Based on the book of the same name, Nickel Boys follows Elwood Curtis and Turner, two black teenagers, as they face the brutal conditions at Nickel Academy. Elwood's grandmother, Hattie, does everything in her power to find out what is happening to him, but is constantly shunned by those who run the reform school.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Hattie. She is an experienced actress known for her roles in The help, Ray, Brother in disguiseand Men of Honor. Nickel Boyswhich is unfortunately based on a true story, is currently playing in New York theaters and opens in Los Angeles on December 20th.
TelaRant interviewed Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor before the release of Nickel Boys. She got emotional when talking about what her character, Hattie, is feeling and thinking during one of the film's key scenes. Ellis-Taylor also praised director RaMell Ross for his vision, claiming she had nothing to do with bringing it to life. Finally, the actress revealed how her personal life helped shape her character.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor didn't know about the POV filming until her first day on the set of Nickel Boys
“It ends up being very expansive in the way he trusts his actors, and he trusted me.”
ScreenRant: The point of view footage is unique. What was it like helping RaMell bring this vision to life?
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor: I had nothing to do with crafting RaMell's vision. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. That was all him. I actually didn't know he would do it until I got to work the first day, so I had nothing to do with it.
But the good thing about RaMell is that he made that choice, and expanding that idea, because it could be very limiting, right? But he ends up being very expansive in the way he trusts his actors. And he trusted me, and I'm sure Ethan and Brandon will say the same thing. They felt trusted by him.
Hattie was lonely, just like Turner, which made them kindred spirits.
“It was a love story, and the love of her life was no more.”
ScreenRant: I want to talk to you about the scene where Hattie goes to visit Elwood. She can't see him, but she meets Turner and immediately embraces him as her own. What do you think is going through her head at that moment?
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor: I think she's alone. I think she's alone. Alone. I get a little emotional every time I talk about that scene because, first of all, filming it was difficult. It was a challenging day. But she was experiencing a lot of loss and was very frustrated because she wasn't getting answers. She couldn't see her grandson. She couldn't see him and forces tried to take her away from him. And she was alone.
It was just her and Elwood. Elwood's mother was gone. It was a love story, and the love of his life was no more. He was there, but he wasn't there. Do you know what I'm saying? Do you know what I mean? He's behind these walls and she can't reach him. So she has to do this, there is so much love flowing through her that it has to go somewhere. AND [Turner] it was another person who I also feel was lonely. And they were related at that point.
ScreenRant: Do you feel like you took anything away from your own personal experiences in helping to create Hattie?
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor: In retrospect, yes. I feel like I know now that my grandmother was probably involved in all of this. I wasn't aware of it then, but I think I know she was now.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor hopes Nickel Boys viewers will be the voices these kids never had
“At the time this was happening to them, they were children and they had no one to defend them, to protect them.”
TelaRant: Nickel Boysunfortunately, it still feels just as relevant today. What do you hope people take away from this film?
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor: Well, I hope it's the voices that these kids never had. This happened in our backyards and we can decide it won't happen again. I think we are hope for these children. That we think we need to continue to look at them as children, even though some of them are still alive and are grown men.
But at the time this happened to them, they were children and they had no one to defend them, to protect them. So yes, we can be that now. We can be that.
More about Nickel Boys (2024)
Elwood Curtis' college dream crumbles on the side of a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he is condemned to the underworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South. He finds another pupil, Turner who has seen it all. The two black teenagers form an alliance: Turner offering fundamental tips for survival, Elwood clinging to his optimistic worldview. Against the backdrop of the growing Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner's existence seems worlds away from the polished oratory of the Rev. Martin Luther King. Despite Nickel's brutality, Elwood struggles to maintain his humanity, awakening new vision for Turner.
Check back soon for our others Nickel Boys interviews:
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David Diggs
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Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson
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RaMell Ross
Source: Screen Rant Plus