News
Q & A with E! News Host Terrence Jenkins
Jenkins speaks on career, family and his favorite book, The Alchemist
By Helen Silvis
Of The Skanner News
A
fter more than six
years as host of
BET’s popular music
video show 106 & Park Ter-
rence Jenkins has joined
Giuliana Rancic as the co-
anchor of E! News. Jenkins
will fill the role Ryan
Seacrest abandoned when he
went to the Today show as
special
correspondent.
Seacrest will continue as
managing editor of E! News.
As well as reporting breaking
entertainment stories, Jenk-
ins will work on celebrity
profiles. Jenkins spoke to
The Skanner News as part of
Terrence Jenkins
a telephone round table inter-
view.
The Skanner News: Why did you decide to move to a
And, fingers crossed, it
more mainstream network?
looks like we’ll be doing
Terrence Jenkins: You know seven is a year of completion another “Think Like a Man”
and I believe that after a certain amount of time if you stay movie, “Think Like a Man
in any particular position you become stagnant. I wanted a 2”. I had so much fun work-
new challenge and this is an amazing opportunity. I’ve ing on that production.
TSN: At E! News, you
will be replacing Ryan
Seacrest,
and
people
inevitably will make com-
parisons. What will you
bring that is uniquely Ter-
rence Jenkins?
Well, you know, I’m not
replacing Ryan Seacrest.
For one, he has been a huge
part of E! and he is still a
managing editor. He’s been
a mentor to me. It’s been
over a year since he’s actu-
ally been on the show so
there have been a lot of peo-
ple there. It’s true I am the
first
anchor
to
be
Terrence Jenkins with Giuls
announced. But I’ve been in
this place before where
always been a fan of Giuls, and I’m really excited about there has been a beloved
what lies ahead. I’m really excited.
host, and I’ve come in. So
TSN: How was it moving from New York to Los Ange- I’ve learned that all you can
les?
do is be yourself. And that’s
TJ: It’s been really amazing. I’m really ready for this tran- what I look forward to
sition and it’s been amazing. The staff and the team at E!
have welcomed me with open arms. They made the
announcement on the same day they announced as Michael
Strahan started with Kelly (Live! With Kelly and Michael)
and when Steve Harvey launched his new show. So just
being part of this energy of new faces coming to television
is just really a blessing. And as far as L.A., you know I love
L.A. The weather is beautiful. There’s a lot of great things
going on and I’m just happy to be here. Growing as an
announcer and growing as a personality is something I look
forward to.
TSN: Who is your go-to person?
TJ: My mom. She’s been at the forefront of my life for
quite some time. She’s a big influence on me. So my mom,
and my stepdad as well. And I have a great team. I have a
great management team of the same people I’ve been with
for years. My brother Fred is just really involved in my
career. And then Celia helps me a lot as well. So I have
great people in my life and I think it is really instrumental
for your career success to have great people who encourage
you and support you in your journey.
It’s really important to have positive in your ear. If you
surround yourself with people who try to take you down,
then you will never be able to maximize your full potential.
TSN: What will you miss about “106 & Park”?
TJ: I’m very appreciative of my time at BET and I had
some very good experiences. But at this point I’m all about
looking forward. I’m more focused on the memories that
I’m going to have, and the opportunities that I have right
now. I think that everything in life happens for a reason and
you have to use that as building blocks for your future and
your fulfillment of God’s path. So I’m just looking forward
to the amazing times I know I am going to have at E! News.
I’m just really excited about this job.
TSN: You have just fin-
ished a couple of movies?
TJ: Yes I have just been
working on a movie, “Bag-
gage Claim,” with Paula
Patton. It’s a romantic com-
edy, and it was so much fun.
We just shot that with an
amazing director – his name
is David E Talbert. So it was
great working with them.
And I have a movie com-
ing out – I want to say
January or February—they
don’t have a release date
yet. It’s called “Battle of the
Year”, and that movie stars
Chris Brown and Laz Alon-
so and Josh Holloway and
Josh Peck. It’s a really smart
dance movie that we shot in
France. So that’s coming at
the top of the year.
doing, being myself, and bringing my energy to it. I think
Ryan and I are alike in certain ways, but we are very differ-
ent in other ways. So I’m just going to be myself.
I am very passionate, and I have a very strong work ethic.
I’m a fun guy so when It’s a fun story, then I’m going to
I believe that after a certain
amount of time if you stay in
any particular position you
become stagnant
bring that to it. And when it’s hard-hitting then I will put on
my hard hat and bring that as well.
Obviously Ryan is a $100 million dollar man and I have
a long way to go to catch up. I’ll let you know in 10 years,
how I did.
TSN: How did you prepare for your new role at E!?
November 14, 2012
See JENKINS on page 10
The Portland Skanner Page 9