Ever since I was a kid my goal was to push myself to be a man of multiple talents. I didn’t want to be good at just one thing but instead, I wanted to be a master of several talents. I believe that honing more than one talent separates the few from the many. Before speaking with Al McFoster, I knew that he also was a man that pushed himself to hone many talents. Al McFoster has had many titles attached to his name over his career because he was unwilling to be put into a box, knowing that he had so much to offer the world. As I interviewed him, I got a sense that Al McFoster is just now reaching his stride and he is still honing each one of his talents, striving to be the best at each. We still have a lot to expect from Al McFoster.
The first thing we discussed was his background in the church. I asked him how growing up in the church had an effect on him. Al told me that growing up in the church “ definitely… gave me a grounding in terms of humility and performing at a small scale to large.” His mother made it a priority for him to be a part of whatever was going on in the church, especially if it came to performing. Al McFoster stated, “ I was in the church choir. I was a lead singer in the church plays that we used to do for Christmas time or Easter.” This push from his mother gave him the confidence he would need in the future. Center stage is exactly where the talents of Al McFoster would flourish.
Al continued his pursuit of music which led him to become a DJ. As our conversation continued, I wanted to know what DJ inspired McFoster to be a DJ himself. Al told me that he was inspired by “DJ Kid Capri, for sure, because I remember going to see him at certain events or clubs, and for him, it wasn’t just about displaying records and mixing, which any DJ could do. It was about his performance and his relationship with the crowd.” Seeing DJ Kid Capri interacting with the crowd and not just playing music was amazing to Al. He was drawn into this world because of his love for performing that developed in the church. McFoster knew that being a DJ was for him immediately and he pursued that urge with no fear. Today you can still catch him entertaining the crowd with the DJ skills that he has perfected. He has mastered the art of being able to know what the crowd wants to hear, knowing that finding the perfect song to play is, “all about crowd response.” Even during the pandemic, his fans were able to hear his skills online through various outlets like Facebook and Twitch. Al McFoster loves to DJ but he still has more talents to offer the world.
“I always liked movies, I always watched movies, I always admired actors like Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio,” Al McFoster reveals. “Will Smith, I love his transition from music to acting and that was very big for me. So I thought, acting, maybe I’ll try it.” He started doing commercials at a young age and his career slowly built from that. “I wanted to make sure that acting was a part of my growth as a performer,” said McFoster. From this humble start, he continues to grow as an actor and performer.
Al McFoster has learned, after ten years in the professional business, one should be, “early and prepared, and be professional.” He understands that one must stay prepared because when preparation meets opportunity, you should be ready. With this in mind, Al has been able to take his career to the point where it is now. He already has a long list of credits attached to his name and the list continues to grow. The Handmaid’s Tale on HULU is just one show that will be added to his list of credits. Al McFoster also gave me an exclusive on his new role on the new series of the DC comic-inspired show, Titans. He gets to play a Gotham City crime boss which is different from the roles he usually plays. This has been his favorite role to play so far, even though he has loved each one of his past roles for different reasons. Actors who are able to play a multitude of characters tend to last longer in the business. Expanding the type of roles he plays, Al will further his career that much more.
As I dived deeper into the mind of Al McFoster, we discussed who he would like to work with. Al stated, “I would love to work with Denzel Washington. He’s one of my favorite actors. I think that I can learn so much from him.” The names of Viola Davis and Meryl Streep also came up. Viola Davis because of how her acting has “improved” and Meryl Streep, “for her consistency and her dedication to the craft.”
Another talent Al McFoster has is remaining connected to his roots. Al declares, “ I tell my publicist, make sure whatever we’re trying to do, we touch and reach out to black publications and black businesses first.” He knows how important it is for black people to stick together, especially in the climate of today. Al also said, “It’s not that we shouldn’t support other cultures and other nations, but when we support ourselves, that builds an overall improvement of the culture.” I absolutely could hear the passion in his voice as he spoke about this issue. His love for others and for the black community is at an all-time high.
“Black culture on a whole is the most duplicated culture on the planet.”
The last question I asked him also touched on the state of the black community. With most of my interviews, I love giving the person I’m interviewing a chance to discuss anything on their minds. Al McFoster took the time to talk about, “what’s going on in America, with the continued overlooking or mistreatment of black people.” As the world stopped due to a worldwide pandemic, our daily lives no longer kept major issues such as racism out of sight and out of mind. A global protest arose as the mistreatment of black people once again took center stage. Al tells me, “I always say to myself, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Rosa Parks, all these people that fought for our progression, must be just rolling in their graves because it hasn’t really changed.” I’m sure he is not the only person who has either thought or said this same thing. We are systematically in the same place as sixty A reality I am sad to say exist. McFoster concludes that, “we got to do better on a whole, us as black people and the world on a whole.”
Al McFoster’s career is very much still on the rise. He has come a long way from being a singer and performer in the church. McFoster has become a man of many titles. An actor, host, DJ, & voice talent are his official title but as this interview has revealed, his talents go far beyond that. I know that he will continue perfecting each one of his crafts. Fans of Al McFoster have a lot to expect from him. He is far from slowing down and I can’t wait to see if any more titles will be attached to his name.
