By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — Whenever actors portray actual people, especially those of historical significance, there’s a special challenge involved. Andre Holland acknowledges that taking on the role of Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton in the upcoming Apple + TV series “The Big Cigar” was quite a formidable undertaking.
“The story I’m about to tell you is true, at least mostly true, at least how I remember it,” Holland said during a recent Hollywood Reporter interview. “But it is coming through the lens of Hollywood, so let’s see how much of my story (Newton’s) they’re really willing to show.”
“I wanted to know how much of the history of the Panthers are we going to be able to get into, because the story on its face is a caper, essentially, about getting Huey out of the country and if not done well, I felt concerned that it could gloss over the important historical moments that I wanted to make sure we touched,” Holland added.
The show is based on Joshuah Bearman’s 2012 Playboy article “The Big Cigar.” It covers many aspects of Newton’s life, including what motivated him to become an activist, as well as the personal problems that undermined both him and the Black Panther Party in Oakland during the ‘60s and ‘70s.
The series’ first two episodes are directed by Don Cheadle. Glynn Turman portrays Newton’s father Walter, with whom he had an estranged relationship. “The Big Cigar,” a seven-part series, premieres on Apple TV+ Friday with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday.
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