Movies

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor knows ‘Nickel Boys’ is tough. She believes you can handle it

BBG News

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor knows 'Nickel Boys' is tough. She believes you can handle it
TELLURIDE, Colo. —

As an African-American actor who has spent most of my life navigating the complexities of race and identity in America, I can wholeheartedly relate to Colman Domingo’s sentiments about “Nickel Boys.” The film’s raw portrayal of brutality against American children mirrors the harsh realities that many Black children faced during segregation.

In a Telluride hotel restaurant, I find myself seated in a booth, while Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor listens to Louis Armstrong’s rendition of “Makin’ Whoopee” on her mobile device.

It’s not a bad way to start a Sunday morning.

Afterward, she launches a Spotify playlist and selects “Autumn in New York,” performed by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. She shares that she and a friend are arranging an autumn excursion to upstate New York, and her companion has shared some tunes to help set the atmosphere for their upcoming journey.

Ellis-Taylor and I have run into each other several times recently at the small Telluride Festival – and every time, she’s been impeccably dressed, sporting a unique pair of vibrant, eye-catching glasses. Despite people saying that Telluride is laid-back, “just sweatpants,” she refused to showcase her new movie, “Nickel Boys,” in casual clothes. With a chuckle, she stated emphatically, “I’m not kidding,” while displaying a golden ring adorned with a serpent design.

“I love it because I’m from Mississippi and snakes abound,” she says.

Raised on her grandmother’s farm in Magnolia, Mississippi, Ellis-Taylor’s upbringing played a significant role in her connection with “Nickel Boys,” Ramell Ross’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s acclaimed novel. This moving tale portrays the bond between two African American boys at a harsh reform school in Florida during the early 1960s, set against the backdrop of racial inequality. After watching Ross’ 2018 Oscar-nominated documentary “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” which showcased the lives of Black individuals in a disadvantaged Alabama community, Ellis-Taylor was captivated and managed to find his number at Brown University, where he teaches. She then left him a message expressing her admiration for his work.

As an alumna of Brown University, I still recall the switchboard number by memory, and I shared a message with him, though I’m uncertain if it reached him. If it did, I imagine the receptionist might have thought, “Ma’am, you seem to think this system operates differently, but it doesn’t.” Yet, my intention wasn’t to follow protocol; instead, I yearned to convey my profound admiration for his extraordinary work.

Five years on, she eventually consented to portray the crucial character of a caring, dedicated grandmother in “Nickel Boys,” which is where we conversed for an hour in that Telluride eatery.

Why did your reaction to “Hale County” seem so intense that you playfully mentioned you might track down the director?

I find depictions of the Southern region intriguing, but in many cases, they don’t resonate with me. In fact, they often leave me feeling misunderstood or disrespected. This is particularly true when these representations take on a stereotypical or exaggerated form.

Do you still identify as a Southern woman?

Indeed, I wholeheartedly agree. This piece resonated deeply within me, striking a chord with my own experiences and those of people I’m familiar with. It depicted scenes from trailer parks, the mud puddles outside trailers, and lives lived within them. What stood out to me was that it wasn’t portrayed in a derisive manner, but rather as something genuine and deeply felt. It wasn’t an outsider’s view, but an insider’s perspective, full of empathy and investment. I found it truly captivating.

Had you read “Nickel Boys” before being offered the part?

I knew about it, but hadn’t taken the time to read it yet. Regardless of whether it was by Ramell Ross, it didn’t particularly excite me. I have encountered such directors before – individuals like that in general. However, I am simply eager to be involved in their projects. Ava DuVernay is one of those individuals, and Lee Daniels is another. I admire what they do, and I appreciate their innovative approach to filmmaking, going beyond the final product they present.

Did you circle back to the book? Is reading an adaptation’s source material important to you?

To put it straightforwardly, I initiated working on it, but unfortunately, I didn’t complete the task deliberately. Here’s the rationale behind my decision: For a project similar to [the 2023 DuVernay movie] “Origin,” I needed to deeply comprehend Miss Isabel Wilkerson’s thoughts as I was going to portray her character. Her intellectual insights, her scholarly work, could not be something I familiarized myself with only on the day of the project. Instead, it had to be a part of my daily life and understanding for a more authentic portrayal.

“The novel ‘Nickel Boys’ is based on real events, but it is still a version told by someone else. I didn’t want to feel bound by what Colson Whitehead wrote, as my mind often questions why certain parts of the book aren’t being followed strictly. Instead, I chose to approach this story with an open mind, understanding that it was part of RaMell’s unique creation. The stories may differ significantly.”

How would you explain the differences between the book and the movie?

There’s an approach to the story that could beautifully honor the story Colson Whitehead wrote. And it would be great. It would also be sufficient. We all would think, “That’s what I read.” But what RaMell wants to do, it seems to me, is build something out of the actual narrative that makes it bigger than what happened to those boys in Florida. That it didn’t just happen to them, that there is a tradition of those reform schools all around this country. And it’s a history that we have ignored, that we have not really unearthed and it has not been vindicated.

In my perspective, Ramell skillfully braids the events depicted in this archival footage with the broader context of our nation’s history. This technique allows us a glimpse into these boys’ experiences, but also underscores the ongoing narrative within our country. It’s precisely this approach that makes this film compelling. When we engage with such storytelling, it stirs a sense of shared responsibility within us. And indeed, we all share that responsibility for what transpired to those children.

As we chatted before, you mentioned you hadn’t caught the film yet. Does seeing yourself on the big screen ever feel challenging for an actor like you?

Instead of merely accepting it blindly, you recognize that sometimes work is simply about survival and providing for the people in your life. You’re grateful for these opportunities, even thanking Jesus for them. However, there are beliefs that you hold dear, which you wish others could share as deeply as you do. To maintain an unbiased perspective, you steer clear of forming judgments and being swayed by opinions, both yours and others’. You strive to avoid becoming a passive observer and instead aim to actively promote these values. In essence, you aspire not just to consume, but to be a catalyst for them.

If you’re attending the movie premiere at the theater, you’re essentially bringing along your own critical analysis.

Exactly. It becomes an immediate critique.

If spectators exit during a film screening, such as at festivals, it might leave an impact on you. Following the initial showing, I conversed with individuals who expressed difficulty in following the movie due to its alternation between the perspectives of the two protagonists and its subjective, dreamlike narrative style. They found “The Nickel Boys” particularly tough to endure.

I want to say something about that. I’ve had people that have seen it tell me it’s tough. I think that we have been conditioned as moviegoers, particularly in this country, to have an expectation of how we should feel watching a film. I want to be an advocate for cinema that is not palliative. I think a lot of times, people want to come into a space that is saying: We are unearthing a tragedy, a brutality against American children. But somehow they want to leave that space feeling good.

They want to leave feeling uplifted, not feeling unmoored.

Absolutely. It’s regrettable indeed that “Nickel Boys” delves into the harsh reality of brutality experienced by American children. This should leave us feeling uneasy and puzzled. Why? Because if we can experience even a fraction of their pain, it allows us to genuinely empathize with what they endured throughout their lives.

You know, people ask me — I don’t want to be indulgent here, but I do want to say this — because I often play real characters and some of them suffer. Isabel Wilkerson suffered greatly in what we captured in “Origin.” And I’ve been asked, “What is that like for you to play someone who’s going through that? What is it like for you to absorb that? How do you decompress?” And my response is, “I’m good. It’s a privilege for me to do that.” When I’m playing suffering Isabel Wilkerson, Ava DuVernay at some point is going to say “cut.” Isabel Wilkerson didn’t have that privilege. The children in those reform schools didn’t have that privilege. What RaMell wants to do in the movie is make us feel just a little bit of what was unbearable to those children.

In “The Nickel Boys,” a significant portion of your character is revealed in brief moments. What sort of emotion were you aiming to evoke within these scenes?

Hattie adores Elwood, and her affection for him is evident from every pore. A moment captures them both as they deck the halls with holiday cheer, their banter adding sparkle to the scene. In those times, women, especially Black ones, seldom found moments of pure joy and childlike delight due to overwhelming responsibilities. Yet, here was Hattie, reveling in her grandson’s presence – a sight that embodied my hope for happiness amidst hardship.

What kind of relationship did you have with your grandmother, the woman who raised you?

She didn’t show me much affection, but my grandmother made sure I was fed, clothed, and attended church. Her love for me was evident in the way she cared for me within those boundaries. However, Hattie frequently shows warmth towards Elwood.

Do you still have family in Mississippi?

My sister resides in Hattiesburg with my niece and nephew, while I remain in Mississippi, but I’ve been spending a significant amount of time in Georgia lately. Maintaining a presence in the South is crucial for me, no matter where life takes me. The South has faced the Great Migration, which unfortunately led to it becoming a sanctuary for Confederates within our nation. They’ve rebranded themselves numerous times, but at its core, that’s what it remains. Due to this mass movement, we haven’t been equipped to combat the issue effectively. Therefore, I need to stay there. As Beyoncé puts it, America has a problem, but I won’t back down.

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2024-09-02 22:32

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