Ludacris – Teen Choice 2015

Q) You seem to be so busy with the Teen Choice awards, and you’re also working on Empire, as I recently found out.  How has it been diving in with the cast?

A) Oh, I am only on one episode.  It was good.  I’ve done it already, and I’m basically appearing and I’m working as a correctional officer that’s in, of course, The Federal Bureau of Prisons.  I believe that celebrity inmates should be treated no differently than regular criminals, so we’re talking about Lucious Lyon, but basically, I am just on one episode, so I’m a feature on one episode. To answer your question it was great.  The two days that I shot, it was great.  I already have a relationship with Terrance Howard.  I worked with him on two other films, so I felt like I was amongst family and friends, people that I worked with before.

Q) There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Trai and Grace’s engagement.  Have there been any celebrations on set?

A) The day that I was there shooting, I had nothing to do and did not hear anything about that.  As a matter of fact, I believe I was shooting before that announcement was made, so I can’t answer your question about other people when it comes to their engagements, my apologies.

Q) So many times the Furious franchise cast are referred to them as a family.  How does it feel to be co-hosting the award show and you guys are nominated for Furious 7 for choice movie chemistry?

A) It feels great, man, because I think that we always drilled that point no matter what interviews we’re doing.  I think people are finally really taking notice.  Hosting the Teen Choice Awards when I actually have a teenager; my oldest is 14 years old, and she’ll actually be coming with me. Her birthday is, literally, the same week as the awards.  But to answer your question, it feels great to be nominated, and I think this franchise continues to get bigger and better every time.  I think it’s past due, man, so I’m hoping we win that award.  There’d be nothing better than me co-hosting and actually winning an award and having my daughter there as part of her birthday celebration all in the same week and same day.

Q) I was wondering how do you even go about preparing to host an award show like this, so youthful, the audience is always so crazy?  What kind of preparations do you guys go through in advance?

A) Man, we’ve had a call in terms of some of the things that we’ll try to do, but we haven’t got in the real detail.  I think the best way to answer your question is that they ask for specific people based off of our personalities and just our vibrance and energy.  I think, at the end of the day, when we come together no matter what the format is, we’re just being ourselves, and we’re going to transfer that energy across to all of these different teenagers and across the world so that we’re able to match the amount of excitement that’s going on with the awards show.  Technicalities taken out of it, man, it’s all about what’s destined in terms of great people, great energy that have good timing, not only as actors and comedic timing, but just in general and just having a good time and knowing how to go off script and maybe adlib and just make it feel like you’re a part of what’s going on, not only with the awards and the whole ceremony, but, of course, being one with the crowd.

Q) Are you excited to be on the stage with Gina [Rodriguez] and Josh [Peck]?  Do you have any advice for them or have you worked with them in the past?

A) I haven’t worked with them in past, but I’ve been able to see some of their past work, and I am already fans of them, so I’m just excited to work with them.  If anything, they might be able to give me some advice.  I feel like I think I always have something to learn to continue to complete me as progressing host, actor, rapper, everything that I do.  That’s part of the reason that I choose to do things like this, because I feel like I always have something to learn, and it’s good to be around great people from different sides and walks of life that are involved in different aspects of entertainment.

Q) Well, like you said, you are obviously a host, a rapper, an actor, everything.  What other bucket list items do you have for yourself since you have your hands in everything, pretty much?

A) I’m pretty much just a male gigolo, because then I’d be able to get my hands in even more things.  I’m just joking.  I’m a married, man, so what else is on my bucket list, probably to win an Emmy one day.  An Emmy and an Oscar; that would complete because I have a Grammy.  That may take some time, but I mean, I think whether it’s years or decades from now, I’m going to get one or both of those.

Q) I was just wondering are there any hosts that you kind have been looking up to or kind of taking tips from or have any of your friends given you any advice for hosting?

A) No, they haven’t, but what’s on the top of my head is I felt like Neal Patrick Harris did a great job hosting the Oscars this past year.  I think that he is fresh on my mind in terms of somebody who is great with the timing of everything and very comfortable in his own skin.  I would love to take after those shoes.

Q) He obviously had a big performance element in his hosting gig.  Are you going to do any performances?

A) I don’t think I’ll be doing any performances, but I was more just talking about him as a host, but I guess you’re right, I forgot that he sung and all that stuff.  I’m not quite there yet, but like I said earlier, I continue to progress, so we’ll see about that one day, who knows.

Q) You’ve been in the entertainment business awhile.  A lot of teens will be watching your show.  Do you have any advice for young entertainers who may be starting out?

A) Oh, for teenagers, I would just say make sure you have a strong foundation of people around you, because we all know as teenagers is when we really just start to not want to listen to everybody and kind of rebel and do our own thing.  But as long as you keep a strong foundation of people around you and people that you love and trust and are going to be not necessarily yes men, if you know what I mean.  I think that’s the most important part of it.  They will tell you when they feel like you’re going in the wrong direction or doing something wrong.  So, make sure you have the right people around you.  That would be my greatest advice that I could give.

*CONFERENCE CALL*