King Richard, played by Will Smith, was their dad and along with Mrs. Williams their coach.
A longtime churchgoer, Ellis tells AARP’s Tim Appelo the lessons of her life.
Seek inspiration
Before I graduated from New York University, I was cast as Ariel inThe TempestwithPatrick Stewart.
Theres no life expectancy on creativity, no time limit.
Raise up heroes
Oracene Price was someone no one knew always in the shadow of Mr. Williams.
I also deeply admire Fannie Lou Hamer, a Mississippi sharecropper who helped organize Freedom Summer.
I’m writing a screenplay about her.
Ride on
Bikingis essential to my joy.
People always look at me and theyre, like, Wheres your car?
Honor thy roots
Mississippi will always be home.
I live in the house where I was raised bad pipes, rainin inside.
But I have to keep my grandmothers house going.
And we need progressives down here!
Keep singing
From age 3 to 18, I was probably in church up to six times a week.
And thats how I feel.
