Calypso is one of the most fearsome villains, or maybe more accurately, antiheroes, in Disney's
Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, communicating more evil and intrigue under a head full of
dreadlocks than the great Bill Nighy managed with a beard made of octopus. The films' mythology
positions her as a heathen goddess fueled by rage, but Calypso is actually able to take many
forms. Her most memorable, however, sees Calypso presented in the body of voodoo mystic Tia Dalma.
"You have a touch of destiny about you, William Turner."
Although she's not quite a goddess anymore, Calypso is still attractive,
but her anger has clearly affected her externally as much as internally. But in reality, the actress
who portrays Calypso/Tia in the Pirates of the Caribbean films has also taken the form of a cop,
a doctor, and a Bond girl. The spurned, vengeance-seeking goddess is also drop-dead
gorgeous in her actual, real-life human form, as British actress Naomie Harris.
Most actors who make it in the business at a young age simply take their success and run with it,
particularly now in the era of YouTube and TikTok celebs. Harris wanted to perfect her craft so,
in spite of the fact she was technically a working actor since the age of nine,
the London-born star decided to put herself through drama school.
She described the decision in an interview as the bravest thing she's ever done. Harris admitted,
"I couldn't get any funding as I'd already been to
university but I didn't listen to anybody who said I couldn't do it."
It took two hundred fifty letters to local charities and a sizable loan from her uncle,
which was all the money she had to her name. Thankfully, everything worked out,
because the charities she had appealed to helped support her studies.
Looking back, the actress called her success a combination of fate and fearlessness.
Although her big breakout moment was in 2002 zombie movie 28 Days Later,
Harris has actually been a working actress since the 1980s, when she starred on British TV show
Simon and the Witch. As the actress admitted to The Independent,
her can-do attitude was really a detriment later in life. According to Harris,
"I got every single role I ever went up for as a kid. I never heard no,
which actually set me up quite badly for the adult acting profession."
Harris said her first year after drama school was a rough one in which she struggled to land
even small roles. Happily, now that she's in her forties, roles such as that of the drug-addicted
mother in Moonlight or the rookie cop in Black and Blue seem to come often.
Harris is tired of people asking how she still has a career at her age,
though, arguing that the most interesting roles of her life are coming more recently.
But her early professional troubles weren't the only struggles Harris has faced.
She was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 11 and soon needed an operation as the disease
grew quite severe in her teens. After the surgery and a lengthy recovery, the condition improved,
but considering her body is required for her job, particularly in action-packed roles like
Black and Blue or opposite James Bond himself, she refuses to take her good health for granted.
Harris works out, meditates, eats well, and doesn't drink alcohol or coffee. The recovery from
her scoliosis operation was so intense that Harris found it hard to be active again. Physically
demanding roles helped her realize her potential, though, and these days, she relishes a challenge.
Harris chooses her roles wisely, and admitted that she originally judged her character in Moonlight,
Paula, as a bad mother. In the end, though, she found the experience freeing.
Harris has described acting as a "cathartic exercise." She also noted that
"It's an environment where you're allowed to be out of control,
and I love that. I need that. It's my therapy."
Although she's hesitant to describe herself as a role model, Harris accepts that women
look up to her whether she likes it or not. She hopes to make them proud by creating
positive images through her characters and staying away from playing stereotypes,
calling what she does a privilege that she doesn't want to take for granted.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus,
even more List videos about your favorite celebrities are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.