.
. >>> WE ARE ON THE ROOF WITH
ACCLAIMED ACTOR FOREST WHITAKER
KNOWN FOR EVERYTHING FROM GLOBAL
BLOCKBUSTERS LIKE BLACK PANTHER
TO COMPLEX DRAUMS, THE LAST
BUTLER WHICH ONE HIM ANS A OSCAR
EDIE AMIN.
EDIE AMIN. HE STARRED IN THE NEW EPIC SHOW
"THE GOD FATHER OF HARLEM."
LET’S TAKE A LOOK.
>> IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME,
JOSEPH.
JOSEPH. >> WELCOME BACK.
>> JUST BECAUSE YOU PAY SUGAR,
DON’T THINK YOU CAN PLAY ME.
>> I HEARD YOU GOT OUT, BROTHER.
>> WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT FROM
ME?
ME? >> THERE IS SOMETHING I WANT YOU
TO SEE.
TO SEE. >> MORE HERO WIN COMES OUT OF
ANY OTHER PLACE THAN HARLEM.
>> IT WASN’T LIKE THIS WHEN I
WENT AWAY.
WENT AWAY. >> SETTING DOWN DRUG CORNERS IS
THE NATION’S CAUSE.
>> I GOT GUNS.
>> I GOT SOLDIERS.
>> FOREST WHITAKER, IT’S GREAT
TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> IT’S GREAT TO BE HERE.
>> HOW DO YOU APPROACH THIS
CHARACTER PLAYING THIS GANGSTER.
>> BOBBY JOHNSON WAS THE
GODFATHER OF HARLEM, A NOTORIOUS
GANGSTER.
GANGSTER. SO I GOT A CHANCE TO LOOK AT HIS
CRIMINAL RECORDS, LOOK AT HIS
POETRY AND TRY TO LOOK
HISTORICALLY WHAT’S GOING ON.
BECAUSE THIS PIECE KIND OF
MARRIES LIKE CRIMINAL WORLD WITH
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND
ALSO THE POLITICAL SYSTEM THAT’S
GOING ON IN THE COUNTRY AT THE
TIME.
TIME. >> YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
HISTORY.
HISTORY. WE SEE THIS GANGSTER AND WE SEE
HIM AS A LAW BREAKER.
BUT THE SHOW ALSO PORTRAYS HIM
DEALING WITH LAWMAKERS, ADAM
CLAYTON POW EM, CIVIL RIGHTS
LEADERS.
LEADERS. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT IN THE
STORY?
STORY? >> I THINK IT’S CRITICAL BECAUSE
THE PIECE IS TALKING ABOUT
TRAYING TO PURSUE THE AMERICAN
DREAM, THE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES
THAT STOP YOU FROM BEING ABLE TO
DO THAT.
DO THAT. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BOBBY
JOHNSON AND HIS FRIEND MALCOLM X
IS CRUCIAL TO THE PIECE.
WE’RE WATCHING THIS SORT OF
CRIMINAL UNDERCLASS, WHICH IS
BUMPY’S CHARACTER AND HOW IT’S
AFFECTING THE COMMUNITY, ITSELF.
>> NOW, I HAVE BEEN WATCHING
YOU, LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR A
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. TODAY MEETING YOU FOR THE FIRST
TIME IS FURTHER PROOF OF WHAT A
TRANSFORMATIVE ACTOR YOU ARE,
BECAUSE YOU COULDN’T BE MORE
DIFFERENT IN PERSON AND MORE
CHILL THAN SOME OF YOUR
PERFORMANCES.
PERFORMANCES. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> YOU BLEW A LOT OF PEOPLE AWAY
IN THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND.
LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
>> I WANT YOU TO TELL ME WHAT NO
DO!
DO! >> YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU WHAT
YOU WANT TO DO?
>> YOU ARE MY ADVISER.
ARE YOU THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN
TRUST ME HERE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME NOT TO
SHOW THE AGENTS OUT IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
PLACE. I BEGGED, BUT YOU COULD NOT
PERSUADE ME TO COLLAPSE.
>>> YOU DID NOT PERSUADE ME!
>> WHAT ARE YOU CHANNELING WILL?
>> I DID SO MUCH RESEARCH AND
WORK ON THAT, I THINK I STARTED
LIKE FIVE OR SIX MONTHS BEFORE I
WENT OUT, BECAUSE HE LEADS WHAT
HE LEADS, SETTING THE HISTORY
AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE
POLITICS OF THE DAY AND I GOT
THERE AND STARTED MEETING
EVERYONE I COULD, HIS FAMILY,
AND EXPARLIAMENTARIANS, JUST
REPORTERS, PEOPLE ON THE STREET.
IT BECAME A LONG EXPLORATION OF
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS MAN
AND UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS BEING
PUT THROUGH, TOO, IN ORDER TO
MAKE HIM MAKE SOME OF THE
CHOICES THAT HE DID, WHICH WERE
PRETTY HORRIFIC.
PRETTY HORRIFIC. >> I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE
WAY PEOPLE REACT TO YOU IN POP
CULTURE.
CULTURE. BECAUSE YOU’VE GOTTEN TO THIS
POINT WHERE YOU’RE KIND OF IN
THAT LEGEND STATUS.
YOU MAY NOT SEE YOURSELF THAT
WAY.
WAY. OTHER PEOPLE DO.
HAVE YOU HEARD THE MIGO SONG
FOREST WHITAKER?
FOREST WHITAKER? >> I LIKE MICO.
>> YOU LIKE MICO?
HOW DID YOU FIRST HEAR THAT
SONG?
SONG? >> I THINK THE FIRST TIME MY
DAUGHTER CALLED ME FROM SCHOOL,
THEY WERE PLAYING THIS SONG.
THEN I LISTENED TO IT.
IT’S REALLY PRETTY BRILLIANT HOW
THEY TOOK ALL THESE DIFFERENT
FILMS AND THINGS I’VE DONE AND
PUT THEM TOGETHER IN THIS
AMAZING SONG.
AMAZING SONG. THEY’RE -- IT WAS QUITE
SURPRISINGS, ACTUALLY.
SURPRISINGS, ACTUALLY. >> CAN I READ YOU SOME OF THE
MIGOS’ LINES?
MIGOS’ LINES? >> SURE.
>> SURE. >> YOU TALKING ABOUT GAS?
WE’RE HAVING A FOREST.
CAME FROM THE GUMP, NO FOREST.
BREAK IN YOUR SAFE HOUSE LIKE
WHITAKER.
WHITAKER. WHO YOU TALKING ABOUT?
FOREST WHITAKER.
FOREST WHITAKER. IF YOU DIDN’T GET THE PICTURE.
>> I THINK THAT WAS INTERESTING
BECAUSE ON THE SHOW, THE SHOW,
ITSELF, WE, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO
BE SO WE WORKED ON THE MUSIC ON
THE SOUND TRACK AND HE BROUGHT
IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT MUSICIANS
AND ARTISTS.
AND ARTISTS. BUT HE SAVAGED, SAVAGE, BELLY,
YOU KNOW, RICK ROSS, TMX CAME UP
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT. SO ALL THESE DIFFERENT ARTISTS.
AND I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR
WHAT THEY’RE DOING, TRYING TO
DO, SO.
DO, SO. >> IN WRAPPING UP, I’D LIKE TO
DO A LITTLE LIGHTNING ROUND WITH
YOU.
YOU. >> U-OH.
>> U-OH. >> OFF GIVE ME A WORD OR A
SENTENCE OR GO LONGER.
BUMPY JOHNSON.
BUMPY JOHNSON. >> CRIME LORD.
>> MALCOLM X.
>> SAVING.
>> SAVING. >> EDIE AMIN.
>> DICTATOR.
>> DICTATOR. >> BARACK OBAMA?
>> LEADER.
>> LEADER. >> DONALD TRUMP.
>> I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN FIND
QUITE THE RIGHT WORDS.