- Title: Denzel Washington brings 'Fences' to African-American museum
- Date: 7th December 2016
- Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 6, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** CAST OF 'FENCES' POSE FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH THE WIFE OF PLAYWRIGHT, CONSTANZA ROMERO AND WILSON'S DAUGHTER, SAKINA ANSARI (SOUNDBITE)(English) ACTOR/DIRECTOR DENZEL WASHINGTON, SAYING: "This is specifically a story about a middle class, lower middle class African-American family and the issues they had. The universality of it is that it could happen to anyone - any color, any socio-economic background. That's a part of the beauty of August Wilson's storytelling." 'FENCES' POSTER AND PAN TO RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE)(English) DENZEL WASHINGTON, SAYING: "You're taught, as early as I can remember as an actor, you're taught you gotta love the character you're playing. If you don't then you're playing a guy who doesn't like himself. So you've got to love who you're playing." ACTOR JOVAN ADEPO BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE)(English) ACTOR JOVAN ADEPO, SAYING: "It was incredible. This was an experience that I think every young actor would love to have. So I'm truly blessed to have earned this opportunity just to work with my hero. He's definitely a veteran and a giant of this industry. So it was awesome to get to come in every day and work with him and basically be sitting in first hand on a master class." (SOUNDBITE)(English) ACTOR STEPHEN MCKINLEY HENDERSON, SAYING: "It's just such a joy to play a best friend. Especially to play Denzel's best friend, you know, play Troy's best friend and to be that term 'extended family.' To be really welcomed around a real family environment like you're a member of that. So that's a joy." CAMERAMAN AND PAN TO DENZEL WASHINGTON, WIFE (SOUNDBITE)(English) ACTOR STEPHEN MCKINLEY HENDERSON, SAYING: "It was seamless between him (Washington) being an actor and a director. And we had done the show on stage. And he was so prepared. I mean he was really prepared." DENZEL WASHINGTON WITH AUGUST WILSON'S WIFE, CONSTANZA ROMERO THEN GREETING WILSON'S DAUGHTER SAKINA ANSARI (SOUNDBITE)(English) ACTOR MYKELTI WILLIAMSON, SAYING: "It's a privilege doing and saying August Wilson's words live on stage was a privilege on Broadway. And to know that August Wilson wrote the play and he also wrote the screenplay - for us to be able to bring August Wilson's screenplay to life, breathe life into these characters that he came up with is a privilege. It's a highlight of my career. It absolutely is. For a supporting actor to be able to jump in with material like this to support the rest of the cast, for me it's a dream come true." (SOUNDBITE)(English) ACTOR RUSSELL HORNSBY, SAYING: "Steven Spielberg could have directed this but there's a cultural specificity when we're talking about working on August Wilson's material. And those are just dynamics that are inherent to being black." WIDE SHOT OF RED CARPET (SOUNDBITE)(English) ACTOR RUSSELL HORNSBY, SAYING: "It's the little things, it's the details, the things you can't read in a book. It comes from your childhood. It comes from your parents. It's passed down from father to son, from mother to son or mother to daughter. And those are things you can't teach and you can't read." DENZEL WASHINGTON, WIFE AND ACTOR JOVAN ADEPO LAUGHING REPORTER SPEAKING TO ACTOR RUSSELL HORNSBY DENZEL WASHINGTON GREETS FAN CHRISSIE SPEIGNER DENZEL'S WIFE, PAULETTA WASHINGTON (SOUNDBITE)(English) DENZEL WASHINGTON, SAYING: "How was Viola in the movie?" (WIFE PAULETTA REPLIES) "Viola was magnificent. Magnificent." (SOUNDBITE)(English) ACTOR RUSSELL HORNSBY, SAYING: "I like to look at Viola as a national treasure. Viola goes straight to the root. She goes into the soil of her culture and of her people. She brings everything to bear with her and so she goes to a deep truth that resonates as a human spirit. And she brings that to bear on every frame on the stage and it's a joy to bear witness to it." CAST MEMBERS POSE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
- Embargoed: 22nd December 2016 03:29
- Keywords: film movie Fences Denzel Washington African-American National Museum of African-American History and Culture August Wilson
- Location: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA0015BVUZ47
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Cast members including lead actor and director Denzel Washington speak about the "privilege" they had in bringing Pulitzer Prize-winning drama to life in the film 'Fences,' before a special screening in Washington, DC on Tuesday (December 6).
The film is set in Pittsburgh in the mid-1950s and features an African-American father trying to raise his family while coming to terms with events in his own life. Some media have reported the lead character, Troy Maxson (played by Washington), struggles with race relations in the United States. But Washington says the story is universal.
"This is specifically a story about a middle class, lower middle class African-American family and the issues they had. The universality of it is that it could happen to anyone - any color, any socio-economic background. That's a part of the beauty of August Wilson's storytelling," Washington told reporters on the red carpet at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.
Based on his thwarted dreams, Troy is determined to keep his son Cory (played by Jovan Adepo) from going to college on a football scholarship. Tensions build between the two characters, and many others along the way. But despite the character's turmoil, Washington said it's important to like the character you're playing.
"You're taught, as early as I can remember as an actor, you're taught you gotta love the character you're playing. If you don't then you're playing a guy who doesn't like himself. So you've got to love who you're playing," said Washington.
August Wilson's play 'Fences' opened on Broadway in 1987. A revival opened in 2010, which featured Washington, Viola Davis, Russell Hornsby, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Mykelti Williamson. That production won Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Play, Best Actor, Denzel Washington and Best Actress, Viola Davis.
"It's a privilege- doing and saying August Wilson's words live on stage was a privilege on Broadway. And to know that August Wilson wrote the play and he also wrote the screenplay - for us to be able to bring August Wilson's screenplay to life, breathe life into these characters that he came up with is a privilege. It's a highlight of my career," said Williamson.
The actors praised Washington for his role as director and his ability to revisit his lead role of Troy Maxson.
"It was seamless between him (Washington) being an actor and a director," said Stephen McKinley Henderson, who plays Troy's best friend Bono in the film. "It's just such a joy to play a best friend. Especially to play Denzel's best friend," he said.
Actress Viola Davis is already receiving acclaim for her role as Rose in the film. Cast members kept quiet about their thoughts on an Oscar-nomination, but gave the actress praise.
"I like to look at Viola as a national treasure. Viola goes straight to the root. She goes into the soil of her culture and of her people. She brings everything to bear with her and so she goes to a deep truth that resonates as a human spirit. And she brings that to bear on every frame on the stage and it's a joy to bear witness to it," said actor Russell Hornsby who plays Troy's oldest son Lyons.
Washington's wife Paulette smiled when asked what she thought of Davis' performance. "Viola was magnificent. Magnificent," she said.
'Fences' is scheduled to hit theaters on December 25, 2016. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
