Mouna Traoré – Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker

By starrymag | March 20, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) What are the recent projects that you have been busy working on?

 

A) Most recently I worked on “Self Made: inspired by the life of Madam CJ Walker” on Netflix as well as another Netflix show. That’s been cool. Right now, I’m just auditioning and writing. I just moved to LA. It’s been a big transition, so I’m just getting adjusted all while pilot season is going on.

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.”

 

A) “Self Made” is based on the book about the life of Sarah Breedlove (also known as Madam C.J. Walker). It basically follows Madam C.J. Walker (Octavia Spencer), a woman, who becomes an entrepreneur and establishes a black hair care empire. It’s about the trials and tribulations she goes through to be the first self-made millionaire in America.

 

Q) How does Esther play into the story?

 

A) Without giving too much away, Esther comes into the fold because she is one of the factory workers making the product in Madam C.J. Walker’s facility. Then, she develops a relationship with one of the other characters. She is someone who, for the time, is very avant-garde. She is very artistic and she is not living like typical lifestyle of a woman in 1908.

 

Q) Was there anything you added to this role that wasn’t in her initial breakdown?

 

A) I think I tried to bring my own sense of quirkiness to the character and my own sense of creativity. Of course, they had an idea of who this character is and it was up to me to bring my own world view – my own lens. For me, I just wanted her to be a strong, lighthearted, independent character who was kind of a relief to the seriousness that was going on in this time period because this was post-slavery. And you have black people trying to establish themselves beyond…within a time period that was very oppressive. For my character to be living outside of the bounds of that, I think is really progressive and it takes a very unique, sassy, quirky spirit to be that.

 

Q) What did you find challenging about the role?

 

A) Wearing a corset. I hate wearing a corset. [laughs] I wouldn’t say challenging. Also, I was previously on a series that took place during that time period. So, I knew a lot about people during that time period – not only people in America but also in Canada. It was a kind of a familiar world to be in for me.

 

Q) Were you familiar with any of your costars before working with them on the series?

 

A) Of course! I was very familiar with Tiffany [Haddish], who I ended up working a lot with. She is somebody who has seen so many interviews with and I’ve seen her in so many TV shows. I loved “The Last O.G.” and I loved Girls Trip. That was super exciting. Obviously, Octavia…She’s a queen. So, that was like (as Oprah says) an “a ha moment.” Being in a room and watching Octavia walk in was like, “This is it…” I’m realizing some shit about manifesting my dreams. I’m having a moment where I’m seeing someone I always wanted to work with and have grown up watching. I’m in the same room as her and I’m speaking words to her. Of course, Blair Underwood and Garrett Morris. He’s a titan in this industry and I didn’t really get it until I met him. When you realize it, he was in the original cast of “Saturday Night Live.” He’s been doing this so long! He is eighty-two years old! He is still on top of the game. It’s kind of insane! He’s so on top of it and so quick. He was such a delight. Honestly, I could be around him all day.

 

Q) What were some of your favorite scenes to film?

 

A) I think my favorite scenes were the most lighthearted ones. I filmed some fun stuff in the factory with Tiffany and it was just so easy. It was beautiful to be in the factory because we had all these extras who were beautiful black people dressed in the times and they look so immaculate. And Octavia is there as Madam C.J. Walker speaking to them and all the rest of the cast who were in the scene were there. It was just a really powerful moment to see this experience brought to light – what it must have been like for Madam C.J. Walker to be not only within her community, but a leader in her community, speaking to all of these people and empowering them and giving them jobs. Also, she is creating a product that for them was really significant.

 

Q) What do you hope viewers take away from watching the series?

 

A) Especially with it being Women’s History Month, I really hope that people are able to take in what it means to be a woman (especially a black woman) during that time period and how much our ancestors and people in our family had to fight for us to have the freedoms that we have today. For us to have the social and economic mobility that we have to be in certain spaces, there had to be someone like her for us to have Oprah. I know that sounds farfetched, but she had to do it to let us know that it could be done – in a landscape and a time period where there weren’t very many images of black people ascending in business and gaining economic power and independence.

 

Q) Is there anything else about your time on “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” that you want to be sure we share with our readers?

 

A) I think it’s really important that we give opportunities to black women filmmakers. The women who wrote and made this project – they put their heart and souls into crafting a series that would portray all the complex experiences that Madam C.J. Walker went through. They are not trying to sugarcoat anything and they are not trying to give us a simplified stereotype of blackness, which is sometimes what we see. So, it’s important to congratulate, support and give thanks to Nicole Jefferson Asher, who is one of the writers. Then, also the showrunners Elle Johnson and Janine Sherman Barrois. Also, Springhill Entertainment (who are some of the producers) and Netflix. It’s important that we believe and support women who want to take this time to create representation of people in history we haven’t seen and who haven’t had a voice.

 

Q) How do you plan to celebrate the premiere of the series?

 

A) I’m going to be celebrating by doing a screening at home with my boyfriend. I’ll be posting all about it! The LA premier was cancelled unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and because we’re doing social distancing, we’ll be watching on our own (with plenty of wine!)

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the instant fan feedback you’ll receive to the show?

 

A) I am so nervous! Oh my gosh! I haven’t seen it yet so I don’t actually know how it is going to be. I have no idea how it is going to be. I have no idea! I’m very nervous. [smiles]

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and your work?

 

A) I would just like to thank people for supporting me. I’m so grateful for people who take time to not only send me messages, but also to follow the things I’m doing and actually engage with them. It really means a lot. I also want to invite people to do their own research and exploration because Black History and Women’s History is all of our history. There are so many other resources so we can inform ourselves of the things that the people have been doing in our communities to help us get where we are today. So, whether it is picking up the book on the history of hair and black hair or going out and checking out the biography on Madam C.J. Walker or possibly checking out the stats on the company, which is still up and running. I think that stuff is important too. Try to engage with the content and the materials that created this content outside of just Netflix.