William Jackson Harper (‘The Good Place’) Gets Candid About Life / EUR Exclusive

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*William Jackson Harper is an incredible force to be reckoned with. You know him as Chidi Anagonye from NBC’s “The Good Place,” but did you know that in addition to acting on TV, he does also film, and theatre … both on the stage and as a playwright.

He has a passion for the creative and when asked about his “big break,” he got candid and introspective for a moment.

Jackson Harper, just before he got the role as Chidi, was going to “take a break” from acting and thank God he didn’t because we would not have gotten to know the special intricacies that he brings to his character on “The Good Place.”

“Everyone deals with reevaluating whether or not you want to continue to act because it is a job that you have to be invited to do and it gets rough,” he told us.

Playing Chidi has allowed the actor to reflect on how he, as a man and as a person, is putting “good” into the world a lot more.

“Sometimes kindness can be painted as something naive and it makes you a bit of a sucker and that is just not at all the truth,” Jackson Harper says.

It’s not the truth for him especially, because when he thinks about the people he gets to work with, in front of the camera and behind the scenes, they prove that good goes a long way, every day.  Also, Chidi in a lot of ways, is a manifestation of Jackson Harper’s inner monologue and having that become an “outer monologue on steroids,” has allowed him to become more of a “shoot from the hip” kind of person and perhaps a bit more of an extrovert in his own life.  Doing this show has also shown him, that in his own life, he can often become locked up and paralyzed, as many of us often feel, but playing Chidi, has helped him move away from that a lot more.

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William Jackson Harper
William Jackson Harper (Getty)

Jackson Harper also talked about diversity in film and TV.  When asked what advice he would give up and coming actors and specifically, ones of color, he spoke about “saying yes to everything” just to work, improve and meet people.  Learn from those people that creatively challenge you.  Mimic those that inspire you. Continue to do that over and over again.  Then, when you find that you are getting some sort of stability as an actor and you are starting to work more consistently, then you can be a little more selective in what you are choosing to do.  You can then do the things you are really passionate about.

When speaking about diversity, specifically, Jackson Harper believes that it’s kind of an “ebb and flow.” He thinks that as an actor of color, you should not limit yourself.  This present day is not the first time we are seeing diverse types of people playing interesting roles, so don’t wait for that representation to be present.  It’s easy to see in the casting process that a specific character isn’t written for a person of color, but don’t think that counts you out, William advises. “It’s not true,” he reminds. Be open to playing all kinds of parts, he recommends. His character in the movie, “Midsommar,” is an anthropologist. He is also a black man and it doesn’t color the world in a different way because it’s not germane to the story.

“Just because we won’t see all the change we want to see, all at once, doesn’t mean it’s not worth pushing for all the change we want to see,”  says Jackson Harper.

“It is our responsibility, as actors, as consumers, as audiences, to remind Hollywood when we start slipping back that we shouldn’t be doing that,” he added.

On speaking about love, relationships and soulmates, the actor pauses, reflects on his real life, long term relationship and says he is “still trying to figure out how to be a decent partner.” But, he believes when it comes to finding a partner, it has to be a natural coming together of the minds, spirit and soul. Often times, when we focus on “finding the thing,” it becomes about finding the relationship.  Finding the person.  Being in the relationship. Focusing on the relationship. Achieving the thing, rather than finding the person. He says while laughing: “I think I might be BS-ing.  At the end of the day, be with the person that it feels natural with!”

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William Jackson Harper (getty)
William Jackson Harper (Getty)

We asked William Harper Jackson what he wanted his legacy to be and what mark in this world he wanted to have, he said that what really thrills him is when people say …

“Man, it really makes me happy to see a guy like you, playing a part like that. I really understand that guy.  I am that guy in a lot of ways.”

Jackson Harper’s Chidi has allowed us to see a character that is not so conventional, has quirks, is a bit nerdy, but is also the “hot guy” that is considered sexy.  Chidi breaks stereotypes and that is what is resonating with audiences and contributes to why “The Good Place” has such a solid fan base and is so relatable.  Jackson Harper also told us that he wants to be an artist that’s never afraid to try anything, isn’t afraid to take a big swing and ultimately, at the end of the day, be known as an honest artist.

So, what’s next for William Jackson Harper and where can you find him? Well, he is currently in production on Barry Jenkins’ Amazon limited series “The Underground Railroad,” set to premiere in late 2020.  He can currently be seen in Focus Features’ legal drama “Dark Waters” which centers on the scandal revolving around the DuPont chemical company, directed by Todd Haynes. In it, Harper stars alongside Mark Ruffalo and Tim Robbins. As we mentioned above, he can also be seen in A24’s thriller “Midsommar.”  ZHe is also starring in the buddy comedy, turned crime thriller “Lost Holiday” which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival.  On television, Jackson Harper appears as the character Xander opposite John Krasinski in the second season of Amazon’s “Jack Ryan.”

So, it seems, William Harper Jackson, is following his own advice … he is saying yes to working, yes to creating great content and is taking the big swings!  When asked about his “Big Break,” he says “The Good Place” was his and it has taught him to just be good.

As a guiding principle, put some good in the world and all else will fall into place,” he advises.

You can watch William Harper Jackson on “The Good Place,” in its final season, on NBC, every Thursday.

 

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