Matt C. Abbott
Briefly sharing the stage with Smollett
FacebookTwitter
By Matt C. Abbott
December 10, 2021

I guess this could be considered a footnote in my life.

Several years ago I briefly shared the stage with now-convicted felon Jussie Smollett during the filming of an episode of Empire. In fact, I worked as a background actor – usually playing a roadie – on several episodes.

Below is a screenshot of me holding a microphone; Smollett is on the left wearing a blue jacket with his fist in the air. (Empire co-star Terrence Howard is behind me and to the right, also with his fist in the air.)

Smollett never spoke to me, but there were times on set when he used vulgar language in his interactions with others.

Not exactly shocking, of course.

One somewhat humorous anecdote:

In the concert scene the screenshot is from, Smollett’s character in the show, Jamal Lyon, is supposed to experience stage fright due to trauma from a gunshot wound he suffered in a previous episode. He walks up to the microphone, starts to sing, freaks out at seeing the crowd and bright lights, then runs off the stage having a panic attack.

After a few takes, Smollett became agitated and walked off stage while saying angrily and loudly (paraphrased), “Look, I don’t want to be a diva, but I can’t deal with this right now. This is a difficult scene!”

Just off stage right, I was standing next to Howard, who said equally loudly, “Don’t worry, Jussie, you’re not being a diva... You’re being a b – h!”

Bottom line: I’m glad Smollett was convicted of the hate crime hoax. He’s clearly an unapologetic narcissist.

© Matt C. Abbott

 

The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)

Click to enlarge

Matt C. Abbott

Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic commentator with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication, media and theatre from Northeastern Illinois University. He also has an Associate in Applied Science degree in business management from Triton College. Abbott has been interviewed on HLN, MSNBC, Bill Martinez Live, WOSU Radio in Ohio, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's 2019 ‘Unsolved’ podcast about the unsolved murder of Father Alfred Kunz, Alex Shuman's 'Smoke Screen: Fake Priest' podcast, WLS-TV (ABC) in Chicago, WMTV (NBC) and WISC-TV (CBS) in Madison, Wisconsin. He’s been quoted in The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and other media outlets. He’s mentioned in the 2020 Report on the Holy See's Institutional Knowledge and Decision-Making Related to Former Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick (1930 to 2017), which can be found on the Vatican's website. He can be reached at mattcabbott@gmail.com.



(Note: I welcome and appreciate thoughtful feedback. Insults will be ignored. Only in very select cases will I honor a request to have a telephone conversation about a topic in my column. Email is much preferred. God bless you and please keep me in your prayers!)

Subscribe

Receive future articles by Matt C. Abbott: Click here

More by this author

 

Stephen Stone
The most egregious lies Evan McMullin and the media have told about Sen. Mike Lee

Siena Hoefling
Protect the Children: Update with VIDEO

Stephen Stone
Flashback: Dems' fake claim that Trump and Utah congressional hopeful Burgess Owens want 'renewed nuclear testing' blows up when examined

Curtis Dahlgren
God's 'practical joke' on Jew haters

Cherie Zaslawsky
Israel in the crosshairs: Part One

Cliff Kincaid
The next phase of Communist revolution in America

Cliff Kincaid
The Palestinian Removal Act

Victor Sharpe
What occupation?

Tom DeWeese
Setting the agenda for freedom’s comeback

Cliff Kincaid
America’s “collective responsibility”

Rev. Mark H. Creech
Revelation Chapter 19: The Marriage of the Lamb and the Joyous Celebration of the Bride

Joan Swirsky
The Jew haters in power were very carefully taught

Cliff Kincaid
Pope Francis embraces Global Islam and Mother Earth

Jerry Newcombe
Thanksgiving as a way of life

Kari Lee Fournier
Almighty God vs. Satan: Thanksgiving in an evil world
  More columns

Cartoons


Click for full cartoon
More cartoons

Columnists

Matt C. Abbott
Chris Adamo
Russ J. Alan
Bonnie Alba
Chuck Baldwin
Kevin J. Banet
J. Matt Barber
Fr. Tom Bartolomeo
. . .
[See more]

Sister sites