‘How To Make It In America’ Creator Talks Discovering Kid Cudi

Audiences may know Kid Cudi as the musician behind the 2009 hit “Day ‘N’ Nite,” but on tonight’s premiere of HBO’s “How To Make It In America,” he’ll have the chance to showcase his acting skills – thanks to a chance encounter with show creator Ian Edelman.

“I’m still blown away how you called that so [early] – like a year and a half out, that’s crazy,” series star Bryan Greenberg told Ian while on a conference call with Access Hollywood and other reporters earlier this week.

But though Cudi has become a hip-hop star since his casting, Ian said that’s not the only skill that he bringsto the show.

“We’re excited for Kid Cudi just to emerge as a great actor on the show,” Ian said in response to Access’ inquiry about how he discovered the up-and-comer. “The back story of finding him was – there’s a fashion brand called Peg Leg. And they’re a racially diverse company, they’re all young, downtown native New York kids. And I was hanging out with them, and they took me to this club… when they introduced him to me. I had sort of heard Kid Cudi on a mixtape… and I was like, ‘Hey, man, you should come in and read for this thing.’

“It’s kind of a cliche encounter, but he showed up and was just this raw talent,” he continued.

But the rapper, whose real name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, didn’t realize at first what he’d gotten himself into.

“[He] showed up at the network test, and he was so funny… I think he was like, ‘Oh, this is like a real show,’” Ian said. “So he was so nervous, he was texting me, he was like, ‘There’s like real actors out there.’ I was like, ‘Yes, man – this is HBO.’”