Mediaboss Marketing

The premise of the upcoming Fox series Shots Fired is certainly ripped from the headlines: Its about two racially charged murders in a Southern town, including the killing of a white student by a black police officer.

But we learned at the Washington screening of the show at the Newseum on Tuesday night that thereis even more real-life inspiration at work: the character played by actor Stephan James an idealistic young prosecutor at the Justice Department is based in part on former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr., who offered guidance to the shows creators and to James.

The shows co-creators, husband-and-wife team Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood, consulted with the top lawyer in the Obama administration, as well as conducting interviews withWanda Johnson, the mother of Oscar Grant whose shooting was dramatized in the film Fruitvale Station as well asformer New York City Police Department commissioner Raymond Kelly. Some of the things [Holder]gave us ended up being a template for Stephans character, Reggie Bythewood said.

Probably a lot of Eric Holder, James said when asked about the inspiration for his character. He was so helpful to me in the beginning stages of creating this character. Hes had so much success in his career, and Preston Terry [Jamess character] is on that same trajectory.

James described his on-screen persona in a way that might sound familiar to those who know the former AG: Hes this young, confident lawyer who comes in and thinks hes going to change this community, and maybe even change the world.It seems James is developing a pattern of playing Washington types he portrayed Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) in the 2014 film Selma.

Stars Mack Wilds and Sanaa Lathan also strutted the crimson gantlet at the Newseum, chatting about the show and posing for the cameras but it was veteran actor Richard Dreyfuss who broke the red-carpet routine.

The American Graffiti actorappeared disheveled compared with his polished and well-coiffed co-stars (his necktie was completely outside his V-neck sweater, and he wore a heavy overcoat). Dreyfuss appeared buoyant, first attempting to lead the reporters lining the red carpet in an inexplicable chant of Nazi b-rd!

If this show does what it should, it will be the most current show youve imagined in your life, he boasted.In Shots Fired, Dreyfuss plays the owner of a private prison, and Dreyfuss reminded us that hes quite comfortable playing newsworthy men.

Ive played Dick Cheney; Ive played Alexander Haig, he said. This is like rolling off a log.

Continued here:
How Eric Holder inspired a character in Fox's police-shooting drama 'Shots Fired' - Washington Post