DeWanda Wise is embracing truth-telling in her latest role in Love, Brooklyn.
The actress noted that her character, Nicole, is a lot — but that she’s very grounded and “far more in her skin” than some of her previous roles.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Directed by Rachael Abigail Holder and starring André Holland, Nicole Beharie, Wise, and Roy Wood Jr., the film is described as a “tender, modern exploration of love, friendship, and creative ambition set against the rapidly changing backdrop of Brooklyn.”
In an interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, Wise reflected on playing Nicole.
“I didn’t have to spend a lot of time in hair and makeup,” Wise said. “There’s not a lot of artifice with Nicole, which is really refreshing.”
How the film sheds a light on modern dating
Those watching Love, Brooklyn might feel seen, but also a bit triggered, as the film holds up a mirror to reflect the current world of dating.
“It was just an honor. And, I mean, I’m spoiled, I’ve been married for a long time, but I am not without my single friends,” Wise said. “There’s just a lot to examine. I think, overall, we’re in a really divided and divisive time, and that’s really kind of spilled over into dating. It’s tragic because, ultimately, all we’re hungering for is connection, like, real connection, and to be fully seen and accepted and loved.”
She added, “What’s refreshing about this story is, you know, in the classic rom-coms, there’s miscommunication, and you’re yelling at the screen because you’re just like, ‘Why don’t you guys just say the thing!’ These are people who communicate. These are people who say things that need to be said, especially Nicole, who’s a truth-teller. I love that that’s reflected. I love that you see these adults in relationship having tricky, hard, uncomfortable conversations because I think that’s what’s going to be required.”
An ode to Brooklyn
Underneath the surface, this is also a film about the frustrations of change in Brooklyn over the years that have been brought about by gentrification — a phenomenon Wise knows all too well, as she currently lives in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of the New York borough. The film is all too personal because another film lead, André Holland, also lives in the same community, and director Rachael Holder grew up attending church in the area.
“This is New York light,” Wise said. “What’s wild is I was a drama major, and we all went to school together, like, Cassandra [Freeman], Andrè, we’re all NYU kids, except for [Nicole] Beharie. But I was also an urban studies major, and so, of course, as you can imagine, if you’re studying cities and you live in New York City, so much of it is about that city. It’s very surreal. It’s very odd because I think I have a perspective of someone who went to school in New York and lived there for 10 years. But then, on top of that, I also know in many ways, in many respects, you know, what it was like in the ’70s, how much it’s changed. And every generation says that, but I think, especially now, New York is at a very critical place.”
The She’s Gotta Have It actor continued, “A lot of cities are in a very critical place, where, if they continue to price out the culture makers, the artists, the folks who work, the people who make New York and Brooklyn — specifically what Brooklyn is — then there’s gonna be nothing left for the new people to consume. It’s like, what show can they go to? What art will they consume? What is going to be there? What food, if you keep raising the rents of the restaurants? It’s all so counterintuitive.”
Wise said that the most significant takeaway she gained in her portrayal of Nicole is the love she has for her life.
“I think people who find goodness where it comes, whether that’s like, ‘Oh, my God! I’m working my dream job.’ Whether that’s, ‘Oh, I have friends that I love.’ Whether you have family that’s supportive, living in your dream place, whatever it is, just acknowledge the goodness in your life, daily. I’m not talking about a social media gratitude practice; I’m talking about living in appreciation for what you have, and I live that way kind of organically. Still, I do feel like, after filming this, just that simple thought of anything, any day, any moment, it could change. Life is very precious.”
Love, Brooklyn is now in select theaters.