Lamar Johnson is shedding light on the Black experience during the Western expansion through his role in The Abandons.
Netflix’s new series, which is set in the Washington Territory in 1854, follows the matriarchs of two very different families — the Van Nesses, who come from a dynasty of wealth and privilege, led by Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson), and the Abandons, a found family of orphans and outcasts fiercely protected by Fiona Nolan (Lena Headey).
Seeing a Black character in a different light within a Western setting
For Johnson, his character Albert Mason is a rarity in this time period, as he is not only a free Black man, but also educated.
“I think grounding him is knowing that he comes from a lineage of educated Black men and knowing, sort of, what his father is, and what that means to him, and what it is to be free, Black and educated,” Johnson told Blavity’s Shadow and Act. “I think Albert is probably one of the most educated ones in the town, so there is a pride that comes with that. I didn’t want to root him in having to try and fight and prove himself because he doesn’t need to, right? I think where Albert gets his strength from is knowing who he is as a human being, and also just in the support of his family, and knowing that your chosen family sometimes could mean more than blood.”
Navigating a world where belonging is a lifeline and a luxury
With so much of The Abandons being about found family and people who build love out of necessity, Johnson’s approach to Albert is always centered on him being a character who isn’t in the pursuit to fit in — his existence is more than enough.
“He’s not loud about it,” Johnson said. “He kind of is very silent and sort of holds this kind of quiet power that I think is really beautiful, especially within the dynamic of the family, and sort of the role that he plays, not only in the family, but also even in the town. He’s one of the only Black people that is in this town. We don’t really get to see a lot of Black people outside of, you know, obviously the other Black characters that he interacts with in the show, but he doesn’t need validation from the outside.”
Johnson added, “Even when Constance gives him the job being a teacher, I think he kind of takes that and receives it and steps into it, because his father was a professor, his father was an educator. So I think it was also an opportunity for him to step into his father’s shoes, to step into a world that his father occupied, and what does that feel like? Obviously, it was overwhelming for him at the beginning, but, as you can see, he kind of takes a liking to it, and the kids take a liking to him. He has this natural ability to lead and to be a leader. It was really beautiful to explore that.”
The parallels between then and now
The Abandons is set in 1854 during a time when themes of racism and prejudice were a bit more overt; however, Johnson recalled a scene in which the situation at hand felt eerily similar to the current woes of today.
“Specifically, that scene with the father and the child, and the father coming into the classroom and sort of being super defiant, because a person of color is teaching his child,” the actor said. “It’s about his color and not necessarily what the child is actually learning, how well-suited [Albert] is for the job, and how he can actually provide value to his child. It wasn’t about that. It was more so about the color of his skin.”
He added, “Obviously, there is still racism and things that exist, but I think, now, in this moment in time, it’s definitely a lot more subtle than it is or was in that time. It was a great teaching, especially, you know, to exist as one of the only Black characters in the show — and obviously understanding the weight of that, and the responsibility of that, and what that means, at least specifically to me. Also, another reason I took the role is because of him existing in this world and even the backstory with him being educated. We don’t really get to see a lot of stories, especially in this time period, about these Black characters that existed. That was a really big part of why I took the show, and, creatively, I think there’s so much more to explore about Albert or sort of who he is, his backstory, his relationship to his family, the relationship he has with other characters in the family. It’s just very rich, and there’s so much to explore.”
The Abandons is now streaming on Netflix.