Writers Donald Glover and Michaela Coel discussed their art, lives, and much more in a wonderful GQ interview, which also happened to casually announce Glover’s third child.
The 37 year old writer, actor, and musician says it early on, “I’m a vibe. I’m a vibe feeler. I’ll sit back because I want to know what’s going on.” Glover’s announcement can be summed up by these words from earlier in his conversation with creator, writer, and star of the HBO Max series ‘I May Destroy You,’ Michaela Coel.
When discussing the lockdowns from earlier this year and his eldest son Legend, only three, wandering into the room Glover said, “[Lengend’s] very grown up now.” Then casually goes on to say, “You know, I had [a kid] during the coronavirus.”
His latest son was born around May. Glover felt that “it was nuts. I was in the hospital bed. My son had just been born… and I was watching the George Floyd video.” Mixed surreal emotions abound, the ‘Lion King’ star described it as an “expanding moment… [my son] was named after my father… I don’t even know what, really, the word is to describe it. It was just expanding: the empathy and compassion and the terror and the joy of it.”
In a time of uncertainty for many, Glover and long-time partner Michelle White continue to build their family. In a moment of pure horror for millions around the nation, including Glover himself, there was also pure joy in the birth of his latest son.
Coel later responded to these expanding times by saying, “ you had a child and you birthed them into a world you understood and would probably understand for your lifetime.” Continuing, “We’ve got no idea what the world will look like in ten years’ time.” These emotions during uncertain moments are what create great art, and clearly these two visionaries understand the struggle between the joy and the terror of life.
A poignant message is driven home by Glover as he states, “Every generation has a job they need to do… I think your quest to understand is this: you need to plant a tree right now. And you don’t get to eat from it. Maybe your kids don’t even get to eat from it. You just teach them to water it, but their kids get to eat from it.”
Parenthood is a mystery for everyone. While the announcement of Glover’s third child was casual, the subsequent interview between Glover and Coel shows off a genuine taste of discovery, knowledge, and acceptance for these creators.
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