Stephan James
Stephan James
Stephan Jamesis a Canadian actor...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionTV Actor
Date of Birth16 December 1993
CityToronto, Canada
CountryCanada
experience field track train
I've had some experience in track and field in school, but I did have to train to be able to play Jesse Owens - to be a runner, to be an Olympian.
asking blown call looked recognized
When I first got the call from my manager asking if I'd ever heard of Jesse Owens, I recognized the name, looked him up, and was blown away by his story.
assistant field georgia men shooting time track train
While shooting 'Selma,' I would train on my off time with the assistant men's track and field coach at Georgia Tech.
sports volleyball
Growing up, I was always into sports - basketball and volleyball - but I wasn't really a runner.
men superhero spiders
I want to be a superhero, I want to be Spider-Man or Batman. Will you let me know if you have any connections? Let's make it happen.
goal people humanity
That was my goal in portraying Jesse Owens: bringing that level of humanity so people could understand who he was as a person.
strong thinking leader
Jesse Owens had to be a very strong person. There were a lot of protests, but I think that he knew, despite the pressure on both sides, the pressure to go and the pressure not to go, he had to do it for himself. Unknowingly, he changed the world and broke so many barriers by doing so, by being a leader.
beautiful hero cutting
John Lewis is such a remarkable human being. Literally, such a beautiful human being. I remember the first time I met him. We were in the middle of a scene and [Selma director] Ava DuVernay calls, "Cut," and then he literally just came in. He just came walking in.I just froze. I can't explain the feeling. Seeing somebody who was literally a living hero. He was a hero.
responsibility thinking accomplishment
You have such a big responsibility. This person is still alive. You would think that they think highly of themselves and their accomplishments and what they've done. You can only hope to bring justice to that.
kids opportunity two
I realize the importance of retelling those stories is so that, one, we don't forget what our ancestors had to do so we can be where we are, and two, to just educate the newer generation. I'm being educated by all these films [ The Root and Selma] and the things I've had the opportunity to be a part of, and kids even younger than me are being educated, too. It's important to make sure those stories never die.
basketball volleyball track
I grew up on basketball, volleyball, that sort of thing. For me, track and field was a whole 'nother beast.
hero men america
Jesse Owen was bigger than a black hero, he was an American hero. For me, I looked at it from that perspective. Through my research, I obviously learned a lot, much of which made me sad, upset, disappointed and even angry, regarding what Jesse had to go through. Not only was he a black man in America during an age of high racial tension and segregation, but he was also living in the middle of the Great Depression - it was very difficult times for him and his family.
race looks world
What I've learned about that word is context, where the world is coming from - in the era the film is set, it obviously is used derogatorily. In 'Selma,' it was the same sort of thing. Of course now, in music, it's used in many more ways, including ways that takes the sting out of it. It all depends on where and when it is used, and how you look at it. But again in 'Race,' it is intensely disrespectful.
country issues people
The issue of racism happens all over the world. Granted, people - especially Americans - don't know the the Canadian culture. But if you look outside this country, it's a problem all around the planet.