Before Andra Day won the Best Actress Golden Globe for her fantastic work in Lee Daniels’ The United States vs. Billie Holiday, I was able to conduct a wide-ranging conversation with the newly crowned star. During the interview, Day talked about why she was extremely hesitant to take on the role, how Billie Holiday doesn’t get enough credit for her work in the civil rights movement, how Daniels helped craft her performance, what she took home from set, if she asked to film certain things towards the end of the shoot, and more. In addition, she revealed what movies she’s seen the most and what TV series she’d love to guest star on.
If you’re not familiar with The United States vs. Billie Holiday (which is now streaming on Hulu), inspired by Billie Holiday's life story, the film pulls back the curtain on one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time and the way the Federal government targeted her over her efforts to sing "Strange Fruit," a song about lynchings in the South. The film also stars Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund, Natasha Lyonne, Rob Morgan,Evan Ross, Tyler James Williams, Miss Lawrence, Tone Bell, Erik LaRay Harvey, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Check out what Andra Day had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about followed by the official synopsis.
Andra Day:
- What movie has she seen the most?
- What TV series would she like to guest star on?
- How Billie Holiday doesn’t get enough credit for her work in civil rights. Even today musicians are careful about talking about certain issues.
- When Daniels offered her the role was she nervous about taking it on?
- Talks about her hesitancy on taking the role and why she did not want to do it.
- How is Lee Daniels able to help craft such great performances?
- What did she take home from set?
- Did she want to film certain things towards the end of the shoot?
Here's the official synopsis:
The legendary Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe. Beginning in the 1940’s in New York City, the federal government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to escalate and racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial and heart-wrenching ballad, “Strange Fruit.” Led by Oscar nominated director Lee Daniels and introducing Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday unapologetically presents the icon’s complicated, irrepressible life. Screenplay Writer Suzan-Lori Parks, the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, pens this intimate tale of a fierce trailblazer whose defiance through music helped usher in the civil rights movement.