Producer's Notes: For the Love of Terry Crews

Terry Crews is one of the best dudes ever - "Larry King Now" Producer Serena Brahney lists 17 reasons why.

As anyone in this office can attest, I am a woman with an affinity for superlatives. Nary a day passes in which something isn’t proclaimed either ‘the dopest x of all time’ or, like, ‘the top cat video on the internet.’ So I get that people might choose to grain of salt me when I say with certainty and not so much as the slightest air of hyperbole that Terry Crews is one of the best dudes ever. But I mean it.

IMG_4447

In the event you’re thinking, ‘wait, the hyper-muscled Old Spice guy? The one who crouches shirtless on an animated tiger?’ I say to you ‘yes!’ Except he’s also the Arrested Development(!)/Newsroom(!!)/Expendables and now Brooklyn Nine Nine guy (which just nabbed two Golden Globes, btw), and that’s just the tip of his acting iceberg. Thing is, that’s not what matters -- Terry’s resume isn’t what makes him awesome. Here, in no discernible order, are at least 12 things but probably more that do:

  • Terry’s entourage at the taping was his daughter. This trumps every possible companion save when guests bring their mum, in which case: tie.
  • Before the successful acting career and pro football, Terry was an artist -- he grew up drawing in Flint, Michigan, with dreams of pursuing art professionally. Years later, he painted portraits of athletes to make ends meet while between NFL teams. They’re good, too.
  • He professed that he didn’t really become a man until “I connected with my feminine side.” Yep. Verbatim.
  • He really didn’t see those Golden Globes coming.
  • Terry didn’t transition from NFL player to working actor seamlessly. His first job in LA was sweeping floors.
  • He’s just so damn supportive of Andy Samberg.
  • Our pre interview -- scheduled for 30 minutes -- stretched to an hour and a half conversation during which I laughed so often/uncomfortably hard that our staff began wagering bets as to who was on the other end of the line.
  • He actually spoke the words “Jeff Daniels made me better.” (You and me both, T.)
  • Terry is refreshingly open about the period in which his wife almost left him and, more important, the way he took accountability for it. He and Rebecca hit a quarter century of marriage this year.
  • He won over every last person in our studio.
  • Two words: Jerome Mayberry.
  • Those Old Spice commercials are smarter than your average bear. Terry takes his beefed up character to an absurd extreme, poking fun at what some of us think it means to be tough. He - and the Old Spice team, obv - are subverting our concept of masculinity. How do you like them apples.
  • Ain’t nobody pec popping like this man.
  • He said in his interview with Larry: “I think I’m going to take a year off and just paint.” IN EARNEST.
  • He confessed that, despite his success, he still worries about money.
  • Not only is Terry a card-carrying, flag-waving, lady-loving feminist, he had this to say: “It’s going to change when you get the manliest men declaring themselves feminists. And I’m the manliest guy out there.” Amen.
  • He’s a flautist. As in, he plays the flute. I AM NOT MAKING THESE THINGS UP.
I love my job every day, but guests like Terry are the icing on my gluten-free LKN cake. Click here to watch T’s interview with Larry on-demand on "Larry King Now" and see if you don’t agree.

xx, Serena

PS. Terry's book, Manhood, drops in May.

Terry Crews "Manhood"

RELATED CONTENT

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.

Continue the Discussion