Sterling K. Brown – The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I start a pilot that is the “Untitled Dan Fogelman Project” that is a dramedy for NBC, which I’m excited about. I also have the upcoming Tina Fey movie Whiskey Tango Foxtrot that will be released later on this year. I worked on the M. Night Shyamalan movie Split that will be released sometime in 2016 as well.

Q) What made you want to be a part of the “The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story?

A) I can remember very accurately over twenty years ago when the whole thing went down and how it dominated the public’s consciousness. The reaction to the verdict, along racial lines, were as black and white as they could have been. So, the opportunity to revisit something that was such a momentous event in the history of America – that I couldn’t pass up. I auditioned for the role and I was thankful enough to turn in a decent audition that the producers deemed worthy of employment!

Q) What kind of research on Christopher Darden did you do to help shape your performance?

A) There are a couple books that I started out reading. First was Jeffery Toobin’s book, which the show is based on. It’s sort of an overview of the totality of how it all came together. The thesis for his book is, essentially from the evidence that he saw, that OJ was guilty and his book was sort of about how he got away with murder. It was how all the events transpired and how they allowed this man to be acquitted. Then, I also read Christopher Darden’s book In Contempt, which was really, really wonderful just to get a more personal idea of what his life was and experience of the trial was personally at that time. Then, I watched as much footage as I could from the trial, press conferences, etc. It was a constant tool that everyone walked around with. Sarah [Paulson] had Marcia’s book with her. Courtney [B. Vance] would have Johnny Cochran’s book and I had Christopher’s book and we would constantly be referring back to them as we filmed different parts of the story.

Q) What was it like working with costar Sarah Paulson?

A) I have to say, it is so interesting. Chris confesses to having a bit of a crush on Marcia and I can confess openly to having a bit of a crush on Sarah. It’s more of a talent crush than anything else because I think she is an absolute treasure. She’s one of the best actors that I have had the opportunity to work with. Being with her in all of my scenes was sort of like a dream come true. I think we had really, really good chemistry beyond just having a professional relationship that worked really well. I think we genuinely grew to like one another throughout this process that I call her my friend. It’s interesting because in his book Christopher says he sort of a had a cursory relationship with Marcia before the trial and by the end of the trial they were very, very close. I would say that was exactly my experience working on this miniseries in terms of my relationship with Sarah.

Q) As a part of social media, are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you will be receiving to series and your role?

A) That’s a good question. When you’re on stage, you get instant feedback from an audience so you know if what you are doing is landing with the people the way you want to. I’m very curious to see how people are going to react to it. I think we did something very, very good. I think the writers, producers, directors and actors – everyone involved with the project brought their A-game to the table. I think everyone involved with the project walked away feeling very, very pleased that we came up with something that people will not only enjoy, but they will be educated and informed. They’ll see the trial in a different light than they experienced twenty years ago or experiencing it for the first time for those too young to even remember it. I think people are excited and I don’t think they will be disappointed.

Q) What are some moments that you are really looking forward to getting that fan reaction from?

A) I think, chiefly, one of my greatest concerns approaching this character was how he was sort of maligned and excommunicated by the black community. I feel like he got an unfair shake because he was a prosecutor prosecuting another African American. When you start to see people as symbols rather than individuals, it is very easy to get caught up in the hoopla of seeing someone as being crass, taking each other down and “how come you can’t support another brother.” But this was a man who he thought was guilty of murder. It wasn’t a matter of race. It was about standing up for the people who couldn’t stand up themselves – the victims. Two people had their lives brutally taken away from them and it was about finding justice for those two people. Specifically, I hope people can see twenty years later that this was a man of integrity. Christopher Darden was doing his job to the best of his ability and the treatment he received from the black community was unmerited. Episode 5, I believe, deals a lot with that. He is called an “Uncle Tom” by the LA Times, black people aren’t responding to him, he had people spit on him, etc. I hope people can appreciate from a different perspective that this man was receiving treatment that would not commiserate with what he was doing in court.

Q) What do you hope people take away from watching the series?

A) I think twenty years ago a lot of people saw the prosecution as sort of buffoonery. They made so many mistakes and dropped the ball in so many ways. I think it is a bit more complicated than that. I think a lot of other factors that contributed to the acquittal of OJ Simpson. I think Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden are excellent prosecutors and I don’t think they were bumbling at all. There are things they could have done differently, but there are things they did very, very well. I hope there is a greater appreciation for the job that the prosecution did and not just seeing them as a couple of clowns that goofed up the easiest case that came across the table.

Q) Fans still cherish your work from the show “Army Wives.” How does that make you feel?

A) “Army Wives” was an absolute joy! A real, real privilege! It was my second time as a series regular, but it lasted seven series. It is very near and dear to a lot of people. Any time I come across a military family, former or currently active, they express their gratitude for seeing their story on screen. I’ve had a couple of different soldiers say, “You’ve helped me through my last deployment.” Also, their wives and families! It’s nice when you get a chance to do something that is not only entertaining it not only makes them feel good, but helps them through life. It’s a dream and I’ll be eternally grateful for that experience.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you, first and foremost. I can’t do anything in terms of forward momentum or movement in my career if people aren’t responding positively to what I do. The fact that people do respond positively to me, I say thank you. Acting and illuminating the human condition has been something near and dear to my heart for the majority of my life. The idea that I could actually be paid for it didn’t occur to me until much later on. It’s just something I knew I had to do. The fact I can make a living, support a family and do things that entertain, educate and lift up their spirits is a dream come true. Thank you for their support. I hope to continue to do good work.