Till is the true story of ‘Mamie Till-Mobley’s’ (Danielle Deadwyler) unbending pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall), who was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi.

Frankie Faison takes on the role of John Carthan, father of Mamie and grandfather of Emmett. Till speaks a truth that should never be forgotten. It symbolizes one of the ugliest periods of the fight for civil rights. A deeply tragic story where the heroism of Mamie Till shouldn’t be overlooked. This interview was conducted via zoom.

How important was it for you to portray Emmett Till’s grandfather, especially since this is a true story that shocked the nation in 1955?

Being a role model has always been very important to me. By portraying John Emmett’s grandfather, I really wanted to set an example for lots of male figures out there who, for some reason or another, haven’t been there for their daughters, or their grandchildren, due to divorce, separation, or simply because they just weren’t there. I wanted to let men know that, even if you haven’t been present, it’s never too late to come back and be a part of something important in your family life. John wanted his daughter Mamie to know he would stand by her, that he would risk his life to be with her in this very crucial situation.

This movie holds a solid ensemble cast, how was the mood on the set?

It was a joy to work with everyone. We sang we laughed, we did all the things needed to help us to be able to get through this experience. Till shows a piece of history that has already transpired but, as horrible and painful as it was, we can’t let it bring us down into a rabbit hole where we can’t get out of. So, during our work on set, all spirits were up and everyone was joyful. When the camera was turned on, each of us delivered and gave over a hundred percent. It’s evidenced when you watch the movie.

We live in such a volatile and uneasy world at this very moment. How relevant is this movie to remind people that these acts of violence cannot be repeated?

This gruesome act of crime happened in 1955. We are living in 2022 and what scares me is that we still have many incidents similar in nature. Maybe not in the same horrific way in which Emmett was murdered. But there are people, citizens, civilians, Black individuals who are being killed right in front of witnesses. They’re being killed because law enforcement has not been educated to the fact that there’s a different way to handle these instances. You need to have sensitivity, an education and have some psychological understanding of what’s going on rather than continue these senseless killings. There have been case after case, after case, after case. It just breaks my heart! I hope this movie will, once again, bring awareness to the fact that there’s got to be a change in our society in the way we treat people and in the way law enforcement handles people, especially individuals who are “minority figures.” People with a different color of skin, black, brown people, Spanish-speaking people. In 1955, we didn’t have the internet or Instagram, social media. The only thing they had at their disposal was for Mamie to ultimately go to the magazines and a few newspapers and say: “Look, I’m going to expose this act so people can see what took place.” Today, we capture tons of violence on camera cell phones. Yet, it hasn’t deterred people from committing these hideous acts. There has got to be a change. I’m very proud of being a part of this film and hope it can serve to educate, inform, and bring change.