Actor Edward Bluemel didnât know his character in âWashington Blackâ might have a secret life until he got to his third audition.
By then, he figured, his choices werenât off the mark. âIâm playing a character whoâs very good at covering up his secret lives and sort of worming his way through the world,â Bluemel says. âI think thatâs where he became really interesting to me.â
Edward Bluemel plays Billy McGee in "Washington Black."
The character is eager to wed the daughter of a scientist, but sheâs interested in Washington Black, an illustrator, adventurer and inventor. They, too, have secret lives.
Iola Evans who plays Tanna Goff, the woman in the love triangle, says her character hides her mixed race background as ânecessity demands.â âThis is maybe a more extreme version of what people have to do for their own protection and security. One of the joys of this story is to work toward a more authentic, fulfilled existence.â
Iola Evans plays Tanna Goff, a woman who's torn between two men in "Washington Black."Â
When sheâs forced to make a choice, she sees value in both options. Bluemelâs McGee ârepresents obligation and a set of rootsâĻbut then he also happens to be quite charming, which was sort of unexpected,â Evans says. Washington ârepresents a more authentic existence. I have the privilege and the challenge of having my toes sort of in two worlds to start. Part of Tannerâs journey is taking responsibility for her own life and making choices for herself.â
Ernest Kingsley Jr., who plays Washington Black, says his characterâs decisions are often based on what heâs doing at the moment. âThe whole thing about living double lives is (a matter of) creating a world for both of those lives, then choosing which one Iâd lean into at any given point.â
The double identities work for the story, the three say, because itâs so sprawling and complex.
Tanna Goff, left, played by Iola Evans, and Billy McGee, played by Edward Bluemel, could wind up a couple in the miniseries "Washington Black" But the titular captures her eye.
Black goes through several identities because heâs often escaping a previous one. Thanks to mentors, heâs able to leave those less-than-ideal lives behind. The miniseries, Kingsley says, should encourage others to âfeel more inspired to dream their own dreams and have more faith to continue to go through whatever theyâre going through.â
Bluemel agrees. âItâs a story of hope,â he says. âIt obviously has some harrowing stuff in it but thereâs also a fantastical element and joy in it. For me, itâs about taking hope against the odds.â
To tell the story, the three were in variety of locations. Scenes shot in Iceland, Kingsley says, were âreally, really cold. There were some locations that were freezing, and we were breathing icicles. And other times it was really hot.â
Ernest Kingsley Jr. stars in the Hulu miniseries "Washington Black."
Evans says the temperature swings fed into their performances. âThey affect how you breathe.â
To get a sense of Washingtonâs many identities, Evans and Kingsley went on sketching trips and tried to capture what they saw. âIt was terrible,â Kingsley says.
Still, the variety proved helpful.
âThatâs one of the great things about getting to do a job like this,â Evans says. âYou get to go to all these wonderful places.â
Bluemel says the locations help tell the âenormousâ story and set up Washington Black as the sagaâs backbone. The twisting, turning story works, he adds, because âI could play all the different iterations of the character as authentically as I possibly could.â
âWashington Blackâ airs in July on Hulu.
