Yahya Abdul Mateen II seems to be a golden boy of his generation. He may become the millennials’ Denzel Washington of sorts. Yahya Abdul Mateen II has played some major roles. From HBO’s Watchmen to The Trial of the Chicago 7, Yahya seems determined to make his mark in Hollywood. Yahya is starring in the Nia DaCosta’s Candyman reboot, which is out now and getting overwhelmingly positive reviews. Yahya spoke with USA Today about Candyman. He said the themes of racial violence in the original 1992 movie are still fitting today. Yahya stated that although he has taken roles that display Black trauma, that he does them to show that the Black experience is more than just trauma. His focus is on what is done after the trauma takes place. Yahya also talked about sharing moments of Black joy on Instagram. Below are a few more highlights from USA Today:
Ahead of “Candyman” hitting theaters Friday, the New Orleans native and Yale School of Drama grad tells USA TODAY that despite the horror film being a reimagined version of an almost 30-year-old movie, the themes of racial violence are as apt as ever.
It starts with how the film’s legendary ghost appears only when people say his name five times while looking in a mirror. “I don’t think you can talk about ‘Candyman’ today without talking about last year and the Black Lives Matter movement, George Floyd or the ways that we invoke saying their names as a way to keep them alive. We do the same thing in ‘Candyman,’ ” says Abdul-Mateen.
Q: You’ve worked on projects like “Watchmen,” “Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Us” and now “Candyman,” all of which deal with Black trauma. Does that get exhausting?
Abdul-Mateen: It can get exhausting. I try to make sure that if I align myself with projects that do display Black trauma that it’s not in the form of trauma p0rn. That it’s not just trauma for trauma’s sake, but that the trauma is a jumping off point… There’s so much more to us, the Black American experience, than simply trauma, and we have to deal with it, right?
But now as we get the tools to deal with that trauma and to move forward, I believe that it’s important to tell the stories about what happens next and how we become bigger than the things that happen to us.
Q: Your social media presence is definitely giving Black boy joy vibes, is that intentional?
Abdul-Mateen: That’s just who I am, I try not to curate too much. I’m the youngest of six, I’m from New Orleans, grew up in West Oakland, and we smile, we live large and loud. I was raised to be that way. It’s cool to smile and have a good time, you can’t be hard all the time life is hard enough, you know what I mean? So if me being free and smiling, listening to my music and being silly and things like that inspire someone else to do it, then I’m all for it. Everything bad that’s going to happen is already on it’s way and I’m not in a rush to get to it. So I’m just going to enjoy life along the way and share that path with other people as well.
I have been a Yahya stan since I saw him in The Get Down. There was something so, I don’t know, fluid and sexy about him. And I have pretty much seen everything he has been in since. Although I refuse to go to the Candyman site and say “Candyman” five times into my mic to get the final trailer, I actually may go see the movie. Ya’ll I don’t like scary movies, but for Yahya, I just may become a horror film fan. I always read Yahya’s interviews because he’s so mature and thoughtful. I like that he avoids doing films that do trauma pr0n. I have gotten burnt out on seeing the brutality against Black bodies on screen. I am glad that Yahya is choosing to tell stories beyond the pain. I am not exactly looking forward to Candyman, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing Yahya in Aquaman 2 and Matrix 4.
This caption is funny as hell 🤣#Candyman pic.twitter.com/XiX2vRd4E3
— Your Favorite Esthetician ✨ (@DamnnnnG) August 26, 2021
Who the fuck said Candyman 5 times in a Target bathroom 😭 pic.twitter.com/niSfikMB0X
— Noah | 18+ Choujin X Arc (@Paintshopmaniac) August 27, 2021
I love the “say their names” connections he’s making. I also really like the way he talks about trauma and the Black experience. That trauma is a part of the history and sometimes necessary as a jumping off point. But then the moving beyond is important. I saw the original Candyman as a very young teen in the mid-nineties, but I’m so sensitive I haven’t been able to do true horror in a long time. I’m so interested in this new version, though.
That Target tweet had me laughing out loud!
Also: he fine.
He was so good in Watchmen and The Get Down. I’m glad to see him getting more attention. He seems so grounded, witty, and thoughtful, not to mention incredibly attractive.
He was great in The Watchman and in Aquaman. I am a stan now. Love him.