Aaron Pierre and Jayme Lawson share details on portraying Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz.
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) hosts SCAD TVfest, which brings together students, industry talent and experts, plus the general public, for a rich and curated offering of events celebrating television. The festival offered an opportunity to screen an episode of National Geographic’s Genius: MLK/X and hear from stars Aaron Pierre (Malcolm X), Jayme Lawson (Betty Shabazz), Kelvin Harrison, Jr. (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) and Weruche Opia (Coretta Scott King). The series delves into the lives of historic figures Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. The wives of the two men are also prominently featured in the biopic that shares the gentlemen’s lives in parallel.
In part two of our interviews with the cast, I spoke with Aaron Pierre and Jayme Lawson. We asked if there was a particular touchstone that each actor grasped to facilitate their portrayals. We also wanted to know what each actor thought made this storytelling unique from others about MLK Jr. and Malcolm X.
Aaron Pierre
Aaron Pierre shares that listening to Malcolm X’s speech “The Ballot of the Bullet” was helpful for his portrayal. The actor hopes that the series will convey Malcolm’s advocacy for “love and light”. The full interview with Aaron Pierre is available in the YouTube link below.
Jayme Lawson
Jayme talked about listening to the voice of Betty Shabazz and how she translated that into her performance. The actor also shared that Genius: MLK/X feels unique in showing just how young these historical figures were when they began making significant marks on history. Click the video version for the full interview with Jayme Lawson.
Six of eight episodes of Genius: MLK/X are currently available with the final two episodes arriving to National Geographic on February 22. Episodes can be also be streamed on Hulu and Disney+ the next day. Thank you to SCAD TVfest for shining light on the gripping tale of the lives of MLK and Malcolm X during its twelfth festival run. Students, faculty and the public also enjoyed the opportunity to hear from the cast in a Q&A session hosted after the episode screening.
SCAD, dubbed “The University for Creative Careers” has a global presence with over 17,000 students studying across 100 different degree programs including both undergraduate and graduate studies. Learn more about the university at SCAD’s website.
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