00:00All right, welcome back everybody.
00:03How are you feeling?
00:04Yeah, feeling good?
00:07It's been a good day.
00:09Well, shout out to everybody at home.
00:10Welcome back to Essence's Hollywood house.
00:14We have a really, really exciting conversation for you all.
00:18I already, look, I already see people getting, pay attention now.
00:21I feel like I'm in class, all right?
00:26Well, let me not hold you up too much.
00:29I know we are all really excited.
00:32My name is Danielle Cadet.
00:33I am executive editor and VP of content at Essence.
00:39And I am extremely excited for this next conversation.
00:43Please welcome to the stage some very, very important
00:48and impactful and incredible women.
00:51Please welcome Ms. Yara Shahidi, Halle Bailey, and Tiana Paris.
00:59Come on.
01:01Sit.
01:02Come on.
01:07Get.
01:07Come on, girl.
01:08Come on.
01:09Come on, girl.
01:10Come on, girl.
01:11Come on, girl.
01:13Get up.
01:13What do you think?
01:14Do we stand?
01:15Do we sit down?
01:16Do we sit?
01:16Let's sit down.
01:17Let's get comfortable.
01:19All right.
01:20Okay, first of all, shout out to y'all for having on cream around all this brown makeup.
01:25And you, not one spot on you.
01:28And Tiana, come on, jumpsuit.
01:30Yes.
01:30I'm trying to be like you.
01:33Thank you all for being here.
01:36So this conversation is so exciting because the three of you are in really incredible roles that are, you know,
01:46just changing the zeitgeist for the culture with a capital C.
01:49But just in general for how we view black and brown women in film.
01:54So can we hear it for that?
01:58So all three of you, Yara, you are playing Tinkerbell in Peter Pan.
02:06Halle, you are Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
02:10And Tiana, you are Monica in The Marvels.
02:14Woo!
02:14And we so rarely get to see women of color, black and brown women in these roles.
02:23I mean, I think a lot of times when we think of Marvel movies, when we think of Disney princesses,
02:29when we think of, I mean, Tinkerbell has blonde hair, right?
02:32Like, when we think of these characters, we think of white women.
02:35And a lot of times the vitriols on the internet think the same, right?
02:42So what does this mean to you to have been casted in these roles?
02:47Yara, I'll start with you.
02:48I mean, it's really an honor to be able to redefine what these roles mean for the next generation of kids,
02:55where this is going to be their norm.
02:56It's super exciting.
02:58So I think for so many of us, it feels like a long time coming.
03:01But it's even more exciting for people where this is going to be the precedent.
03:04This is going to be the standard.
03:05And so to have films that really center our humanity and for everyone to understand the fact that you can still love us and invest in us,
03:14the same way we've had to love and invest in characters that haven't looked like us for generations.
03:18That part.
03:19Amen to that.
03:21Amen.
03:21A word?
03:22Okay.
03:24Yeah.
03:25I absolutely agree.
03:26I mean, it's very surreal.
03:28It almost doesn't feel real.
03:30Like, it feels like a dream every time I think about it.
03:33And, you know, the thing that's keeping me moving forward is all of the babies' reactions,
03:38all of the black and brown little girls and boys.
03:41And that's kind of really the only stamp of approval I feel I need.
03:45Exactly.
03:46And, you know, and God.
03:48Yes.
03:49Well, let me tell you, it's not just the babies.
03:51Because when I saw it, I was like, oh, my gosh.
03:54That part.
03:55So excited.
03:56So the grown ones, too, for both of y'all.
03:58So, for me, these ladies have said it wonderfully.
04:01It's, I grew up seeing, you know, people that did not look like me.
04:07And so to be in this position, I wanted to be able to kick ass and do things that I know
04:12we can do and we have done, but it wasn't being shared in that way.
04:17So when this opportunity came for me, I have been elated.
04:22It's been so exciting to bring this character to the film because she already exists in the canon of the comic book.
04:30So it's been really, really exciting.
04:33I love that.
04:33I love that.
04:34Tiana, congratulations.
04:36You just had a baby girl.
04:37I did.
04:39Congratulations.
04:39I did.
04:40And that's a whole other level of, ooh, what am I doing this for?
04:44Exactly.
04:45What am I doing this for?
04:46Exactly.
04:47And, I mean, first of all, you being out and about out here says a lot, okay?
04:51But, no, absolutely to your point, to the reason, right?
04:55Our reason.
04:56Who is going to be seeing this?
04:57Tiana, I want to talk to you a little bit, again, about we don't get to see black women superheroes that often.
05:04And it's such a monumental moment.
05:08What was the response like?
05:10What was the response you received when you were casted as Monica in the Marvels, and how did it make you feel?
05:16The response, first of all, I feel like it was the audience and the fans who did it in the first place.
05:23I had never heard of Monica Rambeau until people started tagging me on Twitter years ago saying, you'd be a dope Monica Rambeau.
05:33And I'm like, who's that?
05:34Because I want to be a superhero, let me look her up.
05:37And I looked her up, and I'm like, yeah, I think so, too.
05:42So, when it actually happened and manifested itself, I've been stunned and shocked.
05:50And the fans have been so supportive and so loving, and I feel like it's them who actually helped bring my dream and my visions to life.
06:02I love that.
06:03I love that.
06:04Shout out to Twitter.
06:04Twitter will really help you.
06:05Hooking me up with jobs.
06:06Yes.
06:08I love that.
06:10Yeah, especially because, you know, a lot of times the comic book universe can seem like it's very white, but it's not.
06:15We have existed and shown up.
06:18We've had black fairies.
06:19We've had black mermaids.
06:21We did not just get here yesterday, y'all.
06:23We've been here.
06:24Absolutely not.
06:25And Monica Rambeau actually was leading the Avengers.
06:28She was the first black woman to lead the Avengers.
06:31Like, she is in the canon and doing big things.
06:34Come on, educate us, okay, y'all?
06:36Listen, we're in here.
06:38We're in here.
06:38Yes, I love that.
06:39And I feel like it brings so many of us to the genre.
06:42And it helps when we can see ourselves, you know, absolutely.
06:46And to that point, you know, these moments are bigger than film.
06:51They go beyond, you know, when folks turn off the movie, when they walk out of the movie theater.
06:56This is going to impact them in a bigger, it's going to affect them in a bigger way.
07:01Excuse me.
07:02So, as such, what do you hope viewers will walk away with from your portrayals?
07:11Well, first and foremost, I hope they love the film.
07:14I hope they love the story.
07:16I think, for me, what I've loved about fairy tales for so long, it's why I love TV in the first place,
07:23is because it was a world that existed in my head.
07:27It was a world that was bigger than life.
07:28And so, it wasn't until I turned on my TV to realize that people didn't think those characters looked like me.
07:33Because when I was listening to them growing up, I always thought, oh, you must look like me and my family.
07:38And so, I think it's beautiful to bring to screen a fairy tale that feels truer to our imaginations,
07:44that feels truer to our worlds.
07:46And I hope it's just as immersive and magical as you pictured it.
07:50I love that.
07:51Amazing.
07:51Amen to that.
07:53Yeah.
07:53I mean, I definitely hope that people take away, well, for me, personally,
07:59the moral of the story with playing Ariel was I am capable.
08:04I am worthy.
08:06And I feel like I learned a lot through her, actually, while I was filming,
08:11because it was the first time in my life I went away.
08:14You all used to see me with my sister, Chloe.
08:16That's my older sister.
08:18Like, I'm just used to always being with somebody, holding my hand.
08:22And this was the first thing that I ever did on my own.
08:25And so, it was a very big moment of independence for me.
08:28I love that.
08:28And just me learning to believe in myself and my own abilities.
08:33And, you know, coming out of it, like, at the end of filming,
08:37I felt like a completely different person.
08:39And, you know, I just really hope that people see that transformation on screen.
08:44And I hope that everyone is able to take away those different messages
08:48and morals of the story, but also that seeing themselves,
08:52knowing that you are worthy and you are beautiful
08:54and you are meant to be here.
08:56So, that's kind of what I learned.
08:57Love that.
08:57Love that.
08:58Love that.
09:00For me, I hope that people take away just,
09:04I want them to walk away empowered and encouraged.
09:07Monica Rambeau is at the center along with Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan.
09:15And so, you have three women from three very different backgrounds
09:18and just how they come together, work together, fight through emotions,
09:23whatever it is they're going through to accomplish a central goal
09:27and that we are stronger together.
09:30Yeah.
09:31I love that.
09:32Ooh, that's some inspiration for the day, okay?
09:34So, in the event that folks have been living under a rock and do not know,
09:41please tell us when we can watch all of these exciting projects.
09:46Y'all right?
09:47Peter Pan and Wendy is out April 28th on Disney+.
09:50Write it down, y'all.
09:52April 28th.
09:53Yeah.
09:54Yeah, that's so soon.
09:55Oh, me.
09:59The Little Mermaid is out in theaters May 26th.
10:04Woo-hoo!
10:05Yeah.
10:05In theaters.
10:06Let's talk about it.
10:08Yes, in theaters.
10:09In theaters.
10:10Don't say it.
10:10Say it loud.
10:11Say it loud.
10:12Yeah.
10:12In theaters.
10:14The Marvels is in theaters in November of this year.
10:18Woo-hoo!
10:18Yes!
10:19So, everybody, mark down your calendars and let's support these women who are just making
10:24major changes, not only for the babies, but for us, too.
10:28Thank you all so much.
10:30Let's hear it for Yarsha Edie, Holly Bailey, and Teyana Perez.
10:37Sure.
10:39Should we put these down?
10:49We'll see you next time.
11:49Michael Barclay.
11:54Thank you, Cadet.
11:55Appreciate it.
11:55Always, always.
11:56Family, how y'all feeling?
11:58Good.
11:59What a day, right?
12:01Good day?
12:02Great day.
12:04As Cadet said, I'm Michael Barclay.
12:06I'm the executive vice president of Experiential here at Essence Ventures.
12:10And I have the pleasure, along with this amazing team here at Essence Ventures, to build these
12:17experiences for you all.
12:18And so I'm so excited to see how things worked out today.
12:24And quite honestly, if it wasn't for you and the way you showed up and the way you participated,
12:28it wouldn't have been the day that it was.
12:30So again, give yourselves a round of applause.
12:33Hope that you leave here inspired.
12:38Hope you picked up some of these gems that was thrown off the stage.
12:42Hope you got some of that speed mentoring in you.
12:45I had some great mentees, actually got up and did the acting.
12:49I was rooting for y'all, by the way.
12:52And you go out of here empowered, inspired, challenged to do what it is that you want to
12:58do.
12:59Hopefully you met some co-producers, some folks that can help you make these dreams come
13:03true here today.
13:04This is what we really want for this experience to be.
13:08So again, thank you for joining us at Essence Hollywood House.
13:13Thank you for coming to our house on this rainy Friday afternoon.
13:18But before we wrap, I do want to give a shout out to our partners who made this possible because
13:24there's no way that we could have done this without them.
13:27First off, Smart Water, thank you so much for your partnership.
13:33Amazon Prime Video, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and Netflix.
13:42Thank you so much for your partnership.
13:45And thank you all for coming out.
13:46Hope we see you in New Orleans.
13:48Come on, y'all.
13:49In New Orleans.
13:50Come on to NOLA.
13:51Essence Festival Culture.
13:53A whole festival.
13:54We got a whole weekend of this.
13:56So come on out.
13:57And I also hope to see you guys next year.
14:00Have a good day.
14:01Have a good weekend.
14:02Please exit that way.
14:03Thank you so much for coming.
14:05Good night.
14:06Yes, yes, yes.
14:09See you guys next year.
14:10Thank you for joining us for Essence Hollywood House.
14:15Yes, yes, yes.
14:16See you guys next year.
14:17Thank you for joining us for Essence Hollywood House.
14:23Bye.
14:24Bye.
14:25Bye.
14:26Bye.
14:28Bye.
14:29Bye.
14:50You
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