The Statue's Reincarnation

In honor of John Harvard’s 400th birthday, filmmaker and Harvard Box Office employee Michael Van Devere wrote and directed a fictional film depicting the last night of the J. Harv’s life. FM sat down with Alex R. Breaux ’09, who played Harvard, to shoot the shit about the man himself.

FM: When you received word that you had been selected to portray John Harvard, what was your initial reaction?

AB: Initially, I wasn’t told it was going to be a biop about John Harvard, so I was just excited to get the role. It’s always very reaffirming when you get a bigger role in something.

FM: No one knows what John Harvard actually looked like. Michael Van Devere cited your “classically handsome” appearance as one reason for casting you. Do you think you resemble the original John Harvard?

AB: I bet I resemble the statue more than the other people that tried out, and I’m pretty pale, so that probably helps with the Englishman.

FM: What do your friends think?

AB: I think people who know me know me as a goofy dude. My concept of John Harvard as a character is not me at all, which was actually very liberating to play. I think people that saw me were like, “Oh, there’s Alex and he’s crying. Oh my God. What’s wrong? Oh yeah, he’s in a movie. Got it.” I don’t think they were expecting the intensity of the film.

FM: We all feel deeply connected to John Harvard…but crying about him?! How exactly did you pull that one off?

AB: I can’t say I was expecting to cry but I was not afraid of crying or not crying. I just wanted it to come out truthfully. The way I was breathing, and the coughing, that was enough… The physical stress with thinking of what you’re leaving on the table, dying at 31, it was actually touching.