00:00 attracted you to this project? Oh man, this is legacy right here. This is history in the making
00:08 and in the past and I would be remissed if I said no as some of my my character says hell no,
00:17 that would never come out of my mouth if someone asked me do I want to play this part. It is
00:22 completely hell yes. And what do you like the most about Sofia, your character? Do you relate to her
00:30 in any way? Oh I do, I do 100% in so many ways. She's taught me a lot about myself as well
00:36 but I really love her spirit of joy. She don't take any mess, she knows who she is and she's a
00:46 woman ahead of her time and I just like that I found a lot of my own personal strength that was
00:54 lacking through playing her. She's taught me that I have everything I need within me and I don't
01:02 need any validation from anyone else and I am so grateful for that because a girl was like a
01:08 people pleaser for a long time. You gave a new approach to this classic. It was challenging or
01:16 did you feel kind of a responsibility to make it right? Oh I felt both. I've definitely felt the
01:23 responsibility. I mean what Miss Oprah did in the 1985 version was unforgettable. It was remarkable.
01:31 She was nominated for an Oscar for that role and that was her first movie and so I definitely feel
01:37 a responsibility and also just a responsibility to myself to honor what I've done. The sacrifices
01:48 I've made and going to conservatory, studying at Juilliard for years and being in the Broadway
01:54 production for a year of my life. Those are sacrifices that I made to be where I'm at so I
02:01 want to honor that with my work and so that I can walk away proud you know and honor my family. So
02:08 my mom and dad who are going to see it for the first time today that they could be proud of.
02:13 So yes it was about that for me. Huge shoes to fill, beautiful character to play and I would not
02:23 change any of it for the world. What would you say is the main or the most important message of
02:33 this film? There's so many and I think people are going to gravitate to what they gravitate towards.
02:39 I think people will feel healed. I feel people will feel forgiveness. I hope that people will
02:45 be able to see the beauty in the small things of life even when they're going through a lot.
02:50 That they will hopefully gain hope and faith and if anything you know what I've discovered for
03:02 myself is that at the end of the day I still have the music. I think this music is so timeless.
03:07 It cuts through any race and age and gender and sexual orientation whatever. It cuts through that
03:15 all and so I'm very excited for people to have that forever because I have it forever and it
03:23 truly changed is changing and has changed my life.
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