Larenz Tate Stars in TV One’s Civil-Rights-Era Film “White Water”
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Jenny Bertman(NEW YORK) — White Water, a Civil Rights-era film that centers on an African-American boy who desperately wants to drink from a white water fountain in the segregated south, premieres on TV One Saturday night.
“The true plot of the story is about a young boy’s coming of age. He’s a 8-year-old boy, who doesn’t understand segregation. He can’t wrap his mind around people being separate even down to the most neutral thing in the world, which is water,” House of Lies star Larenz Tate, who portray the boy’s father, tells ABC News Radio.
The film is based on true events that occurred during the summer of 1963 in Opelika, Alabama. It’s told from the point of view of little Michael, played by twins Amir and Amari O’Neil, who will do anything to drink from the “white only” water fountain.
“I play his father, who is a jazz musician, a bit of a rolling stone. He’s got a way with the ladies,” Tate says of his character, Terrance. “My character is not with the mother of the boy, who is played by Sharon Leal…but what is amazing about their relationship is that they understand the dynamic of co-parenting, even though they have their differences. The most important thing is to make sure that their son Michael is given the morals and the standards that any child should have.”
Tate not only stars in White Water, he’s also the co-producer.
“I just want to help and try to elevate the project on all facets, in its totality, beyond my role,” the actor explains of why he signed on as a producer. “And I really thought that this was a very important movie.”
“This was a movie that we wanted to try and get out to the marketplace. You know, sometimes [studios] don’t know how to market these movies in theaters or [they’ll limit African-American films to] one movie at a time. ‘You already got Selma out there. Y’all should be happy!'” Tate quips, referencing the Oscar-nominated film starring David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr. “I wanted to do all that I could to support this movie.”
White Water premieres on TV One Saturday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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