A new movie about Emmett Till hits theaters next week, and the lead actor who's taking on the role says he learned some lessons -- both about himself and his surroundings.
Actor Jalyn Hall -- who plays Emmett in the forthcoming film, 'Till' -- attended the New York Film Festival premiere Saturday, and as he was signing autographs ... he answered some questions about the role and his takeaways about such an important historical figure.
First off, JH says there are certainly a lot of expectations when it comes to a performance like this -- but adds he wasn't really sweating it, and just did the best job he could ... noting it was an honor to be part of the production.
Now, when it comes to what he gleaned from this story -- one that undoubtedly changed the trajectory of America in terms of civil rights -- Jalyn gives a pretty poignant response.
He says it's never wrong to be yourself, and that one shouldn't ever refrain from doing so -- adding that ya gotta let your light shine. With that said, though, he also makes sure to note that there's evil out there in the world ... and a little situational awareness goes a long way.
Watch for yourself ... what Jalyn's saying actually kinda echoes what his onscreen mother -- played by Danielle Deadwyler, who's said to be fantastic -- tells Emmett in the movie ... namely, to "be small" while visiting his family in Mississippi.