Akroyd didn’t hit the dancefloor in the film, but revealing the tight relationship between Brown and his promoter turned business confidant Ben Bart was just as crucial.
“Dan Akroyd, he’s a legend,” said Boseman. “It was just a pleasure to have him on this movie because of the enthusiasm he brought to it and also because he knew James Brown. It was an interesting relationship that James Brown had with Ben Bart, Pop. I remember reading that in the autobiographies and the biographies and [I was like] he calls this white man Pop? At first I was like, Really? The more I read about it the more I understood the friendship. It flip flopped. There was a friendship, there was a mentorship that Pop had for him and also they taught each other. It was easy to do that with Dan because he gave so much.”
Akroyd has nothing but praise for Boseman.
“It’s not hard to love Chad. Of course his past work, the incredible job he did in 42, another breakthrough movie of what we should be thinking about in this country at all times,” said the veteran of classic films like Ghostbusters and The Blues Brothers. “He’s just enormously lovable and extremely talented man. My affection in real like for him I think translates in the movie. I think you can see it because Pops really loved James Brown, they had a great friendship.
Get On Up: The James Brown Story is in theaters Friday, August 1.
