Emayatzy Corinealdi played the pivotal character of Belle, wife of Kunta Kinte, in the highly praised remake of “Roots.” Rolling out spoke with this dynamic young actress about her role and the impact it had on her work as an actress and individual.
What is the etymology of your name?
My dad is from Panama and that is where the name comes from. There was a princess in Panama and her name was Yatzy and that is what my dad wanted to name me but my mom didn’t like that name. So he took her mother’s name which was Emma and made Emayatzy.
Did you see the original mini-series as a child? How old were you?
I did see the original mini-series when I was in high school. When the original came out it was before my time.
What impact did it have on you? Did you cry?
The one thing that stood out to me when I was watching was that I was learning something that I had not been learning in school. I really didn’t know much about slavery. So seeing it portrayed in that kind of way, I remember asking a lot of questions like “Oh, well why didn’t I know this before?” And, “When did this happen?” It made more questions come up just to the magnitude of slavery. Of course I understood that slavery had happened, but not to the depth that it was shown in “Roots.” Yes it did, it absolutely made me cry.
How did you approach the role?
We did a couple of different things, one it was really just the time that we are currently in a lot of that helped with the feelings that are currently happening with Black people, that you are not relevant, not part of the conversation. Which is why there was a need for Black Lives Matter. So a lot of that fed into the preparation because I could feel the frustration of that a lot of times. Anger, disappointment, you know, I could feel that and taking an educated guess, I could imagine that was what my ancestors were feeling to an even deeper degree, that was a large part of it. Also, taking stock of the updated information that we have now, things we have learned since the original “Roots” about slavery. Taking all of that information and putting it into one, those are the main things that I did to prepare.
What emotions did you have when playing the role?
They were deep. We were filming in Louisiana on actual plantations and that was surreal to me. I never set foot on a plantation before. So that set off its own kind of emotion — the plantation itself really became a character in a lot of ways. The emotions were really present at the top of my skin at any given moment — anger, excitement, joy, sadness, frustration — everything was present because of the things that they (our ancestors) experienced. It was one of the most spiritually, mentally and physically challenging roles that I have done to date. I could absolutely feel the spirits of our ancestors while doing this role.
Is it important that people see both the original and the new version? Why or why not?
I definitely think that people should see both, they are different. This is a remake per se so they are different in the ways the story is presented. They are different in the way the story is told. Seeing them both together is something that people should do. They should buy the original “Roots” as well as the new “Roots” DVD that has been released.
Why should we still be focused on stories regarding our struggle as slaves in America?
Because there will never be too many stories told about our enslavement in America. There are so many untold experiences that I believe must be told. The history of slavery seems to be a topic that people don’t want to discuss, there’s like an almost shameful feeling. But it’s a shame that slavery happened and it must be talked about.
Why were you proud of your work in the series?
Because it was bigger than me, to be a part of that was just important to me. There were so many people wrapped up in my character of Belle.
Did you speak to any of the cast members of the original series?
I met with Levar Burton, he came and visited our set and it was fantastic,
Is there a memorable moment during filming that stays in your mind?
There were so many. Every day was a new experience for better or for worse. Filming that last scene when my daughter Kizzy was taken away the emotional and spiritual journey that my soul took was something that I will surely remember. Also, the day we shot are wedding scene — that was really beautiful. It was a very rare moment of just fun that we got to have.
What projects are you working on now?
I just wrapped season two of “Hand of God” on Amazon. From there, I am looking at what will be the next best project.
Do you have a daily affirmation?
I don’t have a daily affirmation but I do go to prayer every day. That is what centers and grounds me.
What would you like to say to our readers in closing?
One of the things that doing roots inspired me to do is learn my roots, to know where I’m from. That was big for me. So I would say doing that is really valuable, knowing more about your history will give you insight and power. Know who you are — it will make you stand a little bit taller and help you make the right decisions. Knowing who you are can send you on a much straighter path.
