00:00I think it's highly important to have someone of color, specifically black, to be in this film.
00:08You know, there are black gamers. There's a ton of black gamers and techie people out there
00:13that just don't see themselves in this world, and we belong here.
00:19We've added to the fandom, and, you know, we've put our dollars into these places, you know,
00:27wherever you get your games, and so just not, like, leaving us out of the conversation,
00:32I think, is truly important, and I feel like hopefully it'll also inspire little girls.
00:38Great. Now it's dark.
00:41Does that feel quick to anyone else?
00:49Run!
00:51So, a Minecraft movie, it's a very complex film.
00:55What initially drew you to the role?
00:57What initially drew me to the role was, it was something that I hadn't really done before, live action,
01:04and I like to keep people guessing, and I like to spice it up for myself, too.
01:10You know, I feel like I've been able to dip and dabble in a lot of different things,
01:14whether that's Broadway, TV film, voiceover work, so to now get to do live action,
01:20I was like, why wouldn't I do this? You know what I mean?
01:23And then the fan base is crazy, so I was able to then, like, you know, discover a world that I knew nothing about.
01:30So, with this being your first live action role, how did you adapt your acting approach to this film?
01:36I just let my inner child fly.
01:38Like, in this film, I just wanted to let my 10-year-old self take the wheel and drive the car, and she did.
01:46That was all I wanted to do, because you need, it's all about having fun and going on an adventure
01:52and using your imagination, so I started from there.
01:56So, the Minecraft game, it has such a cult following.
02:00How do you think the Minecraft movie will inspire young viewers?
02:05Oh, man, I think, look, I think there's so much going on in the world, so much chaos,
02:11and I feel like it's going to help the young people to continue to hold on to their youth
02:18and to hold on to their imagination, because the older you get, the more complicated things get.
02:24Like, we start to go into our own overworlds, where it gets dark,
02:28and you have your own, like, little zombies and piglets, like, chasing you in life,
02:33and it will remind you that you can survive it.
02:37We can survive this thing.
02:39So, how do you think Motherhood experienced how you approached the portray of Dawn?
02:45Well, I was so happy I got to bring my daughter on set.
02:49She's five, so at first I was like, I don't know if I'm going to let her see this film,
02:52but I actually am. I'm really excited for her to see it.
02:56And so, at one point, like, I had her in the director's chair with the little headset on,
03:02watching her mommy on the screen.
03:04It was really lovely to be able to say, like, I can introduce my daughter to this world,
03:10because I wasn't introduced to it until pretty much after college, you know, TV and film.
03:14So, I'm very happy that she gets to see, you know, what I do all the time.
03:21So, I'm actually glad you brought up the set.
03:23The film is hilarious, and it has such an amazing cast.
03:26What was your experience like on set and your overall experience with the film overall?
03:31My experience on set was a lot of laughing, because Jack Black and Jason are just hilarious people.
03:40Like, I just look at Jack sometimes, and I'm like, he'll blink, and I'm laughing.
03:46So, it was a lot of laughter, a lot of singing, because, you know, I like to sing.
03:51So, anytime the cameras aren't rolling, I'm beatboxing and doing something,
03:55and Jack's doing the same, and Jason's walking around with a guitar.
03:57So, it was just a playful set, thanks to our wonderful director, Jarrett Hess,
04:03for allowing us to just be kids all day and get paid for it.
04:06It was pretty awesome.
04:07Now, throughout your career, you've been an advocate for representation and diversity.
04:11How do you think the character of Dawn contributes to that conversation?
04:15I think it's highly important to have someone of color, specifically black, to be in this film.
04:22You know, there are black gamers.
04:24There's a ton of black gamers and techie people out there that just don't see themselves in this world,
04:33and we belong here.
04:34We've added to the fandom, and, you know, we've put our dollars into these places, you know,
04:42wherever you get your games.
04:43And so, just not, like, leaving us out of the conversation, I think, is truly important.
04:48And I feel like, hopefully, it'll also inspire little girls, because Dawn is doing so much, like, you know,
04:55kicking butt, you know, and fighting these goblins and zombies and pigs away.
05:01So, like, I just hope that they feel like they can either do this one day,
05:07or feel like, because Dawn was able to survive this world, that they can, too.
05:11So, I also wanted to ask you, too, you spoke about your Broadway experience
05:16and the different type of film as you've approached,
05:18and you spoke about with this being your first live-action role,
05:21what was the most challenging part when you were filming?
05:24The most challenging part was traveling, to be honest,
05:27because I was just finishing being Oscar-nominated, or just gotten Oscar-nominated
05:32when I was here in New Zealand, so thank you.
05:35So, a lot of it was, like, flying back to do a panel, to do, you know, an award show.
05:41And then memorizing lines on the plane, changing my hair out on the plane,
05:47and then coming straight to work, having to be so prepared and, you know, unsleepy.
05:54That was, I think, the hardest thing, because, I mean, I was going back and forth quite often,
05:59and missing things, all that stuff, but that's what we want, you know.
06:06It's what I call, and my crew calls, champagne problems.
06:10So, I was very happy to have champagne problems.
06:13So, although this film is geared toward a younger audience,
06:17what do you want older audiences to take from this film?
06:19I think it's for everybody. This film is for everybody.
06:23Look, I'm new to the Minecraft family.
06:26I tried to play the game and was highly unsuccessful.
06:30But you can still watch this movie.
06:32You can still enjoy it with your kids.
06:34Everybody can see it together.
06:36You know, you can take your five-year-old.
06:37You don't have to get a babysitter this time.
06:40And go laugh.
06:41Go get some popcorn and go laugh and enjoy your loved ones.
06:45I would say, like, this is for everybody.
06:48So, how thorough was your research with it?
06:50You said you played the game.
06:51Did playing the game help you immerse yourself in the character more,
06:54or did you do more reading research when you were?
06:57I didn't have to do all that.
06:59I think it's really just using my imagination, being a kid.
07:02Like, the biggest thing, more than, like, reading a book or doing all that stuff,
07:07because each project is something different, what you need, right?
07:10With this, it was just being fearless, being okay with being silly
07:14and, you know, being okay with making a fool of myself
07:17because I feel like that's kind of encouraging other people to, like,
07:22not take life so serious.
07:23Like, it's okay to go and do that dance that you really don't know how to do.
07:28Or, you know, it's okay to sing that melody even if your voice cracks.
07:31Like, go do karaoke.
07:33Go have fun.
07:34And that's what I did.
07:35I just had a good time, you know, getting to know Don and being silly.
07:40Well, thank you, Danielle.
07:41That's all I have for you.
07:42I really appreciate it.
07:43Thank you for your time.
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