Actress Ruth Negga on Her New Movie Loving
Irish-Ethiopian actor Ruth Negga prepares to make a splash in the stirring drama Loving (November 4), in which she plays a humble American hero. Melissa Goldberg spoke with the rising star.
Photo: Justin Coit/Trunk Archive
Melissa Goldberg:
Loving is the true story of Mildred and Richard Loving, a black woman and white man who fought outdated laws to be legally married in 1960s Virginia. What about the project captivated you?
Ruth Negga: The script. It was like I felt a sudden swirl of energy lift off the pages—as though it were actually alive. It's a sparse script in terms of dialogue, but there's an exquisite soulfulness about it. That's a rare thing.
MG: What drew you to Mildred?
RN: I was fascinated with this shy woman who also had a steel thread running through her. And I couldn't doubt my personal connection to her: My parents, like Mildred and Richard, were in a mixed-race relationship. It's hard to imagine how different my life would be if the Lovings hadn't put their heads above the parapet.
MG: You have such a clear understanding of Mildred; how would you describe yourself?
RN: Do you know what a blatherer is? In Ireland, it describes someone who talks nonstop nonsense—I'm definitely a blatherer.
Ruth Negga: The script. It was like I felt a sudden swirl of energy lift off the pages—as though it were actually alive. It's a sparse script in terms of dialogue, but there's an exquisite soulfulness about it. That's a rare thing.
MG: What drew you to Mildred?
RN: I was fascinated with this shy woman who also had a steel thread running through her. And I couldn't doubt my personal connection to her: My parents, like Mildred and Richard, were in a mixed-race relationship. It's hard to imagine how different my life would be if the Lovings hadn't put their heads above the parapet.
MG: You have such a clear understanding of Mildred; how would you describe yourself?
RN: Do you know what a blatherer is? In Ireland, it describes someone who talks nonstop nonsense—I'm definitely a blatherer.
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