Ava DuVernay explains why she didn’t cast Donald Trump in When They See Us
The Central Park Five is a time in our history that some refuse to talk about, but Ava DuVernay is bringing the story to the forefront of our minds with her new Netflix series.
Ava DuVernay on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter. Photo: Diego Uchitel/The Hollywood Reporter
When They See Us is the next highly anticipated project from Ava DuVernay and, with all of the reports coming out of Cannes, it is clearly a show we don’t want to miss. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, DuVernay discusses making the four-part miniseries that will focus on the Central Park Five case — a 1989 case in New York that resulted in five black teens being convicted of a rape they did not commit.
Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam and Kharey Wise were teens at the time of their arrest, and were vindicated 12 years after being found guilty. Unfortunately, Richardson, McCray, Salaam, Santana and Wise had all completed their sentences by the time their convictions were vindicated.
One key decision DuVernay made for her miniseries has nothing to do with the Central Park Five themselves. Instead, it has to do with Donald Trump. DuVernay explains in her interview that she decided against casting someone to play Trump, though he was a key player when it came to media coverage of the case.
In 1989, Donald Trump made one of his most racially charged comments when discussing the case (surprise, surprise), essentially calling for the death of those charged. He went so far as to take out full-page ads in New York City newspapers, saying “bring back the death penalty, bring back our police!”
Later in 2016, as Trump began to run for president, he was asked about those comments and he doubled down — saying, “They admitted they were guilty. The police doing the original investigation say they were guilty.”
DuVernay says in her THR interview that Trump did that so he would “feel like a player and important.” She added:
"Press conferences ensued. He was on CNN. Those are all the things that we know he wanted at that time. By doing this, he got quite a bit of attention, and still is getting it for doing the same kinds of things. I don’t think it was for any real desire to seek justice for Trisha Meili, because if he did feel that way he would have sought it for [Brett Kavanaugh accuser] Christine Blasey Ford. It was an opportunity, and he’s an opportunist."
When it comes to When They See Us, DuVernay will showcase Trump via news footage and the hysteria his words caused. Most importantly, she’ll show his presence by how it effected the families of the Central Park Five.
DuVernay explains:
"I decided I was telling the story of the men. They knew a rich, kind of bloated, flamboyant guy who owned buildings across town had said something about them. They were much more concerned with their families and their lives than some guy in a golden tower."
By doing this, DuVernay gives power back to the Central Park Five — it is their story that is the focus, and it is their story that is given power.
The Central Park Five divided New York City in the late ’80s, and made many question the status of our political and police system, as well as how the media handles these stories. Honestly, there is no one better to bring this story to life than Ava DuVernay.
DuVernay continues to be a force within the film industry and an amazing role model. From her work with the Time’s Up auction to using her platform to speak up about the political injustice happening in our country, DuVernay is someone we should all look to for what’s happening next. She’s a woman to admire, and we cannot wait to watch When They See Us.
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