The
“Underground" and "Shots Fired” Interview
with
Kam Williams
Hinds
Finds Tubman a Spiritual Calling!
Aisha
Hinds is a Brooklyn, NY native who initially entered showbiz in
modern dance. She parlayed success
in that field into an acting career which has spanned a vast array of
projects ranging from feature films like Star Trek: Into Darkness, If
I Stay and Beyond the Lights to such hit TV shows as True Blood,
Prison Break, Under the Dome and Weeds.
Here,
Aisha talks about playing American icon Harriet Tubman on
Underground, a docudrama about the Underground Railroad. The second
season of Underground is set to premiere on the WGN network on March
8th. Aisha also reflects upon her role as Pastor Janae James on Shots
Fired, a timely TV series debuting on the Fox network on March 22nd.
Kam
Williams: Hi
Aisha, thanks for the interview.
Aisha
Hinds:
My
pleasure, Kam. I deeply appreciate this opportunity. So, thank YOU!
KW:
I told
my readers I'd be interviewing you, so I'll be mixing their questions
in with mine.
AH:
Sounds
great! Delighted to talk with the readers as well as yourself.
KW:
What interested you in Underground?
AH:
I
became an instant fan of the show seconds into the opening frames of
the pilot. When that drone shot carried us through the main house
with Rosalie, played so unflinchingly-brilliantly by Jurnee Smollett
Bell, I signed on for the ride. I saw that this show was about to
elucidate this age-old narrative in a way that was both edgy and
engaging. The artistry on the show is apparent in each episode. From
the riveting writing to the purposeful and precise direction, the
masterful work of the DP [Director of Photography] Kevin McKnight and
his crew, and the layers and depths each actor goes to to ensure we
the audience feel a human connection to these characters led me to
sign my name on the dotted line. The cherry on top was the pulsating
and powerful use of music to punctuate the story.
KW:
Editor/Legist
Patricia Turnier would like to know what Harriet Tubman means to you
and how you prepared to play her.
AH:
She
is a legend, an icon, a soldier on the side of justice, a spiritual
warrior, and a servant of God, as well as the one of the baddest
women to literally ever walk the land. I surrendered to her spirit.
She lived such a full, complex, and irrefutably-dynamic life that all
the craft in the world would be insufficient in honoring her legacy.
I did my homework, of course, by inhaling as much literature as was
available to find, so that when it was time to shoot I could
hopefully exhale her. However, the real truth is that her spirit is
so POWERFUL that it consumes you. I was literally reduced to basic
breath and blinks while she inhabited my vessel and told her story
through me.
KW:
Since
Patricia is from Canada, she would like to know whether any episodes
will be shot on location there and if the series will explore the
historical connections between the Underground Railroad and Canada?
AH:
Thank
God for Canada! In the context of this narrative and beyond, Canada
was certainly an additional option for the many traveling the
treacherous terrain of the Underground Railroad in pursuit of what
was perceived as “freedom.” Once the Fugitive Slave Act took
effect, the Northern states were no longer safe for those who managed
to escape from being enslaved. The second season of Underground does
explore Canada’s role in providing a welcoming place for the
thousands who were in danger of being captured and returned to their
owners, and those who escaped by way of rerouting beyond the American
borders. Though this part of history is included in the season, we
did not shoot on location in Canada.
KW:
Patricia
was also wondering whether the show will cover less well-known
aspects of Tubman's life. like the fact that she was a spy during the
Civil War for the Union army, and that she collaborated with John
Brown to free slaves.
AH:
There
will be a wealth of facts revealed and revisited in this season
pertaining to Harriet Tubman. That is a huge part of my excitement,
the fact that this generation will get such a beautifully-detailed
introduction to a hero and icon that has largely lived in a few pages
of our history books and in one-dimensional photographs.
KW:
How
would you describe the series' main message?
AH:
Each
season, the series has explored a theme. This season, it is "Citizen
vs. Soldier." Are we citizens watching the world and its
atrocities unfold from the sidelines, or are we engaged in the battle
as soldiers, taking a stand and joining the army to fight against
injustice?
KW:
Tell me
a little about Shots Fired. Sanaa Lathan was very excited about the
show, when we talked about it last fall.
AH:
I
share her excitement!! It was a project that, interestingly enough,
provided a unique opportunity as an artist to engage in the fight
against injustice, and explore the ongoing debate and dialogue
surrounding who and what lives matter. The show is an autopsy of our
criminal justice system, a space where the conversation surrounding
the issues in our country is offering a seat at the table to all the
voices to be heard, a murder mystery, and grassroots look at our own
humanity as we move through the parts and pieces of the story.
KW:
The
plotline sounds very timely, although it flips the script by having a
black cop shooting a white teenager.
AH:
Sadly,
this plot is one that doesn’t lack source material. It’s a
narrative that has been timely for a very long time. In such, when
Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood began to assemble the
cast, which is a rather large ensemble of very talented powerhouse
players, everyone wholeheartedly signed up to stand in service of
this story, knowing and understanding how important it is to exhaust
and explore its many facets.
KW:
What's
it like playing a pastor and what role does your character play in
terms of keeping the peace?
AH:
It
was such a delight to express a part of myself that has long been
reserved for my own sacred journey through life-spirituality. Digging
into the depths of my heart to widen its capacity and unpack what it
would mean to carry the burden for an entire congregation and
community that looks to you for answers and guidance during trying
times was both a joy and a revelation. Pastors carry a tremendous
responsibility. Pastor Janae is a lifelong Gate Station resident, a
community activist, and a powerful pastor vested in the lives which
have been entrusted to her by way of The Chosen House, her small
neighborhood church. Throughout the 10-hour event series, she finds
herself in positions that challenge the government, expose
deeply-rooted conflicts, and contemplates effective methods for her
community to resist in the face of blatant injustice. Her journey
also demands she take an autopsy of her own humanity, examining what
she is driven by and what she cares about ultimately.
KW:
AALBC.com
founder Troy Johnson asks: What was the last book you read?
AH:
"Biggie
: Voletta Wallace Remembers Her Son, Christopher Wallace aka
Notorious B.I.G."
KW:
Ling-Ju Yen asks: What
is your earliest childhood memory?
AH:
One
that comes to mind was being double-parked outside of my
grandmother’s house in East New York, Brooklyn while my mom ran
inside for a moment, and I moved the gear on the car from PARK to
DRIVE… and the car started to move. I was so scared. I was way too
little to know how to drive, and so I quickly threw the gear back
into park and the car stopped moving, thankfully. This was back in
the day when the gears were controlled by the stick that was next to
the steering wheel as opposed to in a center console area like most
modern cars. Needless to say, my mother let me have it.
KW:
The
Morris Chestnut question: Was there any particular moment in your
childhood that inspired you to become the person you are today?
AH:
Yes,
one of the first memories I have was watching Whoopi Goldberg perform
her one-woman show on Broadway on HBO. She moved seamlessly through
an array of spirited and soul-stirring characters, each one holding a
mirror up to me and allowing me in many ways to see a reflection of
myself on screen. I felt validated and valued, and here was this
woman inside my television screen who gave me a voice. It didn’t
immediately register with me that this was what I would eventually be
doing with my life for today’s generation. It was also incredibly
serendipitous that I would later learn I shared a birthday with
Whoopi. I went on to be inspired by many other artists and forms of
art, and was soon directed to a place that would help harness my
experiences and develop my voice within the craft, LaGuardia High
School of Performing Arts in New York City.
KW:
Who
loved you unconditionally during your formative years?
AH:
My
Granny.
KW:
Was
there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?
AH:
Definitely!
I had praying grandmothers who bathed me in "The Word" and
filled the atmosphere with worship. Though I developed my own
personal spiritual relationship later in life, the foundation they
laid is what my faith was built upon. I am indebted to them always
for cradling me in the heart of Christ and encouraging my passion to
press towards the mark of the high calling on my life, wherever that
takes me.
KW:
What is your favorite dish to cook?
AH:
Stuffed
snapper.
KW:
Craig
Robinson asks: What was your last dream?
AH:
Tuh,
that is based on the assumption that there’s actually time to sleep
these days. We're living in a time where we all got to STAY WOKE!
KW:
When
you look in the mirror, what do you see?
AH:
An
opportunity to honor the legacy of the lives drawn into the lines in
my face, the broad of my nose, the dark of my eyes, the fullness of
my lips, and coal in my complexion.
KW:
If you
could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
AH:
A
just world.
KW:
The
Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?
AH:
My
nephew’s laughter!
KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone
would?
AH:
None
that I can honestly think of right now, which means the folks have
asked some great questions thus far in my lifetime.
KW:
The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
AH:
Does
this come with a free shipment of clothing from them?! I got
questions about your questions!
KW:
Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: With so many classic films being redone,
is there a remake you'd like to star in?
AH:
Remakes
are awesome, especially when it honors yet adds a new component or
dimension to the original. But truthfully, we have so many stories,
lives and subjects to explore that I’d love to keep pushing towards
new knowledge.
KW:
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your
footsteps?
AH:
Study
and know that we are always a student of the craft well after we’ve
completed any course of study… and approach the work as a servant,
not a star.
KW:
The
Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
AH:
As
a small piece of the puzzle sent here to serve a bigger picture.
KW:
Finally,
what’s in your wallet?
AH:
Here
you go! I got more questions about your questions. [LOL] Is someone
volunteering to put something IN it, if it's empty, or naw?
KW:
Thanks
again for the time, Aisha, and best of luck with both TV-series.
AH:
I appreciate you taking the time to give me a space to discuss the
work and the journey to and within it. Thank you so very much, Kam.
