With director Brad Furman’s City of Lies now playing in select theaters and available on Digital and On Demand, I recently spoke with Shamier Anderson about playing corrupt LAPD officer David "D. Mack" Mack. Based on the book LAbyrinth, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Randall Sullivan, City of Lies attempts to pull the curtain back on the murder of iconic rap artist Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G.
In the film, Johnny Depp plays Russell Poole, the determined former LAPD detective who spent nearly 20 years trying to solve the murder, while Oscar winner Forest Whitaker co-stars as Jack Jackson, a journalist who teams up with Poole in search of the elusive truth. Together they explore why the case remains cold -- and why a secret division of the LAPD is seemingly set on keeping it that way. The film also stars Shea Whigham, Toby Huss, Kevin Chapman, Peter Greene, Xander Berkeley, Neil Brown Jr., Cory Hardrict, Rockmond Dunbar, Michael Paré, Jamal Woolard, and Laurence Mason.
During the interview, Anderson talked about what surprised him when he was researching his role in City of Lies and shares a fantastic story about getting cast. He also discusses spending two months in Compton researching his role, and how the LAPD still doesn’t want to talk about how many officers were moonlighting at Death Row Records. In addition, we talked about his passion for photography, when he realized he wanted to act, The Black Academy (a non-profit organization putting on an awards show focusing on black talent in Canada), his venture fund he started with his brothers that will support and mentor young entrepreneurs in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) community, and more.
Check out what he had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about.
Shamier Anderson:
- How he’s never bought anything online.
- What TV series would he like to guest star on?
- What movie or movies has he seen the most?
- When did he realize he wanted to be an actor?
- Does he still get nervous after he wraps on every role that he might not book something else?
- Does he collect anything?
- When does he allow himself to start taking pictures on a production?
- Who does he think killed Tupac Shakur?
- What surprised him when he was researching his role in City of Lies?
- How a number of police officers were working at Death Row Records.
- Anderson shares a great story about getting the role in City of Lies and meeting Brad Furman.
- How he spent two months in Compton researching the role.
- Talks about his venture fund with his brothers.
- Talks about what Super High with Andy Samberg is about.
- What are some of the powers you get when you smoke in the film?
- How every time you smoke you get a different power.
- Talks about his other Netflix movie Awake with Gina Rodriguez.
- What it was like working with Halle Berry on her directorial debut Bruised.
- Talks about his nonprofit The Black Academy which is putting on an awards show focusing on black talent that are Canadian.
KEEP READING: 'City of Lies' Trailer: Watch Johnny Depp Try to Solve the Murder of Notorious B.I.G.