Courtney Howard // Film Critic
It’s ironic that in filmmaker Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR, Stephen McKinley Henderson plays a New York Times field reporter aging out of his job position when he, as an actor, is experiencing a flourishing artistic career that’s only gotten stronger with age. Having co-starred in films like FENCES, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, and DUNE PART ONE, pounded the boards on stage, and won a slew of prestigious awards, the affable performer has made a solid niche out of tackling indelible roles. And it seems that now is finally his season to find a well-earned spotlight.
With any profession, there’s always that line between study and applying that learned knowledge. Where does that come from, for you, and is that how you connect to your characters?
“Wonderful question. It does have to do with the connection to the character. But so much of it, for me, is the story itself – what part you have to play in a tale isn’t as important to me as the tale is something I want to be a part of. And this was a role I was so pleased that Alex called me. Everything he does, because I’m so story driven, he always comes with something wonderful.
I did a limited series with him before, DEVS, and that was many scripts he wrote. He’s like Aaron Sorkin in that way. I was just drawn to him and his love of poetry. It started with DEVS and with this, as you can imagine, the conversations were quite elevated. Sometimes because the specific is so terrifying, it’s great to speak philosophically about it, to allow you to get a little breath away from climbing right in.”
CIVIL WAR focuses on objectivity in the media. Do you think there are similarities there between how you approach playing and evaluating a character, as an actor?
“Yes, yes, to maintain that objectivity and then take on the character very subjectively. I did realize doing this that the journalists are attempting the best they can to really deliver the facts. I can remember, as a young person, how it affected me to see that photograph of Emmet Till in Jet Magazine. I was a child and I saw it effect older people and I was old enough where they said, ‘You’re old enough to see this,’ and to talk to me about all those issues. It all stemmed from the power and the impact that that mother said, ‘I want the world to see my baby.’
That was my first real, subliminally, even though I didn’t know so much then. But now, lookiing back, that was the first time journalism and photojournalism really come into my world. And then, as I was older, during the Vietnam era of the reporters, who I was to know the rest of my life. Those were the people who gave me that anchor in the evening news – and it really is an anchor to have someone who you trust [tell it], like Rachel [Maddow]. To hear her tell the story, I really know her point of view, but I know that she’s never gonna skew it. She’s gonna give it to you straight, no chaser. It’s having great respect for journalists and that played a part of wanting to be in this cast.”
You’ve worked with so many visionary directors and playwrights through the years. How do you find creative freedom within someone else’s parameters?
“You know, the more secure they are with what they’re telling, the more open they are to allow you to do what you do. It’s not that it’s collaborative in the sense of what they’re putting on the page. But it is entirely collaborative in making certain that that’s realized effectively. That’s why it’s such a joy to really know what they’re after to ask you to be a part of something that’s their child. To work with Spielberg on LINCOLN, and to work with Denzel [on FENCES]… I worked with Halle [Berry] on her first directorial film [BRUISED] and it meant so much to her to get that personal call. And then also to be on something as wild as BEAU IS AFRAID with Ari Aster.
With Alex, this is something he really cares about. He’s bringing you in to his vision and saying, ‘Contribute.’ He doesn’t want puppets to just pull strings. He wants you to be inspired to do your work. The other thing is to get to work with all the other actors. They inspire you.”
Right! You’ve had a front row seat to an incredible amount of talent breakouts. You must feel absolutely proud to see these actors on their way up.
“Oh my god. To work with Greta [Gerwig] on LADY BIRD, to meet Lucas [Hedges] and Timothée [Chalamet] and Saoirse [Ronan] and Beanie [Feldstein]. To see that, you’re absolutely right! Jovan [Adepo] we worked on in FENCES… It’s truly, truly inspiring. It lets me go and sit down in my rocking chair, when the time comes, and say, ‘It’s in good hands. It’s in good hands.’”
Instincts also play a huge role in chasing a story, as these characters experience – particularly so for Sammy. Has there ever been a time where followed your intuition that was telling you “don’t do it” and it’s turned out positively?
“What an interesting question. That’s a tough one. [laughs] I was asked to play Van Helsing in the musical version of DRACULA, working with Des McAnuff. To be in a musical, I was very reluctant, because it’s not my thing. I was asked and I was able to go and do it and it worked out. I was so happy to be a part of it, finally. The respect that I gained for the people who do musicals on Broadway, it was quite something. It’s the first time I worked with Kelli O’Hara and she’s a marvelous gift to the theater.
That one turned out really well, for me. It wasn’t the biggest hit on Broadway, but for my experience to get to work with Des and to feel the power of an orchestra and how that effects an audience, to watch those wonderful people who sing, go change the batter in their pack and sing backup for somebody and then they dance and see them flying across the boards, because it was DRACULA. When I was a kid, I’d see Mary Martin as Peter Pan, but to see Dracula’s wives flying through the air and I’m Van Helsing. Oh! It was exciting. It was like playing as a kid – back to that original first time you act is when you play. I hadn’t thought about any of that. That question took me all the way there. Thank you for that.”
When you look back on your first paid acting gig, to now in this flourishing season in your career, what do you see and what have you had to learn to come out on this side knowing what you know now?
“It’s a circle. When you go into training there’s a period where you feel like you’ve lost that initial thrill where it starting to turn the technique. If you dissect a frog, it’s not a frog anymore cuz it’s not croaking and hopping. It’s in pieces. So there’s that period in your career where you feel like, ‘I’m just out here. Where’s it going?’ And then it comes back together. It’s an amazing thing that you can dissect it and put it back together and you can hop and croak again.
That full circle journey is something for me. I have a real tangible reality to that. This year I’m going to receive from the Acting Company the John Houseman Award. It was John Houseman who took me out of Kansas City, Kansas and gave me a chance to go study in Group One of the Julliard School – the first group. Recently I go to play with Patti Lupone in BEAU IS AFRAID and she was a part of Group One. All these years, we had never worked together, but we did plays together in school. Courtney, you’re doin’ some real stuff here, girl. It’s definitely full circle to receive that award.”
That’s so touching. What a time to be at Julliard!
“We were all Guinea pigs. 1968 was quite a time.”
CIVIL WAR will be released in theaters on April 12.
