tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight a conversation with joel kinnaman. recognition will no doubt expand to movie theaters. he can be seen in the title role reboot of thea sci-fi blockbuster. and then joy bryant. ." is called "about last night we are glad you joined us. those conversations are coming up right now.

♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ tavis: joel kinnaman first came to american television from sweden starring as a seattle-based cop in the critically acclaimed series "the will complete on

netflix. he can be seen in the title role ," i read boot of the 1980's sci-fi -- a reboot of the 1980's sci-fi film. >> set the connection. >> it so good to finally see you. say the sameould thing. i'm sorry. i know how i must look for you. >> i think you look beautiful. are they treating you ok? >> so far. dr. morton seems like a nice guy. to get through this, baby. we are going to make it like it was.

you have been a huge star in your native sweden. everybody is predicting this is going to put you in the same frame stateside. doesn't feel that way to you? >> i feel incredibly blessed to get work with people like sam jackson and michael keaton, so for me it is a dream come true regardless. tavis: i read an interview you did the other day, and i was fascinated by a particular line i want to explore, but the article didn't give space to do this. that is this notion that putting on this sued for robocop you thought was going to be heavy and tiring, and it may have been all that, but when you put the suit on, wearing the suit day in

day out spoke about the humanity of the character. what do you mean by that? >> it was more the contrast of emotions the character was going through. i didn't expect to find that from a suit. i put the suit on. it was uncomfortable and made me feel like a bad askss, but it also revealed some of the vulnerability the character was going through. i'm not wearing any clothes, and i am hanging out by these people, and there was a sort of naked feeling to it. i am a lot of time thinking about the character -- he gets amputated from his throat down, and that must be an incredibly naked feeling, and wearing the , and it my imagination

didn't expect to get that from this suit. tavis: did playing the role say anything to you about the increasingly between man and machine? >> yes, i think so. a lot of the thoughts, when do you stop being a human, and when does a machine takeover? lotphilosophy they talk a about humans being actual organic machines and the idea of free will is something we have made up. we don't have free will. we are organic mechanisms. movie, a big, fun action but it has some of these questions embedded in it. tavis: for you the fun of

playing in one of these blockbusters -- you made some interesting choices. they may not all be blockbusters. what is the fun when you get a chance to play in one of these big films you know everybody is going to see? >> it is the scale of it. in a hugeoting powerplant that was run down. broken downsive place with tons of concrete, and we had this thing staged and , and they were playing drones, and you would run around shooting them, and the scale of that rings out the boy in you. what is the turn on for a movie like this for people who aren't necessarily sci-fi fans?

>> if you like action there is a lot of action, but i think it has got a little bit for everyone. you do explore the drama of a situation of the man who gets amputated from his throat down and get this incredibly powerful same time can't make love to his wife, can't connect to his son, and there is a psychological and emotional , and there is also some interesting ideas of where we are today when it comes to coming further and further from the impact of the violence. now we have drones, and we have someone in atlanta controlling those drones. what happens when that drone has its own program and it is automatic?

what happens to accountability? what would happen to society if we went down that line? it is explored as well. >> when you do something like , i wonderis a remake if there is any trepidation about whether something could be made better. clearly i am stepping into a role that has already been done before. than thee this better first time? is it relevant at this moment? when you first saw it, you are like, this is great. >> i think that was the approach i had, but then i had a meeting with the director, and all those fears vanished. story we aree telling is a different story, so it doesn't really compare.

it is much more an exploration of humanity inside of him, and the big difference between this film and the original is when alex murphy wakes up and has to become robocop he is aware he has his augmentative memories, and he has to deal with this nightmare his life has become, so the character arc was much clearer in the sense. and then i come from the theater. i am quite used to playing roles that have already been played by great actors before, so i think if you go down that line of thought you are already proven. tavis: before i ask how you got into this, how it became your chosen field of endeavor, "the ."lling d want to say a word of this? this has been in, it has been canceled, and netflix finally.

.> it is the original zombie it keeps coming back from the dead. i just feel glad we're able to give the conclusion of the story. stuck with the show are quite passionate about it, so i feel happy to be able to give them a conclusion. >> netflix isn't the worst place to be these days. >> for once i am able to talk like the character really would talk. it seems like the first scene would be an avalanche of cuss words. would gete seasons he nasty. >> that will be on netflix, not pbs, but we will all be watching. let me close by asking all this began -- how all this began. for those who will become fans,

they want to know the back story. in yourthis happen native country? >> i had this idea after high school that i was going to go years.ng for seven i was going to work for money and then go traveling for seven years and decide what i wanted to do. tavis: why seven? >> i don't know. it was just a number. i did that for three years. inave a couple of friends acting school, and they were telling me about it, and i was fascinated. i had a sister who was a stage actor, so i knew it was a profession. i gave it a shot and tried to apply to this the interschool in sweden. i didn't get in, but i got pretty far. i learned something while i was

applying for it. i had this feeling i had never really had before that i think i could be really good at this. i hadn't had that about anything before. things int a lot of sports and whatnot, but this was the first thing i felt i could be good at, and it became also the first day i put all my energy into, and i didn't give myself a plan b. i find that if you really believe in something and you dedicate yourself to it and you don't give yourself a plan b, it tends to work out. >> it is scary as hell, but you get results. tavis: we will see you in the final season on netflix this summer, and "robocop" will be every worst tarring jewel kinnaman. the journey and the ride continues.

i hope you enjoy it. >> it was nice being here. next, joying up bryant. it is remake night. stay with us. ♪ joy bryant is making something of a career these days exploring the give-and-take of relationships in the nbc series "parenthood." she plays a wife who put her career on the back burner to raise children. and in the new movie she plays a woman who meets a man who may make her change her mind. "about last night" also stars kevin hart and regina hall. >> we didn't. >> yes, you worried about how she was going to take it. >> i said because i am the one with her i see her upset all the

time. hey, i am moving out. no. >> yes. >> i'm moving out the end of the month. ok? me, i wouldmad at tell him to stay. >> what are we talking about? >> no rush. dirty days?h has >> 31. -- butt make it running around the house. tavis: i am all for a good remake. i am all for putting a different spin on old projects. use of the first iteration of this? >> i saw it a long time ago when i was too young to know what it was. when i was offered the movie i went back and watched it and could see what our movie was

going to fall into. away, without giving it what happens when you colorize the cast? >> it gets better. [laughter] kevin andh joy and michael. what happened? >> besides the magic, what is really great is i think it shows we are people -- we are human beings who have relationships. we happen to be black, but it is really about the relationships we have with one another. it's not about anything other than that. everybody can relate to being loved and having your heart broken. that's kind of a universal aim. tavis: kevin is everywhere. >> isn't it great? in 2003e had kevin back

and in 2004. no one had heard of him. now he is killing it. >> he is killing it. tavis: everywhere i look. now this one is coming out. the timing is good. you are still doing "parenthoo " ." how is that coming along? >> amazing. it's the best job ever. tavis: why is that? >> i get to go to work everyday with great material, great people. i have learned so much. i live 12 minutes from the studio. i got a great schedule. they treat me very well over there like family, and i hope it goes on for a long time. tavis: what is amazing about , this show hase done remarkably well five

seasons now. modern family is another show with all kinds of stuff going on doing remarkably well. yet there was all this about the super bowl ad. there was a big dustup about a super bowl ad that had an injured -- an interracial family. there was so much conversation. there have been articles about it, internet talk, so they couldn't stomach a cereal commercial with an interracial family. i raise that for obvious reasons. what do you make about this conversation still ongoing in our society? multiracialt a society -- but it is a sign of progress that i can be in a relationship with a white guy on a show and that not be a big issue on the show. our entire storyline is not about the fact that he is white and i am black. that comes in from time to time because it is life, but it's not

the central issue. we can kiss on air. or 30 years ago that was super taboo. we are still going to have people who are ignorant or don't understand or have a problem with it, which i don't understand, but it will change in time. tavis: there was never any trepidation on your part about playing the character? >> not at all. contact you for hours about your work. >> good. tavis: don't get too excited, but as i read more of your back story as i do for all of my guests when they come on the program, i was fascinated by your relationship with your grandmother. for those who watched the show they have seen me 1000 times. i can't wait to get into the back story of people's lives.

tell me about your mom, your granddaddy, your grandparents. i say all the time we are who we are because somebody left us. it's so clear your grandmother had a profound impact. tell me about your grandmother. >> my grandmother, if it wasn't for her i wouldn't be sitting here talking about her. she hadr was young when me. my was a teenager, and grandmother raised six kids of her own plus helped raise her sister's kids, and when i was born she went on welfare to stay at home and raise me. what city? >> the bronx. >> the boogie down. i just want to get that out there. >> it because of her that i am here. she read to me every night. it didn't told me matter if i was a poor black

child from the bronx. i can be anything i wanted to be. just work hard. of course there are obstacles along the way, but just to start from there with that believf or just giving me the permission to dream because where i come from dreams are very far and few between, so education was the break out from that. that was the only way according to her. i studied hard. i did well in school. she exposed me to so many things. on a fixed income, she saved her pennies every year. to go to coney island and get one hotdog and one chocolate shake. that's what i so i was able to

get into the program. >> it is a great program. >> and because of that i got a scholarship to westminster school in connecticut, and from there i went on to yell, and then she died my freshman year. to yale ising going i am going to major in economics. i am going to get a job in corporate america and make lots of money, and the name going to live happily ever after. then she died i freshman year, and it made me question what am i doing. why am i here? that is when i dropped out and started modeling. this is where i am now as an actor, i never thought i would be here. the things she taught me, the tools she gave me made me who i am, and i have a tattoo of her

on my neck. tavis: it is the modeling that led to the acting. did you make the right decision? >> definitely. tavis: you say that with confidence. why? wi-fi only regretted it two years after i left because my friends are graduating. happy, and i took a chance. i felt like i was keeping my feet warm. i worked my butt off to get in that school. it was an opportunity, so i took it. it worked out. it could not have worked out, but i think successful people take risks, and here i am, a poor black kid from the bronx dropping out of yale, and sometimes you have to take it to i'm not sure now if i would make such a risky

decision, but it worked out, and i never regretted it at all because the life i have now and , andhings i have learned it worked out. what do you make that your advocation turns out to be acting? how do you juxtapose that beginning with this ending? >> when i was younger, i would watch tv and be like, i could do that, but i never saw myself as being an actor. i just taught, that sounds cool. i actually thought i would be an astronomer when i was little studying the stars, and i think ofis interesting i am kind one. not the star i was planning on, ut it is not so bad. i think we should have a plan. one of my friends said plans can

change. we can plan, but you have to remain flexible because life is going to throw you some curveballs, and you take it, and things will never be the way you planned. you pray for things, and you will get them, but they won't be exactly the way you had in your mind. i think from getting into acting, getting into modeling, i basically took the opportunities that were in front of me and took the jump. agvis: there is the old ad e, we planned and god laughs. it all works out. a long way from the boogie down bronx. joy bryant is in "parenthood." she is in this new movie. >> this is for you. tavis: how cool is that. look at this. there you go.

>> we have tape on the side. tavis: i've got to open this. >> you can take the eminem out. totally hang out. >> i love m&ms. >> isn't it sweet? >> if i get in trouble i am getting out of here right now. thanks for watching. good night, and as always, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with humorist p.j. o'rourke about his new book on the baby boom generation. that's next time. we will see you then.

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs.

next on "kqed news room." president obama visits california's central valley pledging to help farmers affected by the drought. plus a look at how the endangered coho salmon are faring. >> the drought means low flows, low water levels in the creek. pedestrian fatalities on the rise. why are bay area streets so dangerous? a look back on ten years of the same-sex marriage debate in san francisco and beyond. >> and look where we are ten years from now, we could have never imagined we would be where we are now.