'cause that's when I really decided

that I was gonna pursue it wholeheartedly.

It was like this big circle moment

in one of my teacher's classes in high school.

She assigned me this poem called "Our Deepest Fear,"

and I remember my mom coming up to me and she was like,

"I didn't know you were good".

(laughing)

And I was like, "yeah, yeah, I do okay".

I'm Moses Ingram and this is "On the Rise".

I grew up in the church and so most of the things

I really did when I was younger were like

those church plays where you get up

and you talk about Easter and Martin Luther King

and all of those things, which I hated doing.

But I think it was more-

It wasn't that I didn't like being in front of people

because I loved being in front of people.

I just didn't like being told to do it.

And so I think that was the disconnect

but that was my beginning for sure.

I've been doing it since I was 10.

My teacher, Ms. Williams at the time,

she told my mom it would make me more communicative

and control my behavior a little bit better.

It didn't do any of those things,

but it sort of became the dangling carrot

to my behavior and sort of pursued it relentlessly.

And when I was 19, I got my first job at a local theater

called Everyman Theater in Baltimore.

And it was ruined by Lynn Nottage.

And that was sort of the door opener for me, I guess.

A song that I really liked when I was younger...

So I have an old soul.

So it wasn't really one song that I really love,

but my mother would play out

the "Waiting to Exhale" soundtrack and I legit,

I was not, I don't know, maybe like three years old,

knowing that entire album front to back

and still bop to it today.

Cause it just brings me peace when I think about it.

So probably yeah, the "Waiting to Exhale" soundtrack

Our series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is different

than I think what people might be used to.

It's grittier, it's got a little more bite to it.

Ewan's back and Hayden's back,

which I know the fans are really excited to see.

We were working really hard, so I hope people enjoy it.

When I was auditioning,

I did not know I was auditioning for "Star Wars".

It sort of just were these like loose sides.

And I remember reading it and I was like,

"this is a bad (beep). I dunno who she is, but I'm with it".

You know what I mean?

And I was very excited and I don't think it was until

maybe into my second or third audition

that I realized that it was "Star Wars".

But I definitely didn't know at the beginning.

What does it feel like to be joining the franchise?

I wasn't a huge "Star Wars" fan to begin with.

I didn't know too much about "Star Wars"

so I won't lie to you.

But I've sort of been welcomed and enveloped

into this world that is it and it's very exciting for me

because it's been around much longer than I've been alive.

But it's exciting to think that from the very beginning,

it's been holding a spot just for me,

whether I knew it or not.

So it's lit. It's lit, yeah.

The biggest moment of my career?

I feel like it keeps being topped.

But I'll say the biggest moment that I've had thus far

was probably the Emmy nomination

because where did that come from?

I don't know.

I was very, very shocked and I just remember

needing to get real close to the floor

cause we didn't campaign or anything.

It just was sort of there.

And I think I've also just been blessed

to meet so many people that I admire.

I feel like-

I say often, I feel like I'm collecting infinity stones.

In this business, on the road that I've been on,

I've been really blessed to be able to tell people

that I love, that I love them.

Which can be weird for them, right?

Because it's like, who is this girl

and what are you talking about?

But like, I grew up watching TV, loving TV movies,

and so I have spent some of my greatest and lowest moments

with these people who are only just meeting me.

And to get to see them and interact with them

has been really special for me.

My biggest role model inspiration's gotta be my mother.

My mother, for sure.

She just rock with me, man. She just does.

And like in moments where people were like,

"she need to do something real with her life",

nobody could see the vision the way I felt like

I could see the vision

and she always made room, continues to make room,

for me to talk about it.

And then the work?

I am a Nicole Beharie, Aunjanue Ellis stan.

I go up for them.

Yeah. I just, I love nerding out

over just believing what someone says.

Oh my God.

When I'm watching someone and I'm like,

"you could read me the back of a cereal box

and I would be like, you know what fine. Yeah, yeah.

I would buy tickets to that".

You know what I mean?

If I weren't an actor, I think I'd be a chiropractor.

I think because I like the sound of bone shifting

and I like the idea of feeling that under my hands.

But I didn't like school.

I did not like traditional school.

I would not want to do that, so it worked out.

Why am I excited to have this platform?

I never saw any of...

Like this.

I always just really wanted to do good work.

I think with great power comes great responsibility.

And I can't say that I really know what my place is yet

but I know that I desire to,

as I'm in front of people,

continue to try to be my most authentic self.

When I'm in front of people

and someone's asking me something about something,

is to tell people I don't have the answers

nor do I believe I have the answers.

I just believe that I'm a person trying every day.

Just like everybody else.

My dream scenario in five years?

I will have found the place that I really wanna call home.

I'll be creating opportunities for other people

and being better at multitasking and making time

for my personal life and loving my family.

(gentle music)