Delroy Lindo on The Continuum of Black Creativity

Kamau Bell and Delroy Lindo discuss themes of clarity, grace, Black artistic lineage, community, parenting, and place (especially Oakland), framed by Lindo’s long career and his recent awards campaign for the film Sinners. Kamau opens by “giving flowers,” describing Lindo’s career through the words “clarity” and “grace.” Lindo accepts these as fitting, explaining that he strives for clarity in his choices and communication, and sees grace, both extending and receiving it, as critical, especially in contemporary America.

Kamau traces his first impression of Lindo back to Malcolm X, where Lindo’s performance as West Indian Archie convinced him that the actor’s clarity and grace were not just acting but an expression of who he is. Lindo responds by correcting a common misconception about a supposed “gap” in his career, clarifying that he spent roughly a decade as a New York theater actor before Malcolm X became the springboard for his film career.

They discuss the great Denzel Washington; Lindo expresses his appreciation for Denzel, both with regard to his breadth of work and their personal relationship. Kamau, speaking as a fan, describes how Black audiences came to Malcolm X for Denzel but quickly recognized Lindo as a force: first as the cool, dangerous Harlem figure and later as the frail, broken Archie, concluding that Lindo’s range made him “capable of anything” and cemented him as “our guy.” They discuss Lindo’s range through the character Rodney Little in Clockers.

Lindo explains that Rodney is nothing like him on the surface, and he had to stretch and challenge himself to make the character believable, which he’s proud of. Kamau and Lindo discuss why they chose Oakland over New York or Los Angeles, and they wrap up the conversation by getting into the recent controversy at the BAFTA awards.

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