MUSE: Harold "House" Moore
It is safe to say that actor Harold "House" Moore is a ladies man. With comments on Twitter such as "Every time I see @Whozhouse on my screen...whew! One tall glass of chocolate milk," and "I wasn't ready for that workout scene in the club office... U could've warned a sista..,” the ladies are simply salivating for every scene he is in. While chatting with Moore on the Upper East side, the "Single Ladies" heartthrob sat down with us to dish on all things to do with the ladies and more. Not only is Moore smooth as hell, he is also intelligent and self-aware, with his eye on the prize. He dishes on his favorite costars, guest stars that he's developed friendships with, and lets us in on his idea of the perfect date spot for both our NYC and LA men.
Labeling Men: How did you first get into acting?
Harold “House” Moore: Should I say my name first or you have all that?
Labeling Men: No, I know your name and we have all that...
Harold “House” Moore: My name is Harold “House” Moore and I'm one of the stars of the show "Single Ladies"...I love long walks in the park...
[All laugh]
Harold “House” Moore: I got started in acting when I was back at college at Alabama State University. I had an injury playing basketball and some of my friends who I was really close with were into theater. I've always had a candid or hidden personality and they said, "House, you'd be pretty good if you started dabbling in it.” I sat in on a few of their acting rehearsals and I got the bug a little big because like I said, I had the injury. After that it kind of initiated the initial process. Just going back, I remember a story with my mom when five, six, seven years old, her taking me to her local university back in Detroit, Michigan. She was in the talent show - but she didn't tell me that she was in the talent show. I was sitting with one of her friends in the audience, I had no idea what was going on, so I sat through probably the first two or three acts and then all of a sudden, my mom came running out stage and she had this beautiful red gown dress on and tore it up and everybody stood up and was going crazy and I was looking around thinking, “Wow, my mom just ripped it. I didn't know she had that talent in her.” Because you know your mom is just mom, somebody who makes peanut butter sandwiches for you, not somebody who has a talent, so that's the double backstory.
Labeling Men: Did you have to move once you started really getting the acting bug?
Harold “House” Moore: After I graduated Alabama State University, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia and I ran into a friend of mine from back home in Michigan. She was a good friend with a scout from Elite Models in Atlanta, so we took just a candid picture hanging out and she put the photo on her refrigerator and after doing so, her friends who worked at the agency saw me and said “Look, your friend should model.” At the time, being from Detroit, Michigan, you weren't really bred or told that modeling was a possibility, so it was nothing that really dawned on me, to model or a pretty-boy or Tyson or supermodel. So after I moved to Atlanta for a while, I was working with inner-city kids and she said, "Did you ever call that talent scout"? I was like, "Nah, I really don't want to model.” And I was working with kids, the pay was minimum wage - a little bit above it since I had my degree - and she said, "I had another friend who made good money doing so.” I was like, "Oh, modeling, taking pictures...How much did he make then?” She said he made over six figures and I went, "He made over $100,000 taking pictures?!” She said, "Yes he did," and I said, "Give me that number!!!"
[All laughs]
Harold “House” Moore: Went after them figures!
Labeling Men: Tell us about how you got on the show "Single Ladies" and how you went from being a recurring character to a main character.
Harold “House” Moore: From the show prior to that, which was “NYC 22,” produced by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Tribeca Films, starred Leelee Sobieski, Adam Goldberg, Terry Kinney, Stark Sands, Judy Marte. We had a great New York cast and I was so fortunate to work with all of those individuals and unfortunately, we didn't go into a second season and at that time, I already did an appearance on "Single Ladies" and my character got such an enormous response that they immediately reached out to me and asked me if I would be interested in coming on as a series regular. I'm always one of those people who are so grateful and appreciative of someone appreciating and admiring what I do, so I said yeah. I went and had a meeting with producers, everything that they said moving forward I felt like it was something that would help my career progress, become more in-tune with the female audience and with women. For me, I feel like that would be a good target area demographic, women. So I went for it and it turned out really good!
Labeling Men: This one is a two parter...Who is your favorite cast member to work with and who was your favorite guest star?
Harold “House” Moore: My favorite cast mate to work with...is all of them! I mean everyone is different. For me, I worked largely with Denise Vasi, that interaction. This year, I worked a lot with Melissa De Sousa and so I would have to say right now Melissa. She's my partner on the show, very experienced actress and she brings so much to the table, it’s just great working with her because it gives me the opportunity to learn so much, especially someone who has starred across other male actors. She gives me insight and things that will help my career progress and there is a level of a learning curve, but also a level of trust where she allows me to be who I am and they trust what I do. We have a great cast. Damien Dante Wayans is a really good friend of mine from the show, Travis Winfrey is talented, we have LeToya Luckett, who is a scene-stealer. Any time me and her have scenes - which is few between - you look forward to the challenge and the jive between our two characters; they both are statement characters and they are so strong on the show.
My favorite guest star on the show "Single Ladies" has to be probably B.O.B. Actually, we developed a rapport and a friendship outside of the show. So did me and Ja Rule and a few other people. These are people I still keep in contact with. I talked to Ja Rule when I was here [in NYC] actually, the day before yesterday. I actually had B.O.B. come back this season as a special guest star because of our relationship derivative of the show. Two really good stand up guys, very humble, those would be my two.
Labeling Men: This kind of answered my next question but still...Can you tell us anything surprising about any of your guest stars?
Harold “House” Moore: We just had so many guest stars! We've had T.I, Queen Latifah, the year we had Derrin Henson, world experienced actor, very professional. Man, we've had such an abundance of talent. We've had Kelly Rowland, at one point Lala Anthony was on the show, me and her worked together in different capacities, she was also on the cop show that I did. I think the biggest surprise for me was developing that friendship with Ja Rule and B.O.B. Me and Lala have a good rapport. We've been fortunate to have people come in and be really professional and not come in with an ego and a lot of these outsourced entertainers are outside thespians from music or different backgrounds and they respect what we do as actors so they come in and play their role and are receptive to notes and information. This year we had Karrueche Tran, who was new to acting but really receptive to the information that we gave her to make herself better. It’s pretty cool man! We have a great platform, especially for musicians and we have some great young talent who is on the show. They are beautiful and super talented. It’s one of those questions where you can go on and on because I have such an appreciation for the way they all conducted themselves. When you have people who are hungry, who have that tenacity and ambition and still remain humble, it’s a pleasure to work with.
Labeling Men: Even though the show is fiction, has it taught you anything about relationships?
Harold “House” Moore: It helped me evolve with understanding women. The show is 95% women, so when you are with that many women, that many personalities, if you're receptive to learning, you're going to learn. I got a lot of first hand information just on the approach to women. I'm even thinking of coming up with an app. I can't tell it until I do it, but it’s almost like a "Hitch" app, that's just the hint. Help men with their relationship and dealing with women, how to interact. But yeah, man, I feel like now my approach to women, my outlook, my way of handling a woman has matured in volumes. Not that I wasn't extremely well savvy before...
Labeling Men: Of course! [laughs]
Harold “House” Moore: Now the ladies love me!
Labeling Men: If you could give guys one piece of dating advice, what would it be?
Harold “House” Moore: It’s probably for men and women, but the most general advice I can give you is attempt to be a friend first. If you attempt to be a friend first without any preconceived notions or intentions then you're open to understanding, getting to know who she is as a person without it being sexual. But you know obviously attraction is the first thing that draws us to each other. If you allow yourself to approach somebody you're attracted to as a friend, a lot of times a woman will be more comfortable and having a bigger success rate in whatever your intentions are.
Labeling Men: Absolutely!
Harold “House” Moore: I shouldn't be telling you what my secrets are, you're making me comfortable. That's the secret fellas, make her comfortable.
Labeling Men: How would you describe your personal style?
Harold “House” Moore: My personal style, it varies. It’s always deepening. Say for instance New York is different from LA is different from Detroit. When I'm in different cites, New York is so fashionably driven, so when I'm in New York, I make sure I have my accessories, the gloves, the scarves, the hats, your blazers. LA is so hot, most of the time you'll have chill clothing, throw on a nice pair of jeans and a t-shirt and some nice tennis shoes, some low-tops, Air Force Ones, loafers. As opposed to New York where I was triple bundled, I was wearing 3-4 layers and so you would work on layering and coloring, different colorations and stuff like that. My style, I like to push the envelope but at the same time, I like to be simple. I'm really into small details, things I'll notice in clothing. I'll notice the inseam of a blazer and the contour and how it fits in the waist, how it fits on my shoulder, in the collar. What I like most about this blazer is that the interior of the collar matches the shirt [that I’m wearing]. Where there is a seam in the shirt that you wouldn't even pay attention to, it’s the tailoring behind it.
Labeling Men: What would be one piece you would recommend any guy to have?
Harold “House” Moore: A blazer. No matter what situation it is, you can't go wrong. You can rock a blazer with shorts, preferably khaki shorts. You can rock it with jeans, but a blazer makes you look a step up a class, a level of sophistication. If you want to put it on with a fitted hat and still have the urban edge, you can take it off and look just as regal, just as professional. So it’s one of those pieces where if you have a nice blazer...So my staple piece would definitely be a blazer.
Labeling Men: Would there be an ideal spot to go on a first date?
Harold “House” Moore: It depends on where you are, so give me at least a city.
Labeling Men: Well I'm based in New York and the rest of the team is in LA, so let’s do those two.
Harold “House” Moore: So if it’s New York, you really can't go wrong because there is so much culture, so much history. And it does depend on what your intentions are, but I do recommend some place where you can have the opportunity to pay attention. A good place might be Central Park or the Hudson where you can walk along the Pier, really engage. It’s also somewhere women will feel more comfortable and open to more conversation. So if you go somewhere along Chelsea Pier or Central Park, it’s a beautiful setting, people feel safe, they feel comfortable and it’s also so much culture and beautiful. In LA, it’s so vibrant, it’s two different energies, it’s more of a party-party place, but they too have cultural places and environments that you can go to. The Griffith Observatory is a great place to go. Any place you can really engage, interact. Another place to take women that is really good is the wineries in California, because most of them are either on the ocean or in the mountains. I know Malibu has a beautiful winery and I believe they give tours until October. If you're in LA, take them to a winery on the mountains so you can also see the ocean but if you're in New York, Central Park, Soho, along the pier.
Labeling Men: We know you've done a lot of guest spots in various TV shows; which was your favorite?
Harold “House” Moore: I had fun with all of them. I think the most fun project I've had done of all of them, the most memorable was my first movie, was "The Hammer Movie" opposite Adam Carolla. It was such a learning experience, we didn't have an amazing budget but everybody worked so hard and watching Adam Carolla on his radio show for five, eight, ten hours a day, having twins and just getting married and then going to work on the movie eight to ten hours on set, it was remarkable to see somebody work that hard. The experiences I gained, learning camera angles, being comfortable. Adam was somebody I watched on TV and was a pleasure to work with and it was a fun project, it was one of those things if you've seen it, it’s a boxing classic. I know it got rated one of the top boxing movies of all time, I was just glad to be a part of it. It was one of those subtle comedies, like this cafe, it’s real chill, impressionable, but memorable. So that would be my fondest memory that I starred in.
Labeling Men: What can we look forward from you in the future, besides the app?
Harold “House” Moore: Let’s see, this year just making great strides as far as moving my career forward. I've been doing acting guest stars and now starring on the show and now I'm at the point at my career and with myself are both ready to go to the next level. I'm also a writer and so I've been developing a lot of projects and right now I'm in the process of bringing those to life and really getting the opportunity because I creatively know what my capabilities are, of really expanding my acting career as well as writing and directing. Showing publicly for me that the sky is the limit, I think there is a great opportunity for what I bring to the entertainment world. I'm a big fan of Will [Smith] and Denzel, and as the tables turn so does father time and I feel like it’s a great opportunity. I'm young, athletic and with the look I have and capacity to act - and charm, all that stuff - I feel like it’s a good time for me to really step up. I'm getting a lot of interest from bigger agencies, management companies, production companies, so right now everything is coming together.
Labeling Men: That's amazing!
Harold “House” Moore: Thank you so much. I feel like my time is coming. I'm one of those guys, I'm not really big on... a lot of guys go "Oh, I'm doing this and that.” With me, my family and anybody can attest, with me, you never know, it’s like "House, how come you didn't tell me you were in this.” I'm so focused on the next project - not that I don't respect and appreciate the ones I've been in - but I want the work and the acting to speak for themselves. You have a lot of great things to look forward to from Harold House Moore in the future.
Follow Harold “House” Moore on twitter @whozhouse and Instagram @haroldhousemoore
Interview by Nisim Frank
