Exclusive: Naomie Harris talks ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom‘ and playing Winnie MandelaPosted by Wilson Morales
November 25, 2013
Coming out this week is Justin Chadwick’s film, ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,’ starring Idris Elba and Naomie Harris in the iconic roles of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela respectively.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is based on South African President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography of the same name, which chronicles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison before becoming President and working to rebuild the country’s once segregated society.
For Harris, to play Winnie Mandela, it’s a role that couldn’t be shaken away once production ended. Having worked previously with Chadwick on ‘The First Grader,’ and winning the part of Moneypenny in the latest James Bond series, Harris’ visibility worldwide has increased over the years.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke exclusively with Harris as she talked about playing Winnie Mandela, working with Chadwick and Elba, and what she took away from playing the role.
How did you prepare to play Winnie Mandela?
Naomie Harris: I did a lot of research and I felt as though I needed to become a researcher almost more than an actor because it was a matter of just watching hours and hours of documentaries about the apartheid era, watching uncut footage of Winnie being interviewed, reading biographies written about her, interviewing people that had known and met her. And then, also, the greatest…the thing that was most helpful to me was actually sitting down with the woman herself and asking her about her life.
As you met her and you spoke to her what did you learn that you didn’t pick up from any of the research?
NH: The main that I got from speaking to her, actually, that really helped me was that from doing the research people had such kind of disparate ideas about who she was. Even people who were talking about the same event that they attended…that she was at the same event they attended, they told the story in two different completely different ways. And interpret her in two completely different ways. And I didn’t understand from how they…from all these disparate reviews of her how to make a cohesive character. And so I said to her, “How do you want to be perceived? And who do you think you are?” as in, “How would you characterize yourself?” And she said, “Look, you’re the right person for the role, you’ve done your research. All I ask of you is that you portray me faithfully.” And that was hugely liberating for me because I felt a sudden sense of ownership of the part, which up until that point I hadn’t really been able to feel because I felt like there were just so many different ideas, I didn’t know how to pull that together as one person. But having her tell me, “You’ve done your research, and you have the right to kind of create me as you see fit,” that was the most liberating and helpful thing for me.
How did Justin want you to play Winnie?
NH: He had a very romantic view of Winnie, as in, so he is a huge fan of Winnie. He sees her as very much as she’s known as Mother Africa in South Africa. And that’s how he sees her, as a very nurturing person. He spent time with her with his family and she was really warm to his children. So he really wanted me to bring out her warmth and her heart and her sense of compassion.
This is your second time working with Justin. How comfortable is it working with him?
NH: It was great working with Justin because the main thing is we’re British people going over to South Africa to tell a story about South Africans and about an incredibly important time in history and about these iconic figures. And to do that, I think you need a director who’s going to be incredibly sensitive and collaborative with the local community. And that is Justin. He’s always incredibly sensitive and listens to the community that he’s filming in. Because that was my experience when I worked with him on “The First Grader”. That was a wonderful thing. We went to Kenya and we filmed as a small band of British people coming into this very rural Kenyan community. And he was so sensitive and just said the main thing he wanted was to leave this community intact. And not to disrupt it in a way that we’d leave a massive footprint when we left. I knew that he’d bring those kind of things and those sensibilities to South Africa; and tell this African story faithfully. And he really did. I mean you’d have a runner or an extra who’d have something to say about a particular scene that we were doing, they’d have an anecdote of what happened when, say, they were there or their mother was there at the time. He would always listen. And then say, “Right, we’re going to add this extra bit in because I just heard from this guy a story about what happened in this time.” So he’s incredibly collaborative. And responsive to the environment that he’s filming in and to the people he’s filming with.
Being that Justin wanted to show the romantic angle between Nelson and Winnie, what did you and Idris do to establish the chemistry as we see it evolve and dissolve in some ways. How would you best describe their relationship?
NH: So working with Idris was really, really fantastic. We were both intimidated by the roles that we were taking on. And he was so open about that. And he really kind of took me under his wing and held my hand throughout the whole experience. It really felt like we were able to go on this journey together. And we felt stronger because we were together. We were united in the face of some Africans not being happy about the fact that these iconic roles were being played by British people. It was nice to have each other to rely on and to lean on through that experience. In terms of the film, the love story between Nelson and Winnie really is at the heart of this film, which is what Justin wanted. It really is incredibly beautiful because you see two people who are so passionately in love with each other and then you watch how apartheid destroys that love. It’s almost like the wider political activities that played out in their relationship with each other, and so you see the real effect, the personal toll of apartheid.
Did you have to do a lot of changing physically throughout the years as Winnie grew? Hairstyle? Costume changes?
NH: Yes, yes. There were, gosh, I can’t even remember how many costume changes. I think there’s about forty or fifty costume changes. So we had a lot of costume changes. And as she got older then I wore a fat suit. And we had prosthetics. We were in for like four hours of prosthetics during the days when I had to play the older Winnie. Yeah, so definitely a lot of changes.
There have been different documentaries and different versions of Nelson Mandela’s story. What sets this apart from what you may or may not have seen or read?
NH: I think what sets it apart is the fact that it’s the only film ever made about the Mandelas that’s been endorsed by the Mandelas themselves. So we were able to make this with access to footage, to interviewing the Mandelas themselves, which has never been done before. We were able to find out information that other people just wouldn’t have access to. I think that really to have made this film with their blessing, I think, really makes a big difference. Justin added very personal details. Like Zindzi Mandela talks about the fact that when her mother was in prison her sister would look after her and make a porridge of just bread warmed with sugar. These little tiny details just all add to the authenticity of the film, and we were able to add in. I think it’s the most comprehensive view ever of the Mandelas’ story.
With most films you can walk away and do another film. But here you’re in a film about an iconic figure, you’re playing an iconic figure. How do you walk away with this or what did you take away from this?
NH: It’s very difficult to walk away. I think it took me about six months to come out of the role of Winnie. I felt trapped in her for a long time. I haven’t worked for a year since doing the film because I just felt so emotionally drained from doing it. It’s definitely the most challenging role that I have ever played.
After this movie, what are you preparing to do next? Moneypenny, again?
NH: Yeah, next I’ve got another Bond movie. Yes.
When you walk away from doing this movie, what keeps you grounded?
NH: What keeps me grounded? My family, I think. I’m very close to my family. I live on the same road as my family. I’m very close to them. We’re a very close-knit family. So I think it’s them.
At the end of the day if people are ready to come out Thanksgiving weekend to see different films, what’s a good reason to see “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”?
NH: I think it’s an epic tale. I think the main thing is it’s an uplifting film. It’s a really inspiring film with a beautiful message of ultimately hope; and a beautiful lesson about the power of forgiveness, as well. I think those are lessons and messages that we still need and that are incredibly relevant today. But it’s not like an historical lesson, either. At the heart of it, as we discussed already, is a beautiful love story. And, also, there’s a lot of humor in there, as well. I think it’s an epic tale with everything that everyone could want.
Clip – Meeting Winnie
