And the truth is, before I made that movie, I was like, “I don’t know if I will make it in Hollywood.” Yeah, it was some questions of “Am I good enough? Am I attractive enough?” But I was also wondering if Hollywood was going to allow someone like me the chance to do enough that’s interesting – allow me to show up in various parts of my humanity. And before, Dear White People, I thought the answer was no, so that movie really changed my mind.
I look across the industry – what Mike White is building, what Issa Rae is building, what Lena Waithe is building – and I’m like, we’re changing it in our own way because we exist, and I definitely didn’t know that could be a reality, some years ago.
So during that time when you thought you wouldn’t make it in Hollywood, what motivated you to keep going after the pushbacks?
Honestly, I think just looking at others, just like when Issa said “I’m just rooting for everyone Black.” Like, Daniel Kaluuya accepting an Oscar – I’m constantly re-engaging with moments where I believe in that person, which then makes me believe in myself.
