A class menagerie

James Earl Jones
Harvey “Big Daddy” Pollitt, domineering but dying family patriarch

“Yes, he has that voice, but there’s such a joy of life in him. He’s like a kid: His eyes are big and he sparkles when he’s in the room. He’s extraordinarily sweet and just so gifted. He comes every day with something new and fresh. He can find so much in a word.”

Phylicia Rashad
Ida “Big Mama” Pollitt, homely and weak-headed matron

“It’s really not her at all. And that’s what I think she found so interesting about the role. It is a chance for her to turn herself inside out. And that’s what any actor worth their salt is looking for.”

Terrence Howard
Brick Pollitt, alcoholic and sexually dysfunctional ex-athlete

“Nobody’s worried about Terrence. He doesn’t come to this from ‘Hollywood’: His grandmother was a theater legend, so the stage has been a part of his life. He knows that it’s a challenge, and that you have to grow to it. Above all, he’s a really smart actor. He digs, he excavates.”