With a red carpet reception, a bright marquee, and a star-studded panel, attendees of the Reel Revolution North event at the Capri Theater were treated to a slice of tinsel town Saturday afternoon, Feb. 17 as they sat in on a panel discussion that included Terrence Howard (“Empire”) Yolonda Ross (“The Chi”), and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“Origin”).
Organized by WestBone Productions, with support from City of Lakes Entertainment and Minnesota Humanities Center, the event highlighted the growing opportunities taking place in Minnesota’s film industry and offered the opportunity to discuss the trailblazing careers of some of Hollywood’s leading actors.
The panel discussion was co-moderated by WestBone’s founder Leonard Searcy, a producer and actor in Minnesota, who has organized several networking opportunities for metro area filmmakers. Joining him on stage as a moderator and co-host of the event was industry veteran Van Hayden whose decades-long career has led to work on several television shows and feature films across the country.
How it all came together
Hayden’s collaborative relationships with Howard, Ross, and Ellis-Taylor over the years created the opportunity for them to partake in this event. Hayden first worked with Academy Award nominee Howard on “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and reunited on the set of “Hustle & Flow.” He’s also worked alongside Ross for over 20 years on projects such as “Stranger Inside,” “The Chi” and “Whitney.”
Ellis-Taylor, the Academy Award-nominated actress, participated in the event virtually, while Howard and Ross were in person.
In past years, Searcy has held events locally to connect filmmakers, particularly those of color, to industry veterans who can help shed light on how one can land a career in film. Saturday’s event focused on how actors could break into the industry and carve out a lane for themselves.
Lessons imparted to actors
With Hayden and Searcy moderating, the three actors on the panel recounted their first auditions and projects as working actors. They helped shed light on how they were able to land some of their memorable roles and imparted wisdom to the aspiring actors in the crowd who listened intently.
They also imparted the lessons they’ve learned about themselves and how they’ve chosen to navigate an industry that has historically marginalized and misrepresented Black people.
“What I’m trying to do is change the environment that I work in,” Ellis-Taylor said. “Particularly in how it affects Black women. Black women are expected to change themselves from top to bottom, their hair, their skin, their bodies to conform to this Hollywood ideal.”
Ross shared what it was like for her to take on the attributes of her characters and the difficulty she had in shedding those emotions when she was off the set of “Stranger Inside.”
“Coming from a smaller place, I was not a very emotional person, like outwardly emotional,” she stated. “I would think a lot; I would write a lot, but I would never share any feelings. I never even showed much feelings, and stuff came out during that film.”
During the Q&A portion, Howard was asked about Taraji P. Henson’s recent comments about the pay gap in Hollywood between white and Black actors. Howard affirmed Henson’s comments and shared that he had sued Fox and its affiliates for $120 million over “Empire,” the musical drama series that starred the two and ran for six seasons.
“They were paying these white individuals from “Big Bang Theory” two to three million dollars an episode and they had only one-third of the ratings that we had. They paid me $150,000. Same agency, negotiating with the same Fox,” he said.
Celebration of Carl Weathers
The Reel Revolution North event originally featured Carl Weathers as a speaker alongside the other celebrity panelists, but due to his Feb. 1 passing, the event became a celebration of his storied career and legacy.
Hayden worked with Weathers over the years and served as a committee co-chair with him on the Directors Guild of America. Weathers was one of the first calls Hayden made when putting together the event at the Capri and Weathers was quick to say yes.
“He had a generosity of spirit, and he had a generosity of compassion, and above all else, he wanted to help the next generation that was coming up the ranks,” Hayden shared.
Highlighting Minnesota as a future film hub
Hayden made mention of the state’s recent expansion of its film tax credit after lawmakers increased the 25 percent tax credit cap from $5 million to $25 million which has since rolled over, creating a $50 million ceiling. He shared that the passage of the tax incentive is a tool that can be used to help shape the perspective of Minnesota.
“What we’re trying to do is we’re trying to change the narrative of what America knows about Minnesota, thinks about Minnesota, and what might be capable in Minnesota,” Hayden said.
Searcy echoed the sentiment and hoped that the event would help bring momentum to the state.
“What this moment does is it injects an abundance of excitement in the film industry,” Searcy said. “It’s a kickoff to all the opportunities and all of the really cool and eclectic things that are coming to Minnesota because of the passing of the incentive.”
See more photos from Chris Juhn below.
