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Jeffrey Wright - Movie
By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist
Jeffrey Wright
Inventive In The Hunger Games Catching Fire!
Photos
by Lionsgate
The anticipation is running extremely high
for the opening of “The Hunger Games
Catching Fire.” Mentioning the word “blockbuster” is merely an
understatement as this film series has become a phenomenon of epic proportions.
In this go-round, we see a rematch of sorts of past tournament champions deemed
(The Quarter Quell) overseen by President Snow. One of returnees is Beetee; an
inventor genius and electronics wizard who has a particular fondness and
propensity for using electricity and his brains as weapons. His smartness and calculating
methodical moves makes him extremely dangerous. Beetee is played by award
winning theater, TV and film veteran Jeffrey Wright.
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| Jeffrey Wright as Beetee |
Even though this film is
supper major in every way, Wright is no stranger to block buster movies having
appeared in two James Bond films i.e., Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.
Wright really wasn’t up on the Hunger Game books written by Suzanne Collins or
the first film’s phenomenon but when he received a call from director Francis
Lawrence to do the part of Beetee for the second film, all of that changed in a
heart beat. Wright laughs, “As soon as I discovered how rich the material was,
how complicated and relevant it was, I became really excited.”
 |
| All District Warriors Suited Up and Ready For Action |
All of the competitors in the tournament
know at one point they must kill or be killed. How would Wright deal with the
frame of mind that a certain death situation puts you in on the for real side
in life? “I guess I find myself in times of crisis and danger responding like
my mother I have to say. She responds to crisis like no one else I’ve ever met.
 |
| Beetee in the forest |
She gets
calm, clear and thoughtful so I think that’s where Beetee is too. He’s going to
get out of there. He’s going to figure out a way because he’s crafting a way
from the start to resist this whole idea and how to blow up the whole system.
From the very time you see him, he’s looking for the flaw. That’s what he says
to her and I think it’s a wonderfully subversive message that there is always a
flaw in the system and he’s in tune to that.
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| Jeffrey Wright |
With the history of Hollywood stereo
typing Black characters as less intelligent, bumbling etc., how pleasing was it
to find out that Beetee was technical, nerd brainiact? Wright lights up with
delight, “First of all I can’t say enough about Francis Lawrence (the film’s
director), his mastery of this story and of this film. But as well, he and Nina
Jacobson (the film’s producer), have really tried to paint a very even and
realistic picture of this dystopian society that’s reflective of our society.
So they painted this thing with many of the shades of who we are. And sure that
I’m cast as the cerebral one amongst these warriors is propaganda that I like
to be a part of. I like to be a part of parts that don’t underestimate the
complexity of who all of us are particularly folks of color.”
The expectations for a movie of this
magnitude are so high, what was it like on the set shooting it and was their
pressure? Wright explains, “For me was that I don’t step into this
extraordinarily successful piece and detract from it. You don’t want to be the
mosquito at the party.”
©
2013 Rych McCain Media/Syndication TM
(You
DID Hear It From Me!)
Twitter@rychmccain and Facebook
