Black Film Magazine interview

It's always nice to be offered a part without auditioning. Paul Haggis wrote the role especially for me, which was very unusual as I usually findmyself playing more sympathetic, softer roles. I guess this role requiredraw emotion that you have to get to very, very quickly and I can do that.I spent a maximum of about a week filming my role. My scenes with MattDillon were both physically and emotionally enduring. I was really upsetabout the touch-up scene. When I read the script, I didn't realise that itwould be as intense as it ended up being on screen, I just thought maybe hed put his hand up my skirt, and that would be enough for people to figureout what was going on. I was upset with Paul for a while until I reread thescript and realised that it had been there all the time, I just didn't wantto accept it. It's so painful to accept the reality.The film has totally blown the whole idea of political correctness inAmerica. It starts to put on stereotypes and then blows them apart, forexample, with the Hispanic guy and Ludacris character. Oprah Winfrey evendevoted a whole show to it.Is Crash an honest portrayal of racism? Well, you're limited as to how manystories you can get across in one hour and forty minutes. I felt horrifiedabout what was being portrayed in the film, but they were portrayed in anentertaining way.Everyday someone would talk to me about Crash on the street. It's a thrill;you feel such a kinship with everybody on a positive level. We all have itin us to be prejudiced; it's not something to be ashamed of, just own up.Fear grows behind closed doors.The first time I met everybody else was at the premier. I was in awe to besharing a screen with all these great people. Ludacris was so refreshing; he's very mild and thoughtful. I've also worked with the late Tupac and thereare many similarities between them. There's real soul in what they do.America has been where all my roles have come from. In my sixteen or soyears of acting, I've made one film in England. The British film industry issmaller; there's not that many films being made in England so there's lessroles to go round. And if England wants to continue to make historicalfilms, then so be it; it's great if you're Kenneth Branagh! I actually wantto work in America, there's more available here. It surprises me that peopledon’t know that I'm an accessible English actor.I’ve just finished shooting a Pursuit of Happyness, and I'm just as excitedabout that as I am about Crash!Interview by Mildred Amadiegwu