- Episodes run 90 seconds, demanding actors connect instantly with characters for authentic performances.
- The show explores themes of mentorship, ambition, and trust within a competitive corporate environment.
- Both actors view AI as a powerful tool requiring responsible use, particularly regarding artists’ likenesses.
DJ Misses sits down with two stars of the new TikTok micro-series Power and Influence. Jay Jones plays Chris Whitmore, and Donnie Carrington plays Dominic Wells. The is out now on Bossip of TikTok, and both actors arrived ready to talk.
Big Moments, Small Window
With episodes averaging about 90 seconds, there’s no time to warm up. Carrington described his approach plainly: “You got to be raw, you got to be real, you got to be unapologetic. You got to know your instrument.”
Jones agreed and said the key is connecting with the character right away. “Characters call to you,” he said. “When you can make that connection to the character, it becomes very organic. So you don’t really need a whole lot of runway to take off.”
Jones described the show’s setting as an all-Black public relations firm with “energy similar to Boomerang.” Chris and his wife founded the company. They bring in AI agents to stay competitive, and that’s when the ambition and backstabbing start. Chris is “very manipulative,” Jones admitted, but “at the heart of it all, he’s a family man.”
Dominic is Chris’s protégé, and he’s hungry. “He’s an opportunist,” Carrington explained. “If this move is going to get me further, I probably need to navigate that. It’s a game. It’s chess.” He also had a warning for viewers: “When I pop on the screen, you’re probably gonna have to rewind it.”
A Modern Moral Tale
Jones compared the series to “a Shakespearean play.” “The whole point of art is to challenge the viewer,” he said. “It’s not just entertainment. It’s about healing, exploration, human development.” Carrington added that the story carries a real lesson about mentors, mentees, and trust: “You can’t trust everybody.”
The AI Conversation
Since the show deals with AI, DJ Misses asked the actors where they stand. Carrington called it a useful tool for workflow. He drew the line at using people’s likenesses, especially artists who have passed: “They still have a family.”
Jones compared AI to early electricity. It can “burn your house completely down” or “illuminate every corner of your dark house.” He added, “It’s all how you use it.”
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Things weren’t always serious on set. A castmate from Baltimore had everyone cracking up with her accent, and Jones says viewers will know exactly who he means. As for theme music, Jones chose James Brown for Chris: “I paid the cost to be the boss.”
Follow Donnie Carrington at @donnycarri and Jay Jones on Instagram at @misterjayjones. Then catch Power and Influence on TikTok. Expect drama in the first 30 seconds.
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“Every AI Has Its Cost”: Jay Jones and Donnie Carrington Talk Power, Ambition, and Micro-Drama Mess
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