Throughout The CW's DC TV shows, most of the vigilantes we see are generally excited about taking villains down and keeping innocent people safe, with Oliver Queen being a scowl-faced exception. And in Black Lightning, Cress Williams' Jefferson Pierce follows suit in finding the joy in delivering jolts of justice to Freeland's scum. But it's not quite the costumed chicanery that the actor, who spoke with CinemaBlend and others at the DC in D.C. 2018 event, has provided the most enjoyment. When I asked what's been the most fun for him so far, Williams said this:
I think, for me, [the most fun] was actually seeing it. I got a chance to see Episode 1 and 2 last weekend, and it was really fun. I was really happy that I could put it up on the television and watch it with my entire family, because that's how we're gonna do it every week. To see my daughter excited. My son is not even 2, and he usually only stays put for Sesame Street, but he actually stayed and watched the show. I think he was a bit confused seeing Daddy up there and seeing Daddy right there. It was a lot of fun, but it was also extremely emotional, because you know, when you see something you've been wanting to happen for so long coming to fruition, it was overwhelming, but in a good way.
You want to know a good sign that a new TV show is going to be pretty great? When its talented lead actor gleans the most joy out of just watching the final product with his family. So often in the entertainment industry, we hear cast and crew members talking about how fun and awesome it was to create a certain movie or TV show, only for the final result to resemble a dumpster fire. Cress Williams is definitely having fun bringing Black Lightning to life on the set, but it's the finished product that makes his heart swell the most so far.
I think we can all get behind that idea. During the inclusion-driven Washington D.C. celebration of comics and television, Cress Williams talked about having wanted to play a superhero for a chunk of his career, though the opportunities hadn't risen for him before Black Lightning came around. But it's Williams' time to shine now, and not just because his badass costume lights up criminals' faces when Jefferson is punching them. Power to him for having a blast watching that major career goal realized.
Though Black Lightning is certainly more viscerally violent than the CGI battles of The Flash and Supergirl, it is still a family-oriented show, with the Pierces almost immediately standing out as a fully rounded unit, even if Jefferson and Christine Adams' Lynn are separated when the series starts. So getting to watch his TV family alongside his real-life family is a pretty awesome treat for Cress Williams to take part in, and we're hoping that he gets a chance to have that experience for many years to come. (Meaning everybody needs to watch every single week.)
Black Lightning strikes The CW with its electrifying debut on Tuesday, January 16, at 9:00 p.m. ET, just after the courtroom-bound midseason premiere of The Flash. Check out what has been surprisingly rewarding for Cress Williams, and for all the other ability-laden beginnings and endings coming this year, head to our 2018 Superhero TV schedule. After that, bookmark our midseason premiere schedule for all your other new TV needs.
