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Though hes still fresh-faced, Joseph isnt exactly new to acting. The Brooklyn native from the East New York neighborhood got a once-in-a-lifetime boost playing Simba in Broadways Lion King as a kid, before moving to Los Angeles to (briefly) attend college while navigating Hollywood. Along the way, hes seriously improved his pushup game. Mens' Health talked to him about getting fit for Cloak & Dagger, why its critical to have superheroes who look like him, his soon-to-be-unleashed music career, and his favorite junk food.
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Mens Health: Cloak & Dagger isnt your typical Marvel story. It involves something known as divine pairing. How do you explain the concept to people?
Aubrey Joseph: The basic story is about these two kids who are from totally different backgrounds who basically end up meeting due to traumatic events on this crazy night in New Orleans when a rig explodes, and they end up falling into water. They save each others lives and develop these powers through everything that happens. No matter what they do, theyll always be linked to each other. They start to form a relationship and they bump heads, but no matter what, they always come back to each other. Theyre so different but meant for each other.
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Can you give us a little preview of season two?
One thing I love about this show is it talks a lot about real issues that go on in the black community and also just about being a woman in America. You have these two groups of people who are often dehumanized and basically underappreciated and they basically. Season two picks up with the fact that even though they are imperfect, theyre finally starting to figure out their superpowers and growing into their own and realizing they have to protect New Orleans.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was another turning point in representation for superheroes because the main Spider-Man in that movie is Afro-Latino. What have you made of that shift in pop culture?
I just feel like its something that goes without saying how important it is. Growing up, obviously I watched all those superhero movies-Wolverine was my favorite superhero, the Incredible Hulk-and still felt like I could be a superhero. So I can only imagine as a child when you see someone who looks like you doing superhero stuff, it probably feels even crazier. Someone who looks like me can be a superhero, can be seen in the light, and not just seen as a hoodlum or, you know, Gang Member No. 2 or something. Its really important for these young kids to see that and not just young black or Latino kids-its important for everybody because it shows young people not everything is black and white, and anybody can be anything.
Is that something youve heard from young fans of your show?
Yeah, its the most frequent thing I see. When I actually get a chance to read DMs and read comments and stuff, a lot of young kids these days deal with depression and anxiety and insecurity, and a lot of the stuff I read is like, When I see you on TV, I see myself and it makes me want to do more for myself.
That has to feel good.
It definitely makes it worth it.
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So why the Wolverine obsession?
The whole tank top outfit I thought was mad cool, and my aunt had a tattoo of Wolverines claws. I remember when I first finished season one, every single day I would wake up and remind myself, Youre literally in the Marvel universe.
What have you done to get a more Marvel-appropriate physique?
To be honest, we dont actually get a lot of training. In season two, I tried to take care of my body a lot more. Season one I was kinda encouraged not to-I think one they didnt want us to look like beasts, and it was also about me looking a lot younger. But I took it upon myself [for the latest season] because I knew we were gonna do a lot more stunts. Ive been doing pushups, lifting weights, eating better. We work 12 hours a day, and if you dont take care of your body, youre just gonna be rundown.
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So did you notice a transformation in your body?
Yeah, well as long as youre consistent, youre gonna always see that transformation, but you cant just lift weights for three weeks and then stop for a week. If Im not lifting weights, I do pushups. If Im not doing pushups, I do sit-ups.
What kind of diet are you on?
I try to make sure I get my grains along with broccoli or salad. Mainly salad because Im pretty stubborn.
So youre not an especially adventurous eater?
I mean, nah, Im gonna be honest with you.
But you stick to real food.
Yeah. Ill probably give myself a day on the weekend and indulge in my fave snacks or junk food.
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You mentioned doing a lot of pushups, which Im sure is convenient when youre traveling and dont have equipment.
Yeah, thats my go-to. I do 400 to 500 a day just for myself.
Wow, that seems like a lot.
Not in a row, but as soon as I wake up, I do 150, and then I always do it after I eat. It just adds up, and I do it right before bed.
How many can you do in a row?
Probably 150 to 160. When I went out to New Orleans [for shooting], one of my homies who works out religiously was like, How many pushups do you think the average man who works out should do a day? I was like, I dont know, 40 to 60. He was like, you should be able to do 140 pushups in a day.
Damn, I need to work on my pushups.
Thats what I said. When I first got out to New Orleans, I could probably only do 40 in a row, and then it grew to 60, and then it grew to 80, 100.
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You mentioned having a job at USC. Did you go there?
Yeah, I was was there studying acting. I signed with my manager, and she told me, I dont think youre going to be in school past two years. I was like, I want to get at least two years under my belt, and literally I got one semester, and here we are.
Its been a quick, wild ride.
Yeah. But a lot of people dont understand with acting, theres so much rejection youre gonna see. Its hard not to take that personally when youre an actor. There were definitely moments where I was like, Fuck this. Im just gonna quit.
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Any particular role you were upset you didnt land?
So you want to make me cry during this interview? Honest, it was nothing that I went crazy over because I always have the mentality that my mom raised me with that whatevers for you is for you and whatevers not for you youre not gonna get.
You also have a music career in the works. Can you talk about that a bit?
Yeah, its my debut tape. Its gonna be my story of growing up in Brooklyn. I sing but I also rap. My favorite rapper is Jay-Z. Whenever anyone who hears my music says that I remind them of him, its crazy for me. But the tape is about coming from a place [East New York] that looks how it looks and how Ive made it to where Ive made it in this world and how I literally never thought it was possible.
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When can people hear it?
It should come out sometime in the next couple months, but I think Im gonna drop the first video and single around March 1.
Youre doing it all independently?
For now. We took a lot of meetings with labels, and they were offering a lot, but its also like a 360 [deal] situation they want to own the masters. Whenever I do a deal, its gonna be where I own all the masters and it makes sense for me as an artist because I also write all my music, I work really hard to write the best music for me, and to not own any of that wouldnt make any sense for me.