Bishop Blay (born 1980) is a Liberian actor.
Bishop Blay | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980 (age 43–44) |
| Nationality | Liberian |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Notable work | Out of My Hand (2015) |
Biography
editBlay was born in Liberia in 1980. During the Liberian Civil War, Blay worked as a rubber tree tapper in one of the largest rubber plantations in the country. He escaped to Ghana and lived at a refugee camp.[1] During his time at the camp, he began his acting training by performing in improvised "street dramas". After the war, he acted in Liberian film and theater productions.[2] Blay also worked in a parking lot in Monrovia when not acting.[3]
In 2015, Blay made his feature film debut in Takeshi Fukunaga's Out of My Hand. He played Cisco, a rubber tapper who is involved in a labor dispute, and eventually decides to immigrate to New York. When he arrives in America, Blay's character is forced to confront his dark past. Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Blay brings a naturalism and grounded soulfulness to his performance," noting that he "has an arresting face and an even more arresting screen presence."[4] The film debuted at the Berlin International Film Festival and won the U.S. Fiction Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival.[5][6] Fukunaga discovered Blay at an audition that he had in cooperation with the Liberian Movie Union, and was impressed with Blay's ability to convey emotion through facial expressions.[3]
Like his character, Blay moved to New York to further his career.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Out of My Hand,' starring Bishop Blay win top prizes in the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival". LSV Magazine. 19 June 2015.
- ^ a b "SPECIAL GUESTS". Japan Society. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ a b Mu'min, Nijla (20 April 2017). "Interview - From Tragedy to Triumph: Takeshi Fukunaga's 'Out of My Hand' Tells a Moving Story". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ Walsh, Katie (11 November 2015). "Review: Soulful immigrant's tale 'Out of My Hand' shows how the past lingers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ Schilling, Mark (2 August 2017). "'Out of My Hand': Documentary-like elements add to realistic portrayal of immigrants". The Japan Times. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ Strauss, Bob (19 June 2015). "LA Film Festival Review: 'Out of My Hand' an intriguing international movie". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved 23 October 2020.