Irish actress Ruth Negga has been surrounded with rumours of an Oscar nomination since she stepped onto the red carpet at Cannes this year, as the lead actress of Jeff Nichols’ ‘Loving’. She has spoken out recently on her recent work, what attracts her to play characters, and her stance on racial equality in Hollywood.
The feature film 'Loving' was positively received by festival goers at Cannes this May as a standout project. Nichols has been widely commended on his achievement in accurately but delicately portraying the lives of a mixed-race couple in 1960s Virginia.
Speaking about her role as Mildred Loving to Indiewire, Negga stated: “I fell completely, madly in love with these two phenomenal human beings, who I thought were such essentially good and kind people. I thought their story was extraordinary, and it really resonated with me.”
Negga was impressed by the style of Nichol’s previous features, ‘Mud’ and ‘Take Shelter’, whose subtle style continues with ‘Loving’.
The Cannes success of ‘Loving’ was continued with the first episode of AMC series ‘Preacher’ airing on May 22nd. The fiery character of Tulip O’Hare couldn’t be more opposite to the quiet, dignified wife of her former project, and yet Negga’s performance continues to impress.
What enticed her to play O’Hare in the supernatural series was the breakdown of convention we see in her as a female protagonist.
Also speaking out recently about the racial equality issues in Hollywood, Negga admits she feels change is coming at a glacier pace but is pleased with the progress which is being made. Conversely, she also asserts: “The status quo is being challenged, and the idea that there should be minimal amount of black people onscreen, that idea will become completely unacceptable.”
This follows the recent invitations issued by the American Academy to 683 members, 41% of which are people of colour.
The 33 year old actress remains humble about being dubbed for Oscar success, maintaining her goal as an actor is to continually find material which challenges her. She is also confirmed for an Acting Masterclass at the upcoming Galway Film Festival.