ABFF 2023 Exclusive: Mike Colter and Antonio Vargas talk Tubi’s Murder City
Currently playing on Tubi is Murder City, directed by Michael D. Olmos and starring Mike Colter, Stephanie Sigman, Antonio Fargas, James Udom, Jesse Garcia, Rhys Coiro, Medina Senghore, Cedric Joe, Jonathan Stanley, Keyon Bowman and Georgia Clark.
MURDER CITY follows Neil (Mike Colter,), a cop and dedicated family man with a glimmer of warmth behind his otherwise coarse husk. Financially down on his luck, Neil decides to take a job selling a load of dope with his deadbeat father, Graham (Antonio Fargas), which turns out to be a DEA trap. Upon his release from prison and with nowhere else to turn after losing his job on the force, Neil finds himself working for a ruthless female kingpin, Ash (Stephanie Sigman), in order to pay off Graham’s debts.
On the other side of the table, Neil is enticed by DEA agent Manny (Rhys Coiro) to inform on Ash in exchange for reducing his father’s sentence. Caught in a twisted web trying to do the right thing and protect his family, Neil soon learns that Ash doesn’t take kindly to traitors and is willing to do the devil’s work to defend her turf.
Written by Will Simmons, the film was executive produced by Mike Colter and produced by Hicham Benkirane, Kevin Garnett, Brian Bennett, and Mike Marangu via Content Cartel Studios along with iconic director/producer Oz Scott. MURDER CITY is presented by Village Roadshow Pictures under their Black Noir Cinema banner, in association with FOX Entertainment Studios.
Currently playing the role as priest-in-training “David Acosta” on the streaming series Evil, Colter is best known for his titular role as “Luke Cage,” the first black lead superhero for the Marvel/Netflix universe. Colter most recently starred alongside Gerard Butler in the Lionsgate action film The Plane, which centers on a hero pilot whose plane crash lands on a dangerous island.
Fargas is a legend in the film, television and theater industry. He’s portrayed a wide and vast array of characters throughout his long and storied career. His unforgettable characters “Huggy Bear” in Starsky & Hutch, “Bunky” in Shaft, “Link Brown” in Foxy Brown and “Lindy” in Carwash, clearly established Fargas as a bona fide icon. Most recently, Fargas starred in the feature Mister Mayfair opposite Armand Assante, Casper Van Dien & Nathalie Cox for director/producer Philippe Martinez. Fargas’ additional film credits include Fire Starter, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central, Milo, 3 Strikes, The Riff, Extreme Honors, Bad Guys, Sucker Punch, The Abduction of Jesse Bookman, Silver Bells, Until We Meet Again and Beyond Skyline.
Blackfilmandtv.com caught up with Colter and Fargas while they attend the film’s premiere at the 2023 American Black Film Festival.
What went to saying yes to taking on this project?
Mike Colter: I got the script maybe a couple years before we actually shot it. They gave me the script and it talked about wanting to be a producer and to help develop it. And so I met with Michael Olmos. This might have been during the pandemic or somewhere around that time because I knew we weren't meeting in person. We talked on the phone for some time just to see if you get a feel for a person, because you want to see if you can work with them creatively. He seemed to have a lot of great ideas. We talked about maybe trying to put this film together. What I liked about it was that it was something that I hadn't quite done yet. It was this redemptive quality a law enforcement officer who had made the wrong decision, and was going to turn his to turn his life around a bit. So when I saw the script, I was looking for something that had a different feel, kind of gritty, interesting colors and family values at the base of it. I responded to the material, and that's where it starts.
How about you Mr. Fargas, how did they come to you?
Antonio Fargas: That's interesting, because my manager says, “You know, Antonio, particularly for this new age, if people don't know you, then you know, it's okay.” I only got what I was supposed to get. And so my journey is because of relationships. With the producer Oz Scott, we came up in New York 60 years ago. Having had the opportunity to have had a new legacy, resume, all that stuff, it just sort of happen. Okay, this is something that that would work. For me, it's the kind of character that being a father and a grandfather, the responsibilities of that fruit don't fall far from the tree. And even if they think they fall far from the tree, that there's something that either you fight or you don't want to get away from. And to be a gangster and then have a son who's a police officer, is that still your choice. But we always have to deal with the tree. I consider myself semi retired, because I'm not auditioning. And this whole zoom thing I don't do well. So I just said, “You know what, I’ll meet with you, or zoom call talk to you. Because I think that elimination of the room is a distance that we have because now we're gonna have to deal with people. Just be true to myself. So it's true to myself and I found myself in Mexico City, with Mike Colter and this wonderful story and a chance to make an impact with his portrayal.
How long did it take for you guys to meet up and establish a chemistry as father and son so that way we see it on screen?
Mike Colter: Chemistry can be anyone, and any configuration like a father and son. As actors, I think we walk around with a certain openness and as an artist you have to be available. And sometimes when you're available, you're going to get something that you respond to in a warm way. Some ways you connect with the person because there's some common ground that you find right immediately. But ultimately, when I met Antonio, I didn't meet Antonio on TV on set. The fact that he came to play, for me, he was saying, Yes, I think it's an act of exercise I can't resist. You read the script, I read the script, now let's give ourselves over these characters and try to try to make this work and take away the ego of it all, you know, I'm going to try to help each other flourish. He's from the theater, and there's not much difference between theater and film. That's why most people go back between the two mediums. You're just trying to basically allow each other to have the space to play, and responded to be that moment. And so for both of us, and I think we would understood our relationship right away. And hopefully, people connect with that.
Antonio Fargas: I just accept the facts. When we're young, we can we accept facts easier and as we get older, we have these thoughts of disbelief. We have to get back to that. I just look at the page and I accept the fact. Now, if I'm available to play and to say what is the good and what is the end result, and it’s not about ego, not about who I am, and all this other stuff. Let’s get rid of all of that stuff and just look for something that we can do eye to eye. That's what happens in life.
After six decades of working, what gets you to say yes to projects?
Antonio Fargas: The fact that I still have a hunger for this and the acceptance of just being present. Why was I chosen to have a 63 year career? Some people do not have all of that and I still love it. This day was always written before we were here, the opportunity to give of myself, to put myself in the hands to trust; trust takes a long time to develop, and mistakes, and forgiveness, forgiveness itself, all these things are guiding and is a language that we speak as artists. If you paint, or if you make pizza, there's an honesty in that and to look to see the artistry in life, to mirror the life and get the opportunity to be up on that stage to get incense naked, with our hearts and spirits and all that so that we could put on the mask every day to get in character, it's a realization that's a work in progress.
What do you think it will take to get folks to watch Murder City?
Mike Colter: When I first heard Tubi was going to do this and it’s and original project, I don't think I hadn't heard of Tubi only because I'm not home when I'm working. I don't turn on my television and look for content. Most things come recommended to me. I was on Netflix because of Luke Cage and for a while Netflix was building this platform and has exploded exponentially. I think it set a trend on chasing content. And we're here, probably because of the Netflix effect, and Tubi is one of those platforms where it's nice to be in the beginning of a new chapter of a platform that's trying to establish itself. And sort of, I think brand itself. Tubi has a brand, and I think I think Murder City will help it become more of a different brand and hopefully in a in a very good way. I hope that it’s establishing new content. I'm reading the trades like everyone else, and they have other things with other actors, and they're developing. So we're one of the first original content that Tubi will be presenting. So I hope we create a good trend in terms of quality, in terms of other artists that will come to the platform. And listen, it's free right now. Yeah. So give it a shot. It's free and if you’re home, check it out. And if you'd like it, come back and watch something else.