Eddie Karanja was in a harness so many days on “Washington Black†it was like he was a real adventurer.
“I really loved it,†the teen actor says. “Whether you’re going up, whether you’re moving around, it was always exciting.â€
Ships, hot-air balloons and flying vehicles were just part of the journey that takes young Washington Black from the sands of Barbados to the snows of Nova Scotia. Based on the best-seller “Washington Black,†it follows the boy’s journey from slavery to independence, from scientific assistant to artist and creator.
Eddie Karanja stars as Washington Black
To play the role, producers hired two Washingtons — Karanja and Ernest Kingsley Jr., who handles the adult years. Before filming began, the two met, “had conversations about the character and the subtle things we wanted to add,†Karanja says.
“He’s incredible,†Kingsley says of his counterpart. “Just watching him was like an Acting 101 class. I’d wonder, ‘What is he doing in this moment and how can I bring that with me? How can I carry on the curiosity and the innocence in my version?’â€
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In both guises, Wash is an expert illustrator. “I went to the park and tried to sketch some trees and stuff,†Kingsley says, “and it was terrible.â€
Likewise, Karanja. “I draw, but not to the level of Wash.†Sometimes, pretending to be an artist was just a matter of adding final flourishes to a picture for the shot.
Because Wash is an assistant to a wildly creative man (played by Tom Ellis), he gets to watch as his inventions take flight. That meant Karanja often had to hang off the edge of whatever was going up — like a flying machine. It was always safe, he insists, “but it was a lot of ‘wow.’ It’s such a weird spot to be, but excitingly strange place to be.â€
Tom Ellis, left, and Eddie Karanja go on a series of adventures in "Washington Black," a miniseries based on the best-selling novel.
Ellis, who played the title character in the fantasy, “Lucifer,†was fun to work with. “He’s just pure greatness on screen, in real life, everywhere,†Karanja says. The two got to share those big adventure moments and witness the wonders created by set and special effects designers.
Telling the story through the eyes of a boy, he says, lets viewers appreciate the science aspects of the journey. “It’s about love and the pursuit of adventure and science in a world full of torment and pain.
“There was never a block between me and the character and the world. As soon as I was on the set filming I sort of immersed myself.â€
Because he has been acting for years (he began auditioning for theater roles at age 8), Karanja was eager to try something as complex and expansive as “Washington Black.â€
The book by Esi Edugyan is set in the early 1800s. Wash is slave who’s given a new master when the owner of the plantation dies. The new owner — an evil nephew — does whatever he can to make life miserable. Luckily, Wash meets the nephew’s younger brother and begins his journey into science, art and adventure. When tragedy strikes, Wash is forced to follow another path and find a new life under the wing of Medwin Harris (played by Sterling K. Brown).
The eight-part miniseries is so broad-ranging producers filmed segments throughout the world. “No one had ever quite done something like this,†says Executive Producer Selwyn Hinds. “We’re like halfway through and (it’s like) we’re doing ‘Mission: Impossible’ but over and over and over again.â€
Karanja couldn’t be more thrilled.
“Washington Black†begins July 23 on Hulu.
