Side Dishes: Jabari Gray (Nate)

If you had to describe your character in five words, what would those words be?
Loving, frustrated, unemployed, caring, & hungry.

Is there anything special or noteworthy that you did to prepare for this role that the audience should know?
The audience should know that I worked closely with a master barber, Giovanni Agramonte, to keep my hair groomed at the same length and style for over 3 months to maintain continuity in the film.  No easy task!  I also maintained a strict diet over the holiday season as not to balloon in weight over the course of the filming of the movie.

What does your character bring to Chasing Taste?
Nate's character brings a really hot, good looking wife to the project.  No, seriously, Nate brings a lot of humor to the story with his unique life circumstances and extraordinary ability to taste any ingredient in any food!  Despite being educated and groomed to be a successful white collar corporate type, Nate finds himself jobless and is forced to undertake some pretty ridiculous and creative ways of making money until he finds the courage to tell his wife the truth about his situation.  I think his character brings to life the all too familiar sense of desperation felt by people with money problems.  He's also a metaphor in a way for the strange, unexpected, and innovative ways people solve these problems in life.

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