Chanel bodysuit and belt. Chopard jewelry. Photo: Lelanie Foster This past year, I’ve often found myself looking to the past for wisdom, wondering how those who came before me have managed to stay hopeful in challenging times. When I saw The United States vs. Billie Holiday, I was struck by Andra Day’s performance as the titular singer — a woman on a never-ending quest to find inspiration and joy against all odds. Billie felt, to me, like a guiding light.
Balenciaga tank, boot, pant, and chain dress. Chopard jewelry. Photo: Lelanie Foster Angela Bassett: Andra, do you remember where we first met? The craziest part about it is how actors have such a transformative experience and then move on. Like, “Now go be normal.” That in itself feels crazy. People kept pressing me and saying, “You’d be perfect for it.” I’m like, “Why do you think that? An actor would be perfect for a movie.” That’s how things like that go, just like tomato sauce goes great on spaghetti. But I did agree to meet with Lee Daniels because I’m a fan of him as a Black gay filmmaker who has been making incredible films for a long time. When we sat down, we realized we’re born only a couple days apart, and we talked for hours about Billie’s legacy.
There was, of course, an inevitable probability that I was going to fall on my face. I would hear people say, “Oh, the script isn’t good” or “Well, they cast an actor who can’t sing or dance.” So there were low expectations for the success of the movie. And of course, at that time there were fewer films featuring a sister, a Black woman in the lead, and it’s a lot of pressure to carry a film. What was it like for you, carrying a movie as No.
Andra: I have to say, as a woman of color, you don’t always feel protected and supported on set. It’s a huge leap of faith for me to jump into a project and have others trust me with this role — they were essentially supporting someone who has never acted before. It was always on my mind that this movie could go terribly. It could take my career. I respected the fact that people who had done this before believed in me, and I wanted to be there for them.
Andra: For me, we were shooting the scene “Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer,” when she’s in that juke joint in Baltimore. I’m in a room of 500 castmates and my co-stars. We’re hands up praying and so excited. Lee told me, “You’re going to go into the crowd and you’re going to crowd surf.” The energy was just so amazing. For me, none of it was fake. We were having so much fun.
AndraDayMusic ImAngelaBassett Great performance! Disgusting how the Government went after Billie Holiday!
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »
Source: vmagazine - 🏆 110. / 63 Read more »
Source: billboard - 🏆 112. / 63 Read more »
Source: THR - 🏆 411. / 53 Read more »
Source: THR - 🏆 411. / 53 Read more »