But sometimes, the great thing about rehearsals is running into the unexpected, dealing with it and then compartmentalizing that information for later use. From John Cassavetes to Mike Leigh, a great of directors rely on improvisation during rehearsal to allow their actors breathing room and discover their limits. For instance, during rehearsal for Leigh’s poignant Vera Drake, Leigh did not inform the other actors in the scene that detectives would be coming to arrest Vera during their Sunday dinner for performing illegal abortions. The other actors were in shock. Leigh wanted that reaction to be locked in an emotional box, to be released at a moment’s notice. It allowed the actors to come face-to-face with the horrid draconian laws in place that forced women like Vera Drake to “help girls out.”
It’s a useful method, one that forces the actor to confront his emotions in a safe environment, within a safe place. It’s the same sort of procedure that Kathryn Bigelow used during rehearsals for Detroit. For actors/musicians Algee Smith, Joseph David Jones and Jacob Latimore, it all seemed ordinary music rehearsal to them until Bigelow threw a big surprise their way. The Knockturnal’s Chasity Saunders had the opportunity to talk with Algee Smith, Joseph David Jones and Jacob Latimore about that experience, along with working with Bigelow, transitioning from music to acting and back to music and more. Check out what they had to say below.
All of you guys are musicians so can you just talk about how you created your characters, already being musicians and then going into a film where you’re also going be portraying musicians?
Algee: I brought my banjo to set every day. That was kind of one of the easiest parts for us, hopping into the music side of it. The most challenging was of course the portrayal of these real life human beings that had to go through these horrific nights. But the music, that’s what kind of helped us get through it in a sense because those performance scenes—even when I wasn’t there—where were watching the brothers on stage perform, that helped us get through the set. I loved the music component in the film.
Jacob: For me, I was like “I’m not singing this one, let me just listen in there and get excited. Let me be a fan and a supporter.” I think that was a little challenging for me, because I’m like “I want to play, I want to do the steps too. Put me in a jacket” [laughs].
Joseph: That aspect of it really helped us bond quicker too because we’re learning songs together, we’re learning dance steps together.
Jacob: Put me on a shiny jacket, right.
And we’re all millennials so did you guys know this story before taking on these roles or did you find out a lot about your history with taking on this project?
Algee: We found out a lot of history. I knew briefly about the Detroit riots but not about the whole Algiers incident, all the people that were involved and how a motel had played a part. I didn’t know a lot of that part.
Yeah, and doing biographies is becoming a bit of a trend for your career, so-
Algee: It’s going good so far [laughs].
Do you see yourself wanting to do other projects, outside of music or what do you see yourself doing next?
Algee: Well, my whole career, music and acting, I never want anything to be less than, I don’t want to be the actor that tried to sing or the musician who tries to act, I have to be respected at both, so if that means doing projects that does that, then yeah, but I just want to do solid quality work.
Jacob: Absolutely.
Algee: I feel like I always work in both fields if I do that.
And you guys got to work with Oscar award-winning director.
Algee: First lady to ever win that Oscar!
What was that experience like and how did you guys actually get cast in this project?
Jacob: I mean the audition process was probably the most unique audition process I think we all have been through. I think the third audition we all came in, we all were like “Okay, everybody” [laughs]. Everybody knew each other! We’re like “Yo, what’s going, you’re auditioning for this?”
Algee: That’s my dog.
Jacob: That’s my dog, so we’re in the room, Leon is on the guitar, just drumming the guitar, we’re all singing. I think Leon said (singing).
Algee: Oh yes.
Joseph: Oh.
Jacob: And I’m just like (singing), everybody just like doing their own little verses and then all of a sudden Ben [O’Toole] comes through, opens the door with the police uniform on and he’s like-
Algee: “Get on the wall.”
Jacob: “Get on the wall right now.”
Algee: We didn’t know what was going on, so Kathryn was like “You guys are just going to sing and then I want you to react to something that happens.”
Wow.
Jacob: So, 12 of us are lining up against the wall, he’s patting us down and he’s asking us where the gun is and we’re just like [whispers to fellow musicians].
Algee: We had no clue of the script or anything, we’re like “What gun are you talking about?”
Oh my God. I mean, it was such a hard film to watch but I think that it is something that we all need to see and I mean the tagline for the film “It’s time we knew.” It really is time we knew, you know what I mean? So why do you think audiences should go and see this film?
Algee: We want to first educate and also bring empathy. We feel like, of course, it’s time we knew, but we actually want this to have a big platform. This movie is so much more than a movie. How can we start to actually change and at least have conversations? So for us, those are just two of our goals, to educate the people who don’t know and to bring empathy for the people who may have some weird things going on.
Last question, you guys are all attractive young men, obviously. We saw you during the Essence Festival and your fans were going crazy. So you guys have to tell me what’s the craziest thing that one of your fans has done to get your attention? Are they sliding you DMs, what are they doing?
Jacob: I think I was in Chicago, I don’t know, a group of fans just had opened my car door and just came in.
Like jumped in the car with you?
Jacob: Just came in, we were just like “Yo, what are you doing? What are you…” and they are just hugging me tightly and obviously security then just grabs them.
But it’s cool that you guys have that kind of reaction, I think you guys did an amazing job in the film and I can’t wait for people to see it, it was definitely hard to watch but it’s something we need to see, so congratulations again.
Catch Detroit when it hits theaters August 4.
