Control Your Destiny: Eriq La Salle on Breaking Barriers and Building Legacy

Right For The Role with John Frank Levey

Three-time Emmy-nominated actor, director, and author Eriq La Salle joins legendary casting director John Frank Levey for a candid conversation about breaking barriers and creating lasting change in Hollywood.

This wide-ranging discussion explores La Salle's remarkable journey from a young theater student in Hartford to becoming one of television's highest-paid African American actors. Through personal stories and thoughtful reflection, La Salle and Levey examine how race, representation, and the pursuit of creative control have shaped their careers and the entertainment industry.

Key moments from the episode:

• How a failed Michelle Pfeiffer film project sparked La Salle's transformation from actor to director
• The fascinating behind-the-scenes story of how La Salle almost didn't get cast in ER over a $10,000 dispute
• Why La Salle's impromptu trip to Spain with George Clooney and Noah Wyle became crucial to ER's success
• The complex negotiations and advocacy required to ensure authentic representation of Black relationships on ER
• The unexpected way Coming to America director John Landis changed La Salle's approach to working with actors
• How La Salle maintains a decades-long friendship with fellow actor Michael Beach despite career competition
• What writing a five-book thriller series has taught La Salle about creating deeper, more nuanced stories

This conversation offers invaluable insights for anyone pursuing a creative career, particularly those facing systemic barriers. La Salle's strategic approach to building a multi-faceted career – from acting to directing to writing novels – demonstrates how to maintain both artistic integrity and professional longevity in an often challenging industry.

Resources mentioned:

• Laws of Depravity (Book by Eriq La Salle)
• Laws of Wrath (Book by Eriq La Salle)
• Laws of Annihilation (Book by Eriq La Salle)
• Coming to America (Film)
• ER (Television series)
• Under Suspicion (Television series)
• Chicago PD (Television series)
• The Twilight Zone (Television series)
• A Raisin in the Sun (Play by Lorraine Hansberry)

To connect with Eriq La Salle:

• Website: iameriqlasalle.com
• IG: @eriqlasalle
• Facebook: Eriq La Salle
• X: @EriqLaSalle23
• TikTok: @eriqlasalleauthor

To connect with John Frank Levey, please visit his website: https://www.johnfranklevey.com/

To order a signed copy of John’s memoir, Right for the Role: https://www.johnfranklevey.com/book

Acknowledgments

Photographer Eusebio Hernandez specializes in “hero shots” — his own artistic spin on headshots. He helped John Frank Levey, who typically hates having his picture taken, feel comfortable enough to get a great shot for his memoir "Right for the Role." Learn more at www.heroshots.la.

The Right for the Role podcast would not have been possible without the generous support of PBS Management, Karen Cease, and the estate of Peg Sweesy.

Many thanks to my producers, Jerod Morris and Trudi Roth of It’s the TruStory (https://www.itsthetrustory.com)