Daniel Kaluuya, Fred Hampton Jr. share emotional moment at Oscars party
The Oscar-winning actor, who portrayed Fred Hampton in 'Judas and the Black Messiah' got a congratulatory hug from his son
Daniel Kaluuya and Fred Hampton Jr. shared a warm embrace at the Oscar after party after Kaluuya won for portraying his father.
Kaluuya earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on Sunday for his portrayal of Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah. But what made the win even sweeter was the love the British actor received from Hampton’s only child in a Twitter video posted on Monday.
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“Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. & Daniel Kaluuya #JudasAndTheBlackMessiah Oscars 2021,” captioned the post. The video featured the two gentleman give each other a slight handshake and instantly embrace.
“Yes, sir,” exclaims Hampton as he hugs Kaluuya and pats him on the back. The two men continue to share a moment.
Critics gave Kaluuya rave reviews in the portrayal of the slain Black Panther leader who was assassinated by Chicago police at the age of 21 in 1969. Hampton, Jr.’s mother, Akua Njeri, was pregnant with him at the time.
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“To chairman Fred Hampton,” said Kaluuya in his acceptance speech. “What a man. How blessed we are that we lived in a lifetime where he existed.”
“There’s so much work to do,” added Kaluuya in regard to Hampton’s legacy. “That’s on everyone in this room.”
During an interview, the two men sat down and provided insight into working together on the film.
“That was a partnership,” Kaluuya of working with Fred Jr. and Njeri in an interview with Rogerebert.com published in February.
“We locked arms. We had reverence. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, you’re going to give us some stuff.’ We wanted to come and explain that the most respectful and appropriate thing to do, in order to tell this story in a way we want to, is to have you guys be a part of this.”
Fred Jr. answered the question by telling a story about a hard day during filming.
“There was one day of pulls and struggles on the set. I recall sitting back, and a young lady said something to the effect that it’s like childbirth,” he said.
“I dare not attempt to relate to that experience. All due respect. But let’s use that analogy: We look forward to the baby being born. But mind you, we had to grab this baby too, in some aspects, from a foster home. There was so much misinformation put into this baby. So we have to continue nurturing this baby. And we look forward to a potential series and taking care of this baby for generations to come.”
Fred Jr. also talked about how he felt about Kaluuya specifically representing his father.
“I don’t even want to speak in the past tense,” he began. “Our ongoing relationship is that of respect for Chairman Fred. He called me this past December 4, International Revolutionary Day, unprompted. But just watching him on-set going through the wardrobe process, getting ready with the sideburns. Before I always used to say, ‘How does Denzel Washington get into those different characters?’ Daniel is a helluva of an artist. A helluva brother and person.”
Judas and the Black Messiah, was released on Feb. 12, 2021. LaKeith Stanfield, who some believe played the lead alongside Kaluuya as Bill O’Neal, the informant who infiltrated the Black Panther Party, was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film but it ultimately went to Kaluuya.
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