Directed by Ali LeRoi, “American Refugee” welcomes two talented actors Erika Alexander and Derek Luke who have joined the cast.
In an interview with Daily Dead, both Alexander and LeRoi were asked how they came to be a part of the move.
Alexander said, “I got a call that Ali LeRoi wants to talk to you. Of course, you say yes. I had a conversation with him. He told me about it. He’s a great storyteller. He’s a wonderful writer and director. I found out this was his second [feature] directing stint. He did a great job. So I was interested in working with him.
“Obviously, the bonus is Derek Luke, because everyone knows and loves him. They adore Derek for a lot of reasons. He’s easy on the eyes, he’s symmetrical. There’s something pleasant about him. But there’s also the beauty of him. He’s really done well for himself in film, with amazing roles. Antwone Fisher, where I first saw him, and most people saw him, was amazing. It’s one of my favorite movies. That seared into my brain the opportunity to work with him.”
Luke added: “My team sent me the project, I really responded to it, and I read for it. Then all the other elements came. It was traditional for me to either meet or read for a project. But this was exciting because it was a new world.
“I got to see how Erica is a force and all the other amazing actors. I gotta see her gifts and see the rest of the cast. I think people are gonna be excited. Her instinct, on and off-screen, helped put some magic in this project.”
The two actors were then asked about their experiences of working with LeRoi as a director.
“Ali was great. He was different. You could see him working things out in his head. He would stop and actually think. There’s a lot of directors who don’t think. I think also feeling us out and seeing how differently we work was important. We worked together as a unit. But we have different ways of communicating that,” Alexander said.
“I only knew Ali in passing. And a lot of my trust in life, let alone directors, has a lot to do with me knowing your body of work. So I came in suspicious of Ali because I didn’t know him. I didn’t know how to trust him. And what I come to admire about him is his methodical way and approach to writing and directing,” Luke explained. “That’s not usually my way, because my methodical way is more of an instinct IP, where he was more of a mental processing IP. And it’s good to be in those situations, so you can grow.”
Luke summed up, “With the American economy in collapse and the nation under martial law, a family seeks shelter in their neighbor’s bunker, where the danger inside is potentially greater than the danger outside.”