So what did you find the most challenging to access?
I’ve always lived here, never felt not welcomed into a country. I’m very lucky that I’ve got a supportive family and people that love me and want the best for me. They’re happy with whatever decisions that I make, and I make them for myself. Whereas Charlotte is not, at first, given that liberty. I found that really difficult because I’ve never grown up that way. Everything was open to me, which I’m very fortunate about. If I ever wanted to explore anything, or I wasn’t happy in a certain situation, my parents were very understanding. So that was difficult to figure out. But then I tapped into Charlotte’s inquisitiveness and her constant need for understanding why something’s happening to her, which I would do naturally. If you were picked up and thrown in a carriage and told you were going to go off to a different country, I’m sure you’d question why you were going. And I think you would have every right to get an answer back.
Is there anything you plan to do the day the show comes out or that week as people are watching?
Probably turn my phone off, if I’m being honest. I get overwhelmed very quickly, which is something I’m realizing. I get overwhelmed by lots of people and messages and things like that. So I’ll probably turn my phone off, and I’m not going to check Twitter because that place is evil. I think I will just be kind to myself and use it as a time to fully take in what has happened and enjoy the ride. Because who knows what could happen after that. I may never experience anything, probably will never experience anything like this again.
Is there a dream role for you once this is over? If you can manifest the next thing, what would that look like?
You know, I keep saying that I would love to work with Jordan Peele, the director. I love his work. He’s very similar to Shonda in the sense that he is introducing a genre to people that were marginalized from it before, or they were kind of the easy way out, like when the token Black guy dies first in a horror film. He’s completely flipped that on its head and empowered people in his films. We need more of that. I’d love to work with him. I think he’s revolutionary.
Working with Shonda Rhimes must have also been an incredible experience. What were your conversations with her like?
She’s very understanding and very clear in what she wants, which is great because sometimes you’re given contrasting notes, like, “Oh, this seems really sad, but can we just add some light?” And I’m like, “Where am I going to find this from? It doesn’t make sense.” Her writing makes sense, and she and Tom together are just such a power duo. I hope they go on to work together for many, many, many more years because the work that we created is so complex and beautiful and subtle. She was just very helpful. I’m hoping I’ll get to see and speak to her more and thank her, probably. I’ll probably look like a fan, the amount of times I want to say, “Thank you so much for this opportunity.”
