HFPA-Tessa Thompson-November 2018

Time Network Los Angeles News Tessa Thompson found a place in Hollywood, but she didn’t actually go through many wrong paths. Born in Los Angeles to a singer-songwriter father, she spent her high school and college years in Santa Monica, a seaside area of ??the sunny Southern California city known for its more artistic and desirable neighborhoods.

Thompson became interested in acting as a teenager and began appearing in stage productions. By the time she was in her early twenties, she had begun to transition to television, including on the teen-noir mystery drama "The Little Mermaid," and she could be seen in a number of films soon after.

The past few years have truly been a time of emergence for Thompson, and she has continued to broaden her talents and talents through a variety of different roles. These include big-budget pop films ("Thor: Ragnarok" 2017, "Annihilation" 2018), more alternative and avant-garde independent films ("Dear White People" 2014, "War" 2015, "Sorry") Interrupted" 2018), and television work (in "Westworld", Thompson played the role of high-ranking Charlotte Hale).

Even so, the 35-year-old actress will still have what may be her most momentous year in 2019: the highly anticipated "Avengers: Endgame," 1955 The live-action version of Disney's classic animated film "Lady and the Tramp" and the sci-fi action comedy "Men in Black: Worldwide" starring opposite Chris Hemsworth.

"Creed 2" Theatrical Trailer

Thompson's latest work is to continue to interpret the role of Bianca Taylor in "Creed: Heroes Rises". This is the sequel to "Creed" based on the 2015 classic boxing story "Rocky". If Michael B. Jordan, who plays Adonis Johnson, provides the great fights, Thompson brings the necessary emotional gravity to the entire film, underpinning these interior scenes with a gritty and highly objective naturalistic performance.

Recently in Philadelphia, Time.com had the honor to interview Thompson and talk with her about her work in "Creed: Heroes Rises"; How important a work like "People" is to her; and whether she wants to make a music album, etc. The excerpt of this 20-minute conversation is as follows:

Mtime: In the "Creed" series of movies, you interpreted the image of a singer. How important was music to your character development and to being part of this production?

Tessa Thompson and Michael B. Jordan in "Creed 2"

Mtime: You mentioned that the character Bianca is gradually losing her hearing, and how this setting plays a role in her emotional arc. played an important role in the line. And has this setting always existed since the earliest character creation?

Tessa Thompson: Well, this setting happened somewhat by accident. I mean this character is going to be a singer. Ryan Coogler initially considered casting a musician for the part, but I think Michael B. Jordan is such an experienced and mature actor, and for Ryan Coogler, It was difficult to find a musician with whom he felt a complete rapport with Mike. So he started looking for actors who, for the sake of authenticity, could compose their own music and perform.

However, the setting of this character’s hearing loss occurred during our conversation. Ryan Coogler wanted some echo between the characters of Adonis and Bianca, preferably something they were both struggling with, and he started brainstorming what that might be.

Ryan Coogler’s current wife was still his fiancée at the time and was a sign language interpreter, so Ryan had some contact with this group, and he began to think that this would be an interesting exploration. I also have people in my family who are hearing-impaired, so in a way I felt like I could relate to (the character). So it's kind of poetic, but it happened purely by chance, and it was a happy accident, but I think it adds to the drama and complexity of the movie as a whole, and it certainly makes [the character] more interesting to interpret.

Mtime: Since you have sung for these films and your father is also a musician, have you ever thought about recording your own music, or perhaps releasing an album?

Stallone, Jordan, Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson: I don’t know, but I’ve definitely been asked this question many times. On the first Creed, we had two weeks to write the music. And there I think we wrote 10 or 11 songs. So we actually had enough songs to release an album, and we discussed it at the time. But I really wanted some distance between myself and (character) Bianca.

I really enjoy making music that is not myself, but at the same time, she is me. Maybe when there's some distance between the two, I'll feel comfortable, you know? I'm actually just very immersed in continuing to work hard and now I'm in a space where I'm making movies, not just for myself but hopefully for other people as well. Making music requires a lot of investment, so realistically speaking, I may need to take a break and focus on it to ensure that anything I output (musically) is of high quality. I don't know if that's going to happen, but if it does, I think I'll do something like Donald Glover (stage name Childish Gambino).

I love the sense of separation, like I love when people online say, "Donald Glover looks really like Childish Gambino" (laughing) so I thought I'd do the same thing with you You know, with my nickname, so people might say, "Hey, that woman looks a lot like Tessa Thompson." (Laughs)

Mtime: Creed franchise expands and I deepened the "Rocky" series because I think this series is relatively independent, but at the same time it also has a certain depth of emotional resonance for older audiences. What are your impressions of Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan? Do they have anything in common?

"Rocky" 1976

Tessa Thompson: They are both consummate professionals, they are very hard-working, have an amazing work ethic, and their There was joy all around. Also, I have to say, and this is very easy to forget and often happens, talented people will create something, produce something, and shine in it. Yet when Stallone did it (in the first Rocky movie), no one had done it before.

I mean, he really paved the way for a lot of talented people to follow in his footsteps and continue to do that, and he became a medium in that way. And similarly, it's really inspiring to see Michael working on a production, being on a production and starting from the basics. I think it's something to be excited about, so for me to have someone of Michael's caliber take over Stallone's role (in these films), it really couldn't be more perfect.

Mtime: When Adonis Creed wanted to propose to Bianca, Rocky's advice was "You have to turn off your brain and let your heart speak." Obviously, any actor also has a brain and a heart. Troubled. So do you feel like your own acting process is rooted in instinct? Or do you have a more intellectual approach to preparing for scenes?

Tessa Thompson: I think it depends on the work and who I'm working with. Each work has different (performance methods) due to different needs. For this movie, it was more like we were working on instinct because Michael and I were so in tune and we had a real connection with these characters and each other, and there wasn't a lot of prep work to do except You come on set and you put on a fake pregnant belly, you know? (Laughs)

During the first film prep, a lot of desk work was done, including figuring out how I wanted the female character to sound and move. Of course making music is also a way to get involved, and that’s kind of where I started.

Tessa Thompson (left) in "Annihilation"

But starring in a movie like "Annihilation" is a really brain-burning experience. Because I was working with a brain-burning film director like Alex Garland, we sat around the table for two weeks and kept talking about the philosophy of the film and the solar system, because I played An astrophysicist. So it was definitely a very brain-burning and exciting way to start the show.

So overall, it depends on the role I want to play. But what I love most is being able to be in a place where instinct and impulse blend, hoping to surprise myself and the people around me, and that is also the sweetest place for me.

Mtime: We've seen you in small, avant-garde films like Sorry to Bother You and Dear White People, as well as in larger series. Is it important for you to make films at these two extremes, if you will?

Stills from "Sorry to Bother You". One of the most watched black-themed films during this year's awards season

Tessa Thompson: Yeah, it's very important to me, and I feel very lucky to be able to do this. I feel that there was a period of time, not even that long ago, when I actually saw no hope of success. I just feel very lucky to be able to work in a place like this. On this road paved by too many predecessors, now I am really to some extent enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Frankly, there are more opportunities now for non-white women, and women in general. And I like to try different areas, which I think is important in terms of representation alone, but more selfishly, it's actually really fun.

I am really happy to be in "Sorry to Bother You" because I feel like I grew up watching these types of movies. It is these movies and these works that exist in magical reality that inspired me. The idea of ??making a movie. But I also feel like I don’t see many people like me in these places, so being able to do this is even more valuable.

Tessa Thompson in "Thor 3"

In fact, I never thought that I could star in a large-scale series of movies. Of course, for the use of green screen and CGI (computer three-dimensional animation), I'm also very interested in the challenge. To me, that's more of a pure imagination challenge, so if you can do that, then I feel like you can do anything. Starring in "Thor" was really about knowing if I could do it, and now I've done a lot of that kind of work, which is very interesting.