EXCLUSIVE: Jalyn Hall Opens Up About Playing Emmett in Chinonye Chukwu’s Till
On October 14, Orion Pictures will release its new film, Till. Based on the true events surrounding the murder of Emmett Till, we got the chance to sit down with the young actor who plays Emmett, Jalyn Hall.
During our chat, we talked about how he got attached to the role, his chemistry with costar Danielle Deadwyler, how he decompressed, and so much more. Check out what he had to say below.
How did you get attached to play Emmett?
“I got this script and that I didn’t yet know what it was for. The name wasn’t there, everything wasn’t there, but the script was very enticing in the way that I knew that it had significance. So going into the audition, I just knew that I had to give it my all, which I did. Rewarding me with another follow-up to audition and that one was with Danielle [Deadwyler]. Danielle, our chemistry. We had read together and that just made me fall in love even more with it [the role] because being in the room with her, the chemistry was definitely there as a mother, another sister dynamic as she’s pointed on that you see in the film. It was amazing. That really drew me towards the project.”
Can you talk about your chemistry with Danielle? How did that come to be, especially with COVID restrictions in place?
“I can honestly say that the connection that we had was started from the audition. We read together over ZOOM, the sweet warmth, the relationship that Emmett and Mamie, had was just so pure and organic and that’s what happened in our audition. And even more so when we all met Chinonye [Chukwu] and then Danielle and I met in person it ran there as well, that pure loving connection. It was kind of easy for us to connect on that mother son level, brother, sister companion. And it only translated even better on the camera.”
The role of playing Emmett is extremely tasking, both mentally and physically. How did you prepare to tackle the role?
“There was not much that you could, there’s seeing traits that you knew about him, that you knew that he was a fun character. His relationship with his mom was so pure and loving, but there’s no proper way to prepare for something like this other than living in the truth.
I definitely knew what was ahead of me and I studied, and I retained information all in hopes to know the mindset that I would be in. But I can truly say that once you’re put into that time period’s surroundings and even the other actors that you’re in these scenes with, not saying that all of that absorb, but it becomes a pure reaction and instincts to feel this way. That’s how I feel like I became more closer as a kid and a character as well. That helped me push through it because I felt that sort of connection to us.”
What did you do to compress after filming the more emotionally driven scenes?
“Well of course there’s going to be that initial reaction where you’re like, ‘Okay, we’re done, we can just leave this behind us.’ But it’s hard because it’s one of those clouds that kind of follows you no matter how you try to shake it. Luckily, I was with my family and cause where we shot, which was Atlanta, Georgia, that’s where I’m from, that’s where my family is. I had the liberty of having that support even through the weekends or through the days that I wasn’t working, spending times with just a small portion of my family, whether it be my dad or like my aunties with the protocols, everything.
But still just having that love so that when I do go in the next day, I know that I am loved and this is just a story, a truth that I am helping put into the world and that the family is what kind of brought me to that good place.”
Besides Danielle, you got to work with a slew of amazing actors and actresses. Did you learn something from one of them that you will continue to use in your own craft?
“Just the amount of devotion to each and every one of their characters only motivated me even more than I was already motivated. I think that is something that can be spread out through everyone, not even just in acting, but every aspect of life. The devotion to what you believe in and everyone believed in the message and the person that they were portraying was just something that I will always hold with me.”
Now that some time has past since filming the film, what do you think you learned about yourself when all was said and done?
“I learned the importance of being aware, I much like Emmet Till am a person of happiness, laughter, smiling, and wanting everyone to have fun and everyone be one. But sometimes that can leave you unaware of certain situations that you might encounter. Like this boy, he wanted to go on vacation and have fun with his family, ran into unfortunate situation, he knew of it, but he was unaware of the dire intentions that befall him. I feel like I’m more aware and I see clearly now that there is good out there, but where there is good. So, I’m more aware of that.”
As we wrap today, what are you hoping fans get from the film?
“Well ultimately everybody’s gonna have their own reaction. Everybody’s gonna feel a certain way which they are entitled to as individuals, but that’s just the point, like the individuality. I think that unity and love, it is definitely what it’s about. That love and also that unity in the sense that divided things happen and sometimes those things affect the most purest and kindness of heart, such as Emmett Till, such as kids today, such as teenagers today. When in reality all it takes is a bit of unity and us being for one another for everybody to be safe in the sense. So, I feel like that’s the general notion that I hope everyone feels to call unified together in the hopes that nothing like this ever happens again and going down the road that we can be there for one another so that I definitely hope that everyone feels.”
Photo credit: Courtesy of Orion Pictures
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity