Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Where are you right now?Im in Atlanta.
Im filming here, for work Lokithe Disney+ series.
We just restarted a few weeks ago.
I loveBeyond the Lightsso much.
I remember when I first read the script, it was probably 2011.
He just came in to read, just because he knew Gina.
And then I found out I got the part.
But it was a journey, because the film wasnt fully financed.
At that time, one of the studios, I think it was Sony, wasnt sure about me.
And Gina was like, Thats not the point!
The film is about the transformation.
Its about an artist, and the misogyny in the music industry.
A woman learning to find her voice.
So Gina was incredible.
She stuck by me when she could have gone with a big star.
So I just have to pop to London.
I went to shootBellearound October 2012, and then a year later, we were shootingBeyond the Lights.
Then I came back and finishedBeyond the Lights.Ive never worked so hard in my life.[Laughs.]
It was such a whirlwind.
We have so many American pop stars: Alicia Keys, Beyonce.
It really is a persona.
And Id just start giggling, like, I cant take myself seriously!
And some of the choreography Laurieann would be pushing me to make it more ratchet, or whatever.
And I was like, I dont know what youre talking about!
Id sung musical theater before, but singing in that style is so different.
What was the initial chemistry read [between Noni and Kaz] like?Nate is a great actor.
He has that sort of grounded intensity.
Hed already worked with Gina onSecret Life of Bees, so they had a shorthand.
Gina set us up on all sorts of research things.
We went on a date to Disneyland in character.
I think she wanted to help us build [the relationship].
It was a whole scene.
Gina is so smart.
It puts you in the situation.
At least you have the veneer of a character to hide behind.
It forces you to build a backstory.
So youve got that to hang onto.
We deeply trusted Gina, and wanted to have a process.
Its so rare to have a process like that with a director.
And Gina would always want to know what I needed to build the character.
I was writing my own songs, my own poetry.
She was like, What are you writing?
Can we put that in the movie?
Can we put that in Nonis shoebox of lyrics?
I always envisioned it as a transformational moment.
God, it was like 4 oclock in the morning.
Youve got all of these stunt rigs.
But I really did it.
There was a stunt double who did the actual fall, but I was hanging there with a wire.
So you were really at that hotel, hanging off that balcony?
No green screen?Yeah!
On a wire, with a harness under my miniskirt.
Thats a little terrifying!I dont know, maybe it is!
I wasnt scared at the time.
It wasnt as many floors up as it looked.
But it was up there.
I read somewhere that Gina had you prepare by reading about other artists from the past.
But the second scene is much more natural.
How did you work out that difference in tone with Gina?We talked a lot about armor.
We talked a lot about Prince, and the color purple being this very particular energy.
The idea of having the nails, and the clothes, and the chains the literal chains.
Shes wearing a dress made of chains!
Theres a fragility and a tenderness once they go to Mexico, and everything is stripped away.
Which of those outfits was the most uncomfortable?The white latex!
Just getting the latex on, the powdering.
Not glamorous at all.
What kinds of conversations did you have with Minnie about her character?
By the end of the film, theyre not speaking.
She really went for it.
I think Minnie played it so brilliantly.
Its all from love.
But it becomes toxic.
I think everybody does, to a degree.
I certainly dont have as dramatically different private and public images as Noni does.
Thats what I was always relieved about as an actor.
you might take the character off.
The tricky thing with music artists is they are playing a role, but people dont believe they are.
People think Beyonce is Beyonce is Beyonce.
They dont necessarily understand.
It made me very relieved to be an actor.
Did you and Gina discuss how you both felt about fame more generally?
I think its about finding your voice, literally.
Fighting for your authenticity.
Its hard, because a lot of these pop stars are shaped by a record label.
I dont want the photo shoot to go in that direction.
I think its more about artistic ownership and artistic integrity than it is saying that all fame is bad.
The karaoke scene in Mexico is really beautiful.
Youre crying and singing at the same time.
I remember Gina saying, In this scene, its no makeup.
This was No Makeup.
I was like, Great!
It was an intense day, but a good day.
I suppose I was thinking about the lyrics of Blackbird.
Why you wanna fly, blackbird?
You aint never gonna fly.
I took it back to her mother-daughter relationship.
The idea that youd spend so long in hair and makeup was kind of a shock to the system.
I was more puzzled than upset.
I was like,I guess this is how they do things in America.
Id been here five minutes.
I didnt feel like I had the power to say anything.
That took some confidence and experience.
You want to confirm you dont want to be seen as being difficult.
And I love transformation.
I dont want to get stuck looking the same in every role.
So Im open to things.
And If they dont know, they can do a YouTube tutorial.
Its not some great mystery.
Because theres such a range within the role, the glamorous and then the really raw emotional stuff.
It gave me a bit more license to pursue being a chameleon.
Its really special that its continued to have an emotional pull for people.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
