think the majority of us have at this point done that, but we need too, because that’s how you make stars, that's how you give people opportunity, that's the fight within the system that I'm talking about. If you're not willing to push and grind to create those opportunities, then it just becomes the same old thing that we’ve been getting the last 100 years since film has been in existence.” Going forward, Reginald mentioned yet another Actor/Filmmaker, Nate Parker, who is known for his role in “Beyond the Lights.” “This young actor right here along with director Gina Prince-Bythewood brings to the industry the change that’s needed, the importance of film and how it can speak, not only to our community as African Americans, but to the world in terms of our image and contributions. “Beyond The Lights” is a beautiful film that you rarely ever get a chance to see us do, which is a love story. It made an impression on me, but still there's more that we need to do to support films like that. That film should still be on everybody's radar, something that they have to see because that's the only way we are going to send a message to Hollywood that these films should be made. We need the affect and impact that they have on our community; how we need to see us loving one another, us in a healthy relationship, us going through certain struggles, but rising through the journey. Again, that's what “Kings of the Evening” did for me. I felt the impact that I thought it would have on an audience. It was an honor and a great opportunity for me to put the work in, not only in front of the camera, but behind it too, in order to make significant key decisions on how this project was going to roll out and who was going to be a part of it,” said Reginald. Reginald is also a real life Cowboy. He is currently working on a Western project, which he wrote with his writing partner over 10 years ago.
we were told, “Well you know you don't have any stars in your film,”(and you just heard the stars who I mentioned), “Well you know African American films don't travel in the international market.” All of those things are nothing but blatant lies. I've been in Hollywood long enough to know that stars are not born in Hollywood, they are made and I put an underline under made. Will Smith, Denzel, Eddie Murphy, all of them were made. They got studio attention, they got the machine behind them and they got the credit that they deserved for their talent. That’s how they were able to become the stars that they ultimately became. There's a whole bunch of us who are still talented, very talented, but at the same time we need a machine behind us and if that machine isn't Hollywood, then it needs to be from within our own community. We need to support great artistic projects like “Kings of the Evening.” We need to support great artists like Jeffrey Wright and so many other young artists who are coming up today. Omari Hardwick, Sally Richardson-Whitfield, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard and this list goes on and on. And what of myself? I'm of the mindset now, we can’t wait on Hollywood. If they catch up that’s cool, but right now we have to take and again claim our own power and for those of us, from time to time, who do work within the studio system, we have to do what a lot of White folks do in those meetings, we have to get up and walk out if it’s not exactly the way we see our vision coming to fruition. I know many White Filmmakers who have done just that. They had studio meetings and they wanted a certain actor that the studio wasn't necessarily supportive of or didn't necessarily want and these guys just got up and walked out of meetings saying, "Until I can get this particular person in my project, I'm not going to make my film without them." I don't
Reginald T. Dorsey Interview (continued...)