Photo Credit: AshNguyen.com
Posted by | Ray Cornelius
For rising actor Michael B. Jordan, recreating the death scene of Oscar Grant for the upcoming film, Fruitvale Station was both spiritual and very personal. The 26-year-old actor, who is already considered an Oscar contender for his portrayal of Grant, recounted the chilling experience in a recent interview with Vulture.com.
Reportedly, Jordan shot the scene at the real Fruitvale Station late at night when the trains were not running. He even went so far as to placing his face on the same cement area where Grant was tragically killed. “I prayed to Oscar a lot,” said Jordan. “I asked him to be around me, to give me his essence. When I was shooting that scene, I felt like I could’ve lost my life. I was scared, and I think that’s how Oscar felt.”
Jordan also confessed that he was so committed to the role that he moved from L.A. to San Francisco, a month prior to filming in order to spend time with Grant’s family and friends. He further explained that he immediately connected with Grant’s background, considering the two of them grew up in similar hardcore neighborhoods and would have been around the same age. “Newark isn’t a playground,” said Jordan. “I had friends that sold drugs, stole cars.”
Jordan later admitted that he too was a victim of police harassment at age 16 because of the vehicle he was driving.“Being African-American and driving a nicer car than cops thought I should gave me problems.”
As previously reported, Fruitvale Station chronicles the last day in the life of 22-year old Oscar Grant, who was shot and killed by an Oakland police officer at the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station, Fruitvale, in 2009.
The film also stars Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer as Grant’s mother and is directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Forest Whitaker. The film premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and took home the coveted Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize. Fruitvale Station opens in limited theaters on July 12.
