Trying to pigeonhole Tom Epperson into a single category is impossible—and that’s part of what makes his career so compelling. His path as a novelist and screenwriter has been anything but linear, weaving through genres and mediums with equal parts grit and curiosity. He knew early on that writing would be his life’s work, and meeting lifelong friend and collaborator Billy Bob Thornton during boyhood only strengthened that conviction, leading to a six-decade partnership that produced tremendously profound films like One False Move, The Gift, and A Family Thing. Their work has earned significant critical acclaim, including Independent Spirit Award and Saturn Award nominations, and recognition from the Writers Guild of America. As a novelist, Tom’s range is just as impressive, spanning noir, historical fiction, and adventure with titles such as Sailor, Make Believe, Roberto to the Dark Tower Came, the Edgar Award nominated The Kind One, and most recently Baby Hawk—available wherever books are sold. In our conversation, we dived into the origins of his new book, the dangers of group-think, the challenging nature of AI, his first move to Los Angeles, and what it takes to remain grounded in a chaotic world.
Opening Credits: Arana - Jazz at Mladost Club I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; Komiku - Old artefact to destroy the patriarchy hidden somewhere I CC0 1.0. Closing Credits: Jalikebba Kuyateh and the Toubabs - Griot and the Family I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
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Trying to pigeonhole Tom Epperson into a single category is impossible—and that’s part of what makes his career so compelling. His path as a novelist and screenwriter has been anything but linear, weaving through genres and mediums with equal parts grit and curiosity. He knew early on that writing would be his life’s work, and meeting lifelong friend and collaborator Billy Bob Thornton during boyhood only strengthened that conviction, leading to a six-decade partnership that produced tremendously profound films like One False Move, The Gift, and A Family Thing. Their work has earned significant critical acclaim, including Independent Spirit Award and Saturn Award nominations, and recognition from the Writers Guild of America. As a novelist, Tom’s range is just as impressive, spanning noir, historical fiction, and adventure with titles such as Sailor, Make Believe, Roberto to the Dark Tower Came, the Edgar Award nominated The Kind One, and most recently Baby Hawk—available wherever books are sold. In our conversation, we dived into the origins of his new book, the dangers of group-think, the challenging nature of AI, his first move to Los Angeles, and what it takes to remain grounded in a chaotic world.
Opening Credits: Arana - Jazz at Mladost Club I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; Komiku - Old artefact to destroy the patriarchy hidden somewhere I CC0 1.0. Closing Credits: Jalikebba Kuyateh and the Toubabs - Griot and the Family I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
Ep. 45 - Ezra Barnes on Group, Jessica Jones and Count Basie
How Did They Get There
1 hour 17 minutes 36 seconds
2 years ago
Ep. 45 - Ezra Barnes on Group, Jessica Jones and Count Basie
Film, television and theatre are each modalities in the performing arts Ezra Barnes has been directly immersed into, both as an actor and director. Using performance as a curiosity valve for the preservation of ideals, such as imagination and spirited curiosity, are an important element of Ezra’s foundational goals as an actor. Since joining a secret film club in fourth grade, Ezra instinctively knew he was going to be an artist. And going to the theatre starting from an early age, with encouragement from both of his parents, who were heavily invested in the arts, helped lay some of the groundwork for the ideals Ezra became drawn to as a performer. Some of his notable theatre productions as an actor include Fraser Grace's Breakfast With Mugabe, which he also produced; To Kill a Mockingbird, as Atticus Finch; and several productions of the Shakespearean canon. He has directed productions of The Diary of Anne Frank; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Julius Caesar; As You Like It; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In the meantime, Ezra has appeared in several film and television projects, including Bored to Death; Law & Order; Jessica Jones; Orange is the New Black; and Motherless Brooklyn, opposite Edward Norton. Additionally, he runs the Young Actors Workshop in Brooklyn to inspire the next generation of theatre. In our conversation, we discussed the origins and film adaptation of Group, the group psychotherapy series in which he plays Frank, and its relevance to the present day; the influence of Count Basie on his idea of performance; directing theatre; inspiring curiosity from knowing the script, but not actively thinking about it in the moment; and how height influences the perception of life. His upcoming projects include Birth/Rebirth, the Sundance/IFC horror film which will be released in theaters, and available to stream on August 18; as well as Can’t Let it Go, a comedic film on the emotional hangover in the aftermath of the 2016 election starring Mario Cantone.
Opening Credits: Plaga de baile - I WAS A MOD (pero ya no) I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US); HoliznaCC0 - April Showers I CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication. Closing Credits: Cousin Silas / Black Hill - Black Hill - South I Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
How Did They Get There
Trying to pigeonhole Tom Epperson into a single category is impossible—and that’s part of what makes his career so compelling. His path as a novelist and screenwriter has been anything but linear, weaving through genres and mediums with equal parts grit and curiosity. He knew early on that writing would be his life’s work, and meeting lifelong friend and collaborator Billy Bob Thornton during boyhood only strengthened that conviction, leading to a six-decade partnership that produced tremendously profound films like One False Move, The Gift, and A Family Thing. Their work has earned significant critical acclaim, including Independent Spirit Award and Saturn Award nominations, and recognition from the Writers Guild of America. As a novelist, Tom’s range is just as impressive, spanning noir, historical fiction, and adventure with titles such as Sailor, Make Believe, Roberto to the Dark Tower Came, the Edgar Award nominated The Kind One, and most recently Baby Hawk—available wherever books are sold. In our conversation, we dived into the origins of his new book, the dangers of group-think, the challenging nature of AI, his first move to Los Angeles, and what it takes to remain grounded in a chaotic world.
Opening Credits: Arana - Jazz at Mladost Club I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; Komiku - Old artefact to destroy the patriarchy hidden somewhere I CC0 1.0. Closing Credits: Jalikebba Kuyateh and the Toubabs - Griot and the Family I CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
