Winter 2010 - The Innocence Project

IN THEIR OWN WORDS
13
HS: Absolutely. The great thing about being an actor is that we get the opportunity to
see life through different eyes. It’s devastating to think of countless others who could be
wrongly convicted and sitting in prison now and no doubt being judged by our society.
BAW: I wasn’t sure I wanted to be on the set at first or if everyone would be
comfortable with it. Was it challenging for you to portray someone who is sitting right
there watching
HS: At first I thought it might be, but not after getting to know you and seeing that
there’s not a judgmental bone in your body. You were collaborating in such an open
and articulate way, and it quickly made me realize that having you on set helped us
tell the story.
BAW: There were scenes when you were visiting my brother’s character in prison,
when you really captured the frustration of trying to help someone but also keep them
calm. It was very difficult because Kenny was suicidal at times, and I had to keep him
full of hope and not too sad. Watching you, I remembered those feelings. How did you
prepare for those scenes
HS: Honestly Betty Anne, I just connected to your heart and the love that you and
Kenny had for one another. It was heartbreaking to not be able to disconnect by
saying, “This is only fiction, it didn't happen.” There was no way to not carry the
injustice of what happened to your brother home every night.
BAW: Remember that scene in the movie when Kenny gets released I watched you
do that scene over and over again on set, and it was hard to watch. You reminded me
of myself, totally. I remembered that day vividly after watching you. And then when
I saw you later, you were crying, and it made me cry. What was it like for you to do
that scene
“I WAS DEEPLY TOUCHED BY
THE LOVE STORY AND GREAT
LENGTHS YOU WOULD GO TO
HELP YOUR BROTHER.”
– Hilary Swank
HS: I was just thinking about all the time, effort and heart that you put into helping
everyone else see what you always believed. To think that after all those years, the
moment the judge says “you’re free to go,” and it was just you, Barry Scheck, the
other counsel and your brother in the room – it seemed so subdued for such a big,
momentous event. I just felt your great love so profoundly in that moment and how
the simplest act of being able to hug your brother once he was free meant everything
in the world.
BAW: When Kenny was alive, he couldn’t wait to have this movie out there. He knew
that he left innocent people behind in prison, and he wanted to raise awareness about
that. Your work on this movie will help introduce so many people to the work of the
Innocence Project and the problem of wrongful convictions.
HS: I hope that we can shine a bright light on the very flawed criminal justice system
and help exonerate others who were wrongly convicted. Talking about it and reaching
out on the subject whenever possible is an honor. ▲
HEINS 1996 TO 2007 • JOHN J. WHITE 1980 TO 2007 • RICKEY JOHNSON 1983 TO 2008 • RONALD G. TAYLOR 1995 TO 2008 • KENNEDY BREWER 1995 TO 2008 • CHARLES CHATMAN 1981 TO 2008 • NATHANIEL HATCHETT
1998 TO 2008 • DEAN CAGE 1996 TO 2008 • THOMAS MCGOWAN 1985, 1986 TO 2008 • ROBERT MCCLENDON 1991 TO 2008 • MICHAEL BLAIR 1994 TO 2008 • PATRICK WALLER 1992 TO 2008 • STEVEN PHILLIPS 1982,
1983 TO 2008 • ARTHUR JOHNSON 1993 TO 2008 • JOSEPH WHITE 1989 TO 2008 • WILLIAM DILLON 1981 TO 2008 • STEVEN BARNES 1989 TO 2009 • RICARDO RACHELL 2003 TO 2009 • JAMES DEAN 1990 TO 2009 •