![]() ![]() He had to absorb Kaepernick’s naiveté at that time concerning the power dynamics between a cop and a Black teen.Īs a Black teen, he had already been taught how act in front of a cop in those situations but had “to throw them out of the window” so he could live inside Kaepernick’s young brain. Michael said the scene where Kaepernick was pulled over by the cop was not easy. But it’s completely different learning the dedication required with team sports.” ![]() It was correlated so I had a little preparation. You have to understand your body and body language. I feel like acting is also sort of physical in nature. “I grew up skateboarding in New York City,” he said. He needed a lot of coaching and said it was a major challenge to look like he knew what he was doing in two months. Michael did not compete in high school in any of the three sports shown in series: basketball, baseball and football. He’s been one of the most enlightening directors to work with.” Toward the end, I gained a little bit of his respect. I kept pushing for his approval and his motivation. And then I refused to be put down by him. “Every time I talk to him, I feel like I’m embraced by genius. The final episode, where Kaepernick actively seeks a college football scholarship over plenty of baseball opportunities is directed by Tony-winning Atlanta playwright and producer Kenny Leon. “Klarke and I worked closely to create an authentic feeling on screen and the director did a fantastic job providing a safe space to find the characters.” “I never did any romance before in real life or in film,” he noted. Michael said the toughest episode for him was episode five when he woos a girl, played by Klarke Pipkin. ![]() (He has not actually watched the series because he hates watching himself but he’s aware of what they did having read the script.) “It’s a beautiful coalition of ideas and a collage of film mediums and it’s a beautiful experience to learn and educate yourself through,” Michael said. Occasionally, the series will show mini-plays of Black folks getting rejected for loans or being vaguely insulted by a white boss. Often, he is seen watching his younger self and providing contextual background on words and phrases like “thug,” “acceptable Negro” and “microaggression.” The series is also a history lesson of sorts, with the actual Kaepernick as host and commentator. The series isn’t just an autobiographical recitation of Kaepernick’s formative years. “Seeing his childhood and how he was raised, I realized he was human and just like many of my brothers and sisters in Harlem and around the world,” Michael said. When Michael was cast, he didn’t think he could play Kaepernick because he didn’t think his background growing up in New York City had anything to do with Kaepernick’s childhood in the 1990s and 2000s with white adoptive parents. “The fact Colin would do it so selflessly and put his entire career on the line was incredible to me. “I think it’s important if you have any influence upon society or your community, you should use it for positive change,” Michael said. And he has been a fan of Kaepernick’s even prior to being cast to play him. Michael thinks Kaepernick is misunderstood, painted in ways that don’t reflect reality. ![]()
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