Exclusive: Milauna Jackson Talks ‘How To Get Away With Murder’Posted by Wilson Morales
November 17, 2016
In tonight’s Winter finale of ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder, Annalise receives a tip about A.D.A. Atwood that leads to a heated confrontation with Nate. Meanwhile, the deadly events leading up to Annalise’s house fire reveal who’s under the sheet.
Blackfilm.com caught up with Milauna Jackson, who’s been recurring this year as A.D.A. Renee Atwood.
Milauna is best known for her role opposite David Duchovny in the Critics Choice awarded series, NBC’s Aquarius, which completed its second season before being cancelled a few weeks ago. Previous to that, Jackson recurred on the critically acclaimed Cinemax drama, Strike Back. Her character as a DEA member was a refreshing addition to the cast and required Jackson to partake in combat training. This role and other guest-starring appearances in series such as Dexter, Cold Case, and Squad 85 prove what a wide range of characters Milauna can take on. Her film credits include her first feature film, Carl Seaton’s One Week, as well as Blood Done Sign My Name with Nate Parker.
Can you talk about your role on the show?
Milauna Jackson: I’ve been added to this season as A.D.A. Renee Atwood, the enemy to Viola Davis’ character, Annalise Keating. I was introduced in a trial in a courtroom, where she typically shines most. Initially, it looks like the quintessential setup. There’s a case and we both are on it and she pleaded out her client so that I wouldn’t be able to prosecute him. Then it spins out to another aspect where the audience sees that there’s more to it than being another case. That’s where the turn happens and we see there’s more about Rene than we thought. I had auditioned initially for a completely different role and it was between me and the actress they hired and then they decided to offer me this role. It was only supposed to be one or two episodes but it developed into something much greater and I never knew. I had no idea what direction we were going in and I didn’t know they were going to develop the storyline with my character and Nate, who’s played by Billy Brown. I had no idea I would battle Annalise again in court and again plead out the case and offer her client a deal. That’s the driving force to the tension and this season will shock the fans in many ways. I’m really excited for the audience to see what happens with my character and my relationship with Annalise.
MILAUNA JACKSON
Were you a fan of the show before landing a role?
MJ: I was absolutely a fan of the show. I’ve watched the show from the beginning. It’s Viola Davis and that was intriguing alone. The showcasing of her exploring her sexuality and be extremely proficient at her job. She is Perry Mason. You have never seen a woman of color, a black woman on television do the sort of things that were only reserved for white men. You have never seen that. Why wouldn’t want to see this fantastic actress do these amazing things and rounded out with a well diverse perfectly ensemble.
As the newcomer this season, have you hung out with the cast offset to feel more comfortable?
MJ: The wonderful thing is because I have been doing this work a lot longer than people recognize. They’ve never treated anyone like a rookie and that’s not the way the show conduct themselves, treating unknown actors or up-and-coming actors or just actors they are not familiar with as the new kid on the block. This industry unfortunately does function like that to some degree and I have not seen that displayed at all on the majority of shows that Shonda Rhimes does. Coming in as an actress, having worked on NBC’s Aquarius for two years with David Duchovny and having worked for two seasons on a show called Strike Back, which was shot internationally and was shown on Cinemax, and in addition to the all of the guest-starred work I did on a number of networks with a number of people, it all really prepared me for this. When I show up to the set and they started with me in the courtroom scene and going tat-to-tat with Viola, they recognized this wasn’t my rodeo.
When you first read for the role, we’re you given sides before knowing it would turn into a recurring status?
MJ: Thankfully and because of how I operate, I was given the script. But you still don’t know the direction of the character that you’re portraying because the cast doesn’t know. That’s the exciting thing about working on the show. Even when you shoot your part, you don’t what will happen in the next scene. I was not given the script until I accepted the role. Upon knowing I could work on a Pete Nowak show with Viola Davis was enough. It’s a dream come through for me. I have never played an attorney and I’m going up against Annalise Keating and Viola Davis. The level of proficiency is amazing.
What do you do when you’re not working?
MJ: When you are in this position, as an actress and as an artist, I don’t have the liberty to have a lot of downtime. I’m recurring on the show so it gives me the freedom to audition for as many projects as I possibly can. I spend a lot of time doing that and also preparing for the next opportunity when it comes.
