From executive producer Snoop Dogg, 1992 is a suspenseful crime thriller that follows Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) as he desperately tries to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son (Christopher A’mmanuel) amid the tumultuous uprising in Los Angeles in 1992 following the verdict in the Rodney King case.
Across town, another father and son (Ray Liotta and Scott Eastwood) put their own strained relationship to the test as they plan a dangerous robbery of the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise in Los Angeles and chaos erupts, both families reach boiling point as they clash in this action-packed new film from filmmaker Ariel Vromen (The Iceman).
At the beginning of the month we met Fast & Furious And Morbius Star Tyrese talks about perhaps his most dramatic role yet.
During our conversation, the actor talks about how his own real-life experiences during the 1992 Los Angeles riots influenced his approach to portraying the character and what that meant for the dynamic between him and his co-star Christopher A’mmanuel.
We also hear from Tyrese about how he wanted to subvert expectations as Mercer, a father and protector who doesn’t fall into any of the typical traps we’ve seen in previous films. The actor shares a lot of really interesting and insightful thoughts here and clearly took this role seriously.
You can watch the full interview below.
He’s such a fascinating character. He has a dark past and is trying to do his best as a father. What was it like discovering new sides of yourself as an actor for a role like this?
You know, it didn’t really feel like acting to me. I’m a father. I have two daughters, a 17-year-old and a 5-year-old. I always wanted a son, and when Chris was cast in the role of my son, he became my son in real life. I went into that journey with a double dose of love and energy. We spent a lot of time together just to make sure that, very specifically, we wanted the world to believe, “You just got here. I wasn’t involved in your life for some reason, and I wanted to make it clear that no matter where I was, what I did or didn’t do, I’m all you have, and you need to get respect. You better save it up on the ground somewhere.”
I was there during the riots and looting and protests in ’92 and I lived in Watts, South Central LA, so… I just think God has a sense of humor, right? 32 years later, I’m now making a movie about something I experienced in real life when I lived in Watts. So, yeah, there was a lot of pressure to get it right. If the movie isn’t about rioting and looting, what is the movie about? And how do we sell that and make it realistic? I’ve always had this thing, and I don’t know where you’re from, but if you’re from the area or the ghetto, all you hear is your buddies saying, “Oh, that’s corny. That wasn’t believable. Those are things we would never say or do. Nobody would ever act that way or react that way or operate that way in the area.”
I lived in the area most of my life before I moved away with my family. I always hear their voices and always remember what our sensitivities and triggers and energies and vibrations were and that we were born and raised in a mold. When 1992 happened, they turned up the heat and now it’s bad enough but it’s about to get crazier. It was a lot. I was scared, man. I mean, military, store owners shooting people on their roofs, hunting season on black and brown people, man. I was just thinking about it, I could be wrong… I know a lot of people were arrested but not too many people were even charged with murder, shooting, killing or anything else because how can you charge something when it’s utter chaos?
I thought you and the film handled that side of things brilliantly. We also see that Mercer will do anything to save his son. In contrast, what did you enjoy about exploring that relentless, tough-guy side of him as a father and protector?
It was a huge honor. I think we as black men need more of those kinds of images. You know, the concept of the work-shy father could be pinned on any father if he’s not involved or present, but what about the fathers who are present all the time? Why does the work-shy father win in the popularity contest over the present and involved father? (My character) wasn’t involved because (he) wasn’t there. (He) was in prison living this life where my child’s mother decided, ‘I don’t want this life with our child.’ When (she) died, (he) had to make some real decisions and, ‘I’m going to feed you, I’m going to give you a home, I’m going to protect you, even though I just got here. Even though I just got here, I have you and you’re going to respect me and the process.’ I think we accomplished that.
1992 will be released nationwide on August 30, 2024
