‘Traffik’ star Laz Alonso joins superhero series and says attending an HBCU is like going to Wakanda for four years

Actor and Howard University alum Laz Alonso believes women are in an era of empowering themselves and taking back their power. This is why he is excited about his new film Traffik, which hit the big screen on April 20.

“It’s an exciting thrill ride,” Alonso said. “I really like the film’s tagline, ‘Refuse to be a victim.’ It’s hard to call a movie that talks about such a serious topic, human trafficking, as ‘exciting,’ but you’re on this ride with the characters not knowing what is going to happen.”

The Washington, D.C., native stars in the film, directed by former athlete Deon Taylor alongside Omar Epps and Paula Patton in a sex trafficking thriller where he plays the stereotypical sports agent. Unlike the 2011 dramedy Jumping the Broom, in which Alonso received a 2012 NAACP Image Award, he and Patton are the opposite of love interests. Instead, their two characters tolerate each other to the point of hate at times in Traffik.

Slowing down is not on the 44-year-old actor’s agenda this year. He had the fortune of mixing his love for music and acting in BET’s miniseries The Bobby Brown Story as Louil Silas Jr., the music executive who helped Brown become a solo success. The miniseries is set for a September premiere and picks up from the network’s record-breaking miniseries The New Edition Story.

Alonso will soon start shooting for Amazon’s newest superhero drama, The Boys, based on the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Under the direction of Eric Kripke, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, the series will open the door to a world where superheroes take advantage of their celebrity and fame. A group of vigilantes, known as The Boys, set out to take down these corrupt superheroes. Alonso will play Mother’s Milk, second in command of the group.

Alonso recently returned to D.C. to attend the Washington Redskins’ draft party in April wearing a custom jersey to announce Washington’s fourth-round draft pick, Troy Apke, a defensive back from Penn State.

The Howard University alum also made a pit stop at Home Depot’s Retool Your School ceremony, a competition-based program to help accredited historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) upgrade and renovate their campus facilities. Alonso graduated from Howard with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

He says attending an HBCU is “of optimal importance.”

“Going to an HBCU is like going to Wakanda for four years,” Alonso said. “You’re supported, encouraged by each other and allowed to explore who you are as a black person in society without all of the societal dos and don’ts. There are tons of HBCU alums who are at the top of their professions despite HBCUs sometimes not having as many of the resources as Ivy League schools. It shows how HBCU grads have that intangible.”

He compares the HBCU experience to his frustration with former Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins.

“He’s technically a good quarterback, but there’s an intangible when it comes to winning [that he doesn’t have],” Alonso said. “Can you put the game on your shoulders and will a victory? At Howard, you discover that intangible in your life and you tap into it. You’re going to lean on it, use it and need it. Because of Howard, I went to Wall Street. Out of a class of 300 new employees at Merrill Lynch, I was one of two black guys. There were a few others, but not as black as the two black guys from Morehouse and Howard. We were super black.”

Alonso spoke with The Undefeated about his current and upcoming films, being Afro-Latino, martial arts and growing up in a single-parent household.

Did you understand the extent of human trafficking before doing this film?

I had always looked at it as a Third World country problem. I didn’t know that 62 percent of women being sex-trafficked are African-American and that Atlanta, a place that we love to go and turn up at, is the biggest hub in the U.S. for female sex trafficking. Now that I’m aware of it, I’m starting to see more coverage of it on the news. It’s a $150 billion industry that is only second to illegal arms dealing and just as big as the drug trade. Drugs are consumed and used up, but with human trafficking, people are reused over and over again. It’s dehumanizing.

This fall, we’ll see you in The Bobby Brown Story. What is your favorite Bobby Brown record?

“My Prerogative” was big, and I liked the video, but “Don’t Be Cruel” might be one of my favorites. People forget Bobby had slow jams too, and that’s why I liked playing Louil. He’s who introduced L.A. Reid and Babyface to Bobby. They were able to channel a different Bobby than what everyone else was seeing. Bobby’s whole swag was aggressive and in-your-face, but they were able to smooth him out and make him a sex symbol. Bobby was like the original R&B rapper. It was cool having Bobby on set every day during shooting to make sure we all hit the right notes and nothing was out of place or embellished.

What can viewers expect from The Boys?

It explores the world of superheroes who become corrupted by their own power getting out of control and taking advantage of human beings. Absolute power corrupts, and who checks absolute power? We’re seeing that in our own government now. It’s a parallel universe that addresses real issues and conversations in a fictionalized backdrop. [Checking that power] is where my character, Mother’s Milk, and the rest of The Boys come into play.

Who is your favorite superhero, and why?

Superman. I loved that he could fly.

Do you have a favorite throwback TV show?

There’s so many of them, but what I really loved about sitcoms were their theme songs. Shows don’t have memorable theme songs anymore. Biz Markie is one of my favorite party DJs and does a set that is nothing but old-school theme songs.

You’re a huge D.C. sports fan. Are you a quiet or loud fan when watching games?

I’m the fan that’s a conspiracy theorist. I think refs hate D.C. sports teams because I feel like every call is unfair. They always let the opposing teams get away with stuff that we have to pay for. Nine times out of 10, I yell more at the refs than the opposing team.

How did you get into martial arts as a kid?

I had a single mom and she wanted me to be able to defend myself. Everyone on my block had an older brother that they could call on if they were losing in a fight. I was an only child, so I didn’t have that. I can’t say I won every fight, but there are a couple of guys that still remember my name.

You were 14 years old when your father passed away. How did you get through that?

My dad was in and out of the house going to rehab and AAA meetings because he had a long fight with alcoholism, and that made me feel like I had to be the man of the house very early on, even when he was home. At times, he was unable to function and I had to take care of him. I think back and I feel like that was preparing me for his passing. When he did pass, it was weird because in some ways I felt relief that he no longer had to struggle. I was too young to know what he was going through, but I knew that he wasn’t happy. And now I know he’s happy, and it’s my job every day to make him happy and proud of me.

Describe your Afro-Latino pride.

We are not black or Latino; we are both. There’s so many Afro-Latinos who speak of their pride, and it’s beautiful. No one can take our blackness away from us just like no one can take our Hispanic heritage away from us. We share it. It’s something that I hope expands to Latin America as well.