Fan Fest Exclusive Interview: Ser’Darius Blain Talks ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ DVD Release

Today I had the honor and pleasure of talking with Ser’Darius Blain on his wild ride with ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ and his new “charmed” life. Most people know Ser’Darius Blain for his role as Fridge that he shares with comedian Kevin Hart in the 2017 action-packed comedy ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle‘ but the world will soon know him for his newest role on the ‘Charmed’ reboot currently being filmed.

‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ took the world by surprise after its release by breaking records, bringing in over $900 million in box offices sales worldwide. With the film’s release  to Blu-Ray and DVD on the horizon, the sales will just continue to rise just as will the fan base. Of course, the movie is a follow up to the original ‘Jumanji‘ starring Robin Williams released in 1995 but has found its own followers and fans. Along with Ser’Darius Blain, it has a powerhouse cast of comedians at the helm like Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan.

I was just as excited to discuss Ser’Darius Blain’s character on the new ‘Charmed‘ reboot that is currently being filmed. Ser’Darius is no stranger to reboots as he starred in the 2011 version of ‘Footloose‘. I love the idea of giving new life to shows and movies that were once so loved if you pick the right actors for the roles and I believe Mr. Blain is the right actor for these roles. He has a love for his acting and his characters and it shows. As I mentioned I had the honor of speaking with him and getting to ask him some questions and he so graciously took time out of his busy filming schedule to speak with me and I wanted to share with you what I learned about this awesome young man and what we can look forward to from him.

Rachel Bryant: How old were you when you started acting? Who was your inspiration?

Ser’Darius Blain: I was 12 years old and my mom was the Drama and English teacher at my Florida middle school and I helped her write a play and I was cast as the understand study for the lead role. The actor was sick for the first performance, so I did the first show and the rest of the performances. I was a fragile kid, kind of socially awkward and I kind of got thrown into the fire but I had the time of life. So, I started acting when I was 12 but didn’t take it seriously until I was 20.

RB: So your mom was your inspiration?

SB: Yes, she was a singer in the 70’s and 80’s so I was bitten by the entertainment bug early on.

RB: I know I wanted to talk with you about the release of ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ on Blu-Ray and DVD so my first question is how was it working with such an all-star cast?

SB: It was inspiring. I left that set with added motivation to pursue all my goals and dreams. Because Dewayne, Kevin, and even Jack all have so much going on outside of work but are always creating more opportunities for themselves outside of work. They inspire that entrepreneurial spirit to work harder. It was great, but we had fun as well, but it was awesome watching these superstars at work.

RB: Are there any special features on the ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle‘ Blu-Ray release that you are looking forward too or that we should look out for?

SB: I can’t wait to the see the Behind-the-Scenes stuff because DJ and Kevin were constantly ripping on each other, so I am hoping they caught some of that stuff and a lot of the outtakes were hilarious. I want to see some of the Behind-the-Scenes stuff that I didn’t even get to see myself.

RB: Let’s move on to the ‘Charmed’ reboot, can you tell me anything about your character?

SB: YES! Well um, I said yes really quick. I am playing a really nice guy who might have a crush on one of the charmed girls. All I can say is I am trying to get to know one of the girls and weird stuff starts happening. That’s all I can say. They definitely took this reboot in a different direction from the original. They get to the heart of each of these characters. There is a lot of depth to it. It is also hilarious. They have definitely done a great job. Our director and writers have done a great job of spanning the worlds of comedy and drama at the same time, so it is a perfectly written dramedy.

RB: Are you and the rest of the cast nervous about how the ‘Charmed’ fan base will react to the reboot?

SB: They are already reacting. If you check out my Twitter feed. I have been called everything but the Son of God. It has been interesting but those are the original ‘Charmed’ fans. We, of course, want the original fans as well, but we are trying use this opportunity to find NEW ‘Charmed’ fans. Find a new audience maybe a younger audience that doesn’t know what ‘Charmed’ is and create a whole new fan base and bring along the old ones as well. We are looking forward to that challenge. We have an excellent cast and we will execute that job and I am 150% sure of that and I am not new to having to change people’s minds. One of my first projects was ‘Footloose’ which people hated the idea of making but ended up loving it and the same thing with ‘Jumanji’ so ‘Charmed’ is along that same lines of converting doubters into believers. I am looking forward to the challenge.

RB: In your career, you have done both TV series and movie roles which do you prefer filming?

SB: I don’t know that that I have a preference. Movies have more of a streamline and end point with a defined beginning, middle, and end. However, with TV, you have to be open and ready for anything and the changes that come along with your character. You have to grow, live and build the character. You have to feel it come of age so to speak. TV roles are a lot more fast-paced than movies are again because of that beginning, middle, and end. With TV you have to stay on top of your character development which is always interesting. They are both great I love them both.

RB: Last question what are some other projects you are working on that your fans can look forward to in the near future?

SB: I have another movie come out later this year ‘The Last Full Measure‘ with Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris and Sebastian Stan. It’s a Vietnam War biopic that is really going to touch some hearts, so I am really looking forward to that. Then I have another movie called ‘Beneath the Leaves‘ which is a murder mystery thriller with Mira Sorvino. We are hoping that will be out in the fall but follow me on social media, so we can keep you updated.

There you have it, dear readers, I hope his answers got you as excited for the ‘Charmed‘ reboot, the ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle‘ DVD release and ‘The Last Full Measure‘ as it did me. He was so nice and down to earth and those things are what always make me a true fan of any actor so I know he will be doing some great things in the years to come.

Be sure to grab your own copy of ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle‘ on Blu-Ray or DVD on March 20 and see what the world has been talking about!