CHATTING WITH SCANDAL’S JOE MORTON
Written by Ballzer on January 18, 2021
JOE MORTON is an Emmy® Award winner and recipient of multiple NAACP Image Awards for his role as the elusive and covert ‘Rowan/Eli Pope’ on the ABC hit drama series SCANDAL. Recently, Joe’s been recording with Grammy nominee, Kenny Lehman, and they released a new song, “Wake Up America.” We talked to Kenny and Joe this morning to hear more about it!
More about Joe and Kenny:
Before terrifying SCANDAL fans, Morton delighted TV audiences for five seasons as the jack-of-all-trades scientist ‘Henry Deacon’ on the SyFy dramedy series EUREKA, for which he also received a NAACP nomination for directing. Morton recently concluded his role as ‘Reverend Arthur Finer’ in CBS’s feelgood Sunday night series GOD FRIENDED ME, and is now engaged in a throuple on Netflix in THE POLITICIAN.
Currently, Morton is relishing his time in the recording studio with life-long friend, composer, arranger, and Grammy nominee, Kenny Lehman. Born of this passionate and creative collaboration of original tunes, is “Wake Up America”, a melodic and rhythmic ‘call to action’ that the two hope will inspire Americans of all ethnicities and political leanings to take a more active role in their own political lives, or at least restrain from the tribal posturing, the race baiting, and political gamesmanship, that does nothing but divide us.
Ultimately, according to Joe and Kenny, unity is up to us, not the politicians.
In film, Morton is widely known as the mute alien in the title role of John Sayle’s THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET, and as the ill-fated scientist ‘Miles Dyson’ in TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY. Other notable film credits include, SPEED, OF MICE AND MEN, ALI, and last seen as Cyborg’s dad, ‘Dr. Silas Stone,’ in BATMAN vs. SUPERMAN and JUSTICE LEAGUE.
Recently on stage, Morton received glowing reviews and was honored with the prestigious Lucile Lortel Award and Off-Broadway Alliance Award, among others, for his electrifying portrayal of activist/comedian Dick Gregory in Gretchen Law’s TURN ME LOOSE.
What most people don’t know is that Joe Morton started his career in musicals, debuting on Broadway in HAIR, followed by SALVATION, an Off-Broadway religious rock musical, which also co-starred Bette Midler. A year later, Morton directed and performed in SUPERSTAR, the “infamous pirate company” concert tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Soon after, Morton earned a Theatre World Award and a Tony nomination for his role as Walter Lee Younger, in RAISIN, a musical version of A RAISIN IN THE SUN. Morton also directed HELIOTROPE BOUQUET at Playwrights Horizon in New York City, starring Delroy Lindo, a play about ragtime composers Scott Joplin and Louis Chauvin, and, more recently, co-produced and directed ROBERT JOHNSON AT 100, at the Apollo, featuring Elvis Costello, Sam Moore, Shemekia Copeland, Macy Gray, Living Colour, Todd Rundgren, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Betty LeVette, Sugar Blue, Savion Glover, and musical director Steve Jordan.
Morton has also written and performed music for film and TV, including: The Devil’s Lonely Fire (BADLAND, 2007); Perfect Tomorrows (LIFELINES, 2008); and Gotta Say Goodbye for SyFy’s TV series EUREKA (2009). Morton began the millennia as a blues brother in BLUES BROTHERS 2000, and subsequently recorded with the band on their most recent projects.
Joe will be directing an episode of Bull on CBS.
Inside The Black Box (Inside the Actor’s Studio, but from the perspective and experience of people of color) has been green lit. Tracey Moore, a well known theatrical coach, and Joe will produce alongside David Kolin, Rachel Weintraub, Landmark Studio Group, as well as host the episodes.
Joe also just recorded a play for Audible entitled Brutal Imagination, about Susan Smith, the woman who in 1994 drowned her two children and claimed a (non-existent) black man had carjacked her car, and kidnapped her children. Joe originally did this play January 2002, but because of the actions of Amy Cooper the woman who (falsely) claimed a black man was threatening her life, he was inspired to do the play again.
Joe will also direct a zoom version of the play for the Vineyard Theatre, who mounted the play in the first place.
