Welcome to Look Again At It, a month-to-month column the place among the most iconic Black actresses in Hollywood reminisce and replicate on the roles that made them stars. For this month’s installment, Tessa Thompson breaks down her profession—from For Coloured Women and Passing to her most up-to-date movie, Creed III.
“I all the time suppose that the films we make are postcards of time,” says Tessa Thompson. “Particularly within the movies that really feel timeless or evergreen, they nonetheless inform us about ourselves in that individual cultural second. [My films] really feel like postcards to me as a result of I can see my very own development contained in the span of all these years. I simply really feel so proud.”
On the Saturday afternoon that I communicate to Thompson over Zoom, she’s cradling her canine Coltrane whereas within the midst of digital press for Creed III. The third installment of the trilogy, directed by her co-star Michael B. Jordan, comes eight years after the unique. In that span of time, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, produced a interval piece, and starred within the award-winning movie Passing alongside Ruth Negga. And earlier than Creed, she acted in a slew of poignant movies about household, womanhood, and grief like Mississippi Damned and For Coloured Women. In different phrases, Thompson has been booked and busy since she first started performing within the early 2000s.
Beneath, Thompson takes us by way of her most iconic roles to share the numerous methods she’s grown on and off display screen, the thrill of working with the folks you admire, and the roles that modified every part.
Kari in Mississippi Damned (2009)
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Mississippi Damned Trailer
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“Mississippi Damned was such an unimaginable expertise. It was Tina Mabry’s directorial debut and I believe it was the primary time that I had ever labored with an all-Black ensemble. It was actually extraordinary to have that have. I realized loads about performing for the digital camera. It felt like a private breakthrough for me in understanding one thing about cinema and being a performer inside it as a result of I had executed plenty of theater beforehand. I really like this movie. We shot it in North Carolina and I do not forget that I smuggled again a kitten named Gravy. There have been kittens that have been hiding below a home and I ended up giving Gravy to my household. In order that was my reward from this mission.”
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Nyla in For Coloured Women (2010)
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For Coloured Women (2010) – Official Trailer
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“This was an unimaginable ensemble [which included Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington, Loretta Devine, and Thandiwe Newton]. This was my first time ever working with an all-female solid by way of the leads. Each single girl is iconic and each single girl I had appeared as much as and watched. It was unimaginable to be on set with girls who outlined my concept of Black femininity at each flip. I imply, rising up I used to be Janet Jackson thrice for Halloween. And, additionally, for coloured ladies who’ve thought of suicide / when the rainbow is enuf [the work by Ntozake Shange on which the film is based] meant a lot to me. Once I acquired the decision to ship a tape for an audition, I pulled out my previous copy that I had stolen from the Brooklyn Library. It’s the one library guide that I had by no means returned. So I had such a relationship with the fabric and it actually was a dream for me to get to. And, in fact, Phylicia [Rashad] and I’ve continued to work collectively by way of Creed. I’ve appeared as much as her so deeply for therefore lengthy. Engaged on this was actually life-changing.”
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Samantha in Pricey White Folks (2014)
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Pricey White Folks Official Trailer #1 (2014) – Comedy HD
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“This was life-changing. I used to be in an actual rut earlier than making this film. I simply felt annoyed with the sorts of roles that have been obtainable for younger Black girls at the moment. After which I learn this script. I acquired to be, not simply the article of the narrative, but in addition the topic of the narrative. The movie was fascinated with our full humanity. And, additionally tonally, we don’t make as many satires now. It used to occur much more in Hollywood, however even in that style pocket, there are usually not plenty of these movies that characteristic Black characters. So it was actually life-changing and career-changing for me to get to work with Justin [Simien, the director] and to actually suppose deliberately concerning the sorts of tales that we inform and the way they’ve the ability to replicate the world that we dwell in, and likewise, hopefully, change it. This actually grew to become a brand new North Star by way of the sorts of stuff that I needed to do.”
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Diane in Selma (2014)
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Selma Official Trailer #1 (2015) – Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr. Film HD
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“Iconic. I imply, this movie was such an honor to work on. So many individuals from this solid at the moment are my pricey mates, like Colman Domingo. To have the ability to make lifelong relationships on a mission is an actual reward. It doesn’t all the time occur, however it occurred on Selma. And we additionally acquired to have interaction with and actually discuss to those heroes. I used to be capable of sit with the late nice John Lewis and listen to his tales. I sat with [my real-life character] Diane Nash and heard her tales. These have been actual lives lived. This movie actually challenged me to consider how I present up in these moments now as a Black American. I believe attending to unpack that a part of my humanity inside of constructing this film was simply actually impactful for me. After which, in fact, simply attending to work with the super solid was simply such a present. I’m like, ‘Wow, I’ve actually labored with some unimaginable folks.’”
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Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
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“Thor: Ragnarok” Official Trailer
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“This movie has a extremely particular place in my coronary heart. Initially, I by no means ever thought that I’d occupy these sorts of areas or be in large superhero motion pictures. That was by no means a part of the plan. However in connecting the dots, I do know that Pricey White Folks put me on Ryan Coogler’s radar and I do know that Creed put me on Marvel’s radar as a result of all of us joined the MCU [laughs]. They have been like, ‘We’ll take all of you.’ So it’s enjoyable to suppose that this stuff are type of in dialog with one another in a means. Whereas I didn’t got down to make a movie like this, I had been manifesting and fascinated about working in one thing with plenty of CGI as a result of I used to be so curious. Technically, it’s so difficult and requires such an unimaginable creativeness and focus. It appeared bizarre and exhausting and awkward. It’s all of these issues, however it’s additionally so enjoyable and requires a totally totally different muscle as an actor. So I really feel very fortunate that I acquired to do this with a director whose work I really like a lot and with a solid that was so unimaginable. Each day we simply confirmed as much as the set and have been like, ‘Can we be so ridiculous that we really feel like we’re by no means gonna get to make a film once more?’ After which the truth that it did so nicely and folks actually responded to it was so cool.”
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Detroit in Sorry to Trouble You (2018)
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Sorry to Trouble You Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Trailers
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“I really like this movie a lot. It is a very shaggy dog story, really. So, Boots Riley [the writer/director] had been making an attempt to get this movie made for some time and he knew my dad from means again. He by some means acquired my e-mail and despatched me an early model and requested if I’d do it. And, on the time, one thing acquired misplaced in translation and we couldn’t join. So years later, the mission got here again round and I learn it and I used to be so in love with it. I used to be like, ‘I’ll drop something to make this film. I believe it is so particular.’ However then he was like, ‘I don’t suppose you are able to do the film anymore since you’re too recognizable. I need you to audition and do a chemistry check with LaKeith [Stanfield].’ I used to be like, ‘Wait a minute! You supplied me this film!’ [laughs] So we ended up assembly on Zoom and now we joke about it as a result of he says, ‘It was all the time you.’”
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Josie in Annihilation (2018)
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Annihilation (2018) – Official Trailer – Paramount Footage
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“This was one other movie that was such a present. I believe it had been since For Coloured Women that I had actually gotten to work with an all-female solid. It was my first time attending to work with Natalie [Portman]. Additionally, curiously, I used to be a giant fan of Ex Machina and of [the director] Alex Garland and actually needed to work with him based mostly on his earlier work. The method of constructing this movie was so fascinating as a result of it’s very unusual for movies to be shot in sequence. Normally, you’re going all over. However with Alex, it was essential to him that we shot every part in sequence. That was the primary time I had ever executed that. And in addition, I believe my character isn’t usually a personality that you’d see a younger Black girl get to play, so that basically meant loads to me.”
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Agent M in Males in Black: Worldwide (2019)
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MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL – Official Trailer
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“I set to work with Chris [Hemsworth] once more which was actually enjoyable as a result of we joke a lot about all of the totally different areas that we might occupy collectively. There was a delicate pitch to re-do The Bodyguard, however he could be the singer and I’d be the bodyguard. [laughs] That didn’t pan out. However I beloved working with him and I grew up on these movies, so attending to be in that universe was actually a present. Filming in London was additionally so enjoyable.”
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Sylvie in Sylvie’s Love (2020)
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Sylvie’s Love – Official Trailer | Prime Video
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“I really like this movie. Eugene Ashe [the director] actually needed to make a movie that felt like an iconic Hollywood sprawling romance, however with Black people on the middle in a interval piece the place our adversity and our ache are usually not the principle focal factors. I assumed, in a means, that that was actually radical. I produced the movie, too, so I actually felt like a co-author by way of getting to construct the character and the narrative up. It was actually simply dazzling to make. I’d like to make one thing prefer it once more. Interval items are one thing that we don’t get to do usually sufficient. Or, if we do, our ache is normally the point of interest. I believe that’s a technique of diminishing our humanity as a result of even in instances of ache and strife and wrestle, we nonetheless discover time to fall in love and to hearken to music and to be dazzled by any person else. I’d like to see extra of that.”
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Irene in Passing (2021)
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Passing | Official Trailer | Netflix
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“Passing has a particular place in my coronary heart and is perhaps considered one of my favourite movies. I beloved attending to work with Rebecca Corridor [the director], who’s so super and actually has been such an inspiration to me. This was my first time engaged on an adaptation like that, so it actually felt like enjoying a chunk of music. I’m such a fan of literature and of writing, so attending to carry out in that means felt like I used to be a conduit or a vessel for unimaginable prose. I’d like to do extra of that as a result of the method was so satisfying to me.”
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Bianca in Creed, Creed II, and Creed III (2015, 2018, and 2023)
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CREED III | Official Trailer
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“These movies have been such a pleasure to make. Mike [Michael B. Jordan] and I discuss this loads, however there’s been a lot private development inside the expansion of those characters. It’s very fascinating to see that over the course of those three movies. They’re postcards to me as a result of I see my very own development inside the span of those 9 years. This third one can be Mike’s directorial debut, and I get to be part of that as somebody who loves him. We’ve been making this stuff for a very long time so I simply really feel extremely proud to be a part of his journey, too.”
Watch Creed on HBO Max
Watch Creed II on HBO Max
Watch Creed III in theaters.
Juliana Ukiomogbe is the Assistant Editor at ELLE. Her work has beforehand appeared in Interview, i-D, Teen Vogue, Nylon, and extra.
