Surrounded's Letitia Wright And Michael K. Williams Bonded Around The Fire In His Final Film - Exclusive Interview
While Letitia Wright may be best known for her portrayal of Shuri in the blockbuster "Black Panther" franchise, the Guyanese British actor has more than a decade's worth of acting credits under her belt, including being nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her role in the British anthology "Black Mirror."
After taking over the mantle of Black Panther in 2022's "Wakanda Forever," Wright is moving in a different direction with her next film, "Surrounded," a subversive Western that will be available on digital everywhere on June 20. The film follows freedwoman and former Buffalo Soldier Mo Washington (Wright) as she travels west disguised as a man to lay claim to land five years after the Civil War. When her stagecoach is ambushed by outlaws, Mo is left alone in the harsh Western landscape to guard a murderous thief (Jamie Bell) as her fellow survivors seek out help. The film features the final performance of Michael K. Williams, who died in 2021.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Wright reflected on working with Williams and what it means to help blaze a path for Black women in Westerns with "Surrounded."
'It was important to do something that felt different'
You both star in and produced "Surrounded." Why was it an important story for you to tell?
I love stories that challenge me as an artist. Also, it was an opportunity to see a Black woman in a Western. I haven't seen much of that. It was important to do something that felt different, that felt left-of-field for me in my career, and to tell a story that felt impactful and important. That's why I loved it.
A lot of people know you from your portrayal of Shuri from the "Black Panther" franchise. What was it like going from the grandiose realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to this more subtle, serious fare?
It was quite natural to me. I come from an indie background. I come from theater. "Black Panther" is the only huge franchise I've ever been a part of — all of my other films and projects have been small pockets of beautiful stories that go alongside the beautiful story of "Black Panther." So it felt really easy, really nice, to extend my skillset into a different area that may not be a huge blockbuster film like "Black Panther" but still allows me to shift as an artist.
Both Shuri and Mo are strong Black women who buck the stereotype of what a woman should be or how they should act. How important is it to you to help change the way minorities and women are seen through the Hollywood lens?
I think everyone feels that it's important. It drives what you do. It's really important to me, and it leads my choices.
Can you talk a little bit more about being a Black woman in a Western and where you drew inspiration from, since there's not a lot to draw from?
Great question. We mainly drew inspiration from the experience of a beautiful woman named Cathay Williams. What we learned from research was that she hid, in the Civil War, in a men's troop and didn't reveal that she was a woman. She did that for survival; she did that for food and some type of shelter. She fought alongside these men for many years until it was time for her to leave, until they came to know that she was a woman. That was a great inspiration — of bravery, of someone that took a chance at survival and to protect herself.
Then there were a few other beautiful inspirations from cinematic representations of Black women in Westerns. The ones that come to mind are a project [by] Erykah Badu [called "They Die by Dawn"] and "The Harder They Fall" [by Jeymes Samuel].
Your "Surrounded" co-star Jamie Bell also has some MCU involvement in his past, having been in "Fantastic Four." Did you two ever discuss your shared MCU experience on the set?
No, never. We spoke about so much, but mainly we were trying to get through the heat and the snow and the different terrains of the desert. I actually didn't know that fun fact about him, but I'll be sure to ask him.
Michael K. Williams kept Wright laughing on set
Do you have any fond memories you can share about working with Michael K. Williams?
So many. He was such a beautiful man. The scenes we had together were predominantly at night, so it was really cold. We had these big fireplaces where we would go to keep warm, and there's a picture on my phone that someone took of me and Michael where he is helping keep my hands warm. We shared a lot of jokes, a lot of laughter. He kept cracking me up. I had to be like, "Michael, I'm trying to do my scene." But he was an absolute professional when it came to being on set and playing this beautiful character. I have a lot of beautiful memories with him.
You mentioned the elements. Was that the most challenging part of being on the "Surrounded" set?
Yeah, the weather. Those are real mountains up there. The sun is really hot. The snow is really coming down to mess up filming. There were challenges with the weather, but we made it through.
What was the most gratifying part?
The most gratifying part was my endurance and being on set with my cast and crew, especially with Jamie and Michael, and Jeffrey [Donovan] as well. It was seeing everybody work so hard to bring this story to life, and my gun-slinging skills. Everything coming together to make it a true Western — I am really proud of that.
How did your gun-slinging skills come about?
We had a great team, a great props master who was adamant that I needed to understand the ins and outs of my gun and how to keep safe at all times. He was literally like a guardian angel during filming. He believed in me more than I believed in myself. He was like, "I'm going to make a good shooter out of you." He has trained so many people along the way in his years of experience, so he taught me well. Plus, I'm a quick learner. I got to learn and put that to the forefront. There are no stunt doubles. It's me giving the best I can give, and it was a beautiful experience for me.
What do you hope viewers take away from this film?
So much — not only to be entertained with the Western and the dramatics of it all but to see a journey of a character that's really hopeful about their future. Even when life is trying to actively knock them down, they get back up and they hopefully make it. I hope that speaks to the audience about how they too can find their way in life.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
"Surrounded" will be available on digital everywhere on June 20.