A24’s critically-acclaimed film, Waves, hit theaters in New York and Los Angeles this weekend. Shadow And Act recently spoke with one of its stars, Taylor Russell, about her role as Emily. The film focuses on a family trying to reconcile after a tragedy and the character of Emily serves to provide viewers a different look at Black girlhood. Russell spoke about how her role fits within the larger revolution of nuanced Black girls being depicted in mainstream media.

“There’s so many different levels, layers, types of being a Black girl, a mixed girl. It doesn’t look like just one thing,” she said, adding that for her, Raven Symoné was an early childhood idol.

“I think what I love right now is that there’s an opportunity–and I got an opportunity with this movie–to play a type of strength, a type of person you don’t always see for Black girls. She’s not like any sort of stereotype or caricature,” she continued. “She’s real and grounded and feeling whatever she’s feeling in the moment…I love seeing all the different nuances and complexities and just the humanity of girls because we are so complex.”

Watch the full interview below:

READ MORE:

‘Waves’ Star Kelvin Harrison Jr. On Toxic Masculinity And Black Boyhood In The Film

 

Photo: A24

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