By. Angel Neal
Charisma is just one of those things Patrick Cage was born with. Disrupshioon caught up with Cage to talk all about his love for making people smile and his latest role on “Welcome To Chippendales,” opposite Kumail Nanjiani. The series follows the true story of Indian immigrant Somen “Steve” Banerjee, (played by Nanjiani) who founded the widely known Chippendale’s clubs. Patrick plays ‘Don Gibson’ a UCLA law student who, after being denied access into Chippendale’s due to racial discrimination, becomes the catalyst that sets off a series of events that eventually leads to Banerjee’s downfall.
Patrick is best known for his role as “Phil” on the Emmy-winning series “Westworld.” Additional credits include “Manhunt,” “All American,” “NCIS,” “United States of Al,” “Lucifer,” “NCIS: Hawaii,” “The Rookie,” “New Amsterdam,” “CSI:Vegas,” “Rosewood,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Stitchers,” “Station 19,” and “This Is Us.”
Interview Angel Neal @angel_stylistbehavior
Photography By Stephanie Girard @stephgirardphoto
Styling By Kiara Hatcher @kiara.hatcher
Grooming By Red @theartistred
On Self Love.
"It’s so important to take a second of whatever works for you . A second of mindfulness, journaling and going to the gym, can change your entire prospective on life. Even if it's in a small way until it becomes routine. "
Q&A
We know growing up in Los Angeles many artists get inspired just by being in the environment to create. What prompted your interest and foray into entertainment?
I was driving around and listening to the radio and I heard on a commercial an audition for the Chicago tour of Lion King. My mom took me to the audition and I had various call backs but I didn’t get the gig. That was when the bug hit and I realized this is what I wanted to do. Both of my parents use to be models so they had a lot of connections for agents. One of my mom friends signed me and I was doing smaller roles and commercials but it wasn’t serious until I became 15, I realized this is what I wanted to do. Modeling was never something that interested me I played music in school and acting was my secret weapon.
In industry with so much competition how do you stay uplifted, motivated and even inspired to push through and maintain your happiness while still cultivating necessary relationships?
For me its a lot of healthy competition. With my network of core friends we push each other, we film each others tapes together and we go to the gym together. It’s really easy to stay motivated when you have other people around you that are at the same successful level or a higher, friends that are pushing you on. Outside of that having a deluded sense of confidence in yourself, there are so many no’s that you get in this industry that they really have to mean nothing. I think hearing so many no’s the longer that you do this it can drive you crazy, 100%. There’s a special quality in people that have that perseverance and stick to it and push past the no’s and keep their head down and push forward. Theres also a Kobe Bryant mural right outside my apartment so that helps. You can’t really give up when your gym is facing that. It’s pulling inspiration and motivation from wherever I can that keeps me going.
What makes you say yes to a project?
Luckily I’ve been getting a chance to blend work with things that are meaningful to me. Recently, Chippendale’s was that for me. Because Don Gibson’s story and how he dealt with racism, his efforts ended up being supper progressive. Its not everyday you get on a project and are able to talk about things that matter to you. The short films I do, I love to pick things that resonate with me, because with acting I feel its the perfect way to show people themselves and show someone else their problems through the characters problems. Hopefully a way through whatever you’re going through within the story line, inspires someone.
First cinema memory or TV show that resonated with u?
Other than “The Lion King”, “Avatar” is one of those movies I remember walking out of that theater and I cried. I had the realization that the Na’vi people weren’t real and they messed me up so much because I badly wanted to go this place. I wanted to be in an environment like this. It really reaffirmed my belief of wanting to pursue acting as a career path. I can’t go to this planet but the closes I could do is be in the film franchise and becoming a character in that world. The film changed my whole viewpoint on film making and acting. In addition I was completely in awe when I saw “Black Panther” and attended the premier. When I saw them go through the cloaking device and to see the city of Wakanda, and a place that beautiful in the homeland that was ours, untouched by colonialism or anything and pristine, just a thought of what we could have had if they never figured out we were there. Thats beautiful.
Tell us about your character Don Gibson on Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales. Did you learn anything about yourself bringing Gibson’s character to life?
I had a zoom meeting with Don I found him on LinkedIn, great resource by the way. I told him I would be playing him in the project and he was so gracious enough to speak with me. I was elated he took the time to sit down and speak with me about his story to prepare for my role. Speaking with him really inspired me as a black man, to know that at the time we didn’t have the power or the reach he was in law school and saying to himself I’m going to fight this the legal way. He went about it the right way and conducted little sting operations with people of different races to see who was turned away at the door. It was just genius of him to be going to school full time and to have this as a side project as his first law case. Although he didn’t take any money from the case he just wanted them to do right by black people. It empowers you and reminds you even if the system does not look like its for us or against us, you have to do what you feel is right because you never know what you can get done or what you can change.
With such a diverse cast in general why do you feel stories like this should be told?
The Chippendales story itself is wild, I didn’t even know Somen Banerjee the man who created it all was of Indian decent. This a story I think that just needs to be told in general, unless you lived in Los Angeles in the 80’s and 90’s you really wasn’t a part of it. So I think it’s just interesting telling the history and the way that race played into it. Because with Banerjee being an Indian immigrant, yet he was very racist toward black people. It was just so interesting to see. The surgical scene I auditioned with was a face off scene with Steve and Don Gibson sadly it got cut. But an underlying message is we all want money thats great, we live in a capitalist society but when it corrupts you and makes you treat the next man even worse , keep it. Thats personally why I love this story specifically from Don’s perspective.
What should viewers take away from the show?
With hard work you can make it. Steve was a smart businessman, he had a vision that worked out. But it shows the way you treat people once you attain success matters. It’s a lesson to not change who you are, because the way the money corrupted him and the way that he molded and changed as he became more and more successful and the lengths he was going to keep that was not a good look. In the struggle of power he reminds us that greed will and can bring your downfall. But thats as much as the power unfolds. Keeping that core and staying true will keep you sane. As black people would say, the show is a reminder to don’t forget where you come from.
Any genres you want to tackle on your bucket list?
I do a lot of dramas, I love drama and thrillers and action roles. I’ve always wanted to do a romantic comedy. Like “Hitch.” I really love, love and I’m a hopeless romantic so would be nice to express myself in that role.
So you’re also musically inclined, tell us a little about that.
The music thing has always just been fun, since second grade I played the trumpet and started playing the drums when I was 9. I went to Hamilton High school which is a music academy school and by the time I left I played about 10 instruments. I like learning as much as I can. I sing and I make things for fun. I made a song about social distancing with my boy Mitchell whose on “All American Homecoming.” Music is a fun way for me to release and create something that doesn’t have to much pressure on it. As things progress I may get more serious about it and drop a project in 2023 we will see.
Would you do musical?
Yeah a musical would be a fun way to mix my passions for acting and music.
Let’s talk about your off camera personal style. What type of relationship do you have with fashion?
My dad would always say presentation is everything. I don’t think I have a specific style or fashion. I like to wear suits because they look fly. I like to play with my different suit selections. I like to be comfortable more than anything, I like earth tone and black and whites. I’m a firm believer, whatever you are comfortable in you will wear well.
For many to get to where they want to be, they have to be comfortable in the now of who they are. For you, is self-love a practice, a destination, or something else entirely.
Self love is a practice and a journey, something that has to be done consistently. There are days that I’m not tapping in like I should. But I definitely think that I’m at a point that I know what I can do for myself to go about my day and feel 100. My morning and night routines help when done consistently. It’s so important to take a second of whatever works for you daily. A second of mindfulness, journaling and going to the gym, can change your entire prospective on life. Even if its in a small way until it becomes routine.
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