Tyler James Williams Talks Dear White People And The Walking DeadPosted by Wilson Morales
October 27, 2014
Currently playing nationwide is Justin Simien’s critically acclaimed 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 Tyler James Williams, who is best known for playing the title character of the Chris Rock-inspired sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, his role in DWP represents a new phase in his career as he’s now older and tackling bigger roles. Besides also appearing in the Disney Channel Original Movie Let It Shine, the Westchester County, New York native just landed a big time role on the hottest TV series at the moment, The Walking Dead.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke to Williams on his role on Dear White People, working with the cast and his role on The Walking Dead, which he couldn’t elaborate on due to the gag clause he has to adhere to.
How would you best describe Lionel?
Tyler James Williams: Lionel is an individual who doesn’t want to be labeled in any one way, shape, or form. He wants to be seen as an individual. He doesn’t want to take a side to say that he’s one specific thing. He has an opinion of what he’s seeing and what people are going through.
What attracted you to the role?
TJW: It was something that needed to be talked about. I think every actor wants to do something in their career that stands for something and contribute to the world and I think that this film was for me. It was like I had to do this project regardless of how it got negotiated.
How do you best sell this film? Who’s the audience for it?
TJW: I honestly have no idea. I thought I knew until I started running into people who would say, “I can’t wait to see this.” There were people who I thought were completely out of the demographics. We have everything from your typical college liberal, who is for every cause, to your starch white conservatives, who after they saw it, was like “I feel like everybody needs to see this.” That’s what makes this movie so good. That we can get everybody in the room to sit and talk about it. Once they realize that this title is not some open letter. It’s about a girl who disses her radio show and the title is the name of her radio show and her opinions are warped in a sense. I think that’s what brings people into it. I just tell people to go see it and then me what they thought about it.
How was working with Justin?
TJW: It was great. I think it took someone like Justin to make this movie. Someone who had not only something to prove, but just something to say. I think people end up making so much money in the industry that they don’t have anything to say anymore and I think that was this was. He got together a bunch of people who felt the same way. We have something that we need to say. It’s no coincidence that we’re twenty somethings. We see the world changing and we want people to move along with the times instead of fighting it.
With the exception of you, Tessa and Dennis Haysbert, the rest of the cast are relatively new in the eyes of most. How was working with the cast and establishing while shooting in Minneapolis?
TJW: I was in a class with Kyle Gallner for the longest so I’ve known his work and knew he could do well in this film, but as we met and started doing our first rehearsals and table reads, no one was a slouch. Everybody could contribute. Even those who were Minnesota hires were really great for the film and made it more diversified and made it more real. As actors we get used to talking a certain way and saying our lines a certain way, that these new people who are just green were so good in bringing diversity to that mix.
Was there any part of this film that you could relate to?
TJW: Absolutely. I’ve been saying that when I see Troy modulating his blackness, I’m so guilty of that. It made me as if they were reading my book in front of the entire world until I look around and saw that everyone felt the same way. Another thing that Justin did so well was that it wasn’t just his experience, it was the experience of everyone. He had a lot of conversations with a lot of people.
How was wearing the wig?
TJW: If there was one thing, I absolutely hated wearing the wig. It was a burning of the wig after production was over. I’m not ready to do Star Wars or whatever because I’m not used to sitting in a chair for that long and stuff messed with and pinned down and glued. I just can’t…
How long would it had taken you to grow your hair that way?
TJW: It would have taken at least a year and a half out to really prep that, but I also didn’t want to cut my hair because I didn’t know if they would have to add to my hair or other scenarios. There was a lot of planning around my hair that I wasn’t excited about.
Not only are you in this film, but you will also will be back on television on The Walking Dead, the hottest show on TV. How excited are you to join the series?
TJW: I’m ecstatic. I was a fan beforehand and it’s great to be able to work with everyone. It’s always exciting to work with great actors. I could care less about the project and how it’s received and how well it does. As long as I can work with great actors, I’m happy. I’m working with some of the best right now. Andrew Lincoln is nothing but a force to be reckon with. He made me realize the type of actor I want to be for the rest of my life and how I want to deal with people and actors on set. He leads by example in all ways. To see people who I admired and to have the chance to work with them and The Walking Dead is notorious for hiring a lot of folks from The Wire and that’s great to work with people who I have seen and admired for so long.
Which do you find more pleasing, TV or film?
TJW: I find film more pleasant, maybe for prep purposes. With The Walking Dead, there’s so many monumental episodes that you have to prep hard for one while you’re shooting another. Every actor walks away from TV wondering if they did enough. With film, it’s tackling the whole thing in one time, which is really cool and great. In that sense, I prefer film.
