I couldnt agree more with that statement.
He continued, She’s like, I look white, but I’m being judged.
There’s a lot of prejudice against me, and I can’t be in the same classroom.
And I was just like, What is this movie?
This is so complicated.
Why am I crying?
Image via Sundance Institute
In addition to that inspiration, Harrison Jr. also had the benefit of coming from a family of performers.
My dad is a classically trained saxophonist and he studied with some of the best musicians out there.
It was a very strict schedule.
It was about discipline.
The tricky thing then becomes managing the power of that inspiration and work ethic.
Harrison Jr. laughed and recalled, We were having this conversation yesterday.
[They] were like, ‘When you gonna take a break?
And I was like, Not this year.
But I also seek out things that kind of parallel where I’m growing in my life.
I’ll go with you.
Harrison Jr. went through with the audition himself and scored a callback for a featured extra role.
He recalled, I had this one line; Nightmares launching.
Image via Sundance Institute
Keep em to yourself.
And I said it like 10 times and then they were like, You got the part!
I shot that movie for like four months.
I didn’t go to high school.
It was my senior year, and I didn’t go to school.
“I was in the Salamander army.
Image via Neon
He laughed and added, It sounds so bad, but it’s the truth.
I can make $800 a day if I just get this one line.
And everyone’s like, Well,Anthony Mackie.
I was like, An anomaly.
Who’s gonna be another Anthony Mackie?
However, that sentiment changed thanks to the movieTheBirth of a Nation.
It was like, he looked like me so I was like, Whoa.’
It was about following your heart and about having something greater than you that brought you here.
And I was like, Whoa, that’s why I’m here.
I was like, Open my eyes.
Open up the way I view the world, you know what I mean?
Harrison Jr. continued, [Julius] fed me as a human being and as an actor.
I mean, I’m not acting just to act, you know?
I want something, too.
Natalie Portman, I saw an interview and she talked about howMike Nicholslikes to name the moment.
This is the moment when my mom betrays me.
It’s very detailed.”
Octavia Spencer’s here today.'"
So hes prepped to a tee, but what happens when an industry heavyweight likeNaomi WattsandOctavia Spencerwalk in?
Octavia Spencer’s here today.
They’re all here today.
Do you know your lines, Kelvin?
So the tea kind of helps me relax.
Another tactic Harrison Jr. turns to actually comes fromAlicia Vikander.
“I didn’t go to Juilliard or anything like that for acting.
She said, It was kind of giving me anxiety, so I just blacked it out.
And she said, I only focused on what was coming up in that week.
Now Harrison Jr. takes a similar approach with his own work.
Because if I think about it too much then I’m screwed.
But in the meantime, Harrison Jr. has great examples to follow thanks to Spencer and Watts.
It was meant to be.
It was meant to be.
She’s very here.
It’s really weird because the movie I made was likeLuce.
It’s calledBehind Blue Eyes.
This whole concept actually grew from a single trip to McDonalds!
I was like, This is the strangest thing.
I want to do everything.
I want to at least try, you know?
Seeing it from the other side was like, Whoa, there’s so much here.
There’s so many other players in the room.
Everyone’s trying to support and elevate this one vision.
And, How can I use this and how can I play?
What am I bringing to the table to complement these wonderful artists?'
It just made me appreciate the craft more.
And perhaps now more than ever, we associate big things in Hollywood with scoring a coveted superhero role.
I want to do my indies.
I want to do all of it.
I want to do theI Am Legends.
He also added, I want to do everything.
I want to at least try, you know?
What better attitude for someone to have with a downright radiant future ahead of him?
you’re able to catch Harrison Jr. inLuce, which hits select theaters on August 2nd.
