From Commander to Handler to General to King...

In a recent interview, actor Harry Lennix revealed that:

“Right now I’m doing what I think is the first black Shakespeare film ever done, which is called “H4”. It’s a reconfiguration using Shakespeare’s language of “Henry IV Part I and Part II”. I play Henry IV in it along with an estimable cast including Keith David, Angus Macfadyen from “Braveheart”, we have a number of young and talented actors.”

Harry Lennix also said that he's producing the film.

On IMDb, Michael Dorn is listed as playing the part of Henry IV, but Shakespeare fansite Bardfilm clarifies:

“Michael Dorn will not be playing Henry IV in the finished version of the film. Scheduling conflicts prevent him from being available for the reshoots. But Harry Lennix, who played Aaron (and played him brilliantly) in Julie Taymor’s Titus, will take over the role.”

So, effectively, this is Commander Lock (from The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions) replacing Worf (from Star Trek: The Next Generation). Which is kind of surreal, but nearly every casting situation is better if you think about it in sci-fi terms. (Though Worf might argue that Shakespeare's better in the original Klingon. That is, if he were bullishly pro-Klingon Empire. But then again, being an officer of the Starfleet Federation, probably not.)

Having played the role of Boyd Langton in Dollhouse, Harry Lennix is one of three cast members from The Matrix trilogy to have worked on a Joss Whedon project, along with Gina Torres (Firefly, Serenity, Angel) and Keanu Reeves (Speed; which Joss Whedon wrote 95% of the dialogue for, but went uncredited).

The cast of H4 also includes The Walking Dead's Jeryl Prescott Sales and Equilibrium's Angus Macfadyen as Sir John Falstaff.

In the rest of the interview, which can be read here, Harry Lennix talked about his other current and upcoming film projects, including his role as a General in the Superman reboot Man of Steel, and more. He also offered the eminently sensible, grounded perspective on choosing roles in his career:

“Generally speaking actors, certainly those who enjoy the process of acting and aren’t trying to be movie stars, we just like the process of playing interesting parts in good films. It doesn’t really matter what level the budget is or how much attention is brought.”

No doubt the part of Henry IV in H4 will be one such role.

Update: IMDb also says that Harry Lennix is playing the part of Macduff in Macbett: The Caribbean Macbeth, alongside the likes of Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Blair Underwood, and, according to rumours, Danny Glover.

See also:

First clip from Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing
Joss Whedon almost became a theatre director
The Tempest - the road to a female Prospero
Lewis, Tolkien could be played by Jude Law, Tom Hardy, or Henry Cavill?

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