LOS ANGELES — If you have not seen the movie The Piano Lesson yet, then you are really missing out on some magnificent filmmaking courtesy of first-time moviemaker Malcolm Washington. Washington leads a star-studded cast that includes John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Samuel L. Jackson, Corey Hawkins, Ray Fisher, and Michael Potts.
This tremendous film art adapts a legendary August Wilson play from stage to screen.
When it comes to acting opportunities, nothing is quite as prestigious and demanding as playing the characters written by legendary playwright August Wilson. In recent conversation during an AAFCA Roundtable, actors including Ray Fisher, Corey Hawkins, Michael Potts, John David Washington, and Danielle Deadwyler reflected on their experiences and how deeply bringing Wilson’s characters to life, whether onstage or onscreen, affected them.
Ray Fisher looked back on his journey as the wildest and most fulfilling it could be.
“For me, frankly, it’s an honor and a privilege. I mean, to play Lyman in what is probably August Wilson’s Hamlet, right, in a way,” Fisher said.
The role has been a career highlight and a personal delight, giving him a sense of light amid the world’s darkness.
Corey Hawkins, who performed alongside Fisher, said in a statement that it was a privilege to speak Wilson’s words. “The work is so grounded and so spiritual and so on of a kind,” said Hawkins.
He also added that discovering new layers and depths to the character with each return has been part of her experience. He likened working with such a gifted cast to “running with stallions,” noting the preparation and discipline necessary to rise to the challenges of Wilson’s writing.
John David Washington echoed this feeling of authentic familiarity with his character.
“It was sort of easy in a certain way because the characters are so true to our experience,” he said. That authenticity allows the actors to bring genuine, visceral depth to the material, mining personal and familial histories to inform their performances.
Wilson’s perfectly constructed dialogue is rare to begin with.
“It’s some of the best writing I’ve ever gotten to say,” Danielle Deadwyler said.
She expressed how the script’s caliber allows for deep dives into character. This allows the role to be infused with the actor’s own emotions and life, and can render a performance profoundly personal and even transformational.
This sensational and talented group of actors will not only embody the characters written into August Wilson’s world but also invoke Wilson’s spirit and the spirit of the people those characters represent. Their characters provide new insight and new humanity to the story in their own dimensions of experience. Performing in one of Wilson’s timeless works, they use their skill set to enliven this approach, providing audiences with emerging views into Black life’s and history’s complexities.
The Piano Lesson can currently be viewed exclusively on Netflix.
