One of the first things most actors will do as soon as they land a role is to begin doing as much research as possible. That wasn't necessary for Reno Wilson ("Mike & Molly") when he was cast to play famed musician Louis Armstrong in the feature film "Bolden." Wilson had already done months of preparation because he was working on a one-man stage show based on Armstrong's life.
"I was already immersed in his world when I got the script," Wilson says. "It was just one of those rare things that happens in Hollywood where you get a script and you are completely familiar with the subject."
Directed by Dan Pritzker, "Bolden" looks at the creative and tragic life of Buddy Bolden, a New Orleans musician who was an early jazz pioneer. The film shows how Bolden (Gary Carr) went from being a much-loved musician at the beginning of the 20th century to a broken man living out his days in an asylum. Pritzker uses a radio performance by Armstrong as a trigger for Bolden to recall moments from his past.
Wilson is proud to be a part of the project because it brings attention to the impact Bolden had on the musical world. Landing any acting job is always a joy for Wilson, but being involved in a production like this one that is both entertaining and educational cranks up his appreciation for the work.
Wilson was only 2 when Armstrong died, so all he really knew about him was the film "Hello, Dolly!" and the song "What a Wonderful World." But there was a time when there was no one bigger in the music world than the man known as Satchmo.
"Back in the 1920s, I discovered he was the hottest thing on two legs," Wilson says. "He was bigger than Jay-Z in 1926. That popularity is even more surprising when you realize they called his work race records. But, they were being sold in regular grocery stores and white people had to sneak to buy his records. If they had been caught, they would have been arrested or fined."
Not only did Wilson bring all his previous research to the role, but the New York native grew up in a musical household where he studied piano. Once he was cast and knew the songs he would be performing, Wilson learned how to sing the tune in the distinct gravely Armstrong voice and to play the numbers on the trumpet. He was told by the film's music director it wasn't necessary for him to play the trumpet, but he took the extra step to be able to portray Armstrong as completely as possible.
Playing Armstrong in "Bolden" is Wilson's first role that is based on a real person. He approached the work the same way he has handled every other acting job in his long career.
"I really didn't feel any extra pressure because I wasn't doing Louis Armstrong," Wilson says. "I was just trying to capture a piece of his essence. I also think I approached the role with so much love and respect you can feel it."
Wilson's first big role was playing Howard on "The Cosby Show." Since then he has gone on to star in such projects as "Mike & Molly," "Good Girls," "If Not for You," "The Chronicle" and "The Hoop Life." Among his film credits, Wilson has been the voices of Frenzy, Mudflap and Brains in the "Transformers" film franchise.
It was his interest in Armstrong that helped Wilson land voice-over jobs in TV, film and video game projects. Years ago, Wilson did the voice of a doll in a Sprite commercial and he says if you listen closely, the way he speaks sounds a lot like Armstrong. He also points out that the voice of Brains in the "Transformers" films also has a lot of Armstrong in it.
Wilson started working on "Bolden" with all that prior knowledge he had pulled together with the intentions of doing the stage show. Now that the film is done, he's taken connections made during filming and renewing his interest in his theatrical plans. The work on the show will have to be balanced with filming the NBC series "Good Girls" and other acting jobs.
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