Actor and Producer Roderick Lawrence talks Tina: The Tina Turner Musical and getting into the role of Ike Turner

*This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. 

Roderick Lawrence, a highly accomplished and acclaimed actor and producer, has recently secured the role of Ike Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. He has been cast in the role of Ike Turner, a controversial music pioneer, and will contribute to revealing lesser-known aspects of Turner’s life and career. Although Turner is widely regarded as a significant antagonist because of the harm he caused to his wife, Lawrence’s portrayal of him offers a valuable perspective on a deeply troubled individual. Turner’s past is marked by traumatic experiences, such as witnessing his father’s brutal murder at the hands of a white mob and having his musical contributions appropriated by white artists.

Cox: Roderick, how does it feel to be the lead star in a production about an icon like Tina Turner?
Lawrence: Mike, man. I feel extremely blessed to be part of it. And to play someone in Tina Turner’s story is incredible. As an actor, I grew up watching What’s Love Got to Do with It a million times, and to have this moment in my career is something else. I admired Lawrence Fishburne when he played Ike in the movie. I always looked up to him. I grew up wanting to walk in the footsteps of those who came before me, like Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington, who had been on Broadway.

So, this is just mind-blowing to me. It feels like a different type of anointing in my life in a lot of different ways.

Cox: Why do you think this has been a production that has received so many high marks?
Lawrence: First and foremost, the legacy and story of Tina Turner and her resilience are inspiring. I think there is nothing more inspiring today for people to see a black queen overcome all she did and to see that she came out on stage even during her darkest moments. The cast and crew do a phenomenal job bringing epic parts of her story to life because you get the good times and the bad times.
 
Cox: Why does this feel different for you in your career?
Lawrence: This is a story where I get to honor someone’s story every night. It’s when I think of God’s timing and the place I had to be for this opportunity. I can’t tell you how and why I got this role, but I can say I’m thankful for the brilliant and creative minds who put this together and picked me for the role. They did something special where they didn’t just take a character like Ike, put him on stage, and make him a caricature. But they showed how you can dive deep into a black man’s trauma and have a full-circle look.

Cox: That’s interesting because I know it’s hard to play a character like Ike Turner when you, as an actor, have to find some empathy with them.
Lawrence. You know that when you look at writing and villains, whether they are fictional or not, white characters are depicted in a more well-rounded way compared to their black counterparts. Now, with that being said, it doesn’t take away from the awful things Ike did. I know we hear this a lot about being a product of your environment, but that’s what we get to see with Ike and how well the brilliant writers did in this production.

He was a very broken man, and his story is one that is like a lot of black people’s in America. I want to say again that this doesn’t excuse the way he was or how he treated others. The context of his past is bad. He watched his father be beaten by white people and die right in front of him. He was a musical genius, and his life’s work was taken from him. It wasn’t until around 1996 that he finally got credit for some of the good musical things he did, which is crazy.

Cox: So, this is where you had to tap into to bring him to life for you?
Lawrence. As an actor, you have to find out where the character is hurting and why. That’s where I am able to relate it to my heart. This way, I go away from judgment and bring this well-rounded character to the stage, even though he is a villain. When you are playing a role like this, you have to find both humanity and the devil within. It’s really a beautiful challenge.

Cox: What did you learn about being able to bring a real-life person like Ike Turner to life as an actor?
Lawrence: You know, it’s a strange thing for me because I’ve played a couple bad guys before, but they weren’t real people. This man actually did these things. I learned that in this type of role, you have to believe what you are doing, and that’s the only option. The audience will be able to tell if you don’t, and if you don’t, then they won’t. I studied people who became abusers and learned the psychology behind the evolution of it all.

I had to put myself in this obstacle the entire time because I had to fight against my own thoughts on why this person was doing this to others, but at the same time understand it and how they would justify it for themselves. I realized that if I can live in that certain space with a character, then I can be successful as an actor.

But I also had to make sure I washed all of that off once we were done. You never bring that home with you as an actor.

Cox: Beyond studying Ike Turner and his life, did you discover anything new about Tina Turner?
Lawrence: I learned so much about and from Tina Turner. As an actor, it’s about active listening and empathy. Each night I’m actively listening to all the things we get to learn about her, from songs we never knew to parts of her time in Vegas. She was a woman out of this world because I learned about how she overcame so much and managed certain things in her life. And she was able to overcome it all.

Cox: How was it for you after the passing of Tina Turner?
Lawrence: Since she passed, it’s been amazing to read more and more about how impactful she was to others. You had people like the Obamas and other rock stars speak out about their encounters with her. And still, to this day, I’m always learning more and more about her. She was truly larger than life.