Born in Houston on August 9, 1980, Texas Battle earned
his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at the University of Texas
before making his way to Hollywood to take a shot at showbiz. The former student-athlete made a memorable
screen debut in 2005 opposite
Samuel L. Jackson in the basketball bio-pic Coach Carter. He
followed that performance with another just as impressive in
Final Destination 3, a hit flick which opened at the #1 spot at
the box office.
Since then, talented Texas has appeared in such motion pictures
as Even Money and Wrong Turn 2, but he’s still probably best
known for his series regular role on the TV soap opera “The Bold
and the Beautiful,” where he joined the cast in late 2008 as the
illegitimate son to one of the main families on the show. His
other television credits include a recurring role on the hit CW
series “One Tree Hill,” and guest-starring roles on shows such
as “All of Us,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” “The Parkers” and
“Committed.”
Here, the handsome, young thespian talks about his latest outing
as Carey Fuller in Dragonball Evolution, a screen version of the
popular comic book series co-starring Chow Yun-Fat, Emmy Rossum
and Justin Chatwin.
Texas Battle The Dragonball Evolution Interview with Kam Williams
KW: Hi Texas, thanks again for the time.
TB: No problem, thanks for taking the time to interview me.
KW: What interested you in doing Dragonball?
TB: What interested me in doing Dragonball was that it's a huge
comic book series that has built a great fan base and it’s a
great action movie!
KW: Tell me a little about your character.
TB: My character’s name is Kerry Fuller. Kerry is a high school
bully that attends the same high school as Goku. [played by
Justin Chatwin]
KW: How did you prepare for the role?
TB: I drew a lot for the role of Kerry Fuller from my previous
role in Final Destination 3 as Luis Romero. I felt they had
similar character traits, so that helped me prepare. I also
tried to pull from the comic books and how I felt Kerry fit into
those.
KW: You’ve also been busy on TV in The Bold and The Beautiful.
How do you like being in a soap opera?
TB: I like being on “The Bold and Beautiful” because the whole
cast is like a family, we’re like brothers and sisters, and we
feed off each other's energy. Every day going to set is fun
because of the great cast and crew that I get to work with.
KW: Do you get noticed a lot more because of the show?
TB: Now that I am on B&B I do get noticed a little more than I
used to.
KW: How is working on a TV series different from making a movie?
TB: The difference in working on a TV series and a movie comes
down to one thing for me, and that is the travel. With The Bold
and the Beautiful, we are in one remote location, but with a
movie you get to travel, explore, and experience different
things everyday. But I’ve really enjoyed doing both.
TB: I am extremely happy at this point in my life. I have a
great job, I have a very supportive family, and I'm loving life.
I can honestly say I have no complaints.
KW: The “Realtor to the Stars” Jimmy Bayan question: Where in
L.A. do you live?
TB: I live in the San Fernando Valley area.
KW: The bookworm
Troy Johnson question: What was the last book
you read?
Where the Red Fern Grows
Click to order via
Amazon
by Wilson Rawls
First published in
1961, a modern-day classic for children follows the
friendship between a boy and his two dogs as they search
out adventure along the dark hills and river bottoms of
Cherokee country. Reprint.
TB: The last book I read was "Where the Red Fern Grows."
KW: The
Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
TB: The only time I get afraid is when I am at the ocean. I get
a little nervous when I’m in the water because I always feel
like something is going to bite or snatch me.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish
someone would?
TB: Wow, that’s a good question. I think I have been asked just
about everything that I wish people would know.
KW: The Laz Alonso question: Is there anything your fans can do
to help you?
TB: My fans can continue to support B&B, visit my MySpace page,
and continue to send me feedback mail. And go see Dragonball!
KW: What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome?
TB: The biggest obstacle I have ever had to overcome was moving
from Texas to L.A, because of the change of pace. LA is such a
different culture than anywhere else and it operates at a much
faster tempo than Texas. Kind of gives you a culture shock when
you first get here, but it’s a great city.
KW: Teri Emerson would like to know when was the last time you
had a good belly laugh?
TB: The last time I had a good belly laugh was when I watched
American Idol auditions this season.
KW: The music maven
Heather Covington question: What music are
you listening to nowadays?
TB: Right now I am listening to my favorite artist Avant's CD.
KW: The Rudy Lewis question: Who’s at the top of your hero list?
TB: Will Smith, because he is a family man, well-rounded, and
very well respected, and he just handles his business well.
KW: How do you feel about
Barack Obama’s becoming President of
the United States?
TB: I am extremely ecstatic about the presidency of Barack
Obama. I think he is paving the way for young African-American
men like myself. I have very high expectations for Obama, and I
am extremely hopeful that he will bring great lasting change not
just to America, but to the entire world.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in
your footsteps?
TB: My advice to anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps is
stay focused, develop a thick skin and a positive attitude, and
work hard at your craft every chance you get.
TB: I answer all my fan mail. I make it my priority to respond
to all my fans no matter what. Sometimes it takes me a while,
when things get busy with work, but I still answer, because my
fans are my support system and I am really thankful to them.
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
TB: I want to be remembered as a man who never forgot where he
came from, stayed humble, and took on meaningful projects. I
don't want to forget all the people that helped me along the
way, and how I got to where I am now.
KW: Thanks again for the interview, Texas, and best of luck with
the movie and the TV show.
TB: Thank you for your time and consideration also. I look
forward interviewing with you again!