Dante Hoagland – The Last O.G.

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) Well, the recent project I’ve been working on is “The Last OG.” I’ve been staying busy with that. It’s our third season and this season is going to be very, very good.

Q) What is new this season for Shahzad on “The Last O.G.?”

A) I would say maybe a new personality. I think for this season Shahzad is transitioning even more into a baby Tray (Tracy Morgan), if you will. He still has his quirky, weird, kinky side from Tray. He’s starting to get that cool, swagged out type of vibe. He is actually going to start talking to a girl. He’s trying to get a girl to like him. He asks his parents about how to get a girl to like him. He’s just trying to transition more and more and find himself basically.

Q) Going into this new season, was there someone(s) you were hoping to share more scenes with?

A) Actually no. Shooting “The Last O.G.” we get a lot of scenes with a lot of celebrities. One of my favorite scenes has to be shooting a scene with Kat Williams and J.B. Smoove. That was very, very interesting. It had everybody cracking up. It felt the most like a cookout. You had people, your family, and we all got together cracking jokes. At the end we all came together and just had a good time.

Q) You have great comedic timing. Is it something that has always come easy to you or have you had to work at it?

A) I think over the years of acting I have done a lot of improv. I’ve never been trained to do improv or be comedic. I think it’s always just my personality. I think being on the show and against Tracy and Tiffany [Haddish], those are really heavy hitters. So, being around them, it made me put myself out there more and try to make myself a better actor. I got Tracy and Tiffany in my corner. They give me tips on how to be a more comedic actor and they tell me at the end of the scene, “Don’t wait for the camera to start to turn off. The scene is over, but keep going.” I think they helped me out with my comedic side and trying to get myself better with improv.

Q) What have been some of your favorite scenes to film of the series?

A) I’d probably my favorite scenes would be Season 1 with the boxing scene – when I got in trouble with the Nunchucks and Tray took me out and taught me a lesson. Another favorite scene would probably be in Season 2 when I got stopped by the police and I tried to figure out what is the difference between a racist police officer and a regular police officer. Also, my favorite scene would be in Season 3…Nah, I can’t give you all that! [smiles] I have a lot of favortie scenes in Season 3 though.

Q) Does the cast spend much time together off set?

A) Yeah, we formed a bond. We’re like a family. Off set, Tray will bring his boombox and we’ll just be listening to old school music – 60’s and 70’s – and just vibing. We’ll be dancing and singing. We talk about a lot of stuff like movies, who was the best singer back in the 60’s and 70’s…We are a genuinely good family on and off the set.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you receive to the episodes?

A) Yeah, I love the feedback. I have little kids that come up to me and they’ll say, “You’re little Shahzad from ‘The Last O.G.!’” It will just put me in awe. I’ll be so excited that I get recognized by a four or five-year-old. That’s just the best thing to have. That type of experience is amazing. I made a girl cry once that saw me. It wasn’t a teenager! She had to be something like ten or eleven years old. I walked out of the building and when she saw me, she started screaming and yelling. I thought something happened, but then she ran up to me and grabbed my hand. She was like, “Oh my God! You’re on ‘The Last O.G.’ and The New Edition Story! I just love you so much!” That really made me very, very humble. I love that about people – when they recognize me and they think I’m not regular. I’m a regular person, but they look at me like I’m a celebrity. That’s the best part.

Q) Who would you like to see make a guest appearance on the show?

A) I’d probably have to say one of my favorite actors Lorenz Tate. I’d love Lorenz Tate to be on “The Last O.G.!”

Q) What do you think it is about “The Last O.G.” that continues to make it such a favorite show?

A) I think that this show can relate to a lot of people. This show is very realistic. It’s not just a show for comedic purposes. It’s a show that tells you about an everyday life. You usually have that person that comes out of jail and they find out that everything is not the same anymore. They might have kids and they don’t know that. This show can relate to a lot of people, not just on the comedic side but on a realistic side.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

A) I would just like to say thank you guys for watching “The Last O.G.” for now three straight seasons. I thank you for supporting me, not just off “The Last OG” but also the New Edition And rocking with me on “The Last O.G.” It’s been a fun experience and I hope everybody likes the show. And I hope everybody takes a valuable lesson from the show. Like I said, it’s not just for comedic purposes. It’s a life-lesson show. I hope people take as many lessons from the show as they could. And I thank everybody for tuning in and watching every Tuesday.