Welcome. Active Between Bells.
A new AMC series is taking an inside look at
the institutional racism and corruption
within Chicago's criminal justice system.
61st Street is a two season events during Emmy winning actor,
Courtney B Vance and Michael B.
Jordan's
serving
as executive producers. Now.
Vance stars as franklin robert, A public defender in the twilight of his career
who was pulled back in after a promising black high
school student is implicated in the death of a cop.
Let's take a look
now. This man's lawyer.
We have to protect ourselves.
I didn't do anything.
He's wearing a wire.
He didn't tell me
might might have been doing something.
We got him.
They think that's your confession.
It's not,
it's your defense
cheddar.
Senior reporter,
Michelle Castillo sat down with Vance and his co star to
send Coal at South by Southwest to talk about this show.
Take a listen.
It's a moment that
I think we can all relate to. My
have a set of twins have a
A son who's uh 16 now, um then haven't had that conversation with him about
and I'm
Police and when
you encounter one and
you know, it's an m until moment potential one. And
um and you had a moment in the screening yesterday in the second episode,
the first episode, I can't remember which one.
You you sit down with me and pastor
and said you want my life back. Yeah. For my future and
well moses found for his future and just having a conversation
and yeah, just being guided and
directed by this man here
throughout that journey. So
yes it's it's gripping, it's thrilling.
It's it's a tough pill to swallow but also irrelevant.
It's wonderful that that you were you actually we
the world throws us curveballs and you said is this, you know,
you're questioning whether or not,
you know, initially whether I'm in your corner. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
We can't give that.
Well Dawson
yes we'll toss it.
I I know it's I see I love the chemistry between you guys,
but this is a really serious topic.
I mean your character gets
unfortunately falsely yeah falsely accused of being a gang member.
This is something actually it's a reality for a lot of young black men.
What do you hope the audience takes away from it?
Just some empathy man, just some empathy and just showing a different perspective,
you know, what would you do if he was on the other foot, you know,
what would you do if you was in that situation?
How would you want people to see you
deal with you?
And also here you you know a lot of these cases, people don't get hurt.
You know, they don't get hurt, They get paid that to be the villain, the victim,
the monster that they are.
But really and truly some of these guys are good kids, you know? So um
yeah just just showing a different perspective and just having an empathy
and just you know,
just having the heart and the soul, you know?
So uh Courtney, you've played a lawyer before,
johnnie Cochran in the people versus O.
J. Um What's it like? Not really being a lawyer. Do you have any advice?
Not really being a lawyer but playing one on tv
to to to someone who wants to play a lawyer on tv some advice don't do it. No.
Uh you know, it this is it was very,
I mean, I I trusted that Peter and David chang's when I sat down with them that,
you know, I haven't read all the
scripts I had read,
I think two they sent me to or whatever, maybe even one.
Um But uh I'm I'm if I'm gonna get in it, I'm gonna get in it
and you you gotta know I'm gonna get in it. So
if you don't want me to be involved in something
and and you know, I'm unpacking and see what's there and go,
we got to go deeper or that's too deep,
we need to be a little more shallow here or something, but I'm I'm that's who I am.
I'm I'm the person that is gonna, you know,
push the envelope
and so
um but at the same time we're gonna have fun and we're gonna respect each other,
you know?
Um So I, you know, I'm a people person, so I really, you know, I
with Grace, you know,
sets the tone, you know in front of Courtney,
the tone of the set wouldn't be what it is and it's very fun
even though we're dealing with serious topics
and serious issues and it's emotional.
You know, sometimes it could be quite draining at the same time.
You know, we were excited to go to work because
we'll have a good time collaborating and welcoming each other.
So yeah, it's just fun. So we were you were in the courtroom,
in the
courtroom, we're getting a lot of spoilers or the show.
That's right, you know,
two episodes, okay. Yeah, no courtroom, but you know, I do play a lawyer. Yes,
we'll toss in before this. You were a companion for the 13th Doctor on Doctor Who?
How was it playing such an important character for such a die hard fan base?
I mean, yeah, it was definitely different because, you know, character
had a distraction and here I am playing an athlete. So
polar opposites.
But um yeah, it was fun, you know, Jody mandate bread, you know, it was cool,
was an adventure, lighthearted stuff, fun stuff.
So it's just nice to be something with that legacy and
yeah, to be a part of history basically, you know, first female doctor. So
I'm happy to be a part of
So Courtney, you're president of the SaG aftra Foundation and you know,
actors had such a hard time during the pandemic.
How does the industry bounce back now that things are starting to pick
up again and you can start filming and do shows like 61st ST.
We just we just keep doing what we're doing, which is taking care of people.
That's what
Sag aftra Foundation is, is really about
you know the actors whole life
and we'll continue to raise money to make sure that
uh if something else some catastrophe, whenever catastrophes happened,
we're in the around the world and actors involved were there.
So I mean that's the that's the basic message of of just empathy and taking
care of people and that's what we're supposed to do in it and and every
in any situation that's how I was raised.
So is there is you need some help, how can I help?
So uh it's how ironic that
helper is that the
my mother and I used to fight over who's going to
take her luggage out of the car and my wife would just be like
would you two?
She was just going to house. Momma gave me the like no credit.
So you know that's how I was raised to help and so it's very beautiful that I'm
the head of an organization that helps
thanks to actors Courtney B Vance and Tosin
Cole 61st Street premieres april 10th on a.
M. C. You can also stream you episodes one week early on AMC Plus and all black