Moviefone Editorial

Tag: andre holland

  • ‘The Actor’ Interview: André Holland and Gemma Chan

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    Opening in theaters nationwide on March 14th is the new crime mystery ‘The Actor’, which was directed by Duke Johnson (‘Anomalisa’), and stars André Holland (‘Moonlight’ and ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’) and Gemma Chan (‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘Eternals’).

    Related Article: Andra Day Talks Director Titus Kaphar’s ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’

    (L to R) André Holland and Gemma Chan in 'The Actor'. Photo: Neon.
    (L to R) André Holland and Gemma Chan in ‘The Actor’. Photo: Neon.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with André Holland and Gemma Chan about their work on ‘The Actor’, their characters, the story, the cast, working together, and working with director Duke Johnson.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Holland, Chan, and director Duke Johnson.

    André Holland in 'The Actor'. Photo: Neon.
    André Holland in ‘The Actor’. Photo: Neon.

    Moviefone: To begin with, André what can you tell us about your character, Paul Cole?

    André Holland: Well, that’s the question of the movie, who is Paul Cole? Will the real Paul Cole please stand up? So, the movie is based on a book called ‘Memory’ by Donald Westlake. It’s set in 1955, when we find Paul Cole. He’s a theater actor who’s been on tour with his traveling troupe throughout the Midwest. He wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of who he is, doesn’t know where he is, or his troupe, and you find out later, they have moved on to the next town. This story is largely about him trying to piece together these clues to put his life back together and figure out who he is. Then along the way, he encounters this stunning creature and then must decide whether it makes more sense to continue his search to find his old life or to stay and build a new one.

    MF: Gemma, what can you say about Edna, and what did you enjoy about playing her?

    Gemma Chan: So, Edna is from a small town in Ohio. She is at a point in her life where she didn’t think that she would ever fall in love again or meet someone who could make her feel all these emotions, vulnerability being one of them. I feel that when she meets Paul, they feel something, and they see something and connect with each other instantly. I know that Duke, the director, very much wanted us to bring ourselves to these characters. I love Edna. There’s a sweetness to her, but also a strength inside her as well and a real vulnerability too.

    (L to R) Gemma Chan and André Holland in 'The Actor'. Photo: Neon.
    (L to R) Gemma Chan and André Holland in ‘The Actor’. Photo: Neon.

    MF: Gemma, what was it like collaborating with director Duke Johnson on this movie?

    GC: I had seen Duke’s film, ‘Anomalisa’, and I loved it. Then I read this script and spoke to him about his vision for what he wanted to make. It just felt like such an opportunity to do something different. It doesn’t come along very often. From the fact that he wanted to cast an ensemble of actors who would play multiple roles within the film to wanting to use a lot of practical effects with the way he shot the movie and bring them over from the animation world to live action. It just seemed like it could be something magical and different. Then getting to work with amazing actors like André, it was a unique experience. Duke had such a clear vision of what he wanted to do, but also really trusted us to bring the emotion to our characters. So, it felt like a collaborative process.

    MF: André, what was it like working with the incredible ensemble cast?

    AH: It took a leap of faith on the part of all the actors to just dive in and go for it. I think that’s one of the things that theater asks you to do all the time. You don’t ever have enough time, you never got enough money, you just got to go for it. So, I think we had, in this case, a stellar group of actors who made up the ensemble. May Calamawy, Olwen (Fouéré), Tracey Ullman, Simon McBurney, we had killers. Everybody was like, “All right, let’s figure it out. Give me a wig and give me a mustache and I’m going to be this person and then I’ll switch it up and be somebody else.” It was really a lot of fun.

    André Holland in 'The Actor'. Photo: Neon.
    André Holland in ‘The Actor’. Photo: Neon.

    MF: André, what would you say to an audience sitting down to watch this movie now to prepare them for the theatrical experience they are about have?

    AH: Well, I think it’s a movie unlike any movie I’ve ever seen. It has a magical, fantastic quality to it, has beautiful performances, it’s wonderfully shot and it’s a lot of fun. It’s the kind of movie that I think you could see with a big group of people. It’s the kind of movie that I think really makes the theater going experience special. It’s designed to be seen in a theater. Not to say that you can’t sit at home and watch it on a laptop, you could, but you’d be missing out, I think. So, I just would encourage people to get a group of folks together, go get some popcorn and go watch the movie. Then go get a drink and talk about it afterwards. I think it’ll be worth your time.

    MF: Gemma, what was your experience like working with André?

    GC: Well, it was a dream. I told him this before, but he’s such a talented actor, and so generous as well. Every scene, every little vignette that we filmed as our characters, it was a joy. I felt that I could be vulnerable with him. He’s such a good listener as well. Just a wonderful, generous actor. I can’t speak highly enough of him. I was a huge fan of his work before getting to do this. He’s a huge part of why I said yes to doing the project.

    (L to R) André Holland and Gemma Chan in 'The Actor'. Photo: Neon.
    (L to R) André Holland and Gemma Chan in ‘The Actor’. Photo: Neon.

    MF: Finally, André, did you enjoy working with Gemma on set?

    AH: We’ll be here all day if I start gushing over this woman. She is extraordinary, the finest that there is. A wonderful actor, wonderful human being, and we had such a good time. I’m so proud of the movie, but I’m equally proud of our friendship that has come out of it.

    Editorial Note: Krisily Fernstrom conducted this interview and contributed to this article.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Actor’?

    Paul Cole (André Holland) finds himself stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got here. As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery, appearances can’t be trusted, and it’s unclear which of his identities is real.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Actor’?

    • André Holland as Paul Cole
    • Gemma Chan as Edna
    • Olwen Fouéré as Old Lady Track
    • Edward Hogg as Make Up Artist
    • Youssef Kerkour as Black Jack / Ed / Defense Attorney / Busdriver
    • Tracey Ullman as Mrs. Malloy / Helen / Deerville Woman
    (L to R) André Holland and Gemma Chan in 'The Actor'. Photo: Neon.
    (L to R) André Holland and Gemma Chan in ‘The Actor’. Photo: Neon.

    List of Duke Johnson Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Gemma Chan Movies on Amazon

     

  • ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’ Exclusive Interview: Andra Day

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    Opening in theaters on October 18th is the new family drama ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’, which marks the directorial debut of painter and artist Titus Kaphar. The film stars André Holland (‘Moonlight’), Andra Day (‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’), John Earl Jelks (‘Miracle at St. Anna’), and Oscar-nominee Aunjanue Ellis- Taylor (‘King Richard’).

    Related Article: Director Ava DuVernay and Actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Talk ‘Origin’

    Andra Day stars in 'Exhibiting Forgiveness'.
    Andra Day stars in ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Andra Day about her work on ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’, her first reaction the screenplay, why she wanted to be part of the project, working with first time filmmaker Titus Kaphar, and how her character supports her husband through his emotional journey.

    You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Day, André Holland, John Earl Jelks, and director Titus Kaphar.

    (L to R) André Holland and Andra Day in 'Exhibiting Forgiveness'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    (L to R) André Holland and Andra Day in ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction the screenplay and why you personally wanted to be a part of this project?

    Andra Day: I mean, my first reaction was that I knew this was going to be a beautiful story. Before even going into details with him, I could tell by reading it, that it was a personal story. You know what I mean? I think you always want to be very careful with subject matter. I wanted to be a part of this project because of Titus Kaphar. I was a huge fan of his painting. So, I remember he was like, “Oh, I can’t believe you agreed to do this.” I was like, “If you would’ve cast me as the janitor for seven seconds, I would have agreed to do this movie.” I knew I wanted to be a part of this project, just because the story is so important. I think it doesn’t necessarily even have to be your family dynamic for you to relate to it. The beauty of it, the way he was going to paint and tell this story, I just thought, “This seems groundbreaking and beautiful, and I want to be a part of that.” The cast that he put with this was unbelievable. So, everything was a factor for me, for sure.

    'Exhibiting Forgiveness' writer and director Titus Kaphar.
    ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’ writer and director Titus Kaphar.

    MF: What was it like working with artist Titus Kaphar on his directorial debut and watching him execute his vision for this film on set?

    AD: I think Titus was finding his way through the space, maybe the first two or three days. By the second week, he was in the space. By the second week, he had learned the process and he landed on it very quickly. He also learned in ways where he would take more time, certain things that he needed to get done. So, he settled into it. I watched him settle into the role of director very quickly. You know what I mean? But I think what it was like was like watching a visionary. When people go, “Oh, it’s your first time directing.” I’m like, “It’s his directorial debut. It is not his first time directing in life.” So, when it comes to his artwork, when it comes to the content that he puts out, when it comes to how he puts out the art, the schools that he puts together, anytime he does that, he’s directing things. So, I think that this is just his first foray into traditional film. But he’s a visionary. I think people like him, if they are passionate about what they’re doing, if they care about what they’re doing, it will always be great. Because if you have the vision, I think everything else falls into place.

    (L to R) André Holland and Andra Day in 'Exhibiting Forgiveness'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    (L to R) André Holland and Andra Day in ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about Aisha and Tarrell’s relationship and how she supports her husband through his journey to overcome his past?

    AD: It’s very interesting. I think Aisha loves her husband and I think that she also comes from a family of trauma. I don’t think this is unfamiliar to her. I think we decided that was also her life and that her and Tarrell have decided together to have a peaceful environment for their son. So, I think they are healing together, which I think you can do with love. But I think there’s also parts of trauma that do not involve a partner and that deal with forgiveness of the person that you need forgiveness from, or you need to forgive. So, I think that she supports him in a very interesting way. She supports him by trying to encourage him to reconcile and to heal. She supports him, also, by protecting him because she sees how this affects him. But I think she also supports him by standing her ground in her own life and making sure they keep the promises they made to each other. Those promises weren’t just, “Hey, I’ll be a great mother to our child, and you’ll be a great father to our child. We’ll be a great husband and wife.” I will give you the space and support you in your career in painting and in the art world, but you must give me the space and support me in my career in the music world. So, I think that she also supports him and helps him through this process by being an anchor point and keeping them adhering to the promises that they made to each other. Which can be very uncomfortable and can be contentious at times but is necessary.

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    What is the plot of ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’?

    Utilizing his paintings to find freedom from his past, a Black artist (André Holland) on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father (John Earl Jelks), a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’?

    • André Holland as Tarrell
    • Andra Day as Aisha
    • Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Joyce
    • John Earl Jelks as La’Ron
    • Ian Foreman as Young Tarrell
    • Daniel Michael Barriere as Jermaine
    • Matthew Elam as Quentin
    • Jaime Ray Newman as Janine
    (L to R) Andra Day and André Holland in 'Exhibiting Forgiveness'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    (L to R) Andra Day and André Holland in ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    Other Andra Day Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness‘ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Andra Day Movies on Amazon

     

  • Rosario Dawson Joins the Voice Cast for ‘Terminator Zero’

    (Left) Rosario Dawson. Photo: Jamie McCarthy. (Right) 'Terminator Zero'. Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.
    (Left) Rosario Dawson. Photo: Jamie McCarthy. (Right) ‘Terminator Zero’. Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Preview:

    • Rosario Dawson, Ann Dowd and André Holland are joining ‘Terminator Zero’.
    • Timothy Olyphant is starring in the series.
    • The new show was created by ‘The Batman’ co-writer Mattson Tomlin.

    Since James Cameron launched ‘The Terminator’ upon the world in 1984 and then followed that up with one of the greatest movie sequels of all time via ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’, the franchise has struggled.

    We’ve had further movie sequels of varying quality and diminishing returns (even 2019’s ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’, which roped Cameron back in as producer, couldn’t crack the quality/box office appeal factor with anything like the success of the first two efforts).

    Indeed, one of the more respected ‘Terminator’ treatments has been on TV, where ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ ploughed its own furrow for a couple of seasons, with Lena Headey playing Sarah.

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    But despite the seeming “Terminator Curse”, that hasn’t stopped other companies from taking a shot, and the latest is Netflix, which has animated series ‘Terminator Zero’ due in a couple of months.

    And while we already knew that Timothy Olyphant is lending his voice to the show, the cast list has been updated to include Rosario Dawson, Ann Dowd, André Holland and Sonoya Mizuno.

    What’s the story of ‘Terminator Zero’?

    Timothy Olyphant as The Terminator in 'Terminator Zero'.
    Timothy Olyphant as The Terminator in ‘Terminator Zero’. Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Here’s the official synopsis for the show:

    2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity.

    Caught between the future and this past is a soldier (Mizuno) sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee (Holland) who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity.

    As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future which forever alters the fate of his three children.

    Related Article: Next on Netflix Animation Preview Announces Upcoming Movies and TV Shows

    Which characters are the other new additions playing in the show?

    Rosario Dawson as Kokoro in 'Terminator Zero.'
    Rosario Dawson as Kokoro in ‘Terminator Zero.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Dawson is Kokoro, an advanced AI and Japan’s answer to Skynet, if brought online, Kokoro will be endowed with the same power as Skynet. Kokoro must calculate for itself: is humanity the plague Skynet believes? Or are human beings worth saving?

    Dowd plays The Prophet. In the future, the Prophet is the philosophical guide for the human resistance, a light shepherding survivors in the darkness of the unknown future ahead.

    As for Olyphant? He has the title role, in a version that sounds like the original movie’s killing machine: The Terminator is still out there. It still can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you’re dead (though we’re promised a fresh take on the iconic character).

    Who is making ‘Terminator Zero’?

    Sonoya Mizuno as Eiko in 'Terminator Zero.'
    Sonoya Mizuno as Eiko in ‘Terminator Zero.’ Photo: Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Leading the creative team on the new show is Mattson Tomlin, who worked on 2022’s ‘The Batman’ with Matt Reeves and is co-writing the sequel with him.

    Here’s Tomlin on ‘Terminator Zero’:

    “Anyone who knows my writing knows I believe in taking big swings and going for the heart. I’m honored that Netflix and Skydance have given me the opportunity to approach Terminator in a way that breaks conventions, subverts expectations, and has real guts.”

    When will ‘Terminator Zero’ be on our screens?

    Netflix previously announced that the new show will hit its screens on the well-chosen date of “Judgement Day” from the movies –– which means August 29th if you’re not keeping track.

    André Holland as Malcolm Lee in 'Terminator Zero.'
    André Holland as Malcolm Lee in ‘Terminator Zero.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2024.

    Other Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Terminator’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘Terminator’ Movies On Amazon

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  • Andre Holland Disrupts the NBA in ‘High Flying Bird’ Trailer

    Andre Holland Disrupts the NBA in ‘High Flying Bird’ Trailer

    High Flying Bird trailer still
    Netflix/YouTube

    A shakeup is in order in “High Flying Bird.”

    Netflix released the trailer for the Steven Soderbergh sports drama on Thursday, Jan. 17, and it shows André Holland as a disruptive force in pro basketball. The actor plays Ray Burke, an agent who handles a league lockout in a daring way.

    The preview shows Ray making moves during the standoff and working with a rookie (Melvin Gregg). As the lockout continues, he discusses the possibilities of building a new industry and giving more power back to the players. Ray even makes “the matchup everyone’s been dying to see” happen.

    Watch the trailer below.

    In addition to Holland and Gregg, the film stars Zazie Beetz, Sonja Sohn, Zachary Quinto, Kyle MacLachlan, and Bill Duke. There are also appearances from NBA vet Reggie Jackson and current players Karl-Anthony Towns and Donovan Mitchell. Soderbergh directs from a script written by Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney.

    “High Flying Bird” premieres Feb. 8 on Netflix.

  • How ‘Castle Rock’ Could Become Every Stephen King Fan’s New TV Obsession

    How ‘Castle Rock’ Could Become Every Stephen King Fan’s New TV Obsession

    Hulu/Bad Robot

    There were a great many things we found infuriating about 2017’s big screen version of Stephen King’s breathless series-starter “The Dark Tower.” What was once planned as an ambitious, multimedia saga that would seamlessly be explored on television, cinemas, and the Internet — that had once attracted creative luminaries like J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and Ron Howard wound up a limp, 95-minute trifle directed by a Danish filmmaker you’ve probably still never heard of (for the record, his name is Nicolaj Arcel).

    But maybe the most egregious offense that the “Dark Tower” adaptation brought against humanity was the fake implication that it’d be the lynchpin of a vast, interconnected King universe. That’s how it is in the book, with everything from “Insomniac” to “The Stand” connected, through various channels and corridors, to the centralized supernatural world of “The Dark Tower.”

    There were some very obvious Easter eggs that the marketing team began sprinkling into early trailers (giant Saint Bernard! Plymouth Fury!), and there was even an online piece designed to insinuate that “The Dark Tower,” in all of its half-assed glory, would somehow unlock everything from “The Shining” to “Carrie” to “It.” (Sony, the studio behind the movie’s release, pulled that online piece; perhaps due to the rather dicey nature of the copyrights and licensing agreements.)

    To be blunt, “The Dark Tower” never did what it claimed it would; there was nothing to suggest that the film was the hub that the other King adaptations naturally spun off from. And it didn’t give some kind of contextual umbrella for those things either. There was nothing, in text or subtext, to suggest that “The Dark Tower” was a true adaptation of King’s self-described magnum opus. Instead, it was just a very lousy movie.

    But that doesn’t mean there can’t be a project that doodles in the margins of King’s imagined universe and tries to, at least partially, marry some of these properties into a cohesive narrative and thematic whole. Welcome to “Castle Rock.”

    Hulu/Bad Robot

    Hulu’s new original series, and arguably one of its splashiest, is “Castle Rock.” According to the credits, it’s based on “works written” by Stephen King, specifically those that involve the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine. (It’s part of the triumvirate of fake towns that pop up time and time again in his fiction, along with Derry and Jerusalem’s Lot.)

    In King’s works, Castle Rock is a place of nearly unending weirdness; it’s where a series of ritualistic killings took place in “The Dead Zone,” where a giant dog went on a rampage in “Cujo,” and where a devilish business owner set up shop in “Needful Things.” The town has been the central focus of almost a dozen short stories and novels; it is referenced in a dozen more. It helps establish a specific place and time and works wonderfully to link, geographically and otherwise, all of the stories that King tells.

    For this new television series, “Castle Rock” seems to exist as a kind of vortex of evil. It opens with a feral, nameless inmate (Bill Skarsgard), who has been discovered stashed away underneath Shawshank State Prison (sound familiar?) A death-row attorney (Andre Holland), who once lived in the town, returns to uncover the mystery — both of the inmate and his father’s murder, aired by sheriff Alan Pangborn (Scott Glenn).

    If your Stephen King spidey sense is already starting to tingle, it’s with good reason — Skarsgard played the killer clown in last year’s phenomenon “It,” Shawshank State Prison was the setting for the beloved “The Shawshank Redemption,” and Pangborn is a character in several King works (including “The Dark Half“), most notably played by Ed Harris in the underrated 1993 big screen adaptation of “Needful Things.” These kind of connections, both thematic and narrative, are littered throughout “Castle Rock.”

    While plot details are being kept under wraps ahead of the premiere on Wednesday, but an early trailer referenced the events of “Cujo” and “The Dead Zone,” King MVP Sissy Spacek (who starred as the title character in the very first King adaptation, “Carrie”) and a character played by Jane Levy has the tantalizing last name of Torrance, which was the last name of the family in “The Shining.” Whether or not these connections have major implications or are merely glossy references remains to be seen, but even before the first episode has aired, the project has created an aura of mystery and connectivity that is hard to ignore.

    With producer J.J. Abrams, a longtime admirer of King’s and, at one point, someone who attempted to tackle “The Dark Tower,” involved, you can believe that this has both the prestige and the nerd cred that it desperately needs.

    In short: it’s a show that can both appease to newbies and die-hards and has the possibility to link the disparate worlds that King has created. And at the very least, it won’t be as bad as “The Dark Tower.” Woof.

  • Hulu’s ‘Castle Rock’ Trailer Is Packed With Stephen King Easter Eggs

    Castle Rock
    Hulu

    Call it Stephen King’s Greatest Hits.

    Hulu debuted the trailer for “Castle Rock,” the upcoming anthology series based on the works of Stephen King, and it is chock-full of references to the author’s most famous works.

    It starts off with the introduction of Bill Skarsgard — but not playing Pennywise from “IT.” Instead, he’s an unnamed prisoner at Shawshank (from King’s 1982 novella, later turned into a hit, Oscar-nominated movie).

    He remains silent until he meets lawyer Henry Deaver (André Holland), then eerily asks, “Has it begun? Do you hear it now?”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXsKCQenpt0

    That kicks off a series of Easter Egg flashes: Sissy Spacek (the star of “Carrie”), a nod to Cujo in the form of newspaper headlines about rabid dogs, a shot of the Juniper Hill Asylum, and more.

    The cast also includes Melanie Lynskey, Jane Levy, Scott Glenn, and Terry O’Quinn. “Castle Rock” premieres July 25 on Hulu.