Actress Naomie Harris Was Hit In the Head & Called A ‘N*gger’

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris’ time to shine has been long overdue. The 40-year-old British actress takes her place in the spotlight with her latest film “Moonlight.” Her role as the crack addicted mother, Paula, has snagged her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress against Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer.  In a recent interview, Harris’ discusses her life growing up, experiencing racism at 16 while in France during a student exchange and losing herself in the character Paula.  Peep some of the excerpts from the interview.

On being in control at all times:

I’m so Miss Control Freak. I could never imagine being drunk or losing control like that. That’s my worst nightmare.

On how playing Paula and the impact on her:

During the time that I was shooting, Barry said that that was the hardest period, because he had to really relive aspects of his childhood that he wanted to forget.

On a record number of African-Americans being nominated for Oscars this year: 

I know that everyone thinks this year is a response to that whole campaign. When, in fact, these films were in production or preproduction for years before all of this. So they aren’t actually a response to that whole argument. So I don’t like the way that they’re used as a response to that. And people are saying, you know, ‘Isn’t it amazing in a year how things have changed as a result of that campaign?

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