"These are my colleagues. These are my comrades in arms. How are we going to get to the truth, do a great job and kill them? And when they call Cut, I'm like, 'Can I have a picture?' ", he said with a laugh, explaining that working with Reeves was a difficult moment for me. "I've done great films with great actors and actresses, and I always have butterflies... I always learning, and I learn with a smile on my face."
Anderson grew up in Toronto, where he was raised by a single mother with his two brothers, one of whom is Stephan James, who starred in the 2018 Oscar-nominated film If Beale Street Could Talk and Ava DuVernay's Selma. Hollywood was always on the horizon for Anderson, who studied musical theater at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts, but not for James.
"I always joke that Stephan has never been to an acting class in his life and I've been training my whole life," the older brother said. "He's nominated for Golden Globes, Emmys, NAACP... he's more decorated than a Christmas tree right now. But he's just talking about how this business works. There's no plan. ."
However, the brothers create their own design and it is now a family business.
Following the protests following the murder of George Floyd during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the brothers formed the Black Academy (Building a Legacy in Acting, Cinema and Knowledge) to fight systemic racism. They also formed the production company Bay Mill Studios to bolster the creative spirit of Black Canadians. Anderson says the company recently sold a project centered on famed painter Jean-Michel Basquiat to a major streaming service. Although black music by Canadian artists such as Drake, The Weeknd and PartyNextDoor has reached global heights, the film industry has not made similar strides.
“In fact, there are many iconic Canadians in the film industry: Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, James Cameron, Ryan Reynolds. I mean, it's a long list...Sandra Oh, a lot of great people," she said.
"Black filmmakers, black actors and actresses, there's a little bit missing," Anderson says, deliberately crossing the line between actor and activist. "There aren't enough black people in the arts at the highest level...there's no shortage of talent. It's just an opportunity."
To highlight the wealth of Canadian talent, the Black Academy created the Legacy Awards. It is the first African-American awards ceremony in the country, described as a combination of the NAACP Image Awards, the Grammys and the BET Awards. Deborah Cox was one of the cast members of the opening show, which received four nominations, including Best Presenter at the Canadian Screen Awards. The show honors a wide cross-section of Black Canadians, including athletes, musicians, actors and philanthropists, and has a multi-year commitment to air on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
And while his creative and social accomplishments are a source of pride, Anderson's biggest smile breaks when he talks about DJ Shamgod, his musical alias.
"I've been a DJ for 15 years. I used it to pay my bills, to make money when I couldn't work as an actor...Just recently, last year, I said I was going public,” explained the multi-format DJ, which is a set played. at the John Wick after-party in New York after the premiere. "This isn't another actor trying to be a musician. I've made music. I'm really on the decks and I'm really throwing."
ragini singh