It’s been several years since we saw her last film, The Secret Life of Bees, but writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood is finally back with the romantic drama, Beyond the Lights.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as Noni Jean, a singer on the brink of stardom. It doesn’t take long though for the pressures of fame to come down on her and she soon finds herself hanging off the balcony of a hotel room.
Coming to her rescue is Kaz Nicol (Nate Parker), a police officer and aspiring politician who sees her in a way no one else dares to and finds the good in her. From there, they find themselves drawn to each other and it is through their relationship that they discover what they really want most out of life.
The recent press day for Beyond the Lights in Los Angeles gave me the opportunity to speak with both Gugu and Nate, who give fantastic performances in the film. They both described the challenges that their roles presented them, what they did to prepare to play these characters, and how making this movie changed the way they look at show business.
Check it out in the video above and be sure to catch Beyond The Lights as it’s now playing in theatres!