Posted in: Exclusive, Horror, Interview, Movies | Tagged: Bomani J Story, Chad L. Coleman, Denzel Whitaker, interview, Laya DeLeon Hayes, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster: Hayes on Being Dr. Frankenstein

Laya DeLeon Hayes (The Equalizer) talks to Bleeding Cool about a modern take on Frankenstein in The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster.

Sometimes in Hollywood, you have to create opportunities, and projects like Bomani J Story's The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster offer the kind that actors dream of. Based on the Mary Shelley classic Frankenstein, the film follows Vicaria (Laya DeLeon Hayes), a brilliant teenager who believes death is a disease that can be cured. After the brutal and sudden murder of her brother, she embarks on a dangerous journey to bring him back to life. The Equalizer star spoke to Bleeding Cool about her character becoming Story's version of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, tackling dark material and chemistry on set.

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster: Hayes' Journey as Vicaria

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster?
Hayes: What intrigued me about 'The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster' was, at first, the title. It's one of those titles where you can't help but read more. It jumps out at you, which was the first thing that intrigued me. Secondly was the character. You read the title, and my first thought was, I don't want to fit any stereotype or see anything that we have before but want to play something different and nuanced. That's exactly what Vicaria was from the first time I read the audition script. There are so many layers to who she is. [The premise of] "death is a disease she believes she can cure" is a fascinating thing to hear on paper, and it immediately made me want to be a part of this movie. I talked about this character and how complex she was, and later, it was the collaboration with Bomani that intrigued me about the project.

How would you describe the set that Bomani ran?
One, we were filming under challenging conditions, it was the middle of summer in the South in Charlotte, North Carolina, and we filmed for about three and a half weeks, plus a two-week rehearsal process. Bomani can do this thing where he has a vision for exactly what he wants. He's able to bring you clarity while also giving you enough space to figure it out yourself, play, and come up with ideas if you feel like doing something lean into that, which I think on any set creates a much more comfortable environment when you feel comfortable with your director. No matter how hot it was or how difficult some of the days were filming, we all looked to Bomani as our leader to keep that vision clear, and he was always able to do that for us.

On top of that, he has such a passion for it that you would do these gory scenes, and he'd just be laughing, super giddy, and excited about what he got. He would send empowering messages every day after set, which keeps you motivated as an actor. As someone working on the project, it makes you love Bomani even more, not as a person but as a talented director. The set he created was lovely, and I want to do more movies with him in the future.

Can you break down your chemistry with your costars like Denzel [Whitaker], Chad [L Coleman], and Jeremy [DeCarlos]?
The first time I met Denzel was on our chemistry read, which was all via Zoom. I didn't meet anyone in person until rehearsal for the movie. When I met him, we had one rehearsal together. From the beginning, in the same way, I can read the script and see my family members within each character; I can look at everyone on our set and this fantastic cast. I see my friends and family I know and love. We were lucky to be filming with people we bonded with immediately, and I felt we all clicked immediately. You don't have any choice but to when you're working in such tight conditions and fast-paced moving projects. We were able to bond and get dinner at times. They had a fantastic birthday celebration for Denzel and me. It quickly felt like we were family, and even as we did these interviews more, we got more comfortable with each other. I'm grateful for them. I learned a lot from them as actors, and it was lovely to get to know them as people.

Did you do any prep work to take on a dark role like this?
Oh, my gosh! Yes! I had about a month and a half of prep, which isn't too long. It's not a long time, but a lot of the prep consisted of backstory, creating Vicaria's world, and talking about her trauma. We start the movie by seeing the first death that impacted her, which was her mom's death. It's understanding how all that trauma, grief, and how it's impacted her by the time we get to the point where she's ready to make her creation. A lot of prep went into that, and then were in conversations with Bomani.
I had a lot of questions about the script, about certain themes, and what each relationship to my character Vicaria was. Bomani was able to answer every question I had, and if not, he gave me the space to figure it out. On top of that, you create playlists. I also got to be a part of the fittings and the wardrobe for Vicaria, the hair with her Fulani braids. We went to it knowing that there was a responsibility we were taking on. I certainly did, and I wanted to make sure, as with every role, you portray these characters authentically and truthfully, which was the biggest part of the prep.

RLJE Films & Shudder's The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, which also stars Reilly Brooke Stith and Keith Holliday, comes to theaters on June 9th, digital and on-demand on June 23rd.

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