The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Rocking ‘Detroit’
As he always is, ‘Star Wars’ star John Boyega is a demander of attention in new drama
Whether playing a wide-eyed Stormtrooper going AWOL in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” or a South London teen battling aliens in “Attack the Block,” John Boyega has swiftly carved a niche for himself as a kinetic, can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him performer.
But there’s more to Boyega than rebooted franchises and edgy sci-fi, as the 25-year-old British actor has shown in TV series like “24: Live Another Day.”
For his latest project, director Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit,” Boyega portrays security guard Melvin Dismukes, who played a central role during 1967’s 12th Street Riot. Specifically, Dismukes became entangled in events at the Algiers Motel in which three black men were murdered and nine others brutalized during a chaotic, racially motivated interrogation by white police officers and soldiers.
As the only black man in a position of (relative) power during the incident, Dismukes helped defuse a situation that had all the makings of an outright massacre — or so the film argues, filling in the gaps of court testimony with the help of the real-life Dismukes, whom Boyega spoke to for research.
We recently talked with Boyega via phone from Detroit, where he was promoting the movie, about its intensity, working with Bigelow — the first woman to win a best director Oscar (for 2009’s “The Hurt Locker”) — and what his life looks like in the runup to “Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi,” which will be released on Dec. 15.
Q I’m guessing you have your pick of projects lately thanks to “Star Wars.” How did “Detroit” come to your attention?
A It came in as an audition opportunity and my schedule freed up, so we assumed that we had time to just fit a movie in — but a movie that was grounded and based on a true story. It’s an issue that I’m very passionate about given the subject matter, so it came through my agents and I traveled to New York to audition, where I read the script for first time and found out Kathryn (Bigelow) was directing it. I got it the same day.
Q Wow. Is that an unusually quick turnaround?
A Yeah, it was the first time I had read the script and everything, given how secretive it all was. I had to read it in my hotel. So then I auditioned, got the part and went back to London to start doing prep for it.
Q Certainly you’re no stranger to secretive scripts, given your role in the new “Star Wars” trilogy.
A Haha … yeah, that wasn’t a problem. I really don’t know why (the “Detroit” script) was so secretive. But everyone has a creative process and I didn’t have the details, given how I came to the project. So when we were ready to shoot I was just like, “cool.” Nothing is hurt by making the script secret. Sometimes you might be going through rewrites, or there’s something you want to change that is inaccurate, or something gets out and people assume that’s what’s going on with the film.
Q How did you prep for your role?
A Actually I had a great opportunity because Melvin Dismukes is very interesting for a few reasons. He’s the eyes of the audience, kind of how we would all be in a situation like this. He’s always caught between several different worlds. It was a tricky story for me to understand, because in most stories like this the characters pick a side. And before I spoke to him I only had to see him as a character. But he gave me so much more perspective on how he actually felt, and being confused in this. He didn’t wake up that morning expecting to be in that situation. It was obviously a big shock for him, trying to keep the peace. He wasn’t on working hours and the (grocery) store (where Dismukes worked) wasn’t his responsibility. He went out to the soldiers, offered them coffee and made sure he knew the details of the situation. So by the time he ended up at the Algiers Motel, he was the only (black man) who stood as an image of authority. He had a badge, he had a gun, and he was able to be a liaison.
Q The tension throughout those scenes is almost unbearable, like watching a horror movie or a war movie.
A For me that’s what’s interesting about him — that he has no intention of being in the middle of this, but he’s the only person who stands as a beacon of hope for the safety of the others. He would tell me that the one time he was scared was when the police officers asked him to leave the hotel, and he felt like when he was there those guys (the civilians) were much more safe. (Dismukes) could slightly influence the way in which they were treated. He would go upstairs and say, “Let’s just give them something, even if it’s a fake gun.” He tried to be strategic and had to maneuver just this blatant ignorance. And I’m the only one in the cast who gets the chance to really talk to the man who was in that real situation. It gives you more of a sense of responsibility. I’ve never prepped like that before with a real-life person.
Q Had you ever been to Detroit prior to filming there last summer?
A Well, I’ve just been to and from the airport and staying in a nice hotel, so I can’t complain about Detroit. I haven’t had time to go out, but I’ve been meeting with several different people in the community and everyone seems really, really great.
Q What kinds of discussions did you have with Kathryn Bigelow about how to play your character, and what kind of tone to set?
A It was blatant what the tone was from reading the script. Obviously it’s based on a true story. I’ve always been a big fan of Kathryn’s shooting style, because the camera is literally the eyes of the audience. It isn’t set in a dance. It sees something crazy happening in the background and quickly pans in and it’s us. So I knew that there was real sense of just being natural. That was very pivotal to the performance because she would leave the scenes open for two to three minutes longer than the script. We would go through the dialogue and we all knew, just from knowing her, to keep it going and get some really good parts in the scene that are dynamic and dramatic.
Q Was that nerve-wracking as an actor — being expected to improvise in a historical drama?
A That’s the great thing about knowing when you sign up into a project: You know who you’re working with. You go back and watch their films and see the way in which they capture stories. I was a big fan of that, and I was hoping she would do that. It’s artistically brilliant as an actor to have that, that chance to improv and fit into your characters a bit more without rules.
Q Your character is often separated from the others in the film. Did you maintain that off-screen with the cast?
A I did because there’s a certain unique level of empathy that you feel when a stranger is going through something, and you’re trying as much as possible to help. There’s a different vibe to it, rather than if you know everybody and are always around everyone. You’re just familiar with them. I decided to keep separate because it helped me in understanding him and his position. When the dialogue would happen it just felt fresh. It felt like Dismukes was just in the situation for the first time in his life. There was loads of stuff I was noticing while the cameras were rolling and it was nice not getting to know the boys too much. It would show in your eyes on screen, so I made sure I kept myself separate, and that helped me convey a truth that Dismukes talked to me about.
Q And I’m sure you felt a great responsibility to the person you were playing on screen.
A This is serious subject matter, with somebody who is still alive and has a beating heart. I felt I would breathe easier speaking to him, because the guy’s going to watch this performance of someone portraying a very sensitive part of his life. Staying disciplined and being a tad bit isolated really helped me stay on the board. It doesn’t mean I didn’t say hi to everyone once in awhile, but the role is significant in that he does feel alone in this. I was responsible for making sure that came through.
Q There are obvious lessons in this film and parallels to today’s society. But it’s a brutal ride, regardless. Is there optimism? Hope?
A I see it in the various scenes that show a sense of community, or a sense of care, particularly between our young guys and family members. The dark tone is required, but it supports something that will end up being a positive conversation that could help move things forward, rather than arguing or bickering or infusing a conflict. It’s based on a true story, so I would have loved for the guys to have made it out alive and everybody be fine. But the reality is not that. And yes, you do feel drained after watching it. But it’s important to learn about our world. We’re here. We’re all in this together. Everybody knows that race is still an issue, so I personally think it’s positive for people to watch this. We can’t always think that positivity exists in a world in which we’re comfortable. There is also positivity in facing the issues.
Q You just did Comic-Con International in the midst of doing press for “Detroit.” Will there be much breathing room between publicity for this and the run-up to the new “Star Wars” in December?
A Yeah, there is and this is obviously very, very important. “Star Wars” is its own machine so it all coexists, and everyone at Disney has been very supportive. Also, it’s a given with “Star Wars” that it’s lucky enough that it doesn’t need to convince people to watch it. They’ve got that all figured out. So I’m able to prioritize and focus on this important film.