Check out our interview with actor, director, producer and musician Daniel Augustin.
As a multifaceted and driven talent, Daniel is no stranger to being in the spotlight. He has many acting roles under his belt, most notably sharing the screen alongside Hilary Duff in How I Met Your Father and playing the recurring role of Maurice on Issa Rae’s HBO Max original series, Rap Sh!t Season 1. Now, Daniel will reprise his stand-out role as a series regular in the hit show Rap Sh!t season 2, premiering soon.
Follow Daniel @danielaugustin
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Not, Fu**ing, Playing.
How did you get started into acting?
Growing up and watching shows like Martin, The Fresh Prince, The Jamie Foxx Show, and The Wayans Bros entertained me, which probably planted many seeds. I also was into music and the arts at the church I attended as a kid, which kept me into storytelling. I remember a church play when I was there playing one of the Three Wiseman, and when I’d go to school, I’d take classes if my school would offer them. When I got older and started releasing music, a song of mine became the theme song for a popular web series. They asked me to play a character in their show one day, and it reinvigorated the play and storytelling I enjoyed so much as a kid. Soon enough, I found myself with an agent doing auditions regularly.
How has this changed your life?
Acting changes my life every day. I’m always reading something, or meditating, sitting with myself while conceding either my actions or sometimes the actions of these characters. Being a non-traditional earner keeps me from being able to depend on this work which inspires how I treat being an entrepreneur. Being an actor has made me this way, but it’s a vehicle… I still have to be the one to read all the books, get to the seminar, and do the work. This work offers me a way to respect, sacrifice for, and continue to romanticize despite its need to strike at times and keep me on my toes.
Tell us about your stand-out role as a series regular in the hit show “Rap Sh!t season 2?”
I play Maurice, a Haitian American male who knows how to “get things,” like Red (played by Morgan Freeman) in Shawshank Redemption. Maurice starts the season working at the Plymouth Hotel alongside the lead, Shawna, played by Aida Osman. Mo’s as smooth as a ninja. He is what I’d like to call a Sophisticated Savage. Street savvy and so clever, he can make money appear so long as there’s a Wi-Fi connection around, but his Achilles heel is women, especially Shawna. You should definitely expect the unexpected this season. I tried to guess what to expect and was pleasantly surprised every time I went into another table read. It’s incredible what our writers have been doing with these characters. You’ll see.
What kind of roles do you like or would like to play and why?
There are definitely some roles I’d love to play, but I only sometimes know the answer to this question. I want to work with very creative people. I want to keep learning, and I want to keep surprising myself.
If you weren’t acting, what would you be up to right now?
I’d be in the rap game.
Which fictional character would be the most exciting to meet in real life?
Mel Gibson’s chauvinistic Nick Marshall character in What Women Want. I’d like to have him hang out with my wife and me and bring him on set while I’m getting notes.
What’s your advice for the newer actors?
Write something. Shoot something, or hire/partner with someone who can. Edit that thing and watch yourself. Learn from your mistakes. Next, release it, market it, evaluate what you did well and what you could’ve done better, and before going out and doing all of that again, consider what results you’d like to be different this time, and then go!
What would say are the greatest lessons you learned so far in this business?
Take yourself as seriously as you desire to see yourself. Nobody is going to do that for you. They’ll only be able to take you as seriously as they can see you, so you have to have that vision for yourself.
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
It’s okay to move on.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living – By: Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman
What’s next for Daniel Augustin in 2023?
Because of how the writer’s strike affects the industry at this time, my focus is on being creative for me, whatever that means. I’ve been writing scripts, recording music, and brainstorming, and I dig that.
What is your favorite healthy food?
Fruits & Oatmeal
And your favorite cheat food?
Chicken & Waffles
What is your own definition of happiness?
Acceptance + Grace.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
Tyler Perry. I’ve met him twice, once in an audition, and the first time was in passing after a scene on The Haves and the Have Nots, but I want to sit and speak with him. I want to ask him questions that allow me to sit and listen to him talk. I say this because his courage is clearly beyond extraordinary. When I got to LA, nobody cared that I said I wanted to direct, yet Tyler is exercising his muscles, writing and directing daily. I admire that. I want to be around people who don’t take “no” for an answer. Plus, he builds homes for fun, and every house on his lot has different artwork, furniture, and specifics, and he uses these houses to film in! Not to live, but to film! That is beyond amazing. I just want to walk the lot with him as he shoots an episode of one of his shows and pick his brain as we travel from stage to stage.
Best advice ever given?
Focus on what you can control.
Favorite song? Why?
Jay-Z – “What we talkin’ bout”, because it cuts the fat and gets to the heart of some shit. The heart of the convo, the heart of your question, the heart of whatever the hell it is that’s being discussed and holds it up to a microscope to ask what the hell is this about and why is this of value to me because if it is not of importance to me, I need to go. It’s billionaire speak.
What do you think of Social Media?
It’s my TV Network, and I post content related to the brand. A digital billboard.
Where we can follow you?
@danielaugustin on IG
Book: Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert
Quote: “What we talkin’ bout?” – Jay Z
Movie: Love Jones
Tv Series: Succession
Favorite Food: Right now, It’s pancakes from Joan’s on Third.
Sports Team: Florida Gators
Photo Credit: Ben Cope @ben_cope
