Ray Fisher Says ‘The Piano Lesson’ Was a ‘Palette Cleanser’ After ‘Career Hardships’ Due to DC Studios Controversy
Ray Fisher ignites the screen as Lymon, the best friend of lead character Boy Willie Charles, played by John David Washington, in Netflix’s period drama “The Piano Lesson.” His portrayal has even sparked some early Oscar buzz.
Fisher’s last few years have been challenging following his public dispute with “Justice League” director Joss Whedon and former DC Films president Walter Hamada. But this project offers Fisher a chance to move forward.
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“What helped this entire process is, I’ve got to give it up to August Wilson,” Fisher said during an interview at the Variety Studio, sponsored by J.Crew and SharkNinja, at the Toronto International Film Festival. “The juxtaposition that existed within the piece, within the character. I think there’s a little of Lymon Jackson in all of us. There’s an innocence about him in this piece that many lose as time passes, especially when you endure such hardship. For me, it was a palate cleanser in many ways because I’ve endured specific hardships in my life and some career hardships. Being able to come back into this space and say, ‘I don’t want to get hung up on this. I don’t want to feel resentful for anything that happened.’ I want to move on, and that’s what Lymon represents.”
Based on Wilson’s 1987 play of the same name, “The Piano Lesson” follows the Charles family in 1936 Pittsburgh as they grapple with familial trauma and the literal ghosts of their ancestors. Their history of violence, cruelty and oppression is reflected in the intricate carvings on a family piano. At the heart of the story is the fate of this heirloom — whether it will be sold or kept as a memorial to the sacrifices of earlier generations.
Fisher sat with the rest of the cast and filmmakers, including Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins and co-writer Virgil Williams. The atmosphere felt like a Sunday family dinner, with the group constantly joking, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.
That familial bond makes sense, given the film’s director and co-writer, Malcolm Washington, is the younger brother of star John David Washington. Their father, two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, produces the film with Todd Black, while their sister Katia Washington is an executive producer.
The Washington brothers reminisced about growing up with bunk beds.
“John’s best friend Dominic, who’s like my brother, would come over about five nights a week,” Malcolm Washington recalled, laughing. “He’d kick me out of the bunk bed, and I’d sleep in the linen closet. I was talking to him two weeks ago, and Dominic asked, ‘Where was your bedroom?’ I told him, ‘Dominic, you took my room!’ And they put glow-in-the-dark stars in the closet.”
“That’s why he’s so creative,” Deadwyler quipped.
Deadwyler’s powerful portrayal of Berniece, a widowed mother, has earned critical acclaim. When she dives into certain scenes, I tell her that “my chest hurts.”
“Mine too,” she said. “I knew I had to overprepare. I had to prepare for all the conversations we had beforehand that were raw and intuitively driven.”
Williams, who made history as the first Puerto Rican and Black writer to be nominated for an adapted screenplay with “Mudbound” (2017), spoke about adapting the Wilson play. “Fear, reverence and respect were like flashlights for both of us while we investigated and unpacked the material.”
“It’s tough to play two contradictory things,” Potts said of his portrayal of Whining Boy. Meanwhile, Hawkins, who has worked on other literary adaptations such as “The Color Purple” and “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” described his character, Avery Brown, as “a bit slippery because we talked about what his intentions were. He represents upward mobility. I think Wilson is looking down from heaven and saying, ‘Well done.'”
Although Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Doaker, and Denzel Washington were not present for the interview, the cast shared their favorite performances from the two stars. Their picks ranged from “The Hurricane” and “Ricochet” for Denzel Washington to “Snakes on a Plane” and “Django Unchained” for Jackson.
As for the Washington brothers, Malcolm named “Malcolm X” as his favorite of his father’s performances, while John David said, “I’ve seen ‘Glory’ the most.”
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