On a very sunny day in London (even too sunny to be London), we met this awesome guy whose name is Zackary Momoh (or simply Zack) who happens to be Seth Butler in the new Netflix TV Series “Seven Seconds“. It’s a given: the series will be a hit, considering also the directing and writing of Veena Sud, creator of “The Killing”. “Seven Seconds” tells about the death of a 15-year-old African American boy in Jersey City that sets off a police cover-up and a search for the truth.
Back to Zack. He arrived on his beautiful (let’s say amazing) Harley Davidson and, from the very first moment, we understood he is an easy going, dedicated, passionate actor and person. He chatted with us about his career, his Faith and never-give-up attitude towards life. We loved his always smiling face and his passion for his work is surely palpable, wherever he is.
Enjoy our interview with this incredible guy!
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There was a moment, a click in your life, when you decided that you wanted to be an actor?
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I think I’ve always wanted to perform. When I was a kid I was in a talent show doing acting and dancing and I wanted do act, professionally. It was like: this is where I’m going to make money…or, even, if I don’t make any money, I’m going to do it. I was in University, about twenty years old, when I decided that I didn’t want to study marketing business anymore. Maybe nineteen.
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Was there a moment when you felt like giving up?
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No, I’ve never felt like giving up. And if there’s one thing you need in this industry is that faith and that perseverance, cause there are a lot of nos.
If anything, all the rejection I’ve had, all the things that have been through, all the adversity have kind of built my character. As things got harder, they made me want to be better.
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Do you have somebody who inspires you, both in your work or in your personal life?
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At the moment, a lot of directors inspire me, just in terms of how they provoke an emotion, provoke a thought or in the way they shoot. Like Kahlil Joseph, Guillermo Del Toro…
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Did you see The Shape of Water?
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Yes, and how do we start? We could stay here talking about it for half an hour. It’s beautiful how everything was in perpetual motion, there’s no static. So everything’s either coming or going or left or right. It’s like water and now I really see the hype. I saw “Pan’s Labyrinth” but I’ve never been like “ohhh, Guillermo Del Toro”. Seeing “The Shape of Water” was amazing. And there are many actors that inspire me. For example Daniel Kaluuya who’s just been nominated for an Oscar. And then I’ve got these peers of mine now in theatre that I watch, and they really blow my mind. Like Jonathan Ajayi, he just graduated in drama school but yet you see this passion within him.
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What was the experience that influenced your way of acting and approaching a character the most?
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I think it was when I did a fellow in a theatre that was 70 people max, and I was getting paid like 200£ a month for three months, and I was sleeping on my cousin’s couch: I lived too far from the theatre and I was going by bike because I couldn’t afford the money for the bus or the train. In that role I solely concentrated as I was sleeping and eating and breathing.
With that character I really got to expand my creative horizon and it really allowed me to push myself in a way that I never pushed myself before. And that really changed me, it allowed me to really 100% give my all and not worrying about the sacrifices I had to make, and it always comes back to you. Your ability strengthens.
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Has it been easy to separate your life from the character you’re playing, and that are so intense like the one you were saying?
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In a way, yes and no. When I’m off the stage or the set yes, it’s me. Or even when they say cut, it’s always me.
But there are those parts when you get home and you have a little bit of character trickling into you. I remember that, when I was doing a fellow, I would woke up from nightmares, sweating because I just imagined I was strangling my girlfriend in my bed and that would be a recurring dream every night.
Also I felt like, when I was doing “Seven Seconds”, Seth Butler has ways that are different from mine, the way he holds himself and I kept finding him trickling. I stayed in New York for a while and I have an English accent but obviously my character has a New Jersey and New York accent so I found myself going to the store “Oh can I get this this and this…” but by the time I got at the end of Seven I was like “Yo, lemme get those too, I’mma have that too and yeah just a coffee as well”. And the back of your mind is just like ugh.
I found that happening as well when I was talking to people I’d start naturally with my accent but, by the end of the conversation, I’m like: “tell me yo buddy”.
So it’s like a yes and no.
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I was doing “Seven Seconds”, Seth Butler has ways that are different from mine, the way he holds himself and I kept finding him trickling.
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I heard you’ve been in New York for six months to shoot “Seven Seconds”. How was living there? Did you like it?
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Ah, New York is one of my favorite cities in the world.
First of all, I got to experience all the seasons in New York, the blizzards, the rain, the humid, the snow…
It’s like London, in a way, but has a lot more electricity. It’s just got this vibe to it that has so much energy. It really is the city that never sleeps.
While I was staying in Brooklyn, I knew that, when I was going out of my house, I was going to talk to some nice people, to walk into something crazy, or into an event. Even just pop into a bar or a coffee shop and there’s always something to do, something active.
I think that for the first month or two I just stayed indoors but, as I got into my character, I actually got to go out more and experience New York. I really loved it: the people there, the vibe of the city.
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Seven Second’s Premiere is here. How are you feeling?
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Excited. It’s been a long time, because we finished it at the end of July last year so it feels surreal. I’ve seen it so now I know how it’s gonna be received. Especially with everything’s that’s out now, this is very different and it’s also my kind of show, a crime thriller…
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It’s also my favorite!
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Have you seen The Killing? It’s also from Veena Sud. You need to put that on your list! I also need to finish “True Detective” and “Fargo”.
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And what made you want to be a part of the project?
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First and foremost, beyond my character, the story. The story I feel like, behind headlines, is what is happening to many black brothers and sisters, perpetrating by police officers. The black lives matter, blue lives matter: debate, hashtags and everything. We always hear about the families on the court steps, saying our son or daughter didn’t deserve to die. And than we hear the police…
And then the team involved. As I said I’m a big fan of “The Killing”, and of Gavin O’Connor who did Warrior and Lawrence Bender as executive producer, also with Kevin Brown as executive producer, who produced most of Quentin Tarantino’s stuff.
And it’s Netflix: you know it’s going to be good stuff if it’s going to be on Netflix. Plus the script was just so good. It’s an opportunity for me, this character is complex, and full of substance and varsity, and for an actor is always good to play so much conflict.
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And what would you like the audience to learn from this Series?
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First of all that’s a great show, of course! Which would be a given.
And I suppose it’s about understanding other people’s plans, understanding the conflict behind other people’s decisions. Maybe also learn more about the humanity behind these tragic events, like I said before. I suppose when things happen like Trayvon Martin we end up seeing them as a hashtag and they become a beacon for injustice.
What we really see is how it truly affects the family of the people, the mothers, the fathers…we see them strong but when we switch off the TV, when they go home it’s to emptiness, to so much inner conflict, so much guilt and so much blame. I think this series would be great for people to understand and see them as more than just a Hashtag.
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This character is complex, and full of substance and varsity, and for an actor is always good to play so much conflict.
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What can you tell us about “The Kill Team”?
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It’s based on the documentary and the true story about soldiers in Afghanistan, just after the occupation of the country. After the war is done, there are of course a lot of soldiers there. All those soldiers are used to kill and beat and they’re also really, really bored. So they’re perpetrating crimes and framing just ordinary Afghan men just so they can shoot and kill them.
In The Kill Team I got to play with Alexander Skarsgård and Nat Wolff who plays a sergeant Bruer, and he’s kind of seen it all, but he has this sense of no surprise on what’s going on over there. It’s an interesting movie that I think will open the eyes; because you hear about patriotism and then you go over there to fight for the country: but it’s beyond that. It’s about how it affects the men that are actually over there.
In Seven Seconds I got to talk with a lot of veterans that have been over there and are still active, to understand their minds: you have that uniform and the uniform is you. That’s your identity.
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What’s your dream role?
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I’d say it would be a lead role in a movie that provokes thoughts about a relationship, whether it’s a father-daughter, father-son or a husband and wife. Something that provokes emotions in me and in the audience.
Must have on set: Green Tea. I’m always a green tea goer. And also headphones.
Superpower: Telekinesis.
Epic fail on the job: So, it was on stage. Doing a play, “From Morning to Midnight” at the National Theatre. In one of the scenes I have this petticoat and dress that you can clip-unclip because of the quick changes. And underneath I have just this dance belt. So it’s all quick moving. I’m supposed to do a lift and I do this lift while I have the orchestra behind me and puff…the petticoat goes down! And I’ve got all my rear end exposed…not to the public yet, all I’ve got it’s the orchestra behind me going “oooooh”, because they know that in five seconds I’ve to turn around. I did not turn around, nope. It’s all side step, side step, side step. It was embarrassing but it’s so funny…everybody enjoyed that.
Happy place: Anywhere somewhere quiet where I can be with God and just pray and being still.
Favorite accent: Irish and New York.
Movie then and now: “Dragon Ball Z”! I’d go home every single day, do my homework quickly to watch it. And also “Page Master” with Macaulay Culkin and Whoopi Goldberg, where he turns into a cartoon. For a very long time I dreamed I could turn into a cartoon. We had this bathroom without windows, so it was just pitch black. I’d always lock myself in and go “I wish to be a cartoon”. And I could always imagine my hand turning into a cartoon. That movie always resonated in me. It’s the first time I really got to expand my imagination.
Now “Moonlight” and “Get Out”. Those movies…I wouldn’t say surprise me but wowed me.
Favorite Word: Dope.
Favorite quote: It’s from the Bible, “Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.” It’s 1 Corinthians 13:7-9.
The last series you binge-watched: “Altered Carbon”. I didn’t finish it yet. And “The Expanse”, really good.
What have you already crossed from your Bucket List: Playing a wonderful character in a drama series, getting a Harley Davidson, and I want to travel to as many places as I can.
The most beautiful thing while filming Seven Seconds: I suppose it’s the relationship with some great people. These are really cool people and I got to enjoy them and they really enjoyed me. Also the creator, she’s amazing. I got to embody a character I never thought of and I’ve never gone through that struggle on trying to embody someone. The creator really expanded the horizons of the way these characters could be played. That’s what you aim to as an actor, to be able to taken on a different perspective and do it justice.
Ops! Break Time:
Snack Crush: Anything cheesy and spicy
Sweets or Popcorn: Popcorn, definitely.
Since we are Italian… Hawaiian pizza, yay or nay? I don’t mind it but I don’t like pizza, I’d rather have some spaghetti or pasta. I don’t really mess with that.
