It might only be the first week of January, but Danielle Deadwyler gives what will undoubtedly go down as one of the best performances of the year in new film Till – which arrives in UK cinemas this Friday.
The Station Eleven star plays the lead role of Mamie Till, with the film exploring the true story of her relentless pursuit for justice after her 14-year-old son Emmett was lynched in 1955 while staying with family in Mississippi.
Deadwyler is exceptional throughout, but according to director Chinonye Chukwu there was one scene in particular where her performance took everyone on set aback – prompting a standing ovation from the cast and crew and altering the way in which Chukwu planned to film the scene.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about shooting the film’s courtroom scenes, Chukwu explained: “When we got to Mamie’s testimony scene, we had eight or nine setups planned and the first one just happened to be Mamie’s close-up. And after the first take, Danielle’s performance blew everybody away to the point where we all gave her a standing ovation.
“And my cinematographer and I looked at each other and were like, we might not need anything else if we just kind of adjust some of the camera work and the framing and composition.”
She continued: “All of the emotional beats that we wanted to communicate we realised that we can actually do in just long takes, so it wasn’t planned, it was found on the day. And also, I will say that having an actor like Danielle is really what led us to that decision, because not every actor would be able to hold a nearly seven-minute shot like that.”
Speaking more generally about working with Deadwyler, Chukwu explained that she was wowed by the actor as soon as she sent in her audition tape.
“She sent in a tape, and I said, ‘Who the hell is this? She’s incredible!’ She blew everybody away, she is not only a damn good actor, but she can communicate a story with just her eyes, she can hold and command a screen without saying a word.
“And I knew that that was something that I needed the actor who plays Mamie to be able to embody.”
She added that Deadwyler played a crucial role as a creative partner during the process of making the film, something which Chukwu explained was “really important in whoever I cast as Mamie”.
“Danielle and I spent months going through every single emotional beat of the script multiple times and digging into the research together and talking every day about discoveries that we made,” she said.
“So by the time she got on set, she had such an inherent emotional and psychological understanding of who Mamie Till was. And working with her was a dream – I mean, one of the best experiences of my directing career so far.”
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Till is released in UK cinemas on Friday 6th January 2022. If you’re looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Film hub for all the latest news.
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