Black Gay Director Pulls The Cover Off Homophobia, Family Secrets in ‘Thicker Than Blood’
Anthony L. Williams
Anthony L. Williams, writer and director of the 2017 independent feature film “Thicker Than Blood” is placing Black gay characters at the center of his work and challenging audiences to move beyond any stereotypically held beliefs in search of the truth in love that binds us all.
An official selection during the 2020 Atlanta Black Pride Film Festival, which for the first time in the event’s history was screened virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, “Thicker Than Blood” is still impacting audiences three years after it’s initial release.
The film tells the story of Jordan (Kevin Boles Jr.), an openly gay man and the youngest of two sons, who returns home for the first time in three years to celebrate his older brother’s promotion to partner in his law firm. During what’s supposed to be a joyous afternoon of family, friends, and food, secrets are revealed, masks are uncovered, and some things are said that can’t be taken back. A once tight-knit family is left broken and faced with the task of trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces and put them back together before losing each other forever.
In a rare and in-depth interview, Williams spoke with The Reckoning about his creative journey and professional partnerships that ultimately birthed “Thicker Than Blood,” the first film in an upcoming three-part series.
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas who also spent a decade in North Carolina but now calls Chicago home, Williams began his career as an actor but tells The Reckoning that after an encounter working with comedian Sinbad in Los Angeles, he was encouraged to start his own production company, Second Glance Productions, in 2009.
“There were so many untapped stories that needed to be told, so I took it upon myself to do that,” said Williams. “I realized that if I don’t create it, then nobody else will, especially the stories that I want to tell.”
And although there is a built-in audience starving for Black LGBTQ representation onscreen, Hollywood studio heads are not clamoring to produce scripts that center Black LGBTQ stories, which leaves an opening for filmmakers like Patrik-Ian Polk (Noah’s Arc), Dee Rees (Pariah), and Williams to fill in the gap.
Williams tells The Reckoning that his previous work in public health in North Carolina introduced him to consulting producers Nicole Beckwith and Douglas K. Griffin, two individuals that would prove to be instrumental in bringing “Thicker Than Blood” to the screen.
“Nicole and Douglas were working on a grant program in North Carolina that was coming to an end. I talked them into doing a movie,” said Williams. “They said these are the topics that we want to talk about and then I created a story around those topics. It was definitely a huge labor of love between everybody.”
One of those topics is HIV and the impact the disease is having on both the Black heterosexual and LGBTQ communities; a topic that is addressed with the utmost care rooted in fact-based information in the film. While the Black gay community has been inundated with messaging around safer sex and HIV testing for decades, it can be argued that messaging targeting the Black heterosexual population hasn’t been as aggressive. Williams says the feedback he’s received from heterosexual Black folks who have seen his film has been eye-opening for everyone.
“We had people that were straight who said they’d never been tested for HIV before and said after watching this movie ‘I’m gonna go,” said Williams.
“It really got their minds open and it opened conversation because they came in thinking that...still the misconceptions...that HIV is a gay disease. If you’re having sex you should be tested for HIV.”
A perfect example of how art can move those who witness it into action and possibly save lives but is more or less in alignment with Williams’ mission, which he says is to “create pieces that are conversation starters and that holds a mirror up to society so that we can see ourselves.”
Stills From Thicker Than Blood (Images Courtesy of Director)
Art imitating life in ‘Thicker Than Blood’
Williams does not sugarcoat the Black dynamics of not airing family business publicly or avoiding internal discussions within the household that may disrupt the picturesque family image many Black families often like to project. We see this in how Jordan’s parents, particularly his father, react to his openly gay son’s unwillingness to conform to parental, societal, and religious expectations. Jordan’s long-term relationship with his boyfriend Cameron, delivered through a near pitch-perfect performance by Florencio Martinez, is a doctor who identifies as Asian and Black and is also a source of ire for Jordan’s conservative religious family.
The Reckoning asked Williams about the missed opportunity to showcase two Black gay men in love, a relationship model that rings true for countless Black gay men but is rarely reflected on big and small screens. Williams says initially the creative team was open to actors from all backgrounds being cast in the role of Cameron.
“We knew that we wanted him to be a person of color, primarily because we wanted to represent not only Black people but Latino people, Asian people, every type of person of color,” said Williams. “We auditioned other Black actors for the role. I don’t think too many Latinos came in for that particular role, and then Florencio Martinez, who we cast as Cameron, was just the perfect fit. He’s just a brilliant actor.”
The casting and Williams’ writing continuously plays against stereotypes and expectations to great success, another example is the (surprisingly) affirming and gentle-spoken Reverend Wilson (Berle Stocks), a character that rejects religious dogma and homophobia, choosing instead to lead with love.
“It was very important to us to steer as far away from stereotypes as we could,” said Williams. “I feel that God loves people no matter who you are. HE makes people in his image and HE does not make mistakes.”
Williams says that he hopes audiences will walk away from his film “knowing that God loves you and just because you’re a part of the LGBTQ community it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you.”
“I also want people to walk away with a different representation of what it looks like to be Black in a Black family and then also what it looks like to communicate.”
As should be the case in life, Williams is not shying away from having the tough conversations and he is committed to using his art to provoke said conversations, promote awareness, and assist in our collective healing.
“Thicker Than Blood” can be seen at film festivals throughout the country. The creative team is currently in the process of adding the film to streaming platforms. You can watch the trailer here.
