Actor Ser’Darius Blain, known for his breakout role in the Jumanji franchise, joins Holiday AF for a warm, funny, and inspiring conversation with hosts Deborah Joy Winans Williams and MAJOR.. Born in Miami to a Haitian and Dominican family and raised with a blend of Southern and Caribbean traditions, Ser’Darius reflects on how his multicultural upbringing shaped the way he celebrates the holidays.

He shares how he secretly nurtured a passion for acting while following a pre-med track, eventually dropping out of medical school to pursue his dream in New York — where he also experienced his very first “white Christmas.” Ser’Darius dives into the foods that defined his childhood holidays, including cornbread, collard greens, curry goat, oxtail, griot, rice and peas, and Haitian-style legume.

As he reflects on family traditions, Ser’Darius talks about the improvisational nature of Caribbean-American Christmases, the last-minute planning, and the joy that always comes from bringing everyone together. Now in adulthood, he’s created a new tradition: flying his family to a different holiday destination each year, from New York to Big Bear, as a way to give them the gift of exposure and togetherness.

He shares stories from booking Jumanji, his shock at being cast as a high schooler at 30, and the lessons he learned watching superstars work up close. The episode wraps with a fun conversation about his culinary skills and his holiday cooking company, King’s Cuisine.

This episode blends culture, comedy, warmth, and legacy — everything that makes the holidays meaningful.

Actor&nbsp;Ser&rsquo;Darius Blain, known for his breakout role in the Jumanji franchise, joins Holiday AF for a warm, funny, and inspiring conversation with hosts Deborah Joy Winans Williams and MAJOR.. Born in Miami to a Haitian and Dominican family and raised with a blend of Southern and Caribbean traditions, Ser&rsquo;Darius reflects on how his multicultural upbringing shaped the way he celebrates the holidays.
He shares how he secretly nurtured a passion for acting while following a pre-med track, eventually dropping out of medical school to pursue his dream in New York &mdash; where he also experienced his very first &ldquo;white Christmas.&rdquo; Ser&rsquo;Darius dives into the foods that defined his childhood holidays, including cornbread, collard greens, curry goat, oxtail, griot, rice and peas, and Haitian-style legume.
As he reflects on family traditions, Ser&rsquo;Darius talks about the improvisational nature of Caribbean-American Christmases, the last-minute planning, and the joy that always comes from bringing everyone together. Now in adulthood, he&rsquo;s created a new tradition: flying his family to a different holiday destination each year, from New York to Big Bear, as a way to give them the gift of exposure and togetherness.
He shares stories from booking Jumanji, his shock at being cast as a high schooler at 30, and the lessons he learned watching superstars work up close. The episode wraps with a fun conversation about his culinary skills and his holiday cooking company, King&rsquo;s Cuisine.
This episode blends culture, comedy, warmth, and legacy &mdash; everything that makes the holidays meaningful.

Each week, actor and singer Deborah Joy Winans Williams invites inspiring women into candid, heart-led conversations about joy—what it means, how they choose it daily, and why it matters. Through personal stories, shared insights, and warm humor, Choosing Joy creates a space where vulnerability meets strength and every episode offers encouragement to embrace joy intentionally—even in life’s uncertainties.

Each week, actor and singer Deborah Joy Winans Williams invites inspiring women into candid, heart-led conversations about joy&mdash;what it means, how they choose it daily, and why it matters. Through personal stories, shared insights, and warm humor, Choosing Joy creates a space where vulnerability meets strength and every episode offers encouragement to embrace joy intentionally&mdash;even in life&rsquo;s uncertainties.

Choosing Joy

In this warm and entertaining episode of Holiday AF, actor Ser’Darius Blain joins hosts Deborah Joy Winans Williamsand MAJOR. to explore the rich holiday traditions shaped by his Haitian, Dominican, and Southern roots. Ser’Darius recounts the foods, rituals, and last-minute holiday planning that defined his Miami upbringing — from cornbread and collard greens to griot, curry goat, and family phone chains that came together into joyful, improvised celebrations.  He also opens up about discovering acting while on a pre-med track, dropping out of medical school to pursue his passion, and moving to New York, where he experienced his first snowy Christmas. Ser’Darius shares behind-the-scenes stories from Jumanji, his journey to landing the role, and the surreal experience of watching major stars work up close.  As an adult, he’s created a new holiday tradition of flying his family to different destinations — from New York to Big Bear — believing the gift of exposure is one of the greatest gifts he can offer. The conversation closes with fun insights into his culinary talents and his holiday meal-prep company, King’s Cuisine.  This episode blends multicultural heritage, comedy, and holiday warmth into an uplifting seasonal listen.

Ser’Darius Blain on Miami Holidays, Caribbean Traditions, Jumanji & His Funniest Christmas Stories | Holiday AF

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/89ef9c4d-9701-4c27-8942-b3af003b1918/transcript

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