But once Grace started reading David Duke’s writings and listen to his speeches and public appearances, that’s when he realized this would be more challenging than he thought.
As Topher Grace explained to Vulture, he told his agents he wanted to be in contention to play David Duke in BlacKkKlansman since it was not like something he’d ever done before, and after reading for director Spike Lee, he obtained the part.
I can’t blame Grace’s wife for wanting him not to recite so much white supremacist material while around their newborn baby, but then again, if he was going to properly play Duke, it was necessary for him to do all that research.
It’s one thing to prepare to play a fictional villainous character, but when you’re playing someone from real life who has spread hateful rhetoric, I can understand how that can take an emotional toll when preparing for the role.