Pharrell is well aware of the potential for course-correcting inspiration found in his atypically presented biographical film Piece by Piece, out Friday.
The Lego-ified experience, helmed by Roadrunner director Morgan Neville, was the subject of a recent Tonight Show chat, with host Jimmy Fallon asking Pharrell to break down what he hopes is the takeaway for those set to hit their local theater this weekend. For Pharrell, who’s set to co-chair the next edition of the Met Gala, there are two key aims here with regards to giving fans something to take home with them.
“Number one, it’s never too late to think about something in your life that brings you joy, something that you do, a hobby or whatever it is, whatever that dream is,” Pharrell told Fallon. “Literally build it piece by piece, pun intended. Never too late. Whether you’re eight or 80 years old, it’s never too late. Actually, now is a better word than never. Trust me.”
Ideally, Pharrell added, this personal revelation will be paired by a larger one, namely a newfound understanding that the bulk of society is walking around completely (and unknowingly) debilitated by the perceived requirements of their day-to-day life. Pharrell urges a letting go of key stressors, allowing for a fresh sense of freedom to take root.
“You guys don’t realize it but you’re being held captive in your mind by your fears, your flaws, your insecurities, the pressures of life,” he said on Wednesday night’s show. “You gotta let those things go and be free. Honestly, when you see this film this is what happens in here. You see that I get to a place where it’s like I was being held captive by insecurity. So I had a lot of hubris. But there’s this transformation that happens where I go from having all this hubris to actually having humility and my life changed.”
Gratitude is also key, as Pharrell explained by pointing out another example of such shifts in his own life. At first, he explained, having success in music—selling a million copies, for example—can feel like a truly individual accomplishment, something that proves your own greatness. But with time, per Pharrell, it’s valuable to start seeing such feats from a new perspective.
“What happened was you did a song and a million people decided to buy or stream that song,” he said. “Once you realize that, then you realize that you didn’t write the book. You’re just lucky to be a comma in a sentence in the existence of everything that’s going on. I’m 51. It shouldn’t take you that long, you guys. If you’re eight years old, man, start right now.”
The full Piece by Piece experience is now mere hours away, with the Focus-distributed film set to roll out into theaters with early showings starting in select regions as soon as this afternoon. Pharrell is joined in the animated biographical feature by Lego-ified versions of a roster of noteworthy of past collaborators including Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, and more.