- 4 months ago
Essence holds a sit-down interview with the cast, director and book writer of 'The Hate U Give.'
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00:00Young adult readers are a whole different breed, and they want everything just like they pictured it, but they all have their own thoughts, but we can't let that get in the way, you know? But I will say one thing George was very particular about was making sure that my vision was seen throughout the film. So he contacted me all the time. I talked to George throughout the process. And so I'd have readers come and say, so the dog has to be in the movie. And I'm like, okay.
00:30Spoiler alert, the dog is not in the movie, but they'll get over it. So I think though it gets to the heart of the story and that's what matters.
00:37To piggyback on what Angie was talking about, George, how much pressure maybe or responsibility did you feel to get it right since you were in constant communication with her?
00:47Yeah, it was very particular, but like I tried to involve Angie right from the beginning. That really started from the script stage where we started the development.
00:56It was really just looking at the book and just really talking about what's the main theme? What are you trying to say in this piece of material?
01:03What's the most important thing? And once we really isolated what's the most important thing, we were able to start breaking down scenes from that.
01:10And that's always having a conversation, keeping her involved. The most important thing was really just getting the tone right.
01:15And getting the tone right and getting the tone right is really, really putting the right pieces, the right collaboration together.
01:22So it was a really a big collaboration with me and Angie from the beginning. And then that collaboration just kind of expanded to the writers and then to the cast.
01:29So we all was together right down from the cast reading, down to the rehearsals, down to the end of the film, even now.
01:35So that's still, we still talking about, me and Angie were talking about things that we could have changed, you know, a couple of days ago, right Angie?
01:41Yes.
01:42So those are the things that having a great collaboration to make things just is the best you can make it.
01:46You guys play such different parts all the time. Particularly you Regina, sometimes you're in comedies and now this is a serious drama. What attracted you to this project?
01:57I love Georgia. I loved the script. I really did. And I mean, I love George. I think George Tillman is an amazing director. You know, I always wish he did more.
02:06And so I got to catch George when he can catch me. I wanted to work with him before he didn't cast me. You know that George?
02:12Yeah.
02:13And we didn't get to work together, but I've always been a huge fan of his work. And then reading the book, that was, you know, really, it's such an amazing, I mean, it's such a powerful book.
02:24So between that, you know, and the cast, I mean, it just was a wonderful project to be a part of.
02:31Well, for me, it was the high level of authenticity, you know, that really attracted me and drew me, you know, to the work, to the material.
02:41I had read the script first and was drawn to it. And then I had an opportunity to just talk with George, you know, about the script and about the story and about the characters.
02:51And then I actually had got on board. And then once I read the book, it just elevated everything for me.
02:58And, you know, I realized that, you know, this is this is a moment, you know, of bringing some truth and authenticity and, you know, lifting it off the page.
03:08You know, one thing that's for me that was really important and beautiful was the, as George was saying, the level of input, the level of collaboration that we had.
03:18I mean, I was able to talk with George constantly about, you know, the characters and about the story and about just building it, you know what I mean?
03:26And not necessarily they say that there is no right or wrong. There is only truth.
03:30And so everything stemmed from our commitment to the truth and to authenticity.
03:35And so that's what conversations were born out of, just trying to get to the truth.
03:39And that was an honor, a privilege and a joy.
03:44Amanda Love, were you a fan of the book before you came to this project or?
03:49Yeah, huge fan of the book. I was lucky enough to be an early, early reader.
03:56So before the book was even published, it still had typos and everything in it.
04:01Yeah, I was so lucky to get my hands on it just because a friend of mine who is, her name is Paula Yu,
04:08and she's also a young adult author, had gotten her hands on it.
04:11And when she read it, she said that she immediately thought of me because the events in Star's life,
04:16or at least, you know, the environments that she's growing up in were so similar to my life as well.
04:21And so when I read it, I felt like I had never seen anything so refreshing, so authentic, like Russell said,
04:29so fresh, so dope, you know, just and so real and multifaceted.
04:36We don't get those characters that often.
04:38One of the things Star says is that she has to split herself between who she is around the community,
04:45who she is around her school mates.
04:49Just talk a little bit about, maybe you mentioned that you and she have some things in common.
04:54Is that one of the things? And sort of how do you navigate that in your life?
04:59Yeah, so like Star, I grew up in a low-income black neighborhood,
05:05but started going to a white private school when I was about 10 years old.
05:10And when I made that transition, it forced me to kind of re-identify who I was in that space
05:19and learn how to project an image that I knew would feel accessible
05:22and would fit into that space in which I was so different.
05:26I was one of, I think, three black kids in my entire grade.
05:30And so I had to figure out how to make myself smaller or less black, essentially,
05:38just to feel more comfortable fitting in.
05:41And for a while, I thought that was the only way that I could fit into that environment.
05:45But as I got older, I came to the realization that I didn't have to split myself in that manner
05:51in order to exist in the world.
05:53I realized that every facet of myself is integral to who I am.
05:57And like Star by the end of the book and the end of the movie,
06:01I realized that all those components make up the person that I am
06:05and give me the voice and perspective that I have.
06:07So why should people go and see the film?
06:10Like, why should people go see the film?
06:13Because, you know, I watched the trailer and I was already crying.
06:16So why should we sign up for that?
06:19I would say go in there and you'll come out inspired.
06:24You know, right now we're in such a chaotic time in our country for so many different reasons.
06:29And it's so easy to lose hope and to lose faith and to feel like,
06:32oh, there's nothing I can do or to feel like you're hopeless or you're helpless.
06:37I think people are going to go into this film and walk out feeling like,
06:40yeah, I have power to do something.
06:42You're going to walk out feeling like, yeah, I can change things.
06:44And, yeah, it sucks right now, but we can make it better, you know.
06:47So I think if nothing else, yeah, you're going to cry.
06:49I'm not going to lie to you.
06:50You're going to cry.
06:51You're going to cry buckets.
06:52I promise you will.
06:53But you're going to walk out still feeling inspired and ready to change things
06:57and feeling like things will change.
06:59So definitely do it for yourself.
07:00I think it's a lot of self-care in this movie.
07:03You'll get out of it.
07:04And you're going to smile.
07:06There's some great moments in there.
07:07You know, black people, we always have some hard times.
07:11They laugh a lot during good times, too, the TV show.
07:16You know, so, you know, we get those jewels that you get when you're with your people,
07:23when you're with your family.
07:24So, you know, that's what's great is it's the whole gamut, you know,
07:28of an experience in life.
07:29And I think when you watch the movie, you're going to, you know, really experience.
07:33You're going to experience something.
07:34That's what I love so much about it.
07:37Were there times on the set, like, did you guys have moments of levity and self-care?
07:43Because, you know, you are dealing with a super heavy subject.
07:47So how did you break out of that when you guys were shooting?
07:50Mostly Regina's antics.
07:53Agreed.
07:55Regina brought all the levity to the set.
07:57She had this running gag that she actually directed the movie.
08:02She wrote the book.
08:04What?
08:05She wrote the script too.
08:06She created the shot list.
08:08She actually, she acted the part of Star just through me.
08:12As a mandolin.
08:13Yeah.
08:14She possessed her.
08:15She possessed her.
08:16Going in, yeah.
08:17She possessed me.
08:18Yeah, she did that too.
08:19Yeah, I was busy.
08:20Yeah.
08:21I was really busy.
08:22Well, good job on the book.
08:23Thank you so much.
08:24It's bigger than what I thought.
08:25You don't say.
08:26So, in a non-moment levity, there is this police union who's trying to get the book banned
08:37or saying that it's anti-police.
08:39And one of the things that I find really interesting about any conversation about police brutality
08:45or police violence is that a lot, not all, some, law enforcement takes it as an attack on them.
08:55How would you explain that it's, one, that's part of the issue that you have where it's not an attack?
09:00And two, maybe they could be more open to having this dialogue.
09:06Maybe around the film or the book or whatever.
09:09Well, for me, I wish people would get just as angry about police brutality as they are
09:15about books about police brutality.
09:18And I wish they'd stop making that assumption.
09:21Because here's the thing.
09:22All these cases, when these people lose their lives, at the root of it is an assumption.
09:26Let's stop that culture of assuming and actually pick up the book maybe and read it
09:30or actually look at this person as a human being before you pull the trigger.
09:33You know, so for me, I really, I really want them to read it.
09:37And here's the thing, you know, people will probably look at me funny for saying this,
09:41but it's not anti-cop.
09:42Her uncle is a cop.
09:44I had law enforcement in my family.
09:46And when I wrote this book, I had that in mind, specifically as black cops,
09:49the struggle they go through because inside of the uniform they're seen as a sellout by some
09:54and outside they're still a suspect.
09:56We don't talk about that a lot.
09:57So I had too many black cops tell me this book showed me myself in so many ways.
10:02Thank you for it.
10:03For me to be dismayed by people who don't get it.
10:06So I'd actually ask them to maybe sit down with these kids who want to read the book,
10:10who are inspired by the book, and listen to them and have these conversations.
10:14And that's the way you can improve community relations right there.
10:16That's a start.
10:17So listen and read.
10:20You mentioned before about young adult fans and whatever.
10:27There's been some talk about colorism and casting in the film.
10:30Spoiler alert, I haven't read the book, so I can't, you know, I don't know how people are describing the book.
10:37But do you guys want to talk about that just because?
10:41Well, Amandala was cast as star before there was a cover.
10:45And when I was writing the book, I imagined Amandala.
10:49You know, and for me, I remember because you had that video about cash crap my tour room.
10:54Yeah.
10:55And I watched that as I was writing the book, and I was like, that's who I want star to grow up to be.
10:59You know?
11:00I was like, that's it.
11:02And so that's who I had in mind.
11:04Now, the thing people don't understand is that authors don't have control over covers.
11:08So when I was given the cover, I was like, that's the cover.
11:11You don't have anything to say, this is your book.
11:13Okay.
11:14So, but I'm like, I know these conversations are going to happen.
11:17And I'm like, we have a long way to go in publishing as far as representation,
11:24matching what the author says sometimes.
11:26So, but for me, Amandala is star.
11:30You know, she embodied that character in so many ways.
11:33And I can't see anyone else playing this role.
11:36And so for me, that was it from the beginning for me.
11:39So I'm happy.
11:40People can have discussions and everything.
11:42But for me, this is star.
11:45And I want everybody to give this a chance because this girl put everything into this.
11:49I saw it myself.
11:51I'm like, God almighty, I feel bad for what I put you through.
11:56George did.
11:57George did not feel bad.
11:59I'm going to go one more time.
12:00One more time.
12:01All right.
12:02You got it?
12:03All right.
12:04I'm getting the wrap up sign.
12:06However, I'm going to ask more English.
12:08The title of the book comes from Tupac's song, so title of the book and the movie.
12:12So let's end up on a good note.
12:14What's your favorite Tupac song?
12:15Oh.
12:16Hmm.
12:17Papa's song.
12:18You know, had to play catch by myself.
12:21What a sorry sight, a pitiful plight, so I prayed for a stormy night.
12:24Please send me the Tupac before puberty.
12:26The things I wouldn't do to see a piece of family unity.
12:29And so, you know, with this film, we have this piece of family unity.
12:33This is what Pac envisioned, you know.
12:36This family, these people, this love, you know.
12:40A patriarch being present, and a patriarch there to love the matriarch, and them two loving each other,
12:47loving their children, raising their family with love.
12:51Dang, I feel shit.
12:54I know, right?
12:55I was about to say, how do you want it?
12:57I was going to say California, but I was going to say, keep your head up.
13:01Oh, my God.
13:03Well, all right.
13:04I'd have to say changes.
13:05Yeah, changes for me.
13:06I think about that line he has, and I know it seems heaven sent, but we ain't ready to have a black president.
13:11And I think about what Obama went through when he was president.
13:14I said, dang, even when we had one, Pac was right.
13:16They weren't ready.
13:17Dang.
13:18Dang.
13:19So, changes for me.
13:20Yep.
13:21Keep your head up, because we put that right in the trailer.
13:24Mm-hmm.
13:25You'll see it.
13:26And we got two other Pac films and songs in the film as well.
13:29So, he's throughout the whole film.
13:31He's linked throughout.
13:32You'll see all these little messages that we have.
13:34A star part of her journey is through Khalil.
13:36What she learns, what the hate you give really means.
13:38So, that's part of our whole story.
13:40And we embrace it fully.
13:41So, I'm excited about it.
13:44I really appreciate it.
13:45I really appreciate it.
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