that isn't funny is the man's work ethic and drive. Moore has been working hard since the age of 17, when he left New Brunswick to seek out a music career in Atlanta. "Kesan" was his street name while battle rapping on the street, but meeting Devyne Stephens was a turning point for Moore. "He was the one that first showed me what it meant to be an artist. For me, acting and music are the same, all about performing. And I liked the checks with acting, they were a lot different than music," Moore said.
If Stephens was the spark, Dallas Austin was the fuse that helped light the transition to film. Moore spent many days hounding the Atlanta Pioneer movie producer with ideas before ATL, a film under Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's company, Overbrook Entertainment, gave Moore his entrance. He caught the acting bug and hasn't looked back, landing in television shows such as Snowfall, The Paynes, Chicago P.D., Rectify, and AMC's The Walking Dead.
Neither of those experiences, respectively, felt as genuine as Point Blank, though. "I felt like a part of this team. I wasn't really one of the co-stars before this film. You have big names here. Marcia Gay Harden and Mackie. It gave me the confidence to step further into character and become one of the guys," Moore said.
While staging explosions outside police departments and craving film history was fun, Moore has his sights set higher, like Marvel high. He's eyeing The White Tiger, an identity used by several fictional characters in the Marvel comic universe. Moore wants to portray Kasper Cole, a police officer who finds Black Panther's costume and assumes his identity.
Believe it or not, in the comics, Sam aka "Falcon" (portrayed by Mackie in the movies) gives advisement to Cole in the comics. Perhaps the two actors can make another movie down the line. "Give White Tiger some love. I think I can take Chadwick Boseman. Some special effects and CGI maybe," Moore joked.
That's the Markice energy that you get over the phone. A guy who is ready to take on the world and win. It's this energy that has him calling Simon at all times of the night. "I call him all the time with ideas. I love him, but he's probably tired of me. I tell him that I want to do this, this, and put Frank Grillo in it," Moore proclaims!
One of those phone calls has involved a possible sequel to Point Blank, ended on an open-ended note, leaving the clear path for a follow-up. There could be more Big D for audiences, a character that Moore says carries a lot of himself--along with a dose of Friedkin knowledge now attached!
Until future plans materialize, Moore is content to storm the Hollywood offices with charisma, passion, and plans. When I spoke to him, he was on the verge of a big meeting the next day, set up by his manager of 17 years, Gail Tassell and his agency, Abrams Entertainment. "I'm walking in there like Jerry Maguire. Show me the money!"
Moore has already walked into your living room, but he's planning on taking over the cineplex and theater chains next. To him, the sky isn't the limit, just a healthy starting point.
He's taking what he learned from the Point Blank set with him, the need to own every moment on a set. "That's pretty much what I got from Grillo and Mackie. When they pass you the ball, do something with it. This is the All Star Game. Do something special or you'll never get back on the team," Moore said.
Markice Moore is on the Hollywood team. He shouldn't be off your mind for a long time. He broke out, Friedkin style!!
