When John David Washington, star of features such as Tenet, Monsters and Menand BlackKkKlansman When I logged into our Zoom call from Los Angeles, I was first struck by his shirt. He's wearing one of those commemorative ones Do the right thing Tees from Spike Lee's 40 Acres and Mule merchandising/production company.
That same week, I began a personal reappraisal of Lee's work thanks to some new UK Standard releases and acquired a Blu-ray disc of Jungle fever Next to me. When Washington peeks in, he starts singing about various scenes and small details in the movie.
“There's one scene where she leaves her father's house and the camera follows her and there's this song. It's Stevie [Wonder] He did the whole score. What's that song again? “He clearly knows his stuff,” Washington says. And with equal depth and generosity he talks about the writings of legendary American playwright August Wilson, particularly his seminal 1987 piece “The Piano Lesson,” which serves as the basis and pseudonym for his latest film and an emerging awards season contender.
It was written and directed by his younger brother, Malcolm Washington, who is making his impressive debut as a feature film director, Piano lesson It premieres on Netflix on November 22 following the famous bows in Telluride, Toronto and London. The film follows siblings Boy Willie and Bernice who argue over the sale of a family heirloom. The play is one of Wilson's Century Series, 10 entries that interrogate the lives of black Americans in the 20th century. John David is Boy Willie, a complex role fueled by all the ghosts and ghouls of American history that Wilson introduces into the play.
“This story is one of the rare times I've been able to play a character who speaks so much about what he's going through,” he says. He adds that the challenge was not only artistic, but also personal.
“If I could handle this story, it would be one of the hardest characters I've ever played. If I couldn't do that, maybe I wasn't good enough. Maybe I was at a certain level where I could only do certain characters. So there was Lots of pressure.
Also starring Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Daniel Deadwyler, Michael Potts, and Corey Hawkins. Malcolm Washington co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams (muddy) The producers are Denzel Washington and Todd Black. Below, John David delves more into the process of bringing Wilson's work to the screen with his brother, balancing theater work and film, where he sees himself in the wider film industry, and his desire to work with filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson and Jordan. Bill.
DEADLINE: John David, how do you feel? The movie is finally out.
John David Washington: I feel good for several reasons. Firstly, I remember many years ago when they were doing the TV version of The Piano Lesson, August Wilson said in an interview that he was excited to be on that platform because more people would have access to him. So I'm glad to know that this movie will be available to everyone with a Netflix account. And I'm excited about what people are saying about Malcolm. It's amazing. This motivated me because I knew it. And the people who knew him always knew, but we just wanted him to jump in and do it. When he finally did, he succeeded.
DEADLINE: Malcolm has gotten a lot of praise for his work in this film. It's very clear that he is a special filmmaker with a vision. When did you first know he was the real deal?
Washington: I've always known just based on our conversations and how he feels and sees cinema. I knew he could do anything, but in the initial conversation, he was saying what I was hoping to hear, which was a new take on this story. The Piano Lesson is very unique compared to all the other plays in the century cycle. We have the supernatural element. Obviously, family dynamics are very prevalent in the stories. But in this case, there's the background of the Jim Crow South and the themes of the upward mobility of 1936. There's this bed of history that we're building on. And then we have these wonderfully detailed and complex characters. Malcolm understood all of this and then pushed the envelope visually, which is what I wish a director would do with this because there are so many opportunities. And he did it. He succeeded in that.
DEADLINE: Your performance for me here is unique to others because of its physicality. You can really see the history that haunts and fuels Boy Willie in the way she walks and talks. How did you go about building that?
Washington: The film offered different ways of telling the story than the play. For example, because some lines were cut, I could use those lines for backstory. And with the actual physical characteristics of this particular farmer, there was a farmer I knew well. His name is Jeremy Mayer. It's outside of Iowa. He's a fifth generation farmer and we talked a lot about what the work is like and the toll it takes on your body. Overall, I've been thinking a lot about his motivations for being there in the first place. It wasn't just about the piano. I think he's a little worried too. He doesn't know exactly how things will go. I think he doesn't talk as much or even that fast when he's out with other people. But when it happens to his older sister and family, he can't help himself. The specific decorations and locations also helped a lot. This helped the house with behavior.
DEADLINE: I read that you said you wanted to do this production because you thought it might help you discover the kind of actor you are or want to be. I had two questions: As an actor, what were you working on before this film? What did you discover then?
Washington: Before the play, I had the opportunity to do a lot of exciting and lively work with more introspective characters. This story is one of the rare times I've been able to play a character who speaks volumes about what he's going through. This is what I was referring to. And if you can handle this story it will be one of the most difficult characters I've ever played. And if I couldn't do that, maybe I wasn't good enough. Maybe I was at a certain level where I could only do certain characters. So there was a lot of pressure. This to me was just the perfect character. I didn't have to work on it. I didn't have to discuss any changes with the director. All I had to add was my life experience and research, but there was nothing to solve but find the answers through character. Now, I felt a lot of pressure, but it was also the first time for me. This is what I meant. What I found then is that I feel comfortable now. I feel like I can take on any scripted character. I feel like I can handle any language now because of this.
DEADLINE: I've been looking at your work over the last decade and you've done a lot of things. And a lot of miscellaneous work as well. It's an interesting space you're in and I imagine it's also very strange. How do you feel about your current position?
Washington: It's a strange place indeed, especially with Tenet coming out during a pandemic. Another big sci-fi movie was released last year during the SAG strike. I didn't feel like I had to market it the way I marketed it. Malcolm & Marie was an interesting movie when it was released by Netflix, but due to the same things, we couldn't market it. So, I'm not sure where I stand in my career, industry-wise, to be honest. But I remember how the public sees me when I'm on the subway and people say they relate to something or if I'm at the airport and someone says they like my work. But it's hard to know where I am. Maybe that's partly why I also wanted to do it because I'm not sure how I'll be perceived in this industry. I mean there's negativity all the time. Check the comments section and you'll find something that hurts your feelings. So I try not to look at it that way. It's more about what can I do next to help me understand well, at least this director or this story has found me, so this is the type of actor they think I am.
DEADLINE: Returning to Tenet briefly. I think that as a culture, mostly because it was the pandemic, we didn't realize or discuss how cool it was to be the first black lead in a Nolan film. Did you guys discuss it at all or were you aware of how interested he was?
Washington: I think what was so great, and it's one of the reasons I know Nolan is real, is that he didn't sensationalize it. He did not say that we are on the brink of history or anything like that. He just said he was a man. He is the hero of the novel. I know who I chose, and I think that kind of thinking is what I was so passionate about. Now, of course, I thought about it because first of all I was in a Nolan movie, and yes there is a black man with a beard on the cover. He'd never done that before, so it was rock 'n' roll, man. He was disrupting the industry by hiring me. I was fully aware of that and did not take this kind of responsibility lightly.
DEADLINE: Speaking with you, Malcolm, and your sister Katya, who is a producer at The Piano Lesson, you both seem quite interested in supporting a particular strain of black art-making. I mean, even your brother's decision to launch his career with an August Wilson play seems very intentional. Am I noticing it correctly? If so, why?
Washington: You know, I don't know what Malcolm's going to do next. Maybe he'll do a hit or something. I don't know what he's thinking, but I know how important storytelling and acting are. I don't know if that's what motivates him, but I know that it means a lot to him in terms of how we act in cinema and what we say in front of and behind the camera. I know my sister Katya feels this way too. I guess what I can say in the end is that you can trust something that they are a part of. You see the name Katia or Malcolm on something and you may not be sure who it is yet, but you can trust that it will make sense, we will be seen and we will be supported. That's the goal for me too. When you see something I'm a part of, you can trust it's going to be something interesting.
DEADLINE: As I said before, we're living in such unprecedented times. How do you see the industry now?
Washington: I see diversity, especially in the live streaming space. However, we are still lagging behind. I think we still need more diversity. I believe we need to accelerate the opportunities available to us, by us. I also think we see directors making films. Whether it's Darren Aronofsky or Paul Thomas Anderson, some people have shown up. Jordan Peele is prepping, and Ryan Coogler's new trailer has been released. This sounds tremendous. So people work. It's hard to pinpoint where this industry is, I think because of live streaming and AI. But look at the numbers for villains and wrestlers. People still come to the theater. People still want to tell stories. I believe in the power of storytelling, and I believe people still want to be entertained. So, if there's a market for that, and if people still want to enjoy movies and a sense of togetherness, I think we'll always have a place and opportunities for storytelling.
DEADLINE: What do you want to do next?
Washington: I like to collaborate. I love working with existing filmmakers, both with new voices and voices we love. I would like to do Shakespeare. I would like to do “The Taming of the Shrew.” I would love to perform Tennessee William or something original on stage. I want to come back. I just saw Hold On to Me Darling with Adam Driver off-Broadway. It's exceptional. So I'm still hungry for storytelling and collaborating with people who know what they're doing.
DEADLINE: You talk a lot about Shakespeare and theater in general. Why does theater keep pulling you back? I know a lot of actors do it once and run away to movies or TV because of how scary theater is.
Washington: It's terrifying. But there's something about the perseverance it takes. Every time you finish and take the final bow, you feel so good. Feel like you've contributed to the world through your art. And it's instant. You can get people to see it instantly. They let you know whether you've done a good job or not. I also think it's a great place to learn. My dad talks about it all the time. This is how you learn how to act. I want to be the best actor I can be. So I have to get that balance. As much as I'd love to one day collaborate with Paul Thomas Anderson or Jordan Peele, I need to be able to say I've written a play by Shakespeare or Tennessee Williams.
