Podcast Summary: ALL OF IT – Star Tessa Thompson Talks 'Hedda'

Podcast: ALL OF IT with Alison Stewart | Date: January 9, 2026
Guest(s): Tessa Thompson (actor, producer), Nia DaCosta (writer, director)
Topic: Tessa Thompson and Nia DaCosta discuss their bold reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler — the film “Hedda,” its themes, characters, production, and significance.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler into the film Hedda, directed by Nia DaCosta and starring/produced by Tessa Thompson. The conversation explores the process of reinterpreting a classic through a modern lens — including themes of personhood, agency, race, sexuality, and the creative collaboration involved. The hosts delve deeply into character development, directorial choices, and the significance of setting, all through the candid, thoughtful perspective of both DaCosta and Thompson.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Central Themes of the Adaptation

(02:12 – 04:03)

• Personhood and Self-Knowing:

  • DaCosta emphasizes questions around "personhood and self-knowing and power, bravery, cowardice" and how these ideas drive Hedda's complexity.
  • “She’s so confrontational and challenging, it makes those themes even more resonant.” – Nia DaCosta (02:35)

• Reconstructing a Classic:

  • Thompson’s lifelong appreciation for the classics, and her trust in DaCosta’s vision.
  • “If you’re gonna take one of these classics, you have to have skin in the game. You have to have a real reason… Now this is a woman I’m really fascinated by.” – Tessa Thompson (03:23)

2. Wrestling with Hedda’s Enigma

(04:03 – 05:16)

• DaCosta describes creating her version as “wrestling with Hedda, like in the mud” and how every performer brings a new interpretation.
• Always wrote the script “with Tessa in mind as Hedda in an ideal world—which is the world we’re in.” (04:45)
• Discussion of whether we live in an "ideal world"—playful banter about the challenges of filmmaking and reality.

3. Tradition vs. Breaking Rules

(05:12 – 06:44)

• Thompson on tradition: “You’re a part of a tradition...”
• Watched prior Hedda adaptations to “understand the rules we were breaking.”

4. The Leap from Stage to Screen

(05:41 – 06:44)

• DaCosta imagined a stage version but realized the story’s power in cinematic form, citing vivid filmic images, e.g., Hedda’s hand bracing herself on a wall representing public/private selves.

5. Producing: Thompson’s Involvement

(06:44 – 09:24)

• Thompson explains her production company, Viva Maude, inspired by the film Harold and Maude for its “spirit of challenging and interesting protagonists.”
• On producing: “In some ways, we’re like the least essential, even though we get immortalized... So I think it’s just been a process of really leaning in and learning so, so much about the process of making a movie...” (08:37)

6. Setting the Story in 1950s England

(09:24 – 10:50)

• DaCosta moved the setting to 1950s England to highlight themes of repression and conformity.
• “It’s a time of manners, it’s a time of pretending. And so much of Hedda is about pretending.”
• Post-war England reflects Hedda’s desire to reclaim the past—a trauma response relevant to her journey.

7. Characterizing Hedda and Eileen

(11:24 – 19:29)

• What Does Hedda Want?:

  • “Our portrait of Hedda is a woman who is dying to live... she hears Eileen’s name and that’s as good a reason as any.” – Tessa Thompson (11:24)

  • The film’s early close-ups and shadowed imagery intentionally delay intimacy, building context.

• Costumes as Armor:

  • “Hedda is a woman... putting on a suit, has a kind of armor and has a kind of construction of self... It’s both a blessing and a curse.” – Tessa Thompson (13:25)

• The House as Character:

  • Extensive discussion of their rare luck in securing Flintam Hall for filming and crafting the space as an active element of Hedda’s world.
  • “This house becomes a character in the movie... it plays a profound sort of role in Hedda and the choices she’s made.” – Tessa Thompson (16:52)

• Eileen Loveborg:

  • Described by DaCosta as “an academic...troubled...brilliant...an addict...ambitious...compelling, empathetic, but also troubled” (18:25)

• Marriage as a Pragmatic Choice:

  • “I think she chooses George because he is really the only viable option...she’s also, you know, a woman of color who is really, I think, limited in terms of choices that she can make during that time...a choice that a lot of people make...out of some, you know, pragmatic desire.” – Tessa Thompson (19:29)

8. Intersectionality: Agency, Race, & Sexuality

(22:00 – 24:43)

• DaCosta wanted “all my leads to be Black — Black women in particular,” exploring Hedda as mixed-race and queer in 1950s England.

• “Period pieces are so heteronormative. I want to speak to that experience.” – Nia DaCosta (22:50)

• Intersections of Constraint:

  • “It really stands to challenge her ability to really find a real pathway to personhood...there’s intersectional nuance to mine...it always sort of felt kind of sad to me they can’t completely find that in each other.” – Tessa Thompson (23:23)

9. Hedda’s Voice: Code-Switching & Performance

(24:46 – 26:00)

• Thompson researched aristocratic British voices, noting their “silliness” and how social status shows in one’s speech:
  • “The more wealth you had and more power you had, the less you have to even open your mouth to speak.”
  • Views Hedda’s voice as an act of complete code-switching—a constructed, performative identity.

10. Manipulation, Brilliance, and Innocence

(27:08 – 28:54)

• DaCosta: “Oh, absolutely, [she’s manipulative], but she’s brilliant and she’s chosen to use her brilliance in ways she feels she has access to.”
• Thompson: “Not personally. In the same way children are manipulative... but also innocent...that’s the way I understood Hedda.”

11. Scenes to Rewatch: Vulnerability and Truth

(29:13 – 30:43)

• DaCosta recommends the “bedroom scene between Eileen and Hedda” for its layers of truth and lies, conscious and unconscious.
• Thompson agrees: “We miss opportunities for real connection when we’re afraid to be really vulnerable...they were almost right there.”

12. Final Moments and Performance

(30:50 – 31:26)

• Thompson credits DaCosta’s stage directions for the film’s final shot:
  • “Hedda, caught between dark finality and dark possibility, can do nothing but break out into a wild, wanting, wicked smile.”
  • “It almost got tattooed on my brain.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nia DaCosta on Hedda’s nature:
  “She’s so confrontational and challenging...even more resonant.” (02:35)

• Tessa Thompson on adapting classics:
  “If you’re gonna take one of these classics, you have to have skin in the game.” (03:09)

• Nia DaCosta on setting:
  “1950s England would be perfect. It’s a time of manners, it’s a time of pretending. So much of Hedda is about pretending.” (10:16)

• Tessa Thompson on pragmatic marriage:
  “They get into marriages or relationships out of some pragmatic desire and then they find themselves in lives that don’t fit too squarely on them.” (20:55)

• Thompson on code-switching:
  “There’s a part of Hedda that felt like she’s kind of reaching for something that isn’t entirely authentic to her...” (25:25)

• DaCosta and Thompson on vulnerability:
  “We miss opportunities for real connection when we’re afraid to be really vulnerable...they were almost right there.” – Tessa Thompson (29:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Central Themes & Approach – 02:12-04:03
• Tradition vs. Breaking Rules – 05:12-06:44
• Producing & Collaboration – 06:44-09:24
• Setting in 1950s England – 09:24-10:50
• Characterization of Hedda & Eileen – 11:24-19:29
• Agency, Race & Sexuality – 22:00-24:43
• Hedda’s Voice & Code-Switching – 24:46-26:00
• Manipulation and Innocence – 27:08-28:54
• Scenes to Rewatch – 29:13-30:43
• Final Stage Direction & Performance – 30:50-31:26

Memorable & Revelatory Moments

• House as a Character:
  The detailed discussion of how critical Flintam Hall was to the narrative and visual storytelling.

• On streaming and scene repetition:
  Both DaCosta and Thompson suggest the bedroom scene between Eileen and Hedda is key for audience reflection.

• Thompson’s anecdote about her grandmother:
  “She struggles with dementia... but she never forgets to put on her red lipstick. Remarkably, it’s so incredibly linked to her identity.” (13:36)

• The ending’s stage direction:
  “Wicked wild wanting and wicked smile” — the phrase almost became a tattoo for Thompson.

Overall Tone & Language

The tone is warm, thoughtful, deeply collaborative, and frequently playful between interviewer and both guests. Thompson and DaCosta express sincere admiration for each other as artists. Their language is direct, modern, and emotionally honest, while grounded in both craft and cultural context.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode offers deep insight into the creative and personal processes behind an ambitious reimagining of a stage classic. With themes of selfhood, agency, sexuality, and race set against the strictures of 1950s England, Hedda becomes both a tribute to and departure from tradition. Tessa Thompson and Nia DaCosta candidly unpack their decisions, inspirations, and the collaborative struggles of rendering a new take on a timeless, enigmatic character—making the discussion essential listening for fans of film, theatre, and cultural re-interpretation.