The Sickest Podcast

Dother Sykes has spent 15 years getting thrown, slammed, and knocked down on camera so some of Hollywood’s biggest stars could make the moment look real.

In this episode of The Sickest Podcast, Dother opens up about going from a Jordan commercial to acting, professional stunt work, and eventually landing on the set of Sinners. He shares what life as a stunt performer really looks like, the injuries and risks that come with the job, and what it was like working alongside Michael B. Jordan.

He also reflects on the physical toll of the industry, the moments that pushed him to his limits, and the lesson Sinners taught him about ownership, creativity, and building something of your own.

From taking hits for a living to figuring out what comes next, this is Dother Sykes.

What is The Sickest Podcast?

People who were not supposed to win. Exactly how they did it.


The Sickest Podcast, hosted by Paden Sickles, features raw conversations with athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, creators, and other people who beat the odds. Each episode goes beyond the highlight reel to uncover the setbacks, turning points, and decisions that shaped their success.

Real stories. Real struggles. No polished version.

Dother:

He's strong.

Dother:

He really did it.

Dother:

I didn't have to jump. I said, wait a minute. Who first did it? Actually, I was like, hold on. Wait

Dother:

a minute.

Dother:

And the the coordinator was like, you lift you up pretty high. Like Three, two.

Paden:

Welcome back to The Sickest Podcast. I'm your host, Paden Sickles. Today's guest spent fifteen years getting thrown, slammed, and knocked down literally on camera so the biggest stars in Hollywood could look good doing it. He just worked on a film that won four Oscars. Shreveport handed him the key to the city and at home him and his wife are building one of the Internet's favorite families.

Paden:

Dother, welcome to the show.

Dother:

Thank you for having me, babe.

Paden:

Oh, it's been a pleasure. I can't. I've been waiting to get you back on the show like we've been talking about this for a long time and you're finally here. So right?

Dother:

I'm just happy to happy to see your vision come true now, and I'm so proud of you, what you have built so far, so, and you got plenty more to come. That's awesome.

Paden:

Man. Yeah. We spent a while in ideation, and here we are. We in full steam ahead now.

Dother:

Yes, yes.

Paden:

So my icebreaker is a little bit different, so before we get started, if you can compare yourself to a car, what would it be, and what's your dream car?

Dother:

If I compare myself to a car, And why? I will probably be, a Toyota Supra because I'm good on gas. Okay. Still fast, you know, and still has style. You get what I'm saying?

Dother:

I get

Dother:

it. And my dream car would be a Nissan GTR. That's my dream car though.

Paden:

Alright. Okay. Those are some pretty good choices. Consistent, very, yeah.

Dother:

Yeah, yeah, you know, because I, you know, I care about gas mileage too, you know what I mean?

Paden:

Don't want pay for the premium.

Dother:

Nah, yeah. Well, you still got to pay for premium, but, you know, it just don't, it don't burn as fast, so. Got it. You look good saving gas. Perfect.

Paden:

Well, like I said, thank you for coming on. Like, I remember like way back when it was probably what? Sometime in like January, February, we were just at your wife's video, your shoot, and we were talking and you just had great conversations. So I just wanted to bring you back onto the show for that reason and really just delve into your journey and talk more of some of the hidden gems that you were telling me, and I think the world should know about it.

Dother:

I appreciate it. Yeah. I mean, we had a good conversation.

Paden:

Take me all the way back. Your career started started when you were four years old. You were putting shorts on your head. Mhmm. Tell me about it.

Paden:

Like, what was how did Oh,

Dother:

that's when yeah. When, crisscross was was me and my brother used to always wear drawers on the head, and during that time, Ninja Turtles was was hot, so we used to put pillows, you know, under our shirts in the back and put a belt in front of it and cut my dad's shirt up and put some holes in it. Yeah, so we was always creative, having fun. We was at home more, so we really didn't have a TV like that, so we had to entertain ourself, you know. So, and that's where all, like, that's where basically it all started for me, I feel like, well, without knowing it, So you

Paden:

you grew up in Louisiana and in Florida. Walk me through that. What was that like? And you were going back and forth the time, right?

Dother:

Yeah, so, well, my dad was in the Air Force, so I was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, and we moved around, so from what I remember when I was three, well, four, we was in Tampa. So I've been in Tampa for like fifteen years before moving back to Louisiana. So for me, it's like Tampa, you know, raised me, but Louisiana matured me, you know, so.

Paden:

And you're a Bucks fan, right?

Dother:

I'm a Bucks fan, always, yes. Always.

Paden:

Unfortunate, hate to hear that.

Dother:

We got two rings.

Paden:

So after high school, moving forward, you got your first gig with a nutritional supplement company, right? Doing a commercial?

Dother:

Oh no, before that. So in high school, I was a football fanatic, so trying to go to college, you know, lineup scouts and stuff like that. My mom had signed me up for this casting call during the time maybe for a Jordan commercial. So don't know a lick about basketball. I mean, I played it with your friends, but it wasn't a big thing for me, and I went to a casting call, and when I said I was the only black kid there, I'm like, this is a basketball commercial in play.

Dother:

They asked me to dribble, they asked me to shoot, and when I say I killed it, I killed it. So I'm like, whatever it is. So then I get a call saying that I got a Jordan commercial, and I'm like, oh, this is for, like, Jordan Jordan? And they was like, yeah. Yeah.

Dother:

For Jordan. So I did the commercial, but I couldn't play in college doing that commercial because it looked like, you know, you're working you're So I chose that route, and in high school I became popular my senior year because of that commercial, but then just started following the film route.

Paden:

Do you remember the commercial? Like, if we look it up on YouTube right now, will we find it?

Dother:

Maybe it's my fault. They aired it doing the NBA All Star Game. It was a little bit after Katrina, so I would say like 2009 Yeah. When it came

Paden:

That's a pretty big deal. You first commercial, NBA All Star Weekend.

Dother:

Yeah. Came out strong.

Paden:

How was it in high school at the time? Like, were popular. Like, you were Oh. Everybody knew who you were.

Dother:

Well, people to me, you were like, people were like, You know what? I thought I saw you in a commercial, and I was like, Oh, what commercial was it? Was Jordan. I was like, Oh, that was me. But then

Paden:

Alright, no big deal.

Dother:

Then I came in stunned a little bit. I mean, I wore the shorts and the shoes he gave me, so, you know, in school just to show, you know, just to show off a little bit. But yeah, it was surreal.

Paden:

Dang. Did you did they give you like a whole package, like like a Jordan package, like a whole bunch of swag, or you just get what you wore in the shoot, or how did that work?

Dother:

Well, normally they say he don't give it away, but when he was, conversing with us, he kind of like made a deal. Was like, If I missed this shot, y'all can keep everything, which I don't think he tried. I think he just he was gonna do that anyway.

Dother:

Right.

Dother:

Yeah. So but yeah, everything we was in, we got we got to keep. He just didn't autograph it.

Paden:

That's pretty cool, though.

Dother:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Paden:

Just a young kid. Just first out, Jordan commercial.

Dother:

I asked him, hey. I said, who do you think is closer to your path? And he was like, Kobe. So I'm always gonna I mean, I was I've been a Kobe friend in a way, so so we can get that LeBron James argument. I'm like, hey, Jordan said Kobe, so Wow.

Paden:

I'm a little biased. I'm a huge LeBron fan.

Dother:

Oh, he's great.

Paden:

Everything he's doing now just Yeah. He's great. I'm just, like, that's caliber athlete. Like, talk about discipline. Just built different.

Dother:

That's it. Yeah. Man, that's his path, you know? Yeah. He created LeBron is great for this era.

Dother:

Like, the era that he he's done, he is great, You know what I mean? And nobody can surpass that.

Paden:

So Yeah. Speaking of paths, walk me through the path next. Like, your first real film was Streets of Blood, right?

Dother:

Yeah. How did

Paden:

that happen? Like, what was that like? You were working with fifty Cent at the time, right?

Dother:

Fifty Cent and Val Kilmore, yeah. Was Oh, that's when it kicked in. Acting, so that's when I first started acting. So first audition, get a callback after Jordan commercial, and I didn't even get to, and I was still in high school at the time, so I didn't even make it to my graduation because I booked that film, because I was on set so long. But first time acting, and my mom was really into me, so like I didn't go out, I didn't do any graduation party because I was at home, you know, tapping into my character.

Dother:

And so when Val Kilmore was like, Oh, you know, how long you been acting? I'm like, Oh, a month. He was like, What? So that kind of like, I got bit by the bug then, and then being able to hang with 50 in it and kind of picked his brain, you know, and doing the whole time being on set was an eye opener for me. So I was like, Oh, maybe this is my path.

Dother:

I'm like, I love doing this, you know? But I thought it was gonna be like the whole red carpet thing, but during that time, it went straight to DVD. I don't know for the kids out there, you know, that's the Tubi, you know, that was

Dother:

a straight to DVD

Dother:

with the Tubi at the time, so

Paden:

Yeah. But you talk about that, but like, you used to run and get the DVD every Friday. Like, you would go to Walmart, and it was, you you had the big The zip

Dother:

code pod on the bin, you had to dig through that, you know, you had to find the Ninja Turtles, whatever you had to find in there.

Paden:

I remember my parents, we'd go, like, every Friday, we get to pick out a movie, it was like a kid in a candy store. This was like Radio Shack in Circuit City. Man.

Dother:

See, you tapping in now. Those are Good

Paden:

to those

Dother:

days. Man, take us back.

Paden:

Man. So during that, tell me like a little bit more about how I was working with fifty Cent, and like, what was that like? What did he say about you? You know, what was the experience?

Dother:

Oh, his work ethic was amazing. So for me, I knew I did a great job, This was like in 2010. No big deal. He was also filming a music video, and it was supposed to be a song with the movie, but it never got released. But during the shoot, I was playing a doctor in his music video, and he was telling me about this idea that he was working on, and he was like, I'm doing a TV show, it's kind of like, you know, Scarface kind of deal, you know, drugs and money based in New York and stuff like that, and he's like, I'm creating this character, and my right hand man, you you fit him very well the way you act, and I'm like, I said, cool.

Dother:

I said, you know, hey. I mean, I didn't have an agent at the time, but I was like, we'll set it up. My time Yeah. We got your the funny part about that is that his manager at the time was right there, didn't even wait till I walk out. He was like, yo, he lives in Shreveport.

Dother:

You're familiar in New York. Why would you want to hire somebody from, you know, Louisiana to work in New York? And I'm like, I could fly to New York, you know? So I'm trying to put myself in. Time go forward, right?

Dother:

It goes by, I'm watching TV, stars, and I see power, and I'm like, wait a minute, hold on a second. So my wife tees me all the time every time she sees Dre, which that was a character, and she was like, that could have been you. I was like Oh, that's tough. See, Guy has things for Guy has like Mhmm. Like, journey lined up for everybody strategically, so I said that wasn't supposed to be me.

Dother:

But I think it was cool that I knew about it,

Paden:

though. Mhmm.

Dother:

You know? So if would've been New York, yeah, probably, but no.

Dother:

Well, look

Paden:

at you now. You're doing amazing things in stunt work. Yeah. So from there, you went to stunt work, or what did you realize, or what was the transition there?

Dother:

So it was during that time where, like, I was going on auditioning, auditions, auditions, and it wasn't booking fast enough, especially when you have a family, you know, your fun Gotta eat. Yeah, you gotta eat. So, a real good friend of mine, Tim Smith, he had text me, and he was like, Hey, you ever thought about doing stunt work? I said, Stunt? I said, Is that a real thing?

Dother:

And he was like, Yeah, yeah. He said, What do you need me to do? He said, All you gotta do is fall, whatever, and like I did it. And then when I saw Stunt is exactly like acting except you don't have to study no lines and you don't have to audition. It's all who you know from your work.

Dother:

So after that one gig I was like I like this better because nobody knows who I am. I can still be on set and still be around amongst, you know, people that I can create and learn from

Paden:

and

Dother:

still work. So I was like, you know, I like the stunt life better.

Paden:

Can you explain to someone listening what a stunt person does all day? Because people think it's just fallen, and that's So can you explain what you do on a day and what that really looks like?

Dother:

Like a normal day or a day on set?

Paden:

Let's do on set. On set? Yeah.

Dother:

So you're going to wait for about eight hours doing nothing.

Paden:

Not what I thought you was going to say.

Dother:

By the craft service.

Paden:

Okay.

Dother:

Now depending on the film, depending on the film, you're to have rehearsals, you're going to have walkthroughs to make sure the beats is correct, Because safety is the number one priority, well, one is can you do the job what they ask you to do safely and properly. So whether it's falling, swimming, driving, as a stunt person, you always want to make sure that the skills that you have, regardless of anything active, you want to have you can never have too many tools on your belt. Because I know one time when I had a I was doubling Micah Ealy for the TV show Common Law, some coordinator called me and asked me, can I ride motorcycles? At the time I said no, and he was like, thank you for telling me no because people would just say, yeah, just to work. And that's how, you know, sometimes people end up injured or, you know, hurting themselves.

Dother:

So the normal days are, yeah, you probably go to rehearsal, walk through, you meet with the coordinator, and it was said, depending on the film day, you're gonna be waiting longer than you're actually working. So you probably worry like two hours out of the whole day of 12, unless you're like on Black Panther or somewhere there's a lot of action, you really earn every penny. Got it.

Paden:

That's funny. I think about, like, my military career. I think I'd be a really good stunt person, you know, back in

Dother:

the day.

Paden:

Body's still over that now. Like, you

Dother:

know, too many injuries, too many,

Paden:

I feel like now I walk, probably my Achilles were snapping. That's something. Not now. But, you know, just think about, like, the military career. We have this saying, hurry up and wait, and we just hurry up and wait to do physical stuff.

Paden:

So it's like jump off of this or jump out this plane or, you know, do these things. Yeah. Water? I don't think I'd be very good at that. That just gives me anxiety.

Paden:

But

Dother:

Yeah.

Paden:

What's like a like thinking about the different stunts that you do, what's one of your ones you don't like, or what what's your least favorite?

Dother:

Free falling. Why? Why? Yeah. There's no control when you're falling.

Dother:

Oh. It's like, I mean, and you gotta trust the people with Your life, yeah. Yeah. Yes. There's no strings or nothing.

Dother:

Yes. Okay. Alright.

Paden:

How do do you train? Like, how do you how does one become a stunt performer? Like, do you have to train or, you know, what's the the path look like?

Dother:

I mean, yeah, it's always good to train, you know. You can go to, they have schools for it where you can properly learn stunts. And it's all, you know, if you're an athlete already, you can do stunts. You saw

Paden:

me up, I'm telling you.

Dother:

Yeah, you know what mean? Football, gymnastics, cyclists, anything active, you can be a stunt person, you know, depending on what that stunt is, you know. So just stick to what you know you're you can handle. You know what I mean? So it just all just training and always being active.

Paden:

Do you have a group chat? Like, how do you find gigs? Like, obviously it's, you know, your network and who you know, but is there, like, a job listing? Is it a group chat where you all chat, like, stunt performers?

Dother:

We all have each other contact I mean, contact. So it's like if one guy be like, The Stunt Coronet is looking for this, and he'll give him my number or vice versa. So basically it is who all you know, unless you're in LA and you have they have, like, agents for stunt guys that, you know, they had to

Paden:

go pitch for. So Got it. So walk me through, like, your favorite stunt in a movie or film. Mhmm. And then talk me through, like, how long it took, how many times you had to actually do it, and just walk me through.

Dother:

My favorites? Oh, that would be Sinners.

Paden:

I figured, but, you know,

Dother:

don't It'd Sinners all day.

Dother:

Yes. That's

Paden:

my favorite one. How long did it take to get it right? Like, how long did it how many how many cuts? How many

Dother:

Oh, how many?

Paden:

Oh. Takes?

Dother:

I think I had to flip on the table. It had to be

Paden:

It looked good. Over 10

Dother:

times. I know it had to be over 15 times. Rehearsal, probably 20.

Paden:

Mhmm.

Dother:

Yeah. So, like, flipping. And I think Ridgeway was my favorite because after flipping, I got to rest. So I had to lay on the table until everything was done. So it was like, I was asleep, you know?

Dother:

But, yeah, that would have to be my favorite one. And reason being because early in my career, I had worked on Friday Night Lights, and I was up for the road for Vince, and that was after Streaks of Blood, and I was supposed to star in it, and then I was supposed to fly out to LA for a screen test, but then before that, they were like, Oh, we went with this guy, and I looked and they was like, Oh, Michael B. Jordan. I'm like, Who is this guy, Michael B. Jordan?

Dother:

I looked him up and I'm like,

Paden:

Oh, that's the guy from The Wire.

Dother:

Said, oh, I was like, well, you know, I mean, I just started. I can't and I'm here crying like, you know, I was in an apartment too. I had cried. I was like, you don't need a job. I need it, you know?

Dother:

Mhmm. But the director reached out and said, hey, still gonna put you some episodes. So I got to meet him, and we chat for a little bit, like, exchanged each other numbers and, you know, watching him do his career, but, like, me seeing him again on Sinners and, like, reconnecting after all that and still having like changed was I think was surreal. So I think that would make the stunt even be like my favorable favorable that's word, right? Sure.

Dother:

I think it is. We're gonna make it work, right? Yeah, yeah. Because of that moment, like training with him, it's like you're training with your long lost cousin, kind of. It felt like, it felt like, you know?

Paden:

Do you all talk on a frequent basis still? No. No. No. No.

Paden:

No. No.

Dother:

Mean, he working. He busy. I I'm not one of the people like, hey. Yeah. You know what you doing?

Dother:

Yeah. But nah. Yeah. No. Yeah.

Dother:

He he's just working. He's he's he got his own Yeah. His path and very proud of what he's doing.

Paden:

He's killing it. He's doing some amazing things. Every time I look up, there's a new Michael B. Jordan movie coming out.

Dother:

Soon as he got director belt Yeah. Because, yeah, Ryan told him, hey, you gotta build your own, and that's exactly what he's doing. He's taking all his connections.

Paden:

What's your favorite movie of his?

Dother:

The Creed franchise is

Paden:

I was gonna say the same. The Creed is really good. It's yeah.

Dother:

That's the timeless I mean, it's a timeless film in while.

Paden:

And they just get better and better with Tom. Yes.

Dother:

Yeah. Yes.

Paden:

And even his acting and his physique and just the grit.

Dother:

It's it's phenomenal.

Paden:

Yeah.

Dother:

Now I'm hoping, I don't know, the next Creed, because his daughter is in boxing. Now, if you do another movie where, like, it taps in into death and boxing, I think that would be phenomenal.

Paden:

Are you giving us teasers?

Dother:

I don't. Look. Look. If y'all see it, look, I don't talk to none of them, but I'm just speaking ahead.

Paden:

How many times have you died on camera? Like, how many times have like, you know?

Dother:

Always. I think every movie, TV show

Dother:

up there, died.

Dother:

My mom said, I'm a professional she said, You die professionally. Like, I'm tired of seeing you die. Every time I tell her, I got a project coming out.

Paden:

Are you dying in this one?

Dother:

I'm like, Yes, ma'am. She's like, I'm not watching it. But, I die in every film I've been in.

Paden:

What's that feel like? I mean, to know that you're gonna, you know,

Dother:

die. Oh, here we go again.

Paden:

Yeah. I'm working.

Dother:

Yay. More blood on me. Yeah. Like having like fake blood on you, sticky and the squib that goes off, like, it is this I mean, it feels like somebody's thumping you in your back, but Yeah. It happens a

Paden:

lot. I'm glad you brought that up. I never really thought about that. What's that like? Is it just like a like a pouch and it hits What's that like?

Dother:

Yeah, so it's connected to this detonator that props be having, and once they film the whole scene, just say if you're running and you get shot in the back, they'll film you running, right? But then they'll do a close shot to where, like, you're hooked up to this wire. Some have wireless, and they'll just count to three, and you have to wait until it'll go off before you fall. You never wanna fall and it go off, you know?

Paden:

Very strategic.

Dother:

Yeah. Yeah.

Paden:

I always think about the movies where, you know, like people are running through the fire and all those things. Mhmm. That's a lot of, like, fire and a lot of, you know, materials. Like you said, 15 takes. That's a lot of fire.

Paden:

Like Yeah. That's a

Dother:

lot of materials. Especially with fire?

Paden:

Yeah.

Dother:

Like, can control it, but it's

Paden:

real at

Dother:

the end of It's time sensitive to a fright when it comes to fire.

Paden:

So what has the job cost of your body? Like, how do you feel? Like, how do you Now? Yeah.

Dother:

I mean, I do a lot of stretching. I try to keep my body up as much possible, chiropracting, and my diet too. So I try not to consume a lot of information, and that's the only way I'm able to sustain that. But now I'm, you know, on the end of, you know, detouring from stunts a little bit because it definitely catches up. It depends on the stunt, but it definitely catches up with you, though.

Paden:

What hurts every morning?

Dother:

My knees and the side of my neck, for sure, depending on how I sleep.

Paden:

Yeah. I had turned 32, like, two weeks ago, and I feel all of it. My feet, my back,

Dother:

all of it.

Paden:

I'm like, gosh, the age. I'm not even doing what you're doing.

Dother:

You see, and the worst thing is the whiplash. So, because when I worked on emancipation with Will Smith, we had to do a lot of neck jerks and dead man. So dead man is where they basically put a pole to the ground, tie you to a rope, and you have to run as fast as you can, and then it just like

Paden:

Yanks you.

Dother:

It just yanks you. It like a bullet shot, like you you got shot while running, and it just looks cool, but it's not fun. It's not fun.

Paden:

So speaking of that, like, Walking Dead, twelve Years a Slave, Civil War, which one you're like, wow. My body is like, whew, I think I pushed myself a little too hard or like, wow, like, if we have to do this one more time, I don't even know

Dother:

if I can That was lioness. Really? Yes. That was lioness. And this is what caused my pelvic injury.

Dother:

So it was season one. It was a bar fight. So we went through rehearsal. Rehearsal was good. And we we filmed.

Dother:

Film was good. And then for me, I feel like it's a curse. Every time the director says, one more shot, or let's get a close-up, something always end up happening to me. Always. So it was a scene where the guy threw me against the wall, and I land on the bar table, and then I let the bar table guide me to the floor.

Dother:

Mhmm. Did that, like, 80 times. So when the director said, let's get one more, he threw me on the table. I landed on the I mean, threw me against the wall. I landed on the table.

Dother:

Now the table didn't guide me down this time. The table stood up. So I basically just fell two feet straight down on my tailbone. And that, when I say, ah, like it was the worst pain ever. And the snub coordinator came and checked on me, he was like, You good?

Dother:

Like I couldn't walk, and director's like, All right, let's get another one. Let's get another one. So I had to do that again while with this pelvic. So thankfully, I didn't have to work again after that, but yeah, had to do it like four or five more times after that injury. Like, it hurt to walk five feet after that moment.

Dother:

Wow. Yeah.

Paden:

I think about like workers' comp and all the things, like, is that a thing?

Dother:

It is. Now you gotta know your body too, so it's The stunt work's kinda tricky though.

Paden:

Yeah, let's get into it.

Dother:

Yeah, so when you you want to let your coordinator know, your coordinator works for you, so he got your best interest. You want to let him know that you're hurt for one most, but you don't want to, sometimes depending on who you're working with, they don't want to tell you like, don't tell the nurse, don't tell because, you know, we gotta, I don't know, it's just something, don't tell nobody, just

Paden:

That's how it was in the military for us. So like if you got hurt, don't tell anybody. You just keep going and keep doing it. Because you feel like if you tell somebody, then they won't give you the next gig or they won't give you the next project or something.

Dother:

Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. So it's real depends on who you're working with at So that I didn't get workers' comp, but I think at that moment, I think well, I know the coordinators was really looking out because they had me on leave for, like, a week.

Dother:

So I was in Baltimore. I was supposed to be in Baltimore for a month. I only worked, like, two days out of that whole month. Was just sitting in a hotel. But during the hotel, I was in recovery.

Dother:

Like I went, that's my first time getting an acupuncture and getting therapy and stuff like that. And I was doing a lot of ibuprofen, but yeah. Yeah, you just can't tell your injury, depending on what it is, so. -Yeah.

Paden:

Dang. This episode is brought to you by Fiserv. You might not know their name, but you use them all the time. When you tap your card at the coffee shop or pay a small business, there's a good chance Fiserv made that happen. They help businesses of all sizes get paid plain and simple.

Paden:

Fiserv. Learn more at fiserv.com. Let's talk a little bit numbers and math and kind of, you know, some of that. How much do y'all actually get paid? Do y'all get paid as much as actors?

Paden:

Like, how does that work for you all? Like, what's the

Dother:

Oh, mean, the star actors. I mean, no. But you can make some money. So if you think about, like, Robert Downey Jr, his stunt guy, he just wears his suits. This guy's a millionaire, you know?

Dother:

But the typical stunt guy, like, it depends on your daily. So for one day, I think it's like 1,800. So even if you do thirty minutes, twelve hours, now anything after twelve hours is time and a half. Mhmm. Or eight hours is time and a half, they take away lunch and all that.

Dother:

So you get double, and if you don't eat lunch, you get meal penalty, So all that adds up pretty quickly, you know, depending on where you're filming on. If you're doing weekly, that's 4,500, plus residuals. So, yeah, so it's about the same as like, a guest star acting, you know, so you just don't have to audition, though.

Paden:

A lot easier Mhmm. Than yeah. There's a lot more injuries, a lot more.

Dother:

A lot more there's a lot more injury, though.

Paden:

I'm a risk it all. Definitely. Absolutely. Let's talk let's take me back for a second. Sinners won four Oscars.

Dother:

Mhmm.

Paden:

Crazy.

Dother:

Right.

Paden:

The movie made hundreds of millions. What is the guys, like, actually getting slammed on the bar? See from that? Like, what is like, what's the crew? Like, how is it working with the crew and just, like, everybody just continually seeing the slams and the slams?

Paden:

Like, what is that like? Just kind of walk me through the, like, you know, action.

Dother:

Man, so it was as a soul, it was a lot going on at that time, so the Slams. So, first of all, like, there was nothing better working with your your brothers and your sisters, and everybody was, like, one accord. It was a big family. But when I was picked to do the slam, the coordinator kept saying like, Hey, this is gonna be a big one. This is gonna be a big one.

Dother:

It's gonna be a big one. I'm like, It's just a slam, man.

Paden:

It's just

Dother:

slam, right? And they're like, Nah, man. I think you're gonna do some Cameron Town on this one, man. This might change your life. Oh, I said, Nah, man.

Dother:

This is just a stunt gig, man. But we, yeah, we had to maneuver like, okay, I had to make it easier for Michael B to lift me up Mhmm. And slam me. So I had to control my body, so that way it would make it easier for him. Because I thought the stunt coordinator was gonna do it.

Dother:

I mean, his stunt performer was gonna do it, but Michael B was like, oh, I'll do it. He's strong.

Paden:

I was gonna say, hey.

Dother:

Is Michael B's strong.

Dother:

He really did it.

Dother:

Didn't have to jump. Said, wait. Who first did it, actually? I was like, hold on.

Paden:

Wait. Dana's guy's pretty strong.

Dother:

I said, okay, now I know what I'm dealing with. Now I know what I'm dealing with. But, yeah, he actually did that. He picked me up, and coordinator was like, he leaps you up pretty high. Like, he did.

Dother:

I was like, I felt my feet. What did

Paden:

he say, Michael B in that moment, he just picked you up, slammed you, like, oh, my bad, and then you're like, you're pretty strong at

Dother:

me. Yeah. He always be like, hey, you good? Was that all right? Were you good?

Dother:

I'm like, yeah, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. I'm like, hey man, I said, low on the street a little bit, man, you know? But, yeah, he did exceptionally well, so yeah, we did that like too many times.

Paden:

So, like, take me inside, how many, you said it took 18 times? Eight? 18? That's a lot. What's it what's he like?

Paden:

What's it you know, working with him, how is his personality? Is he you know, what's he like?

Dother:

He's locked in. Great personality. He's not he works a lot for a reason. Mhmm. So he's not stuck up, nothing like barrier approachable.

Dother:

And he has no holes in his oar, if that makes sense. And he's a great guy. He's been the same when he when I saw my Friday Night Lights, and he was basically still starting out because nobody really knew who he was. You know? And now, you're like this, you're a A list actor, and you're still the exact same way as you were.

Dother:

It says a lot about his character. Absolutely. Know? Exactly.

Paden:

Yeah. I'm sure he'd say the same about you that you haven't changed and, you know, you're you've

Dother:

I wouldn't even know, but I'll take it up.

Paden:

What's funny about the time that I think you were just finishing up with Sinners Mhmm. And we had met. And you're like, Yeah, I just got back from doing some stunts with Sinners. I'm like, What? What do you mean?

Paden:

Like, you just got back from Like, Sinners is supposed is a big deal. Like, Michael B. Jordan, and you were You're like, Yeah, I just I'm a stuntman, and I just You you know, the flip on the table? And I'm like, yeah. That's me.

Paden:

And

Dother:

I'm like,

Paden:

oh, shit. So really cool to see it all come full circle and, you know, now celebrate you and your success and all the the the film as a whole and everything that you all did in the Oscars. So congratulations to you and the entire team on that.

Dother:

Thank you. So

Paden:

now that you're kinda transitioning a little bit, was Sinners that movie that really put you on the pedestal, or do you think that it really changed your career like they said and forecasted?

Dother:

I believe so. I mean, now what Sinners really had taught me a lot, though, being on set and also, working, you know, with Ryan and, Michael and the producers as well, it showed me how when you get a bunch of people that like minded like you are in the same room, like the creativity of it could be inevitable, right? And it just gave me that passion, like, that's something that I wanna do, like, outside of stunts. Like, okay, you can create your own. Just like how they were doing, you know?

Dother:

Because it just showed a lot. So when I see like Ryan as the best director, his cinematographer was the best cinematographer, and there was things that he didn't know that he trusted his cinematographer to do, or the producer to do or, and just watching like no egos in the room. Was just, what do you think? What it is? And I think that right there showed me like, okay, for my next career is now building my own, just how they created that, you know, being surrounded by like minded people.

Dother:

So that's the next pedestal. So it's, I'm forever grateful to be in a crew where being nominated and also winning awards. So now it's like, okay. Now I wanna create where it's like, I created something and it actually win an award. You know what I mean?

Paden:

Absolutely. Before we get into that, if you could take away, like, one lesson, like, one thing that Michael B. Jordan said or somebody on that team, what would it be? The Sinners team.

Dother:

Wow. You gotta have your own. Don't be scared to have your own. Because one thing I've noticed that Ryan Coogler didn't own Black Panther.

Paden:

Mhmm.

Dother:

He didn't own Creed because that was attached to Rocky. Mhmm. But he owned Sinners. Mhmm. That was his full, like, a 100% creativity, and you can't be scared to create your own, you know?

Paden:

You know, it's interesting to hear you say that you're not the first Jason had said the same thing about creating your own and being able to have that own. I think for like the listeners, like what does that truly mean or what it why is it the biggest difference, or what is it that you you have to have your own? Like you said, it's attached to something, but what is the key differentiator? Like, what is it?

Dother:

Because you have more control.

Paden:

Mhmm.

Dother:

And not only control, you know how authentic it is when you visualize, you can see, rather than you have a company that's overhead and they're, of course they're helping you advertise, they're helping you get out there and they're putting money into your project, but then when the money start coming in, then you have a higher percentage of like, oh, this is 90%, you get 10%. Like, you know, I found out that Nickelodeon makes $4,200,000 off of SpongeBob, a and creator makes 1,000,000 a year. You know what I mean? Like, that's why, like, the creativity and owning your own is different, because 4,200,000,000 and I create a SpongeBob and I get a million? Yeah.

Dother:

I mean, we're okay with it, but I mean, to each his own, but that's a that's a big difference. Yeah. And I think that's why it's important to create your own.

Paden:

Absolutely.

Dother:

Yeah.

Paden:

So, like, let's set the timeline straight. You've been doing this for fifteen years. Mhmm. You were doing movies, stunts, everything, and then your wife, Chanel, blows up. Mhmm.

Paden:

Tell me how that actually happened from your seat and from your perspective. Like, what did that look like?

Dother:

I knew it was gonna happen. I had I mean, because she is like, her drive is crazy.

Paden:

Mhmm.

Dother:

She's always doing something when it comes to video, but I think for her, like, it just being authentic. When she did the Tiana Taylor video, which I was doing my own thing, I was recording something, unexpectedly, but I didn't know it was gonna do that. Right. You know? But when it did do that, I was like, I kinda knew because the world is tired of, like, fake lifestyle.

Dother:

Like, people wanna be connected to people that's really authentic. Like, show me your true self. What is it real about you? Like, I wanna be able to relate to you. Like, come on, you don't wake up with makeup on, come

Paden:

on now. Right.

Dother:

Like, you don't always wear weave, come on now. Like, show us your true self, and that's what she does, and I think she's tapping in with that, what she is tapping in and disrupting the beauty in a natural way. So when I saw that, I was like, shoot, whatever you need me to do support wise, because she supported me for ten years and put her stuff on hold for a long time. So, and now, you know, I'm reciprocating.

Paden:

Yeah. Alright. You had to be honest with me. The first time you were known when people started calling you Chanel's husband versus Dother Sykes

Dother:

Yeah.

Paden:

What was that like? Like, what did that feel like? Because

Dother:

So can I tell you something? Please. The first time I knew she was onto something is when I got called Chanel husband on set of Sinners. Wow. Walking to my trailer, like, hey.

Dother:

I saw y'all video. I love y'all video. You're Chanel husband. I'm like, Wait, I'm Are you I'm here right now. Right.

Dother:

I'm on a set of Sinners. But I was like, Okay. She's on to something.

Paden:

Did you call like, Babe? Like, Oh my gosh. Like, somebody just called me like Chanel's husband.

Dother:

Right. Yeah. Saw her. Yeah. Yeah.

Dother:

And I told her that. She was like, God

Paden:

is trying to tell you something.

Dother:

I was like, maybe he is. Mhmm. You know? But yeah, that was that was wild. It's still wild to me.

Paden:

Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, could men or most men wouldn't be able to handle their wife being more famous or more well known? Like, what are your thoughts on that? How do you handle it?

Paden:

And, you know, what do you think?

Dother:

Man, I mean, to each his own, I feel like if you don't want your wife or your significant other to be famous, I mean, therapy is an option, you know. Reading the Bible is an option. Mhmm. You know? There's a lot of things that you can do to fix yourself as a person because that's a ego problem.

Paden:

Mhmm.

Dother:

And if you can't support I don't if y'all supposed to be a team, you know what I mean? Like, whoever's quarterback, whoever could throw the ball at that moment, throw it. As long as we you win, we win. You know? Mhmm.

Dother:

If Patrick Mahomes win the Super Bowl, guess who else get a ring? Everybody on the team. Everybody on the team, you know, from the people that do, you know, that put the tape on, like everybody gets everybody gets a ring. So it's a team effort. So if you can't if you wanna be the star of the show, then I guess do it on your own, but you gotta support your spouse.

Dother:

So that's important to put that to the side and let them shine.

Paden:

That truly says something about you too, as a man, as a husband, everything. That's that's amazing. So now you're both creators. Same house, both on camera. What's it like waking up every day knowing that you all both are creating videos and being creators?

Dother:

My wife says that a lot. She would like, say, we just wake up and make videos. It's crazy. I love it, though. I mean, at first, because I didn't like the internet at first, you know, because before that I used to do like the Vine thing, and then I was like, you know, I'm just focused on the film, but now it's just like, I love it because for one, even working in films, I never got as much of brand deals and free stuff just out of the blue as a content creator than it is, you know, being on set.

Dother:

On set, I ain't get nothing free, you know, just, I mean, got some credibility and, you know, working is a blessing, you know. You get rap gifts, but, you know, come home and you get a package from YSL, you're like, I mean, I guess I wear YSL now. Right. That's better.

Paden:

What's the coolest thing you've ever received?

Dother:

The coolest thing? Oh, it would have to be my grill. A pitbulls? I got a grill, a griddle. It was like a big griddle.

Paden:

Like a Blackstone?

Dother:

Yeah. It's a Blackstone griddle. Yes.

Paden:

Yeah. Man.

Dother:

I turned in my backyard like a Waffle House now.

Paden:

Oh, that's amazing.

Dother:

The eggs taste different

Dother:

on a It does. I

Dother:

don't know what it is.

Paden:

Hey, I just bought a Pit Boss Pro, the combo, so it's like the griddle and the smoker, put the pellets in there. That's fire. It's different.

Dother:

That's next for me.

Paden:

Next brand deal, I'm telling you.

Dother:

Yes, I can do

Paden:

Pit Boss better be listed right now.

Dother:

Pit Boss, hey, I need that.

Paden:

Get on it. Yes.

Dother:

I need that charcoal.

Paden:

Man, well, you know, like, some people have their perceptions and connotations of having your family on camera and the kids. Mhmm. Where do you all draw the line, or, like, how do you all balance that, and what will you all, you know? Oh, What's that like?

Dother:

Yeah. So me and me and my wife communicate on that. So we're just like, we don't wanna use it all the time, only if they're comfortable, you know? And I know their protection comes first, and our kids are very animated and they love being on camera, so it's just like one of those things is where like, okay, they're gonna do it regardless with or without you eventually, yeah, we kinda like balance that and we look out for their protection first depending on where the video is. If it needs them, then we'll use them.

Dother:

If it don't, then we don't.

Paden:

Are y'all competitive at all, Like, competitive in a good way? Like, you know, my Oh, yeah.

Dother:

In a good way. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So

Paden:

How is that?

Dother:

So, yeah, my wife, like, she gets a brand deal for, you know, amount. I'm like, no. I gotta find a way to to match that. Like, you can't I can't outdo. You know?

Dother:

Mhmm. But she definitely outdo me because I I think there's more brands that gravitate to to creative women Mhmm. Than it is to creative men because, like, I don't reach out to people. I don't even need it.

Paden:

I'm, you

Dother:

know, can

Dother:

talk about Yeah. Know, hair loss people. Don't know. Like, what the

Paden:

Cool. What's what's a company you haven't worked with yet that you wanna work with?

Dother:

Company I haven't worked with yet, so I wanna work with I wouldn't mind working with oh, of course. I mean, I'm a Pokemon guy. I would love to work with You are.

Paden:

Your Pokemon room's crazy. Yeah. And your Legos. You're a Legos guy too.

Dother:

Right? Oh, I'm a like Yeah. I'm nineties kid. Like, anything in the nineties, basically, I'm I'm I'm there.

Paden:

Let's go Legos for Legos right Let's do it. Mhmm. My collection's kinda crazy.

Dother:

You you will get with LEGO. LEGO got expensive.

Dother:

I don't know

Dother:

what I'm saying.

Paden:

Look. Can you get some LEGO deals so, you know, you don't do the sets?

Dother:

Just get

Paden:

them over here and That's another one. You can get

Dother:

LEGO LEGO deals. Let's go. Let's

Paden:

go. They need to be listening. Tap in. Mhmm. So just real quick, you've been betting on yourself from Shreveport for years, and then you got the keys to the city.

Paden:

Mhmm. What was that like? Walk me through that.

Dother:

That was surreal. I wasn't expecting that. I thought, you know, I didn't I really didn't have no idea I was getting the keys to the city, but I To the think But it was a great feeling to know that, because moving from Tampa

Paden:

to

Dother:

Shreveport was a hard transition for me. Right. Because I went to a majority white school in Tampa to the 100%, like, you know, low academic school, which were like a big different for me, but it taught me very well though, and I'm glad I went. So shout out to Pathan. Going there, was like, they was like, oh, your grammar's different.

Dother:

What? Yeah. You say, Dad. What? Like, was a different But it was an eye opener, though.

Dother:

So from that on, it's like, I always try to find myself to prove myself with, you know, my own culture and tapping in, it was like a, it was a hard thing. But during the years as getting older in Louisiana, kinda, it connected me even more to what I was missing in Tampa.

Paden:

Understood.

Dother:

You know what I mean? Yeah. So getting the key and getting recognized for the work that I've done, like says a lot and will always have my heart and I'll always give what I can to Shreveport Shreveport made me who

Paden:

I am. Mhmm.

Dother:

Shreveport will build me.

Paden:

They better be listening right now.

Dother:

Yeah. And the people gotta know, hey, Shreveport is is where it is. The food. You can say what Yeah, the food. You got be careful with the food.

Dother:

It becomes a drug. It'll get you.

Paden:

I really resonate with what you're saying. Even for me, like looking at my background, I went to Catholic school growing up to about eighth grade, and then I transitioned to public school, and it was like a diversity and culture shock for me. So it was like predominantly white K through eight, and then switching to high school was predominant. It was just every culture because it was everybody, and

Dother:

it was

Paden:

like, wow, this is, this is different.

Dother:

Yeah.

Paden:

From being able to kind of find myself and find my way, but you didn't really fit in about either crowd, and you just kind of,

Dother:

you

Paden:

know, had to make your way through and really lean on your siblings at least.

Dother:

Yeah, I

Paden:

totally understand what you mean. Yeah. So now you've, you know, you're moving into a career change a bit. Talk to me about it. What's that look like?

Dother:

Oh, yeah. So we're building our own production.

Paden:

Building your own production, that's a pretty big deal. I think you gotta like say that a little more, you know?

Dother:

Yeah, so me and my wife, we're My wife, she's working on some things to elevate her content, and I'm working on mine as well. And her content more focused on who she is, the two scoops, and mine's is more of just strictly film. So, you know, so I'm in the process of now. So I'm building relationships, meeting with investors, and just taking a day at a time, because I know some people, you know, are like, oh, I wanna see something now. But at the same time, it's like, it's a day at a time, you know, because you wanna make sure you're right.

Dother:

Because anybody that works with me or on the side of me, I wanna make sure everybody's taken care of, treated right, and it feeds the credential, you know, along. It takes a lot when you do that, and I see why people don't do it because it takes a

Paden:

lot.

Dother:

Right. But it's something I wanna do, though, so

Paden:

Just keep me in mind,

Dother:

you know? Of course. Of course.

Paden:

Alright. Last thing before we close out. After everything that you've done in front of the camera behind it, getting slammed on bars, what would the four year old or the four year old kid self still tell you?

Dother:

Wow, that is a good question. Wow, you doing that? We do that? That is so cool. So you in movies with a family?

Dother:

I think I think the four year old is definitely proud of me. I think he'd be excited. That is a really good question. That is a really good question. Yeah.

Dother:

I think, yeah, he would say, oh, yeah. He'd be proud of me.

Paden:

And what about the kid in Shreveport right now looking up to you? He was He was there watching you get the keys to the city. What do you tell him? He's watching right now.

Dother:

Stick to who you are. Don't allow your what I mean, stick to who you are is trust your instinct. Don't be afraid to create. Don't be afraid to learn more. Don't be afraid to be open minded to things that can take you to different places.

Dother:

Now for you to go to somewhere you've never been, you gotta do something you've never done. So and keep God first.

Paden:

Keep God first in everything you do.

Dother:

Always.

Paden:

Yeah. I love that.

Dother:

Importantly.

Paden:

Man. Well, do you remember earlier in the show I asked you what kind of car that you compare yourself to? Mhmm. And you said?

Dother:

Toyota Supra and, GTR.

Paden:

Okay. Well, we like to do something where we gift you. We call it our Hot Wheels moment. Oh. And we give you a car based off your personality.

Paden:

So I chose the Corvette Grand Sport for you.

Dother:

The Grand Sport Corvette?

Paden:

Reason being is, you know, it's pure American muscle, and it just felt right, like performance, personality, consistency, and if you think about the evolution of Corvette, you know, it's tested every you know, the test of time, it's consistent, and it's it'll show off a bit, when it needs to be, but for the same reasons, I wanna give you the Corvette Grand Sport.

Dother:

I appreciate that.

Paden:

Of course. Now the car is your journey, and the Sick Fit Socks are where you go next. So where do your steps take you next? You already hit on it a little bit, but just getting into a little bit more. Tell us where your your your steps take you next.

Dother:

Hopefully my steps takes me to a place where I'm able to create opportunities for other people that don't have the opportunities to create. That's my next step. Because for me, I do things, I'm at the level now where I do things outside of me. I do things for other people.

Paden:

Mhmm.

Dother:

I wanna do things for other people that don't have the opportunity. You know what I mean? And I think that's why this production is important for me because everybody don't get casted and are talented at what they do. They just need that one opportunity. You know?

Dother:

Spike Lee saved Samuel Jackson. You know?

Paden:

I like it. Keeping God's gift first. Keep like, what you said earlier, using God's gift that he gave you and

Dother:

All goes to him. All goes to him. Y'all almost got me with the four year old, though. I'm still here intrigued by that one. When you visualize your younger self and you look at yourself like, what do you say?

Dother:

Like, wow. Where do I start? That's a good question.

Paden:

I told you I pulled some things out of you.

Dother:

Yeah. You did you almost got me. You you didn't have me tearing up on on this podcast.

Paden:

Hey. Look. We we look. Well, look. Thank you for coming on the show.

Paden:

We truly appreciate it, and we're gonna continue to watch your journey and see what's next. And, you know, like I said, if you're casting, I'll gladly be a applicant. But thank you for coming on the show. Appreciate it. Thank you

Dother:

for having me. Absolutely. I'm proud of you. And thank you for your service as well.

Paden:

Thank you.

Dother:

Thank you for this car. Now, now I gotta get one. You can't go wrong with a Corvette though.

Paden:

Can't.