“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;”>“It’s about connecting the myth to a man,” actor Antonio Fargas said about his Black Rep mainstage debut. “I had no idea when we said ‘The Real McCoy’ that it was about a black man.”
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>As he discussed his upcoming appearance in writer/director Andrew Moodie’s production that pays homage to the 19th century inventor and engineering icon, Fargas touched upon a career in stage film and television that has spanned more than five decades.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>He offered a pleasant surprise of his own when he gave the Black Press credit for starting his career.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>When he was 14, an ad appeared in the
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“mso-spacerun: yes;”> New York, requesting youth to appear in the film adaptation of the play The Cool World. He auditioned.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“I found a home – a new family that dreamed like I dreamed and believed in taking chances, that felt like I felt inside,” he said. “And through the grace of God, I’m here 51 years later.”
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>He has created a name for himself on stage and in film and television – most notably, the Blaxploitation era of the 1970s and as Huggybear in Starsky and Hutch.
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The Real McCoy “font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>will be Fargas’ mainstage debut, but his relationship with the Black Rep has gone back nearly 20 years. He was often one of the special celebrity guests at the Black Rep’s Woodie Awards – an annual gala that highlighted the best of the season – received a lifetime achievement award one year. The notion of getting Fargas on the Black Rep stage has been brewing since his introduction to the company by fellow actor Erik Kilpatrick. Black Rep founder Ron Himes often asked.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“A lot of times Ron would ask me to do something it would be difficult, because I was still living in Hollywood and still waiting for the phone to ring on a TV job or a film job,” Fargas said.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“And theatre was sort of an afterthought because theatre is about love, it’s not about money and fame – especially black theatre. All of the stars lined up for this one.”
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Fargas says that Moodie’s play is both a celebration of black history and storytelling.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“All of the material and research that Andrew did gives us a pallet of colors of things to choose from for us to create this picture,” Fargas said.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>But what excites him most about his upcoming role and all of his artistic experiences is the process.
“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It’s not just the performance, and you can equate that with athletes,” Fargas said. “It’s not just what you do on Sunday, but it’s about practice. It’s about digging in and finding things in the character and finding things in each other. All of that is part of the energy and the love that it takes to really give of one’s self.”
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“font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>The Black Rep’s production of the Real McCoy is now playing and will run through April 10 at the Grandel Theatre (3610 Grandel Square). For more information, call (314) 534-3810.
