Flick City: ‘Pearson’ Actor Eli Goree Picks ‘The Defiant Ones’ And ‘The Matrix’

 

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Eli Goree stars in TV’s Pearson as Derrick Mayes, the principled press secretary of Mayor Bobby Golec (Morgan Spector). During an interview earlier this year, I asked Mayes to name some of his favorite films The Defiant Ones and Marlon Brando’s body of work topped the list!

Before we launch into Eli Goree’s cinematic favorites, The Defiant Ones is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Just a reminder that Prime Video’s streaming window isn’t forever, so hop on that train (pun intended) as soon as possible. Also, Pearson (co-starring Isabel Arraiza and Chantel Riley) airs Wednesday evenings on USA Network (10 pm et/pt).

“I’m a big classic films guy. I’m a big Sidney Poitier fan. He’s a hero for me as far as an actor. The Defiant Ones with Tony Curtis is a seminal film for me because the issues that it tackles as far as race relations and getting to see Sidney be so powerful in that position. 

Even today, you don’t see it as often as you would like to see that as often as you would like to in feature films. And then just the bond that they had which was so much stronger than any of the politics surrounding it. It was a hopeful film and a powerful film with a strong message. So that’s one of my favorite classic films.

I’m a film guy – so anything that Marlon Brando has done. I’m a huge Brando fan. For modern stuff, The Matrix.” – Eli Goree

Goree went on to talk about how he only views The Matrix as a standalone films and he doesn’t consider it as a trilogy. On my end, I need to rewatch the final two installments, as love for the trilogy has definitely increased as time progresses. For now, however, I stand with Goree on that assertion.

Have you seen The Defiant Ones and do you consider The Matrix a trilogy? What’s your favorite Marlon Brando performance (I’d go with Last Tango In Paris). Feel free to comment below!