It is ironic that in his first starring film role — “The Brother From Another Planet” in 1984 — Joe Morton never spoke a word.
But he has had plenty of movie and television dialogue since that time. He has, in fact, established himself as one of Hollywood’s most skilled and diverse actors.
Morton doesn’t just “play” a part. He “becomes” the part, as all the greats do. Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles and Chadwick Boseman as James Brown immediately come to mind.
Interestingly, that same year Morton married the production manager of the film, Nora Chavooshian. They have two daughters, a son and a grandson.
RIGHT NOW Morton is flying high from having won an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category for his remarkable work on “Scandal,” the immensely popular, groundbreaking and much talked about show with Kerry Washington in the lead role.
Morton portrays Rowan Pope, the dominating, corrupt, sinister and downright scary father of Olivia Pope (Washington), who heads a crisis management firm, Olivia Pope & Associates. The show starts its fourth season on Sept. 25.
During a recent interview, Morton was asked for the key to being able to play an evil character so effectively.
He attributed it to great writing (“To be given the gift of all those wonderful monologues is just tremendous”) and positive point of view, in the sense that it is not uncommon for villains, from their twisted perspectives, to feel they are doing a good thing. They believe the end justifies the means and they think very little, if at all, about retribution for their deeds.
MORTON IS also proof that some of the best things in life can happen when one is in their later years. He will be 67 next month and says, “If you have the skill, you can move forward as you age.” He is among an elite group of older Black actors who work consistently, among them Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington.
Morton was born in New York. His mother was a secretary and because his father was a U.S. Army intelligence officer, part of his childhood was spent in Okinawa (Japan) and Germany.
AFTER graduating for Hofstra University, on Long Island, New York, Morton made his Broadway debut in “Hair,” the “tribal love-rock musical” that also gave Melba Moore her first big break. Morton was nominated for a Tony Award for his performances in another popular musical, “Raisin.”
“I came into the industry at a time when there weren’t a lot of choices (for Blacks) regarding what you could do,” he recalled. “But when I started off many years ago, I made a determination that there were certain roles I didn’t want to play.”
Morton is of the opinion that far too many actors and actresses stray from what is most basic — the script.
“Unfortunately, most actors want to play off their personal mystique, good looks or whatever, but that will only carry you so far,” he said.
IN ADDITION to his work in the theater, Morton has appeared on an impressively large number of major television programs, including “The Good Wife,” “Boston Legal,” “CSI: NY,” “Law & Order,” “JAG,” “Smallville,” “All My Children,” “Touched by an Angel,” “Miami Vice,” “A Different World,” “Search for Tomorrow,” “The X-Files,” “M*A*S*H,” “Sanford and Son,” “Mission: Impossible,” “New York Undercover” and “Who’s the Boss?”
Among his movie credits are “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “…And Justice for All,” “Stealth,” “Ali,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Speed” and “American Gangster.”
Not surprisingly, since his Emmy win Morton’s agents have been on the phone that much more frequently, and the actor’s phone has been on fire as well.
He says one of the most exciting things about being on “Scandal” is having no idea what is coming next.
Only time will tell what Shonda Rhimes (creator, head writer, director, producer) and her crew will come up with. They have never disappointed, and Joe Morton is ready no matter what transpires in those scripts. — SVH
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