Sherri Shepherdhas made her name as a comedic actress in numerous projects like30 Rock,Everybody Loves Raymondand recently inMr. Iglesiason Netflix. In the inspirational sports dramaBrian Banksshe shows us even more of her talent as Leomia, the mother of the wrongfully convicted and imprisoned Banks.Melanie Liburd, on the other hand, has been steeped in dramatic work for quite some time now. She’s worked on projects such asThis Is Us,Gypsy,Dark Matterand evenGame of Thrones. You would think she might want a change of pace herself, but she welcomed the challenge of taking on the role of Karina because of the richness in the character’s story and the journey she takes in the film.
Before the film’s release, I sat down with Sherri Shepherd and Melanie Liburd to discuss how much directorTom Shadyacfought to have Shepherd on the project. Melanie reveals how she didn’t audition for the role in a traditional sense, but instead met with Shadyac over Skype multiple times without realizing that it was doubling as her audition. They also discuss the triumphant power of the story of Brian Banks and why it’s an important story to tell in our world today.Brian Banksalso starsAldis Hodge,Greg Kinnear,Tiffany Dupont,Xosha Roquemore, andDorian Missick.
Sherri Shepherd and Melanie Liburd:
Here is the official synopsis forBrian Banks:
The inspirational true story of Brian Banks, an all-American high school football star who finds his life upended when he’s wrongly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Despite the lack of evidence, Banks gets railroaded through a broken justice system and sentenced to a decade of prison and probation. Years later, with the support of Justin Brooks and the California Innocence Project, Banks fights to reclaim his life and fulfill his dreams of playing in the NFL.
