Marque Richardson Talks ‘Dear White People’Posted by Wilson Morales
October 15, 2014
Coming out this week is Justin Simien’s highly anticipated film, Dear White People, which was the Winner of the Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Simien’s debut feature is a satirical look at campus life and racial politics at a fictional Ivy League college, and stars Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Brandon P. Bell, Kyle Gallner, Malcolm Barrett, Brittany Curran, Marque Richardson, and Dennis Haysbert.
The unexpected election of activist Samantha White (Tessa Thompson) as head of a traditionally black residence hall sets up a college campus culture war that challenges conventional notions of what it means to be black. While Sam leverages her notoriety as host of the provocative and polarizing radio show “Dear White People” to try to prevent the college from diversifying Armstrong Parker House, outgoing head-of-house Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P. Bell), son of the university’s dean (Dennis Haysbert), defies his father’s lofty expectations by applying to join the staff of Pastiche, the college’s influential humor magazine. Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams), an Afro-sporting sci-fi geek, is recruited by the otherwise all-white student newspaper to go undercover and write about black culture—a subject he knows little about—while the aggressively assimilated Coco Conners (Teyonah Parris) tries to use the controversy on campus to carve out a career in reality TV.
For Marque Richardson, who’s been in the entertainment business since childhood, having starred in commercials, being a national award winning tap dancer, interning at Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment, and gaining recurring roles on HBO’s True Blood and The Newsroom, this particular role and film hit a little close to home as he himself has gone to a predominant white school where he stood out among his peers.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke with the USC grad about his role and experiences on ‘Dear White People.’
How would you describe your character Reggie Smith?
Marque Richardson: I would say that he’s a modern day Malcolm X mixed in with Buggin’ Out from Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’. He’s a black militant, strong, aggressive man, but he also defers some of his responsibilities to some of the other characters. For example, there’s Sam. It’s Reggie’s responsibility to run for class president but lets her do it and there’s also an incident towards the end of the film where he could have be more involved but defers that situation to Lionel. That’s how I would describe my friend Reggie.
What attracted you to this role?
MR: Well, Brandon Bell, who plays Troy in the film, and I have been friends for about 10-11 years and once I saw the concept trailer, I knew I had to be a part of the film. I got a hold of the script and read it. I actually knew Lena Waite, who’s one of the producers of the project. I knew her from here and there and we’re friends. I told her all I need is an audition. The same thing with Justin. I had worked with him on another concept trailer for a pilot that Lena wrote and should be out sometime next year. I also asked him for an audition. I sent emails and texts. Pretty much stalked them and they gave me an audition. Not for the role that I wanted but ended up getting the role that I wanted, which was Reggie and I was excited about that. It was something that we knew was special. You don’t come across too many projects like this where you just really want to be a part of. The other special factor is that we’re all friends for the most part. We knew of each other. It felt like summer camp when we were shooting the film in Minneapolis. It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
With a title like ‘Dear White People,’ controversy is bound to come up. Who is the audience for the film?
MR: I think it’s for everyone. As you mentioned, the title of the film is controversial and it helps get your attention and hopefully that helps gets people in seats to actually watch the film if they’re interested. When you watch the film, it’s a story about identity. At the end of the day, the story follows black students and their identity issues. Just from the different screenings we’ve had, from Sundance and at different colleges, the audience have always been very diverse; with different backgrounds and it resonates with all types of people. The film is fun, smart and funny. At the end of the day, the film is for everyone.
Having gone to USC, did you experience this type of behavior at school?
MR: To the tee. I was at Sundance and I was sitting next to Justin and we’re about to do an interview on ‘Democracy Now’ and right then it hit me that I had actually lived this experience. I didn’t know. My brain is a little slow at times, but then it hit me, and I was like, “Oh Man!” Brandon and I lived in an all-black floor at USC with about 32 other black students in a predominantly white campus. We lived this story to the tee. It just so happens that it didn’t hit me until six months later when we were done shooting.
What did you learn from working with Justin again?
MR: Justin’s phenomenal as a director. I don’t know how to describe it any other way. I’ve worked on other projects with seasoned directors who have been in the business for however long, but for Justin to have this as his first time feature as a director, he’s way ahead of the game. He’s actor’s director. He knows how to communicate exactly what he wants and there’s still enough room for me as actor to create a character, a partnership. He’s the captain of the ship. It was an honor to work with him. I can’t wait to see how his career pans out.
Can you talk about working with this cast?
MR: It’s an ensemble piece where a lot of the characters have arcs, full completed arcs and it’s not often that you get that as well. Everyone is so talented from Tessa to Kyle, Tyler, Brandon, Teyonah, and everybody. It was an amazing experience. It was special. I can’t wait to see where we all are 5, 10 and 20 years down the line.
What else do you have coming up?
MR: I’m working on a project called ‘Dating Daisy,’ an indie rom-com which I start towards the end of the year. There are other projects where nothing is confirmed yet but it’s hard work. I started in this business when I was four but I didn’t start working in TV and film until my junior year in college. In terms of what’s next, we shall see.
For you and Brandon, not only did you have the talent to get in the film, but you also had a connection. Outside of this film, how hard is it getting roles?
MR: It’s a hustle, everyday. In any industry, your network is your net worth and so it’s no different in entertainment. We audition daily and weekly and you continue to build your work. I’ve worked with the same directors on different shows and you build your family and your network. At the end of the day, it’s always a hustle, auditioning. Even as you climb the hierarchy, it’s still a hustle but with different challenges. At the end of the day, we just to want to work and do good quality work, but it is a hustle.
