IN CONVERSATION WITH NAFESSA WILLIAMS

interview by JANA LETONJA

Nafessa Williams most recently starred in the Disney +/Hulu series ‘Rivals’ opposite AidanTurner and David Tennant. Her previous roles include Sony/Netflix Whitney Houston Biopic ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’, hit CW series ‘Black Lightning’, CBS series ‘Code Black’, and her recurring role on the hit Showtime series ‘Twin Peaks’.

suit and bra THE MANNEI
earrings NORITAMY

Cameron Cook is a high-energy, ambitious American TV executive in 'Rivals'. How did you approach bringing such a fierce, larger-than-life character to life, and what aspects of Cameron resonate with you personally?

The thing that drives Cameron the most is her ambition and the need to prove she is the best woman fit for the job, so I focused on staying true to that. Staying true to what a fierce New York woman represents, which is confidence, resilience, fearlessness. I can resonate with Cameron’s ambition. I’m also a city girl like Cameron. I’m from Philly. Philly and NY girls are quite similar so I felt like I understood her. 

You’ve described Cameron’s style as “5th Avenue fashion” with high hair, shoulder pads, and bold red hues. How much did her wardrobe influence your portrayal of the character, and how important was it for you to reflect her personality through fashion?

Cameron’s wardrobe heavily influenced my portrayal of the character. Her wardrobe speaks for her and says everything you need to know about the woman she is. She’s bold, fierce, fiery, stylish and iconic!.

'Rivals' is based on Jilly Cooper’s bestselling novel. As an actress, how do you approach adapting a character from a beloved book into a television role? Are there any major differences between the character in the book and your portrayal on screen?

Adapting characters from a book is a blessing for me as an actress. Most of the research is in the book. The rest of it I build on my own, but my priority is to stay true to what fans know the character to be. In the book, Cameron is a white woman so that’s a major difference from what fans know the character to be. But I thought it was really interesting having her portrayed as a Black woman and makes for a really great story.

Your role as the first black lesbian superhero in 'Black Lightning' was groundbreaking. How did it feel to portray such a significant character, and what kind of impact do you hope it had on representation in superhero media?

Portraying Thunder was and still is a dream to me. It was such an honor to give my voice to her. An honor to be a voice for young Black lesbians who are finding their way, who need to feel heard and seen. My one hope is that society and the media was inspired by how we normalized Thunder’s sexuality on the show. 

dress MARIUSZ BRZEZINSKI
earrings NORITAMY

You also starred in the Whitney Houston biopic 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody', directed by Kasi Lemmons. What was it like working with Kasi, and how did she help you bring your character to life in such an iconic project?

Working with Kasi was a dream. One that I’d live over and over again. Kasi approaches her work as a director with such ease, grace, and so much support towards her actors. So much so that as an actor you just feel safe to play and do your best work. From day one, Kasi encouraged and reminded me that I already have everything in me to bring Robyn to life and with this I was able to settle into a confidence that carried me throughout the shoot. 

You’ve taken on roles in diverse genres, from superhero dramas like 'Black Lightning' to intense thrillers like 'Black & Blue'. How do you manage to bring versatility to each role while maintaining a sense of consistency in your performance?

My goal is to play characters whose story I feel needs to be told, whose story is inspiring and relatable. I also like to switch it up and play all different kinds of characters which keeps me creatively excited and inspired. But how I approach my work is always the same, be as honest and true to the character as much as possible. 

jacket and skirt MARIUSZ BRZEZINSKI

As an actress who has portrayed complex, diverse roles, what changes have you seen in terms of representation for Black women in the entertainment industry? What progress would you like to see moving forward?

There’s definitely been a lot more roles for us in recent years, but I would like to see us all get paid equally within the industry. I’d love the industry to pour efforts into pay equity.

Who were some of your acting inspirations growing up, and how have they influenced your work today?

For me, it was Phylicia Rashad and Halle Berry. These were the beautiful brown women I aspired to be like. I also studied Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep’s work a lot. As for comedy, Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold are the G.O.A.T.S. to me. 

dress 3.1 PHILLIP LIM
earrings THE MANNEI

Acting can be incredibly demanding. How do you maintain balance in your personal life while managing the pressures of a busy career?

Self care is how I balance. Alone time is how I balance. I tune out often. I vacation a lot, I get massages every two weeks. And setting boundaries has helped me tremendously

Looking ahead, what can you share with us about your next projects?

‘Rivals’ has been green lit for a second season so that’ll be next up for me. I’m also developing and producing my own projects that I can't wait to share with everyone. I’m feeling very grateful, so stay tuned.

dress and belt ELISABETTA FRANCHI
earrings ZENA NAO

TEAM CREDITS:
talent NAFESSA WILLIAMS
photography JUAN VELOZ at JVELOZ STUDIOS
styling ORETTA CORBELLI
makeup YASMIN ROBINSON
hair KEE TAYLOR
photography assistant MATTHEW GOLDEN
styling assistant ALLEGRA GARGIULO
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA