News/Entertainment
Nyambi Dextrous
e rsa tile
Shake-
s p e a re a n th e s p ia n
and
te le v isio n
c o m e d y s e n s a tio n N y a m -
b i N y a m b i s ta rs o n th e
te le v is io n s itc o m “ M ik e
& M o lly ” a irin g M o n -
d a y s a t 9 :3 0 p .m . (8 :3 0
C e n tra l) o n C B S . T h e
s h o w ’s t i t l e c h a r a c t e r s
a re p la y e d b y B illy
G a rd e ll
and
Emmy
Aw a rd -w in n e r M e lissa M c C a rth y a s a
w o rk in g c la s s c o u p le fro m C h ic a g o w h o
m e t a t a n O v e re a te rs A n o n y m o u s m e e tin g .
N y a m b i h a n d le s th e h ila rio u s b re a k o u t
r o le o f “ S a m u e l,” a S e n e g a le s e w a ite r
w o rk in g in a d in e r to w h o m d ie tin g is a fo r-
e ig n c o n c e p t. E a rlie r in h is c a re e r, h e s h a re d
th e s ta g e w ith H o lly w o o d le g e n d A l P a c in o
in p ro d u c tio n s o f “ T h e M e rc h a n t o f Ve n ic e ”
a n d “ T h e W in te r ’s Ta le ” fo r th e N e w Yo rk
C ity P u b lic T h e a te r ’s S h a k e s p e a re in th e
P a rk .
A s a m e m b e r o f b o th th e L A B y rin th T h e -
V
F a irfa x , Va . H e a tte n d e d
B u c k n e ll U n iv e rs ity o n a
C E L E B R IT Y b a sk e tb a ll
sc h o la rsh ip ,
I N T E R V IE W
a n d s u b s e q u e n tly e a rn e d
h is M FA fro m th e G ra d u -
a te A c tin g P ro g ra m a t
by K am
NYU.
W illia m s
A s e lf-p ro c la im e d b a s -
k e tb a ll ju n k y, N y a m b i c o l-
le c ts v in ta g e b a sk e tb a ll
je rs e y s a n d p la y s fo r c h a r-
ity a lo n g sid e sta rs lik e
J a m ie F o x x , D e a n C a in , J o e l M c H a le ,
A d a m S a n d le r a n d Z a c E fro n in H o lly -
w o o d ’s E n te rta in m e n t L e a g u e P ro d u c tio n s .
In a d d itio n , h e e n jo y s d o n a tin g h is fre e tim e
to c o a c h in g a t te e n c a m p s .
A tru e film b u ff, N y a m b i w a tc h e d 3 6 5
m o v ie s in 3 6 5 d a y s la s t y e a r. H e re , h e ta lk s
a b o u t life a n d a b o u t w h a t it’s lik e to b e o n
“ M ik e & M o lly.”
K a m W i l l i a m s : H i, N y a m b i, th a n k s fo r th e
in te rv ie w .
Nyambi Nyambi
N y a m b i N y a m b i : N o d o u b t. L e t’s h a v e
fu n .
K W : H o w w o u ld y o u d e s c rib e y o u r c h a r-
‘The truth reigns supreme
and the love that all of
these characters share is
what people ultimately
connect to’
K W : W h a t in te r e s te d y o u in
M ik e & M o lly ?
N N : W h a t in te re s te d m e in M ik e
& M o lly w a s th e h ila rio u s s c rip t
a n d th e id e a o f p la y in g a W e s t
A f r ic a n c h a r a c te r th a t w a s th e
s m a rte s t g u y in th e ro o m … a n d I
w as
b ro k e.
K W : Te ll m e a little a b o u t th e
a te r C o m p a n y a n d th e C la s s ic a l T h e a te r o f
H a r le m , N y a m b i’s o th e r th e a te r c r e d its
in c lu d e th e B ro a d w a y re v iv a l o f A u g u s t
W ils o n ’s “ J o e T u rn e r ’s C o m e a n d G o n e ,”
“ T h e Te m p e s t” o p p o s ite M a n d y P a tin k in
fo r th e C la s s ic S ta g e C o m p a n y, a n d “ C o m -
in g H o m e .”
T h e O k la h o m a n a tiv e w a s b o rn o n A p ril
2 6 , 1 9 7 9 to N ig e ria n p a re n ts b u t w a s ra is e d
in H o u s to n a n d D a lla s , Te x a s a s w e ll a s in
show ?
N N : M ik e & M o lly is a s h o w a b o u t tw o
p e o p le in lo v e a n d th e w o rk it ta k e s to k e e p
it th a t w a y.
K W : W h a t w o u ld y o u s a y is th e s h o w ’s
m essage?
N N : T h e m e s s a g e o f th e s h o w is th a t lo v e
is o u t th e re a n d , if y o u w a n t th e b a g g a g e it
c o m e s w ith , it’s y o u rs .
a c te r, S a m u e l?
N N : S a m u e l is a d ry -h u m o re d , h ig h ly -
e d u c a te d im m ig ra n t fro m S e n e g a l, w h o
s p e a k s fiv e la n g u a g e s , s tu d ie s E n g lis h L it-
e ra tu re a t T h e U n iv e rs ity o f Illin o is a n d is a
w a ite r a t A b e ’s H o t B e e f. N o th in g g e ts p a s t
h im . H e ’s fa m ily.
K W : H o w d id y o u p re p a re to p la y a S e n e -
g a le s e w a ite r?
N N : I a te in a lo t o f d in e rs a n d s p e n t s o m e
tim e in S e n e g a l.
K W : M a rily n M a rs h a ll, w h o ’s a fa n o f th e
s h o w n o te s th a t M ik e & M o lly h a s o n e o f
th e m o s t ra c ia lly -d iv e rs e c a s ts o n p rim e -
tim e n e tw o rk T V. S h e a s k s : W h o is re s p o n -
s ib le fo r th a t d iv e rs ity ?
N N : H e llo , M a rily n . M a rk R o b e rts , th e
c re a to r o f o u r s h o w , a n d th e w rite rs h a v e
d o n e a n in c re d ib le jo b o f c re a tin g a n d w rit-
in g
fo r
th e se
a m a z in g
a c to rs.
K W : M a rily n is a ls o w o n d e rin g h o w h a s
a s e rie s a b o u t tw o o v e rw e ig h t p e o p le m a n -
a g e d to b e c o m e a h it in o u r w e ig h t-c o n -
s c io u s s o c ie ty w h e re m o s t T V a n d m o v ie
s ta rs a re th in ?
N N : T h e tru th re ig n s s u p re m e a n d th e
lo v e th a t a ll o f th e s e c h a ra c te rs s h a re is
w h a t p e o p le u ltim a te ly c o n n e c t to . T h e y s e e
th e m s e lv e s in th e s e c h a ra c te rs o r in th e ir
d ile m m a s . P lu s , th e h e a rts o f B illy G a rd e ll
a n d M e lis s a M c C a rth y a re d e e p ly g e n u in e
a n d in fe c tio u s . It b e g in s w ith th e ir g e n iu s
to g e th e r.
K W : L a s tly, M a rily n a s k s : W h a t a re th e
s im ila ritie s a n d d iffe re n c e s b e tw e e n y o u
and
your
c h a r a c t e r,
S a m u e l?
S ee N YA M B I o n p a g e 7
Are Prepaid Credit Cards Helping or Hurting?
m id th e still-u n fo ld in g
e ff e c t s o f t h e d e e p e s t
re c e s s io n s in c e th a t o f th e
1 9 3 0 s , o n e a re a o f fin a n c ia l s e rv -
ic e s is in a s k y ro c k e tin g g ro w th
m o d e : p re p a id c re d it c a rd s . In itia l-
ly a p p e a lin g to c o n s u m e rs w h o
la c k e d b a n k a c c o u n ts to c o n d u c t
p e rso n a l fin a n c ia l tra n sa c tio n s,
th is fo rm o f p la s tic is n o w c o m -
m o n p la c e . In fa c t, s o m e g o v e rn -
m e n ta l b e n e fits a re issu e d o n
p re p a id c a rd s .
In 2 0 0 6 , C o n s u m e rs U n io n , th e
n o n p ro fit
p u b lish e r o f
C onsum er
R e p o r t s
fo u n d
th a t
3 1 2 m illio n
tran sactio n s
w ere
m ade
w ith p re p a id
card s at a
d o lla r v a lu e
o f $ 1 3 .3 b illio n . B y 2 0 11 , p re p a id
c a rd u s e rs lo a d e d $ 7 0 .7 b illio n ,
a n d th a t fig u re is e x p e c te d to g ro w
to $ 1 2 0 .2 b illio n th is y e a r. U s a g e
is n o w s o w id e s p re a d th a t m a n y
le a d in g b a n k s w h o s h u n n e d th is
fo rm o f p la s tic c o n v e n ie n c e y e a rs
a g o , a re n o w o ffe rin g th e ir o w n
p re p a id c a rd s .
F o r c o n s u m e rs , p re p a id c a rd s
a re c o n v e n ie n t a n d u s u a lly s a fe r
th a n c a rry in g la rg e a m o u n ts o f
A
R E S P O N S IB L E L E N D IN G
C h a rle n e C ro w e ll
c a s h . B u t a s w ith a n y fin a n c ia l
s e r v ic e , th e r e a r e s e ld o m - m e n -
tio n e d is s u e s th a t a ffe c t u s a g e . F o r
e x a m p le , lo s t o r s to le n p re p a id
c a rd s o fte n la c k th e p ro te c tio n s
a ffo rd e d c re d it o r d e b it c a rd s . T h e
c a rd is s u e r m a y a ls o e n c o u ra g e
p u rc h a s e rs to u s e a n u m b e r o f a d d -
o n s e rv ic e s s u c h a s o v e rd ra ft. In
o f $ 3 to a s m u c h a s $ 3 9 .9 5 ;
— AT M tra n s a c tio n s – C a rd
u se rs se e k in g c a sh a t th e se
m a c h in e s in c u r a c h a rg e p e r
w ith d ra w a l.
— B a la n c e in q u iry – F in d in g
o u t h o w m u c h re m a in in g m o n e y is
a v a ila b le in c u rs a c h a rg e
— C u s to m e r s e rv ic e – F re e w ith
s o m e c a rd s ; b u t fe e -b a s e d w ith
o th e r is s u e rs to s p e a k w ith s o m e -
o n e a b o u t a n a c c o u n t.
— In a c tiv ity – If th e c a rd is n o t
u s e d w ith in a d e s ig n a te d tim e
p e rio d , a d o rm a n c y
fe e a p p lie s a n d c a n
c o s t u p t o $ 9 .9 5
e a c h m o n th .
— M o n th ly fe e –
T h is o n e a p p lie s
w h e n th e c a rd is
used
fre q u e n tly
ra n g in g fro m $ 2 .9 5
to a s h ig h a s $ 9 .9 5 .
S o m e is s u e rs w a iv e
th e m o n th ly fe e w h e n la rg e b a l-
a n c e s a re m a in ta in e d .
— P a p e r s ta te m e n ts – A s o n lin e
s ta te m e n ts a re g e n e ra lly a v a ila b le
w ith o u t c h a rg e , c o n s u m e rs p re fe r-
rin g a p a p e r s ta te m e n t w ith ite m -
iz e d tr a n s a c tio n s w ill ty p ic a lly
in c u r f e e s r a n g in g f r o m $ 1 to
$ 5 .9 5 .
If y o u th in k th a t p re p a id c a rd
u s e r s a r e n ic k e l a n d d im e d to
d e a th , th e C o n s u m e r F in a n c ia l
If you think that prepaid card users are
nickel and dimed to death, the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
is wondering as well
Page 6
The Seattle Skanner
m a n y c a s e s , a d d -o n c h a rg e s w in d
u p c o s tin g fa r m o re th a n th e y a re
a c tu a lly w o rth .
M o s t im p o rta n tly, p re p a id c a rd
u s a g e c a n a ls o in c u r m u ltip le a n d
h id d e n fe e s th a t d ra in th e a c tu a l
a m o u n t o f m o n e y a v a ila b le .
A lth o u g h e x a c t fe e s a n d re la te d
c h a rg e s w ill v a ry b y is s u e r, s e v e r-
a l o f th e m o s t c o m m o n a re :
— A c tiv a tio n – J u s t g e ttin g a
p re p a id c a rd c a n ra n g e fro m a lo w
M ay 30, 2012
Pro-
tectio n
B u re a u is
w ondering
a s w e ll. T h is
w e e k th e C F P B
h e ld a p u b lic h e a r-
in g
in
D u rh am ,
N o rth C a ro lin a . F e a tu r-
in g tw o p a n e l d is c u s s io n s – o n e
fro m th e p re p a id c a rd in d u s try ; th e
o th e r re p re s e n tin g c o n s u m e r p e r-
s p e c tiv e s , C F P B c a m e to D u rh a m
to liste n a n d le a rn . C re a te d
th ro u g h th e D o d d -F ra n k F in a n c ia l
R e fo rm A c t, C F P B a u th o rity
in c lu d e s r e g u la tin g th e p r e p a id
in d u s try a n d o th e r n o n -b a n k e n ti-
tie s . A p o rtio n o f th e tw o -h o u r s e s -
s io n w a s a n o p e n m ic ro p h o n e th a t
e n a b le d c o n s u m e rs to s h a re th e ir
e x p e rie n c e s a n d /o r c o n c e rn s .
M a rtin E a k e s , re p re s e n tin g th e
C e n te r fo r R e s p o n s ib le L e n d in g
o n th e c o n s u m e r p a n e l, u rg e d th a t
C F P B e x e rc is e its a u th o rity w ith
p ro te c tio n s a s n e e d e d . H e a ls o
o ffe re d th re e s p e c ific c o n s u m e r-
fo c u s e d h o p e s fo r th e fu tu re o f
p re p a id c a rd s : N o tie -in to d e b t
p r o d -
u c ts;
no
p e n a lty fe e s ; a n d n o m a n d a to ry
a rb itra tio n .
“ T h e v e ry la b e l ‘p re p a id c a rd ’
c o n n o te s a p ro m ise th a t th e
acco u n t can n o t b e o v erd raw n ”,
o b s e rv e d E a k e s . “ It is a ls o th e s in -
g le -m o s t c ite d re a s o n fo r c u s to m e r
c h o ic e o f th is p ro d u c t. B a n n in g
o v e rd ra ft a n d n o n -s u ffic ie n t fu n d
fe e s a re th e m o s t im p o rta n t s te p s
fo r C F P B to ta k e a t th is tim e .”
F o r a d d itio n a l in fo rm a tio n o n
p re p a id c a rd s , v is it C R L’s w e b s ite
w w w .re s p o n s ib le le n d in g .o rg .
Charlene Crowell is a communi-
cations manager with the Center
for Responsible Lending.