The Big Picture

Oscar-nominee LaKeith Stanfield and RJ Cyler sit down with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff to discuss the making of The Book of Clarence. The duo talk about reuniting with writer-director Jeymes Samuel after collaborating on The Harder They Fall. Stanfield and Cyler also highlight what they appreciate about each other as scene partners.

What’s the secret to pulling off an authentic scene? According to Oscar-nominee LaKeith Stanfield and his The Book of Clarence co-star, RJ Cyler, it’s leaning into the happy accidents that pop up along the way. Pair this duo with writer-director Jeymes Samuel, whose on-set philosophy is to let the cameras roll uninterrupted, and you’ve got a working environment where artists can flourish and successfully deliver a one-of-a-kind biblical epic.

Starring Stanfield, Cyler, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Benedict Cumberbatch, and James McAvoy, The Book of Clarence tells the story of the twin brother of Apostle Thomas, Clarence, who observes the heralded messiah, Jesus Christ (Nicholas Pinnock), and his apostles from the outside looking in. But, Clarence has big aspirations, so when Jesus rolls through performing miracles, he believes he can capitalize on this business model with his own apostles in tow.

With The Book of Clarence in theaters, Collider’s Perri Nemiroff got the chance to talk with Stanfield and Cyler about reuniting with Samuel after his feature directorial debut, The Harder They Fall. Check out the full interview in the video above, or you can read the transcript below to find out what makes Samuel’s approach to filmmaking unique, what the two learned from each other as scene partners, and more.

The Book of Clarence Struggling to find a better life, Clarence is captivated by the power of the rising Messiah and soon risks everything to carve a path to a divine existence. Release Date January 12, 2024 Director Jeymes Samuel Rating PG-13 Runtime 136 minutes Main Genre Drama Writers Jeymes Samuel

PERRI NEMIROFF: I’ll start by asking you both about working with Jeymes. You both did The Harder They Fall so you know how talented he is, but is there anything you saw him do on The Book of Clarence set that made you go, “Damn, I knew you were good, but not that good?”

RJ CYLER: I feel like I’ve known he’s that good. Jeymes, when it comes to how great he is, it doesn’t surprise me. You feel me? It would surprise me if Jeymes slept. That would surprise me. Yeah, if Jeymes actually took a rest day, that would be the only surprising thing.

LAKEITH STANFIELD: For me, there were a lot of heavy moments that I had where, you know, I can be pretty serious about my approach to the work, so I kind of find myself in just this really focused mist, and he would break me out of it in certain moments with levity and comedy in ways that made me just feel like, “Remember, it’s fun. Remember to have fun.” That was something that was really quite special. One time he came up to me and just randomly, I was just in this mode, and he was like, “I’ve cast the wrong Jesus,” but it was pointed at me [laughs], so it was quite funny.

‘The Book of Clarence’ Director Never Calls “Cut”

Does he have a monitor dance? Is there something you can catch him doing behind the monitor that signals to you, he’s really digging a take?

CYLER: I think it’s not even like a move, it’s a facial expression, because Jeymes already has a very sure expression, like, “Yeah, you can do it. This is it.” But when he’s watching and he’s enamored, he turns into a kid, and then he’s watching film that makes him happy on the inside. Once he sees, then he’s like, “Hard. Hard!” He doesn’t even say cut because Jeymes doesn’t believe in cutting creativity, right? He’ll just let the scene go and then let us end it as is. But sometimes, even when he goes too fast, “Hard! I’m sorry! Continue.”

STANFIELD: Yeah, we’re in the middle of a scene, “Hard!” It’s like, “Wait, wait, we’re still filming.” [Laughs]

CYLER: Exactly. I’m crying. “Hard!” “No, Jeymes. No!”

Is that always how he’s worked, without saying cut at the end, and if so, what do you appreciate about that? Do you maybe wish more directors didn’t say cut?

CYLER: Yes.

STANFIELD: Yeah, I like a little extra room. That’s where happy accidents can happen, and I just like to have a little bit of extra space because you just never know what’s gonna come up, and so it’s a beautiful thing. I really like it. And he has his own style. It’s very much like my approach to acting. It’s like your own style that you sort of build over time through experiences in your life, you just bring it to the work, so it’s great.

CYLER: I also feel like all directors might not be able to handle that freedom of directing, you feel me? Because Jeymes, when it comes to the full picture of the film, he already has it, so he can allow for us to be in that space. He knows what to do with every single piece of film that he takes. Even the outtakes, he can make a movie out of it.

I believe that.

CYLER: And it takes a dangerous person to be able to do that, and Jeymes is that person. It’s gonna be hard, but I don’t think there’s nobody that can do it like that. That’s the first time I’ve dealt with a director that didn’t use cut, that just allows for it to be. “You cut the scene because you might give me something that I didn’t see before.” That takes a different type of director.

There Were No Mistakes on the Set of ‘The Book of Clarence’

Image via Legendary Pictures

I have to ask you two about working with each other. Your characters’ relationship is a big part of the beating heart of this film so can you each tell me something about the other you appreciated as a scene partner, maybe even something that helped you access something in your own character that you wouldn’t have been able to without them?

STANFIELD: I really love how fearless RJ is as a performer. I think it’s really important to push the boundaries, but that can be a very scary thing. You don’t wanna make mistakes, but there are these performers who decide, “Even in the face of that, I’m going to go for it,” and it makes it very, very fun. Keeps it very interesting. And he’s so naturally funny, and he’s naturally funny because he’s smart. You don’t become that funny not being able to pick up on things and not being able to put things and misplace things on purpose, because that’s what makes it funny, and he’s very good at that. So it was really just a joy. And I was just talking about how his countenance on set was always just so placid, so cool, never a problem. He never had a problem with anything. It could be the most intense scene and he was just like, “Yeah, alright. We cool. How you doing, brother? How you doing, man? Love you, man.” So it was a real dope camaraderie.

CYLER: Something I’ve noticed about LaKeith throughout the multiple times that we’ve worked together — I’ve always been a fan of his work, right? And I’ve always wanted to kind of be able to bounce back and work that way, right? We met a bit ago on the first film and then on The Harder They Fall I was able to actually link and make that scene connection. So as a scene partner, LaKeith kinda opened my eyes to what it was to fully sync into my characters. So there’s a certain person that LaKeith doesn’t allow on set. He lets the character live there, you feel me? Like, literally lets the character live. So when you’re in the scene, all of your mistakes aren’t mistakes, they’re just another spark of your mind that you didn’t have before, and he’ll lean into it. Most actors, they can’t play. They can’t bounce unless they have a structure to it, which is okay, but LaKeith kinda strengthens that to where you can now come off so authentic. Because I’ll be overthinking sometimes, I ain’t gonna lie. I do. But then when I watch how he approaches in freedom, and that’s in every one of his roles.

As you know, his resume, all of them are heavy hitters. He’s like a Mike Tyson in this acting thing, you know? He always swings hard. So to be in a scene with a partner that supports your hard swings, or will tell you, “Hey, you’re not swinging hard enough. Swing harder,” you feel me? He gives me the praises for my relentlessness and my risk-taking, but he, as that person, will bring that out of you. It’s like, “Okay, you messed up on that line, say it the same way. Please give me that because now I have another idea that I can use, so if you don’t give me that, we ain’t gonna be able to see what the idea is.” You need that in a scene partner, one that doesn’t get mad when you go off or whatever. They just know how to do that shit. He’s that sharp. So, I can say, “llama,” at a time when he’s emotional — [tears up] “Llama? It was a llama for me.” You know? That’s fun. That’s play. That’s mastery of your craft.

Image via Vanity Fair

I love the idea of mistakes not being mistakes.

STANFIELD: Your team is as strong as the players, and really, we’re a team and we’re trying to achieve the same thing, so it’s like, “How do we play off of each other? How do we make it work?” There are no mistakes, just like in real life. If you do something, you accidentally drop something, you just dropped something and you just gotta pick it up. You know what I mean? So yeah, it’s fun.

Jeymes Samuel Swears by His Directing Doctrine – “Obey Your Crazy”

“Don’t let anyone seal in your destinations with their own limitations.” That’s how The Book of Clarence writer and director, Jeymes Samuel, approaches making movies. Having conquered Westerns and the New Testament, Samuel is setting his sights on every genre, from sci-fi to horror, and promises that this sophomore film is only the beginning, vowing, “Boy, I’m just getting started.” If you’re looking for even more on The Book of Clarence, check out the video above to hear about Samuel’s filmmaking influences, how he put together an ideal ensemble, and loads more!

The Book of Clarence is in theaters now.

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