RJ Cyler interview: Navigating 'Freedom's Path' within the festival circuit
Courtesy of Freedom’s Path Feature Film, LLC
RJ Cyler wasn’t expecting his acting career to start with a bang but he’s been diligently navigating the industry thanks to wise advice ever since. It all began in 2015 when his first role of any kind in front of the camera turned into the Sundance smash, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.” A bidding war ensued, critical praise was thrown on top of that and Cyler, along with his co-stars, began working more steadily.
In the ensuing years Cyler has worked in movies and TV, finding a solid balance that has helped him grow and challenge himself as a newly minted producer. His films include “Power Rangers,” “White Boy Rick” and last year’s “The Harder They Fall” but it’s his latest project that’s sparked his creative side behind the scenes. That film is the historical drama “Freedom’s Path,” where a deserted Union soldier (Gerran Howell) is taken in by a free black man (Cyler), putting both of their lives at risk.
The film is currently in the festival circuit and that’s where we’ve caught up with Cyler, ready to see it premiere at this year’s Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival. He loves film festivals and learning things from different creative minds during his stay. We spoke about his festival roots, what he’s looking for as he’s starting a new producing chapter in his career and much more. This is a transcription of that conversation.
Q: I’ve noticed that film festivals have played a big part in your career. What do you like about them and as you begin producing your own projects, how do you feel they help shape creativity?
RJ Cyler: I get used to festivals because they put you in the environment to be around other creative people who know the ins and outs of the craft. Also to ingest different acting styles, festivals are so cool. I could go to festivals any day.
Q: It’s great to hear you say that because your career got a huge boost at a film festival when “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” exploded at Sundance.
Cyler: Yeah, “Me and Earl” was my first job and Sundance was my first festival. I’m a Sundance baby and it’s good to go back to these festivals and see the same faces and start to build a relationship with the festival on its own.
Q: To have your first film premiere and explode at one of the biggest film festivals in the world sounds incredible. What was that first experience like for you in the moment?
Cyler: My team at the time were very hands-on and protective because they knew I was new to it. They took care of me because I had no idea what to expect. I’m a country boy from Jacksonville, Florida so of course I’m not going to know what I’m walking into but my team made it easier and I just had to make sure I didn’t get too drunk.
Q: What are some of the things you’ve learned since that first Sundance experience to now at Cinequest?
Cyler: Going through different festivals and being in different movies and different genres has taught me that there are so many avenues to creativity that I’m so ignorant to. Also, the balance of drinking dark liquors and tequilas in Hollywood, I was taught not to drink the darks because they’ll slow you down. Drink the tequila, it has no calories and it’ll keep you up. I also learned how films are sold and the process of it because I’m trying to get into my realm of writing and directing. Every festival is different because you get to pick different directors and producers’ brains. Also, to trust your acting choices, I used to question a lot of my acting choices but when the project came out and people liked it I felt validated. You see the most risks being taken at film festivals.
Q: I can see in your list of credits how that’s starting to pay off, you’re a producer on “Freedom’s Path” and you’re even on the “Emergency” soundtrack. You’re doing all this amazing work that must’ve seemed so far away when you were getting started. With “Freedom’s Path,” was that you as a producer seeking out new material or did it come to you?
Cyler: With “Freedom’s Path” the script came to me through my team and they told me that even though I had read many scripts for slave movies, this was not a slave movie. Brett (Smith, the director) was very safe and radical in the choices he made in the script. It was such a great balance. The honesty in the script, the fact that you see no slaves depicted in this movie, that’s what I feel brought me into this script. I feel like we shot for the stars and we hit the next universe.
Courtesy of Netflix
Q: Since this is your first producing credit, what kinds of projects do you want to set up for yourself in the future?
Cyler: I want to make a lot of perspective breaking films, ones that test boundaries. A great example is Jeymes Samuel, the director of “The Harder They Fall.” We shot this movie before “The Harder They Fall” and working with him gave me the freedom to start something new. A sweet spot in directors that I love is when you test boundaries and after you do that you push the whole wall over. I love risk taking actors and creators. If we all went by the same rulebook we’d all have the same crap coming out and we’d get bored.
Q: To have directors test your boundaries is great but how do you test your director’s boundaries on set?
Cyler: I test my director’s boundaries by letting them know that I support their vision. When I come to set I come ten times prepared, I become this person, I don’t believe in holding my lines in my hand. I challenge my directors in knowing my character the way I do. If you don’t have imagination, I’m going to bring it out of you.
Q: How do you handle it when a director puts up a wall and doesn’t let you collaborate?
Cyler: I just respect it. I respect my space as an actor but also respect the space of the director because there’s a vision that came before RJ. I recognize that balance when this makes sense for the film and this makes sense for RJ. What’s more important is what makes sense for the film. I may have written all this stuff in my head but if it doesn’t make sense for the film I’ll throw that shit out.
Q: Does that mentality also work when you’re on a TV set? Or do you have to recalibrate yourself when you’re shooting a TV show versus a movie?
Cyler: Shooting TV is more fast-paced so my sense of improv peaks in both realms but more so on TV. I’m bouncing off the walls in TV but in film my bounce is a bit more steady.
“Freedom’s Path” is currently in its festival run and tickets for its Cinequest premiere can be found at cinequest.org
