Friday, March 29, 2024

Wendell Pierce on Playing Clarence Thomas: ‘I Had to Check My Own Prejudice’

wendell pierce (as clarence thomas)
Wendell Pierce as Clarence Thomas in HBO’s ‘Confirmation’

*In HBO’s upcoming film “Confirmation,” Wendell Pierce had to step into the shoes of a real life man whose politics couldn’t be any further from his.

The star of “Treme” and most recently “The Odd Couple” plays Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the drama, which details his volatile 1991 nomination hearings.

“Scandal” star Kerry Washington plays Anita Hill, the woman who accused him of sexual harassment when he was her supervisor at the U.S. Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The televised hearings captivated the nation with its issues of race relations, victim’s rights and gender politics.

Pierce said he approached the role of Thomas as he would any part.

“As an actor you’re always searching for the humanity of a character. I hope people don’t prejudge the film because of his reputation,” he said Thursday at HBO’s portion of the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour. “I had to check my own prejudice about who I thought he was.”

Below, Pierce says he was shocked to find that he had some things in common with Clarence Thomas:

“Confirmation,” also produced by Kerry Washington, premieres in April.

 

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