Just Us

 

My name is Eddie D. Howard, Jr. and I’ve been incarcerated since I was 15 years old. I’m 33 now.  Over the past 18 years, I’ve learned a lot — not just about myself, but about life. period. When you’re doing time in a maximum security prison, you are not really thinking about making friends, cause you could find yourself in a negative situation, and quickly find out this isn’t the place for friends. But the friendship that Theothus Carter El Sr. and I built kind of just happened. I think that we’re as close as we are today because the friendship is just genuine. What we hope to do for you today is give a little insight into the man behind the dynamic and troublesome character “Beecher” in the HBO film “O.G.” Watch now exclusively on HBO (check with your cable company for local listings).

 

Questions by Eddie D Howard, Jr. (EH)

Answers by Theothus Carter-El, Sr. Aka Beecher (TC)

 

EH:  Big Brother, I gotta tell you, it feels good to finally sit down with you and converse about this film, because the whole time that you were filming it, we were in different buildings and didn’t see much of each other. But better late than never. Let’s take it off! First, I gotta ask you how you feel?

 

TC: How I’m feeling? Man I’m great Lil’ Bro, excited about this interview you put together, but you know what they say, “You already know what it is around here.”

 

EH: What inspired you to try out for this film?

 

TC: I not only wanted to prove to myself that I could do this, but I wanted to show my son that his daddy wasn’t a deadbeat nobody, real s***!

 

EH: What is the most intriguing thing about the character Beecher?

 

TC: Well Beecher is very intelligent but has problems, really no different from me or you, which you will see in this film. If you sat three people down to watch this film they would all come away with something different about this character. 

 

EH: What would you say his downfall is?

 

TC: I wouldn’t say his downfall, but he’s a 19 year old black man, who’s stuck in the system, and has to make life-changing decisions while in prison. Peer pressure is something that is very real and I feel we can all relate to. But he finds himself in a sticky situation, because of his choices and the people around him. 

 

EH: How can you relate to this character?

 

TC: I am this character, I am Beecher and Beecher is me, that’s why it was so easy for me to play this character. Our lives and story couldn’t be any more identical.

 

EH: Did you like the final outcome in this film for Beecher?

 

TC:. Of course I do, because it opens up the eyes of the public to the prison system and what really goes on in here. I think the viewers will like the outcome also.

 

EH: Let’s switch gears for a minute and talk a little about your co-star, the Emmy Award winner Mr. Jeffrey Wright. Now, not many people could handle working beside him, especially for their first film. What were some of his best tips and advice for you while shooting this film?

 

TC: Man, he would just tell me in between scenes that he wanted every scene to be authentic as possible, really that was it. He just told me to do me and relax.

 

EH: During breaks between the scenes and shoots what were your conversations like?

 

TC: I’ll never tell anybody what our conversations were like because that’s between me and him, but I will tell you this. He told me a story about when he met Nelson Mandela, and dined with him and their conversation had a positive effect on him as a man. You know I got his initials tattooed on my back and when I showed him, it f***ed him up, but I really got three people’s name’s on me, I have Madbrook Films, which is the names of Madeleine Saekler, the director of the film, and Mr. Crooks, who is also an actor in this film, combined together for their company name. 

 

EH: I bet it did f*** him up, probably thought your a** was crazy! But seriously man, when I was going through stuff, internal, mental stuff, you were there for me. Taught me so much. The conversations we had, I’ll never forget or let go of, cause real friendship and brotherhood is hard to find, especially in prison. The bottom line is that itimpacted my life in a positive way. Is talking to people, mainly the youth, something that you would even consider doing?

 

TC: Yes, absolutely I think the more we reach out to the youth, the better their choices in life will be. All we have to do is uplift them. Make them believe in themselves and let them know that the road to success starts with them. Me being there for you was nothing, I love you Lil’ Bro!

 

EH: How would you feel about having a role-model label put on you?

 

TC: I’m fine with that, I would love to be a role model to young people, period.

 

EH: After going through everything you went through and finally changing your life for the good, was sacrificing your freedom worth the mindset you have now, your new outlook on life and newfound success?

 

TC: Well, I don’t think success has reached me yet, Lil’ Brah, but I hope everything that I do now is and was for the good. I feel like everything that happened in the past was worth it, because it led to my growth as a man and who I am today. 

 

EH: Would you give all this up, right now at this very moment, to be free?

 

TC: I feel like everything happens for a reason, but freedom is everything and I would give up anything to be around my family again. And really Lil’ Bro, it’s all about your mind state, because I am free in the mind, and they can never take that from me. 

 

EH: There is something I wanted to touch base on before wrapping this interview up, but I’ll let you explain and fill in the blanks, just out of respect. It really breaks my heart into pieces. The death of your son was a tragedy you suffered three weeks after finishing this film and a tremendous loss for your family. What is it that motivated you to keep your head up, stay focused and to stay on the right path? Because you know, going through hard times period is enough to break anybody down, but it’s ten times worse when you go through it while incarcerated, real life Big Brah!

 

TC: Yeah, Bro, I really can’t explain it, it’s a feeling that only you would know if you have been through this, but I gotta keep it moving and live for my family. That’s what they want me to do. That’s what my son would’ve wanted me to do. S*** just crazy Brah!

 

EH: Big Brah, I enjoyed this interview. I’m proud of you, and proud just to be your friend. To be a part of this movie s*** with you is an honor. What do you want the viewers at home to take from this film?

 

TC: That life behind these walls is real, and just to understand the prison life period. That just because we made mistakes don’t mean we can’t change. Now with some people this might be true but our crimes don’t define us or explain who we are as people, I just want America to watch this film Lil’ Bro.

 

EH: Any last words or shout outs Movie Star?

 

TC: Hell yeah, we are not black people; we are moorish Americans, period. Shout-out to you Lil’ Bro! I love you! You never know what you can do until you try, right on for putting this together. 

R.I.P. Theothus Carter, Jr., aka “Man-Man.”  We love you. 

 

“Justus”