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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 28 May 2019

‘When They See Us’ actors revisit the Central Park Five case

By MARK KENNEDY
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Actor
Jharrel Jerome, perhaps
best known for his role in
“Moonlight,” recalls walk-
ing to school a few years
ago in his native New York
City, worried about an up-
coming test, when he was
stopped by two police of-
ficers.
“Stop! Can I see your bag?”
one asked him.
He immediately froze
in fear. What did he do
wrong? Did he walk weird?
Did he say something? Je-
rome let them look though
his notebooks, papers and
pens. Then they let him go.
He was still shaking at his
desk hours later.
“You just wonder what was
in their mind and what they
see in me when I’m just
trying to be as good as I This May 20, 2019 photo shows Asante Blackk, from left, Jharrel Jerome, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, and Marquis Rodriguez posing
could be,” he recalled. at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York to promote their Netflix show “When They See Us.”
“It’s terrifying because they Associated Press
could have been the worst the death penalty in New of troubling police encoun- were aware of stories like Rodriguez still has a hard
of cops. They could have York state. It took years for ters with young black men, that because their case time wrapping his head
done anything.” the five to be exonerated, including instances that was one of millions of others around the fact that Santa-
Jerome, 21, drew heav- and they spent most of have resulted in death: that we’ve heard about.” na was only 14 at the time
ily on that testy interaction their youth in prison. Anoth- Sean Bell, Oscar Grant, Eric The case still echoes today of his arrest and maintained
to play Korey Wise, an in- er man was found guilty of Garner and Michael Brown in no small part to recent his innocence even as he
nocent man who spent the attack. among them. instances of exonerated, faced police coercion.
12 years behind bars for The five young actors who “It kind of blurs together railroaded defendants and “I did not know if I would be
a rape in Central Park he play the accused in the first and that’s just how it is liv- by who occupies the White able to hold the weight of
never committed. “Thinking half of the series were hor- ing in America as a young House. “We’ve definitely what he held at that age,”
about that experience and rified to learn details of the man of color,” said Blackk, made progress but there is said Rodriguez.
then thinking about it times case and hope it can lead who grew up in and around so much more progress to “I know for sure I would
ten is terrifying,” he said. to changes in the judicial Washington, D.C. “Multiple be made,” said Blackk. have broken under it. And
Wise was one of five black system. experiences day after day “We’re still living in a time he came out of it alive and
and Latino teenagers — “It hurts me to think that and it kind of becomes nor- where our president has functioning and happy
the others were Antron it’s 2019 and it’s not that I mal to you and that’s not tried to ban an entire re- now, which is absolutely
McCray, Kevin Richardson, don’t still hear of stories ex- OK.” ligion from entering this unbelievable.”
Yusef Salaam, Raymond actly like this,” said Marquis Jerome and Rodriguez said country,” he added, re- The young actors seem
Santana — who were co- Rodriguez, 21, who plays their mothers told them ferring to Trump’s attempt changed by the experi-
erced into confessing to Santana and grew up in about this ugly chapter in early in his presidency to ence of working on the
the crime and are collec- Brooklyn. city history, hoping their ban foreigners from seven project. All — from Blackk,
tively known as the “Cen- The two New Yorkers — sons would learn to be re- Muslim-majority countries who enjoyed his first profes-
tral Park Five.” Jerome and Rodriguez — spectful of police but also from entering the United sional acting role, to the ex-
In Ava DuVernay’s new were acquainted with the not be too pliant. States. perienced Jerome — said
four-part Netflix series case before landing their “It was just something that To get into character, all they wanted to find proj-
“When They See Us,” the roles, but the three oth- she thought was really im- five actors met their coun- ects as meaningful down
horrific odyssey the five ers — Asante Blackk, 17, portant for me to know, terparts, who charmed the the road.
endured is shown over 25 Caleel Harris, 15, and Ethan part of my history and al- young men with their cheer “I want to be a part of im-
years, from the 1989 night Herisse, 18 — hadn’t heard most a cautionary tale — despite the hardships they portant stories and I want to
they were arrested to the of the plight of the Central just how quickly things can faced. Richardson cracked be a part of the right stories
day a settlement was Park Five. Now they think go terribly, terribly wrong jokes. and I want them to be told
reached with the city in it’s too important to forget. especially for a young man McCray was warm. San- correctly and to be told
2014. “It’s something that needs of color in this city,” Rodri- tana nicely offered specific with an inclusive mindset,”
The case was drawn on to continue to be told, to guez said. details of his ordeal. Wise said Rodriguez, who is next
racial lines from the out- remind everyone that mis- Jerome’s mother grew was youthful, as if stuck in off to work on the “Game
set, with the victim being carriages of justice can up near where the attack amber. of Thrones” prequel.
a young white woman, happen,” said Herisse. Har- took place and as a girl of “I mean, the man match- Jerome agreed: “This is all
and it drew worldwide at- ris agreed, and said the 12 or 13 wasn’t allowed to es his hat to his shirts to his I want to do. I want to do
tention. Tabloid headlines case is about something go to Central Park for two sneakers — still like the ‘90s. projects that speak to peo-
compared the teens to else, too: “It is a story of sur- years. “That kind of prob- He’s all about ‘90s culture, ple who don’t get to have
a wolf pack, and Donald vival.” ably stayed with her as she ‘90s hip-hop, as if he kind of a voice. I want to do proj-
Trump took out newspaper Questionable police tac- raised her kids,” he said. was in a time machine and ects that resonate with you
ads calling for the return of tics have led to a long list “She made sure that we stayed there,” said Jerome. after a long time.”q