Whenever Keith David speaks, a flood of memories from watching various movies, television shows and documentaries may bombard you. That’s because the acclaimed actor has appeared in everything from John Carpenter’s classic They Live to the beloved ‘90s cartoon Gargoyles.
In Greenleaf season 3, the Oprah Winfrey-produced series which premieres with a two-episode special Aug. 28 and 29 on OWN, the recognizably soothing voice and commanding presence of Keith David help him bring to life yet another iconic role, that of the titular Bishop James Greenleaf. Yet it also speaks to the actor’s own personal sense of spirituality, which stems from another calling earlier in his life.
“I used to want to be a minister,” Keith David tells Metro. “So in that sense, I’m living my dream. I’m fulfilling a fantasy. I don’t know if I have the wherewithal to really be a preacher, because it is a different kind of scrutiny that you have to live under. There’s a different standard that one gives one’s self because of the task one has, or the call one has chosen to answer. There is a huge responsibility when one really takes it seriously.”
The actor confesses that playing the maligned leader of a predominantly African-American megachurch in Memphis, while also facing turbulent relations with his family, has had a strong impact on his own spirituality. Sure enough, Greenleaf season 3 sees the bishop facing new temptations and not always confronting them successfully.
Keith David talks Greenleaf season 3, spirituality and more
And that, David explains, is where forgiveness plays a role, not only in trying to assuage the tensions experienced by the Greenleaf family, but in real life as well.
“There are a lot of things that one’s ego will tell you,” he says. “‘I can never forgive you for that! If you were to do that to me, I could never forgive you!’ Some people could take that as an excuse to mess up time after time, but if you use the good sense that God gave you, you won’t take advantage of that. Instead, you can learn from each lesson. You can learn how to forgive yourself, because that is a great lesson that we all , as human beings, really need to learn.”
It’s difficult not to imagine being in a church when listening to David speak about these matters, especially since he had initially considered becoming a minister. Now that the actor is 62 years old, however, it’s evident that he has embraced his chosen profession, though not without applying the same forward-thinking attitude that he does to the concept of forgiveness.
Consider the fact that, in both the Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish-led film Night School and the upcoming untitled YouTube series starring Sam Richardson and Adam Pally, David is playing a father figure.
“One day you wake up and you’re somebody’s dad,” he laughs. “It’s like, ‘Oh my God, when did that happen?’ But it happens. I have really enjoyed working with Sam, who is a very talented young fella. It’s been a real pleasure to hang out with those guys. I’m looking forward to it, and we will see if anything more happens with it. I had a great time in the few weeks that we have worked together, and I look forward to doing it some more.”
Greenleaf season 3 premieres August 28 and 29 on OWN.
