Playing a historic figure or writing an award-winning biography may require adopting a role or hearing a voice you’ve not heard before. Two Wabash alumni describe their ways into their award-winning endeavors
Parker Sawyers ’05
Character: President Barack Obama
Film: Southside With You
Q: How did you prepare to play the role of the 44th president of the United States?
A: I really honed my prep work on this film. Did a full body scan.
For Barack, I didn’t want him to be a 28-year-old who is confident and cocky just because he is.
I sat down and did thought experiments: Okay, I’m 5 years old, I have white grandparents, I have a white mother; where’s my dad? What’s it like to have a dad? Not really sure. I don’t see anyone on TV who looks like me; why is my hair nappier than my mom’s?
Flash forward now, 10, 11 years old—my mom says we’re moving to Indonesia.
I got out a map, like he would have done, put my finger on Hawaii, a finger on Indonesia: What?!
Then I’m packing my clothes, saying goodbye to my friends—“See you later. When? I don’t know. My mom’s getting married.”
Now I’m smelling the beach, smelling the water, getting on the plane; I get to Indonesia. What are they eating? What’s a Muslim?
Then I’m off to college by myself, smoking weed, reading a lot.
Something had to happen to change him. He thought, I can do better. So he packs up his U-Haul: I’m driving to Columbia—man, is winter cold in New York!
People keep asking him to spell his name—B-a-r-a-c-k—over and over all his life. I thought about all this stuff. How he could have just shut down and become a loner.
Or he could go the other way [Sawyers begins taking on Obama persona]: “You know what? I’m Barack Obama. And I’ve been around the world, and I’ve met a lot of different people and… what I’ve learned in all my 28 years, is that wherever I go, I’m okay. I’ll figure my way out, and I’ll be all right. I’ve learned that I’m pretty smart, if I put my mind to it.
“So, Michelle, why don’t we just go out? Go for some ice cream and to a community meeting—why don’t we do just that? You’re worried about your job; you’re worried about the office. It’ll work out. Why? ‘Cause I’m 28 years old and I’ve had all these experiences, and I’ve found that it always works out.”
That’s how I built the character. With all this preparation I’m not nervous when I perform. I get on the set; my habit is formed.
I am this person.
Southside With You was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival. Hear the moment Sawyers becomes Obama at WM Online. And listen to the complete podcast at Wabash On My Mind: on the College Web site.