Actor Sheldon Shepherd had never heard of Neville Garrick prior to reading for the part for the Bob Marley biopic Bob Marley: One Love. But after he googled Marley's longtime friend -- and creative director on his iconic albums -- Shepherd found himself drawn to Garrick, who served as historical advisor on the film which has grossed upwards of $179 million worldwide.

"In my opinion, I think I got the best role in that film and it came to me without me even knowing [Garrick]," explained Shepherd, an award-winning actor, writer and music artiste best known for his role in Storm Saulter's Better Mus' Come and Idris Elba’s 2018 directorial debut, Yardie.

In a wide-ranging conversation with Press Pause host Mark W. Wright, Shepherd talked about his journey as an actor and stressed the mportance of creating art "that connects with people on a deeper level."

"The project was such a breeze," Shepherd said of One Love. "I just feel for a fact that Bob Marley's energy was with us filming this project."

Kevin Merida is brewing with optimism. The self-described “free agent” — who most recently served as executive editor of The Los Angeles Times — believes that despite the evolving media landscape, there are still stories to be told, and told in a variety of ways. The longtime media executive and newspaper veteran joined Press Pause and shared thoughts about the challenges newspapers face. “We now have that sophistication, but we haven’t become as sophisticated as the business has become,” Merida explained. “We are great at interrogating every other kind of industry, but when it comes to us we don’t interrogate what we do.” Host Mark W. Wright invited his former ESPN colleague to Press Pause and chopped it up on an array of topics — including Merida’s solution to making the NBA’s All-Star Weekend relevant again.

He was an all-state running back in his hometown of Greer, South Carolina. He followed that up with a record-setting career at North Carolina State, where his 3,553 rushing yards is still good for third all-time in Wolfpack history. Surely a long NFL career would follow. But by 27, Tremayne Stephens found himself out of the league after just four seasons. With no plan or prospects for his post-NFL life, a dejected Stephens ventured on a path to realizing even more than he dreamed of. Now an entrepreneur, sought-after public speaker and social influencer, the man with the shortlived NFL career is proud to share his story, which is rooted in overcoming and pivoting.

Charmaine Wilkerson's pie-in-the-sky aspiration for her debut novel -- Black Cake -- was simply to get it published. The former journalist whose award-winning short stories can be found in various UK and US anthologies and magazines may have sold herself short. In the two years since Black Cake was published, Wilkerson's novel would land on President Barack Obama's "Favorite Books of 2022" list and went on to lay the foundation for Hulu’s television adaptation (executive produced by Oprah Winfrey). In an exclusive sit-down with Press Pause, Wilkerson shared her inspirations for her novel, her process for writing and (no spoilers!) whether fans should be optimistic for a season season.

When you stand on a stage — the President of the United States to your right and the Vice President to your left — with the most powerful and influential people in the world mean-muggin' you, it’s understandable that even the most seasoned comedian might get nervous. And, Roy Wood Jr. admits to it.

But his mentality, during any performance, remains the same. “This is the job, these are the jokes, no one in this room can end my career,” Wood Jr. told Mark W. Wright on Press Pause. “Not being a good comedian one time is not enough to kill your career — so the more I looked at it like that, the less concerned I had with nerves.”

Wood, who last spring headlined the 2023 White House Correspondents' Dinner to its highest ratings since 2017, talked about his career journey after wrapping his seven-city Happy to Be Here Live Tour. 

Twenty-six years in the business has the Birmingham, Ala. native grateful to still have the opportunity to do what he loves. "I'm grateful and gracious," he said. "You can't control who your audience is. I just put out what I put out, and [to] the people who want to show up, thank you."

ESPN soccer analyst and standout former soccer pro, Shaka Hislop, joins Press Pause to talk about “Show Racism the Red Card,” the organization he co-founded in 1996 in the UK, and how it’s impacted his life and the lives of millions around the world. The England-born “proud Trinbagonian” made history as the starting goalkeeper on the Trinidad & Tobago national team’s first-ever World Cup match in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was inducted into his country’s Sporting Hall of Fame. “Show Racism the Red Card,” for 27 years now, continues to use soccer to help tackle racism in sport and society. Hislop reflects on SRTRC’s genesis and its continued impact.

Episode 10 features Jamaican-born filmmaker and actor Kaleb D'Aguilar whose film -- NO ENTRY -- caught Mark W. Wright's eye while the Press Pause host perused a list of free entertainment while on an American Airlines flight. D'Aguilar's film is set against the backdrop of the Windrush scandal, which had become symbolic of the generation of Commonwealth citizens (from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Grenada and Barbados) who came to live in Britain between 1948 and 1971. Released in 2021, NO ENTRY follows a Jamaican mother (Valerie Powell) who struggles to keep her relationship with her son (Eli) intact while she suffers in silence with the fear of losing him and the country she calls home. Based in London, D'Aguilar shares his own personal story and journey -- growing up in Jamaica and studing filmmaking in London -- as well as future projects in the works.

If you follow author Jeff Pearlman on social media, you know he's not shy. Far from it, in fact. Pearlman is imploring fans to support HBO's "Winnng Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” - because, Pearlman tweeted, "the future of 'Winning Time' hangs in the balance." The series, which is based on Pearlman’s 2014 book, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, is in danger of not being renewed for a third season as the Hollywood actors' and writers' strikes loom. Pearlman joined Mark W. Wright on Press Pause.