‘One piece a bawlin!’

Veteran thespian Oliver Samuels has long been crowned the ‘King of Jamaican Comedy’ for his innate ability to make every role he plays a comedic masterpiece. However, in his latest film project, titled Sugar Dumplin, the comedy is cut short. So much so, that during the filming of a particular scene, Samuels got so lost in character, all he could do was “bawl”.

“It was quite an interesting experience,” Samuels told The Gleaner. “There is a particular scene where they had to stop filming and allow me to bawl. Because I felt it so much for my daughter (in play) and I felt it so much for the character, that I got carried away,” he continued.

Sugar Dumplin is a 15-minute movie that follows the story of a woman dealing with her father suffering from dementia. In addition to addressing mental health issues and the impact of dementia, the film touches on themes of food and culture, and family.

Samuels, who is known for his ability to make every role and character a unique experience, said he drew from the testimonies of friends he knew suffering from the same fate as those portrayed.

“When I read the script, the first thing that came to mind is that this is a serious subject, and I wondered how I would treat with it. So, reaching out to friends who had people going through that phase of their lives was really important for me,” Samuels explained.

“I was just bawlin, bawlin, bawlin none stop!” he exclaimed.

The popular comedian explained that while the film is currently only 15 minutes, there are plans to have it expanded to a larger scale, and he has no qualms about reprising his role if ever called upon again.

“Overall, I enjoyed the experience. The intention is to take it around to various film festivals at the moment with the hopes that it gets picked up. It is supposed to be shown in Jamaica between the end of this year and early next year,” Samuels said.

He also took the opportunity to commend the film crew and production team – stating it was like filming an actual movie.

“You could never tell that it was just a 15-minute production when you came on the set – the crew and team were very professional. I really loved working with them and I hope they continued to expand,” Samuels added.

kenrick.morgan@gleanerjm.com/ entertainment@gleanerjm.com