Thuso Mbedu Tells Oprah Winfrey What She Did To Prepare For Her Role #TheUndergroundRailroad

Thuso Mbedu Tells Oprah Winfrey What She Did To Prepare For Her Role. Anyone would kill to get to interview Oprah Winfrey. She is one of the most influential women in the world, and just being around her is an achievement for many. It goes without saying then, that being hunted by Oprah for an interview is on some kind of epic levels.

Courtesy of Zoom Meetings App, Thuso Mbedu got to bag the interview of her lifetime with the undisputed queen of talk show. Oprah sat down with the lady of the moment to chat about her role in the just released Amazon series, The Underground Railroad. On the series Mbedu plays Cora Randall, who escapes from the same Georgia plantation that had enslaved three generations of her family. Over the course of her perilous journey, Cora endures hardships that are often difficult to watch

As one of the people who have watched the series, Oprah shared on Instagram that Mbedu gave the performance of a lifetime. She also added that great things are coming the actress’ way. Winfrey advised those who are yet to watch the series to pace themselves through the 10 episodes, since most of the scenes are hectic.

Oprah has taken things further by setting up an interview with the award winning actress. One of the questions that she asked Mbedu, was how she prepared for the role of Cora. As expected, Mbedu carried out an intensive research prior to shooting. Film director, screenwriter and producer Barry Jenkins, sent her a lot of material to read, as well as audio testimonials of former enslaved people. She also had to prepare her emotions, mental, and physical journey from episode 1 to episode 10.

“I honestly had to do a lot of research. I told myself that whatever I thought I knew about the enslaved people in the 1800s, I must forget about and take everything anew. I read a lot, I consumed a lot of material, Barry sent me stuff to read. He sent me audio testimonials of former enslaved people. I remember hearing them for the first time and something really shifted in me. They spoke very broken English because they were taught English for instruction, not conversation. If you were to go to South Africa or different parts of Africa today, you’d hear people speak like that. It stopped being an African American story and it became a story about Africans in America.

I had to sit with my dialect coach and say, “Yes we are working at the accent, but I want to and need to track Cora’s vocal journey.” You store away traumas and experiences through your voice. I had to prepare her emotions, mental, and physical journey from episode 1 to episode 10, but shooting out of sequence. I had to keep careful note of what was happening. Barry was there supporting and guiding me along the way,” Mbedu said.

“I have never, ever in this lifetime seen as consistent a performance as you have given in The Underground Railroa,….You have the gift, girl,” Oprah said.