“I love shooting in Detroit. I mean, I love shooting period, but shooting in and around home? You can’t beat that.” — Julius Kline III
Operation Get Money just landed on the Uplift TV app, and it brings more than just high-stakes drama to the screen it is the raw, authentic energy of Detroit. Central to this street dramedy is Lester Simmons, a complex character operating in a world where secrets are the ultimate currency. For veteran local actor, cameraman, and stunt coordinator Julius Kline III, stepping into Lester’s shoes felt like deja vu. We talked about Operation Get Money and Detroit’s indie film scene that is growing. The loss of the state’s film incentives never had anything to do with an expanding group of film makers determined to get their stories out.
Stepping Into the Shoes of Lester Simmons
“You know the funny thing about Lester Simmons and myself… Lester is a nightclub owner, he was running a speakeasy—it was an illegal after-hours,” Kline shares. “I used to do some party promotions, and it was just funny because there was similarities between our characters.”
However, the similarities stop where the dangerous world of local politics begins. Unlike his real-life counterpart, Lester quickly finds himself entangled in a web of civic corruption. “I didn’t get off into all of the politics that Lester does,” Kline notes. “So somehow my character, Lester, ends up at odds with the mayor and some really unsavory characters in the city of Detroit. He’s got information—information is the only thing that has value.”
The show’s non-linear storytelling keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, even sparking early speculation about Lester’s fate. Addressing initial viewer confusion regarding whether Lester survives the early narrative shifts, Kline clarifies the show’s structure: “Those are flashbacks, yes. Those are actually flashbacks. Some people didn’t catch it, so it said something like ’18 months earlier.'” This narrative device adds a layer of psychological tension, forcing the audience to piece together exactly how Lester landed in the crosshairs of the city’s power players.
A Love Letter to the West Side
That grit and tension are heightened by the show’s distinct visual identity, shot entirely on location over an intense, five-day straight schedule on Detroit’s West Side.
For the cast and crew, filming locally brought an irreplaceable energy to the set—especially at iconic local landmarks. “The Locker Room is actually on Livernois—that was shot there,” Kline says. “Pretty much that’s what that first scene is, when Lester gets out of his car and he has his keys; that first scene is all at the Locker Room. It was fun. I love shooting in Detroit. I mean, I love shooting period, but shooting in and around home? You can’t beat that.”
Uniquely Detroit: Sound, Stunts, and “Spilling Tea”
While Kline acknowledges that a certain degree of grit comes with any metropolitan setting—”I think anyplace you go that has more than two people has some type of crime… every major city has that”—it is the specific local flavor that roots OGM in its setting.
Take the soundtrack, for instance. The theme song carries a distinct local sonic footprint, written and performed by Zen Braswell—who pulled quadruple duty as the show’s writer, director, creator, and theme music producer. “He used to rap back in the day—I guess his big thing was opening up for Too Short one time,” Kline reveals. “He’s got some flow, but that song to me is very, very Detroit.” Kline also points to the unapologetic local humor, like the character Hawk (played by Jason), whose outrageous, taunting dialogue is “some Detroit shit.”
Beyond playing Lester, Kline worked behind the scenes as a stunt coordinator and the uncredited gaffer responsible for the show’s crisp lighting. His stunt work put him directly in the line of fire with Eric Wright Jr. (Lil Eazy E), who plays an enforcer named Big Grip.
“Pretty much anytime you see somebody get punched or slapped up or grabbed, I coordinated that,” Kline says. Recalling a standout moment where Big Grip knocks Lester out cold in a van, Kline laughs: “Dude almost caught me! We didn’t rehearse that. I saw his fist coming… and I just went all the way back. It looks great, it really looks like he caught me with an uppercut.”
That commitment to realism pays off. The series seamlessly balances these heavy moments with comedy, earning its reputation as a true “dramedy.” A massive part of that dynamic comes from actress Noelle Frye, who plays a Wendy Williams-style character. “When she starts spilling the tea, I can’t stand her!” Kline jokes. “One of my favorite actresses in the city, I love working with Noelle. I couldn’t stand her on that set, you feel me? That means she did her job very well.”
The Evolution of Detroit’s Indie Scene
As a Specs Howard graduate who has spent over a decade working on local indie projects—including the underground sci-fi classic Neon Detroit Knights, where he did double duty as crew and a cameo as a mad scientist—Kline has witnessed the city’s film scene evolve firsthand.
“It’s getting better,” Kline reflects. “Right now, people have an insatiable appetite for crime shows… and this gives you some of that.” Compared to past projects that suffered from a lack of creative writing, Kline views OGM as a marker of real growth: “This is just really well done. It just flows better… The acting is better, the writing is better, and the cast and crew did a really great job.”
He also praises the platform hosting it. The Black-owned (or partially Black-owned, with Jamal Woolard as part owner) Uplift TV app provides a crucial new pipeline for independent creators. “I actually think it’s cool to have another avenue. More avenues for artists, places for people to show their work… it’s awesome.”
What’s Next?
Ultimately, Kline’s goal for OGM is simple: “Really, I just want them to be entertained. I want them to watch the show and be entertained. They should want more. As storytellers, that’s what we’re supposed to do.”
For fans already wanting more, a sequel has always been part of director Zen Braswell’s master plan. While there isn’t a firm timeline yet, Kline is keeping incredibly busy. He is currently on a 15-day shoot for Free to be Fat…, an upcoming heist film directed by Wes Craton. In a funny twist of indie-film fate, Braswell recently sent Kline character sides for yet another upcoming project—and the character’s last name? Paradoxically, it’s Simmons.
Operation Get Money is available to stream now on the Uplift TV app.
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