Stepping into the role of Tom in the new Netflix/Obama production Rustin, Gus Halper is inaugurating an important new chapter in his artistry. Based on the life of Bayard Rustin, an advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. who dedicated his life to the quest for racial equality, human rights, and democracy, the film is a beautiful and compelling piece that depicts the racism and homophobia Bayard Rustin faced as he helped change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.

Rustin is a tale of love, portraying the story of a crucial historical figure that has often been overlooked. Halper takes centre stage in a soul-touching and history-defining story, embodying the love interest to Colman Domingo’s character, Bayard Rustin. Already garnering Oscar buzz, the movie was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s company, Higher Ground. The former President himself awarded Rustin a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

To get a deeper look into the production, we connect with rising star Gus Halper, who reflects on his early career days as a theatre kid, the pressure of playing such an important and emblematic story, and what’s next for him. Keep scrolling…

Hey Gus! How are you doing? What have you been up to today?
Doing great! Recouping from the Gotham Awards last night, which was loads of fun. An old friend visited earlier and I got to meet his son for the first time. Such a treat.

When did you start acting and what made you fall in love with the field?
I was a theater kid, so I fell in love with acting at a young age. But my love for it has evolved over the years. It used to be I could throw on a wig, do an accent and need little else. As I got older, acting became a way for me to exercise empathy and more meaningfully inform my worldview. I still love a wig and an accent, though.

How did you first get connected with Rustin?
I was actually working with Colman Domingo on Fear The Walking Dead the summer before Rustin started shooting. We were doing a two-hander, just he and I playing off one another for a full hour-long episode, and I remember he was researching Bayard Rustin at the time. So I learned a little about the project from him. Months later I got sent the audition. I didn’t tell Colman I was going in for it. I didn’t want to get our hopes up. Lucky me, I got to work with him twice in one year.

What drew you to the script and, specifically, to your character?
The script was just so alive. And Tom and Bayard’s relationship – their love for one another, both romantic and platonic – was so vividly drawn. I had an immediate affinity for Tom. His feelings ran deep and yet he never let them get in the way of the work – a true activist.

How did you get into character? Do you have a typical method or does it vary from role to role?
It varies, and not just from role to role, but from moment to moment. It depends on the project, the role, the scene, what the atmosphere is like on set that day, whether you woke up in a good mood or a foul one. Actors are always told that every moment between “action” and “cut” is essentially an improv. But the same goes for every moment between “cut” and “action” again. There are no hard and fast rules. You just have to listen.

Did you feel an added pressure with this film, given it is based on a true story and touches on such important topics? What kind of research did you do to prepare?
Yes. Knowing that Tom’s loved ones would be watching the film ratcheted up the pressure to do his memory justice. As I researched him, I just fell in love with his mind and spirit, which also gave the process a healthy weight. I read a number of speeches that he wrote (he was a ghost writer for most of his life) and essays of his that have been preserved in the Library of Congress. The more you read, the clearer his brilliance and compassion becomes.

Is there anything in particular that you learned?
I had the great privilege of speaking with Tom’s friends, from whom I learned a lot. I’m not sure what is or isn’t my place to divulge. But I’ll just say, he was deeply loved and his memory lives on through them.

Is there a scene you’re most proud of?
I’m quite proud of all the work Colman and I did together. He’s a magnificent and spontaneous actor, which is a gift as a scene partner. If I had to choose one, I might say our final scene together in the office. As that was my last one-on-one scene with him, I remember the experience being particularly powerful and intimate.

What do you hope people take away from the film?
I’m thrilled that, for many, this film will be an introduction to Bayard Rustin and his life. This was a man who rallied the leaders of the very movement that itself rallied the entire nation. He was a fiercely intelligent, larger than life, passionate American icon who, because he was an openly gay man in the 50’s and 60’s, never got to become that icon while he was alive. I hope this film helps to change that.

What is next for you?
As an actor, there’s nothing I love so much as a stretch – the challenge of discovering a character whose circumstances, values, habits and desires are miles from my own. I’m looking for that role, whatever it might be.