‘Judas And The Black Messiah’: The Story Of A Man Infiltrating The Black Panther Party
Actors Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield star in the new film “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
Warner Brothers Media
The movie “Judas and the Black Messiah” tells the story of Bill O’Neal, a Black man faced with two options: go to jail for several years for stealing a car and impersonating a police officer or infiltrate the Black Panther Party for the FBI.
He’s given the assignment to gather any intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton — the dynamic leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party.
Ahead of the film’s premiere Friday, “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes spoke with award-winning actors Daniel Kaluuya, who portrays Hampton, and LaKeith Stanfield, who portrays O’ Neal.
Interview Highlights
Stanfield on portraying O’ Neal:
“We always have choices, don’t we? But apparently his choices were bad either way. He didn’t know much about the Black Panthers at first, and he wasn’t really politically aligned with the movement either. He was just like, ‘Don’t really care, just want to get some money by any means necessary.’ My position personally would have been inclined to fighting a revolution since there was so much injustice going on at the time, but that’s his position. Part of the movement explores the dangers of being apolitical in moments like this.”
Kaluuya on the evils of J. Edgar Hoover:
“He was a human being and that’s what’s scary … a human being can do monstrous things and when we understand that then we can deal with it. If we other them, then we’re just saying ‘ahh that’s a monster,’ but there’s Edgar Hoovers out there. It’s a man with an agenda with deep fear. And we have to understand that if you don’t deal with your fear, people will be hurt and people will suffer. And there’s generations of Black people that have suffered as a result not of monster’s behavior, but because of white fear.”
About the film’s title:
“It’s a metaphor. If you’ve ever read the story of Judas, he was a disciple and someone that was very close to Jesus and ended up betraying him, giving him over to the powers that be. This is very similar with what this story was. William O’ Neal got really close (with the BPP) and became security captain at the chapter, then he gave information to the FBI … which would be synonymous with the Romans. Eventually getting him (Hampton) killed,” said Stanfield.
Hampton was shot to death by the police at his home at the age of 21 on Dec., 4, 1969.
The film will be available to stream on HBO and in select theaters.
Top Stories
