Among the many exciting 2023 new movie releases hitting theaters this week is an impressive biopic about a Black musician you’ve probably never heard of. Chevalier tells the widely untold story of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, who was a French Creole conductor of orchestras in Marie Antoinette’s court ahead of getting involved in the French Revolution. When Kelvin Harrison Jr. portrayed the historical figure in Chevalier, he told CinemaBlend about why he was inspired by more contemporary artists like Mariah Carey and Prince.
While making Chevalier, Harrison Jr. studied violin for seven hours a day to become the virtuoso and composer. There was only few pieces of Joseph Bologne’s original works left following much of it being destroyed in Napoleonic times. During our interview (also above), the actor shared what he was able to gather from his portrayal with the music he did get to hear. In his words:
