Reginald Hudlin On The True Story Of The First African American Justice

Hudlin explains why he wanted to tell this important story.

BackstageOL’s Dave Morales sat down with director Reginald Hudlin in this backstage interview to talk about his film, Marshall.

In the interview, Hudlin shared what drew him to the untold true story of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice. The director also illustrated the difference between Southern and Northern racism, and the continuous battle of prejudice today.

The film’s synopsis:

Young Thurgood Marshall faces one of his greatest challenges while working as a lawyer for the NAACP. Marshall travels to conservative Connecticut when wealthy socialite Eleanor Strubing accuses black chauffeur Joseph Spell of sexual assault and attempted murder. He soon teams up with Sam Friedman, a local Jewish lawyer who’s never handled a criminal case. Together, the two men build a defense while contending with racist and anti-Semitic views from those who deem Spell to be guilty.

Marshall in theaters October 13th. For more from Hudlin, check out the full interview below!