Cassandra Freeman talks Blue CapriceBy Wilson Morales
September 10, 2013
Coming out this week in theaters is the D.C. Sniper story Blue Caprice, starring Isaiah Washington and Tequan Richmond.
Directed by Alexandre Moors with a screenplay by R.F.I. Porto, Blue Caprice also features Joey Lauren Adams, Tim Blake Nelson, Cassandra Freeman and Leo Fitzpatrick.
The film is a haunting psychological thriller about an abandoned boy (Richmond) lured to America into the shadows of a dangerous father figure (Washington). Inspired by true events, the film investigates the notorious and horrific Beltway sniper attacks from the point of view of the two killers, whose distorted father-son relationship facilitated their long and bloody journey across America.
Blue Caprice is based on the story of the real-life Beltway sniper attacks of 2002, orchestrated by John Allen Muhammad, and Lee Boyd Malvo.
For Freeman, who got her first break playing Denzel Washington‘s girlfriend in Spike Lee‘s crime thriller “Inside Man,” and was recently seen in a recurring role on VH1’s “Single Ladies,’ the role gives her an opportunity to flex her talent when opposite Washington and directed by Moors.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, the West Palm Beach, Florida native talks about her role in the film and what attracts her to projects.
What role do you play in the film?
Cassandra Freeman: I play a woman named Angela, who’s a very cool lady and someone from John’s past whom he tries to use and hide out with basically.
Is the character a composite of women who were in John’s life or is she based on someone’s life?
CF: That’s a great question. I really don’t know. I know that she’s not one specific person so they put some facts in there and took licenses in other areas.
How much of the story did you know prior to taking on the role?
CF: My sister lives in Virginia so I knew a lot about the terrorism that was happening at that point in time. I did some research, but the truth is that with my character, the less I knew the better. She comes into his life before any of the killings occur.
What attracted you to the film?
CF: That’s simple. There’s a great video from Kanye West called ‘Runaway.’ After seeing that video so many times, I finally went online, did some research and saw that Alexandre Moor was one of the directors. With that video, it seemed like Stanley Kubrick came back to life. Out of the blue, I get an offer to be in the film. I didn’t audition for it. It was just an offer. I didn’t even read the script. When I saw the director’s name, I was shaking. I just called my agents and told them to say yes. This guy is the next brilliant director. Then I read the script and I’m glad I did. It’s a powerful film.
How was working with Isaiah?
CF: Isaiah is a force of nature. That man was born to act. I have a lot of energy and it was so cool to work with him because he totally understood who I was, but he would call me “Lucille” as in Lucille Ball just to clown around. He was like this sexy clown. He’s extremely funny but to act with him is like breathing because you don’t have to do very much.
What do you think folks will get from seeing the film?
CF: From the performance aspect, they will be thrilled with Isaiah’s work and they will be equally impressed with Tequan’s performance. He was so good in the film with a quiet and relaxed performance. Artistically, from the cinematography and direction, it’s beautifully well done. The way they told the story is amazing. Alexandre was looking to get into the psychology of John. It’s very understandable in a way to see this man fall apart. He has his own breakdown. There are so many issues from that film that can be discussed and the artistry should be among the ones mentioned. The violence doesn’t come at you as one would expect when told about the killings. The film is more of a psychological thriller.
What do you look for when taking on roles?
CF: Whether it’s TV, film, or a play, it has to be something that stands out. It can be the director, who I think is brilliant, and someone I want to work with, or the cast, people I want to work with; or the story or subject is something I want to tackle. I just did a film called ‘Somewhere in the Middle,’ directed by Lanre Olabisi. He did a film a few years ago called ‘August the First.’ The reason I did the film was because the script was different. It’s similar to the film ‘Kinyarwanda’ but the character I play is different from what I’ve done before. ‘Single Ladies’ was awesome to work on because I hadn’t done anything comedic on-screen. There are a number of reasons why I choose the work I do.
Blue Caprice hits theaters on September 13.
