Matt Cedeño as The Highest in ‘Ruthless.’ Photo Courtesy of BET+.
Actor Matt Cedeño chatted about starring in Season 5 of “Ruthless” on BET+.
The synopsis is: The time has come for the most insane, the most intense, most “Ruthless” season ever.
On being a part of Season 5, he said, “It was intense. While every season is pretty intense, I’ve felt this was the most intense one out of the five seasons. We were all excited about it.”
“Without Tyler Perry directing and writing this season, it was a new experience for everyone, and I think we pulled it off,” he added.
Playing The Highest
Cedeño is drawn to his character, “The Highest,” due to his unpredictability. “As an actor, it’s pretty cool because logically, he doesn’t make sense,” he said. “My character is either inebriated or on drugs. It is super intense and challenging, but that’s what I like most about his dynamic.”
“I think this season explores the roots of his paranoia more and more,” he admitted. “The roots of his behavior and paranoia are coming to a climax here in Season 5. We go in depth in a lot of those things this season.”
Crossover scenes with ‘The Oval’
“I thought it was genius the way they spiraled that off,” he said about his crossover scenes in Tyler Perry’s “The Oval.” “They were able to create a whole new world based around the character of Ruth. It was very cool,” he said.
Working with Blue Kimble and Colin McCalla
“Blue Kimble and Colin McCalla are my boys,” he said. “Blue brings a lot of energy always. He is a funny guy, and he is intense. I haven’t had as many scenes with Blue this season. I always have some intense scenes with Colin, who plays River.”
Baadja-Lyne Odums as Elder Mother Marva
Cedeño also praised Baadja-Lyne Odums for playing Elder Mother Marva.
“Baadja-Lyne is special, she is a great grandmother, and she is as lively as the rest of us. She has great energy, spirit, and soul, and she plays a motherly figure to me. She is my guide for a lot of things,” he said.
Bjoern Kommerell
Cedeño had great words about master German headshot photographer Bjoern Kommerell. “Ironically enough, Melissa L. Williams, who plays Ruth in ‘Ruthless,’ referred me to him prior to me doing my Netflix movie, and I linked up with him before I started shooting it.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Cedeño said, “There are aspects of the analog age that I miss. Obviously, there are many innovative and cool things about the digital age that I appreciate.”
“It feels like there are a lot of platforms now, and I feel they should consolidate a little bit. I appreciate the BET and the BET+ audience because they are very loyal,” he said.
Stage of his life
Regarding the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Growth.” “I am always in a chapter of growth,” he said. “This last year was eye-opening in a lot of ways for me personally. You never know what life is going to present to you.”
“My No. 1 job is being a parent to my two kids and trying to serve myself as an artist and a creator as well,” he said. “I am always in a growth phase.”
Superpower of choice
His superpower of choice would be invisibility. “It would be great to not be seen a lot of times,” he admitted. “I would also like to fly.”
Success
Regarding his definition of success, he said, “Feeling good about yourself. When you do things that you don’t think you can do, and you bring on a challenge like that, and ultimately, overcome it, then that’s a success.”
“It is not related to money; that is an illusion. Feeding your soul is success because you are actually doing what you are aligned to do,” he noted.
Closing thoughts on Season 5 of ‘Ruthless’
For fans and viewers, he remarked about Season 5, “I hope people get entertainment out of it; that’s the reason we watch TV. Some of the things that each character is going through is exaggerated a little bit, but it is still relatable and it resonates with people on so many levels. Every season has a cliffhanger, so enjoy the ride.”
To learn more about Matt Cedeño, follow him on Instagram.