Columbus Short

R. J. here at the Young Hollywood Studio at the Four Seasons with Columbus Short.

Now, you come a long way. I mean, it wasn't that long ago you were doing backup dancing, choreography for Britney Spears. Yeah. Now, you're starring in a film with three of the funniest guys around. We got Chris Rock, we got Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, and you. Yeah. You ever just pinch yourself and be like, "Man, how did I get here?"

I remember being onset, actually, when we were doing the movie. I was just like, "Man, Martin. Man, I love you." Like, you have to, you had to like, you it's a bit surreal to to to be working with uh, people that you've been watching your whole life. You know what I mean? You guys having a seizure. Come in. Come in, jab. Come in. No, no, I told you to lock the damn door. What's going on? He's having a seizure. Yeah. So uh, why is he all tied up? We don't want him to swallow his tongue. Oh. That's part of the medical procedure.

Now, they've all had huge careers as stand-up comics. Is that something you could ever see yourself doing now that you sort of got the bug with them?

I actually did a stint in 2005. I did like six months of just, you know, stand-up. That's all I was doing uh, because I wasn't working as an actor.

Speaking of of stand-up, Tracy Morgan was here earlier. We saw a little impersonation you did of Tracy. You gotta show everybody.

Yeah, you know, Tracy would be onset and Tracy every day he would change who his father is. You know, one day he's like, "Yo, C-bags, you know. My real father is uh, Eddie Kinwick. Used to come up into the house all the time. You know. They said my mother is Minnie Ripperton, but I don't know." You know. "Hey, C-bags, my Tracy. My real father is um, uh, uh, Wilford Brimley." Every day. That was Tracy.

So, is it just crazy everyday what you would imagine being with three of those guys?

Yeah. To be honest, Martin Martin is very docile and very reserved and and and Chris is very, you know, focused and analytical. Very much it was Tracy's show. What's wrong with Oscar? I don't know. He's been keep playing. Oh my God. It's the Valium. Valium. I gave him one of your Valium. Oh. In the van. What you thought was Valium is actually not Valium.

Now, now Zoe Saldana, let's talk about her. Two films in a row Yeah. that you're doing with her. I mean, was that just a total coincidence or it just worked out that way?

It was and it was exactly back-to-back. We did Death at a Funeral and in the middle of Death at a Funeral, I was like, she's like, "What are you doing after this?" I was like, "I'm doing a movie called Losers." She's like, "I'm doing a movie called Losers." I was like, "What?" Yeah. So we.

So you don't even realize each other was going to be in the film?

No. No. And then and then um, she's like the biggest star in the world because of Avatar. Right. That's crazy. Yeah. That's an actor's dream to be on that movie, man. To not be an Avatar to me. Right. I'll be I'll be a Na'vi.

All right, I want to show you something real quick. It's going to bring back some memories. He's going to put you on the spot here. What was going through your mind during this? You gotta be careful.

Oh God, the stage fall. The stage fall. The stage fall. Okay, right now, I'm going to walk I'm going to walk you through this. Right now, I'm like jump out my bed, put my swag on. Take a look in the mirror. Say, "What's up?" Like, how? How is it possible? Look at the man. Oh my God. It was crazy. I've been on stage my whole life. My whole life I've been on stage. And I walked directly off it. If there was an orchestra pit we wouldn't be talking about.

All right, last thing we want to know. If you were to give some advice to Young Hollywood, to those that are trying to make it, what would be something you learned that you would tell them?

Don't seek fame, guys. Don't seek fame. Uh, I'll say it to the camera. Don't seek fame. Seek to be the best at whatever your craft is. If you're if you're a singer, set out to make good music. If you're if you're an actor, seek to be the best at your craft um, and not fame because that's futile. Um, but talent talent will talent is what you can take to the grave. To your legacy.

Well said. Yeah. And if you're looking to see some of the best comedians around, Death at a Funeral, this guy, Martin, Tracy, Chris, Danny Glover, Zoey, I mean Young Hollywood. Young Hollywood. Your boy C-bags. Yeah, Tracy Morgan signing out. Yeah.

Thank you, buddy. This is fun.

All right, man. Yeah.