Sumith Prasad
Amazon Prime Video’s biographical film ‘The Burial’ ends with the victory of Jeremiah O’Keefe and Willie E. Gary as the jury sentences the Loewen Group to pay the plaintiff $500 million in damages. O’Keefe and Willie celebrate their victory together as they beat a mammoth in the death care industry. The film then sheds light on the lives of the principal characters’ real-life counterparts, followed by a mid-credits scene in which Jamie Foxx’s Willie talks to Dr. G and shakes hands with him. Naturally, the viewers must be eager to know more about the mysterious Dr. G and the significance of the scene. If that’s the case, you are at the right place! SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Real Willie Gary
Although Dr. G is an insignificant character without any backstory, the “actor” who plays him is highly pivotal to the narrative of the courtroom drama. The real Willie E. Gary, the inspiration behind Foxx’s character of the same name, appears in the mid-credits scene as Dr. G. Director and co-writer Maggie Betts must have conceived the scene to have the real Willie involved in the movie that narrates the inspiring true story of the famed attorney. Through the scene, the “real” Willie also meets his “reel” counterpart and shares the screen with the latter.
“I thought I was on the moon,” Willie told Treasure Coast Newspapers about his cameo appearance in the mid-credits scene. “It was really amazing just to be with Jamie, the crowd and bright lights and all the surroundings,” the lawyer added. Willie and Foxx shot the scene in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the film was lensed. The scene also makes it clear that the film was made with the blessings of Willie, who played an integral role in O’Keefe’s victory against the Loewen Group in real life. Willie also attended a recent private screening of the movie with his wife Gloria Gary, who is not the biggest fan of her husband’s performance.
Gloria doesn’t want Willie to let his performance as an actor go to his head. “You’re a decent lawyer but you’re not a Jamie Foxx,” Gloria told her husband about the scene, as per Treasure Coast Newspapers. In addition to co-starring with Foxx, Willie also showered the actor with praises, especially by saying that the Academy Award-winning actor “nailed it big time” in portraying his “larger than life” personas. “Jamie Foxx is without a doubt, one of the best in the business,” Willie further added.
The mid-credits scene also allows the viewers to compare the charm and charisma of the real and reel Willies. “The real Willie Gary has a huge, larger-than-life personality, and I knew Jamie had the talent, charisma, and range to bring this complex and multi-faceted persona to the screen,” Betts told People. “He was a perfect match for the role, and he brought so much more humanity and vulnerability to the character than I could have ever expected which, as a director, was very exciting to work with,” the filmmaker added.
Ever since Foxx joined the cast of the film, the actor had kept in touch with Willie seemingly to perfect his portrayal of the famed lawyer. Foxx even played piano during one of the meetings with O’Keefe, only for the latter to sing a song.
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