Emmy-Award winner Glynn Turman has had an extraordinary entertainment career spanning six decades, yet remains busier than most actors half his age.
The 75-year-old Turman’s resume includes nearly 100 television credits. He has appeared in such shows as Julia and A Different World, as well as HBO’s The Wire and In Treatment, the latter of which earned him a 2008 Emmy Award for Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Since 2019, Turman has had roles in ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder -- which earned him a Guest Actor Emmy nomination -- FX’s Fargo, TNT’s Claws, Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost and American Gods, ABC’s Black-ish and Netflix’s Oscar-winning movie Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
In January, Turman appeared in ABC's civil rights-themed miniseries Women of the Movement, portraying Mose Wright, the uncle of murdered Black teenager Emmett Till. He is also slated to appear in Netflix's upcoming original movie Rustin, based on the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin and produced by Michelle and Barack Obama’s Higher Ground Productions.
Turman, who began his entertainment career in 1959 as a 12-year-old, playing opposite Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee in the Broadway play A Raisin in the Sun, recently spoke to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable’s R. Thomas Umstead about his illustrious career. Turman also weighs in on the TV industry’s diversity efforts, as well as the various projects developed recently around his ex-wife, Aretha Franklin. An edited version of the interview appears below.
MCN: You have been and continue to be one of the busiest actors in the entertainment industry. What has been the secret to your success?
Glynn Turman: I keep it moving. … It’s hard to hit a moving target. (Laughs.) I try to keep busy, stay healthy mentally and physically. One of my mottos is to stay ready to keep from having to be ready.
MCN: You have played some very iconic roles — from Preach in the movie Cooley High to Colonel Bradford Taylor in a Different World — that have resonated with generations of viewers. Are you surprised at how popular your characters have remained over the years?
GT: Yes, I am. I'm surprised that they have resonated with so many generations of people. I'm surprised when young people come up to me talking about how they loved Preach from Cooley High — they say that their mother or my father made them watch that movie. So it's a great form of flattery that I’m really appreciative of.
MCN: Most recently you played Mose Wright, Emmit Till’s uncle in ABC’s Women of The Movement, as well as civil rights icon A. Phillip Randolph in the upcoming Netflix movie Rustin. Is it difficult to prepare to play such high-profile, historical characters?
GT: Yes, it is. It’s really challenging because these people really existed and still have family that are still with us, so you want to do the characters justice because you’re representing a true-life figure. You want to get it right and be able to bring the depth of the character’s human quality that you play. One of the great things about playing Mose Wright was to have his family say to me that I got him right. That was my goal.
MCN: You also played piano player Toledo in Netflix’s Oscar-winning film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. What drew you to that role?
GT: I played the role in the stage play at the Mark Taper Forum [in Los Angeles], and [Ma Rainey executive producer] Denzel Washington came and saw that production. He informed me that he was in the process of putting together the motion picture version of the play and that he would like me to play the role of Toledo. He told me to stay ready and he would call me. A year and a half later he called and I was ready. (Laughs.)
MCN: Did the critical success of the movie surprise you at all?
GT: No, I really wasn't surprised. All the elements were top notch. Denzel had his name on it and behind it, and then he and his partner, Mr. [Todd] Black, assembled a hell of a company. He put George C. Wolfe at the helm as director and had Viola Davis star in the movie. I was along for the ride. (Laughs.)
MCN: How have you seen the television business change over the years in terms of opportunities for actors and producers of color?
GT: The strangest thing about this country’s arc is that it’s the best of the times and yet it’s the worst of times. I’m as hopeful and optimistic as you can be in these chaotic times. I'm optimistic about the contributions our young people of color and other ethnicities are making … they are getting to tell our stories. I'm optimistic that the stories being spearheaded by people of color, women and the LGBTQ community are coming out, particularly when there is such a backlash of obstacles to overcome. This couldn't have been a better time for these stories to be told, and I'm glad that the venues are there and the expertise is there so that the American promise can be there, because it's certainly needed at a time like this.
MCN: So what is left for you to do in the entertainment industry?
GT: Quite a few things. You’ve mentioned Rustin — I can't wait to see how that turns out. That’s being produced by the Obamas’ production company. One of the major things I’m putting together is a motion picture in the Western genre, which is one of my favorite genres. I also have another motion picture coming out that is going through a name change right now, but it will be coming out shortly.
MCN: I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask your opinion about two recent biography projects about Aretha Franklin. Did either or both the theatrical film and the television miniseries get it right in your eyes?
GT: I was very impressed with Jennifer [Hudson] and the [Respect] film production’s take of the story. I thought they were very respectful, and I thought Jennifer did a wonderful job. I thought their story could not be confused with any story about any particular singer, and I feel that they had all the right elements to let you know it was indeed Aretha Franklin that they were talking about. ■
