Our Celebrity Interviewing class had the opportunity to interview Robin Thicke for our midterm experience. The minute he answered our Facetime, he was smiling. He was very engaged in the conversation. Thicke is well known for his top hit song “Blurred Lines.” He told us, “I get my inspiration for writing from life experiences, friendships, and family.” He said as teenagers, we already have been through things that could inspire us in the future. We also learned that he is a judge on the Fox TV show, The Masked Singer. He told us it was much harder than he thought it would be to identify the person who was singing, especially since the judges’ table is in the back of the theater. Now, looking back and watching the show on TV, he thinks that everyone is more recognizable. His favorite experience on the show was working with Ken Jeong (from Crazy Rich Asians): “I feel like we would have been best friends in high school.”
Thicke lives in Los Angeles and his favorite places to go are the beach, Disneyland, Universal, and walking around Beverly Hills. Sadly, Thicke lost his home in the Woolsey Wildfire. “I was able to save photo albums, my two dogs, a couple guitars, my computer with all my music, and some suits,” he told us. Thicke and his family are currently renting a house in Malibu while he is rebuilding his home.
As a kid, Thicke, who grew up in Los Angeles, played every sport except hockey: “I didn’t like taking off all the pads and gear. I just wanted to grab a ball and play basketball.” He told us he loved to sing to Michael Jackson on the schoolbus, which is unsurprising since comes from seven generations of musicians. Thicke shared his favorite family memory: “My favorite childhood memory is Christmas because my family from Canada would visit and my dad would wrap up anything and give it to us, even a phone book.”
Thicke has two children and one on the way with his fiance. His son seems to have inherited the music gene: “My son loves to sing around the house.” Thicke told us he wants to help them anyway he can, but he wants to give them enough space so that they can be their own person. “I want them to do whatever will make them happy.”
Thicke’s favorite musical collaboration has been with Lil’ Wayne, and he’d love to collaborate with Cardi B. “She’s an original and really funny,” he told us. His current favorite song actually is “Ring” by Cardi B and Kehlani. We also learned that he got his first recording contract when he was 16: “I didn’t know what to do with a check that big so I bought a car.”
We really enjoyed speaking with Thicke. We loved his laughter and he seemed really down to Earth. We are really hoping if he comes to New York, he keeps his promise and visits us at The Wheatley School.