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Joseph Marcell maintains a strong presence on screen and the stage, always looking for new opportunities. His latest is the supernatural thriller The Exorcism of God for Saban Films, which provides its own unique challenges on screen. The film follows Peter Williams (Will Beinbrink), an American priest working in Mexico, is considered a saint by many local parishioners. However, due to a botched exorcism, he carries a dark secret that’s eating him alive until he gets an opportunity to face his own demon one final time. I spoke with Marcell about the appeal of the script, how he connected to the role of Father Michael Lewis, and working on the set with co-star Beinbrink and writer-director Alejandro Hidalgo.
“[Alejandro and Santiago Fernández Calvete’s script] was so well-written, and it was about a religion that I grew up in,” the Fresh Prince star said. “I was raised a Roman Catholic, and the struggle between not necessarily good and evil, but the struggle between one path and another path, one being perhaps the good path and the other, the not-so-good path, is constant. I really understood that and the hope of redemption.” Taking the role also meant breaking a stereotype among Catholics and Hollywood. “I’m a non-white person, and we don’t usually have the exorcists played by non-white people. We hardly know that there are black Roman Catholic priests, perhaps in Africa, the Caribbean, and South America, maybe, but not necessarily in the western world. It is a beautiful challenge and to be given the opportunity to essay such a character which was a Godsend in a way [laughs].”
While Marcell admitted not having to learn as much Spanish and Latin as his co-star Beinbrick did, the two still have to show confidence in their roles asked for as Catholic priests. “The most challenging part of it for me was actually trying to find and put over the kind of the wit, urbanity, and the self-confidence of Michael Lewis,” The Ratched star said. “This is a man who’s really good at his job, and he doesn’t have to protest it and then while doing that, to remember that he also has a flaw in his character.” He also credited Hidalgo as a consume professional who always ensured he had everything he needed to play the role on set. The Exorcism of God, which also stars María Gabriela de Faría, Hector Kotsifakis, and Irán Castillo, is in theaters, on-demand and digital.
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