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This is fresh air.
I'm Tanya Mosley and my guest today, Oscar nominated actor Angenue Ellis Taylor, is known for her emotionally resonant and nuanced performances.
She chooses characters that personally connect with her, that allow her to communicate elements of herself and where she comes from.
In 2023, for example, she starred as Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson in Ava DuVernay's film Origin.
She was so passionate about this role that when the movie came out, she stood outside of a movie theater in LA in front of a big poster with her face on it, passing out flyers to get people to see the film.
Origin is based on Wilkerson's book caste, where she explores the concept of caste systems, drawing parallels to India, Nazi Germany and the United States.
Ingenue Ellis Taylor says she chose her latest role in the new movie the Supremes at earl's all you can eat because it felt like a rebellion against the lack of curiosity Hollywood has had for stories about the lives of black women.
In the film, Ellis Taylor plays Odette, the fearless and outspoken ringleader among three women whose friendship spanned several decades.
Ellis Taylor's co stars include veteran actors Sanaa Lathan and Uzo Aduba.
The film is based on a novel written by Edward Kelsey Moore and is now streaming on Hulu.
Ellis Taylor has won several awards for her performances and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal in King Richard as Orison Price, the mother of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams alongside Will Smith, who played Richard Williams, their father, Anjanu.
Ellis Taylor, welcome to Fresh Air.
Thank you, Tonya.
Thank you for having me.
So, Anjanu, one of the things that's so fascinating to read about you is about how you choose roles to play because for a long time you were an actor because you wanted to make money to support yourself and family members who were depending on you, which actually kind of feels like the opposite of why so many people get into show business, because typically it's the passion that, if folks are lucky, leads to the paycheck.
How did the inverse happen for you?
I wasn't someone who knew that they wanted to be an actor when they were young.