On being a part of the Days of Our Lives digital series “Last Blast Reunion,” he said, “It was great. If you were to guess that it’d be intimidating to jump into production as a newcomer with established and experienced characters like that… you’d be right. Unfortunately, they were all incredibly welcoming, and more importantly, they were fun. My first scene was with Martha Madison and Nadia Bjorlin, and even after wrap, we haven’t lost touch. They’re the best and you can absolutely see why they were smart to bring them back. Legends.”
He acknowledged that life during quarantine has been smooth. “I spent the first few months locked in a cabin in Lake Arrowhead. I have recently recovered from bilateral pneumonia and I have asthma so getting away seemed like the right move. Now, I’m back in LA and safely resuming quarantine life. During this time, my production company The Knights Young (@theknightsyoung) has been busy in development, and this has given us some much-needed downtime to catch up on the slate. Collectively and individually.”
“I’ve also been able to catch up on reading,” he said. “I’m midway through a British spy series by Mick Herron titled Slow Horses. I highly recommend it. I’ve also taken the time to immerse myself into the films/books of black filmmakers and authors: Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching by Mychal Denzel Smith (novel), The Ayes Have it by Savanah Leaf (short film), and 13th by Ava Duvernay (film) is required viewing.”
On being a part of the digital age, he said, “I’m fortunate, really. A majority of my work comes from productions of my own. The only reason that’s been a sustainable system is creating digital content has become more accessible and profitable. It’s given a platform to those who don’t have access to not only the resources to create a piece but to give it a home for audiences to stumble on. I also look much better on a smaller screen.”
Regarding his daily motivations, he said, “I don’t know. It changes. My love and need to tell stories is underneath it all. It’s what I love doing the most. If I get to the end of the day and I haven’t written something down or moved on production, even in the slightest, then I feel extremely guilty. So, I guess that’s the answer. Guilt motivates me. Very Irish.”
For young and aspiring actors and filmmakers, he responded, “It’s tough to give advice because I consider myself to still be in that category. Proudly. If I were to say anything that I’ve learned is to give yourself permission to love what you make. Poking holes or publically stating what’s wrong with your work and/or projects is what’s normalized because it showcases you being humble. I think staying humble and grounded is important, but to spend so much of your life, money, and effort to get here to tell stories only to run away from it once you get here is counterintuitive. I see it often, and I used to be a culprit of it. Create what you want to see, be audibly proud of your work, and get after it.”
Being a part of Brad Everett Young’s Dream Loud campaign, has been a “great” experience for Hopson. “It was great. I’m proud to be affiliated with Brad and the Dream Loud campaign. The man is an artist, a philanthropist, and an absolute dingus. What’s not to like? He’s also a fan of black and white photos. Can’t do any wrong,” he said.
On his definition of the word success, he explained, “It honestly has a negative connotation to me. Previously, it’s been something to chase but the goalposts keep moving. If you would’ve asked me what success is circa 2012 I would’ve told you it’s exactly where I was last year. If you ask me what success was last year, I would’ve told you it was, hopefully, where I’ll be in two years. Now, it’s neither. Success is telling stories with my friends. I can do that anytime now (post-COVID). Goalposts aren’t moving.”
His new movie, James, came out yesterday and it was released on Amazon Prime Video, which is available by clicking here. “I am very proud of this one. This is the fourth installment of a character driven anthology series. The subject matter is very close to the chest so I handed it off to fellow TKY partner, Jeffrey Larson (jeffreylarson_), to helm. He brought it to a new level, and I hope as many people as possible get to see it,” he said.
