news
Dr. Derek on Call
By kam Williams
Special to The Skanner News
I
ndependent Spirit Award-winner
Derek Luke (for “Antwone
Fisher”) has joined the cast of
TNT’s HawthoRNe, the powerful
medical drama starring and execu-
tive-produced by Jada Pinkett Smith.
In a multi-episode arc that began
with the June 14th season premiere,
Derek is playing the role of Dr. Miles
Bourdet, a young surgeon who
arrives at James River Hospital to
become the protégé of Dr. Tom
Wakefield
(Michael
Vartan).
Currently in the midst of a divorce,
Miles will attract the attention of
Camille
Hawthorne
(Hannah
Hodson), daughter of Jada’s charac-
ter
Christina
Hawthorne.
In addition to the title role in
“Antwone Fisher,” Luke’s feature
film credits include “Friday Night
Lights,” “Miracle at St. Anna” and
“Notorious.” Here, he talks about
HawthoRNe as well as his new
movie, “Captain America: The First
Avenger.”
kam Williams: Hey Derek, thanks
for another interview.
Derek Luke: No doubt! Same
here, Kam.
kW: How you been?
DL: Things are great! I been
blessed, bro.
kW: So, what interested you in
joining the cast of HawthoRNe?
DL: First, a project has to speak to
my heart. When I got the call to do
HawthoRNe with Jada, I appreciated
the fact that they were very open to
collaboration and building my char-
acter. That was a signal to me loud
and clear, as a person who cares
about what type
of message
the show
was going
to deliver,
that this
w a s
going
t o
be a
great opportunity.
kW: How would you describe
your character, Dr. Miles Bourdet?
DL: As a man juggling a number of
different responsibilities. He’s a hus-
band, a father, and a professional.
And what he’s discovering is that it’s
necessary for him to manage and bal-
ance all three roles.
kW: How are people reacting to
seeing you on a TV series instead of
in a movie?
DL: Word on the street is that peo-
ple are really excited and, secondly,
I’m learning how many people
already love HawthoRNe.
kW: Harriet Pakula Teweles says:
Currently, you’re appearing in
Captain America, a summer block-
buster, and you have this new ongo-
ing role on the TV series. Which type
of work do you prefer?
DL: [Laughs] Which do I prefer? I
started in movies, and that has given
me a license to go into TV. If I have
to pick one, I’d have to say movies,
since that was my first love.
kW: Legist/Editor Patricia Turnier
asks: How did you decide to play
Gabe Jones?
DL: In this case, we didn’t get to
see the scripts until well after we’d
signed on. But I knew that Gabe
Jones was created by the legendary
Stan Lee. And that Gabe happens to
be one of the few African-American
characters in the comic world, peri-
od. In the very first Marvel Comics
issue he appeared in he was white,
because the printer assumed that the
illustrator had made a mistake and
changed his color.
kW: Patricia also asks: What pro-
fession would be your second choice
after
acting,
and
why?
DL: Wow! What a great question!
It’s funny, because my acting career
started with a question to God: What
were you thinking when you made
me? So, I would like to think my sec-
ond career would be whatever His
plan was.
kW: Children’s book author Irene
Smalls asks: What does the role of
Dr. Miles Bourdet mean to you?
DL: It means that there’s an open-
ing for spirituality on television.
What I love is that he gets to play a
healer beyond basic medicine. He’s
actually interested in changing peo-
ple’s lives. Secondly, he’s a man of
color with morals and integrity. I’m
very proud of that.
kW: Reverend Florine Thompson
asks: What is your greatest source of
inspiration? How important is spiri-
tuality to you and where do you find
spiritual nourishment?
DL: The Bible. There’s a verse in
The Bible that says, “What makes a
man spiritual is ‘The Word.’” And I
read a dose of The Word every day.
kW: Florine’s follow-up is: Do
you have a favorite quote which res-
onates with you that you’d like to
share?
DL: Yes: “Art without heart is cold
and aimless.”
kW: Judyth Piazza asks: Who
was your mentor and how
important do you think it is to
have a mentor?
Page 10 The Portland Skanner July 20, 2011