Standing in front of a bathroom mirror with clippers in hand, Sanaa Lathan’s mind is racing.
The moment, nearly two years in the making, is finally here.
She is about to shave her head, with an entire film crew behind her waiting to capture it.
Credit: Tina Rowden/Netflix
Unlike the physical transformations of other actors, Lathan’s new look holds a larger significance.
How did you get involved in this project?
We’ll just get a really good bald cap.'
Tina Rowden/Netflix
Why did you feel this was an important film to make?
We’ve seen that audiences come and show up for movies and shows that represent all people.
I feel like we’re making progress.
We’re seeing it finally.
Hair, for women of all races, is kind of like a symbol of beauty.
What was the experience of shaving your head like?
Then there was, what is my head going to look like?
So, I purposely decided I wasn’t going to think about what emotions I wanted to play.
It was really an emotional rollercoaster, so many emotions that came through.
Violet’s kind of in crisis.
She’s just been broken up with, she’s drunk, she’s depressed.
So, as an actor, you go into the scene with all of that.
I wasn’t thinking.
You’re just on this rollercoaster ride of emotions, I don’t even know how to describe it.
Can you speak to that?
It’s almost like hair can be an accessory.
We no longer have to fit into this one little box.
In press forThe Perfect GuyandAmerican Assassinyou a lot about spoke about colorblind casting.
However,Nappily Ever Afterfeels very specific to a black experience.
Has your perspective on centralizing race in the story changed?
There are two different points of view on this.
I feel like there is more colorblind casting now.
How did playing Violet shift your relationship with your natural hair?
I am loving it.
Then there are days when I’m loving this.
It feels so menow.
It’s definitely kind of started that conversation for me internally.
