Algee Smith (The New Edition Story) and Jason Mitchell (Straight out of Compton) are no strangers to biopics. They’ve both successfully taken on musical icons from the past and received acclaim for doing so. In Detroit, Smith, 22 and Mitchell, 30 play two significant characters present at the Algiers Motel, in Kathryn Bigelow’s film adaptation of the 1967 urban uprising that devastated the Midwestern city. ESSENCE spoke to the men about their roles and the kind of characters they hope to take on in the future.