2. Anime Shinichiro Watanabe, Makoto Shinkai, Hideaki Anno — they are really interested in the human condition, whether there are supernatural elements or just very simple stories of people interacting in the face of great adversity. Shinichiro Watanabe is probably best known for ‘Cowboy Bebop’, my favorite show. Period of time. Makoto Shinkai’s “Your Name” was a major reason I was drawn to “Archive 81”, basically because it’s kind of a love story separated by space and time. I don’t use this word lightly: I think it’s geniuses.
3. Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables” In high school, I used to walk by that book, but I thought, “Man, that’s a tome. I don’t want to commit.” Then a teacher made an adjustment with Liam Neeson, and I thought, “I have to stop looking here right now and just read this book.” Jean Valjean, I mean, who doesn’t love that guy? He is a true definition of a hero. And Victor Hugo – what struck me about that book was that he would describe the prison walls for 20 pages. I’ve come to really appreciate that level of detail and painstaking dedication to painting a crystal clear picture of what you want to share.
4. David Bowie I remember reading something [at “David Bowie is,” the 2018 Brooklyn Museum exhibition] that said he was involved in every part of what was happening on stage, what was being carried, right down to the curtains. It reminded me, “There are ways to cut corners, and it’s never worth it. You have the time. If you’ve got something to give, just give it all.”
5. His bikes As a kid I rode my sister’s bike because it was the only bike we had. I never got another bike until this summer. I was training with this trainer and I always admired his range of bikes. He sold me a bicycle he had second hand. And I was like, “Mamoudou, what the [expletive] is the matter with you? You can now afford a bicycle. Buy a bike.” I now have this specialized Aethos that I am obsessed with. And also a Crux and an All-City Cosmic Stallion, which I bought because of the name. It happens to be a great bike, but I’d be lying to you if I didn’t tell you.
Five movies to watch this winter
6. TV on the radio A lot of the popular examples of what’s cool just seem bored and uninterested to me. But TV on the radio, there is a real passion. They’re a staple of every character playlist I’ve ever made, really. What really impresses me more than anything, even more than talent, is when people give it their all. The end result hardly interests me.
7. Friedrich Durrenmatt’s “The Visit” It was a production for its third year at Yale. And this is going to sound weird, but it’s the moment that I realized why I want to be an actor. I loved it, but there were certain projects that I was super bad at. I definitely had some growing pains, so it was never like, “Oh my god, have you seen Mamoudou?” It just didn’t happen. But in ‘The Visit’ I played the schoolmaster, and he’s a philosopher and one day he gets drunk and goes to the house [of the man next in line to be mayor] and he says, “They’re going to kill you, and I’m going to join them.” And he tells him why. It’s so heartbreaking to see someone go against – oh man, sorry it’s getting to me now – go against all their ideals because they are so desperate and want money. And the conversations I would have in the street about this play – people talked to me in a way I’d never experienced before.