Pharrell Williams, the 51-year-old musician, is seen conversing with a group of children while they busy themselves with vibrant Lego bricks at a recent Hollywood event. The purpose of the gathering is to promote his new Lego-style biopic titled “Piece by Piece”.
The film, directed by Morgan Neville — the man behind Oscar-winning “20 Feet From Stardom” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” a Fred Rogers biopic — traces Williams’ rise from a housing project in Virginia Beach to becoming an influential figure in pop music, having worked with stars like Britney Spears, Jay-Z, Usher, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, and Snoop Dogg.
The movie delves into Williams’ creative partnership with childhood friend Chad Hugo, forming the production duo Neptunes, and his marriage to Helen Lasichanh, with whom he has four children. The film also explores Williams’ artistic and emotional metamorphosis around a decade ago when his songs — Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” and his solo hit “Happy” — gained immense popularity. All these elements are brought to life through vivid Lego animations, giving the biopic a unique touch.
“Without him, this film would have never been made in this way,” says Neville about Williams. “In a way, I feel like I was produced by Pharrell.”
Williams, who splits his time between Miami and Paris (where he also serves as a creative director at Louis Vuitton), discussed the film, his music, and his balanced perspective in an all-white green room at the Lego event. He wore flared jeans, a pink sweatshirt and pink sneakers, his gold grills shining as he spoke.
Is it easy for you to interact with children?
I believe it’s natural to converse with humans, and they represent the future — the Mars generation. However, I don’t see this movie as merely a children’s endeavor. I see it as an exploration of humanity that speaks to the inner child, which is what Lego embodies.
How does it feel to see yourself as a Lego character?
Seeing your voice come out of a Lego character objectifies a situation — it helps you transcend personal flaws and perceive your soul’s intent in a way you might not be able to when looking at an actual video. That’s been a profound experience for me.
Were you ever concerned about the film turning into a Lego advertisement?
I didn’t have any qualms about this project.
Not at all?
You only worry when you think there’s a chance things could go wrong. This project was an amalgamation of positive affirmations. Everybody was always fully supportive of our objectives.
But it does seem to be a celebration of Lego.
I believe it’s a celebration of the transformation from arrogance to humility.
Let me ponder that for a moment.
It’s never too late to chase your dreams and build them brick by brick.
In the film, Pusha T mentions that the Clipse song “All Eyes on Me,” which you produced, is the worst thing he ever recorded. It’s uncommon to hear an artist admit that.
Isn’t it odd to hear the truth?
In a Hollywood scenario? I’d say that’s accurate.
I’m not a Hollywood guy.
You agree that it’s not the best Clipse record.
Yes.
Did you know it wasn’t great when you made it?
No.
The film seems to be characterized by your reflection on earlier parts of your life.
It’s not me reflecting, it’s Morgan reflecting. He’s narrating the story, not me.
Was it easy for you to —
Allow him to have full control? Absolutely. Because I saw what he did with Mister Rogers. I thought, this guy can handle my story and narrate it the way he perceives it, down to the songs and interviews that are included. I trusted him unconditionally.
I was surprised to see Chad Hugo in the movie.
Why?
Because he recently sued you over the control of the Neptunes’ name.
I love him.
I wasn’t sure how he feels about you.
That’s not my concern. Love and admiration don’t always have to be reciprocated. My appreciation and reverence for all the time we worked together will remain unchanged. I will always wish him the absolute best.
Right, but that doesn’t mean he’d want to take time out of his day to be in your movie.
But he did.
Do you remember the last record you guys made together?
I’ve been involved in so much music, I can’t recall.
Whatever it was, do you think it’ll be the last Neptunes production?
Yes.
Does that make you sad?
I don’t know what you’re trying to extract. All I can say unequivocally is: I love the music and I appreciate the time we worked together. I’m forever grateful and I will always wish him the best. That’s my stance on him.
In the movie, “Blurred Lines” is portrayed as a significant point in your career, which was a bit surprising to me, considering you’ve expressed some mixed feelings about the song in recent years. You once mentioned in a GQ interview that it represented “a chauvinist culture in our country.”
But it happened, didn’t it? What I said in the past doesn’t influence Morgan’s narrative of my life.
Did getting sued by Marvin Gaye’s estate for allegedly copying his music in “Blurred Lines” impact your ability to enjoy Gaye’s music?
Why would it?
Because people can be petty and hold grudges!
Am I petty? Am I holding a grudge?
You don’t appear to be.
Then why would that concern me? You’re talking about other people. That’s not my energy.
How did you reach a state where you’re not dwelling on past resentments?
That comes with humility. When you remove your ego from the equation, you can see things clearly. Ego-related triggers are trivial. If you added them all up, the sum would be nothing.
Has that perspective influenced your music?
It has shaped my music; it shaped this film; it has shaped everything I do.
Let’s consider a recent song you made: SZA’s “Hit Different.” Is it something you could have made in, say, 2008?
I could only make it at the time I made it.
I should have anticipated that response.
That just happens to be the truth. Entitlement breeds entitlement, and hardship breeds appreciation. Entitlement is a problem because when things don’t pan out, it can lead to a breakdown. And because you haven’t experienced hardships, you don’t know how to appreciate — you lack coping mechanisms. I never want to feel that way again. I always want to approach a situation with gratitude first because then you truly understand what you possess. And when you create from a place of appreciation, it hits different. It has influenced how I create, how I write, how I program and play, how I compose, and how I raise my children.
It seems like a mindset you’d want to instill in your children, but they haven’t lived the life you have. As a parent, you want to protect them —
No, you don’t. When people say, “Oh, I don’t want my kids to struggle the way I did,” those kids usually end up leading challenging lives. Why? Because they didn’t learn how to face hardships. Your experiences during adolescence and early adulthood shaped you into who you are. So, you want to guide your children through struggles. Guided struggle.
What does that look like?
It could mean anything.
But in the case of your family.
It could range from volunteering, feeding the homeless, assisting the terminally ill, to earning things through an allowance that’s linked to their contribution to household chores or their academic achievements. Nothing should come for free.
You’re a person of immense privilege. Isn’t your instinct as a parent to provide your kids with everything you can?
No way. That’s not what made me who I am. You mentioned “your instinct.” Whose instinct is it? Is it the kids’ instinct?
As a father, I was imagining myself in your shoes.
Oh — “self.” You’re being selfish.
But I’m also thinking about the material comforts you have access to.
It’s a trap.
A trap?
A deadly trap.
I’ve never been to your house, but I doubt you live a monastic life.
I don’t, but my kids don’t have unlimited access to everything. They need to earn it. They need to understand how life operates. And the societal pressure on my children, being Black, is twice as intense as it is on your children, if they’re not people of color. It’s three times more intense for my daughter, because girls bring life into this world and watch it being taken away all the time.
Considering this, what’s it like to raise your children in Europe compared to America?
This was supposed to be a light-hearted conversation, but you’re hitting me with all these heavy questions. That’s fine. But if you want to ask me these questions, I’ll say that the world is a colonial snow globe.
You’re implying that America’s issues aren’t confined to America.
Just take a look at the world.
OK, something light and enjoyable: Did you enjoy being a judge on “The Voice”?
I learned a lot from my stint on “The Voice.” I realized that it’s essentially a country show. I figured that out when I saw how Blake Shelton was winning most of the time. What a sweet, amazing, positive-energy guy who’s incredibly funny. He and Adam Levine kept me laughing all the time. I enjoyed that.
Would you participate in another TV show?
Television isn’t my thing.
Do you enjoy performing live?
No. I prefer creating. I enjoy writing and producing — that’s where I thrive. I love the iterative process. I love when the universe sends you something. The constant traveling and waking up early — it’s not my thing.
I revisited your 2014 Grammys performance of “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk, Stevie Wonder, and Nile Rodgers.
I didn’t say it wasn’t fun. But it’s not something I want to spend my time doing.
Because time is limited and you can only do so many things.
There’s that. More importantly, there are people who are much better at it.
Like?
Beyoncé — come on. The robots were fantastic when they performed. Michael Jackson was extraordinary. Prince was out of this world. Coltrane was just awe-inspiring — you can’t even put that into words. I’m not any of those entities.
You have a certain style. In that Grammys performance, you have your hand in your pocket — it’s appealingly casual.
That’s low on the spectrum of people who are vibrant and have an inspiring light.
Final question: As a creator, do you perceive a difference between creating something that’s essentially free, like music, and creating something that’s prohibitively expensive, like a designer handbag?
For me, creativity is creativity. I’m just honored to be able to practice it on different platforms.
I’m curious about what it feels like to create something that everyone can access versus something that only a select few can access.
I don’t dwell on such questions because I don’t view life through that lens. I just see it as having the opportunity to create, and this is what comes with this opportunity and that is what comes with that opportunity.
Thanks for your time.
No, thank you. I hope I was able to provide what you needed. I’m just in a different place.
You don’t seem distant to me.
I am. I’m in a state of gratitude.
You sound like you’re apologizing for it.
Well, when we were having this chat, you said, “I knew you were gonna say that,” and “Why are you so calm?” That’s why I’m apologizing.
I didn’t mean to come across as confrontational.
You didn’t. I think it was just a little challenging for you to grasp at the start.
That’s probably true.
I just want you to know that I’m grateful. I’m Black — I come from humble beginnings. I don’t have time to be upset about this or that. Like I said, add up all those things, and what can I do about it except say, “Thank you, God”? Do you know how many people wish they had just one song that 10 people cared about? The fact that I’ve had all this experience humbles me.
Why doesn’t it make you feel like you’re on top of the world?
Because I’m the beneficiary of what was written. Some people think they’re the book. I’m not a word, I’m not a paragraph, I’m not a page, I’m not a chapter — I’m definitely not the book. I’m a comma, and I get to exist.
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My name is Alex Carter, a journalist with a deep passion for independent cinema, alternative music, and contemporary art. A University of California, Berkeley journalism graduate, I’ve honed my expertise through film reviews, artist profiles, and features on emerging cultural trends. My goal is to uncover unique stories, shine a light on underrepresented talents, and explore the impact of art on our society. Follow me on SuperBoxOffice.com for insightful analysis and captivating discoveries from the entertainment world.