Dominique Fishback
SPIN's Sarina Bellissimo caught up with Judas and The Black Messiah star Dominique Fishback this week.
She spoke about the movie, and how the cast helped each other through the heavier days on set.
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Judas and The Black Messiah
The movie follows FBI informant William O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) who infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party.
He's tasked with keeping tabs on their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).
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A career thief, O’Neal revels in the danger of manipulating both his comrades and his handler, Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons).
Hampton’s political prowess grows just as he’s falling in love with fellow revolutionary Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback).
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Meanwhile, a battle wages for O’Neal’s soul. Will he align with the forces of good?
Or subdue Hampton and The Panthers by any means, as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen) commands?
Watch the official trailer here:
The interview
Sarina asked Dominique how much she knew about Fred Hampton before she signed onto the project.
She said she didn't learn about him and the Black Panther Party until she got to college.
The actress was in a Black Student Union.
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Sarina pointed out that what we're told and what actually happened are two very different things.
For that reason, it's very important that we have movies like this, that give us a deeper, more honest insight.
Dominique said that was something that cast really resonated with.
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Using the movie as a tool
She said they often had conversations about it, and were all in agreement that they wanted this movie to be a, "tool."
The star explained, "To spark the information and then they can go and do further research."
She added that not everything in the movie is 100% factual, "it's just not possible."
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Dominique explained, "The heroic ways in which he lived... and the tragic way in which he was assassinated," are real.
But his private conversations in the movie can't be verified.
However, what's important is that his name is out there, and the story is told.
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Sarina told Dominique that she felt, "spent," and, "raw," after watching the movie.
Considering the cast, "lived," it every day on set, she assumed it, "evoked emotions," in them.
While the actress agreed the movie is very heavy, she revealed the cast actually had a lot of fun on set.
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The cast were very close
"There was a lot of fun, and a lot of joy on set."
She said they went bowling, roller-skating, and they went to the cinema together all the time.
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"We really did not move anywhere without the other."
"So when the heavier days came, we knew how to hold space and take care of one another."
Speaking of the assassination scene, she said, "the energy [on set] was something I can't even describe."
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Dominique also revealed she felt extremely ill, as if something bad was going to happen the night before.
She soon realised this was her body not being able to identify between reality and the movie.
Jay Z music video
Later in the interview, the actress spoke about how she almost missed out on featuring in Jay Z's Smile music video.
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The three days they wanted her for the video, she was filming The Hate You Give.
She was devastated that she had to turn them down, but there was nothing else she could do.
But it all worked out in the end - they changed the schedule when they couldn't find someone else to play the role.
Judas and The Black Messiah is available to rent digitally at home on Premium Video on Demand.
Listen back to Sarina's interview below:
