Justice Smith talks Black queer icons and his new film ‘The American Society of Magical Negroes’

Justice Smith has quickly become one of Hollywood’s rising stars. From roles in The Get Down and Generation to the Jurassic Park franchise and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Smith has proven that not only can he hold his own amongst some the entertainment industry’s best talent, but that his unique on-screen charisma and earnestness have made him a sought after leading man. Now, he’s front and center again in the satirical film The American Society of Magical Negroes.

In Kobi Libii’s directorial debut, Smith portrays Aren, a Black sculpturist who’s whisked away into the clandestine American Society of Magical Negroes by member Roger (David Alan Grier). There, he learns about how this secret society uses their magical powers to make the lives of white people easier, in an effort to safeguard the lives of Black people from systemic oppression and racism. Aren reluctantly joins the Society, where his commitment to their cause is tested while he’s on assignment, but Aren has to decide what’s more important: the Society’s mission or his own moral compass.

INTO chatted with Smith about his latest role in The American Society of Magical Negroes, Black queer icons he admires, and why the role of Aren meant so much to him.

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