For actor Fehinti Balogun, influence extends beyond the screen. Known for his compelling work in everything from the thriller I May Destroy You to the epic sci-fi of Dune, he is now part of the stellar ensemble cast for the new Apple TV psychological thriller, Down Cemetery Road. The highly anticipated series promises high-quality production alongside an elite cast that includes Oscar-winner Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson.
Equally important is his role as an industry advocate. Balogun is also a co-founder of the Green Rider, an initiative pushing for radical sustainability in film and TV production, which has secured the commitment of over 100 high-profile actors, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Whishaw, Bill Nighy, and Bella Ramsay.
In this conversation, we explore the deep synergy between his creative life and his commitment to advocacy, asking how an actor who commands the screen translates his personal conviction into widespread industry action.
You play the character Amos in the upcoming series Down Cemetery Road. Can you tell us what drew you to this project and what you can share about your character’s role in the story?
The thing that drew me to the project was the character. I had never had the opportunity to play something like this. He’s a complex character who’s particular make-up has led to him being very good at his job …which is killing people.
Apple TV has built a reputation for high-quality production. What can audiences expect from this new psychological thriller?
You’ll be on the edge of your seat one minute, shocked the next, and unexpectedly laughing through it all.
You are part of a stellar ensemble cast in this thriller! What was the collaborative process like on set with actors like Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson?
They are both fantastic actors who are extraordinarily kind and very giving. Always able and available to serve the scene, whilst also being very funny people. I have made great friends and have shared many a story.
How do you approach selecting your projects? Is there a specific type of story or character that particularly draws you in?
At the moment, I’m looking at the characters and stories that fill my heart, if only a little bit. Opportunities to play something different, to explore new ideas or new techniques, or collaborate with artist I love. All in all, I would love to build and create a legacy of great work.
You have a strong background in both theatre and screen acting, two very distinct forms of performance. What kind of energy shift do you experience when performing for a live audience versus a camera and what do you enjoy the most about the dynamic of each medium?
On stage, your job is to tell a truthful story to a large audience in a way that creates a shared reality. You must reach each person in each seat, whereas with screen, the audience is spying on your reality. So my focus is to be as truthful as possible, and serve the story and audience in a very different way.
Your theater-film hybrid ‘Can I Live?’ takes this further by combining spoken word, rap, theater animation, and scientific facts into a single digital performance. Would you walk us through your process for writing and creating it, and what was your strategy for blending all those different techniques for the audience watching on a screen?
A: Writing ‘Can I Live?’ was actually a process of collating a lot of poems and ideas I’d had over the years. The film is an adaptation of a climate lecture I wrote based on an argument I had with my mum. We argued about my involvement within the climate movement as a young black man and the potential risk to my safety with police and authority etc. The poems and ideas all stemmed from that argument. Writing from her point of view and trying to answer her questions from mine. In terms of putting it all together, it was very formulaic in the way we structured it, because we knew that the subject of climate change and racial injustice is not always the easiest thing to talk about. The songs helped us break it up and drive the project forward. Whether it was explaining science, dissolving doom or expressing anger, every tiny musical detail had its purpose.
Your TED Talk on climate change has also reached a huge audience. On a more personal level, what are some of the sustainable practices you’ve incorporated into your own life and work, whether on set or off?
I use a Green Rider on all my jobs. It’s a way of making sure I work together with the production to ensure it is as sustainable as possible. The Rider affected the way I travel, what I eat and how my costume is sourced. So many foundational things. In life, I am slowly (very slowly on the big things) trying to divest my money from unethical places. I only fly for work, or for trips longer than a certain set period. I look at community building as a really necessary life skill and practice in the face of climate crisis and have been trying to invest time and resources into it. There are probably lots of other things too.
What inspired you to co-found the Green Rider?
The need to feel like I was part of a big change. We saw a way we could very practically push the dial forward and we took it.
With over 100 high-profile actors signing on, what was the process like to secure this level of support from the industry? And what long-term impact do you hope to achieve?
It was a LOT of calling in favours and going through each of our individual contacts, then using that as a way to meet more and more people and talk about this amazing project. Heck of a lot of hustle and smiles has got us this far, believing that we can be part of a positive change in the industry and then the world. Next is to take it to the writers and directors. We want to be part of a cultural shift where the most sustainable option is the most desirable option, where we focus less on our value being measured by the consumption of resources, but our ability to make others feel safe, and to make great work whilst being the most sustainable and ethical version it could be.
Looking at both your artistic and activist work, what changes do you hope to see in the entertainment industry in the next five to ten years, both creatively and environmentally?
A list in no particular order:
- Massive investment in new tech that is ethical, green and non-polluting.
- A move away from consumption as a status symbol.
- A protection of the wellbeing of every single person who comes together to make project.
- No flying, unless absolutely necessary, if the travel time is under 5 hours (along with this will be a push for everyone to take trains and other forms of green transport, and to help with this, transition rest days will be added to the schedule so everyone is ready to begin work).
- Investment in circular economy on set and investment in the communities used to make said project work.
- Massive investment in bold storytelling about the intersection of climate and injustice that helps society with transition in a way that doesn’t make the unknown the enemy.
- Green Riders to become an industry standard and a part of the negotiation of projects, similar to a nudity clause or intimacy coordinator.
- Cross-department communication on how the project is being run, what could be working better or what is challenging, in regular cross-department meetings, as seen with Green Rider projects.
- No involvement with money invested in arms or fossil fuels.
Beyond his influential work as a co-founder of the Green Rider initiative, Fehinti Balogun continues to challenge himself on screen. His latest role is as Amos in the Apple TV+ thriller series, Down Cemetery Road, premiering this Wednesday, October 29. Based on the acclaimed novel by Mick Herron, the show features Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson as two women pulled into a complex, nation-spanning conspiracy while searching for a missing child after a mysterious explosion. Fans of suspenseful mysteries and sharp, character-driven thrillers will find their next compelling new addition to their watchlist.
Photographer: Karis Beaumont
Groomer: Jennie Roberts