", To escape from the depression that Topher Grace felt from playing David Duke in "BlacKkKlansman," he undertook an ambitious project: cutting down the notoriously long "The Hobbit" trilogy into a manageable length. The 2018 movie "BlacKkKlansman" went inside one of the world's most unfunny organizations of all time, the white supremacist group the Klu Klux Klan, and Lee managed to tell an amusing story amidst a backdrop of hatred and racism. Thankfully, Grace was able to channel those feelings into another effort that yielded some pretty impressive results. First, Topher touches on the value of failure and what he’s learned from creative flops. I remember a teacher showed Do the Right Thing in high school to our class, and my mind was just blown.”. “Then, when I said to my agents what I wanted to play, it was a little bit of a head-scratcher, I think. Their LinkedIns, if they had them, would be magnificent. The character is obviously very comfortable with it.” Before meeting up with Lee, he rehearsed a speech to the tune of, “I’m really uncomfortable saying this dialogue.”, But Lee, he said, was sympathetic to his plight. Topher Grace shares what his audition process was like for 'BlacKkKlansman,' and how he prepared for the role. It's better when the art leads.". As Topher Grace explained to Vulture, he told his agents he wanted to be in contention to play David Duke in BlacKkKlansman since it was not like … “There are a couple of questions, like, ‘Are you sure you want to order this product?’ or whatever.”, The hardest part, perhaps, was actually saying Duke’s racist rhetoric aloud. “When we were on set, we talked,” he said. Topher Grace has been acting since the late 1990s and has a wealth of TV and movie credits to his name, but what is the actor’s net worth? By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Here is the incredible project that Topher Grace took on after "BlacKkKlansman." danced around the question of Duke’s support. In 2012, Slash Film reported, Grace caught the attention of "Star Wars" fans and film buffs when he shared an 85-minute recut of the prequel trilogy. Grace was right when he said that he wasn't the only person who felt that the story that "The Hobbit" told could be communicated in a shorter runtime, as the AV Club reported that a fan had already managed to cut the seven-hour trilogy down to four hours. Here's the incredible project he took on after. looper.com - The experience of playing David Duke in BlacKkKlansman proved mentally draining for Topher Grace. In an exclusive clip from the 'BlacKkKlansman' Blu-ray, co-star Topher Grace talks about the film's relevance for 2018 and working with Spike Lee. Watch: Topher Grace & Wife Lamented His "BlackKklansman" Rehearsals Back when he was cast in That '70s Show , his first sitcom, Topher Grace was just a … Topher Grace is aware of what a juicy role David Duke is, at least in a Spike Lee movie. In Spike Lee’s fiery new film, the actor plays against type as David Duke—and redefines white supremacy on the big screen. Prior to Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, Grace shot the feature Under the Silver Lake, opposite Andrew Garfield. Flash forward to last year’s Charlottesville riots: an occasion whose one-year anniversary is marked, almost to the day, by the release of BlacKkKlansman. Days before the premiere of BlacKkKlansman, Focus Features released a preview from Spike Lee's latest film in which Topher Grace delivers a speech as … BlacKkKlansman Trailer 1 (2018) Adam Driver, Topher Grace Movie HD [Official Trailer] Quotes . “It’s a scary thing as a performer, especially if you are really, really liberal or have very different values, as I do, than that character,” he said. Grace was also eager to take a role that felt topical—and BlacKkKlansman does not shy away from comparing Duke, and what he represents, to Donald Trump. But the role was so juicy.”. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Topher Grace at the Cannes Film Festival. In the interviews, he claims to have softened some of the more odious views while doubling down on, among other things, segregation. Then, Topher and Anna reminisce on the project they worked on together and the time Topher gave Anna some much-needed relationship advice. Grace has but one of the major performances in BlacKkKlansman, which also stars John David Washington and Adam Driver. That was the first time I saw the film. Money drives a lot of those franchises. Actor Topher Grace talked about the challenges that came with playing controversial figure David Duke in 'BlacKkKlansman.' In the end, Lee’s openness to Grace’s ideas, and his prioritizing of his actor’s comfort, made the movie better. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories. To hear people kind of laughing at it, but also being like ‘Ooo.’” For Grace, that was a sign that the movie was hitting the right chord—and that his performance was essential to its effect. Topher Grace has done it again. I thought, Well, I got to get comfortable with it. That experience proved mentally draining for Grace. I had watched so much [Phil] Donahue at this point. There's something really zen about it.". Cookies help us deliver our Services. Topher Grace first caught the attention of audiences as one of the stars of the iconic television series, “That ‘70s Show,” before going on to make his mark on the big screen in numerous films. The Incredible Project Topher Grace Took On After BlacKkKlansman. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. He’s got a well-spoken intelligence invoking not only the real David Duke of the 1970s and 80s—the David Duke who has an eye on running for political office—but also the likes of our own era’s more outwardly respectable white supremacists, like Richard Spencer. “I’m leading everyone in a toast. Seven years after the BlacKkKlansman actor assembled all the Star Wars prequels in an 85-minute fan film, Grace has released another amazing Star Wars fan … The parallels between past and present were a boon to Grace’s preparation—and to the film itself. Ad Choices. One of the critical elements of that story is Topher Grace's portrayal of the infamous leader of that group, David Duke. ... Spike Lee signed on to direct BlacKkKlansman in September 2017, with Jordan Peele producing via his Monkeypaw Productions banner. “I realized he would talk about [Martin] Scorsese, and how he felt about Scorsese in high school, the way that I felt about him. Thankfully, Grace was able to channel those feelings into another effort that yielded some pretty impressive results. The film is Lee and co-writer Kevin Willmott’s adaptation of Ron Stallworth’s 2014 memoir of the same name, which depicts Stallworth’s time as the first black detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department. That fan cut was completed in 2015, shortly after the release of the final film in the series "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies." Topher Grace talks about playing David Duke in Spike Lee's critically acclaimed new film 'BlacKkKlansman', working with Lee, getting into the headspace of Duke, and more. While many fans may be surprised to learn that Grace would choose to relax by cutting five hours of footage out of a famous trilogy of films, his recut of "The Hobbit" was not the first time he undertook a significant editing project. With the help of a Jewish officer, Stallworth infiltrated the K.K.K. BlacKkKlansman quotes: the most famous and inspiring quotes from BlacKkKlansman. To play the leader of that organization, whom The Daily Beast once called "The Most Charming Bigot You Ever Met," Grace had to portray a man with an affable nature but still understand the racist mindset that was behind Duke's flawed worldview. From the awards race to the box office, with everything in between: get the entertainment industry's must-read newsletter. © 2021 Condé Nast. Topher Grace's comments may strike audiences surprising, especially after seeing BlackKklansman.While Spike Lee's tone is fascinating and unique, Grace had to … That came out of rehearsals. “When your agents tell you that there is going to be a new Spike Lee movie, you are reading it hoping that there’s going to be something in it for you,” he said in an interview. "Da 5 Bloods" examined the scars that the Vietnam War left on the country it was fought in and the men and women who lived through it. This is the new white supremacy: not the vicious, lawless hooting and hollering of burning crosses and nighttime raids, but a more insidious variety, one that wants to work its way into our political system and fight for the public trust. Grace told me he studied those Donahue interviews and listened to Duke’s current radio show intently; he also read My Awakening, Duke’s autobiography, which Grace described as “a thinly veiled Mein Kampf.”, “Ordering it is really tough off of Amazon,” he said. Topher Grace discusses the awkward reception he got for BlacKKKlansman at Cannes. It was so disturbing to go home and turn on the news to see how his ideology was affecting us at the moment." Astonishingly, that’s precisely what he accomplishes. But they were very supportive.”. How Topher Grace Nailed BlacKkKlansman’s Toughest Role: the Smiling Face of White Supremacy In Spike Lee’s fiery new film, the actor plays against … “There was a great reaction to when I said that America has to achieve its greatness again. “This really intelligent, really evil guy kind of figured out this rebranding,” he said in an interview this summer. All rights reserved. Showing all 28 items Jump to: Photos (16) Quotes (12) Photos . The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. “When we were doing it, I felt safe. “When I went in to read with him, I felt safe,” Grace said. At first, Grace practiced alone in his office. Grace previously discussed his disdain with unseemly commercial movies the day “BlacKkKlansman” premiered at Cannes, where he said that he … His goal was simple, as he told Indiewire, "I think that maybe 'The Hobbit' should've been one movie, and many people would agree. Essentially, to play the role correctly, Grace had to make one of the world's most unlikeable people, likable. David Duke in Dulzura, California, 1977; Grace as Duke in BlacKkKlansman. “There’s a moment at the end of the trailer where I say ‘America First,’” he said. One commenter on Reddit even predicted that Grace would tackle a re-edit of "The Hobbit" back in 2015, based on his work on an earlier recut. (Nine) He continued, "And then when I went to boarding school I said it as a joke that I might use it as my name and the hottest girl at school said, 'That's cute!'" Left, by Harold Valentine/AP/REX/Shutterstock; right, courtesy of Focus Features. In 2015, the Daily Beast, tracking this shift in Duke’s career, called him “the most charming bigot you ever met.”, Grace knows as much. So, to cheer himself up, he gave himself the task of re-editing Peter Jackson’s absurdly long Hobbit trilogy into a streamlined two-hour movie. When asked by Indiewire why he chose such a demanding project to work on, he said, "For me, this is just a great way to relax. 8 Topher Grace Re-Edited The Hobbit Trilogy To Combat The Depression Of Playing David Duke While filming BlacKkKlansman , Topher Grace found playing the unabashedly racist David Duke was depressing. For a lengthy period over the course of his campaign, Trump memorably danced around the question of Duke’s support, even initially pretending not to know who Duke was: “I don’t know anything about him,” he said, when pressed by John Heilemann, then of Bloomberg Television, in 2015. His breakout film, "Do the Right Thing," took a look at modern racial tensions with a cast of often hilarious characters. Trump has modeled. When we were at Cannes, I felt safe.” That paid off for Grace in a big way at Cannes—his first time premiering a movie at the esteemed festival, and his first time seeing the final cut of BlacKkKlansman. While neither Grace's cut of "The Hobbit" nor the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy is available online due to copyright issues, it is nice to know that Topher Grace found a way to alleviate his depression and make some long stories a bit easier to take in. While shaving nearly three hours off was impressive, Grace managed to deliver a cut that told the entire saga in the timeframe of a standard feature-length film, two hours. Grace on set with Spike Lee and Adam Driver. I was like, ‘Spike, all he says is ‘America First’ and ‘make America great again.’ This pre-dates the last election by like 30 years or more.”. And then there’s David Duke. Throughout his more than three-decade-long career, Spike Lee has developed an impressive talent for examining extremely serious issues in approachable, often comedic ways. Topher Grace, who plays David Duke in Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman', opens up about the darkness he found in the former KKK leader. Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy. He’s talking about the Donahue interviews Duke did in 1991, while on the campaign trail as a gubernatorial candidate in Louisiana. That’s what we believed in. The "Star Wars" prequel trilogy was also about seven hours long, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which means that Grace cut nearly six hours of footage. A specious denial, at best; in 2000, Trump had refused to run for president with the backing of the Reform Party, on the grounds that the party had grown to include Duke, who was “not company I wish to keep.”. David Duke : Today, we are privileged to be among White Men - and White Women - such as yourselves. Ivanka Trump and Topher Grace both have impressive resumes. Topher Grace jumped at the chance to play a fun-loving sitcom character after receiving film offers to play white supremacists and evil guys.The former That '70s Show star is returning to the small screen as one of the stars and producers of ABC show Home Economics, and he admitted it was refreshing to read a script that didn't require him to play an unpleasant character. Spike Lee Wants Donald Trump to Hear Him Loud and Clear: “Wake the F--k Up!”. Versatile actor Topher Grace (BLACKKKLANSMAN, THAT 70’S SHOW) joins Anna and Sim on this week’s Unqualified. Topher Grace shares what his audition process was like for 'BlacKkKlansman,' and how he prepared for the role. “I was swallowing the words. It’s not like something I’ve done before. — and that was all the confirmation Grace needed to change how he introduced himself for good. Topher Grace reflects on joy of working with Spike Lee in BlacKkKlansman... and horror of living in the head of someone like David Duke. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. Grace, who is still best known for starring as the witty but geeky—and not at all white supremacist—Eric Forman on That ’70s Show, knows that taking this part was a risk. Here is the incredible project that Topher Grace took on after "BlacKkKlansman. from 1975 to 1980. Michael Buckner/Deadline/REX/Shutterstock. Real warriors for the *real* America, the America our ancestors fought and died for. Here's the incredible project he took on after. Here, Grace is pictured in a still from 'BlacKkKlansman' as David Duke. “There’s a terrible scene we are about to do,” he remembered the director saying, “but it’s in service of a message I’m trying to say, and this thing really happened.”, This was typical of his experience with Lee—one of Grace’s movie heroes. “Obviously David Duke is a horrible person. The Charlottesville riots gave Duke respite from relative political obscurity, proving how his vicious ideas had been mainstreamed: “We are determined to take our country back,” he said then, in footage included at the end of BlacKkKlansman. BlacKkKlansman (2018) Topher Grace: David Duke. That’s why we voted for Donald Trump.” The connection couldn’t be clearer: “We”—white supremacists—“voted for Donald Trump.” Trump eventually did disavow Duke’s support, but he’s never disavowed Duke’s supporters—which is to say, his own supporters. These are characters whose racism is their entire personality; as the film tells us through callbacks to movies like Gone with the Wind and D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation, they represent the white supremacist of yore. looper.com - The experience of playing David Duke in BlacKkKlansman proved mentally draining for Topher Grace. Duke, played here by Topher Grace, is a polished-up, suit-and-tie type, with a gracious manner and a neighborly Howdy Doody chuckle—that is, if you’re white. Grace is an … The night before shooting a scene for Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, Topher Grace sat alone in his home office away from his wife and newborn daughter.In this moment, Grace was trying, and … It’s contemporaneous with his two attempts to run for Louisiana State Senate in 1975 and 1979, as well as his reign as the Grand Wizard of the K.K.K. That re-edit made deep cuts to the trilogy to push the runtime down, including eliminating the young Anakin character played by Jake Lloyd. The first is the obvious, stereotypical kind: the cartoonish hick, as brought to life with sloppy, gleeful bigotry by actors like Paul Walter Hauser and Jasper Pääkkönen. The movie is set in the 70s—which means, among other things, that it takes place just a decade before Duke would attempt a presidential run in 1988. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. to get a handle on their terrorist schemes. There’s two shades of white supremacist in Spike Lee’s new movie, BlacKkKlansman. “I wanted to be to the film what David Duke was to America,” he said. “We’re going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump. Those virulently backward racists may have seemed scarier, but Duke’s brand of racism was infinitely more dangerous. Really intelligent, really evil guy kind of figured out this rebranding, ” said! Were on set with Spike Lee and Adam Driver the time Topher Anna! 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