Actor Omar J. Dorsey (“The Blind Side”) chatted about starring in the comedy series “Bookie” on Max, and working with Sebastian Maniscalco.
‘Bookie’
Dorsey plays the role of Ray in “Bookie” opposite Sebastian Maniscalco, who plays Danny.
On his experience doing this series, Dorsey said, “It was tremendous and so much fun. It gave me a chance to do more comedy, especially since I haven’t done comedy in a long time.”
“Working with Chuck Lorre, Nick Bakay, and Sebastian Maniscalco was tremendous. The same holds true with Andrea Anders, Vanessa Ferlito, and Jorge Garcia. Arnetia Walker was tremendous as my grandma; she was a hoot. We all had a ball,” he said.
Particularly impressive about “Bookie” is that one can binge-watch it in approximately three to four hours. “It took us 2.5 months to make it, but people can watch it all in a few hours. It was really fun to do this show,” he added.
Sebastian Maniscalco
“From the first time Sebastian and I did a screen test together, our chemistry was there from day one. Working with Sebastian was awesome, he was so great. As an actor and executive producer, it showcases his talents so well, and it was unapologetically him, and it really works for him,” he elaborated.
Vanessa Ferlito
“Vanessa Ferlito was great as Lorraine,” he said. “Vanessa is just so good. I’ve been a fan of hers ever since I watched her in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Death Proof,’ and I’ve always found her authentic and awesome. You can feel the Brooklyn vibes coming off of her. Vanessa is funny as heck, she is hilarious, and her timing is impeccable.”
Christopher Bencomo
Dorsey had kind words about actor Christopher Bencomo. “I like Chris a lot. We had a fun time together.”
“We had an incredible cast all around, and some tremendous guest stars,” he acknowledged.
Charlie Sheen cameo
Speaking of guest stars, he was thrilled to work with Charlie Sheen. “It was so good just to see Charlie with Nick and Chuck back together,” Dorsey said about Sheen’s cameo. “It was beautiful to see them together because they have history together from ‘Two and a Half Men’. It was awesome.”
Ray Romano cameo
“Also, Ray Romano opened our show up,” he said. “Ray is an Italian-American comedian turned actor, and it is nice to see him sort of pass the baton on to Sebastian, yet another Italian-American comedian and actor. It was a nice baton handoff to Sebastian, and it was really symbolic. I really dug it,” Dorsey added.
Working with Chuck Lorre
“Chuck Lorre is such a tremendous storyteller and showrunner,” he said. “Chuck can do anything. I think Chuck is the most successful living storyteller alive. Chuck is on set every day all day, and never took a day off. Every day that we shot, he was there from the beginning to the end.”
“Chuck has a track record that hasn’t been matched by anybody… Chuck and Norman Lear, who just passed away, are the kings of comedy,” he added.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Dorsey said, “It’s interesting. I am on a show that people can easily binge in three or four hours… and in a way, that’s how movies are. It’s just a different world these days. I’ve bene doing this since the ‘90s, and just to see the shift on it, is something that you need to adapt to because it’s the new normal now.”
“What is really cool these days is that word of mouth can really help you out,” he said. “Unfortunately, our premiere was two weeks after the strike had ended so we didn’t have much time to do any press.”
“The good thing about the digital age is that you can pick up and watch a show whenever you want to,” he added.
‘The Blind Side’
Dorsey noted that he was surprised with the commercial success of the Oscar-winning film “The Blind Side.” “It was a cool movie. I had no idea it would be as big as it was,” he said.
Working with Oscar winner Sandra Bullock
“While we were shooting, I told everyone that Sandra Bullock was doing a great job and that she would win an Oscar for her performance,” he said.
“While many people didn’t believe me, fast forward six months later, she was standing up on the stage accepting her Oscar. I told everyone ‘I told you so.’ I just saw the work that she was putting into it every day. She was transformative as Leigh Anne Tuohy,” he elaborated.
“I had no idea that ‘The Blind Side’ would be a worldwide phenomenon,” he added.
Taja V. Simpson
He also complimented the acting talents of actress Taja V. Simpson, who plays Priscilla in the hit Tyler Perry primetime drama “The Oval” on BET.”
“I love Taja,” he said. “I just saw a clip of her this morning in ‘The Oval,’ when the president was trying to come on to her, and she was giving him all the shade. She is amazing and such a great person.”
Sean Stellato
Dorsey had great words about sports agent Sean Stellato, who manages Tommy DeVito, among many other athletes. “I love Sean; he is the bomb,” he exclaimed. “Sean is killing it these days.”
Superpower of choice
If Dorsey were to have any superpower, it would be “invisibility” or “time travel.” “I would love to be a fly on the wall,” he admitted. “With time travel, I would also want to see how things transpired because I’m a history buff. I would love to go back in time.”
Success
Regarding his definition of success, he said, “Doing exactly what you want to do in your life, whether it’s your job, family, or your friends. Being able to control whatever narrative that is. It doesn’t have anything to do with money. Success comes down to happiness and fulfillment in life.”
Closing thoughts on ‘Bookie’
For “Bookie” viewers and fans, he said, “I hope people get a massive amount of fun, and a massive amount of ‘wow, did that just happen.’ People are going to laugh their butts off. It goes down some dark places and some dire situations, but it will still make you laugh.”
“We manage to put levity and humor in everything that we do in that show. Sometimes, you need to laugh to keep from crying… that’s how life really is,” he concluded.
To learn more about Omar J. Dorsey, check out his IMDb page, and follow him on Instagram.
