Interview: Kevin Pollack on His Portrayal of Roger Ebert in ‘The Black/White Love Play’

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CHICAGO – Roger Ebert is an icon, in both film criticism lore and his inspirational life. Two years after his passing, the Black Ensemble Theater of Chicago is honoring his legacy by focusing on a love story, the passionate relationship with his wife Chaz Ebert. Actor Kevin Pollack portrays Roger in “The Black/White Love Play.”

The play is written and directed by Jackie Taylor, one of the most significant theater names in Chicago (and founder of the Black Ensemble Theater). It co-stars Rashada Dawan as Chaz Ebert, and opened on October 4th, 2015. The story is certainly about Roger’s fame as the preeminent film critic in cinema history, but it also is about the struggle that any relationship faces in adversity – in this case Roger’s debilitating fight against cancer. The connection between Chaz and Roger Ebert is a love bond for the ages, and “The Black/White Love Play” expresses it in all its trials.

Kevin Pollack Portrays Roger Ebert in ‘ The Black/White Love Play’
Photo credit: Kevin Pollack, Photo by Joe Arce

Kevin Pollack is getting a-star-is-born break as Roger Ebert. After building a resume in community theater, he recently was in the cast for the Black Ensemble presentation of “Men of Soul.” His humility, combined with a dogged determination to give his character the proper due, made Pollack the best choice to interpret the film critic. He talked to HollywoodChicago.com about the challenge and glory of being that actor.

HollywoodChicago.com: Roger Ebert’s life is practically an open book. In the midst of his autobiography and mountains of writing, what element of his soul did you figure out that you wanted to put in to his character as you’re portraying him?

Kevin Pollack: As I read his autobiography ‘Life Itself’ and then watched the film version – combined with what I already knew about him – to put his soul into the character was a difficult process. Roger Ebert has a great mind in his own way, and he stood out. I tried to figure out the similarities between him and I, in order to connect with him, and find that soul. As I found out more and more about him, even through Chaz Ebert, I really did get into his soul.
The show is a beautiful love story, that few people know about, and what is revealed will broaden the audience’s feeling of them as a couple.

HollywoodChicago.com: What were the specific connections that you had to him, that you discovered?

Pollack: We were both ‘only children.’ That is a big one – the attention that we got growing up and then the desire to continue it as adults. What came off with some people as arrogance was actually Roger being mindful, because he did have a reason for everything. I also have a smaller media outlet, so I do know how to be a critic. In addition, the love that he had for Chaz I’m actually learning in my own relationship, and his approach to relationships are similar to mine – especially his actions and emotions within the context of the play.

HollywoodChicago.com: Another advantage you had in developing Roger’s character is the years of TV appearances he had made, both in the era when he met Chaz and later. What characteristics did you pick up from that research?

Pollack: I’m portraying Roger from approximately 50 years old until his passing. There was a video I saw of him regarding his new ‘voice,’ which developed after his cancer took away his ability to speak, and that part of his life is the second act of the play. The video was done at a university forum, with Chaz and another person reading his replies. I watched how much emotion could come out of his face, lacking a jawline and without speaking. How many people do you know who could possibly do that? He was an inspiration in that video, and that was the one appearance that I was really informed by, part of his transformation after the illness.

HollywoodChicago.com: Since you mentioned having a critical eye, and have read Roger’s film reviews, which one spoke to you the most, either as far as your agreement with it, or the way the words were communicated?

Pollack: It wasn’t just one or two reviews, it was his body of work. I loved that he always had supportive statements in his criticism, he spoke his mind and could always support his arguments. Even if it was a bad film, he could lay out his critique and the filmmaker reading it could actually learn from what he was saying. That to me, was a strong indication that he really knew what he was expressing in his writings.

HollywoodChicago.com: You mentioned you spoke to Chaz Ebert. Which question did you most want to ask about her relationship with Roger?

Pollack: Well, as we were going back and forth, I was struck that he was a humorist and loved telling jokes. That is an intimacy that only those who knew him could talk about, and that’s how I got to know him through speaking with Chaz. The one question I did ask, just to get a reaction, was her opinion about ‘Beyond the Valley of the Dolls’ [the 1970 film Roger Ebert co-wrote with director Russ Meyers]. She thought that was a funny question, and did like the humor and ‘blaxploitation’ elements of the film, but she thought it was really weird. [laughs]

HollywoodChicago.com: Rashada Dawan has been cast opposite to you in the role of Chaz Ebert. What element of her character as the play is written, connects her to you and makes you a couple?

Pollack: The love. We went from perfect strangers to being as close as Roger and Chaz were, in the process of putting the play together, it was a transformation. We learned a lot in that process, and I now see so many traits of Chaz in Rashada, and she was fortunate to have Chaz answer the questions about those traits. Rashada and I did connect immediately, and deepened that connection as we learned about each other in developing the characters. We learned that we were a lot like Roger and Chaz. The chemistry will be apparent in the play.

HollywoodChicago.com: You are being directed by the legendary Jackie Taylor, the founder of the Black Ensemble Theater. How much of her theater savvy and experience comes to bear, both in the writing of the play and the direction she is giving you?

Pollack: First of all, it’s a fantastic script. It moves quickly through that part of his life, but it touches on everything that is important. Not only is Jackie a great writer, but she is a fantastic director. I’d never been directed by anybody like her – she knew how to go right into my soul. She understood who I was as a person and an actor, and she worked me until I was at the point where I needed to be. This was the hardest process I’ve ever gone through, because it was Roger and those are big shoes to fill. But Jackie put on her big shoes and guided me to my performance.

Rashada Dawan and Kevin Pollack as Chaz and Roger Ebert in ‘The Black/White Love Play’
Photo credit: Black Ensemble Theater

HollywoodChicago.com: Okay, you brought that up. What was most daunting about taking on one of the most beloved figures in Chicago media history, for a primarily Chicago audience?

Pollack: It’s overwhelming. There will be many levels of expectation, and there will be audience members who knew who Roger was, and I’m the first to portray him since his passing. More importantly I’m the first in front of all the people who knew and loved him. But you know what? It’s a challenge and I love the challenge, because it helps me grow as a person and actor. I hope that everyone that knows and loves him will appreciate the tribute I give him in this show.

HollywoodChicago.com: What challenges do you think mixed race couples have in 2015, and how do you think those challenges were manifested in Roger and Chaz’s relationship as portrayed in the play?

Pollack: Roger was a high profile celebrity, who happened to be married to an African American woman. It was bound to be a challenge, because of that high profile. There are people who judge relationships like that, and there are those who accept it. In the end, we’re all just one being. It’s doesn’t matter what race or color we are, and it’s becoming less emphasized in places like Hollywood and general society.

Roger and Chaz did get flak in their early relationship, but in the end it was just absurd. How could an iconic film critic be with a noted civil rights lawyer? Where is the connection? If you knew them you would understand, and in the end it’s all about their love. That is what the show conveys, and in that sense eradicates racism.

HollywoodChicago.com: What did you find you loved most about Roger Ebert, in the sense of his character, bearing or the way he approached life, especially after his illness?

Pollack: He appreciated everything. I noticed that, and I know that people who knew him saw the transformation after his illness. But even through the challenges of it all, and through that computer voice, he was still speaking his mind. He was still reviewing films, still seeing them, and brought Chaz along to be his additional voice.

I watched countless interviews, both when he had a physical voice and afterward. I respected him as that vocal critic, but I respected him even more when he didn’t have that voice. Because you could sense what was going through his mind, and that emotion through his eyes was definitely something I could read, and as I said earlier that’s what I noticed when I was building the character.

HollywoodChicago.com: At the level you achieved as a working actor, what roads do you prefer to keep following as far as your career is concerned, and which role of your long resume do you think defines you most as a person?

Pollack: This one, this role as Roger Ebert. It’s the toughest, in addition to being the most mentally and physically challenging character I’ve ever took on. I had never portrayed a real person this extensively, I am becoming the person that Roger was. This is the most accomplished achievement in my career, and I hope to keep portraying real people, because you’re able to tell their story to the folks who knew and loved them.

By PATRICK McDONALD Writer, Editorial Coordinator HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com