Lonnie Chavis and Amiah Miller star in The Water Man, and in this interview they discuss their real life fears, behind the scenes, and more.
The Water Man is a film about family, friendship, and facing your fears. Lonnie Chavis and Amiah Miller star, and in this interview they discuss what it was like behind the scenes, their real life fears, and what they want audiences to take away from their movie.
Facing Fears
Lonnie admits in this interview that he is actually afraid of heights — something he had to deal with when filming The Water Man. There is one scene in particular where his character, Gunner, is on a log and in danger of falling in a river. While the scene was not actually filmed in a forest, it was filmed on an elevated log with a blue screen. He says that once he got up on the log, and he did not want to get off.
“I was looking at everybody – they were expecting me to do something. My mom tried to calm me down and she couldn’t because I just kept ranting on about how high this was and how scary this was. Then Mr. David [Oyelowo] stepped in and reminded me why I’m doing this. Why Gunner is doing this. Gunner’s doing this for all the love and the passion that he has for his mom.” –Lonnie Chavis
Lonnie also was afraid of dark places, so there were a lot of difficult scenes to film for him. As for Amiah Miller, her fear goes deeper. She was worried that she would not rise to the level as an actress that she wanted to, and knew she could do, in her role as Jo.
“I think that’s something that a lot of actors and actresses face – knowing that you’re so fully capable of doing a great job, but being afraid that something will stop you. That’s something that I had to grow from and learn from and know that I am doing a good job. I was challenged and Lonnie helped me. I think we both had many fears to face but we came out a lot stronger.” – Amiah Miller
Fun Vibes On Set
The Water Man is a very intense movie, with lots of dark moments. However, that is not what the set was like at all. Both Lonnie and Amiah admit they spent a lot of time goofing around and laughing. In between takes they would be giggling and joking around but as soon as they yelled action, they got right back into the moment with their characters.
“In between every single take, we would laugh about the dumbest things. And then as soon as they said, action, we would both snap right back into character.” – Lonnie Chavis
Amiah says that she has truly gained a little brother in Lonnie, and Lonnie says he gained a sister. They feel like they are family now, and have created an unbreakable bond.
“Just the relationships that I formed and the things that I’ve learned, that’s something that’s irreplaceable.” – Amiah Miller
The Takeaway
When asked what drew them to their characters in The Water Man, both Lonnie and Amiah explain that it had a lot to do with the message of the movie. Of course Lonnie was excited, as an 11 year old at the time, to be in an action adventure movie that features graphic novels, but there was more to it as well.
“When I dug deeper into it with my mom, I realized that I basically am Gunner, and that I can relate to Gunner. And that a lot of kids will be able to see themselves on TV. I mean, this is all about representation in this movie.” – Lonnie Chavis
For Amiah, she was initially drawn to Jo because she is so different from her true self, but she also realized how important it is for kids that are going through what she goes through, to see themselves on the screen.
“She also shows kids that do go through similar things that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. All you need is one good person, one person to believe in you, and you can turn your life around and become a better person. I think that’s such a beautiful story, and I’m honored that I got to play it.” – Amiah Miller
The Water Man Movie Review
About The Water Man
Gunner (Chavis) sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find them and in the process will discover who his son really is.
The Water Man available On Demand!
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.