Hands Up explores racial tensions in Chicago, including police violence and Black Lives Matter protests, through the eyes of a scared youth named Jowann (newcomer Jermaine Johnson). After the death of his cousin at the hands of a white cop, Jowann seeks his way out of the murder capital of the country.
Jamal Woolard (Notorious), who plays Detective Green, spoke to Screen Rant about the themes behind the film and the process of playing a victim of gun violence in his own right.
Screen Rant: The themes in Hands Up are so culturally relevant. Can you talk to me about what attracted you to the film?
Jamal Woolard: That’s who I am. I’m from Brooklyn, New York. Culture is definitely [important to me], especially after playing [Biggie]. I look at myself like a great actor, remembering stuff and not being typecast, and just being great at what I do in the realm of that.
Playing a detective was totally different from what I usually play, so I really wanted to tap into that role and make sure we got a good look at that. With Chicago and all the gang violence and everything else that was going on, we really needed that. I felt honored to be playing and doing that.
Why was Chicago the perfect setting for Hands Up? Did you guys actually shoot in the city of Chicago?
Jamal Woolard: Yeah, we shot in Chicago. Chicago is perfect because it’s one of the toughest murder capitals in the world. Chicago is very tough – so is Detroit, so is Brooklyn, so are other places. We’ve got a lot of places that have got a lot of bad things going, man; there’s a hood in every ghetto. But Chicago is right now top of the list. It’s just sad because Chicago is a beautiful city that has beautiful people and beautiful things going on. It’s just that gang violence is out of control.
Chicago is almost like a character itself. What did the city’s energy bring to the film?
Jamal Woolard: Man, love is different. Chicago: once they with you, they with you. Chicago has a code. If you’re from Chicago, they’re messing with you. If you’re from Chicago, they stand for you. You know what I mean? They’ve got a crazy unity with each other, especially in Chicago.
It’s like going to Detroit. You go to Detroit and meet a Detroit guy, and he says, “What up?” And you’re like, “What up? You from Detroit?” they recognize that. Some places stand for what they stand for, and that’s a beautiful place to shoot at. There’s a lot of beautiful sides to Chicago; it’s just that all the ugly shots are showing.
You play Detective Green, who’s experienced the violence of Chicago. Can you talk to me a little bit about Detective Green?
Jamal Woolard: Detective Green is really emotional. He’s trying not to lose his job; he’s trying to stay focused. It’s just that he’s experienced the death of his son. Somebody killed his son, so he’s going through a lot. He’s trying to understand the pressures and still trying to gather himself and be a good cop, but he’s losing it. He’s definitely losing it in the film.
This detective takes matters into his own hands after the tragic loss of his son. Can you talk to me about what leads him down the path to find Jowann, played by Jermaine Johnson?
Jamal Woolard: I gotta let you all watch. I can’t give up too much. But Jowann is in a bad place, and every kid goes through peer pressure. I think he sees something that he wasn’t supposed to see, and the rest you got to watch.
Jermaine Johnson blew me away in this film. Can you talk to me about working with him and what surprised you about him as an actor?
Jamal Woolard: Oh, man. He’s good, man. He’s good. He’s very talented, very poised. And he understood everything he had to do. For his first time, he felt like he was seasoned. So, it was wonderful.
Can you talk to me about the collaboration process working with Chuck Whitman? I believe this is the second film he’s directed, but it’s coming out first.
Jamal Woolard: Oh, he’s amazing. He’s super professional. He does everything right, and he’s on point. I can say that he doesn’t miss a beat, and he’s got more great projects to come.
There’s a lot of powerful imagery in Hands Up. What did Chuck’s directing style add to the film?
Jamal Woolard: That’s something you have to ask him because I’m not a director from that standpoint. You’ve got to ask him what he captured and everything, but he did a wonderful job about being hands-on and seeing the beauty of what he was trying to get out of us. We definitely delivered that and made sure he was comfortable with that, so you’ll definitely see a lot more of him.
What did you want to bring to the character of Detective Green that wasn’t necessarily on the page?
Jamal Woolard: Well, I’m a method actor. Whatever I touch, I try to bring my own little spin to it and try to feel how I want to tap into my inner soul and deliver it the way I want it to deliver it. Experience is the best experience. I had some bad cops treat me bad, so I know how to play that. And that’s what I was trying to do; trying to show sometimes good cops get lost. They get lost in the system.
What are you hoping people take away from Hands Up?
Jamal Woolard: That they change. Change the way they look at police; every cop is not a bad cop. I hope that the police change as well. I especially hope the police change first, because that’s where the real problem is.
This is really a coming-of-age story for Jowann, taking this character and showing him he could be more than he is. Can you talk to me about that aspect of the film?
Jamal Woolard: It’s really exactly what you said. It took him to a different place and gets him to where he needs to be on the acting set. And he got it. He can uplift a lot of people that are young like him, that don’t see the vision. Ones that don’t understand what crime is going on, and what’s going on with the ignorance in Chicago.
Hands Up is currently available in theaters and On Demand.