Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (March 22, 2017)
March 22, 2017 The Skanner Page 7 Arts & Entertainment Aldis Hodge: The ‘Underground’ / ‘Hidden Figures’ Interview AH: I enjoyed the way the story was written. I was intrigued by the nar- rative showing people rising up and fi ghting for their freedom. By Kam Williams For The Skanner News A ldis Hodge is per- haps best known for his role as Alec Hardison on the TNT series “Leverage,” which nabbed a People’s Choice Award in 2013, in addition to his role as MC Ren in “Straight Outta Compton.” Furthermore, he starred in the Amazon pilot The Aft er and en- joyed a recurring role on the AMC Revolutionary War drama “Turn: Wash- ington’s Spies.” Aldis appeared oppo- site Alexander Skars- gard and Ellen Page in the eco-terrorism thrill- er “The East.” And he appeared in “A Good Day to Die Hard,” the latest installment of the “Die Hard” franchise. Aldis and his brother Edwin were cast on “Ses- ame Street” at a young age. Later, they joined the Tony-winning revival of “Showboat” on Broad- way. During that period, he parlayed his success on stage into a movie career, debuting in Die Hard with a Vengeance. Aldis’ television roles Aldis Hodge include the critically-ac- claimed series Friday Night Lights, The Walk- ing Dead, Bones, and CSI: Crime Scene Investiga- tion. Here, he talks about playing Levi Jackson in the Oscar-nominat- ed Hidden Figures and about reprising the role of Noah on the televi- sion series Underground about the Underground Railroad which just start- ed its second season on the WGN America net- work. KW: Congratulations on the second season of “Underground.” What fi rst interested you in do- ing the series? KW: What can we ex- pect to see new this sea- son. AH: I’ll put it like this, brother. Everybody thought it couldn’t get crazier or more danger- ous, but it does. Last year, everyone was focused on this idea of freedom and just getting off the plantation without con- templating the harsh re- ality of what that really “ KW: What’s it like act- ing opposite Jurnee? AH: She’s awesome! That’s my road dog right there. Our characters go through so much togeth- er this season that we have to depend on each other emotionally as ac- tors. We didn’t share a lot of scenes together because our story focus- es on Noah and Rosalee’s working a real-life icon, Harriet Tubman, into the story? AH: It’s great that we get to honor Tubman’s legacy through a real-life representation, although we’d already paid tribute to her last season. It’s not really a diff erent ap- proach. The only thing that’s changed is that we have a fantastic actress in Aisha Hinds materi- alizing Tubman. Aisha does a fantastic job of en- abling us to explore who Harriet Tubman was. KW: Congratulations on Hidden Figures’ win It’s great that we get to honor Tubman’s legacy through a real-life representation, although we’d already paid tribute to her last season meant. At the end of the season, we were pretty much split up. Now, you get a pretty introspective view of each character. We’re all dealing with the consequences of what transpired last season in our own way. My charac- ter, Noah, was learning what it meant to try to be a leader. This season, he’s learning more about who he is as a man. Right PRESENTS Gospel of Lovingki ndnes s Wri tten by Marcus Gardley “Urges me with a desire to do even more” “I was moved to tears” “Very real and insightful” MARCH 10 - APRIL 9, 2017 Friday & Saturday 7:30pm / Sunday 3pm Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center 5340 N Interstate, Portland Tickets & info: www.passinart.net Ronni Lacroute now, the strength of his love for Rosalee [played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell] is more important to him than freedom, where- as last year was purely about survival. trying to get back to each other. We see that their love transcends their situation. There’s still a very powerful connec- tion between them, and we had to develop that. So, we had to take a dif- ferent approach, and Jurnee was there 100% of the way. She is an abso- lute beast! KW: What’s it been like at the Screen Actors Guild awards. Were you surprised? AH: It was a huge sur- prise. We were all blown away. The girls [Taraji P. Hensen, Janelle Monae and Octavia Spencer] were all crying, and I think I might have dropped a tear or two, too. The fi lm has gotten so much love. It was awe- some because this award was coming directly from a pool of several hundred thousand ac- tors. Our peers! So, we were very grateful. KW: Why do you think “Hidden Figures” has made the most money of all the movies nominated for the Best Picture Os- car? AH: It’s absolutely be- cause of the message. Granted, a big part is that people will go to the theater and enjoy it. But I think the primary rea- son it’s been so eff ective is that it represents the antidote to some of the cultural issues we’re still dealing with as a nation. It illustrates what can be accomplished when you look beyond the preju- dices and stereotypes and allow equality to win out overall. These wom- en accomplished what they did in spite of segre- gated bathrooms, and not having equal pay or the right to vote. That made it an inspiring fi lm for both little girls and boys. It’s exactly what America needs right now. Read the full interview at TheSkanner.com