Russell Hornsby has worked tirelessly during his career.
He’s brought to life many characters and is proud of each one.
Though when it came to the role of Charles Flenory on the series “BMF,” he was taken by surprise.
“Honestly, I got a call from (Director) Tasha Smith,” he says. “We go back 20 years. Then I talked to (series creator) Randy (Huggins). I’ll be honest with you, it helps when people call and offer you a role. It’s a good feeling.”
The series is inspired by the true story of two brothers, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory from the inner-city streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980s, who fostered the most prominent drug trafficking organization in the U.S., known as “Black Mafia Family.”
This series explores the brothers’ lives, their family dynamics and their relationship with the community, in an authentic manner that highlights their upbringing in a traditional family unit.
Their parents, Charles Flenory, played by Hornsby and Lucille Flenory, played by Michole Briana White, as well as their spiritual advisor, Pastor Swift, played by Snoop Dogg, push the brothers to pursue formal educations.
The tension between Meech and Terry’s blood family and the criminal family they formed to eradicate themselves from poverty, create inner conflict as the brothers pursue the ever-elusive American Dream.
Hornsby describes Charles Flenory as the “man of steel.”
“We’re talking about a man, middle of the country,” he says. “He’s one of the few hard working men that was really there for their family. That’s what Charles represents. Because of how America has let down its populous, people are having to work so much harder and so they don’t have time for the community side of it. You have to remember that all this happened in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.”
Though the series began airing on Starz in the fall, because of streaming and on-demand services, “BMF” has gained more traction entering the new year.
Hornsby says the reaction has been great and the community has embraced the show.
“Obviously what they knew about BMF is coming together on camera,” he says. “The realness that we’re bringing to the screen and having a fun time getting there. This is a story that most people don’t know too much about.”
Hornsby hopes that audiences will be entertained by “BMF.”
“I would like audiences to look beyond of what they are doing and ask questions about what is going on behind the scenes,” he says. “When you examine the Flenory household and you see a community that was plagued by the apathetic nature of the country. A country that has let the populous down. People often says, ‘They shouldn’t be doing drugs or how and why do they deal drugs.’ The better question is looking beyond the surface. Because these communities are being let down, we are seeing inflation and the lack of opportunity. We’re not educating our populous. We should have better public schools. We should have universal health care. When you look at films that are period pieces, it gives you an opportunity that affects the now.”
As Hornsby continues his career in film and TV, he’s searching for roles that challenges him.
“I want a role that I can bring my special sauce to,” he says. “Is there room for me to kind of go in there and add my own colors to a role. When I first read this role, I did get excited to tackle this challenge. It’s about bringing attention to something and opening minds about a solution.”
