December 21, 2007 @ 11:22 am

Fighting Words: Talking with the Stars of "The Great Debaters"

by: Natalie Guevara

We couldn't take our eyes off The Great Debaters, so we sat down to chat it up with its stars, Denzel Whitaker and Jurnee Smollet.

We know them well: the Inspiring Teacher films that tell the story of one individual so remarkable, so determined, they let nothing derail them in their mission to infect others with their contagious thirst for knowledge. The classic example, Stand and Deliver, features a tour-de-force performance by Edward James Olmos as real-life high school teacher Jaime Escalante, mythologizing the educator figure as a golden, gleaming hero not unlike the Western's rugged cowboy or the gangster movie's enterprising Mafioso. When Escalante gets his reluctant students to pass the AP Calculus exam, he has not only earned their respect, but ours. Likewise, Dangerous Minds and the recent Hilary Swank vehicle Freedom Writers explore the off-kilter methods teachers use to engage their pupils in drudging material - poetry readings of Bob Dylan songs, journaling as an exorcism of frustration - ultimately culminating in an inspirational experience shared by all.

The Denzel Washington-directed, Oprah Winfrey-produced feature The Great Debaters is slightly different. Based on a true story, it is concerned with the necessity of education, yes, and Washington stars in the film as Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College who instills in his students the belief that "[their] weapons are words." But that's where the film's likeness to the Dangerous Minds, Stand and Deliver-type stories ends. That's because in 1935 Marshall, Texas, Tolson formed the school's first debate team, a group so passionate, hardworking, and utterly convincing they went on to challenge Harvard in a national championship. Their subsequent victory is as much a testament to the debaters' own courage and savvy as it is to Tolson's ingenuous prep strategies, which is quite a switch-up on a formula in which the educator usually receives all the glory.

As a professor, Tolson is hard on his students, but only because he expects the best out of them. As a director, Washington is no different. Playing two of Tolson's star debaters, James Farmer, Jr. and Samantha (based on Henrietta Bell Wells), 17-year-old Denzel Whitaker (no relation to his onscreen dad, Forest Whitaker) and 21-year-old Jurnee Smollet are quick and nimble in mind and eloquent in speech. Washington isn't afraid to let his young costars do the heavy lifting, and with good reason. The utter conviction with which they lay out their arguments gives the film an engaging, can't-look-away quality. The Great Debaters doesn't fit neatly into that Inspiring Teacher mold - it wholly belongs to the wide-eyed generation of students, the young people who determine the future.

VIBE recently spoke with Denzel and Jurnee about going to debate camp with Denzel Washington.

VIBE: How did you get involved with The Great Debaters?
Jurnee Smollet: I heard about the project almost two years ago and really started researching and spending my time in books and libraries, just trying to learn as much I could about the time period. It wasn't until I was in South Africa about a year ago that my agents got a call from Denzel Washington. He wanted me to do a table reading – but I was in South Africa! (Laughs) And I didn't know about it until I came back. Skip forward to a few months later: Once he finished filming American Gangster and was concentrating on casting the film, his office and the producers called my manager. This was on a Friday night in February. They said, "Denzel wants Jurnee to come and read with him on Monday." They sent me 13 pages that night [and] another 15 pages on Sunday just to send me a bunch of stuff to be prepared. I went in and read with him, and he was Tolson, obviously, and pretty much by that one audition he cast me.

Was it intimidating to do a reading with the Denzel Washington?
Jurnee: You know what, I originally met him when I was 12, and I told him I wanted to work with him [then]. And this was my opportunity, you know? And even being at the audition, it was an opportunity to be a part of this sacred project. I was so grateful he was even giving me a shot at proving I was this role. I'd been so obsessed with it for so long.

Denzel, can you address the rumors of you being Forest Whitaker's son?
Denzel Whitaker: No, not true! My mom actually found out about the role through word of mouth. She contacted my agents and was like, "You guys need to get him an audition." And they actually heard about the part, but ended up sending another person from the agency to go against me. I'm not with that agency anymore. (Laughs)

My mom sent me to an acting coach and she was like, "Okay, you need to start preparing for this because I feel this is going to be a big job and I want you to have it. I feel that you're capable of getting it." And when I read the script, I was in love with the idea of just the whole concept, a story I've never heard before. Finally, they called through with an actual audition and I went through D [Washington]. He sat me down and said, "Listen, what's up?" Funny thing is, I walked in the room and he was like, "Stick 'em up! Hands up in the air!" You know, kinda like Training Day? (Laughs)

Each of your characters is famous in their own right. Did these roles teach you about 1930s American history?
Denzel: Right, James L. Farmer, Jr. actually started CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality. You know, reading in textbooks and watching videos about black history is one thing, but for us actually acting out the parts and becoming that person and feeling what they were feeling back in the time period is irreplaceable. Now I feel a deeper connection to my ancestors and what they had to go through because we technically almost lived it. Even with the lynching scene [in the film] - even though it was fake, it was very surreal. It was disturbing just to see a fake body up there and people coming around and enjoying it and having their kids out there. I remember D wanted specifically a shot panning down on a kid's face to show that they didn't care - they found it a sport.

Jurnee: Yeah, it was like a festival, like a party. It was like a celebration. And that's what's so disturbing, to face that level of ugliness that humans can be capable of. It's so disappointing, and in the books, you see all these pictures of these kids [at lynchings] and they have food out and everyone's smiling at the camera. It's almost like I can hear music in the background, you know? And they would take these pictures and put them on the back of a postcard and send them to relatives as a "Look what we did on a Saturday night." That hits you.

It's fascinating how many historical black colleges were founded right after the Civil War. There was this whole grassroots movement and this whole campaign to just learn and get your education. They knew that education was their ticket. And that's why I think Henrietta and Melvin B. Tolson, Jr. told us, "We weren't playing!" And Tolson said that women like Henrietta, they had beauty but they had brains, and they knew education was their ticket. Whether it was actually physically getting a degree or just reading a book, that was the way out. It's amazing how that set the foundation for the civil rights movement.

Denzel: The great thing about that period is that they really strived for intelligence, whereas today I don't feel our society is really focusing on intelligence, especially African Americans. I feel back then it was so significant how we strived for an education.

Jurnee: And I don't think society applauds that [education] as much globally. That's not what the media focuses on. And that's one thing that's so great about this film: that it's applauding that.

Do you think the film will inspire people to seek knowledge and strive for their education?
Jurnee: I definitely do. It's like when you step on a college campus. That feeling is contagious. Being a part of this film, I want to grow more, I want to learn more.

Denzel: I've definitely taken my studies seriously. I'm still in high school, but planning on college and everything, and words that I say out there, it's powerful! Shutting your opponent down with your knowledge and your words instead of fists and violence? And the movie is showing that African Americans on a whole can be intelligent and, you know, still be cool, still be alright with your buddies and whatnot, but also you can be smart and earn an education and get your degree and live your life to its fullest.

Not to criticize rap videos as a whole, specifically, because I know there's controversy about that too. First of all, I love rap. It's a genre I do like, as well as R&B, techno… I'm a diverse person. Not to criticize videos as a whole, but I do say we need to start putting more significant stuff in them.

How deep was Oprah's involvement in the film?
Jurnee: Well, Harpo [Inc., Winfrey's production company] had the script originally, and they asked Denzel to direct it about five years ago. But she's been involved with this almost ten years, trying to get it done. And Kate Forte, the president of Harpo Films, is very active and very involved and on the set. Kate was saying earlier today, her and Oprah just handed it over to Denzel in many ways, just trusting his direction and his vision because he was so on point with them. A lot of the things they left up to him, like casting and decisions like that, and he's so great.

Denzel: They were very mutual with the same ideas and I think they felt like it was their child they're passing on. But Denzel just took the project and cradled it and nurtured it to what it is now.

Jurnee: And I don't think the film would've been able to get done without names like that behind it, because a lot of times the industry doesn't gamble on something like this.

Have you experienced any romantic situations like your characters do in the film, where a younger guy has a crush on you but you brush him off, or you like an upperclassman but she just pats you on the head?
Denzel: When I was in fourth grade, I had a mad crush on a fifth grader. Her boyfriend wasn't happy, though. (Laughs)

Jurnee: She had a boyfriend in the fifth grade? (Laughs) Hey, I had a boyfriend – a "boyfriend" – when I was little. Yeah, guys had little crushes on me. There was this little boy who was, like, four years old. Oh my God! He was no regular four-year-old. (Laughs) He was talkin' about how he wanted me to read him a bedtime story!

Jurnee, you have a sex scene with your costar, Nate Parker, in the film. Do you think it's necessary in a film of this nature?
Jurnee: Honestly, it was a discussion that D and I had beforehand. He told me that he's done a few in his career and that they're never comfortable. We did discuss whether or not it was appropriate to be in this film, and the conclusion was that yeah, it is kind of the symbolism of these two forces really joined together and what their love meant. Now, it also heightens the breaking of the heart, because she did give up her love to him.

Did you debate any teams in real life?
Denzel: Yeah! And you know what? We tore it down! (Laughs)

Jurnee: We tore it down! We were on the same team at debate camp, because D put us through debate camp at Texas Southern University. Denzel Washington, he doesn't play! (Laughs)

Denzel: He put us through debate camp and he was like, "I expect you guys to come back saying you won."

Jurnee: "Y'all better beat 'em!" (Laughs)

Denzel: Oh yeah, we tore down their freshman debate team.

Jurnee: They trained us on the format the day before. The parliamentary style of debate is not easy because you have to debate in a style. If you break the rules, you get points taken away.

Denzel: And you have the hand gestures, and the movements… We were debating on Bush's administration and whether he had done his job.

Jurnee: We were on the same team. It was me and 'Lil D on the same team, and Nate and Jermaine [Williams, who plays Hamilton Burgess in the film] on another team. We were against the freshmen TSUs, so for parliamentary, we were the member of opposition, which is the negative.

Denzel: So we "negated the fact," to use the terms.

Jurnee: And TSU, they were government.

Denzel: Affirmative…

Jurnee: Yeah, they argued for the proposition. And pretty much, you have to just scribble down notes.

Denzel: They give you, like, five minutes of study period so you're running to get to a book…

Jurnee: You have to figure out what your argument is…

Denzel: You can't go on the Internet, you gotta pull up information…

Jurnee: You gotta do it (snaps fingers to indicate "FAST"). You have to pull something out of your head, your mind! And it could be anything. You could use an argument from the Civil War to show how it pertains to today.

Denzel: And not only that, you have to be convincing, too.

Jurnee: That's where we got them!

Denzel: That's where we really stuck the point.

Jurnee: Denzel said, "Y'all better win because technically you should be better – you're actors. You should be better at being convincing and being passionate and meaning what you say and saying what you mean." So, you know, we were writing down notes and stuff… (Turns to Denzel) What was that one argument that one girl tried to say about housewives?

Denzel: Oh, Jesus!

Jurnee: That was WEAK. (Laughs)

Denzel: We were talking about society…

Jurnee: No, we were talking about change! Change is not always…

Denzel: "Change is not always good" or "Change is not always positive." We were talking about how change is positive because even though we might not be taking the right steps, we're making something towards progress. And then she was talking about fast food!

Jurnee: She brought up fast food, right, saying [how] back in the day, when women used to stay at home and make food because they were housewives and weren't at work, we had lower obesity rates. So we were like, "Oh no you di… Hogwash, hogwash!" (Laughs) How dare you blame women's progress and the feminist movement for obesity! How dare you! Hogwash! (Laughter) You know, no one's forcing people to go to McDonald's! That's what she was saying!

She argued that due to the women's progress, everyone has been reduced to eating fast food and gaining weight?
Jurnee: Right! So… we were good.

Denzel: Look at Jurnee! She's getting all passionate. This is how it was. We were debating!

Jurnee: He [Denzel Whitaker] was great, though, because he could stand up there! I could give him some notes and he would go on for eight minutes about one note. (Laughs)

Denzel, were you named after your director and costar, Denzel Washington?
Denzel: We just found out – breaking news! – yes, I am. We didn't know before, but my dad actually resurfaced the truth that when my mom and dad were thinking about the name, they were watching a movie and were like, "We should name him Denzel."

Jurnee: Probably Glory! What year were you born? '90 or '91?

Denzel: '90.

Jurnee: That's like around Glory. He won Best Supporting Actor for his role. Makes sense to me!

Did you tell Denzel you were named after him?
Denzel: No, I haven't told him! He'd be happy to hear it, though.

Jurnee: Because this was all on the set, a running joke. His mom was like, "No, I didn't name him after Denzel!" Denzel [Washington] was like, "I know I'm the first!"

Denzel:  Because his father's name was "Denzel" [pronounced "Denzil"] and he was Denzel, Jr. When the mom was calling through the house for the dad, she was like, "Denzel!" and they both would answer. So, she was like, "Okay, you're Denzel and you're Denzel." So Denzel was like, "You're named after me anyway 'cuz of the pronunciation!" (Laughs) So it was kinda like the running joke on set, but now the truth has surfaced. There's even a club on Facebook called "Hi, My Name is Denzel, Not Denzel Washington." I'm actually a part of it.

 The Great Debaters opens Dec. 25.

Article tags: Denzel Washington, Denzel Whitaker, Forrest Whitaker, Jurnee Smollet, Oprah Winfrey, The Great Debaters 

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