Actor Edward Bluemel didnβt know his character in βWashington Blackβ might have a secret life until he got to his third audition.
By then, he figured, his choices werenβt off the mark. βIβm playing a character whoβs very good at covering up his secret lives and sort of worming his way through the world,β Bluemel says. βI think thatβs where he became really interesting to me.β
Edward Bluemel plays Billy McGee in "Washington Black."
The character is eager to wed the daughter of a scientist, but sheβs 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 βnecessity demands.β βThis 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.β
Iola Evans plays Tanna Goff, a woman who's torn between two men in "Washington Black."Β
When sheβs forced to make a choice, she sees value in both options. Bluemelβs McGee βrepresents obligation and a set of rootsβ¦but then he also happens to be quite charming, which was sort of unexpected,β Evans says. Washington βrepresents a more authentic existence. I have the privilege and the challenge of having my toes sort of in two worlds to start. Part of Tannerβs journey is taking responsibility for her own life and making choices for herself.β
Ernest Kingsley Jr., who plays Washington Black, says his characterβs decisions are often based on what heβs doing at the moment. βThe whole thing about living double lives is (a matter of) creating a world for both of those lives, then choosing which one Iβd lean into at any given point.β
The double identities work for the story, the three say, because itβs 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 heβs often escaping a previous one. Thanks to mentors, heβs able to leave those less-than-ideal lives behind. The miniseries, Kingsley says, should encourage others to βfeel more inspired to dream their own dreams and have more faith to continue to go through whatever theyβre going through.β
Bluemel agrees. βItβs a story of hope,β he says. βIt obviously has some harrowing stuff in it but thereβs also a fantastical element and joy in it. For me, itβs about taking hope against the odds.β
To tell the story, the three were in variety of locations. Scenes shot in Iceland, Kingsley says, were βreally, really cold. There were some locations that were freezing, and we were breathing icicles. And other times it was really hot.β
Ernest Kingsley Jr. stars in the Hulu miniseries "Washington Black."
Evans says the temperature swings fed into their performances. βThey affect how you breathe.β
To get a sense of Washingtonβs many identities, Evans and Kingsley went on sketching trips and tried to capture what they saw. βIt was terrible,β Kingsley says.
Still, the variety proved helpful.
βThatβs one of the great things about getting to do a job like this,β Evans says. βYou get to go to all these wonderful places.β
Bluemel says the locations help tell the βenormousβ story and set up Washington Black as the sagaβs backbone. The twisting, turning story works, he adds, because βI could play all the different iterations of the character as authentically as I possibly could.β
βWashington Blackβ airs in July on Hulu.
