San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Bay Area’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II immerses himself in starring role for ‘Candyman.’
Catching up with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is no easy task. The Bay Area-raised actor, who stars in the new version of “Candyman,” says his home is basically “wherever the job takes me.”
Still, The Chronicle managed to talk to Abdul-Mateen in late-night London, where he had just finished his shooting day for “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” During the video call, he admitted he spent most of 2020 in Berlin filming “The Matrix 4” — which also was shot in San Francisco — and because of the pandemic, couldn’t make it back to the Bay Area to see his family and friends until Thanksgiving.
“I’m in the same boat as everybody, not being able to travel much,” he said.
Candyman, the character created by Clive Barker in his short story “The Forbidden,” is the ghost of an artist and son of a former slave who was murdered in the late 1800s for his relationship with the daughter of a wealthy white man. The character spawned three movies, beginning with the 1991 “Candyman” that starred Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd.
Now Black filmmakers are tackling the legend for the first time.
Jordan Peele (“Get Out,” “Us”) co-wrote and co-produced the film, in theaters Friday, Aug. 27. It is directed by one of his co-writers, Nia DaCosta (“Little Woods”), and stars Abdul-Mateen (HBO’s “Watchmen”), a former hurdler at UC Berkeley who got a degree in architecture and had a stint as a city planner for San Francisco before switching to acting, along with Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Colman Domingo, as well as Todd and Vanessa Estelle Williams reprising their roles from the original film.
“Candyman” is providing Emmy winner Abdul-Mateen with his first lead role in a feature film, so he was glad to stay up late to talk about it.
“I hope you don’t mind if I sit back and relax,” he said, kicking up his feet. “But you have my full attention.”
Q: Be honest: Did you even once look into a mirror and say “Candyman” five times? A:
(Laughs) I wanted to through the role, I didn’t want to get taken out prematurely!
I do remember what it was like as a kid (after seeing the 1991 original) to be terrified of saying it, but also being excited about the possibility.
Q: Sounds like you used that experience when approaching the role.
A:
Yes! There’s something about this character, Anthony, “Candyman” (R) in theaters Friday, Aug. 27.
Online extra
For The Chronicle’s review of “Candyman,” go to datebook.sfchronicle.com. who wants to get very close to the danger. He’s an anthropologist, he’s an artist, he’s a field reporter. He wants to get as close as possible without actually being affected, and I was the same way as a child with the Candyman legend. I would get as close as possible without saying the fifth one.
Q: You are known for your research, even engaging with the comic book community on what the David Kane/ Black Manta character meant to them when preparing
for your “Aquaman” role. How did you prepare for “Candyman”?
A: I took a couple of painting courses, I walked around Cabrini-Green (a noted Chicago public housing project, where the film was shot), I did sketches, I opened up that part of my brain again.
I really learned about Chicago and Cabrini-Green, the ways that it had changed a lot over the last 30 years since the (first) film had been made. I found that a lot of that was due to gentrification. It was pretty shocking, though not surprising.
Q: You play a painter in the film; at UC Berkeley you got a degree in architecture. Do they mesh at all in your mind? Seems like you need a lot of creativity to be an architect.
A:
Well, it actually carries over to my acting — being aware of space, of dimension, size, scale. But then also, an anthropological perspective, or an idea about the world and about people and the way we exist in the world. You have to be very very observant in order to be a good actor.
And I think to be a good designer, you have to take people into consideration. Take the individual and the community experience of how I want this building to function and what I want people to experience when they walk into these places.
Q: “Candyman” is your first role as the lead of a motion picture. Did you feel any pressure?
A:
I had very excellent examples of how to lead on a set: Hugh Jackman (with whom he co-starred in “The Greatest Showman”), Dwayne Johnson (“Baywatch”), Jason Momoa (“Aquaman”), Regina King (”Watchmen”). How to establish a good relationship with the director, to know everyone’s name, to come to work prepared to work and to be a positive addition to the environment.
And to really make it about the story — to get out of my own way, and make it about Chicago and Cabrini-Green and the fans who love the history of this story.
Q: “Candyman” adds to the burgeoning genre of recent horror films that speak to