After Sunday, and to the surprise of many naysayers, Kasi Lemmons’ “Harriet” has earned a very impressive $31.8 million at the box office with a long way to go in its theatrical run. The success of the biopic is a testament to the enduring interest its legendary subject, Harriet Tubman, and the word of mouth worthy performance from its star, Cynthia Erivo. A Tony Award and Grammy Award winner who may soon add an Oscar to her increasingly crowded mantle.
WATCH: The new teaser for HBO’s Stephen King mini-series “The Outsider”
The London native is battling a number of other contenders for a Best Actress nomination, but she’s also deservedly in play for a Best Original Song nod for the wonderful “Stand Up” which she co-wrote with Joshuah Brian Campbell. Make no mistake, the songs from “Frozen II” are going to get the lion’s share of attention from the Academy, but anyone who thinks they are superior to Erivo and Campbell’s work may need to reconsider voting in the category.
Erivo’s big-screen career has been on the upswing since appearances in Steve McQueen’s “Widows” and Drew Goddard’s “Bad Time at the El Royale” last year. Besides “Harriet” she will soon appear in Joshuah Brian Campbell and John Ridley’s “Needle In A Haystack.” Before those films debut, however, she’ll be seen in the eagerly anticipated HBO adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Outsider” alongside Ben Mendelsohn and Jason Bateman.
Hard at work on a new album while continuing to travel the awards circuit for “Harriet,” Erivo jumped on the phone to discuss her much-praised performance, handing the Oscar buzz and provide a slight tease about “The Outsider.”
_____
How gratifying is it that “Harriet” is such a hit at the box office?
I mean, it’s more than gratifying. I’m so pleased, not just for me, but really I’m excited for Kasi because Kasi’s been working really hard for a really long time. And I’m not entirely sure that she’s had her just dues yet after “Eve’s Bayou,” which is a beautiful film. And I think she should have had more chances to do things like this. I’m hoping that this just shows that she’s definitely a director to give material to and to have at the helm of things. That’s the thing that really is pleasing, to see someone who has worked really hard for that amount of time finally get something that happens this way. I’m so pleased that people are seeing it. I’m so pleased that people are responding to it in a really lovely way. I really wanted was for the young kids and their parents to be able to go and to experience something together and learn something together. And those are the messages that I’m getting. When people were going with their daughters and their sons – and I had one person who had gone with their great-grandma and grandma, and I just am like, people are able to take family trips to learn about this woman, which to me is really special.
When the project came your way was it a no-brainer? Or did Kasi’s involvement peak your interest?
I think for me it was a, it was a no-brainer. Kasi came on after I was attached. But when she was attached, I knew that it definitely was something that we had to make happen. It took a while from when I was attached to when we actually got it filmed. I think I had my meeting maybe [in 2017] and we didn’t shoot until last year, at the end of last year. So, we took some time and, I knew how long [producer Debra Martin Chase] had held onto this script and held onto this project and I knew how long ago Gregory [Allen Howard] had written it. I felt like they had done enough voicing and I was willing to do whatever was necessary in order to get the film made. Cause it should be told, it’s a story of a woman who is remarkable, and we haven’t had it yet, which is preposterous. So for me, I was just like, in whichever way I can help, I’m there for it.
This is, unfortunately, a very broad question, but what was the most challenging aspect of the production for you?
Well, you know, it’s a hugely physical movie and most of it is outside so you’re dealing with both the elements, the weather. We’re in the mud, it’s rainy, it’s cold. We’re shooting from September through to December. So it was freezing and we’re outdoors and I’m doing a lot of physical work, I did every stunt but maybe one. And you know when you’re, when the windchill is like minus [something] and having to climb up the side of a cliff, you got to figure it out. And if you’re walking in water [and it’s] thirty-seven degrees at midnight, the water feels much colder. But you have to figure that out. You’re working against the clock and against the elements and every time we get rained out, we have to figure that out again. You also have the emotional journey that she goes on. It is tough and you have to be strong enough to do that.
I’m a big fan of the original song that you co-wrote and sing in the movie, “Stand Up.” Obviously, the overall movie was the inspiration for it, but was there any particular moment or a specific aspect of the film itself that influenced the song?
I think it’s the moment at the end where she’s on Combahee River and she’s with the troops and the freed people come running. It’s like a blanket of people coming to water. And you know, when you’re [there] and you see people doing it, that it’s something indescribable. And, I think that was the thing that was an image that was in my head. I think that I wanted it not just to be an inspiration for what she was saying, but for other people to know that they have the capacity to do that, to do good. I wanted to inspire people to get up and do something. That was really one of the things that I loved about it.
Had you done a lot of songwriting previously?
I have done some more. I’m writing at the moment, my own album, so don’t worry, it’s not new for me. I had a song in the film, “Beyond the Lights.” I just don’t get to do it very much for film and this is probably one of the best ones I’ve written specifically for, but mostly I write for myself and try to make music that way.
When is the new album expected to come out?
Hopefully, next year.
There’s been a lot of chatter about a potential Oscar nomination for you and as well obviously for this song, too. You’ve been through the Tony Award process, but how do you deal with it day-to-day, especially with such a long campaign for a movie like this?
Literally, it’s that day-to-day. I try and be present in all the moments that are new to me. Someone asked me how I do it when there’s like events and parties and I said I tried to make connections with people. I find it easier when I can try and make individual connections with people. So it might be really loud, but if I can actually look someone in the eye and say, “Hey, how are you? What’s going on?” I can see you. It makes it easier for me because it breaks it down. That’s how I’m doing it. And it feels good that way. It feels like I get to meet people that I haven’t met before and connect with people that I don’t get to see often. And I congratulate people whose work I admire. In some aspects there’s a part of me that is willing to remain a fan of people who are now colleagues, you know? Cause now there’s still the one that, “Oh my gosh, Congratulations, Awkwafina.” “Congratulations, Alfre Woodard. I love you.” It means that everything still stays fresh. It’s not lost on me that there is something crazy going on and wonderful happening. But if I can remain human in an orb then I think I’m doing something okay.
The preview for “The Outsider” has come out and the series looks fantastic. How different would you say it is from the novel? Does it go on its own journey?
I would say it probably goes on its own sort of journey. So you have another Holly Gibney in something else [Editor’s note: It’s “Mr. Mercedes”], but obviously, she is different from me. I’m very different to who had played her before. [The series] is a weird and wonderful, scary and psychologically mind-warping thing that I really enjoyed being a part of and I hope people get into it cause it’s dark but beautifully shot. And I was really surprising myself cause I got to watch a couple of episodes and I was really pleased. So, I think it could be kind of cool. I do think it is a slight departure from the book, but it has to be so that we can expand and give you more story and let you see the lives of these people. But I think it’s pretty cool.
“Harriet” is now playing nationwide.