Mustafa Speaks Talks New Roles on ‘All American’ and ‘Joe Pickett’ [Interview]

Mustafa Speaks can’t say he always wanted to be an actor.

Fresh out of high school, Speaks made his way to college with a football scholarship and a dream of being a marine environmental scientist. Something, it turns out, was realized quite quickly. 

I recently had the chance to chat with Speaks, who explained that by 2007, he was already being internationally published for his work in the marine environmentalist world. He eventually would go on to discover a shark repellant that would get him enough funding to travel the world, and share his findings with the MES community.

On his background:

Speaks was experiencing the kind of success some scientists can only dream of, but when his academic achievements led to the end of his football career, a sense of loss occurred. His research was important, but his life was now missing a key element: something to truly be passionate about.

Until he found acting, that is. 

“When I was doing my research, I was granted an academic scholarship. That allowed me to continue my research, but I had a bit more time on my hands,” Speaks said.

“I was playing football at the time and decided not to continue. I stopped playing football and started acting. I joined my first stage play and fell in love with the craft and the art. It’s really the only other thing I found that would give me the same thrill as being on the football field and the only thing with the same kind of discipline that needed to be put in to do so. I had to be good at the craft, so I said you know what? I think I found my new passion.”

Speaks also told me about the exact moment he realized his new calling.

“The main thing that made me completely move into acting was after one of the stage play, someone I was going to university with said, ‘Listen, man, everything you wanted me to feel, I was able to go on that journey. And I was so depressed because of midterms, that when I came here, you completely took me out of that.’ I realized there was a power there, and an influence that I really enjoyed. So I decided to take it seriously and do it professionally.”

And just like that, Speaks transitioned from a groundbreaking marine environmental scientist to one of today’s most promising actors, landing featured roles on shows like Seven Seconds and Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac And Notorious B.I.G.

Joe Pickett

Most recently, Speaks has been working double-time, with a recurring role as Coach Kenny Boone on The CW’s All American, while also starring as Nate Romanowski in Spectrum’s new hit series Joe Pickett.

It’s clear Speaks is equally excited about both of these roles. He lit up talking about his experience being cast as Romanowski, a role he wasn’t quite sure the producers would want him in, before blowing them away during casting. 

“If you’re familiar, Nate is a 6’2, blonde hair blue eyes thin white guy [in the book series], and I am not that! I am definitely not that. So what I appreciated about the creators, was them not having a limited vision of what this was and what this could be. The level of gravitas and layers this character needed to have, the vulnerability and strength needed to tell the true story of Nate Romanoski. That’s what they needed. And that’s what I brought. So now telling this story is something I am truly honored and excited about.”

As far as what drove Speaks to the role, to begin with? Nate Romanowski is the coolest dude on earth.

“Nate is an absolute badass! He’s the baddest man on TV. But not only is he a superior survivalist and an ex-special ops soldier, but at his core, a simple man trying to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. With the connection and the relationship he develops with Joe Pickett? That takes it to a whole other level because there’s a true brotherhood. One where two individuals — two different walks of life from two extremes on the spectrum — come together to find common ground. They come together to overcome all these odds, and it’s just beautiful to me.”

All American

Speaks is equally thrilled to be working on All American. With Boone, he gets to draw from real-life experience. When I brought up the seemingly natural chemistry he shares with series lead Daniel Ezra, he credited the ability to share his wealth of knowledge as what gives them such a great rapport.

“It’s just natural. He and I clicked almost immediately. We wanted to just develop whatever we needed to develop to tell the story, but he’s just an amazing guy. We talked and shared and connected. I played ball. I had this experience where I was able to help him in a way that really just made the relationship on camera authentic, because of my experience playing football at a D1 school at such a high level.”

According to him, it seems like art will be imitating reality. That real-life advice Speaks is able to share with Ezra is most likely an echo of how Boone will be guiding Spencer, as he begins a new journey into a more serious world of football. It’s a journey Speaks believes fans will be very excited to watch unfold.

“The fans are really going to be able to see what it’s like to perform, and have to perform at this high level for Spencer. And not only perform, but balance — what is life like when you have to perform at such a high level? Up to this point, you’ve seen the relationships he’s had with everyone else to make that transition and do what he needs to do for himself. But — and this is where Coach Kenny comes in — making that transition from being that All American superhero he’s always been, to this new high-level performer athlete that he needs to become to be a man.”

Spencer and Coach Boone’s relationship may have only just begun, but their dynamic is an instant draw for audiences, giving Spencer the father figure he’s missed since Cory’s passing. It’s the guidance he’ll need as he takes the next step in his professional career.

On future goals:

From tough wilderness man to empathetic football coach, Speaks’ range is beyond impressive. When I asked him what he’d like to see himself do in the future, he has a specific idea at the ready.

“Think of Hitch with Will Smith. I would love to be in a project around and in that kind of world.”

Who he’d like to see as his rom-com co-star proved a little bit trickier, but Speaks ultimately named his wife (fellow actor Michelle Mitchenor) as his dream scene partner. 

Mustafa Speaks is a smart man in more ways than one. 

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*Featured image credit: Diana Ragland

All American returns February 21st to The CW. Joe Pickett is now available for streaming on Spectrum TV. 

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