Posted in: Exclusive, Horror, Interview, Movies, Universal | Tagged: HIM, Indira G Wilson

HIM Star Indira Wilson on Psychological Horror, Wayans, Withers & More

Indira G Wilson (Truth Be Told) spoke to us about her latest psychological horror film in Universal's HIM, Marlon Wayans' advice, and more.

Indira G Wilson has been a screen veteran for over 25 years, with an eclectic mix of over 50 projects in her filmography. Some of her most memorable roles include the AppleTV+ legal drama series Truth Be Told, NBC's Night Court reboot, and CBS's The Equalizer. In her latest Universal psychological horror film, HIM, Wilson plays Yvette, the mother of Cam, a young athlete who descends into a world of terror when he's invited to train with a legendary champion (Marlon Wayans) whose charisma curdles into something darker. She spoke to Bleeding Cool about how Wayans convinced her to take that next leap in her career and move to Los Angeles to further her on-screen career in Hollywood, working with director Justin Tipping, what appealed to her about his, Zack Akers, and Skip Bronkie's script, and her dynamic with Withers.

HIM Star Indira G Wilson on Following Marlon Wayans' Advice to Hollywood, Playing Mother-Son Dynamic with Tyriq Wither's Cam

What intrigued you about 'Him', and how did you get involved?

The first thing that caught my eye in the beginning was that I knew about the film Monkeypaw Productions, but the thing that stood out to me immediately was Marlon Wayans. I have been waiting to thank Marlon Wayans for 20-something years, because I didn't know him personally, but he was the one who got me to move from New York City to Los Angeles to pursue my television dream at a random nightclub in New York City [laughs]. I met him one evening and told him that I love the show, and he asked me, "What did I do?" I was like, "Well, I'm an actor." He goes, "Do you do theater?" I said, "Yes, but I had just done The Chris Rock Show," and then I told him about the comedy I was doing from sketch comedy and TV. He was like, "In New York City?" [laughs] I'm like, "Yeah!"

[Marlon] stops what he's doing and does this dramatic grab of my shoulders. He's like, "You need to move, friend! [laughs] You need to move to Los Angeles," and the way he said it, I was like, "You know what? God has always spoken to me in the oddest of ways," and I moved eight or nine months later, and so it was, I was like, "Oh, I'm going to thank Marlon Wayans." That was the first thing I thought when I saw the audition [for HIM]. I'm going to get to thank him. Thank you, Marlon Wayans! Thank you for being a positive force in my life!

What was it like working with Justin as a creative, and what did you like about his, Zack's, and Skip's script?

Oh man, the script…I'm also a writer and was so impressed with how the script clicked along. It's half-paced, but it's also descriptive and poignant at the same time. It has a lot of stories and a very tight script. The work of Justin, who is the calmest, coolest, and nicest visionary you could imagine. He had a huge production to manage and instruct, and did it most elegantly.

What was it like working with Tyriq and the dynamic you two developed?

As soon as he saw me, he said, "Mama!" [laughs] He's a big old goop, is what he is. He's so sweet and nice. They say the way a movie or TV set works, it always comes from the top, so if you have a jerk at the top, it will be awful. When you have somebody nice and focused, we wind up having such a pleasant, hard-working crew who can do their jobs in a wonderful environment. Tyriq took that mantle on seamlessly. He is a natural leader, open-minded, and a beautiful actor. It was so wonderful to work with him.

What was the biggest challenge playing Yvette and doing a film of this nature?

The challenge of playing Yvette is trying to hit the proper note of being a mother of an athlete, because he's playing the part of not only being a concerned mother, but then also understanding [Cam's] ambition, and trying not to let her ambition override what he's doing. I love her as a character because she is true to being a mother. She's still managing a lot of his life, like you do with a mother, up until that point, where you're trying to protect your child, not only from injury, but also the [sports] industry. The people who are all managers and agents, and she's always got her eye on that agent. She knows something, right?

HIM, which also stars Julia Fox and Tim Heidecker, is available in theaters.

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