EXCLUSIVE: Boris Kodjoe Talks Fate of 'Undercovers' & Addresses IRS Reports

Filed under: Exclusives, Interviews, Television

'Undercovers' star Boris Kodjoe is not to happy with all the speculation that his NBC drama is on the verge of being canceled.

The 37-year-old actor phoned BlackVoices.com from the Los Angeles set of his new series to discuss the fate of the show.

"We're doing great," he assured. "This year has been a weird year for new shows - there hasn't been a runaway hit. It has to do with so many different things, from programming to budgets and the economy as a whole. The bottom line is, we have a great show and everyone who sees the show loves the show, which is great."

Though many trade publications feel as though 'Undercovers' is underperforming with its debut ratings of 8.7 million viewers, followed by a dip to 7.2 million in its second week; Kodjoe said that the network it pleased thus far.

"NBC and Warner Bros. love the show and they're supporting the show," he offered. "Now we're in a position to build and that's where we want to be. We want to find our audience and keep our audience, and that's what we're doing. I'm beyond-the-moon excited about doing this. It's literally the first time in a long time that two African-Americans have been able to lead a one-hour drama on NBC. It's been over 30 years! So to be in this position is just a tremendous honor and I'm proud to be a part of it."
In an amazing feat, 'Undercovers' has already upset CBS - pushing it to third place - and helping NBC become the most-watched network in Black households.

"That's another aspect that I'm so proud of," said Kodjoe. "Again, my people have come out to support and that's what we have to do! If we want programming to change and if we want programming to become more diverse in film and in TV, we have to be the ones to support. We have to buy tickets and come out and spend, because at the end of the day, it's a business and it's based on numbers. 'Undercovers' is a great example because we have come out to support and we have to continuously do that. I'm so excited about that. It shows that all those stereotypical things that's out there don't have to be the only form of programming depicting us."

Though 'Undercovers' boasts two Black actors in the lead roles, Kodjoe and his co-star Gugu Mbatha-Raw; the Vienna, Austria-born actor admitted that the show's creators did not factor race into the casting process.

"J.J. Abrams and Josh Reims say that the casting was completely colorblind. The script was not written specifically for Black actors, it was just a script that they wrote and they wanted to see all kind of different actors to see who would bring all of those characteristics to the screen. They felt I was the one," he explained.

Describing his new millennium James Bond-type character Steven Bloom, Kodjoe continued: "Steven Bloom is a guy who is worldly and he speaks a bunch of languages. He's an ex-athlete, very physical, a weapons expert and a martial artists. The show is not only dramatic, but it has elements of comedy and romance and action and all those things had to be embodied in one person."

If calming concern that 'Undercovers' is facing cancelation wasn't enough for the former supermodel, Kodjoe had to deal with media reports on Tuesday that claimed he owes more than $230,000 in delinquent federal taxes.

When probed, he didn't shy away from addressing the issue.

"It's something that has been taken care of a while ago," he acknowledged. "The press got wind of it way late, after it's been already done and arranged and everything is taken care of. No worries. People don't have to be considered about me."

Kodjoe, who previously starred on the Showtime series 'Soul Food' and in films like 'Madea's Family Reunion,' 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' and 'The Gospel,' is married to actress Nicole Parker Kodjoe in real life and couple has two children.

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