Interview with Cleavant Derricks: Working on Sliders
The following reflects key insights from multiple interviews with Cleavant Derricks about his time on Sliders, including conversations following the show’s conclusion.
On Taking the Role
Interviewer: How did you come to be cast in Sliders?
The funny thing is, I didn’t want to do it initially. My wife Portia convinced me to take the audition. It was the easiest audition I could have done – the same thing had happened years earlier with Dreamgirls. I guess the lesson is: sometimes you should listen to your wife, and sometimes the things you’re most reluctant to do turn out to be exactly what you need.
I’d built my career in theater. I had won a Tony Award for Dreamgirls, been nominated for Big Deal. Television was a different world, and science fiction? That wasn’t exactly my expertise. But there was something about the character of Rembrandt Brown that spoke to me – this washed-up singer who gets dragged into this incredible adventure. There was depth there, potential for real growth.
On Understanding Rembrandt
Interviewer: Did you recognize yourself in Rembrandt’s personality?
Yes, I was happy with the evolution of my character. I felt that my character continued to grow each season. And yes, I did recognize myself in the Crying Man’s personality. But in his strengths, not his weaknesses. [laughs]
What I understood about the show and about my character was who he was and what he was about -entertainment. That’s where my contribution was lying: to show that music meant a lot to him. It wasn’t just some fly-by-night silly thing. I wanted to portray Rembrandt Brown as being serious about his musical career.
I wrote songs for the character – songs which would have meaning for Remmy. Music was always my first love. My father was a singer and gospel composer. My twin brother also sings. It’s a tradition in the Derricks family. So when I brought music to Rembrandt, I wasn’t just acting – I was bringing my heritage, my understanding of what it means to be a performer.
On the Original Cast
Interviewer: What was it like working with the original cast?
We were like a family. It was a great show! The chemistry between Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys-Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, and myself was genuine. We clicked from the beginning.
What stays in my mind, in all honesty, has got to be the first one – the pilot episode. That was the beginning of it. It was getting to know actors and characters, it was getting to share and starting to grow. It’s the most memorable to me. They all run together after that, the scenes, the moments. The fans can ask you about individual episodes, but I don’t remember – everything runs together!
But I do miss that original group. I really did miss Quinn, Wade, and Arturo in those later seasons.
On the Show’s Unique Production
Interviewer: What was special about filming Sliders?
How many times can actors say that we can go outside a stage door, travel a 75-mile radius, and do different episodes every week in a new location? There are not many opportunities, but we were able to do that on a weekly basis with Sliders. That part I really appreciated and enjoyed.
We filmed all over Northern California – San Francisco, Oakland, the Bay Area. Each location became a different parallel Earth. That made it special, made it feel real. We weren’t stuck on a soundstage pretending. We were out in the world, and that world became whatever alternate reality we needed it to be.
On Not Being a Sci-Fi Expert
Interviewer: Did you understand all the science fiction concepts?
[Laughs] These guys – Jerry and John – understood sci-fi a lot more than I understood sci-fi. They would pitch episodes, engage with all the technical aspects. I came at it from a different angle. I focused on who Rembrandt was emotionally, what his journey meant.
But that turned out to be an asset. Rembrandt was the everyman, the character who didn’t have all the answers, who experienced each world through emotion rather than analysis. I think audiences connected with that. Not everyone watching was a science fiction expert either.
On Cast Changes
Interviewer: How did you handle all the cast changes over five seasons?
It was challenging, I won’t lie. When Sabrina left, when John left, when Jerry left – each time felt like losing family. We’d built something special together.
But you know what? What kept me coming back was the fact that my character was growing. I appreciated that, and I really fell in love with this guy. I really wanted to see this through, because I found it fascinating to continue to travel to parallel Earths and find new adventures.
The way they handled Jerry’s departure was actually quite clever. Jerry’s character went through the Vortex, came together with another Quinn from another parallel Earth, and they somehow physically became one person. So you have our Quinn’s thought processes but another Quinn’s body. They handled it very, very well. It made a lot of sense to sci-fi fans.
Charlie splattered into a thousand pieces. [laughs] That’s clever, huh? That’s what happens when there’s a change!
On Being the Last Original Cast Member
Interviewer: What was it like being the only original cast member by Season Five?
I am most proud of Season Five that the fans believed and fought for us to come back. That meant everything. The sci-fi fans – they’re dedicated. Once they get into a show, they stick with it.
Being the last original member was both an honor and a responsibility. I carried the memory of where we’d started, what the show had been. But I also embraced the new cast members, the new energy they brought. Actors are like gypsies: you’re in one place, you’re there for a little while, and then you move on. We’re artists, we have so many facets of our lives that we’re involved in, we come together, we break bread together and we commune together.
On Favorite Episodes
Interviewer: Do you have a favorite episode?
I don’t really have a favorite episode. Everyone seems to love “Asylum,” the episode in which I sang the song that I wrote, “Stolen Angel.” That one was special because I got to bring my own music to Rembrandt’s story. The song meant something to the character, to his journey.
But honestly, they all blur together. What I remember is the experience – the adventure of filming, the relationships with cast and crew, the satisfaction of watching Rembrandt grow from comic relief to a real hero.
On the Music of Sliders
Interviewer: Tell us about your CD Beginnings and how it connects to Sliders.
Music was always my first love. I made a decision to make the CD for the Sliders fans. There was so much response from the fans about my singing on the show – “Cleavant, when are you going to do a CD?” When Sliders ended last April, my wife and I looked at each other and said, “Let’s do a CD.”
With fans worldwide, selling the CD on Amazon.com would give everyone an opportunity to receive it. I had an opportunity to sing a lot on Broadway, and to record Broadway albums, but this is my first real project where I wrote, recorded, and produced the songs.
I wrote most of the music on Beginnings. Most of the music is crossover, pop, R&B, some spiritual content, some soulful content, train of thought. But the song getting the most attention among fans is “Remmy’s Slide,” dedicated by the singer to my loyal viewing audience.
Interviewer: Will you record the Crying Man songs from the show?
No. I would have to get permission in order to record the Crying Man songs. It would be very difficult to do that since I didn’t write them, and they were used specifically for the show Sliders. I did write “Stolen Angel” though, so that’s different.
On the Fans
Interviewer: What do you want to say to the Sliders fans?
Thank you. Thank you for your support, your comments, your appreciation of what we tried to do for five seasons. Thank you for allowing me to do a CD, because I don’t think it would have happened without the fans. From the letters that we’re getting, the fans are really getting into it, so hopefully it continues.
Sci-fi fans are long-term fans. Once they get into a show, they stick with it. You can tell them from me, thank you. You guys are the best!
I do miss my role of Rembrandt in Sliders. I miss doing the show! I had a great time with the cast. It’s a joy to be with fans who carry on with a show because they enjoy what they’re seeing every week.
On Sliders’ Future
Interviewer: Is there a future for Sliders?
I believe Sliders could be brought back to life in a spinoff. And I can’t tell you anything about a Sliders movie yet. I believe all of the cast members would love to be involved.
The premise is timeless – traveling to parallel Earths, seeing how history could have gone differently, exploring what makes us human across infinite possibilities. There are always more stories to tell, more worlds to explore.
On Life After Sliders
Interviewer: What’s next for you?
You don’t want to stay someplace forever. You always want to go down new avenues and experience new and different things. What I would like to do next, to be quite honest, I would like to follow up my album with another CD. I would like to develop the songs that I’ve had for so long.
You’d be amazed the people who did not know that Cleavant was a singer. Back East, they know me from theater. But the television viewing audience is all over the world now. This is a facet of my life I have to pick up and develop some more. And I want to, because I enjoy doing that as much as I do being an actor.
I would also like to produce and write for a lot of the young people out there—songs that don’t necessarily sit well on me that might sit well on someone else. I found another facet of myself in the studio that I want to express more. I enjoy it immensely.
Interviewer: Would you return to Broadway?
If there is a show that I feel I would really enjoy doing, I would certainly go back. I love musicals, I love good music. Though I don’t miss the cold weather in New York, I do miss Broadway theater.
Final Thoughts
Interviewer: Looking back on Sliders, what does it mean to you?
You know how this business is. You never know. My walk of life in this business has always been, I’m just walking…and it just happens. I could never have told you at the beginning that I was going to be doing Sliders for five seasons. But I’m grateful I did.
I really fell in love with Rembrandt Brown. Watching him grow from that reluctant slider in the pilot to the hero he became by the end – that was a privilege. And getting to share that journey with fans around the world, getting to bring my music to the character, getting to work with talented people season after season – I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
The series is over now, but Rembrandt’s journey continues in the hearts of the fans. And maybe, someday, we’ll slide again.
