We were on hand at the NYC premiere of HBO’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.”
We caught with the movie’s stars Courtney B. Vance, Reg E. Cathey, John Beasley and Ruben Santiago Hudson to talk how they got involved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks the red carpet. Check out our interviews after the jump.
Tell me what was the initial phone call like when you got called to do this project.
Courtney Vance: George C. said, “Courtney, I need you. I need you to come to Atlanta.” I tried to do anything and everything I could to say, “I couldn’t. I’m not available.” And then my assistant said, “Courtney, George C. wants to talk.” And I was like,”Oh! I’m going! I know I’m going.”
How long was the filming process for you?
Courtney Vance: About, total, two days. Something like that. Two-and-a-half days.
And that’s what you deliver in two days? Like that?
Courtney Vance: Two days, baby.
I mean, I knew you had it like that, but …
Courtney Vance: I got it like that.
You’ve been having such great moments on TV lately, with OJ and now this. Talk about the platform of TV, and what that is for you, versus film or TV?
Courtney Vance: You know, this is the day TV has come into it’s own, now. There’s more wonderful projects. The best writers are on television, now, and on cable. That’s what it is. So that’s why all the top actors and directors are here, because that’s where the stories are. I just saw Pierce Brosnan’s doing AMC’s “The Son.” I can’t wait to see that. It’s just-
Where it’s at.
Courtney Vance: Where it’s at.
I just want to bow down. You are just killing it!
Reg E. Cathey: Thank you. I appreciate it.
I mean, everything you do, from House of Cards to Fantastic Four. You’re just killing at everything!
Reg E. Cathey: Oh, thank you, man!
Talk about how you pick a role.
Reg E. Cathey: That’s interesting, man. I pick a role when they pick me. You know, you go to an audition and if you addition for 10 things and you get 3, that’s good. This was one of the few times when George called me up and he said, “Do you want to do this?” And I was, “Of course!” The pitching a role thing, man, that’s deep. I remember when I first started, when I first became a professional actor, you wouldn’t play a “coon” part. You would not play something that-
It might set you back.
Reg E. Cathey: That was going to put the black community in a certain light. And then it sort of changed, and the industry changed, and America changed. So now I still don’t want to pick a role where it’s going to be a “coon” show. But when you’re broke, and the legend of the rent is truly hard-core, as they say, what do you do? And there’s this thing that goes against your own personal standards. Do you say, “No, I’m not going audition for that?” Or do you say, “Let me audition for that because I need this money, I need this healthcare, I need this health insurance”?
Definitely the healthcare.
Reg E. Cathey: You know, to get your health insurance you need to have certain amount of weeks. Right. So it’s a question that I’ve always felt that it’s not an easy answer. Basically, though, for this long answer … it’s easier when George Wolfe calls you.
Right, and you’ve got George Wolfe, you’ve got Oprah attached. It’s kind of easy to say, “Where? When?”
Reg E. Cathey: Where? Exactly.
And “how long?”
Reg E. Cathey: Exactly.
Tell me why this story is so important for us all to know and see.
Reg E. Cathey: Well, in the privilege of where we were, and still are, to some extent, of someone being able to come into your body and take your cells and not tell anybody the tragedy of that, that theft. More than just her cells were stolen, but her legacy, and the family’s legacy. And for all those years, no one knew. That is a sin. That’s a sin. So the story should be told just for that. But then the story should be told for the joy that comes from discovery … So the joy of education then comes in. So the story is about- learn about yourself. Learn about your people, and then see if that lifts your spirit. It’s not just about bio-engineering and black people finally getting their due. It’s about what one can do with a little bit of faith, with a little bit of hope, and with some love.
And determination.
Reg E. Cathey: Right.
I mean, you’ve been at this for a while. Just killing it.
Ruben Santiago Hudson: No, I just started, man! I’m with the young guys.
What’s your process? How do you pick your roles? How do you go about, when you look at a script, like what interests you?
Ruben Santiago Hudson: Well, there’s two things. You’re taking advantage of the opportunities that come your way, and making opportunities. I do both. But what I want to make sure is whatever I do, it has integrity. That it shows our people as whole people, not fragments. So this is a piece of American history- we all need to know the contributions that we made as a people to the well-being of all of us. It was a very important thing. It’s rarely told, our stories. They’re important.
They’re just now coming around, telling a little bit, a fraction, of our stories.
Ruben Santiago Hudson: Here they come. We’ve been telling them a while, but we tell them in increments. We need to tell them in rushes.
As I mentioned, they’re telling them with Hidden Figures, and now with Henrietta. Why do you think mass media’s now just coming along to having our stories told on such a big platform?
Ruben Santiago Hudson: I think it’s because we’ve been pushing. We’ve been pushing hard … We just continue to push and then take the bull by the horns. You know, we’re the catalysts for this happening, as well as anybody else who would contribute or produce it. If we don’t push, the door does not open.
What do you think people will take most away from tonight and watching Henrietta’s story?
Ruben Santiago Hudson: Basically, it’s simple, man. The value of African American people and people of color, the way that we have changed, in the most positive ways, the well-being of all of us.
What do you think we can do to continue have that wave of change, and have our stories more told? What should we do to move forward?
Ruben Santiago Hudson: Financing.
Financing?
Ruben Santiago Hudson: We need to take charge of our stories, not wait for somebody else’s permission to do so.
Well, I look forward to seeing those projects financed, brother, and I’ll be right there to support them.
Ruben Santiago Hudson: Appreciate it. Thank you.