Best known for his role as Darius Lovehall in the 1997 classic, Love Jones or as the iconic O-Dog in Menace II Society, Larenz Tate has made his Hollywood presence known in timeless films at a young age. His breakout role in the Menace was at the age of 17 and he’s continued to bankroll his stardom with small and big screen roles as well as producing his own projects.
On Giving Back
Despite his busy schedule, Larenz suffers from sickle cell. To bring awareness to this disorder, Larenz, along with his brothers, founded The Tate Brothers Foundation.
“It’s really important to know if you carry the disease,” says Tate, 36, who costarred on FX’s Rescue Me and in BET’s made-for-TV movie Gun Hill.
As many as 100,000 people in the United States have the disease, which causes red blood cells to resemble sickles or crescents. The misshapen cells can reduce blood flow, which starves vital organs of oxygen and can lead to chronic fatigue and intense pain.
Many people who don’t have the disease carry a gene for it. Screening is essential, a message Tate will spread via Facebook and Twitter (@LarenzTate). “If you can prevent the disease, you can really make a difference in someone’s life,” says Tate.
On Family
“I’ve got a combination of family members I drew influence from,” explains Tate. “I come from a big family and my mother comes from 13, my pops comes from 8, so I grew up with a lot of family and there’s always that competitive nature. And like I said, we’re some s**t talkers. So you’ve got to back up all that talk with something. Even when me and my brothers get on the court we talk and compete like we’re strangers, but once we step off the court, it’s all love.”
On Working Out
Most recently, Larenze took us behind the scenes of his new workout regime called 52 Blocks. Originally started in the prison system for men to…
… stay fit and defend themselves, the workout is a cross between martial arts and boxing.
Here’s a sneak peak of it.
https://youtu.be/kozR7wrm4wo
The Rescue Me alum keeps up his busy schedule in 2014. He’s upped his role to series regular on USA’s original medical drama series Rush, set to premiere July 17. From writer-director Jonathan Levine and Fox 21, Rush follows Dr. William Rush (Tom Ellis), a “medical fixer” who privately caters to LA’s elite. Tate plays Dr. Alex Thomas, Rush’s best friend dating back to medical school and one of the few constants in his life. Unlike Rush, Alex is a man with a plan — he works as a high-ranking physician at one of Los Angeles’ top hospitals and appears to have the ideal family life that Rush has long resisted.
When asked about his real-life “Love Jones”, Larenz gushes about his wife. “She keeps me grounded man. There’s nothing like waking up the woman you love with breakfast in bed. You gotta do it!”
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