Versatile virtuoso Shawn Carter Peterson stars in “The Host”, the Stephenie Meyer produced Sci-Fi thriller adapted from her novel of the same name. Due in theaters worldwide this March, Shawn sat down with DOPE to provide a sneak peek into the predicted blockbuster. And also to give his take on current film roles for people of color in Hollywood, introduce us to his video production company, and brag about his native Baltimore Ravens.

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(ToneSwep: TS) You’re a Baltimore native. What are your Ravens going to do on Sunday?

(Shawn Carter Peterson: SCP) The Ravens are going to win! There is no doubt, at least there is no doubt in my mind. Come on now. Ray Lewis? Come on.

(TS) You’re coming from a last minute audition. Did you nail it?

(SCP) It went well actually. With those last second calls you have to get into character quickly, but I think I pulled it off. Unfortunately, I got a ticket on the way there (Laughs!).

(TS) Aww, man. So you made your donation to the city of Los Angeles, huh?

(SCP) Yeah, specifically to the city of Burbank. Police pulled me over about three blocks from the audition. Then he tried to give me another ticket on top of the first one because I was holding my cell phone. I‘m like, ‘I’m just using GPS man. I’m not talking on it’. But yeah, made my donation to the city of Burbank.

(TS) Talk a little about “The Host”, your next film. You’re working with Twilight author Stephenie Meyer and director Andrew Niccol.

(SCP) It’s Stephenie’s next story outside of the Twilight series. The plot goes like this… Aliens have taken over the world. They use human bodies as hosts. They all have this silver ring around the colored part of their eyes, which is how you can tell they are aliens. Only a handful of humans left in the world, and I play one of those humans. We exist out in the desert, high above ground. We had to create an underground world to live in. My character is one of the humans responsible for being a lookout when our people go above ground and out into danger. In the story, one of the lead characters, a woman, falls in love with one of the Aliens.

(TS) As both an Actor and Director, what is the key difference between the two positions you command in contributing to a project?

(SCP) That’s an interesting question, because the main thing is that the director has the entire picture in mind. Whereas we actors, we kind of keep our character and what we have to bring to the story in mind. But when I am directing, I try to approach it as an actor would. Know each actors part and the role they play and not always just look at the big picture.

(TS) You have played on Television and obviously on the big screen. What is the difference in your approach to small screen roles versus big screen roles?

(SCP) The big difference is that you are aware your screen is going to be 30 feet high and 30 feet wide, so you keep it smaller and more intense for the big screen. You are already going to stand out in front of that big an audience, on that big a screen, so… And with television the opposite, you want to work more to really standout. Of course, that is changing now with people watching movies on iPhone’s and tablets. But the small screen lends itself to a smaller style of acting.

(TS) What has been your most memorable role thus far and why?

(SCP) I did a guest spot on “Castle” last year, where I played the director of photography for a reality show. The director gets killed on set and they think I’m a suspect. And my only alibi was that I was at the strip club when the murder happened (Laughs!), so my alibi was shaky. But the part was funny from the moment I read it. And it was fun to work with Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic.

(TS) What would you say is your dream role? Your Oscar-award winning lead.

(SCP) My dream role would be to play Bob Marley. I directed and played in a short film about him, and I have always been intrigued by him as a person, and as an icon.

(TS) What’s up with Maestro Entertainment?

(SCP) Maestro is my production company I started a couple years ago. I’ve done a few music videos, a cooking show, and a couple pilots. One show we shot was called “Cooking with Cannabis”. We’re helping clients develop their projects. I’m planning to move into features at some point. I want to shoot a full one-and-a-half hour, two hour movie. We’re shooting another music video in a few days.

(TS) Limited roles for actors of color in Hollywood these days. Why? What is your take on this?

(SCP) Well, there has definitely been a shift. There were a lot of African-American’s on television a few years ago, then they all disappeared. With “Scandal” (Kerry Washington) and “Deception” (Meagan Good) it seems like there are roles beginning to surface again. For me, I am this tall, slim, lighter-skinned brother with an afro. So when the studios called me in for the “Black guy” role, I wouldn’t necessarily get it. I wasn’t what they were looking for. Just because I’m a Black man doesn’t mean I’m going to be the “Black guy” they are looking for. But I’ve always had the best success when the director didn’t know exactly where he wanted to go. There would be an Asian guy, an Indian guy, a Black guy, and a White guy, and we would all sort of have to duke it out. My niche is when the studio or director wants someone different, not the everyday. I’ve stolen some roles from some white dudes and it’s been fun (Laughs!). Man it’s been fun. One time they cast a short Jewish guy and I still landed the part. I’m something different. I’m someone different. And I like that. There are more Indians and Asians on television now than ever before now too, so… and Hollywood really only allows one ethnicity to be represented in mass at a time. Right now, African-Americans simply aren’t getting cast in as many projects as in the past.

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