5 days ago
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Acclaimed actor Delroy Lindo says his recent Academy Award nomination has brought an outpouring of support and renewed momentum for future projects, including a film he hopes to direct and produce in Jamaica.
Lindo, who received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role as bluesman Delta Slim in the film Sinners, described the reaction to his nomination as overwhelming and deeply meaningful.
“That’s been truly monumental,” Lindo said. “And I can’t help but be impacted by that because it’s a lot of positive, really positive energy and it comes from all over and it is very, very, very genuine. It feels wonderful.”
The actor also received strong public support following an incident during the British Academy Film Awards, where a person with Tourette syndrome shouted a racial slur as Lindo and Michael B. Jordan were presenting on stage. Days later, Lindo was met with a standing ovation when he appeared at the NAACP Image Awards.
“It is an honour to be here amongst our people this evening, amongst so many people who have shown us such incredible support,” Lindo said while presenting at the ceremony. “And it’s a classic case of something that could be very negative becoming very positive.”
At the same event, he won the supporting actor award ahead of the upcoming Academy Awards scheduled for March 15.
Strong Competition for the Oscar
Lindo’s nomination places him among a competitive group of actors, including Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro for One Battle After Another, and Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value.
Although born in London, Lindo credits his professional development to his years in the United States.
“The reality is my career has been in the United States and the irony is, had I not had my career in the US, you and I would not be talking right now,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Over the decades, Lindo has built an impressive film and television résumé. His film credits include Malcolm X, Get Shorty, Clockers, The Cider House Rules, and Da 5 Bloods. On television, he has appeared in series such as Kidnapped, Blood & Oil, The Good Fight, and UnPrisoned.
His stage work has also earned critical acclaim, including a Tony Award nomination for his performance in August Wilson’s play Joe Turner’s Come and Gone on Broadway.
Plans for a Film in Jamaica
Despite the busy awards season schedule, Lindo said he is already thinking about future creative projects, including a film set in Jamaica, the birthplace of his mother.
The project would see him taking on multiple roles as director, co-producer, and actor.
“They think about sea, sand, and sun, and that’s wonderful,” Lindo explained. “But I am interested – in this particular story – in showing, sharing with audiences the spirituality that’s in the land and in the people.”
The film, he said, would aim to explore a deeper and more cultural perspective of Jamaica beyond the typical tourism narrative.
Other Roles and Historical Stories
Lindo also revealed that he would like to portray the Shakespearean character Othello on film. He has previously played the role twice on stage during the 1990s.
“I remember, cumulatively, the second time playing it, I developed such an appreciation for the material, for that man, and to be able to delve into that again on film intrigues the hell out of me,” he said.
The actor also expressed interest in portraying historical figures inspired by Jamaican political leader Marcus Garvey, whose philosophy influenced Malcolm X and other figures in the civil rights movement.
“I think that Marcus Garvey, obviously an incredibly important person historically, and the organisation that he started, the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association), was also very, very important,” Lindo said. “I’d like to play something kind of Garvey-esque.”
A Personal Story of the Windrush Generation
Beyond film roles, Lindo is also working on a memoir that explores the experience of the Caribbean migration to Britain known as the Windrush generation migration.
In 1948, the ship Empire Windrush arrived in Britain carrying hundreds of Caribbean passengers seeking new opportunities. Lindo’s mother was among those migrants.
The actor said the memoir will explore his family’s journey and how both he and his mother represent the legacy of the Windrush generation.
“I feel that I haven’t seen a lot of stories that, in cinema, in film, that depict … wide enough aspects of that extraordinary experience,” Lindo said. “I’d like to do something that reflects that.”
English (US) ·