'If Beale Street Could Talk' by Barry Jenkins: interview with actress Ebony Obsidian

If Beale Street Could Talk is Barry Jenkins's movie with Kiki Layne and Stephan James. Actress Ebony Obsidian explains her experience on the set. 

Q. In If Beale Street Could Talk you play Adrienne. Can you tell us about your character, please?

A. Adrienne is an extremely bold young woman. She’s protective of not only herself but her relatives. Underneath that defensiveness, she has a deep yearning for a more unified family. Along with learning who she is, she comes face to face, literally, with Tish, the main character, who seems to have something she feels she is missing - a life filled with genuine love. 

Look at the Gallery: Movie If Beale Street Could Talk

Q. The film combines crime and social history of racism. What do you think about the issue?

A. The story definitely does not hold back the strife of Black Americas in relation to the justice system. For as long as black people have been in this country, we have been subjected to incredibly harsher punishments in comparison to our white counterparts and far too often for crimes we did not commit. This pattern is woven into the history of America. And there isn’t a significant difference between 1974 and 2018 in this regard. That’s what makes Baldwin’s work so timeless. The truth is, this union is inevitable because it’s impossible to discuss one without the other.

Q. On the set did Barry Jenkins let the actors improvise or did he give them precise directions?

A. Barry is a true artist. He knew exactly what he wanted to get out of each scene, but gave us the space to deliver that in many different ways which is so freeing. Most of the story takes place in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York. A lot of interior spaces were converted to capture the 70’s. For my portion, we shot in a real residential house which really helped to capture the authenticity of these characters lives. 

Q. You worked on the TV series Tough Love. 

A. Tough Love is a Daytime Emmy nominated digital series that follows the lives of six millennial friends as they navigate love and self discovery in New York City. I play Alicia, who is a calm, determined, force. She and her long time boyfriend, Quincy, struggle to keep their business afloat. They also battle to balance their roles within their union, in terms of what a woman can contribute and what a man must. In the thick of their troubles, personal secrets begin to unravel their relationship. 

Q. You also studied journalism. Why did you switch to acting?

A. I did. Writing was always something I was good at. Storytelling was something I always loved. However, during my studies in journalism, I quickly learned that I was so attached to the people within my stories and that I could better serve bringing their lives to light by embodying them. Before that I had dabbled in acting so you could say this led me back and reaffirmed my direction. 

Q. What is your typical day?

A. All my days are so different. Some days I’m buried in a book, other days a script. Though I live in the city, I grew up just outside of it so I really enjoy the quiet. Lots of places within the United States I haven’t been to, so as of late I’ve been taking lots of short trips. And writing music, I’ve been doing a lot of that too. 

Q. What is your favorite book and why?

A. I don’t believe I have a single favorite, but a few favorites are Zora Neale Hurstons “Their Eyes We’re Watching God,” Camila Gibb’s “Sweetness in the Belly, and Rupi Kaur’s “Milk and Honey.” 

Q. What is your next project?

A. A few things are up in the air for next year, but nothing I can say for sure. I’m excited to see how 2019 shapes itself. 

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