Sterling K. Brown : “‘This is us’ came because of ‘O. J.’”
Now a movie star, Sterling K. Brown, 42, gave me an interview in connection with the release of “Hotel Artemis” in Belgium. In the Drew Pearce futuristic thriller, he plays a criminal alongside Jodie Foster as nurse Jean Thomas.
Just one year ago, you did a duet with Kristin Chenoweth at the Television Critics Association Awards…
« We had such a wonderful time, doing that, and it was so surprising cause she asked me if I’d be interested in doing it. I said I’d be interested but also terrified to doing it… I am in love with her, I’m in love with her voice, I’m in love with her spirit. So the fact that I got the chance to sing a duet with Kristin Chenoweth was a highlight. »
When are you gonna record with her ?
« What happens to me… I’ll get my voice warmed up and it will be pretty good… And then I’ll go to a sporting event (laugh), and I will blow it out. And I go ‘Brown, why do you do that to yourself ?’ So once the NBA playoffs are over, I’ll have a little bit more discipline, and we can revisit this. »
* « Hotel Artemis » has a pretty grave scenario, about water cut off in Los Angeles, about health care for a few, for the rich… Jodie Foster told us she sees this trajectory actually happening, what’s your take on this ? Is it realistic ?
« Yes, I hope we’re able to right this shit, man. I hope this state is able to get some more rain, cause it’s not good. When the wealth gap between the haves and the havenots continues to become divergent, it’s one of those signs of like empires falling. Like historically, when the haves and the havenots continue to diverge, like in the Roman or Ottoman empires, it’s a tell-tell sign. So hopefully this country can pay attention to what’s transpiring and make sure that there’s a bit more equality with regards to the distribution of wealth (…) You know, I spent time in Bel-Air and Beverly Hills where we are now, and I’ve also gone to Skid Row, and it’s really scary. Cause we have this tendency not to pay attention to what we don’t want to… »
“As an actor, variety is the spice of life.”
* You have a very defined character in « This is us » which is such a very successful show. When it becomes to the work outside this show, does it have an influence on your thinking about taking roles, or roles that you’re offered, or those are apples and oranges ?
« It does. I look for something that’s as ‘un-Randalllike’ as possible. Because I get the chance to do Randall for half of the year. So as an actor, variety is the spice of life, and I love to play as many different characters as possible. I can remember, after O. J., I kept getting offered roles about brothers who were like trying to take other black people down (laugh)… and I was like ‘I think I’m good, man…’ (laughs) So yeah, I try to suppress the net. Here’s the thing : we’re blessed to be in an era where there’s a bit more fluidity between film and television, between drama and comedy. So while we have that, I hope to take a little bit advantage of it as much as possible. »
Is it fair to say that « This is Us » opened you doors to the movie world, or not ?
« The doors really begin with O. J… »
Not with « This is Us » ?
‘This is us’ came because of ‘O. J.’, you know what I mean ? That was the beginning, and to be able to follow that was a really good ‘one-two punch’ of people saying ‘oh this dude got something here’. So I think, because Darden and Randall were different, but both like wonderful characters to portrait, that sort of opened up things in a way that hadn’t before.
Did you meet Chris Darden in the making of « O. J. » ?
« No. »
Was that your choice or his ?
« Yes (laugh)… well, initially, it was his choice (laugh). I reached out to him via Facebook, saying ‘hey i’m a young actor about to play you in a mini-series and I would love to talk’. And that didn’t happen. And then eventually, I heard that he would be open to meeting. It was after the show was over. Right now it’d feel a little forced. It would have happened organically, that’d be wonderful. But if not, I’m okay.
There are hundreds of hours of him, how did you slip into his skin to the point where you’re satisfied ?
That’s an interesting question, because I don’t know if I’m ever fully satisfied with anything. But I watched those hundreds of hours. I listened to his voice constantly. I read two of his books. And I tried to immerse myself into the world of what he was going thru at that time. That’s all I can do. I mean. I do my best, and I feel I came up with something that wasn’t an imitation, but sorta like captured that essence. To the point where… if he ever watched, I hope he was able to recognize at least a glimmer of himself in the performance. Cause I don’t think he’s watched it till this day.
Are you still amazed at how much air time O.J. still takes up ?
You probably would let me know more than I… cause I haven’t paid very much attention. Again, like I said, the NBA playoffs… it’ll all hit me up when it’s all said and done.
“Jodie (Foster) was so cool, so open and so collaborative.”
What is it to play opposite Jodie Foster ?
She’s a beast, man. She’s the boss. We’ve been watching her for our all life, and she’s been doing it for over fifty years. And if anybody could have pulled rank and tried to like flex on us, that’d be Jodie.. But she was so cool, so open and so collaborative and so honest. You get to a conversation with her, she’ll talk to you about anything, if you want to engage. I had this idea that she’d be sorta removed and aloof and in her trailer, and that was not her in the least (…)
What do you take from her when you work with her ?
I would say that when you’re confident in your abilities and that you’ve been doing this for a long time, but there’s no need to ever play games with other people, you have a responsability and it’s an easy thing to do to put other folks at ease. When you are the individual number one in the call, she… who has status walking into the room, you can make other people feel small. But it’s really your responsability to make sure that everyone feels at home. And she took on that responsability with elegance.
