You played Gwen Fontaine, wife to Black Panther Party founder Huey P. Newton, in The Big Cigar. Was it important for you to represent the women of the Black Panther movement too?
Yeah. Getting to play Gwen was amazing for me. Even as a person who has always been interested in the Black Power movement and who played a character who was part of that, I still didn’t know who she was. That’s indicative of something that happens a lot around the Civil Rights Movement, the women don’t get the shine even though they were so important. If there’s a man in front, you better believe there’s ten women behind him that are really making things happen.
To be able to show Gwen as this woman pushing Huey P. Newton to be a better person and who was part of the organisation was so important to me. We always need to show complex female characters. There is a trap to just write a woman who is just standing next to a man. She’s just the girlfriend or the wife. I want to know the nastiness of her. If I don’t see that on the page, you better believe I’m going to be talking to a writer or director and saying ‘this doesn’t feel right, how do we make this more interesting?’ I don’t want to play the good girl all the time. I want to play a villain.
How do you deal with taking on that complexity of character and looking after your own mental wellbeing?
I can take a character off quite easily, but I also like to laugh and be light in between takes. When I get home, my favourite self care is to sleep. Honestly, when I can find time to sleep, I’m gonna sleep.
What empowers you to feel your most confident?
It’s a journey. I don’t want people to think I wake up so confident and everything’s perfect. That’s not it, it’s work. If I’m honest, therapy is what sends me back to centre and gives me confidence, it reminds me of who I am. It’s important we talk about and normalise going to therapy, especially as Black women.
What’s the best piece of advice someone has given you?
Don Cheadle is such a grounded, cool person. He always says ‘don’t take yourself so seriously’. He’s like ‘girl, this is just a job. Just have fun and go about your life.’ I appreciate that.
Do you think there’s been a genuine shift in the industry post #MeToo, particularly knowing the playing field is not level for all women?
I do feel like there has been a change. I think back to some things that happened, flippant comments and energies on set… I think everyone is more careful. I know people are like “woke culture, cancel culture, we can’t say anything anymore,” and no, there are some spaces you’re not allowed to say or do certain things. That creates a safer environment to make our art.
We have intimacy coordinators now and people making sure that it is a safe space. I don’t think it makes set more stifled, I actually feel freer to go to work and know that somebody is going to be watching out for me and that if they’re not, I can speak up for myself and I’ll be listened to. There’s always room to grow, but I think we’ve made some great strides.
Tiffany Boone stars in Mufasa, out in cinemas Friday 20 December.
