Uzo Aduba Says Attending the DNC and Watching Kamala Harris Accept Nomination Felt Like an ‘Outstanding Check Had Finally Been Paid on the American Dream’
Uzo Aduba was at the Friday night premiere of Searchlight Pictures’ “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” in Los Angeles fresh from attending the Democratic National Convention.
She told Variety watching Vice President Kamala Harris accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency felt like “an outstanding check had finally been paid on the American dream.”
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“It felt like the promise of America is still reaching toward fulfilling itself, and I think it makes me excited to know that the country, despite what we have seen in time, is still reaching forward toward becoming a more hopeful and more inclusive nation,” Aduba said.
“The Supremes” tells the multi-generational story of three best friends (Aduba, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Sanaa Lathan) and their unbreakable sisterhood. Aduba plays Clarice Baker, who she describes as a “woman who has given everything she has for everyone else, selflessly putting aside her own dreams to see others live out theirs.”
“She’s also the friend who’ll always give you a gentle nudge in order to steer you in the right direction,” she continued.
Tina Mabry wrote and directed the feature, which proved to be an uphill battle because the film had an incredibly tight production schedule of just 30 days, meaning the crew had less than a month to shoot the 121-page script, which contained lines of dialogue from 35 different actors and unfolded across four distinct time periods.
“You can’t always look at what’s against you,” Mabry said. “You have to look at the goal. And the thing is we’re a team, a cast, a crew, of over 200, and we all have the same mission.
“We marched every day in our way,” she continued. “But more importantly, we marched with joy. We had smiles on our faces, and we loved each other. We hugged and supported each other. That’s what we did and how we got to the finish line. We got there and came away with a deeply personal story that I’m hoping is really going to touch people.”
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who plays Odette Henry, described the film best as a “celebration” of sisterhood. “Romantic love can fizzle, hookups go away, husbands go away, girlfriends go away, but your friends are never, ever going to go away,” the Oscar nominee said. “That is what this movie celebrates.”
You can read Variety’s review of “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” here and stream the film on Hulu now.
See more photos from the premiere below.
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