Ben Vereen's Got Magic to Do
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For decades award-winning actor Ben Vereen—who originated roles on Broadway in Jesus Christ Superstar and Pippin and was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of “Chicken” George Moore in 1977’s landmark television adaptation of Roots—has proven to be a trifecta of talent, mastering film, television, and the stage. Not one to let his accolades outshine his purpose, Vereen talks here of his humble beginnings and why Black stories need to be told.
Was there a choice you made, whether in your personal life or your career, that has greatly affected who you are today?
BEN VEREEN: You know, I didn’t really prepare for this. I didn’t go, “Well, you know what, I want to be a star. I want to be on Broadway, I want to be in movies.” That wasn’t my goal. I’m from Brooklyn. As a matter of fact, when I was a kid, I thought you needed a passport to get to Brooklyn, New York. I really did, because I never left New York, I never left Brooklyn. So when this whole idea came to me of show business, it wasn’t something that I decided to do. I tell people a spirit chose me to do it and I’ve been blessed.
In your career you’ve received many awards and accolades. Is there anything that’s more substantial to you than an award?
BV: Life. Life. Awards are beautiful accolades. Look, I was in a show called Jesus Christ Superstar playing the role of Judas with Jeff Fenholt and Yvonne Elliman, and the stage manager came backstage, knocked on my door, and he said, “Mr. Vereen, you have an envelope.”
And I said, “Give it here.” And he said, “No, you have an envelope.” I said, “Yeah, man, give me the damn envelope.” So I snatched it and I started reading it. It said that I had been nominated for a Tony. I turned to the doorman, and I said, “Who’s Tony?” I had no idea who Tony was, because that’s not the reason I came this way.
Did you have any idea that Roots would have such an impact?
BV: You see, my Jewish brothers and sisters had Hitler, who was a madman, who filmed everything. They have documents. But my people don’t have documents. We don’t have film. We have spoken word, so this is an opportunity for us to document the slavery story. So that’s why I did it. We had no idea it was going to take off the way it did.
Do you ever think there should be a point where Black trauma is censored?
BV: No. We haven’t told all our story yet. You know, we have a rich heritage. So the debate on whether or not we should continue to tell our story, I say yes, because our story has not been truly told yet.
Photograph by Jai Lennard
This story was created as part of Lift Every Voice, in partnership with Lexus. Lift Every Voice records the wisdom and life experiences of the oldest generation of Black Americans by connecting them with a new generation of Black journalists. The oral history series is running across Hearst magazine, newspaper, and television websites around Juneteenth 2021. Go to oprahdaily.com/lifteveryvoice for the full project.
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Consider donating to the National Association of Black Journalists. You can direct your dollars to scholarships and fellowships that support the educational and professional development of aspiring young journalists. Also, support The National Caucus & Center on Black Aging. Dedicated to improving the quality of life of older African-Americans, NCCBA’s educational programs arm them with the tools they need to advocate for themselves.
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