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Interview: Why Corey Hawkins Wanted to Be Danielle Brooks' Harpo in THE COLOR PURPLE
May 16, 2024
Nearly 20 years into their friendship, Corey Hawkins and Danielle Brooks are having their biggest moment yet. In a new interview with BroadwayWorld, Hawkins says where he and Brooks are now is 'destined,' sharing why he wanted to be 'her Harpo.' Watch the video of him also discussing his new song 'Workin'' and following In the Heights.
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0:00
Hi, Corey. How are you
0:01
I'm good, Michael. How are you? I'm great. I'm so excited to speak with you about this movie. I loved it so much
0:08
And we've seen the color purple around for many years through the book, the original Spielberg film
0:13
But when were you first introduced to the color purple musical adaptation
0:18
Well, it was on Broadway when I first got to New York in the original
0:26
And that was LaShawns and Fantasius. So I remember it back then
0:31
And then, of course, I saw, you know, Danielle Brooks do it about four or five times
0:40
I just would just go and just. Me too, yeah. Yeah, yeah. We all, I mean, her and Cynthia and Jennifer do it so many times on Broadway
0:51
So I've been a fan for a long time of the Broadway version
0:56
Obviously, the source material, the book. and then the original film as well
1:01
Yeah, and this is the second movie musical that we've seen you in in The Heights First
1:06
What do you enjoy about acting and performing in films like these
1:11
I'm figuring it out because, you know, like you said, it's my second one
1:15
But there's something about theater that I just apparently can't get away from
1:20
even when I go to do film. So that's good, that's cool, that's interesting to me
1:26
I think there is something magical about the theater, obviously. I'm a theater head and theater nerd
1:36
and have been my entire life. But there's something special about, when we're talking about the conversation
1:43
between theater and film, when those lights go down, when all these people in the audience
1:49
just take that moment and suspend their disbelief and lean in and watch these people get up on stage
1:55
and put on costumes and make up these crazy, like, you know, there's something
1:58
sort of just interesting about that and collectively leaning in. And so to take that and then give it a bigger sort of voice in the cinematic space
2:12
I think is something that, especially if the stories hold. In The Heights is a story that holds because it is about that culture
2:20
Color Purple to me is a story that holds because it's truly about that culture
2:24
It is about that culture that is my culture as well. And so I had a little bit more at stake in the color purple
2:32
And so it's just a magical kind of conversation. It's an elusive conversation
2:37
And people don't always get it right. But I'm glad that those two films, at least, I think have
2:44
Yes, totally. It translated incredibly. You also have a new song in this movie that brand new to the musical Workin What was it like bringing that to life I remember the conversations when I signed on When I read the original script
2:59
I got to call from Scott Sanders because we had worked on in the Heights together with Scott and Mara Jacobs
3:04
And I got to call. I was in a car on the way to the airport
3:08
to go shoot something else. And Scott calls and he's like, you know, I talked to Quincy
3:14
and talked to Oprah, talk to Stevens Spielberg, and Alice Walker. want you to be our harpo will you be our harpo and i was like duh like you know of course i'm
3:25
gonna be harpo man like you know yeah um and so uh but i then my next phone call was about daniel
3:34
i was like please i want i want to be her harpo like i hope we get to work on this together obviously
3:39
and then my third phone call was um after i read the script i didn't see any songs for harpole and i was
3:47
like, what's going on? Y'all, like, we got to give Harpo a little something
3:51
you know, a chance to get in. And it was thrilling to me that Blitz leaned into that
3:57
He leaned into giving this young black boy a song, where as Mr. didn't have a song
4:04
and Coleman also speaks eloquently about this as well, what does it mean when you don't have a song, you know
4:09
Just what does that imply, you know, all the machinations of that
4:13
So, like, to be, to give Harpo, voice, right, to let that black boy joy come out, to show his willingness that, like that
4:23
the work song for me is Harpo's, uh, it's the first sort of sight of Harpo sort of breaking the cycle
4:29
of trauma. It's the first cycle of breaking that toxic masculinity that's passed down. Um
4:35
and so it allowed me to lean in and push the button a little, push the button a little bit
4:40
further, um, with Harpo and, uh, and I appreciated that. It, it, it plays into, um, um, it, it plays into, um
4:47
the old work songs that we had to sing in order to keep from crying, you know
4:55
and to get through our days working in the fields. And Harpo chooses to build his woman a house
5:02
And he stakes his claim on that. And he takes pride in that. And so that's what that song sort of comes out of
5:07
And it was fun, man, putting it together. It was special. I'm glad I got to do that
5:12
Yeah, it was totally a highlight. And I love hearing all the layers underneath that
5:16
You mentioned her before, but so many of your scenes in this film are with the incredible Danielle Brooks
5:22
What was it like working with her in this movie? It was insane, man
5:25
Danielle and I go back so, so many years, coming up on 20 in a few years, which is insane because we play little kids in this movie
5:38
And so we grow from little kids to you know the age the old age And so Danny and I were kids together Julia right Like we were broke college kids rolling around on dirty floors of Juilliard
5:53
and in a school where there were not many people who looked like us in our class
5:57
was 18 of us. And the big part of that was just to be able to see each other, right
6:04
And we leaned on each other, not just in school, but after we graduated and struggling in New York
6:10
And I always believe that God don't make no mistakes. So where we are right now is destined
6:17
It is ordained. Mama O, she always says, you know, all things purple are all things divine
6:24
And so that is truly what I believe, because the odds of starting where we started and ending up here, I mean, what is that
6:34
At this moment, they choose to tell this story and we are the people who got to do it
6:39
It is honestly mind-blowing when I think about it. gives me chills every time, but she is a force in this film
6:45
And I'm happy to like support her and watch her shine. It's a joy
6:53
Yeah, it sounds like everything in so many different parts of this film, we're so just perfectly aligned for you
6:59
And as an audience member, it's a perfect movie with the perfect director, perfect cast
7:04
What does it mean to you personally to just be a part of this moment
7:08
and this moment that this film is about to have right now? Ooh, big question
7:14
But I'll say it starts with the imagination. We were talking about this earlier with everybody
7:20
and it just popped into my head that as kids, we always encourage to have imaginations, right
7:31
Like, it's like go outside and play, or, you know, go make believe, you know
7:36
And then you reach a certain age, and everybody encourages you to stop that, right
7:40
Everybody goes, all right, that's enough. Like, you know, grow up and stop having an imagination, stop playing
7:47
And as artists, we get the opportunity and the luxury, because it's a privilege and a luxury and a responsibility
7:53
to continue using our imagination. And to continue pushing that. Because I believe that the imagination is a passport to where you need to get to
8:05
And Fantasia talks about this eloquently, too, just about how Seeley imagines herself
8:10
in a better place. She imagines herself this place. We all have that thing. We just have to
8:16
lean into it. And so for me, that's what the color purple is about. It's about seeing that
8:21
and then acting on that and encouraging other people, not just when you go and watch this movie
8:27
and sit down and you finish and you feel with joy from it, but in life, you know, once you
8:32
get up and walk out of that theater you go wait I can imagine myself in a better position than I was And you just choose every day to kind of inch towards that And so that what that means for me right now in this generation
8:47
And I'm just thrilled to kind of be a part of that lineage
8:53
be a part of that legacy in whatever way I can. How come you don't laugh, none
9:03
Ain't you got something to make you just smile? My sister, and I ain't seen her in the heels
9:19
You know, if you ain't going to laugh, you need to sell your footy bone
9:26
I was married to a man I didn't love. What if I say, go
9:34
And he took my sister away from me. Even if we have to part, you and me
9:40
Us have one heart. Why come you so nice? Don't know. Maybe you're too nice
9:50
It seemed like trouble. I come here out of respect. But if there ain't nothing to get
9:58
that shoal ain't none to get. Now that I've got your attention
10:11
Here's what you may need to hear Drink something to pass There's going to be some changes made
10:22
You got to stand up I know my sister somewhere in the world
10:31
Someday we're gonna meet again It held high, just like Mom taught us
10:40
This time I be free from you and then turn into creation. I die before I let that happen
10:46
Good. That's just a gone away present I'm in need. Oh! What are you letting do
11:11
Time for you see the world. Push the button. Sweet and loving God
11:21
Purs it if you want to come in
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