- Before we catch up on Letitia though,
I do wanna get the update on MC Baby Underbite.
This was, of course, your alter ego on the set
of 'Black Panther.' Your rapping alter ego.
In this downtime of 2020, have you found some time to
indulge in that side of yourself?
- Funny enough, I keep having Ryan [Coogler] say that he needs -
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He keeps messaging me that.
So, I might hit back the alter ego.
I don't know.
- Congratulations on your latest project.
This is part of the 'Small Axe' series
from the great Steve McQueen.
When I heard Steve McQueen had not just one film,
but five films coming out,
I was like, "This is an embarrassment of riches.
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Talk to me about what it's like to work with Steve McQueen.
He's on that short list for most actors.
What's a Steve McQueen set like?
- He was definitely on my short list.
Now, I've ticked that off.
I'm so, so grateful to be able to tick that name off
because I'm a student of his work, and being on set
with him was, again, just an education.
You know, someone that has worked on his craft for so many years,
starting off in short films, and his films being shown
at prestigious galleries, you know, winning prestigious awards
within his time.
Being on set with him was just a treat, you know?
And the fact of him trusting us and bringing a set together, you know?
His cinematographer was on point, Shabier [Kirchner],
just bringing those beautiful imageries and everything
that was in his head, and in the script, to life.
Just being on set with him, you know? Seeing him work,
seeing him just be really passionate about stuff,
and just infuse us with just encouragement, and just love.
And just, yeah, seriousness, too, you know?
Making sure that we stay focused on the craft
and bringing it. Bringing our A-game every single day.
I had fun. I ate it up, man.
I ate it up. It was so great.
- In this one, there's a weird irony here. Obviously, you go
from being in 'Black Panther' to playing
an actual Black Panther. That was lost on me, honestly,
when I was watching it. It took me someone else to remind me
of that, after the fact.
Did that occur to you that, like,
"Oh, this is an odd confluence of events"?
- Yes, because the time in which I received the script,
before my meeting with Steve,
'Black Panther' had come out that week. And I had decided
that it was a wise idea to go and hide
in Trinidad and Tobago,
which is where Altheia Jones-LeCointe is from,
whom I represent in this film, 'Mangrove.'
And within that time frame of trying to get my head into
an activist and a woman who was a part
of the Black Panther movement in the U.K.,
I also had people stop me in Trinidad saying,
"You're that girl from 'Black Panther'
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So, yeah. That was like a parallel thing, for sure.
For sure.
- The universe was telling you something. I'm not sure what,
but this story is,
as you alluded to, it's a true life story.
It's about these protests against this horrible
police harassment at the Mangrove restaurant in London.
You play this real figure,
this leader of the British Black Panther movement.
This is always gonna be a relevant story.
But again, this last year, the Black Lives Matter movement
sweeping the world, my nation, your nation.
Talk to me about whether this past year gives
this film more relevance, more perspective for you.
- The fact that we're -
We made a film last year. We went on set last year
to make something that was representative
of what happened 50 years ago.
Fifty years ago.
And then, we get to 2020 and Steve calls me,
and he's like, "Hey, we got into Cannes
"and it's amazing.
"We got two films there." And he says, "Art is imitating life.
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And I'm like, "Wow, yeah, great.
"Wow, look at that.
"You know, wow, that's really something to think about."
And we come off, and I feel really sad
that we just had to have that conversation
whilst a man has just lost his life,
of who we are all, you know, feeling grief over
and grieving over.
And it was just, for me, a reflection of where we are
in our society and a huge, like,
banner that says,
"As a humanity, we need to get it together."
Like, enough is enough. As Altheia would say in the film,
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Let's just love each other and respect each other.
- Is it true that growing up, you actually learned more
about the struggles with race back here in America
than back home?
- Yes.
- And what does that say to you?
- America is definitely a bigger country, of course.
- Sure.
- So, you got more states, and cities, and people than us
here in the U.K.
But, it also says to me that the UK's way of doing things
have been just underground.
Institutionalized racism.
You know, you have all forms of racism in the U.S. and you're like,
"Man, dang." But, the U.K., it's like, "Mmm."
It's, like, under your skin.
And that's more sinister.
- [Josh] Sure.
- That's more hurtful.
It's hurtful on all spectrums.
But that's -
Like, you could be looking at someone that's -
They're looking at your name on a job interview
and your name is not Smith, but your name is
of African origins.
And they're like, "We'll call you back.
"We'll speak to you.
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And then they never call -
Do you know what I mean? So, it's -
- Yeah.
- So, that for me, seeing -
Growing up and seeing more of what's projected
from the United States, of course, you know, it's a bigger land
and you get more information. But, in the U.K., everything's
hidden. Even the history that you should know about.
Even the good history, you know, of what Black people
have contributed to this country way before 1940s, and 1930s,
and, you know, in the other periods that, you know, are not really celebrated.
Or we are thought of as being -
of existing in that time, which is silly and not true.
Yeah, it's just hidden.
- Yeah. I guess if there's a good takeaway from this year,
it's we're, on a worldwide level.
hopefully, we're kind of just more open about engaging with
the ugly truths of our past, right?
And just, sort of, owning up to it, hopefully.
The woman you play here -
the remarkable woman you play in this film,
you know,
she represents herself.
She stands up for herself.
And I'm curious if you apply that to your own life.
I talked to a lot of young actors who struggle with knowing
when to speak up on a set, and knowing their own worth,
and knowing their own value.
Is that something that you've kind of made strides in,
in learning sort of, like, "Yeah, I have a place at the table.
"I deserve to speak and say what I think should be done here"?
- Yeah, of course. It comes with time and experience,
and also knowing yourself, knowing your values.
And I always tell people that want to come
into this industry, especially young people
and young women, to know your values. Know your yes,
know your noes, you know?
Know who you are. And you don't have to come to the table
with attitude or disrespect in sharing your opinions.
You can come with integrity, you know? And you can be firm
on what is valuable to you, or what makes you happy,
and what doesn't make you happy.
And you should be able to be in a safe environment
to share your opinion.
So, I take that very seriously of representing myself
wherever I go. Whether I'm on set or off the set,
whether I'm walking down the street.
You know, if something's not good or someone doesn't treat me
in the way that I feel is respectful to me,
I should have the right to say,
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In any sense, in every sense.
- Is that part of the reason to start producing?
To create films and environments in the way
you wanna see films made and TV made?
- Yeah, for sure.
Three/Sixteen was birthed this year, in the midst of the pandemic
and everything. Kind of, like, pulling
for your attention, and pulling for you to feel fearful,
and for you to feel like all hope is lost.
Three/Sixteen Productions was birthed from, also, the desires of years
and years of being asked the same questions
of, "What do you think, you know,
"could be the change within our society for the industry?"
When those questions need to be asked to the execs.
For me, creating the production company is an opportunity
to contribute and contribute positively
and not to wait for someone to hand me a script
or hand my brothers and sisters a script.
Whether you're White, Black, Chinese, don't care.
You know, not waiting for someone to just hand you something and say,
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I wanna go off with my friends and people that I love, create it,
and create that community of people that we can work with
and contribute great stories.
I love A24.
I love what they do.
So, they are kind of, like, my template of, like,
what I want Three/Sixteen to be with some Holy Spirit on it.
(Laughing)
'Cause you know, A24 be wild!
- No, truly you see that logo.
You're like, "OK, it's gonna be a cool project."
- Get ready for a ride.
- And speaking of rides,
I was along the ride with a lot of your cast
on 'Black Panther' and there was -
What was the axiom? "It was more than a movie.
"It was a movement." Right?
I'm curious, in the wake of that,
you must have been approached by - seeing kids,
seeing kids, dressed up as Shuri to reference you.
You probably expected it to a degree, but did it humble you?
Did it shock you? Give me a sense of, sort of, what
that does to you and how that affects you going forward.
- Being a young teenager having dreams
that were phenomenally big, and my parents looking
at me like, "How are you gonna achieve this?"
I remember writing down on my vision board -
I need to get back a new vision board
'cause I had vision boards back then.
Vision boards work, people.
I had a BAFTA on my vision board,
an Oscar on my vision board.
I kinda got a BAFTA.
I've got a blue BAFTA.
I remember writing on my vision board,
"I want to play a role that will inspire,
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Like, I want to play a role that's of impact
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I wrote that down and fast forward, Shuri is
representative of someone who inspires both boys and girls.
And I think the moment for me that really humbled me -
because sometimes within the industry, you get a bit tired,
you get a bit frustrated.
Like, normal things nag at you
and things try to take away your love of your craft.
But I was going to Disneyland,
and I was walking through Disneyland in L.A. with my friend,
and this little girl ran up to me and hugged my legs.
And I was like, "Whose little kid is this?"
(Laughs)
And she pulled back and she had a pink T-shirt
with Princess Shuri on it.
- Come on -
- And I was like, "This is why I do this."
This is why we do this. Because she didn't know
I was gonna show up at Disneyland today. 'Cause nobody knew.
But she saw me and immediately, it was like, "My hero."
And I said to her, "I love you."
And she's like, "Mhm." And I was like, "Be good."
And she's like, "Mhm." And she walked away.
She got a picture.
She walked away.
And it was like, dang. She came to Disneyland
with a Princess Shuri T-shirt and she met Princess Shuri.
Like, dude.
So, that humbled me and that made me just love what I do.
- She'll remember that forever - that moment forever.
As will you, clearly.
Is there an actor you're itching to work with?
Is there somebody you -
I know you've kind of chased Steve McQueen.
Is there an actor that when you see them on screen,
you're like, "Oh, I would vibe with them.
"That would just be amazing"?
- Off the bat?
Can I pick two?
- Let's do it.
- Viola Davis and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
- Yeah. Have you met Viola?
Obviously, she worked with Steve McQueen on 'Widows.'
- I met her briefly as I was on my way to collect an award
at the BAFTA's, and I was walking to the stage, nervous
'cause I didn't have a speech planned,
and I was like, "Love you, Viola.
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(Laughing)
Real quick.
- So, you mentioned the vision board.
What should we put on the vision board going forward?
We'll talk a lot in the coming years.
Let's check in on ourselves.
- Definitely Three/Sixteen Productions having a massive impact
in terms of storytelling, and impacting the lives
of young people for the better with the stories
that we tell.
More leading roles, more traveling, family, getting married.
You know what I'm saying?
About that time.
Getting married will be beautiful.
And a charity. Just a charity that will be focused
on helping young people.
I don't know, specifically, the capacity of that,
but definitely young people being helped and nurtured.
- Grammy for MC Baby Underbite first? Or Oscar for the -
- I think the Oscar first, and then we'll go for the Grammy.
- All right, that's a -
We have a plan.
(Laughing)