MIDLAND, Texas — Many people hit the movie theaters in big numbers over the weekend to see the "Black Panther" sequel, "Wakanda Forever." The film has been a huge success, earning an estimated $180 million across North America in its debut.
That's the second-best opening weekend of the year, behind another Marvel movie, the “Doctor Strange" sequel.
If you had the chance to see the film, you might recognize Floyd Anthony Johns Jr. He is a Midland High ‘07 graduate and Hollywood stunt man who plays the character of "Jabari Warrior."
News anchor Alex Cammarata talked to Johns Jr. about his journey to the big screen.
Read the transcription of the full interview here:
You’ve got one of those jobs that I think when you’re a little boy, you dream about. You’re a stunt man in Hollywood, explain to me a bit how you became a stunt man?
“I just got lucky and blessed. I never had any ambition to work in Hollywood and never wanted to be an actor or stunt man. I’m just a stunt man, and I never dreamed of that. I just always wanted to go to college and get a college education and that was always my goal and when I was in college, they found me.”
What was your dream job when you were at Midland High?
“My dream job was working for the D.E.A. or the F.B.I. and going to D.C. because I know those F.B.I. guys and those government jobs get good benefits. I always had a dream of doing stuff like that, and I never would have thought I would work in the film industry. I took theater class at Midland High as an elective, but I would never have thought I’d be working the film industry.”
At LSU, what was that like for you? Did you start getting into more acting classes there and getting more involved being in front of the camera, things like that?
“So, when I was in college, it was like a side job making side money and stuff like that. After I graduated, that’s when I started focusing more on it and it’s been working out ever since, brother.”
I’m just curious, with your role coming out in the new movie, what do they have you doing and how much will we be seeing you on screen?
“You’ll see me quite a bit, I’m one of “M’Baku’s” bodyguards. He’s quite a big guy, so they got a small guy like me being his bodyguard, but you’re going to see me a lot. I don’t want to spill the beans too much but yeah; you’ll see me quite a lot. I had to get in shape but in this industry, we all must be in shape and physically ready. For the first movie, it was more physically demanding and for the second movie, they kind of include us more with the cast. It wasn’t more stunts this time, it was more cast, so we didn’t have to really do too much physical stuff for the second movie which was cool, because I got to hang out more and be around more of the big actors so yeah, it was cool to be a part of that.”
How did Midland kind of make you who you are today?
“I spent most of my life in Houston and I moved to Midland in eighth grade. But my mom was born and raised in Midland, and her just instilling in us like, 'You can do better Floyd, go see the world.' She always told us to go see the world because she couldn’t and didn’t have the finances to do so. She always instilled that in me, and my grandma was born and raised in Midland, she used to do lady Bush’s hair back in the day. She used to always tell me, 'Go out there and see the world and get you a good job,' and stuff like that, so when I’m at work, I always tell myself, it’s a privilege to be here!”
Before I let you go, I’ve got to have you throw up the X for me!
“Oh, for sure! Wakanda forever and go Tigers!”