Zitat des Tages von Malachi Kirby:
Kunta Kinte's strength derives from the knowledge of where he comes from, but it struck me that I don't know where I come from. I understand that my last name is Kirby, that I was born in London, third-generation Jamaican, and at some point along the line, that name was changed. I didn't know my history past my grandparents.
Mum used to say that when I went out of the house, I represented her. I took that seriously. So I didn't get involved with a lot of things. I held myself in a particular way.
When I was in school, my first acknowledgement of 'Roots' was Kunta Kinte.
When my dad passed, I felt like I had to grow up very quickly.
Playing Kunta Kinte is an emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental journey.
Kids under, I'd say, 14 are still maturing; they are still growing. They are still understanding themselves. To hit them with something like 'Roots,' to hit them with this particular period of time, it's important to discuss the matters beyond the program itself.
I was taught about slavery, but it was the ancient Egyptians. That's the closest I got to African history.
It's really cheesy, but basically, 'Roots' got me to find out my own roots.
I found that there were things that God could reveal to me that I could never get myself physically.
When I heard that 'Roots' was being remade, my first response was, 'Seriously?' I was a bit skeptical. Then I had an audition in early 2015. I didn't know how to feel about it. I was a little scared of the responsibility of telling the story again with the weight of the first one behind me - I was scared of comparisons.
I was 22 when my mother gave me the original box set of 'Roots' and she said, 'I want you to watch this.' I watched the whole thing back to back in the span of 24 hours. It had a profound effect on me. It felt like my story.
If you're good enough to play a role with emotion and universal human elements, then you'll get others coming to you.
My dad passed when I was 6. I found out when I was about 21 that my dad always said acting would be the making of me. Where he got that from, I have no idea.
I was the shiest person you could think of. I didn't really speak. I was an only child, so most of my life I spent in my bedroom playing with toys by myself, speaking through them.
There are many people still ashamed of their roots because of the negative connotations that come with being an 'African.' That sentiment exists many places around the world - in England, in the U.S., everywhere.
