We were on hand at the NYC premiere of HBO’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.”
We caught with the movie’s stars Kyanna Simpson, Lisa Arrindell and Sylvia Grace Crim to talk how they got involved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks the red carpet. Check out our interviews after the jump.
Happy Birthday. Congratulations!
Kyanna Simpson: Thank you so much. Thank you.
How excited you are tonight?
Kyanna Simpson: I am beyond excited. I can not wait to see this film.
You haven’t seen it yet?
Kyanna Simpson: I haven’t seen it yet.
What!?
Kyanna Simpson: So when I go in, it’s going to be my first time, and I can’t even control myself!
Oh, I’ve seen it, and you were fantastic.
Kyanna Simpson: Thank you! Thank you so much!
So tell me how you got involved with the project.
Kyanna Simpson: Well, I got the audition over summer of 2016. My manager called me and I was getting ready for finals and everything.
Finals?
Kyanna Simpson: And I take summer classes, yes.
Oh my God.
Kyanna Simpson: When she told me about the story I was already so excited because the story is so intriguing. And then she told me that I was playing the younger version of Oprah Winfrey’s character, and I was like, “Huh?” Because my entire life it’s been my dream to play Oprah Winfrey. I always said I’d do it one day because it was my nickname. Everyone said I looked like Oprah, so it just seemed like it was meant to be. So over the summer I auditioned, director’s session, I booked it, and fell to my knees and started crying. It was my biggest dream come true and the story is so impactful to the world.
Did you get a chance to meet Oprah?
Kyanna Simpson: I did! I did! She’s amazing
What did she say? Did she have any tips for you?
Kyanna Simpson: She had so many tips for me. She’s like a mentor to me now. I spoke to her a lot on set. We had a lot of conversations and I just cherished every moment that I got to spend with her because I looked up to her so much my entire life. I’ve always felt a connection to Oprah Winfrey through the TV. So to be able to spend time with her one-on-one meant the world to me. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Well, congratulations, again. I’m super happy for you.
Kyanna Simpson: Thank you! Nice to meet you!
Congratulations!
Lisa Arrindell: Thank you!
You look amazing.
Lisa Arrindell: I feel like I look amazing. That doesn’t very often!
Oh, it doesn’t? You’ve got to feel it inside and outside.
Lisa Arrindell: That’s right. So I’m so grateful.
Tell me about how you got involved with this amazing project? And what was it like? I mean, it’s Oprah!
Lisa Arrindell: I got a phone call on a Friday, saying, “Lisa, George C. Wolfe has asked to see a few people.” And I don’t know if even he asked. Maybe the casting director said, “There are three or four people that I’d like you to see.” He agreed to do it on a Sunday. I was so happy that I wasn’t away for the weekend because we don’t have auditions on Sundays. That doesn’t happen. I walked in there on a Sunday, and I sat in a room with him, and he asked me to read something. Now, if you’ve seen the film, my character doesn’t talk. At all!
No, I’ve seen it. Yeah.
Lisa Arrindell: So I had to read another character’s words. He said thank you. I told him how grateful I was that he would see me. Then I got a call a few days later that he wanted me to do that. To do Aunt Ethel. And that invitation was lovely. I cannot thank Oprah, and George, and HBO enough for inviting me to play the evil Aunt Ethel!
So talk about how you got involved with the project.
Sylvia Crim: How I got involved? I auditioned and I killed it. And then I was there. No, I’m local in New Orleans at the moment and the film shot in Atlanta. So I just made a flight over there and shot for a couple of days. And really enjoyed myself.
Once you knew Oprah was involved, was there like an immediate level of like, “Oh, my God! I’ve got to bring my A-game because it’s Oprah?”
Sylvia Crim: Yeah, for sure. I was telling someone else, there’s not a whole lot that I knew about the story beforehand, and I think it’s probably better that I didn’t because it would have made me more nervous. But after doing it, realizing how huge the story is and how big it was going to be for the nation to hear about it, that’s super exciting.
Talk about your character in the film.
Sylvia Crim: Okay, so I play Mary Kubicek, who is the young scientist that actually was the first one to discover the cells, past their 24-hour usual life span. Being able to portray that woman who was a real deal scientist … In the fifties not many women got a lot of recognition for all their hard work. I actually had the son of the woman email me to tell me congratulations and thank you for portraying his mother. So that was like the coolest part, having a real-life person reach out to me about portraying his mom. I hope I did her justice.
Talk about Henrietta’s story and what people will take away from the film.
Sylvia Crim: It’s going to bring a lot of light to the mistreatment of the Lacks family and black Americans in general. And the healthcare that they didn’t get back then. It’s going to really bring justice to the Lacks family. That’s my answer.
Well, amazing. Congratulations!
Sylvia Crim: Thanks so much. Nice to meet you, OJ!