Theo Rossi Reveals Dramatic Relationships on Marvel's Luke Cage

Hey everybody, welcome into studio. I'm hanging out today with Theo Rossi. How's it going?

Going, it's going, it's going with or without me. You know, the show just came out a couple of days ago. Everybody seems to be pretty hyped about it, so we're excited.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Well, I saw an interview with you from a while back, and in it you said that becoming an actor was a happy accident. And I loved that. What does that mean exactly? How did it happen?

Without going too far into it, just literally the polar opposite spectrum of doing this business. And then it just happened. Right place, right time. And then the next thing I know, you know, I got with my five best friends I've known my whole life. We moved out to LA, and uh, here I am 18 years later to completely age myself. And and 18 years I've been doing this now.

Well, congratulations on season two. People know you of course, from Sons of Anarchy, but now also as Shades from Marvel's Luke Cage. Tell me a little bit about season one versus season two. Which one did you enjoy filming more?

I always knew doing season one, it was really about season two for Shades. It's so different because we get to find out everything about him. Like his relationships, his past relationships, what makes him the way he is, why he is the way he is. Is he really a villain? Is he really a hero? You know, we get to really kind of delve into because he was such an enigmatic, like closed-off figure in the first season, who was just kind of almost like, for lack of a better word, like a a true villain, like a killing machine in a way. And we get to really explore him more.

Well, feeding off of that, without giving too much away, what do you think from season two is the biggest thing about Shades that fans are going to be surprised by?

His past relationships. Who he is. Yeah, his love. His love, uh, where his, uh, you know, one of the relationships that basically defined him as a person. This is a guy who's bound by nothing. For us, that was a huge point, and it was something that I was just so behind because it really defines him as a person. And, and I think to see that in a villain in a gangster world, in the Marvel universe, is so appealing to people because it's just a huge step forward.

I don't know how you have time for much else, but you do do a lot of other things. Like I said, you're a philanthropist. You also have a water company.

Yeah. I do.

Okay. Talk to me about that, because I've never met anybody that owns a water company.

Thank you. Uh, yeah, it's another happy accident. I was actually shooting the film we were just speaking about, Lowriders, out here in Elysian Park. And uh, this idea hit me. I had had my production company, so I had a really good team in place. I drink a gallon of water every day because I run, you know, I run marathons and do a lot of different kind of Spartan races and stuff like that. So I just thought I'd make an easier system for people to drink more water. So I was like, oh, it'd be cool if they just made it easier. Sometime, sometimes my simplicity

Yeah, just how to keep track of how much water you're drinking. Yeah, who's time for that?

Yeah. I love it. So we created the 20 and the 40 ounce, and then Ounce Water was born, and uh, it's doing pretty incredible.

I love that. Well, everything that you do has such a positive vibe to it. You have the lifestyle blog, of course, Go Get It Life.

Yeah. Yeah.

Um, you're a vegan.

Yeah.

Right?

Yeah.

So, veganism obviously is huge here in LA. But you're a New Yorker.

Yeah.

So, what do you eat when you're in New York? People are wanting to hand you bagels and cream cheese. I mean,

Everybody is. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I've been a vegan before it was like kind of cool and fashionable. Like, you know, it's just, it's one of those things that it becomes a lifestyle. And, and my whole thing is like, I have to walk what I talk. And, you know, I'm, I'm a big, you know, I'm on a couple of different boards of animal rights groups and a couple of different things to do with, you know, the main society and all.

And how many dogs do you have right now?

Three rescues. It's just I feel a certain way that I live, I need. And uh, being a vegan was just something that really agreed with me.

Before we let you go, we have a quick game. It's called This Or That. I, I say both. Are you ready?

Yeah, let's go. Both.

Sweet or salty?

Sweet.

Meditation or sweat it out?

That's, see that's something I want to say both because I think both are important, but I'm I'm ready to sweat it out. Sweat it out. Yeah.

House full of cats or house full of dogs?

Love 'em both. Can't say.

LA or New York?

Love 'em both. Can't say.

Reading scripts or reading books?

Books. Books. Ah, it's hard to say in my job.

Caffeinate or hydrate?

Hydrate. Yeah. You got to have that one. My whole life. I have to say hydrate.

Family vacation or vacation with mom and dad?

Family vacation. I got a three and a one year old. They're so cute. Yeah, it's just digging being with them.

Red carpet night or Netflix from home?

Netflix from home. Yeah. You got to watch shades. You got to see what's going on. That's it. Yeah.

Well, thank you so much for hanging out. Let's come back soon.

I will. Great to see you.

It's really great seeing you.