Damson Idris Says John Singleton Drove Him To South Central, Opened The Car Door & Said ‘If You Survive, You’ve Got The Role’ For ‘Snowfall’

Damson Idris, John Singleton

Damson Idris Says John Singleton Drove Him To South Central, Opened The Car Door & Said ‘If You Survive, You’ve Got The Role’ For ‘Snowfall’

With the hit series Snowfall coming to an end, it’s only natural that the lead star reminisces on how he landed the role of Franklin Saint. 

During a recent interview on the Drew Barrymore Show, Damson Idris opened up about the audition process and the interesting task he was faced with.

According to Damson Idris, the late John Singleton flew him out to L.A. to see if he had what it took to survive the mean streets of South Central.

The British actor explained,

“By audition number eight, Singleton took me to South Central, opened the car door, and said, ‘If you survive, you’ve got the role.'”

Snowfall actor Damson Idris

He continued,

“It really was an experience. You know, I was walking around South Central. I had to stay in character, so I wasn’t allowed to be British. And I said to his mother, ‘Oh, how lovely your hair looks today. I’m just going to go and put this in a bin.’ And she goes, ‘John! He ain’t from here, huh?’ Nearly lost the part, but hey, six seasons later. Here we are.”

Damson Idris says John Singleton drove him to South Central, opened the car door and said “if you survive, you’ve got the role” for Snowfall pic.twitter.com/VJWkbD4uZ3

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 14, 2023

Snowfall is an American crime drama television series, created by John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron, that debuted on FX on July 5, 2017. Set in Los Angeles in 1983, the series revolves around the first crack epidemic and its impact on the city, and the stories of several characters whose lives ultimately intersect.

John Singleton was a director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing Boyz n the Hood (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director at age 24, the first African American and youngest person to have ever been nominated for that award.

Before his passing, Singleton went on to write and direct numerous films, including; Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, Rosewood, Shaft, Baby Boy, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and more. Regarded as one of the most successful and groundbreaking directors in African-American cinema, Singleton’s films represented the African-American experience in urban populations, focusing on themes such as black masculinity, trauma, racism, and ethnicity.

He died on April 28, 2019.

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