Andre Benjamin: From ‘Hey Ya!’ man to Jimi Hendrix

BENJAMIN. Compelling in the biopic of the legendary rocker. RUBEN V. NEPALES

LOS ANGELES—Andre Benjamin once said, “I would hate to die tomorrow and be known only as that dancing guy…in the video. I don’t want to be remembered as the ‘Hey Ya!’ man.” Well, with his acclaimed performance as Jimi Hendrix in “Jimi: All Is By My Side,” Andre has one less thing to worry about.

Formerly known as Andre 3000, he is compelling as the legendary rock star in “Jimi: All Is by My Side.” John Ridley, who won an Oscar Best Adapted Screenplay for “12 Years a Slave,” directs the biopic (his feature directing debut), which focuses on Hendrix’s life from 1966 to 1967, when he went from an unknown backup guitarist in New York to his breakthrough performances in Swinging London.

The other half of the rap duo, Outkast, walked into a meeting room at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills looking as colorful as the iconic rock guitarist he plays. Andre, who lost weight for the role, wore a bright orange knit cap, camouflage jacket and shirt, a white T-shirt and pants with drawings on them.

For Andre, who is right-handed, one of the most challenging demands of essaying Hendrix was playing guitar left-handed. The actual guitar licks are by Waddy Wachtel, but Andre does sing the lyrics. Since Hendrix’s estate turned down John’s request to use such classics as “Purple Haze” and “All Along the Watchtower” (John is one in a long list of directors who got the “no”), the movie uses songs by other artists that the legend played. These include “Wild Thing” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

The film also stars Imogen Poots as Linda Keith, the English model girlfriend of Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, and Hayley Atwell as Kathy Etchingham. Linda is famously known in rock lore as the one who lent Hendrix a white Fender Stratocaster, the guitar associated with the legend’s unsurpassed technique.

Excerpts from our interview with the multi-Grammy winner:

There’s a fine line between doing an impersonation and capturing the essence of a real life person. What did you need to be able to capture the soul of Jimi Hendrix, instead of simply mimicking him?

I would say time. It does start off as somewhat of an impersonation, because you are trying to personify someone else. So, you start from watching films and interviews, by mimicking gestures and all that stuff. But, you have to do it long enough so it becomes natural. It’s not like, now, I am Hendrix. It took about two months to prepare.

John was adamant about me being Hendrix on the set. We would just be having normal conversations about the scenes, but John wanted to hear Hendrix. He’d say, ‘Where is Hendrix?’ I would forget it, and he’d be like, ‘No, give it to me.’ So, John had me being Hendrix before I had to be Hendrix onscreen. I lived it.

How much of an influence was Jimi Hendrix in your musical upbringing?

He was influential, not just in music. He was like a full package, like a poster child for what we all want to be. We want to dive into our music, to live completely for it. We all want to have the style be as great as the music. We want to live free. Hendrix was that person.

You said that Hendrix is “unplayable,” but you made him “playable.” At which point in your preparation did you feel that you got it?

I never felt that I had it. You have to go for it. Once you sign on, the cast and crew have to go for it.

But, you never know if you’ve nailed it. So, John’s whole thing was like, just give your interpretation. He actually said, “You will never be Jimi Hendrix. But, give your interpretation of it. It is art at the end of the day. We are not trying to be sorcerers and magicians, but we’re trying to get as close as we can to a person we know.”

You once said that you didn’t want to be remembered as the “Hey Ya!” man, the dancing guy in the video. But, now that you have given a wonderful performance in this movie…

Yeah, I definitely said that. But, if people remember me as the “Hey Ya!” person, that’s cool. It’s a song that I did—and people loved it! I am happy that people got into it in that way.

That comment was coming more from my mind. I know there will be other things. I just don’t want that (song) to be the last word. I guess it’s up to me to make sure I have the last word.

E-mail [email protected]. Follow https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.