Damson Idris

What sort of research did you do for your role in “Snowfall”? Well, I’ve seen all the (related) movies, from “Boyz N the Hood” and “Menace II Society”... which isn’t John (Singleton, an executive producer of “Snowfall”), but it’s the same world. I have “WC” from Westside Connection, who’s one of the greatest rappers in the world – and he worked with Ice Cube, he lived that life – with regards to the dialect, with regards to the way L.A. kids move and everything like that, the times and the outfits we wear. Everything lends itself to my research. Where did you get your start as an actor? I started acting four years ago. initially wanted to be a football player (technically, soccer in Europe), but I got the notorious knee injury. It didn’t work out, and then I went to university – Brunel University (in London) – and there was an amazing actress there who was doing a play. I got the play. And then, my career took off from there. I got the agent, I have a great team, and we have a great vision. And this show is the start of it. In its depiction of mid1980s Los Angeles, “Snowfall” has its share of violence. What do you think about the level of violence in the world today? I think violence is everywhere. With regards to the news every day and seeing a different person’s been killed, I think it happens everywhere. When I was growing up and I was around 16 in London, many of my friends passed away ... and that’s the same for a kid that grew up in Los Angeles, the same for a kid who grew up in Thailand. I think we just need to come together as a people and not segregate each other’s issues and just focus on making it good everywhere.