This year, Bo Yokely can be seen playing James Brown in the feature film Wallbanger, which is a screen adaptation of Alice Clayton’s novel of the same name, with Bo working with Kelli Berglund and Amadeus Serafini, and directed by Tosca Musk. Also this year, Bo played Kenny in TV series Blue Ridge, and in 2023, he played Coach Peterson in Gridiron Grind, and Bo recently won Outstanding Performance in a Drama at the 2024 Diamond Awards. We caught up with Bo, who told us about playing James Brown in Wallbanger, filming for new TV series Blue Ridge and working on Gridiron Grind as Coach Peterson.
You play James Brown in the feature film Wallbanger, is there anything you can tell us about the film and your character?
I had an absolute blast shooting this film. The cast and crew were superb and Tosca Musk, our director, was such a joy to work with.
Was there anything that drew you to the role of James and how is it being part of the screen adaptation of Alice Clayton’s novel of the same name?
Honestly, whenever the chance comes up where I am able to play an interesting, fun role in a film that I know is going to have top-notch talent involved, I jump at the opportunity.
What was it like meeting the rest of the cast for the first time and being directed by Tosca Musk?
It was such a joy. She was so welcoming and inviting along with the rest of the cast. Kelli Berglund and Amadeus Serafini were just the best people to work with. They had such amazing chemistry and really made me feel like part of the family from day one.
What are you looking forward to for the release on Tosca Musk’s streaming service Passionflix and who do you think will enjoy watching Wallbanger?
I am so excited for everyone to see the newest Passionflix film and for everyone to see me in the super fun, quirky role!
How was it working on the new TV series Blue Ridge as Kenny?
It was so great to be back on set with my good buddy Gary Wheeler, who was the executive producer on this series. This was like no other role I have ever played and really gave me a chance to spread my wings a bit.
Last year, you played Coach Peterson in the Tubi film Gridiron Grind, can you tell us about this?
We shot this film in Little Rock AR, which was such an amazing part of the country I had never been to. Kevin Arbouet was our director and what an amazing guy. He was so clear and concise as to what he wanted, which in turn makes my job so much easier. I recently won an award for this role, the 2024 Diamond Award for Outstanding Performance in a Drama, so that of course means so much.
How did you get into acting and was it something you always wanted to do professionally?
I was originally in the modelling world, and my agent asked me if I would want to be in a Marvel movie shooting in Georgia, to which I said of course. The role was specifically for someone like me, and I was so fortunate to be able to play a fun role in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 directed by James Gunn. After that, I had the bug. I knew this was what I was going to do the rest of my life. After that, I was on the journey of audition to audition until my next big chance came in Netflix’s Nappily Ever After.
Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch and how do you like to spend your time away from acting?
I am really bad at re-watching the same show or movie over and over again, to be honest. I do watch a ton of TV and films obviously, because that is part of my job. I love the new Netflix show The Gentlemen, Apple TV’s new show Sugar, and the classics like Peaky Blinders, True Detective, and Breaking Bad.
What are you hoping this year brings for you and do you have any further projects coming up that you can tell us about?
I am really looking forward to getting more into the TV space with a few shows I am set up to work on. I really am excited about the chance I will have to play in a different world than I am used to, and working on interesting characters to keep my fans entertained. It is going to be an amazing year!
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