'Jupiter Ascending' Star David Ajala on "Black Box" & Deal Breakers

You look very styling today.

Thank you. I I knew that I'd be doing this. I thought why not just primp up my swagger a little bit.

Did you you definitely primp up the swag. You primp up the couch for us cuz you actually blend with the couch really well.

Oh yeah. It's it's all part of the clant. I know.

Did you did you check out the studio ahead of time and say, I'm going to work my wardrobe. They call it Unagi, right? You just lock in and you just understand so it's never coincidence.

Is that what they call it? Unagi. Is that I obviously I don't know that word. It's it's a very special thing. You have to be part of a special community to know that word.

I thought that was a sushi roll. Unagi. Isn't that like a type of fish?

No. Am I wrong?

No, you might be right. You might be right. Okay. So, I want to jump right into it. I read, um, I think it was an interview interview magazine. You said you you got into acting initially a teacher told you it was a good way to meet girls.

Yeah.

Really? So many actors. I'm learning all the time that that's why they got into it initially. That's not why they stay in it once. Right. But obviously not you.

I just I think I had just way too much energy and I wasn't very popular with the girls. It was just I was I think I was too keen sometimes and then my teacher.

Yeah. You can't be eager. Girls can't know that, you know, you like them or they're just done. They're just done.

No. You have to Yeah, what's it? Treat treat them mean, keep them keen.

Yeah. That's so true. My math teacher told me that as well. Um, so he

My math teacher was naughty. He was a pimp. He was.

Yeah. Um, where were we? Well, let's talk about Black Box. Talk a little bit about the show about working with the two phenomenal actresses that you're working with. Vanessa and Kelly, amazing actresses.

Yeah. I'm very, very graceful.

Um, you actually, you tweeted your woman crush Wednesday with Kelly. Which was very sweet.

Indeed. Yeah. She she's a wonderful, wonderful lady and a great actress to work with.

For so for people who don't know, the premise of the show is she I guess putting it very the a blanket expression would be she's bipolar.

Yeah.

But she's a neuroscientist. So she's brilliant. She is. And she almost embraces her her her illness in a way because she feels like it allows her to be more creative and think more deeply. So she doesn't want to take her medication. You play her boyfriend.

Yes.

You are a very understanding boyfriend.

Yeah, very.

Could you you're putting up a lot there. I mean, people say like, you know, their girlfriends are off. Yeah. You know. But they they haven't met. They have not met her yet.

I'm not an idiot, Kate. I've done the research. The meds don't work all the time. You can't control this.

Absolutely right.

And I'm a doctor. If they start not to work, I can fix it.

How?

I get out the prescription pad and self-medicate.

That's illegal.

Technically, but it's done all the time.

Wow. Hey, stop. What do you want me to say?

That whatever you think I need to hear. I want the truth. Will, my character, being the guy that he is, he finds a way of being able to cope with it and to embrace it and to encourage her and to show her support.

Well, you take off at first and then you come back. Yeah. So I want to play a game with you based on the premise of the show. It's called Dealbreaker.

Okay.

Okay. So I'm going to give you scenarios and you can tell me whether or not a woman, if she does this in life,

Yeah.

If it's a dealbreaker. Right. Oh. Okay. Dealbreaker or not? A woman who selfees every day.

Oh, my. That is um, every day? Yeah. How do you find the time to do that every day? Oh, we're quick. Um, uh, it's a dealbreaker.

That's a dealbreaker. We can never date. Oh, snap. Okay. Dealbreaker or not? A woman who has one of those little miniature dogs. Brings the dog everywhere including bed. The little cute dogs, right?

Yeah. So she takes it to the restroom as well.

Everywhere. And then it's in the bed?

No, it sleeps in bed. Oh, and it sleeps in bed. Why not? That sounds wrong, though. That's so wrong. No, it really does. So I think we're wearing I know, that's a dealbreaker. That's a dealbreaker. I was trying to be a gentleman. That's a dealbreaker.

Okay. Geez, you're tough. I'm kidding. Okay. The woman who constantly goes out, orders a salad and eats all the food off your plate.

Oh. You know what, that's not a dealbreaker because I do the same thing.

Do you? Orders a salad and then eats fries?

Sometimes. Yeah, cuz one has to work out and and keep in shape and prepare for roles and all of that stuff. You have to be really, really strict, but I'm I'm terrible at that. So that won't be a dealbreaker.

Okay. And last but not least, the woman who invites you to meet her parents on date three.

So what's happened on date one? We've just met and you know, sure she's Whatever happened on date one and two? I don't know. But date three. You're me you're meeting the parents. Date three? One and two have gone real well. That is um, it wouldn't be a dealbreaker. So it would be okay.

Yeah, that'd be cool.

It'd be sweet.

Let's talk about Jupiter Ascending. This is going to be a huge this is such a highly anticipated movie. It's one of those movies that people have been talking about for a long time. It I think is it going to come out in the summertime?

Yeah, uh, July 18th.

Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis. Incredible.

Yeah. Yeah. It was I mean it was a really, really wonderful thing to work on. And uh I remember when I had to go in

You play the baddy character.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, he's he's a badass villain. He he is I mean, first we were kind of working out. We weren't sure if we were going to if I was going to be American with the character. And then I just thought it would just be cooler to use an English accent. And I think there's something if if it's done correctly, I think there's something really cool and refined and sinister about using

Right. Being proper.

a specific kind of English accent.

Yeah. So what what accent did you use then?

I use it's called an RP accent, received pronunciation. It's the same way the queen would speak.

Can we hear some of it?

Oh, you can hear it in the film. Come on.

No. We get something. Can we get a little Can you do Can you do Scottish?

Uh, oh no. Scottish accent is terrible. Um, let me think of something to say. Um, okay. I I can do I can do a Nigerian accent.

Okay.

Yeah. So I haven't done this in a while. What what do you want me to say? Tell me something about the movie. Just sort of like, just tease us.

Okay. I I'll okay. I'll tell you about my process. Because in in the movie in Jupiter Ascending, I'm wearing a lot of um, prosthetics and makeup and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So, uh, when I when I was on set, the the uh, the makeup artist person, they said to me that I have to wear a lot of makeup. And they said it would be one hour and thirty minutes of makeup every day. So, they put black paint on me. All over. Because my character was he was like a very bad villain. And they put black makeup all over my body. And when I was on set, I saw another black guy. And he said to me, Oh my God, you are the blackest black guy I have ever seen.

I can literally hear you do that accent all day long. That is phenomenal.

I haven't done it in a long time.

Thank you for coming in. This was very educational. And fun as well. Let's go have sushi.

Let's do that at the at the Unagi restaurant.