PETALING JAYA, Nov 12 — British actor Nicholas Pinnock knew he had chanced upon something special when he heard the story of inmate-turned-lawyer Isaac Wright Jr.
Wright is known for obtaining a law degree behind bars and fighting his own way to freedom after being wrongfully sentenced to life in prison under kingpin charges back in 1991.
His life inspired the legal drama For Life in which Pinnock plays the lead character Aaron Wallace.
Like Wright, Wallace is framed as the leader of a drug ring and thrown into prison where he devoted his time to becoming an attorney and overturning the convictions of his fellow inmates.
Pinnock, 47, told Malay Mail that he was enamoured by Wright’s story and felt a sense of responsibility to bring it to a wider audience.
“I was completely blown away by it and the incredible journey that Isaac’s been through.
“I was captured by every aspect of it and it was something I just knew I had to be a part of telling,” said Pinnock.
The flaws of the United States’ criminal justice system is a core theme in For Life, which first premiered in February this year, and the issue was thrown into sharp relief when the Black Lives Matter movement resurged after George Floyd’s murder in May.
While the show’s plot timely converged with current affairs, Pinnock said that Wallace and Wright’s stories show a long-standing history of racism that Black people face at the hands of police brutality and wrongful incarceration.
He hopes the show will urge viewers to acknowledge these struggles and inspire change in the long-term.
“The murder of George Floyd caught everybody’s attention because we were all under lockdown in May and we weren’t distracted by anything else, even though there were also murders of young Black men and women long before this.
“(For Life) has always been relevant and it will always be relevant, it’s just that the events of last summer put it more at the forefront.
“I hope it can bring awareness and understanding that these are issues that go on and you can’t be blind to it anymore.”
Learning about life in prison
In preparation for his role as Wallace, Pinnock sat down with Wright and other individuals who had been formerly incarcerated to get an idea of what life was like for them in prison.
One thing that stood out to him was how inmates had to constantly be on their guard as violence was always lurking around the corners.
“You don’t know whether you’re gonna be attacked or who’s going to do it, whether it’s the prison guards or another prisoner.
“That constant alertness and having to be ready to defend yourself was the thing that alarmed me more than anything else,” said Pinnock.
The actor, who is originally from the Balham neighbourhood in South London, said he found many parallels between the US and the United Kingdom’s criminal justice system while working on For Life.
He added that if the UK had fewer gun control laws, it would likely be embroiled in a similar crisis as the US with regards to the murders of Black people by civilians and police officers.
“I think because we don’t have access to guns in the UK, the violence, the attitude, and the mentality around carrying a gun and having that power over life and death, it changes somewhat.
“But if we scratch the surface of what the US is dealing with as far as colourism is concerned and the socioeconomic decline of minorities, they’re exactly the same as the UK,” said Pinnock.
The show’s second season is set to bring Wallace outside the prison walls where he will deepen his relationship with his family while continuing to navigate the tricky nature of prison politics.
Pinnock showed love for iconic hip-hop star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who plays Wallace’s antagonist and fellow inmate Cassius Dawkins in addition to being the show’s executive producer.
He praised the In Da Club rapper’s down-to-earth personality and how he carried himself with humility despite his fame.
“Curtis is lovely. He came on set with no entourage, no airs of greatness, and he didn’t ever once pull the ‘I’m the executive producer’ card.
“He was also very humble in the fact that he knows that acting isn’t his primary domain, even though I think this is the best performance he’s ever put on screen so far.”
Pinnock added that there were various challenges that the cast and crew had to contend with as the second season was shot during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Actors were tested for the virus four to six times a week depending on how much contact they had with other people and the crew suited up in face shields, masks, and gloves to ensure the safety of everyone on set.
The strict protocols created a surreal atmosphere for everyone when they returned to filming for the first time since the pandemic broke out but Pinnock said they’re slowly but surely getting used to the new normal.
“The crew, who I champion, wear masks and face shields pretty much all day.
“You feel very distant in some ways. The camaraderie and the cohesion of the cast and crew have somewhat been disrupted but we’re finding new ways of keeping that alive.”
For Life season one is currently airing Mondays to Fridays at 9.50pm on FOX (Astro CH 704 HD/Unifi TV CH 453 HD).
You can catch the second season when it premieres on November 19 with new episodes every Thursday at 9.50pm.
