At the core ofOriginis the romance between Wilkerson and her husband Brett Kelly Hamilton (Jon Berthal).
Did it come in the form of a completed script?
Was it a conversation with Ava DuVernay?
Did you read the book first?
How was this presented to you?
JON BERNTHAL: I read the book, and I was an enormous fan.
The unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.
You just know its true.
Its something that youve always felt, but you just never had the ability to articulate it for yourself.
Thats how I really felt when I readCaste.
I was just a big fan.
And then, I heard Ava was down to meet me and that she was making a movie.
I didnt understand how that could possibly ever work.
Its so nuanced and its so rich and its so dense.
But I really, really, really wanted to work with Ava.
Also, Im just such a humongous fan of Aunjanue [Ellis-Taylor].
I got to work with her onKing Richard, but we didnt get that much stuff together.
I just thought, Wow, I would love to get into it with this woman.
I flew myself down to Savannah and I sat down with Ava.
We talked for hours, and we went on this super long walk through the city.
We talked aboutCasteand growing up.
I talked about growing up in D.C. She talked about growing up in L.A.
Image via NEON
I felt like there was just this really, really strong connection.
I really wanted to support these three women.
I believe in them.
Image via NEON
Im a fan of them.
Im in awe of them.
Thats your role here.And it was cool.
Image via Marvel Television
You start putting that in motion and going, Okay, Ive gotta make tea.
Ive gotta find keys.
Ive gotta get a sweater.
Thats who the guy was.
I loved presenting that flavor of marriage.
Thats something that I get.
Starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, ‘Origin’ is an odd adaptation that takes too long to make its concept work.
I, too, am in Aunjanue Ellis-Taylors fan club.
I think she is truly one of the best actresses working today.
BERNTHAL: We talked about it a lot.
Aunjanue and I hung out a lot offset.
Limitations and boundaries can be enormously fruitful in art, I believe.
There was not much screen time.
We had to fill so much of it through the lens of memory.
We wanted to build the dynamics of that relationship through these really limited moments.
There was a lot of talk and a lot of discussion.
There were a lot of things that we had to fight for.
Im grateful for that.
Thats something Im enormously proud of.
Its just so compelling to watch your relationship play out in this.
You guys were really electric together, even when you were just doing the smallest things.
BERNTHAL: A huge part of this thing was just to be able to dive in with her.
It really was the defining motivation for me to go and fight for this part.
I really wanted to be in that situation with her.
How do you handle things like that?
BERNTHAL: Oh, man, thats every day.
Its never not that way, and I love it.
Im addicted to that.
I never want that to change.
Its why I love being a husband.
I fail every single day.
But I swing for the fences.
Its the same way with acting.
Youre never gonna get it licked.
Youre never gonna have it perfect.
The journey never ends.
And those are the only journeys worth going on.
If I stop being nervous, something would be rotten in Denmark.
Do you know whats next for you?
Are you currently shooting something?
BERNTHAL: Yeah, I have a bunch of things.
I dont know how much Im allowed to talk about.I know Im doingThe Accountant 2with Ben Affleck.
I think thats next.And then, there are a few other things.
I just dont know whether Im allowed to really say.
Im continuing to write on my show.
I have four or five projects that were going in to work.
ButThe Accountantshould be next.
Are you glad to finally be shooting that?
It feels like weve been waiting for that movie forever.
BERNTHAL: For a long time, yeah.
Look, I love (director) Gavin [OConnor].
Bill Dubuque is one of my favorite writers.
Im really grateful to be back at work, period.
Im hopeful about this next period of time.
It was really hard on a lot of people.
There are folks and families whose lives depend on a consistent amount of work that arent in our union.
Those people have really been through it, and Im just really glad to get back to work.
Do you feel like there is still more in that character?
What would you be excited to still explore with him?
I think it was announced that were doing more.
I think I can say that.
Yeah, of course.
When you didThe Bear, did you have any idea that youd be returning?
What was your reaction to reading the Fishes script?
That truly was one of the most memorable episodes in a season of a series that Ive ever seen.
BERNTHAL: What an unbelievable gift and what a beautiful group of people.
My first gig ever was understudying him in an Off-Broadway play.
We didPunishertogether.We worked together a few other times.
These people are incredible.
I really think its special.
He said, Look, man, we want you to come play this part.
I call him Bone.
I said, Bone, Id love to do anything for you, but I cant come to Chicago.
Andthey actually flew to L.A. and shot that scene from Season 1 during a lunch break.
I didnt know what I was signing up for.
I didnt know what it was.
And then, in the next season, there was a Murders Row of incredible actors.
That really isThe Bearto me.
I love those people.
I believe in them so much.
Im so grateful that I get to come and play with them a little bit from time to time.
I love hearing the passion you have for each of these projects youve been doing.
BERNTHAL: Thank you.
Ultimately, thats the highest bar for me.
Thats the highest aim.
So many peoples kids are gonna get to see this movie.
And I really think this movie does that.
Its vitally important, and I just hope people see it.
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