Naomie Harris<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cMandela: Long Walk to Freedom\u201d Interview<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a critically acclaimed actress in film, television, and theatre, Naomie Harris is making more of a name for herself with each of her successive, luminous performances. Last year, she starred as Bond girl \u2018Eve\u2019 opposite Daniel Craig in the 007 feature \u201cSkyfall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also appeared in Danny Boyle\u2019s production of \u201cFrankenstein\u201d at The National Theater in London alongside Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch. In the \u201cThe First Grader,\u201d she played \u2018Jane,\u2019 a first-grade teacher in Kenya who fought for the right of an 84 year-old man to be educated, even if it meant learning in a classroom with six-year-olds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The London-born actress enjoyed her first major breakthrough performance in 2002 in Danny Boyle\u2019s \u201c28 Days Later,\u201d and she went on to receive further critical acclaim for her role as \u2018Tia Dalma\u2019 in \u201cPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man\u2019s Chest,\u201d and \u201cPirates of the Caribbean: At World\u2019s End.\u201d Her other major film credits include \u201cMiami Vice,\u201d \u201cTristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story;\u201d \u201cStreet Kings;\u201d and \u201cSex & Drugs & Rock and Roll.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After earning a degree in social and political science with honors from Cambridge University, Naomie trained at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Here, she talks about her latest outing as \u2018Winnie Mandela\u2019 opposite Idris Elba in Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kam Williams:<\/strong> Hi Naomie, I\u2019m honored to have another opportunity to speak with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Naomie Harris: Oh, no, my pleasure, Kam.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What interested you in \u201cMandela: Long Walk to Freedom?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: I\u2019d made a film produced by Anant Singh and David Thompson and directed by Justin Chadwick called \u201cThe First Grader.\u201d And while promoting that movie in Toronto, they asked me whether I wanted to do \u201cMandela.\u201d I said, \u201cYeah!\u201d because I really wanted to work with the same team again and also because I wanted to be part of a film honoring Nelson Mandela\u2019s life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What did you know about Winnie Mandela when you accepted the role?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: I actually had no idea who Winnie Mandela was. Obviously, I knew she was Nelson Mandela\u2019s wife, but I thought the role was basically going to revolve around her supporting him. I had no idea that she was a political activist in her own right, and that she was integral to the anti-Apartheid movement.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Editor\/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: What did it mean to you to portray Winnie Mandela and what is your vision of her?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Since, as I said, I was unfamiliar with Winnie Mandela, for me, this project was really more about a celebration of Nelson Mandela. And he, for me, represents this incredible iconic figure. But in terms of who I discovered Winnie to be once I did all my research, which was pretty intense and fairly in depth, I found her to be the most complex character I\u2019ve ever played. She\u2019s almost seven different characters in one. She\u2019s done some controversial things that are very difficult to justify. She\u2019s also a woman of immense compassion. And she\u2019s a person of the people. In South Africa, she\u2019s known as Mother Africa, and is loved and admired by many for having helped hundreds of thousands of people. So, she\u2019s complex, and very hard to define in a brief space of time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Children\u2019s book author Irene Smalls asks: What kind of research did you do in creating the role?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: I read Nelson Mandela\u2019s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom<\/em>, I watched documentaries about the Apartheid era, I interviewed people who knew Winnie, I read biographies about her, and even got to sit down with her and ask her questions about her life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0316548189\/ref=nosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Larry Greenberg asks: Did you spend any time with Winnie\u2019s daughters Zenani and Zindzi Mandela in preparation for the film?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Yes, I had an opportunity to go out to dinner with both Zenani and Zindzi.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Obama biographer Dinesh Sharma asks: Did you actually shoot on location in the prisons in Joburg, Robben Island and Pretoria?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: No, we had an extraordinary set designer. When you watch the movie, it looks like we shot on Robben Island and those other places. But it was all replicated in studio. However, we did shoot in South Africa, in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and in the actual courthouse where the trial took place. So, there are some historical moments which were filmed on location in the same places where they originally happened.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Kate Newell asks: What was the most surprising thing you learned about Winnie that you didn\u2019t know going into the film?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Learning how integral she was to the anti-Apartheid movement, and that Nelson Mandela might not have become the Nelson Mandela we know today without her. Also, learning about the contributions of so many women who sacrificed their lives was very educational for me.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Patricia also asks: What do you want audiences to remember most about the movie?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: I hope that they remember this extraordinary period in history that should never, ever be repeated. And I hope that they take away from the film that freedom was hard won. I want people to remember to cherish their freedom. In terms of Winnie, it\u2019s not my place to judge her and some of the actions that she\u2019s taken. What I wanted to do was show with as much compassion as possible a comprehensive and detailed portrayal of how she started out in life, why she made the choices she made, and who she ultimately became. I hope to bring some understanding to the woman.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Kevin Williams asks: Did you have any reservations about playing Winnie? Many actresses might have declined the role given her tarnished image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: No, it\u2019s not like I always want to play saints. The sinners are actually much more interesting to play, because they\u2019re more complex. And as an actor, that\u2019s what you\u2019re always looking for, complexity and layers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you\u2019d like to star in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Wow! If I could sing, I would do the remake of \u201cWest Side Story\u201d or \u201cThe Sound of Music,\u201d because I\u2019m obsessed with musicals. But unfortunately, I can\u2019t sing or dance, so I don\u2019t see that happening anytime soon. [Chuckles]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Harriet also asks: Was it a blessing or a bane to be cast as a Bond girl?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Definitely a blessing. Definitely! I\u2019m very proud of my role as Eve, and really enjoyed the experience. And it\u2019s been a great boost for my career. So, 100% a blessing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Rel Dowdell asks: Do you find that opportunities are opening up in Hollywood for actors and actresses of color from outside of America?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Yeah, I find that America has always embraced international talent. That\u2019s why so many people from all around the world have come to Hollywood to make films. It\u2019s a big melting pot, and I\u2019m very grateful for that. If I\u2019d stayed in England, I doubt if I\u2019d enjoyed the kind of career that I\u2019ve had.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last time we spoke, you were reading, How to Leave Twitter<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: I recently began reading the Steve Jobs biography, but I haven\u2019t finished it. It\u2019s still sitting by my bedside.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/1451648537\/ref=nosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Now that\u2019s interesting! I just got off a plane, and on the flight I watched \u201c20 Feet from Stardom\u201d which featured a fantastic collection of songs from the Sixties and Seventies. http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/B00D3KJJT2\/ref=nosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: That\u2019s really interesting as well. A challenge. Playing a completely different role, something that makes me almost feel scared. That\u2019s exciting for me.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Saying \u201cYes\u201d to doing \u201c28 Days Later,\u201d although there\u2019s no way I would have ever turned it down. That role, for me, was really the catalyst for everything.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend the time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Nothing dramatic, eating with my family and my closest friends because that is my favorite thing to do.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Anthony Mackie question: Is there anything that you promised yourself you\u2019d do if you became famous, that you still haven\u2019t done yet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: I never ever thought about becoming famous. I just wanted to become an actress and make great movies and to play roles that challenged me. So, I never made that sort of commitment to myself.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Melissa Harris-Perry question: How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: My first big heartbreak? Gosh, I only dated him for about three weeks and ended up being heartbroken for a year. It was awful! That taught me that the heart is quite fragile, and to look after and cherish it, and to not give it to just anybody.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Viola Davis question: What\u2019s the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: At home, I like comfy clothes, so I \u2018m pretty casual in the way that I dress. But on the red carpet, I like to glam it up and really push the boundaries in terms of fashion.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: [Whispers] Wow! That\u2019s really interesting. Any superpower? That would be amazing. [In normal voice] I would like to have the power to heal the sick.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would that be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: I\u2019d definitely be a novelist. I like the idea of creating an imaginary world with imaginary characters, which is somewhat similar to what I do as an actress.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: What do you wish other people would note about you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Nothing. I like the idea of being mysterious and people not knowing too much about me. I think it\u2019s nicer if they focus on the characters I play as opposed to on me as a person.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Pastor Alex also asks: What motivates you at this stage of your career?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: Playing inspirational characters who really have a voice and something meaningful to say.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?<\/p>\n\n\n\n NH: I\u2019m always afraid! There\u2019s a great book called, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway<\/em>, which is how I feel is the best way to live. We all feel afraid of so many things, but when you do them, you realize they\u2019re a lot less scary than you thought.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n