Director/Rapper/Comedian Darrell Faria joins me on Cue To Cue today! I had a blast chatting with Darrell! We laughed a lot and the conversation flowed easily. It flowed so easily that I lost track of time! This will be part one of a two-part interview with Darrell.
It has been my experience that those with a deep sense of empathy are the people that have experienced some really painful moments in their life and they use that empathy as a light to help guide them on their path. These are the kind of people that make sure that those around them understand that they are safe around them. Some of the most empathetic and kind artists I have met have the best sense of humour and use comedy as a way to accomplish that goal while still being creative. They are able to relate to other’s pain through their own and in that connection, there is joy, healing, and a process of letting go. I believe that is why they say laughter is the best medicine. Darrell is no exception to what I have observed. Darrell opened up about his experience growing up as a “brown guy” in a very white community while consuming all of the North American culture that surrounded him and how that has shaped his point of view of the world. He now embraces his experiences and allows them to inform the kind of work he creates and stories he wants to tell.
In this episode, we discuss what his greatest moments have been of his career so far, what his writing process is and how he developed his rap persona, Chai-T.
Darrell Faria: Your Point Of View Is Your Point Of Power
A little about Darrell:
Darrel began his acting career on stage. He performed in Musicals with Mississauga Youth Theatre (2000-2005) where he later became the Head Drama Instructor for various workshops (2005-2010). After Finishing his BFA at Ryerson University (2007) Darrel focused his attention to acting for the screen. Some of his TV/Film credits include Nickelodeons’s “Life with Boys” (2012), the much anticipated Toronto darling “White Night” (2016) and The Hallmark channel’s “The Santa Suit” (2011) for which Entertainment Weekly awarded him the “Biggest Holiday Ham” Yulie Award.
Chai- T is Darrell’s Comedy Rap persona. He is an uber soft-rapper who claims to be Drake’s best friend. Chai-T blurs the line between hip-hop and comedy. He performs live (Comedy Bar, Toronto Comedy All- Stars), has his own music videos (Funny Or Die) and has dope lyrics just like a real rapper. Except that his lyrics are about Full House and kale salad.
Chai-T has awarded Darrell much recognition. Chai- T has been share and posted by Buzzfeed, BlogTO Flo 93.5, Aux.tv and several other online outlets. In 2015 Darrell (as Chai-T) was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Performance in Digital Media. In 2016, Darrel was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Program or Series Produced For Digital Media which also earned Darrel his status as an Academy Member.
Darrell is also known in Toronto as a Filmmaker. He has acquired several grants (MuchFACT, FATOR, etc) and in 2012 he was nominated for an East Coast Music Award for Best Music Video.In the commercial world, some of Darrell’s commercial clients include: MADD, Pepsi, Subway, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia and Vice Magazine.
Darrell’s accomplishments as a writer include making top 100 for the CBC’s “Comedy Coup” for his pilot “The Saaajiid Network” and the completion go The Second City writer’s conservatory.
Follow Darrell!
www.darrellfaria.com
Twitter: @darrellfaria
Instagram: @darrellfaria
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