Just two days before his 64th birthday, Ice-T sat down with Parade to talk about what motivated him to join Cheerios on their latest heart-health campaign—plus, how he stays fit without dieting and why he still hates bagels.
Let’s talk about heart health. Was there a specific life event or other moment that sparked an interest for you into this aspect of your overall health?
Just age. You know, you start out early in life thinking you’re invincible and stuff and then you walk into your 40s and health starts to become—when some of your friends pass away early just neglecting their bodies.. You get to this point where your mortality is based on how you take care of yourself. And I’ve been into health for a while. I work out, I’ve stayed in shape. I just think it’s overall being conscious of your health and trying to do the little things that you can do to set you on that right path, especially with Cheerios—they taste good, you know? It’s whole oat so it’s good for your heart, so I was like, I’m in. I’m in. Anything you can do to push a positive narrative in any aspect of people’s life at this point, I’m with. So this was a great connection with me and them—and of course, who doesn’t want to be on a cereal box?
Explain what people will find on your Cheerios box. My understanding is they scan a QR code off the box and download a workout, is that correct?
Yeah, me telling you how to work out and me and the [Cheerios] bee giving you a little motivation. It’s fun, it’s just to get your mind into the mode of let’s work out, let’s stay healthy, let’s stay moving more. I’m always telling people, look at the guy in that kung fu movie with the gray hair, he can still jump up in the tree, you know what I’m saying? You got to stay moving.
I know that heart health is particularly an issue with the Black community and I would love to hear your thoughts on how you’d like to see this addressed.
I just think the Black community as a whole needs somebody in the Black community to say things are cool and things are happening. Since I’ve always had such a tough image, you know, for me to start talking about health—you see the problem is not even that it’s the Black community, let’s just say men as a whole. Men do not go to the hospital. We don’t go to the doctor until we’re sick. Women usually have a connection with their gynecologist. You guys know them firsthand, got them on speed dial, all that. Ask your husband about a doctor, he’s like, I don’t have a doctor. I don’t have a doctor until I’m on my back. And for me to say, hey, being concerned with your health isn’t soft, it is cool, and you got to be around for your kids and your wife and everybody that you love, so take it upon yourself to start caring about your health a little bit. And the cool thing about Cheerios is it tastes good. You know my mother taught me medicine doesn’t always taste good but you still got to take it. Well this medicine doesn’t taste bad, this is a fun medicine. It’s not medicine but it’s a fun way to look out for your health.
I remember when you went a little viral in 2018 for admitting that you’d never had coffee or bagels.
Never.
So I’m wondering what your healthy breakfast faves tend to be?
It usually is cereal, you know, because I’m on the set at 6 or 7 in the morning to do Law & Order—been doing that for 23 years—and I don’t really have time to sit and eat breakfast. So a bowl of cereal, a bowl of Cheerios [snapsfingers] gets me going. I actually usually skip lunch and wait on dinner. I’m that kind of a person. I’ll eat a breakfast and then I would rather try to have a civilized meal where I get to sit down and eat what I want. But I’m into moderation, you know? I’m not a big dieter so to speak but I try to eat the things I like, just not as much. And not repetitiously. If I eat steak, that might be once a week. But cereal has always been a part of my breakfast. When they went into the bagels thing I’m like, I’m from L.A., I’m more into doughnuts, you know… And nah, I had never had coffee before. It blew people’s minds! They lost it! It’s like I said I’ve never seen E.T.—which I have never seen, maybe that will trend now. But I think when people do things so regularly and find out that someone doesn’t, it just burns out their brain, you know? I’ve eaten a bagel now but —
You ate a bagel for the first time on camera for the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel, right?
And it felt like I ate a whole loaf of bread. The consistency—I’m much more of a doughnut person. I’m just going to say it like that.
That’s fair.
No reason to hate me, right?
I thought it was very funny and charming, no hate coming from here!
People thought I was lying, but it was the truth. I do eat, I am a cereal fan, you know. Give me some cold milk and cereal—and Cheerios has been a favorite since I was a kid. You know when they came out with Honey Nut Cheerios, sweetened Cheerios, that was it. That was when they really locked me in because we all know that when you put sugar on Cheerios it goes through the holes and ends up at the bottom of the bowl. That’s a little Cheerios trick. Next, Olivia Benson’s Back! All About Law & Order: SVU Season 23 and How to Watch
