Omar Sy stars opposite Kerry Washington in the new movie Shadow Force. He portrays Isaac, a former secret agent turned dad who does all he can to keep his son safe from his former assassin unit. He tells ABC Audio he found joy in portraying a vulnerable and protective Black father.
“[Shadow Force] was a good opportunity for me to show something new, something that we want to see,” he shares, “especially me as a Black man, as a dad, that’s what I want to show.”
“It’s rarely portrayed in movies. So I was so happy to to bring that on screen,” Omar adds, noting he had a “very good connection” with Jahleel Kamara, who plays his son. “I was so happy to add also some French to make that connection more special, because in that specific family, there is a special connection and bonding between the two of them.”
In Shadow Force, Isaac hides out with his son Ky as wife Kyrah attempts to kill off everyone who is against them. They have a bounty on their heads for departing their former assassin unit, whose rules they broke when they fell in love, married and started a family. Despite the complexities of their situation, Omar says he was honored to highlight the simple yet dynamic relationship between a father and son.
“It was one of my exciting moments…and [one of] the reason[s] I did the movie,” he says.
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