When his agent had brought the script for The Sky Beneath Our Feet to him, Sam had had his doubts. The story of the first recorded slave revolt needed to be told. It was a part of America’s history, his history, but like many other young Black actors, Sam was torn about telling another painful story of the Black experience. The part they wanted him for wasn’t the lead, and the true event had also involved white indentured servants. Sam hadn’t been sure if this was the right move for him.

He’d talked to his family about it, and had several long conversations with his older brothers Jesse and Zach, but the opinions that mattered to him the most were his father’s and his grandmother’s. His father had left their family business, Big Rock Ranch, in the capable hands of Sam’s brothers to pursue his own acting career. His grandmother was the one and only, the incomparable Miss Leona Lovell. His grandma had nearly hit that EGOT before Sam was born and if anyone was equipped to give him career advice, it was her. They’d talked about the pros and cons, the timing, the money, and in the end he knew The Sky Beneath was the type of film that would generate some awards season buzz if not some actual nominations.

Either way, once he’d signed on the dotted line, he’d poured himself into the role of Josiah. He’d mentally prepared himself for how draining the work would be, trying to fully comprehend the horrors of chattel slavery and how hard this country tried to forget it. After they’d wrapped he’d gone back to Big Rock for months, just to get his mind right again. He’d never been more grateful for how hard his grandparents had worked to give their family everything, including a lucrative business that gave Sam the financial freedom to chase his passion.

The reviews were mixed. There were things audiences and critics loved, but the main criticism was that it was just another white savior film. The box office numbers were good, but the nominations were even better. Acting, directing, and cinematography from every nominating body in the industry. Walking down the red carpet into the Dolby Theatre with his grandmother and his cousin Corie by his side had been more than memorable. Walking out of the theater with the golden statue? No way, man. No way that had been real. He still couldn’t believe it. During the presser he thought he’d done a pretty good job of answering all the questions thoroughly and thoughtfully, but in the back of his mind he was still in disbelief. As the night had gone on and they’d moved from photo op to photo op and then on to the after-parties, he’d started to feel off. He’d won. He’d gotten exactly what he wanted, and yet . . .