Interviews: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer Talk ‘Fruitvale Station’

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CHICAGO – Right on the heels of the Trayvon Martin verdict is a new film about a similar divisive and race-controversial event, “Fruitvale Station.” Actor Michael B. Jordan portrays Oscar Grant, a 22 year old African American who was shot in the back during an arrest procedure in Oakland, California.

“Fruitvale Station” refers to the public transportation stop in Oakland where Grant was detained on New Year’s Day, 2009. During his arrest, which he was alleged to be resisting, he was shot in the back by the arresting officer and died the next day. This sparked a citywide protest and a trial that was similar in nature to the Trayvon Martin case.

On Monday, July 1st, two of the actors appeared on the red carpet at the Chicago premiere of the film. Michael B. Jordan and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer – who portrayed Oscar Grant’s mother Wanda – spoke of their relationship with the real life people, and the retelling of the controversial event. Also walking the red carpet was civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson and associate producer Haroula Rose. HollywoodChicago was there to interview all of the participants, and take Exclusive Portraits, during the Chicago premiere of “Fruitvale Station.”

Michael B. Jordan, as Oscar Grant in “Fruitvale Station”

Michael B. Jordan for ‘Fruitvale Station,’ in Chicago on July 1st, 2013 Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Michael B. Jordan is probably best known for his work on the groundbreaking series “The Wire” (as Wallace), but has been acting since he was a child, notably in the Chicago-based film “Hardball” (2001). “Fruitvale Station” is his seventh film.

HollywoodChicago.com: There is a sense of redemption in Oscar Grant. What does redemption mean to you, and did you apply it to your portrayal of Oscar?

Michael B. Jordan: I think redemption is about righting a wrong, and in that pursuit it’s about trying. You can stumble, you can make mistakes, but it’s about trying to do the right thing. That is my definition, and I think that’s how it applies to Oscar as well.

HollywoodChicago.com: You’ve portrayed many memorable characters in TV and films. Which one of those taught you the most about yourself?

Jordan: I’m going to have to say this film, portraying Oscar Grant. I am similar to him, in the sense that we are both people pleasers. I came to realize that about myself when I played him. Oscar was a different person around each individual in his life – different around his mother, his daughter and his friends. He is a social chameleon, and I’m somewhat like that myself.

HollywoodChicago.com: You have a connection to Chicago, in filming the movie ‘Hardball’ as a child actor. What do remember about that shoot?

Jordan: I had the worst haircut ever. I had this ‘fro that was so bad, I was surprised they filmed me with it. [laughs] I remember being in awe of Michigan Avenue, and it’s great to come back and support this film.

Octavia Spencer, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Michael B. Jordan on the Red Carpet for ‘Fruitvale Station.’ Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Octavia Spencer, as Wanda Grant in “Fruitvale Station”

Octavia Spencer for ‘Fruitvale Station,’ in Chicago on July 1st, 2013 Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Octavia Spencer has been a character actor since the mid-1990s, and won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in the 2011 film “The Help,” portraying Minny. She also recently appeared in “Smashed” (2012).

HollywoodChicago.com: As a character actor, which element of role persona do you want to absorb when you first pick up a script?

Octavia Spencer: As an actor, I’ve learned to become a detective. You have to figure out who that person is. If the character is a thief, you have to figure out what makes them a thief. Whatever the prevailing idiosyncrasy is, I have to find it in the script.

HollywoodChicago.com: In that sense, what did you find out about Wanda Grant in ‘Fruitvale Station’ that you really wanted to express?

Spencer: Wanda is a remarkable woman who has a quiet nobility and grace. That is not something you can really ‘play,’ but I did respect the fact that she – through all the events and trial – didn’t recognize who Oscar was socially. She read it in the paper. I wanted to connect with all of that and her strength, because she wasn’t an enabler. That was very evident in certain scenes in the film. The strength I could deal with, it was the other stuff when I wasn’t sure.

HollywoodChicago.com: What was the best aspect to winning an Academy Award in regard to your career?

Spencer: It opened doors. I’ve met with the best and the brightest in the industry, and I’m definitely grateful for that.

Reverend Jesse Jackson

Jesse Jackson in Chicago on July 1st, 2013 Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

The Reverend Jesse Jackson is one of the most prominent citizens of Chicago. His work as a major lieutenant to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s – he witnessed King’s assassination – morphed into a career of civil rights leadership and a continual quest for social justice.

The mention of Fred Hampton in the question below refers to the leader of the Illinois Black Panther Party in Chicago. He was shot and killed in controversial circumstances by Chicago police on December 4th, 1969.

HollywoodChicago.com: Let’s go back to the first meeting of major civil rights leaders after Dr. King’s funeral. What was the mood of the collective, was it hope or chaos?

Jesse Jackson: It was chaotic and painful, but hopeful at the same time. We were determined that one bullet would not kill the whole movement. That’s why we spent more time on what killed him, than who killed him. We completed the Poor People’s Campaign in Washington, D.C. and we kept pressure on to end the Viet Nam War. From the blood on the balcony in Memphis in 1968 to the election and the White House in 2008, we never stopped.

HollywoodChicago.com: Personally for you, how long was it from that day in Memphis in 1968 to when you felt you could get back in the fight and move on?

Jackson: I’ve never stop fighting, and I’ve never healed. It may take months, it may take years, but the hurt doesn’t end. Dr. King was only 39 years old, we’d been talking and laughing all day long. We were just going to dinner, when his life was taken away. It hurts me to think about it every time.

HollywoodChicago.com: What was particular about the leadership of Fred Hampton that made him such a target?

Jackson: He was bold and audacious, and challenged the system. Fred did not adjust or compromise to that system, and the government conspired to kill him. That’s what makes it so damn awful.

HollywoodChicago.com: What do your remember about him as a person during that era?

Jackson: I mentored with him, plus spent time with him and Bobby Seale [another Black Panther leader].

HollywoodChicago.com: I remember being in that small group of people on September 12th, 2001, on Federal Plaza in Chicago, when you prayed and inspired me not to have fear, and I thank you for that.

Jackson: Stand tall, brother.

Haroula Rose, Associate Producer of “Fruitvale Station”

Associate Producer Haroula Rose in Chicago on July 1st, 2013 Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Haroula Rose is also a singer-songwriter, and a Chicago native.

HollywoodChicago.com: What compelled you to get involved in “Fruitvale Station,” and what is your background with the film?

Haroula Rose: I knew Ryan [Coogler, the director] from film school from my first day, and he recruited me to be Associate Producer. Ryan is just a great person to be around, he’s just a very genuine soul, and wants to make art that is important and relevant. I always wanted to be on his team, so it was a no brainer that I was involved.

HollywoodChicago.com: What in your developmental years inspired you towards the film school path?

Rose: All of it boils down to wanting to be a storyteller, and finding the stories that makes you want to work as hard as you can to tell them. Just like ‘Fruitvale Station.’

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com