JS Whether you’re at home or on the move, would you say that observation is key to your storytelling process?
LW I observe a lot. As artists get older and more well-known, oftentimes, their work suffers because they get isolated. Here’s the thing: I’ve always been a person who likes to just walk around. I still go places. Yes, people come up to me sometimes. I just try to make sure I don’t get stuck sitting in the tent by myself. I enjoy interacting and going out into the world. It fuels me. Of course, it’s been tough during the pandemic. At the same time, now we all are more familiar with loneliness and the fact that we are social beings. My hope is that I can continue to move the way I do because that’s important for me as a writer.
JS Speaking of writing, how would you rank the jobs you have in the film industry, from favorite to least favorite?
LW Writing, producing, acting. I’m a writer first and a producer second, even though I’m becoming more of a producer-slash-writer. I get to moonlight as an actor, which is a beautiful thing. To reunite the band with Master of None was a beautiful thing. We were a band that started playing together young, and then we had a chance to mature and create a comeback album. It’s one of the most important seasons of the show.
JS There’s a level of detail and consideration that goes into everything you do. Would you say that you’re obsessive about the look and feel of what you put out?
LW Absolutely. The last eye is mine because my name is on it. I’m good at finding people with great taste who have a great eye. That’s who I’m attracted to. I love being around visionaries. Melina Matsoukas is a visionary. Justin Simien is a visionary. Radha Blank is a visionary. They are all filmmakers I worked with on Dear White People, Queen & Slim, and The 40-Year-Old Version. It’s about voice — that’s what I’m really drawn to. People with vision know how to paint really beautiful pictures. Of course, I’m drawn to Melina’s aesthetic, but what I really gravitate to is who she is. They go hand in hand.
JS How would you describe your approach to collaborating with fellow visionaries?
LW It depends on my role. If I’m a writer, I might be more in dialogue with the director. If I’m a producer, I focus on being supportive and telling the talent to trust themselves. Sometimes, I’m the financier, and I wouldn’t be investing my money if I didn’t believe in the vision. When I sat at Radha Blank’s table as a producer, she came to me and said, “Lena, give me some more criticism.Come on, what do you think?” I said, “I think it’s a beautiful movie, Radha. It’s yours. I don’t want to tell you what I would do. This isn’t my film.” The film went to Sundance, and she became the second Black woman to ever win Best Director in the 40- year history of the Sundance Film Festival. She also got nominated for a BAFTA. It’s not always my job to tell someone to change something. I know when somebody’s on the right path. I don’t have to fuck with everything.
JS How does collaboration shift when you’re acting?
LW I listen to the director. That’s my job. I’m part of a team. I’m a player on the field. What’s the play? What we doing? I’m not here to coach. I’m not calling the play. I’m here to deliver. I’m here to catch the ball and get into the end zone. You just let me know what my position is, and I’ll play it.
JS Entertainment has this amazing power to galvanize people and make them feel seen. Did you always know you wanted to harness that power in your work?
LW It really all started with the movies I grew up on. I remember watching Boyz n the Hood, Do The Right Thing, New Jack City, and Set It Off. Menace II Society was my favorite. I also grew up watching documentaries like Eyes on the Prize, Hoop Dreams, and Jazz by Kenny Burns. Watching these films showed me what I’m entertained by and helped me learn about a group of people I hadn’t met. Even though they were mostly fictional characters, I knew they represented real people, and that always fascinated me. It was real hardcore art in terms of what the art was saying. They were big movies with real messages. Sometimes, I think we forget that movies tell us something about the times we live in. They humanize people. They show us people who look like us, who live in the houses we live in. Then, they show us to people who never had to think about us. I was a Black kid in Chicago dreaming, and when I watched these films, I saw myself. I remember sitting in my room in Chicago, watching Hoop Dreams about kids in Chicago. Years later, I was sitting in an apartment in North Hollywood writing a pilot about the city of Chicago.