John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler on how Netflix’s ‘The Piano Lesson’ will ‘permeate the world’
John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler take on the roles of Boy Willie and Berniece in Netflix’s adaptation of August Wilson‘s play “The Piano Lesson.” The film has been receiving Oscar buzz since it debuted on the festival circuit earlier this year. What does all of the awards attention mean for the actors? And what was it like playing these iconic siblings on the big screen? Watch our exclusive video interview above.
“It means that people are gonna have a conversation about the film,” Deadwyler reveals about the Oscar talk. “It means that people are going to want to watch the film, to then become deeply invested in the themes that we’re investigating. To talk about family, to talk about spirituality, to talk about land, to talk about legacy. Everything about this kind of film is about how it permeates the world, how it permeates what you think about how we relate and communicate with each other.”
Washington chimes in, “It means some of the people in the highest of circles are talking about August Wilson. That he’s in the conversation now. One of the great playwrights of all time. Now it’s integrating theater culture into the cinema culture. It’s our history in the artistry. It’s our literal history in America. All of that is now in the discussion and can be highlighted and recognized and saluted in ways that maybe haven’t been in the past.”
While on set, Washington fully “clicks” into his role of Boy Willie when he’s with his scene partners and fully in costume. “It’s when you see Ray Fisher over there as Lymon, and he just knows all your ticks,” he smiles. “It’s when you see Danielle. It’s active all the time. You’re just having jam sessions [with your co-stars].”
Deadwyler’s character of Berniece is haunted figuratively by the past and literally in the present, but as she explains, “A haunting isn’t necessarily a negation.” She adds, “Hauntings are just things that are always with us. So it’s the same as playing a memory. It’s this thing that you cannot relinquish. It is the grief and loss that are associated with the death of her father, with the death of Crawley, with the death of her mother. That is just a weight that is perpetual.”
“The Piano Lesson” opens in select theaters on November 8 and streams on Netflix beginning November 22. It is directed by Malcolm Washington in his feature film debut, and is co-written by he and Virgil Williams. Malcolm and John David’s father, Denzel Washington, produced the movie with Todd Black.
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