Dijon Talton: ALLBLK’s “A La Carte” Creator Inspiring Filmmakers To “Live Out Loud”
In October, Spectacular Magazine sat down with the multi-talented Dijon Talton. Talton is recognized as a singer, dancer, actor, and producer. Many were introduced to him as Matt Rutherford on FOX’s hit show “Glee.” He is now the Creator and Executive Producer, along with his cousin Meagan Good, of ALLBLK’s A La Carte. Season 2 is now streaming new episodes every Thursday on ALLBLK and welcomes back Kandi Burruss (Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Chi), Juan Gil (The Cypher), and Xavier Avila (Breaking).
The cast expands this season with India Love (College Hill: Celeb Edition) and musician Alex Jacke and guest stars Romeo Miller (Growing Up Hip Hop), Tami Roman (Truth Be Told/The Ms.Pat Show), Aspen Kennedy (Kingdom Business), Terayle Hill (Step Up: High Water), Leon Fisher (Remember), and Tammy Rivera (Waka & Tammy).
A La Carte Season 2 explores who Misha (Shani Marq, Top Five), Reign (Kendall Kyndall, Social Society, Games People Play), and Shyra (Jenna Nolen, Animal Kingdom) are as friends to each other without the friend that brought them all together: Mahogany. Her absence will serve as a catalyst for comedy and drama within this new friend dynamic. In your mid-20s, relationships of convenience are fickle, and in L.A. especially, they are not easy to sustain. The mistakes they make will bring them closer in some ways and push them further apart in others. These three friends will continue their independent and collective journey of discovering and unraveling who they are through the lens of comedy, love, sex, fire, and trial & error.
A’ La Carte – Season 2 Trailer
How It All Began For Talton
His journey as an entertainer began at just three years old when he began training at Debbie Allen’s dance academy in Los Angeles, California. “It just kind of grew from there,” said Talton. “I acted and did different things that led me to meet certain people that opened my eyes to filmmaking.” He also said the movie “Sister Act 2” made him care about dancing and acting.
Memorable Career Moments
Speaking on his experiences on Fox’s hit show Glee, Talton said, “It was really a blessing.” The show shaped his perspective, teaching him that “anything is possible” and to strive for greatness.
Some of his most memorable moments are working with big names like Ava Duvernay and Anthony Hemingway. This taught him to be specific in his storytelling and to be “generous as a human and walk off of the stage as a leader.” Talton emphasized the importance of “being good to people”
The Talton Company
Dijon Talton is also the founder of the Talton Company, which has a mission of amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. The company focuses on POC-led content that “gives us permission to be human and exist in different spaces that we don’t usually see.”
Upcoming Projects
Talton has many upcoming projects. One will include his family. Everyone has their own post on it.” Talton is working with other filmmakers of color to bring the vision to life.
The Future of Entertainment
For younger filmmakers or people who wish to enter the film industry, Talton hopes to be an example of “living life out loud,” and he hopes to show newcomers to be “as authentic as possible”. He wants people to have permission to be themselves and to realize that “life isn’t perfect, it’s hard. Days aren’t always going to be beautiful, but the end result is beautiful”