Actor Lodric D. Collins talks playing Smokey Robinson in new Aretha Franklin biopic ‘Respect’

“I learned structure. One thing I learned in the Marines is that there’s nothing I couldn’t do,” said Collins. “If I put will in and trained and prepared, anything is possible. That’s my approach to auditions, it gives me confidence that I can do it and gives me the discipline to wake up.”

Collins has since built up a career in the entertainment space. He currently stars as Chief of Staff Donald Winthrop on BET’s “The Oval” and is also well known for appearing as Captain Elliot, the head of militia sent to end the apocalypse on SYFY’s “Z Nation” and as Lieutenant Marshall in NBC’s “Grimm.” In theater, Collins is known for his classical work in roles such as General Hannibal Barca (Massanissa) and Berowne (Loves Labors Lost), for which he received rave reviews.

You can see Collins as the iconic singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson in the new film “Respect.” The film follows the life and career of Aretha Franklin, played by Jennifer Hudson.

“I was always a fan of Aretha and Smokey Robinson was an icon to me. My dad played Aretha Franklin every day, I was raised in it. Smokey Robinson and Lionel Ritchie were gods to me,” said Collins. “I saw a poster for the audition, and told my manager that if there was a role for Smokey Robinson, submit me for it, that’s the role I’m supposed to have it.”

Collins quickly landed the role and really started to further immerse himself into Robinson’s life and music. Though he was already a fan, Collins says there was so much that he learned about Robinson by playing him in the film.

“I thought I knew a lot, but I had to go deeper. I was playing his music and was looking at the writing of his songs — if you want to know about the songwriter, look at the words they write,” said Robinson. “There’s a line in his song ‘The Tracks of My Tears:’ ‘My smile is my make up / I wear since my break up with you.’ He’s always smiling, but there’s something behind that smile that’s deeper and darker than it appears.”

Collins hopes that whoever goes to see “Respect” take away the impact that Franklin and these artists had on music as well as the strength that they had to overcome the hardships in their lives.

“I hope they take away the strength of these characters. They had a lot of adversity and potholes to overcome, especially Aretha. I hope they see the strength, dignity, integrity, and commitment she had to the movement outside of herself,” said Collins. “It’s more than music, it’s a love letter to the music she created, but she birthed a movement through music, and she used that power to stand up for her own rights as a woman of color.”

“Respect” debuts in theaters on Aug. 13. You can follow Collins on Twitter @LodricD and on Instagram @lodricdcollins.