Ray Fisher Shares How “The Piano Lesson” Helped Him Move Forward from Career Setbacks
Ray Fisher not only looked charming on screens in Netflix’s period drama The Piano Lesson but also delivered a performance that has sparked some early Oscar buzz. This film was a breath of fresh air for Fisher who was entangled in a ton of controversy over the last few years.
The actor who played cyborg in DC’s 2017 Justice League had a public dispute with film director Joss Whedon and former DC Films president Walter Hamada. But this project finally gave him the chance to move on.
During an interview at the Variety Studio, the actor revealed how he channelized his angst through his character on The Piano Lesson. “What helped this entire process is, I’ve got to give it up to August Wilson,” he said.
“The juxtaposition that existed within the piece, within the character. I think there’s a little of Lymon Jackson in all of us,” he added. Fisher explained how the innocence his character possesses, often found lacking in adults, was refreshing for him to play. “For me, it was a palate cleanser in many ways because I’ve endured specific hardships in my life and some career hardships,” he admitted.
This project helped him get to a place where he decided not to be hung up on the past and move on. “Being able to come back into this space and say, ‘I don’t want to get hung up on this” and to not feel resentful about everything that occurred and willingness to move on, is something his character represents.
Based on August Wilson’s eponymous book, the film revolves around the Charles family in 1936 who are deciding what to do with a precious ancestral heirloom—a piano. While some offer to sell for monetary gain, others fight to preserve their ancestral glory. According to the official synopsis, the themes of family legacy are explored in the film.
Apart from Fisher, Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Danielle Brooks, Michael Potts and others are part of the star-studded ensemble. The Piano Lesson will be released theatrically on November 8 and will be available to stream on Netflix, November 22 onwards.