Before becoming an actor and producer, McKinley Freeman had a cushy corporate gig that allowed him to travel the world. Through all the years of schooling to complete his MBA and working his way up to what many would consider a great situation, he couldn’t escape the feeling that there was something else he was supposed to be doing. On a whim, the Champaign, IL, native started pursuing modeling opportunities, which led to TV and movie auditions.
“I never wanted to be in a situation where I looked back at time and feel like I managed it improperly,” Freeman said. “I mean that simply as it relates to holding myself accountable for my dreams.”
After booking some of his first roles, Freeman left the corporate life behind and moved to Los Angeles to begin making his mark in Hollywood. He recently finished wrapping up his role as Lewis Stewart in Hulu’s legal drama “Reasonable Doubt.” Along with co-star Emayatzy Corinealdi (Jax Stewart), Season 2 sees Jax trying to save her marriage while juggling work as a powerful Los Angeles defense attorney. The show tackles various complicated relationship issues that drive intriguing dialogue.
Before he set off for an afternoon jiujitsu class, McKinley Freeman spoke with M&F on how his upbringing in martial arts and how the traditions have had an impact on both his approach in life and in his career. He also discussed how being disciplined and removing himself from outcomes have helped in navigating life in Hollywood.
Lessons From Pops
During his upbringing, Freeman’s dad taught Shaolin Kung Fu at Song’s Kung-Fu in Champaign. The actor recalls that it was cool to have a father who had this wealth of information to pass down but that discipline was non-negotiable. “It wasn’t a lot of sneaking out the house when your dad’s got ninja ears,” he said.
Despite being in elementary school, Freeman’s father would always place him in adult classes. Pops was also committed to training anyone who stepped through the doors of Song’s, no matter what shape they were in or what their ability was. The focus was on the principles and the functional application of each movement. From the time you left out the front door toward your destination, the goal was to make sure you could effectively apply what you had just learned. It’s this level of attention to detail that has shaped the philosophy Freeman approaches his current craft and the surrounding factors in his life that play a part in it.
“I think martial arts and things like jiu jitsu gives you another opportunity to practice a perspective that gives you an alternative to the information as it’s presented to you,” Freeman said. “There’s this book that talks about how if you’re ever having a bad day, walk outside and stare at the sky and realize that you’re on a rock revolving around a ball of fire in the middle of infinite nothing that’s expanding faster than anyone can count. When you start thinking about that, there’s no way that all these things have conspired to make it a bad day.”
McKinley Freeman Has Learned To Separate Himself From Outcomes
The entertainment business is an outcome-driven one. A great script and a brilliant cast to bring it to life usually translates to success. Discipline is a prevailing theme in Freeman’s life. No matter what is thrown his way, his focus is on controlling what he can and letting everything else take care of itself. No matter if an audition goes great or not so great, he’ll treat himself to cupcakes — making it so that no matter the outcome, it’s a win.
“It’s me against me,” he said. “It’s me against the ideas and the things I know I should be doing to be the best version of myself. If you’re prepared for anything, whatever happens kind of just happens. It’s almost the equivalent of having a surfboard on a wave. Whatever my discipline, the choices that I’ve built my life around, those are things that will allow me to float no matter what’s happening in life.”
The Problem-Solving Aspect of Jiujitsu Appealed to McKinley Freeman
From Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do to now BJJ, Freeman has trained in several disciplines. He compares jiujitsu to living Tetris—the blocks are trying to choke you to death. The art of being both offensive and defensive along with learning to find a comfort level in uncomfortable situations is why he encourages others to try it. He’s also gotten the opportunity to work with legendary instructors such as Chris Light and Bruno Frazatto.
A good school and teacher also goes a long way. Before his acting career took off, Freeman worked with tech startups. One of the most valuable insights he gained was that it was never about the product or technology in front of him, but the people who created it. It’s why he invested in Breakdown Academy, which recently opened in Hollywood.
Breakdown’s Head Instructor John Evans was an advanced teacher at a prior school before deciding he wanted to define his own curriculum. Freeman met Evans and begin training with him while filming Reasonable Doubt. A lot of the ways Evans approached his teaching to his students reminded Freeman of how his dad made sure that everyone understood each movement.
It’s All About Discipline
When it comes to acting, Freeman relishes in the opportunity to dive into a new world and bring out the subtleties and nuances of the character he’s portraying. And with each role, directors can be certain that he’s going to approach auditioning with a mindset that lets you know he’s not here to waste time.
“It really comes down to are you going to audition to save your son’s life or are you going to save your son’s life?” Said Freeman.
As Season 2 of Reasonable Doubt is still streaming, filming has been completed and Freeman is already working on landing his next opportunity. His mornings consist of cardio and he manages to find time during his day to join one of the classes at Breakdown Academy. Given the aggressiveness of jiu-jitsu, Freeman considers his time grappling as peaceful because that’s where he can zone out. While he wouldn’t divulge what roles he’s currently pursuing, don’t expect to wait long before his name is on some production’s call sheet.
Follow McKinley on Instagram @mckinleyfreeman
and stream Reasonable Doubt on Hulu