Exclusive Interview: Getting to Know Russell Hornsby

When you meet Grimm actor Russell Hornsby, the first thing that strikes you is the warmth which seems to surround him like a blanket. He doesn’t keep it to himself though. He seems to want to gather as many as possible beneath that blanket. He’s very tall, very handsome, and looks you dead in the eye when speaking or listening to you. He makes you feel like you matter.

I recently had the pleasure of being able to chat with Russell and I can tell you that this is a man you want to spend time analyzing all the things that mean the most to you. He’s a pretty deep thinker and very serious about his work as well.

At the time of this interview, he was working on episode 7 of Grimm. Hornsby does not indulge in spoilers, preferring that people enjoy the journey and the fun and excitement of Grimm. He doesn’t really have a favorite Wesen from the show, however he is deathly afraid of rats. So Mauzherts? Not his favorite. “When I see one I scream.”

We spoke more about Hornsby’s career as a whole, rather than focusing only on Grimm. His profile has him all over the board, from theater to video game voice overs. Russell is known first for his role as police officer Eddie Sutton on [easyazon-link asin=”B002WIDRLM”]Lincoln Heights[/easyazon-link]. He was also “Luke” on In Treatment, and was in films such as [easyazon-link asin=”B000069HZN”]Big Fat Liar[/easyazon-link] and [easyazon-link asin=”B000E1NXB8″]Get Rich Or Die Tryin’[/easyazon-link].

With all this history, I didn’t see “Director” in his background, so of course I asked him about that. “I would like to eventually direct. Right now that’s not, I’m not really motivated in that direction. I’m taking it slow, reading a lot about it, paying attention and watching the process. I want to really fulfill this acting journey. I want to do other theater, I want to do other types of films, and tell other stories, and really fulfill this journey as an actor. I think that I have been exceedingly blessed to work in this business as an actor and especially being an actor of color, even more so. And so I think that I’m here as an actor for a reason. I think that there are other stories to tell that my services as an actor would serve better than if I were to trade this in as a director.”

Russell talked about the differences between stage and screen, and which one he preferred over the other. “I love theater because it’s more therapeutic. It does the most truth-telling. Because you cannot run and you cannot hide. More often than not you can hide in film and television. In theater, even elements of its worst, you cannot hide.”

“And when you’re doing naturalistic plays or contemporary drama or even some period pieces, the level of truth and honesty that you have to come to is scary for an actor. You become the philosopher you become your own therapist because you have to dig deep inside your soul – inside your spirit, and really find out and really rediscover who you are. You have to deal with all of yourself.”

“And I think that’s why a lot of actors have trouble with that. And I think that’s why they are that much more in tune with themselves, because they’ve had to do that discovery work. They had to do that soul searching that a lot of lay people, everyday people, don’t necessarily have to do or choose not to do.”

“And so that’s why I appreciate theater. It can be scary, for the actor and it can be scary for the actor’s family as well, because you’re going through a transition that at times is very hard for a lot of people to face.”

“You’re out in front of an audience,” Hornsby continues, “and it’s an immediate reaction. And you have to become the truth at every moment. And if you haven’t done that work prior to getting on stage, you will expose yourself.”

Russell is still ‘young’ in the business, though decidedly not inexperienced. I asked him what role he’d like to pursue that he hasn’t done yet.

“On stage I would like to continue to examine  the works of August Wilson, I think he was one of the greatest playwrights that God ever put breath in. He’s on the same level as Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams and the like. And he’s really exhibited humanity from the African-American perspective. That is important to me. And I want to continue that examination on stage.”

“As far as movies are concerned, I would like to tell those every man every person stories from an African-American perspective. I feel that our stories have not really come to light as we tell them. There is a humanity, because we are Americans and this is America, there is humanity in our cultural specificity. And we haven’t been able to continue that examination in a way that is honest, in a way that is at a very high level.”

“So that’s what I would like to do. So whatever that character is, whatever those stories are, that remains to be seen, but it’s one of those things where you know that character when you read it, you k now that story when you read it because it leaps off the page  and it climbs inside you.”

“And the stories are there. I have a stack of scripts from friends that are stories that are that. But you need the money, you need backing, you need support. And when this show (Grimm) gets to a level where I’m a household name and people ask you what you want to do, I could say ‘well listen there are ten scripts right here let’s choose one.'”

Russell goes on to say, “I’m expected  to be a vessel  in the story telling. I feel that there are a lot of writers who are under appreciated and who are not seeing who can tell that story, and me be a part of it.”

So what is the one thing that most people don’t know about Russell Hornsby? “I’m a deeply passionate person who feels a great deal for people who are being wrongly treated in this country and in this world. I feel deeply for the ‘have nots’, for the ‘least of these’, and I try to put that pain and that passion into my work. And that’s why you want to get those opportunities again in my opinion from where I stand to tell those stories that are culturally specific to who I am, so that I can take the stories of my people, whether it be historically or whether it be present day, and the ‘least of these’, and put them on display so people can understand that there are others out there who are going without. And I feel deeply for those folks.”

And there you have it folks. The reason you can’t help but be drawn to this man.

Russell’s character on Grimm, Hank, has had to evolve since last season, with the discovery of who Nick really is. It’s interesting to watch Russell change with the character. He;s definitely a talent that still has much to show the world as well. We’ll be looking out for him.

Grimm returns to Friday nights beginning tonight, so be sure to tune in. The episode is titled The Good Shepard and airs in its regular time slot, 9/8c, on NBC.

All photos courtesy of Bobby Quillard (www.quillardinc.com).