In addition to getting the hair and mustache right, Winfield captured the essence of MLK's expressions while he preached or spoke publicly. Yet Winfield avoided "a conscious impersonation," the New York Times reported in 1978.
"It's impossible to do the man justice—his deep, rich baritone voice and tremendous breath control were brilliant just from an acting point of view. I couldn't have done it," Winfield told the publication. "Dr. King's father said to me, 'There was only one Martin.' As an actor, I had to be free to expand here, add there."