Malik Yoba Instagram – Giants among men @iamkennyleon @samuelljackson whose love and work for and in the theater continues to inspire me. My life as an actor started in the theater. At 13 I was a member of The Metropolitan Opera Children’s Theater Guild. At 16 I studied and worked with legendary acting teacher #CynthiaBelgrave in Brooklyn and worked as an usher and sold subscriptions at The Negro Ensemble Company where my dreams got nurtured when I got to have conversations with or watch folks like @samuelljackson @phyliciarashad , @im.angelabassett the late great Adolph Ceasar, @merk2577 on stage and many others being the thing I dreamt about becoming. Being able to sit, listen and learn from my elders was an invaluable experience and one I hold dear. As the years passed and my idols became stars of film and television, I felt close to their successes because it let me know , I was right there with them before they became internationally known. Blessed to be able to consider many of these folks co-workers , friends and colleagues decades later. No matter what happens it’s always important to remember your roots, how far you’ve come and why you do the thing you do! Happy Flashback Friday Ya’ll ! Los Angeles, California