ATN interview with David Harewood, The Mountaintop
By Chloe Thomas
Published August 5, 2009

David Harewood is not an exciting “black” actor; he’s an exciting actor, period. Since graduating from RADA in the early 90s Harewood has acted up a storm as the first black actor to take on “Othello” at the National Theatre as well as numerous roles most famously as bachelor about Brixton, Gus in the BBC drama “Babyfather”. With his impish features and mischievous smile he almost looks more suited to “Puck” than the role of Nelson Mandela in the imminent BBC series “Mrs Mandela”. But with the gravitas and subtlety he weaves into the role of Martin Luther King, in Katori Hall’s “The Mountaintop” this sprite’s commanding brand of charisma will continue to bewitch us all.

How did you prepare for the role of Dr Martin Luther King Jr?
In a sense the role has been with me all my life. His famous I have a dream speech has always sent a tingle up my spine and resonated with me. When the role arrived I only had three weeks to learn the part so I approached it in the way that I would prepare for any character. I spent a lot of time watching documentaries and listening to his speeches as well as reading books. I actually left the voice work till the end once I felt I had grasped the shape of the man.

Mountain top is a wonderful play in the sense that it takes you behind the scenes of Martin Luther King’s mind. What did you find most interesting about this as an actor?
The interesting thing for me was that I never realised how insecure he was and it was because he lived with this constant threat of death like a sword hanging over his head. So I tried to portray his sense of fear as well as an ingrained vulnerability. But I was also surprised and quite interested to discover that he was quite playful and cheeky and charming which I wanted to get across because the most popular perception of Dr King is of someone very sober and serious.

You were accepted to RADA at 18 and you grew up in Birmingham can you describe how you got onto the yellow brick road towards the bright lights of London?
Well it was a fluke really; I never had laid out any plans to become an actor. Initially I decided to stay on at school mainly to avoid going on the dole but while everyone else was thinking about going on to university I started to think seriously about what I should do. Then I was quite lucky because one of my English teachers suggested that maybe I should look into becoming an actor. So they helped me to apply to the National Youth Theatre which I did down in London and I found it to be the most fabulous eye-opening experience. It was after that that I decided to apply to drama schools and fortunately enough I was accepted into RADA.

You were also an accomplished sportsman, in terms of discipline, what would you say were the similarities between acting and sport?
Preparation and training are the most important things. You can’t walk off the street and become an actor any more than you can just decide on a whim to run a marathon. You have to train your body and your mind to learn the lines and to have the stamina to perform eight shows a week even when you’re not feeling like it.

How would you describe the climate and opportunities available for black actors today?
I think it’s getting better but I don’t think it’s yet on a par with how it is in the states. There just aren’t as many roles for black actors in this country which makes the whole game harder. I always try to encourage young black actors who are starting out but I do say to them that they should consider the option of heading stateside.

Martin Luther king had a dream that one day “his children would be judged by the content of their character and not by the colour of their skin”. Do you think that any part of this dream has been realised?
Without a doubt. It was astonishing watching the inauguration of Barack Obama back in January. I couldn’t believe how far we have come in the sense that here was America which has been one of the most racist countries on the planet electing a black president. This was an example of white Americans looking beyond the colour of his skin and looking to the content of his character in realising that race aside, he was the man for the job.

What is your dream?
For people in the future to live in harmony.