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Two Actors on Shakespeare, Race, and Performance: A Conversation between Harry J. Lennix and Laurence Fishburne

This article offers an edited transcript of a conversation which took place in July 2008 between Harry J. Lennix - Aaron the Moor in Julie Taymor's Titus (2008) - and Laurence Fishburne, who played Othello in Oliver Parker's 1995 film. Over the course of the conversation, the two actors, who have discussed and debated Shakespeare, race, and performance before, cover many of the topics most frequently interrogated by scholars: the 'residual' effects of Shakespeare's language on one's world view; the difference between an 'authentic' portrayal of a black man and a 'facsimile' of one; the difficulties and ethical implications of playing Othello with pride; the back stories black actors must invent to play Shakespearean roles. The conversation also offers an insight into the history of, relationships among, and advice passed between the many black actors who have played Othello, from Paul Robeson to Chiwetel Ejiofor. Combining personal experiences with an engagement with current scholarly debates, the transcript offers a wealth of information for performance scholars and theorists, as well as introducing new ideas and conversations that warrant further examination and analysis.