welcome to a special edition of "our world with black enterprise" . i'm your host. this week we highlight some of the know influential men in hollywood, inspiring so many behind the scenes in front of box office. kicking things off with one of the biggest titans in tinseltown, producer will packer. >> i am very, very proud of an african-american moviemaker, however, i don't make film it's with the intent to label them a black film or any other label. >> we'll also check out my interview with hole woot executive producer on the rise, levon franklin. >> the film is one of the most powerful mediums in the world. if i can be a part of that

actually change people's lives. >> and you can't miss conversation with nate parker. >> i try not to be anyone but myself, and i know who i am. >> that's what's happening in "our world," up next. ?? ?? style lets you stand out from the herd. what's inside sets you apart. the cadillac escalade.

welcome back to "our world with black enterprise" . in a special highlight a few powerful and inspiring nen hollywood. it's only right we turn or cameras on one of the most profitable film producers in the business. >> one of the hottest hitmakers with a dozen films in a little more than a dozen years. racking up more than 500 million dollars, will packer is on b.e.'s list of one of the most bankable producers in hollywood.

>> in hollywood will be no rules. by that i mean not one specific path you have to take in order to become successful in hollywood. every week that i open a film up up against film two, three, four times as big as mine. bigger commercials, marketing, obviously bigger stars, but somehow i've managed to be the number one film at the box office, it's tremendous. sometimes i sit back and have to really go, wow. that's huge. >> it's not only huge, record breaking. scored seven films opening number one for featuring african-american characters he feel tell a universal story that touches a far wider audience. >> i tell you, i am very, very proud to be an african-american moviemaker, however, i don't make films with the intent to label them a black film or any other label. because that would limit me. that would limit my potential,

create. so i take a point of pride in making films that do not feel exclusionary to any particular demographic, to any culture, to any people. just because it happens in african america, no good deed, nothing in the film is specific to african-american. same is true of other films with african-american leaders. nothing specific to the african-american experience that whites, germans, foreigners about. i work very, very hard to try to make films that are not culturally or ethnically exclusionary. i want to make films that are inclusionary and can be enjoyed by a wide audience. >> and lucius, and -- >> for inspiring filmmakers, advice, never give up. >> end of the day, hollywood is a numbers business, and if you can -- you can be making the greatest film.

find just continue to make films. i've made films with commercial success and am proud of that. >> you want to marry my sister, show me you're worthy of her. >> how am i supposed to do that? >> i'm going to take you on a ride along. >> i want to continue to raise the bar in terms of the quality level of the films i'm making. >> strictly a business relationship. not buying a new friend. you're hiring a best man. what you doing? >> sorry. >> dammit, man. >> that's just the beginning. will packer productions has struck a development deal with university pictures and universal television. >> the sky's the limit. sky's the limit. i'm going to continue working. i'm excited about what i have going on in film. i'm excited about what i have going on in television. our first year with will packer productions making a foray into television. i want to continue to create good content and continue being outspoken, reaching out, working

positive influence to others who see me and say, you know what? if we had do it, i can do it. >> we have so much more on the way. including my one-on-one with rise be executives.

megan doesn't know that coffee breaks down tooth enamel. thankfully she uses act? restoring? mouthwash. it restores minerals to enamel for 40% stronger teeth. act?. smile strong. . wrx back welcome back. this week we spotlight a few of hollywood stars from behind the scenes and beyond. take a closer look following a fascinating story of the talented and self-driven movie executive levon franklin. ?? >> a husband, an author, a producer and now ceo.

an internship with one of hollywood's newest production companies. >> dreamed of being in hollywood. everyone inner knew if it was possible, no experience with the industry. at 18, go in, interview with a management company that manages will smith. i walked in, the general manager interviewing me, one of the key questions she asked, why do you want to be in the industry? i told her irs want to make change. you want to make money? no. change in the world. film is for mediums in the world, i believe i were change people's lives. >> incredible to me. you were in the entertainment industry. we think that's the last place to go to have your faith grow. >> right. >> you feel your faith has grown and success grown with it. why is that the case? >> the thing, i believe when you're honest about who you are, what are believe, and you have a confidence about that, even if people don't agree with you, they will respect you. >> right. >> because fundamentally, people

of value, who do have integrity and conviction, and that conviction for me of my faith has been a major career aspect, because people then say, okay. if he's that convicted about his faith, he's someone we can trust. >> the trustworthy would not be here without experiencing the life-changing tragedy at age 9. >> a young kid, my father died, heart attack, age 36. my mother left to raise me and my older brother. my younger brother, and myself. a single mom. we were in such a situation where we lost a living in. lost the car. had to move in with my grandmother and grandfather. as a kid, you grow up during the struggle and you're looking for hope. you're looking for inspiration, looking to try and find your bearing. when you're going through so much tragedy. for me, i found a lot of that in the church, and i found a lot of that in film and tv. >> he found hope in the imaginary world of film and television, which attracted him to his latest project, the

"annie." >> it's a hard knock life. ? it's a hard knock life for us it's a hard knock life for us ? that it keeps us and it's a hard knock life ? >> when you see this movie "annie" a young girl who believes she's going to find a family. she finds this family comes but comes in a different way. still comes with the love that she needed at the beginning of the story. >> show us the hu. other, the better for my campaign. >> i bet if i moved in with you you'd become president. >> as a kid, i was looking for that. for my place in the world, looking for my family and found it in a patchwork of are people that invested in me and my brothers growing up in the similar way annie does in the story. i thing iconic classic young white girl. great actress, young black girl. what's the significance of

originally overbrook had the idea, remake of annie with willow. that was phenomenal. around the time "whip my hair" came out. willow had other things to do once it came about. what are we going to do? brought on will to do the rewrite of the script. also the director of the movie, and right when she was nominated, she came in to meet with all of like -- this is annie! she's annie. >> it's movies like this that solidify why devon is one of hollywood's most bankable producers going from a stoic executive to ceo of franklin entertainment. >> with sony 9 1/2 years in their columbia pictures division. after the success of "heaven is for real" i felt god was saying now's the time to start your own company, step out in faith. the goal, make content that can

can inspire, that can really get people to a place where they want to do better, they want to believe better and they want to see better. >> now you are ceo of your own production company. tell us what projects you have in the pipelines? >> a follow-up to "heaven is for real" called "miracles from heaven." new book. movie out for easter of 2016. >> nice. >> working on the reboot of "masters of the universe." remember the he-man? bring him back. i have the power! yes, man. bringing it ba i'm telling a book that you're familiar with called "it's complicated." >> yes. >> what about this? >> that's right, man. i have your books. >> you have? i didn't know about this. >> right. got the contract signed. >> i do know. i do know. this is big. we have an announcement. >> do a romantic comedy based upon you and your story and being a matchmaker in this modern dating world. kind of like our new version of one of these great matchmaking

careers is an executive. right? you're an in-demand motivational speaker, preacher as well. best-selling author, married to a notable actress. how do you deal with the stress? >> you know it best. love, having megan in my life, us a phenomenal unit that marriage. it does help to come home at the end of the day, she's there. i don't have to worry about anything. sometimes when i have projects she'll come with me, i'll go with her. >> man, come on about you today. it's that you are 36 years old. >> yes. >> you mentioned your father passing. your father passed at 36. he never was able to see the man that sits before me today. >> yeah. >> right? that many of us adore. >> yes. >> if you could sit across from him, what would you tell him today? >> wow. i would -- tell him you know, he did great. that's what i would tell him.

count them on both hands and in the majority of those memories, he was intoxicated, but his heart was, you know, i want to be a good father. i would always hear growing up stories of him talking how proud he was of his three broi boys. part of what i tell him, you did well. don't beat yourself up even in the midst of tragedy and what you went through may have wanted to change to differently, god has birthed them for a purpose in us. that's what i would say. job well done. >> you are proof step out on faith, we don't fall. >> oh, right on, man. >> thank you very much. >> my brother. >> thank you, man. appreciate it. >> that's right on. god bless you. always. stay with us.

welcome back. actor nate parker is known for solid supporting roles on the big screen, but now is stepping out as a leading man and going

?? remember when i was a kid, and tell me about the people you saved. all the bad guys you put away. everything's so simple. you were like superman to me. all i wanted was to be just like you. >> so, nate, i want to go back. want to go way back. before we had nate parker the actor we had nate parker the computer programmer. >> that is correct. >> right? how do you go from coding to acting? >> dating a girl who was getting into models, had to go to dallas. guy walks in to me, are you in the program? not an actor, model? no. not at all. just an important friend. you got a great look. not a lot of young african-american actors in hollywood. love to have you read this monologue. okay, well -- >> you believed him?

i didn't want to be a programmer. i was like -- one of those things, i'll try it. why not? what's the worse that can happen? read seven lines and, you know, read the seven lines, calmed home. i'm going to try the acting thing. you got your degree. let's pray. >> what happened next sounds like an old-fashioned story of discovery. moved to l.a., agent in a week. first acting job in three months and one role he says changed his life. >> i got, my first big role. had to do research. all of a sudden i started to, came in contact with my identity, who i was, the pride of my people and then the acting thing started to shrink and the activism thing grow. the more i realized, i can actually say something with my work. >> absolutely. >> even with the film, "beyond the lights" dealing with issues. hypersexualization of women and music.

how we celebrate it, and how it's become normal. >> talk to me for a second. ? never love ? >> stop! you -- >> hey, hey, hey. >> look at me. i see you. i see you. i see you. >> i see you in these previous films as the supporting actor. now you step out as the lead. right? why is it just now that we're seeing nate parker at the lead? >> that's a marathon. up know? it's not a sprint. i think that far too often in the speed and velocity rather than trajectory. i know i'm going. so as long as i'm on that path i'm okay. it can take 20 years, 50 years. whatever it is, rather than getting somewhere i don't know where i'm going very fast. i think that more artists should just remember that it's art. and that what's for you, no one can take it away. what's not for you, nothing you can do to get. just do your thing.

getting ready for a directorial debut. seeing part of his role as an activist and truth teller. >> that's my goal as a filmmaker. anything i do, tell the truth. whether in front of the camera or behind it. what shoot it means, from the bones. give it all. if you can take it, you can. if you can't, you can't. that's as a director what i want to do. i'm directing the film. so i get to tell the story my way. >> but the fact that you are this truth teller, this activist, actor, does that hold you back from particular roles? do you think that that's maybe an obstacle you have in hollywood? >> absolutely not. what better way to be type cast? they're like, got this project about this strong, you know, guy, who's, you know, doing things for his community. he's kind of -- tells the truth, got integrity. >> sure. >> who can we call? call the guy that usually does -- >> call mr. parker. >> know what i mean? not an obstacle.

>> progress rarely comes from those intended to cure. comes from those who unsettled by what they've seen. daily violence in our community. i have a front row seat to it. >> with this break jowl role and new turn as leading man, nate parker compared to "the" denzel washington i. try not to be anyone but myself. and i know who i am. and i always say that if i were to call denzel, hey, i decided i want to be like you. he would tell me i was crazy. to be myself. so i think it's a huge honor. he is the best in so many ways for so many things, and i aspire to walk in his footsteps with respect to the type of roles he's taken and impact he's had on the community, on hole weed. hollywood. i don't think there's a better compliment you can get of any race or any gender in this

considering his legacy in the business and beyond. >> i hope as you become more familiar with me i can earn your respect. in the meantime, my actions speak louder than anything i can say tonight. >> work wgy young people as a mentor, taking it on in a very personal way. >> i adopted my nephew from my sister to -- i felt he -- we both felt he need add steady father in his life. his father's in prison. going back to prison. we brought him here. my wife and i. now he has over 3.0 and planning to go to college. >> one more question for you. i'm thinking that, let's say that your grandkids or great-grandkids are watching this interview now and you're no longer on earth. what do you want them to know

that -- that i did my best to create a space for them that was healthy and -- that i did my best for them. geez. yeah, man. >> i love it, man. you're a superstar. like, really. thank you for doing "you" and being the truth teller that you more important, a phenomenal human being that you are. >> thank you, brother. appreciate it. >> thanks. stay with us.

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?? >> that does it for this edition for our world with black enterprise. visit us op the web. you can like us on facebook and follow me on twitter twitter @paulcbrunsonaeroworld- tv.

coming up on channel 3 news today, a judge declares a mistrial in the case of an officer killed -- accused of killing a man during a traffic stop. president-elect donald trump's administration is yi on isis. live in the sky zone. >> good morning, everyone. we are live this morning at sky zone, teaching you fun and innovative ways to have fun and exercise. wkyc starts today. >> channel 3 morning newscast is made possible by the floor show. it is time to follow -- to fall