Sanaa Lathan

Summary

Summary of "Toure Show" Episode Featuring Sanaa Lathan

Episode Information:

• Title: Toure Show
• Host: DCP Entertainment
• Guest: Sanaa Lathan
• Release Date: March 16, 2025

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1. Introduction

In this engaging episode of the Toure Show, host Toure sits down with acclaimed actress and emerging director Sanaa Lathan. The conversation delves into Sanaa’s illustrious acting career, her transition into directing, the significance of representation in Hollywood, and her personal insights into balancing professional and personal life.

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2. Sanaa's Journey to Directing

Inspiration from Family: Sanaa begins by sharing her early aspirations influenced by her father, renowned director Stan Lathan. She recounts, “When I was a little girl, I used to always say, I wanna be a director like my dad when I grow up” ([03:34]).

Mentorship and Skill Development: Despite her initial focus on acting, Sanaa's interest in directing rekindled through mentorship. A pivotal moment occurred when a Director of Photography encouraged her to explore directing: “We started taking just casually privates... and the pandemic happened. I decided to direct a short and kind of the rest is history” ([03:42]).

Pandemic as a Catalyst: The COVID-19 pandemic provided Sanaa the time and inspiration to create her directorial debut. She explains, “I decided to direct a short and kind of the rest is history” ([06:38]).

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3. Representation in Hollywood

Importance of Seeing Oneself on Screen: Sanaa emphasizes the critical role of representation: “That’s why representation matters... You want to tell your story” ([07:08]).

Progress and Hope for the Future: Discussing the shifts in the industry, she notes how movements like Black Lives Matter and the rise of streaming platforms have expanded opportunities: “It's a great time... I don’t think it’s going anywhere” ([08:04], [09:11]).

Impact on Future Generations: Sanaa reflects on how current representations will shape young people's self-esteem and aspirations: “Seeing yourself reflected on a screen... creates self-esteem” ([51:50]).

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4. Challenges and Rejections in Acting

Experiencing Rejection: Despite her success, Sanaa candidly discusses the frequent rejections faced in acting: “For every job, there were 20 that I didn’t get” ([12:22]).

Philosophy for Resilience: She shares her approach to handling rejection: “I’m allowed to be upset for 48 hours, and then I’m gonna get up dust myself” ([13:12]).

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5. The Craft of Acting

Deep Immersion in Roles: Sanaa describes her passion for acting, highlighting the joy of inhabiting different characters: “I feel happiest when I’m inhabiting a role” ([13:49]).

Methodology and Techniques: She outlines her extensive toolkit for character development: “The first thing I start with is just creating a history” ([14:45]).

Advice for Aspiring Actors: Sanaa advises dedication and continuous learning: “Study the craft, do a play, get an acting class” ([17:56]).

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6. Transition to Directing

Directorial Style and Vision: Sanaa discusses her evolving identity as a director, emphasizing visual storytelling: “I am very intentional visually shot wise, lighting wise, color palette wise” ([31:33]).

Influences: She mentions her admiration for directors like Wong Kar Wai and Gina Prince-Bythewood, noting their impact on her style: “His coloring... is just stunning, visually” ([44:39], [45:08]).

Approach to Storytelling: Sanaa believes each story dictates its own vision, allowing flexibility and adaptation: “Every story will have a different... the story dictates the vision” ([32:23], [33:21]).

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7. Personal Reflections and Work-Life Balance

Balancing Multiple Roles: Sanaa discusses the challenges of juggling acting and directing, expressing a desire to take moments to center herself: “I think I will take a beat, you know, center myself” ([56:03]).

Parental Influence: She highlights the support from her mother, who has a strong background in performing arts, aiding her in memorizing lines and offering moral support: “Every job I have... she helps me with my lines” ([46:29]).

Navigating Modern Work Cultures: The conversation touches on generational shifts in work ethics, with Sanaa acknowledging the evolving nature of work-life boundaries: “I didn’t know what boundaries were until a couple years ago” ([59:55]).

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8. Legacy and Impact

Influence on Black Cinema: Sanaa reflects on her role in shaping modern black cinema, contributing to authentic and diverse storytelling: “I am behind the camera as well, just like I said earlier” ([53:37]).

Generational Pride: She expresses pride in inspiring both current and future generations through her work: “I feel like the privilege and an honor to be part of that kind of storytelling” ([53:50]).

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9. Closing Thoughts

In wrapping up, Sanaa reiterates her commitment to storytelling in all its forms, whether through acting, directing, writing, or poetry. She emphasizes the importance of taking time to reflect and stay true to oneself amidst a fast-paced career.

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Notable Quotes:

• “I’m allowed to be upset for 48 hours, and then I’m gonna get up dust myself.” — Sanaa Lathan ([13:12])

• “Seeing yourself reflected on a screen... creates self-esteem.” — Sanaa Lathan ([51:50])

• “Every story will have a different... the story dictates the vision.” — Sanaa Lathan ([33:21])

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Conclusion

This episode of the Toure Show offers a profound look into Sanaa Lathan's multifaceted career and her dedication to both acting and directing. Her insights on representation, resilience in the face of rejection, and the craft of storytelling provide valuable lessons for aspiring artists and enthusiasts alike. Sanaa's reflections underscore the ongoing evolution of Hollywood and the pivotal role of authentic, diverse narratives in shaping the future of cinema.

Transcript

[Sanaa Lathan]

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[Sanaa Lathan]

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[Sanaa Lathan]

I wanna know something about Everyone needed a holiness.

[Toure]

I have seen you wanting.

[Sanaa Lathan]

You hey Victor Ray show okay though.

[Toure]

Victoria Ray show okay though? That might be the best question I've ever been asked. You's a phenomenal person. I mean you legendary.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I am a fan of you my brother.

[Toure]

Do you see yourself becoming a full time director or will you always act and do both?

[Sanaa Lathan]

I. I think I'll always act. I see myself as a storyteller, whether that's writing a story, a poem, acting or directing. Now I've added directing into that folder. Directing is a way longer commitment for me. I cannot do anything without putting just 100% of myself in there. So I definitely think that I will take my time before I not jumping to. I mean who knows, maybe next week I'll be attached to something. But right now I just want to take a beat, you know, center myself, get back to Sanaa and just you know, see what's next.

[Toure]

Sanaa Lathan is one of the great actresses of our time. You remember her from Love and Basketball Brown Sugar, the Best Man. She had a great role on Succession. Now she's moving into becoming a a director. She directed on the come up by Angie Thomas who of course was on this show months ago. I am excited to talk to her about directing, about acting, about being one of the most inspiring black women of her generation. As far as actresses go, it is an honor and a privilege to have the great Sanaa Lathan on tour. A you're such a superstar. You're directing on the yes 100%. You're directing on the come up by Angie Thomas who was on the show several months ago Talk to me about directing, which is a new avenue for you, and why on the come up.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Mm. So when I was a little girl, I used to always say, I wanna be a director like my dad when I grow up.

[Toure]

Stan Lathan, very famous director who I.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Got to see, you know, occasionally on set when I was little. And I, you know, I feel like the best thing, everybody always asks, what. What is the best advice he ever gave you? And instead of advice, it was just being who he was and being able to see him. I believe that, like, we learn by seeing. And for me, it was just a possibility from a young age because I saw him doing it. And so I always said I wanted to be a director like him when I grow up. And then I caught the acting bug and just been doing it. And it wasn't even a question of whether I was going to split my time between acting and directing, because acting just took every ounce of my being, even just to survive in this business as a black woman coming up the way that I did. And it wasn't until, like, you know, maybe, I don't know, five, six years ago, something shifted in me and I found myself actually helping directors, mentoring directors. Sometimes on set, I'd help with shots. And I had a dp, a director of photography, come up to me and he said, you should really direct. You know, you. And he, he, he's like, I teach directing, I teach cameramen And I teach DPs. And I said, oh, I would love to take classes and really get all of the technical side of things. And we started taking just casually privates. And it went on for several years and kind of never really consciously saying, I want to do this. I was kind of doing it as a hobby, knowing eventually I would do it, but never having any particular goals. And then the pandemic happened. And I'm sitting in my house and this is like the hardcore pandemic when, you know, we're locked down and I'm sitting in my house bored, and I decide to direct a short and kind of the rest is history. Once I showed it to my agents, they kind of started submitting me. And then somebody fell out of. On the come up, they had another director attached and they knew they wanted a female of color to direct it. And I pitched against, you know, three other women and the rest is history. And the story just spoke to me on so many levels. It. I saw a lot of my young self in Bree. I saw a lot of my family members in Jay, you know, even kind of growing up with the birth of hip hop in New York City. You know, there was a lot that. That I knew and could bring to that aspect of it. So here we are. I know that was a long no.

[Toure]

That was beautiful. And part of what I love in that is they talk about, as parents, a lot of it isn't the advice that we give to the kids, but how we live our lives and what they see and their modeling, what they see from us. So, like you said, it wasn't that dad said you should be a director, or dad said do X or Y, but you saw him being a director, which made you feel like, I could do that, I should do that.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And that's why representation matters. Right? I mean, that's really the crux of it. That's why I am so over the moon, excited about the direction that we are demanding that Hollywood becomes now. Just a couple years ago, it was completely. Completely looked different. You know, the kind of convergence of Black Lives Matter and the pandemic and Time's up and streaming, all of those things combined really kind of opened up space for. And, you know, for us to be, you know, behind the camera, which is just as important because nobody's really interested in telling our stories. People aren't interested in telling other people's stories. You want to tell your story. And so this is a great time.

[Toure]

I think I've been thinking about that a lot lately, and I think that it's even a little bit longer than what you're outlining. I think Back to like, 12 Years a Slave and around there and maybe even before there, with the rise of ownership and the rise of Netflix, the amount of space that they have, that black and brown creators behind the camera especially, but also in front of the camera, have been given more power to do real, authentic work. And now we have, you know, Lena Waithe and Issa Rae and Chao Coker, and all these people who are like, creators, say nothing of Shonda Rhimes, and all these people who have space to let Quinta Brunson now have space to. To create things that we are like. Yes, that speaks to me insecure and Abbott, and I think we have more power now in Hollywood and television than we've ever had. And I think you're speaking to that.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And I 100% don't think that I would have even gotten this opportunity if it weren't now. So it's kind of perfect timing, you know.

[Toure]

Do you think? One of the things I've been trying to try to figure out with that, that rise in power and some of the folks I've spoken to about this have said it's not a trend. It is a sort of ingrained thing now because there are a number of black and brown people who are in executive roles not to be able to greenlight films, but to be able to push folks forward. So. And because Netflix and OWN have so much space that this is gonna continue. Do you think that this is gonna continue for us?

[Sanaa Lathan]

I hope so. I think so. You know, when I was coming up as an actress, there were. I knew all five. Five of us that were working. And that speaks to. Also we were going for the same jobs. There were no jobs, though. There were no jobs.

[Toure]

And now we were talking about you. Was it you Nia Long? Who else is. Is in that little crew?

[Sanaa Lathan]

And when I say five, I mean exaggerated. I don't mean five. But, you know, you. You know who it was. And. But that was. That was. You know, and there were. I've been very blessed and fortunate in my career, and there I was. Never had jobs lined up, ever. It was always. This is the first time in my life where I knew, you know, two jobs down the line what I was going to do. Never in my 20 years did I ever have jobs lined up. And it just, you know, that spoke to just how few and far between that representation was. And now when I'm casting this movie, they're sending me just pages and pages and pages of black actors. And I'm like, who's that? Who's that? Who's that? Who's that? And I love that. I don't know who it is. You know, that means that, oh, they're on this show, they're on that show. And I think streaming is really, you know, the convergence of all those things, plus the fact that streaming, you know, you just need content for that. Right. And so it's a good time. Yeah, I don't think it's going anywhere.

[Toure]

No, I agree. It's funny you say that you didn't quite know when or where, what was next, because when I look back at your filmography, it seems like you're working all the time. You've done tons of things, and you've done tons of iconic things that, like, continue to be brought up. But it seems like she's working all the time and sometimes on voice work, that maybe we didn't know that. I didn't know because I wasn't watching those voice shows, those animated shows. But, like, she's constantly working. But you're like, that's not my experience. Of it?

[Sanaa Lathan]

No, my experience is, like, literally, like, I'll be sitting around for sometime six months to a year and going on auditions. And, you know, it still is 25 years. It's, you know, it's 25 years of a career. So, listen, I'm not complaining. I know that I am very blessed and very fortunate, and I am so grateful. And yet, you know, being an actor, I think on. At any level is not for the faint of heart, because it is. No matter where you get to, it's always comparison, it's always judgment, it's always rejection. It's always, you know, it's always something.

[Toure]

And yeah, no, there's definitely a lot of rejection. I'm surprised that you're experiencing a lot of rejection because you've done so many iconic things. I would think folks like, you know, do you want Sanaa or not? You know, what she looks like, you know, what she can do? Like, why are we talking about it? Do we want her? Is she right or not? Oh, God.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I was told. I mean. I mean, for every job, there were 20 that I didn't get. And then you get. You learn over the. Over time, you learn. For me, I had to. In order to keep going when you were getting rejected so much, you have to kind of have a philosophy about it. And for me, my philosophy was, oh, it wasn't mine. Yeah, I'm allowed to be upset for 48 hours, and then I'm gonna get up dust myself. Otherwise, how am I gonna keep going?

[Toure]

You know, let's talk about. I want to talk about some of the things that you did that are unforgettable. But you talked about some of the hard part of the acting world. But I know you love it. What do you love about being an actor?

[Sanaa Lathan]

I'm not complaining. I'm just saying that I am so happy that there is so much more, you know? And listen, when anybody says they want to be an actor, I said, make sure it is truly your passion, because the road is, you know, it's a tough one.

[Toure]

It's hard. But tell me what you love about being an actor.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Oh, my God, I love the actual craft of acting. I feel happiest when I'm inhabiting a role. I love being able to dive into a character's history and their perspective on the world. And it's like you get to live many different lives, you know, I mean, I feel like if you're thinking about it in a philosophical way, sometimes roles come to you because not only do you have something to offer them as A human. But they're also offering you something. So, you know, I take from every, you know, role I play. There's some gem that I. That I. You wind up taking with you when we give you.

[Toure]

When they give you a script, I know you're going to read it a bunch of times, but how do you take those words and make a real person out of it? What's your. Some of your process?

[Sanaa Lathan]

Well, I have, you know, I've been doing it for so long, I have a huge toolbox. And I always say every character requires different tools within the, you know, within that box. I mean, the first thing I start with is just creating a history. But I don't want to get into acting class. Like, we could do it. We'll do a seminar another time. I'll do. We'll do a seminar. An acting seminar. I would love to do that, but, you know, it's like.

[Toure]

Yeah, well, I mean, I mean, I want to talk about acting some. I mean, you know, I want to talk about directing. I am not. I would love to be. Would I? Yes, I would. So please cast me in your next.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And now I'm a director. Right, Right.

[Toure]

I'll send you headshots. You know, I feel like I could inhabit a character and live in a world, you know, it's a bit of an. There's work to it. Right. Cause some actors become another person. Right. They're chameleons. And some actors are sort of playing themselves every time, but they are compelling. So you'll go with them. Right. So it's easy to sort of like, show up and be yourself. Right. It's like to be a chameleon and be like. I mean, I completely get wrapped up in your stories when you're telling. I don't see. I know it's Sanaa, but I don't see Sanaa. I see, like, wow, she's like, you know, this young woman playing basketball. And I completely believe you. So, like, that takes work and effort and something special. Right. And even know, maybe I could do something small, but to do something big, I mean, I would love to, but it's, it's. It. I. I fully respect the craft and the difficulty of doing that. And you've.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I appreciate that.

[Toure]

Yeah. You've made me believe many, many times over.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Well, thank you. Thank you. Well, I think, you know, the key is you gotta make yourself believe. So however, that however you get there is a worthy way to get there. You know, some people have to live in the character. Some people, you know, some people have to do a lot of rehearsals. Sometimes people just, you know, it's. There is a craft to it. It's not something that I can break down on a, you know, in one conversation. And I feel like it's always changing for me. But the key for me is what I, you know, actually the key that I. If we're thinking about like other people watching this, maybe people who want to be actors, my advice is always to study the craft, get. Do a play, get an acting class. I'm not of the mind of, oh, yeah, you can just, oh, I'm a good, you know, liar. I could be a good actor. You know what I mean? No, it's a crap. Just like, you know, going and teaching English or playing the piano. And I respect it in that way. I know that there are a lot of people who don't.

[Toure]

I mean, if you were to give me a job, or maybe I should say when you give me a job, I would have to try a more method approach. Because I don't think I could jump in and out of it. I would be like, okay, I am Greg and I'm Greg all day. And all you guys address me as Greg. Because if I. Right, if I jump out and out of that, I can't do that.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yes. And when I first started in drama school, one of the first things he said is young actors, when you're first starting to discover who you are as an actor, it helps to just sit in the character and think the character's thoughts and be the character. That's what they call method. Right. And so I did that with some roles and I encourage actually Breeze Jamila, who plays Bri. She's not really a rapper in real life. And as soon as she got the job, I was like. Cause I knew that she didn't have lots of experience. I said, from now on, you're Bri. And we had a couple months before we started shooting. From now on, you're Bri. I want you to write every day. Bri writes every day. She writes rhymes. I had her work with Rhapsody, the amazing Rhapsody. Grammy award winning rapper who wrote all our battles. She hung with Rhapsody. Rhapsody actually took her to a real battle.

[Toure]

Nice.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Which she'll tell you herself. She was, you know, she wasn't Bri.

[Toure]

Right.

[Sanaa Lathan]

But she really immersed herself in the role. And it comes across.

[Toure]

Some black actors have said to me, black actors can't be Method. Cause so often we're playing like street people and like, you know, in between takes we'd be like, have to rob people in order to, like, you know, keep the reality of it all. And I can't be doing that on set.

[Sanaa Lathan]

No. That's funny. That's not what I think of as method. I think, you know, you're kind of sitting in the character's energy. You don't have to go, you know, if you're playing a heroin addict, you don't have to go shoot heroin.

[Toure]

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[Sanaa Lathan]

I'm ready for my life to change.

[Toure]

ABC Sundays. American Idol is all new.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Give it your all.

[Toure]

Good luck.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Come out with a golden ticket. Let's hear it. This is a man's world.

[Toure]

I've never seen anything like it. And a new chapter begins. You're going to Hollywood. Carrie Underwood joins Lionel Richie, Luke Bryant and Ryan Seacrest on American Idol News Sundays, 8, 7 Central on ABC and stream on Hulu. Influencer. It's a word that gets tossed around a lot these days. There is a woman who went the distance, who broke ground as the first true influencer by living a remarkable life.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Her name, Elizabeth Taylor.

[Toure]

I'm Katy Perry.

[Sanaa Lathan]

This is the story of the original influencer.

[Toure]

This is Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I. The podcast, wherever you listen. Wait, can we talk about succession a little bit? Because I love that show and I was so excited to see you come in and, you know, as opposed to the sort of sweet, innocent girl that I met in like, love and Basketball, you come in the room in succession as Lisa Arthur with this sense of power, this sense of seriousness, this. Before she starts talking, you're like, you gotta take her seriously. Cause she's not messing around. And in a cast full of egotistical and powerful characters, you fit right in. Like, she's a power figure as well.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah, well, thank you.

[Toure]

Well, talk about your experience there.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I was just. Honestly, it was interesting because it was in the middle of, you know, people hadn't. I don't think the vaccine was around yet. And I got offered the role and I hadn't seen the show and I was in la and I was going to have to fly to New York, and I was like, oh, God, I'm going to be risking my life because this, you know, this was when it just opened up again. So it's a very scary time. And I hadn't seen the show, and I almost passed on it. And I'm so happy I watched the show because I was like, you know, one of the. You know, you look back on those times in your life where you almost didn't do something, and you're. You're like. It scares you because you're like, you had no idea what it was gonna be. So I binged it. And I was like, okay, I'm gonna. I guess I'm gonna risk my life, get on this plane.

[Toure]

That shows, they talk about how. I mean, some of the process of that show and sort of spilled out into the real world where, you know, like, all the characters seem to like to rehearse, except one of them who's like, no, I refuse to rehearse. And the rest of them are like, you're making it hard for us that you won't rehearse. But.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Oh, really? Who? Yeah, I didn't even. I wasn't even aware of that.

[Toure]

The. Oh, God. Now you're pressing me to remember the name. The main character. Like, won't. Won't. I'm forgetting his name because it's been months, but he doesn't. He doesn't rehearse. And I think there was a New Yorker article where the rest of them were saying, he doesn't rehearse, and it makes life difficult. And he's like, I want to be in the moment, which I'm like, as an artist, I understand, but you are also on an ensemble, on a team where they kind of need to him.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Because he's amazing. Yes, he's amazing. And I had. He was great with me. He was actually very generous. One of the things that I loved about working on the show is it reminded me of my theater days. Like, these actors are like, you know, you can tell acting is their religion, you know, and they. The set is very interesting because it really encourages you to. So you'll do your takes, and then once they get what they want, they say, okay, this is a freebie, like, whatever you want to do. And it's like, you can improv as the character. Sometimes they'll give you lines to say, like alternate lines. And it was the first time I've ever experienced that on a set. And it's That's. It's kind of terrifying, but it's also exhilarating. And there's no. There's kind of like no judgment. Like, there's no failing in that in that regard. So. I don't know. I mean, yeah, I had a great time. It was in and out for me.

[Toure]

I think as soon, I mean, I could see where that would be so much fun. Challenging, but so much fun. And like, you know, because so much of it is like, are you really listening? You're not waiting to say your lines. You are listening. And when you're doing the freebie, you. Yeah, you gotta be in the moment. You gotta be listening to the other people and really react in a real way.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yes, absolutely.

[Toure]

Right. So then you're back in, like, theater.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah. I mean, you gotta bring it, you know, and, you know, it's great because the writing is so good. It kind of demands that and the environment demands that. And.

[Toure]

Yeah, you talk about quarantine and those scary days. And I remember when. I think it was like April or May, when it was like, nobody can leave the house. And it was like, really scary. And I'm like, well, I just wanna scare myself even more. And so I watched Contagion by Steven Soderbergh's piece that you're in, which is like, this scares me even more. But this is where I feel I am right now. This is the realest thing that I could imagine to watch right now.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yes. I remember when we shot it. I don't remember what year it was, but I remember thinking, God, I hope this. Nothing like this ever happens. Because, you know, that's. It happens in Hollywood often where you'll see something in a movie and then it happens in real life, you know, like, you know, anyway, so I just. And it did happen. It just wasn't. Thank God. It wasn't like one of those face melting.

[Toure]

It was scarier than a. Than a. Than a horror. It was like a real life horror film.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And that was a real life horror film. And it's changed. I think it's changed everybody's center of gravity in terms of. I mean, I think there were a lot of, you know, there was a silver lining to it in many respects, but I don't know. I think it's changed life for us forever.

[Toure]

I completely agree. And I think a lot of people. I was talking to, I talked to. I interviewed Serena Williams. Not lengthy, very, very briefly.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Congratulations. I love her.

[Toure]

It was a press conference. I don't wanna. You know, there were many people there. It was at the US Open. But she talked about during quarantine, she was like, you know, not going to the gym every day is actually, like, enjoyable. And it really moved her into, like, I'm ready for the next chapter of my life. And I think a lot of people.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And that's what happened with me, with directing.

[Toure]

Well, yeah, explain that. Explain how that process.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Well, it was 100% directly related to the pandemic. Me sitting in my house and deciding after many years of kind of studying that I was going to do this short and I was going to direct this short. I don't think that if I didn't have the time, sitting bored, thinking about life, thinking about what I really want to. What the next chapter that I, you know, want to go, the journey I want to go on. So I don't think, because it's not easy even making a short film, you know, it's not like you just jump and do it. And so 100%, that was a silver lining for me.

[Toure]

What did you learn about directing and about yourself in making that short? What was this? What was the short called?

[Sanaa Lathan]

Leap. It was called Leap and it was part of an anthology of shorts called within the People who Did Je t'am Paris and New York. I love you. You know, there are a bunch of. So they approached a bunch of actors and they said, we want to do a short about the pandemic with whoever you choose in your household. And we'll have a director and we'll have an editor for you, and you can come up with a storyline. And I decided that I would be the director. And so it was kind of the perfect situation. So I decided that it would be. I played a Zoom OCD panic disorder therapist.

[Toure]

Okay.

[Sanaa Lathan]

So she did all her clients on Zoom.

[Toure]

Okay.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And Lucy Punch was my client and she was brilliant. And basically in between her, she's taking care of everybody, but in between her sessions, she's having her own panic attacks. Nobody's taking care of her. And so she gets a message at her door, is this dog sends her into another panic attack. Long story short, by the end of the short, it's a 20 minute short. The dog is her therapist. So it's very quirky, it's fun. And. Yeah.

[Toure]

You mean the dog is giving her solace or the dog is actually talking?

[Sanaa Lathan]

No, the dog is not talking.

[Toure]

I mean, it could.

[Sanaa Lathan]

She's talking to the dog.

[Toure]

Okay.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I know it sounds quirky and it is. And. Yeah.

[Toure]

How long is it?

[Sanaa Lathan]

20 minutes.

[Toure]

Okay, can we see it? Is it on YouTube?

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yes, it's part of an anthology of shorts called within, and it's somewhere on the Internet.

[Toure]

Okay, okay.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And mine is called Leap.

[Toure]

So talk to me about the sort of director you are and the sort of director you want to be.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Hmm, I haven't thought of that. I don't know. I haven't defined that yet. You have to go see on the come up and you tell me, well.

[Toure]

That'S the end process. I mean, like, I've been on a couple of sets. I've seen a few people working. Some people are a little more dictatorial in the way that they speak to actors. Some people are very gentle in the way that they speak to actors. Some people are a little more focused on acting. Cause that's their background. Some people are a little more focused on the technical stuff, the lighting and these sorts of things. I imagine you're probably at your best when you're working with the actor.

[Sanaa Lathan]

It's so funny because everybody always assumes that because I am an actor, but I actually. One of the things I pride myself on is being, you know, a full circle director. In that I am very intentional visually shot wise, lighting wise, color palette wise. I'm, you know, very intentional in all that, in. In all those regards. And so, yes, I love actors. And for many years I even coached, you know, my peers as, you know, for auditions for roles. It comes naturally to me. And so, yes, that was one of the parts of directing that I. That I really love. But I really loved all of it. I loved all of it.

[Toure]

I mean, there's some directors who, again, like, actors are. Who have a style. And I could show you five seconds of them and you would know that's clearly Scorsese, that's clearly Tarantino, that's clearly Wes Anderson. And then some directors, their style is a little bit more, let's say, varied. You know, I think I could show you five seconds of Soderbergh and you'd be like, I don't know, I mean, like traffic you would recognize. But any other, you're like, I don't know, he has different ways of approaching the whole thing.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah, I think that'll be the kind of director that I am. That's interesting to me. And I feel every story will have a different. It's almost like the story dictates the vision. Just like that's how I approach my roles. I don't say this is how I approach every role. It's almost like the characters to me give me that direction.

[Toure]

Mm, yeah, right, right, right. The. The piece has to Direct has to guide you in the way you're gonna go.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah, I feel like that.

[Toure]

Yeah. I mean, I think that.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I mean, I'm just a new. I'm just a newbie. So we'll see.

[Toure]

The directors I know are sitting around watching movies all the time and can be like, well, I love, you know, this director and I watched this Swedish film and, you know, you know, I watched this film from 1952 that was amazing. And are you getting like that and like, building up your.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I've been doing that for years. I'm such a. I love film. I love world cinema. I love. I mean, I just love it all. Also love reality shows.

[Toure]

You wait, there's a. There's a turd. What are the reality shows that you. That you love?

[Sanaa Lathan]

Oh, God. I go through phases, but sometimes you just need to just decompress.

[Toure]

Yeah.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And I can just have it on and do other things.

[Toure]

Sure.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah, definitely. All the housewives. I love that. I love Atlanta. I love Beverly Hills. What have I. I'm into the below. The below decks. I don't know why I like that. I don't know why I like those. They have 17 different incarnations. They have, like below deck Mediterranean. They have. I don't know, maybe I'm just dreaming of being on a yacht. Like really good food.

[Toure]

I mean, there's, there's, at this point, there's many different kinds of reality, right? Like, you know, the Real Housewives being like a sort of slice of reality. But then there's a competition show and there.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I love Chopped.

[Toure]

Do you remember Chopped? Yep, yep, yep.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I always find that so fascinating that people. I mean, it's so antithetical, right? Like trying to get like a cooking competition show that you have to get a. I just love the mystery baskets and what they come up with is all. It never, never ceases to amaze me.

[Toure]

You know what I got into recently? Cause Netflix loves. Well, for one thing, I hate myself for it, but I like the new Hulu Kardashians.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Oh, I haven't checked that out yet.

[Toure]

And my kids are like, why are you watching that? And, well, for one, like you said, it becomes pretty wallpaper. Right. I like the beauty of it. I like the.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I love looking at their houses.

[Toure]

Yes. The clothes.

[Sanaa Lathan]

The houses and the clothes and. Yeah, yeah.

[Toure]

And Kim is like, I did all my cars in matte black. And I'm like rolling my eyes, but it's wallpaper that I can. It's pretty. That I can kind of like not fully pay attention to, but I Do appreciate the family nature of the unit and how connected and how much they love each other. They went all out to create a surprise party for. Who's Travis Barker's the short one? Courtney. Courtney, yeah. When she got engaged, they're all sitting there waiting to throw her a surprise party. And they even made sure to have hair and makeup so that she would be, like, ready and beautified.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Oh.

[Toure]

And I'm like, you know, I like how they're like, together and then they're all talking about, oh, my God, what is Scott gonna say? And how is Scott gonna. And Kendall's like, fuck Scott. Like, let's talk about the people who are here.

[Sanaa Lathan]

You know, I appreciate, you know, all the dialogue.

[Toure]

That was a big moment when Kendall. But the other thing that I got into recently, because Netflix loves doing these sort of titillating reality shows where they put, like, a bunch of sexy people on an island and like, what's gonna happen? And they did one too hot to handle.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Right. Is that it?

[Toure]

Too Hot to handle was really, really interesting. And watching them not be able to.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Talk to each other was really one of them. I don't know which one I watched.

[Toure]

Well, there was one that Nikki Glaser hosted called Fuckboy Island. Where.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Are you serious?

[Toure]

Yes. Where like, half the guys were, like, nice guys and half of them were self described fuck boys. And it was really interesting to me how the women really struggled to be able to see which one is a nice guy and which one is a fuckboy. And they're like, we really. We can't tell. And I'm like, really? Like, I thought, like.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Because you tell. Was it obvious? Well, like, as a viewer, could you tell who was which was which?

[Toure]

No, but also, I'm not attuned to those signals. Right? Like, I'm not playing that game. And I think they kind of like, were letting us know, but the women on the show didn't know. But I was just. I would have thought.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Did any of the Pugboys fall in love?

[Toure]

Uh, no. No, they were. No, they were out for their thing. They were, you know, and. But they kept. It was like, wow. Like, she sees the red flags and she goes toward them. And I'm like, really? Like, wow. Like, I didn't, I didn't. I didn't imagine that that would happen. But then, you know, I always thought, you gotta be a nice guy to get the girls. And then, you know, but why does this asshole get all these girls? And now I start to see, like, oh, this is what's really going on that you're not seeing.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Well, you can't overcome your. Your childhood trauma. So in general, just from what I, you know, I. I'm a studier of human beings. Right. As an actor. And you know what. What I. What I believe is that, you know, from, like, your childhood, if you had an absentee parent or you had a parent or a caretaker who was unavailable.

[Toure]

Mm.

[Sanaa Lathan]

The philosophy is, is that that is what you are going to attract and be attracted to later unless you work on yourself and you become conscious about it and make different choices. Obviously, that's a huge generalization, and I'm sure it doesn't work for everybody, but just in terms of, like, therapy and. And I. I know that to be true, that a lot of times caretakers, the patterns of the caretakers really impress when you are young, and you kind of carry that out into your adulthood unless you become conscious, work on it, and make different choices.

[Toure]

Well, one thing that I've learned to. I mean, I think I kind of knew this, but women, in terms of relationships, like to have something to fix. So if it's a guy who they can fix, that's more interesting than the nice guy who's like, he's nice and sweet and he cares about me and there's nothing to fix. The guy who's kind of, like, messed up, there's work to be done, and that's more interesting.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah. I mean, listen, we're talking in huge generalizations, sure. But.

[Toure]

Yeah, but you're a student of humanity, and all actors talk about that. That you have to be able to look at people in small ways, mannerisms and big ways in terms of their spirit and how they move through the world. And you need all of that in your toolbox to help shape the characters.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yes. And, you know, there is. I have compassion for it all. I have compassion. One of the joys of, for me, being an actor is actually to be able to play that range, to be able to play, you know, a drug addict or play a queen. You know, there's no. There's no judgment there. You know, it's. For me, the interesting thing is, you know, let's study this thing called being human. Sometimes the dark roles are the most juicy and fun to play, you know?

[Toure]

Yeah. And even when you play that dark role or a villain, you have to have some understanding or empathy for them, even as you understand they're a villain, because the villain doesn't think that they're a villain. Right?

[Sanaa Lathan]

No, not at all. Ever. Right. Although I just watched the Dahmer.

[Toure]

Woo. I'm halfway through. Ooh, this is a lot.

[Sanaa Lathan]

It is a lot. And, you know, after the first episode, I was like, I gotta turn it off. I just, you know, I can't watch this. This is too dark. It's not healthy. But then I couldn't. But we can't turn away Niecy Nash. Ooh, killed it. No pun intended.

[Toure]

She didn't kill anybody.

[Sanaa Lathan]

When they played Amazing.

[Toure]

When they played the tape of the real life Niecy Nash trying to get them to say, are you sure that he's not 14? It's like they could have said, what.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Do you mean, the real life?

[Toure]

Like, at the end of the first episode, they played the real call of the person who Niecy is playing when she calls the police and says, are you sure that he wasn't 14? And they're like, it's handled, ma'am. Like, you're not answering my question. How do you know that. That he's not 14? And, like, we took care of it, like, but how do you know? And she really is very polite and delicate and yet pushing the point of like, are you sure? And they weren't sure, but they acted like they were, and they let that boy get murdered. It's a lot. It'll give you nightmares. That piece.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah. Did you finish?

[Toure]

Not yet. I'm halfway through, and I can't. You know, I'm like. It's to the point where I'm like, I have work that I should do, but I want to keep going back to it because it's so messed up.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Isn't that always the case these days with streaming? Because there's always something. You could just eat up your whole life watching these shows.

[Toure]

But I feel like Quarantine lessened the number of pieces that are out television shows and movies. Right. And yet it rocketed my time to sit and watch things, and now I'm.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Like, it didn't lessen.

[Toure]

What's it less than it.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I thought it.

[Toure]

Don't you think that fewer projects were made during.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Oh, I see what you're saying. Yeah, I know, but it feels like there's more than ever now, really.

[Toure]

I feel like I've watched everything, and anything new that comes out, I watch it right away because I'm at empty, and. And then I'm back at empty.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I give myself limits, like TV limits, like rules now. Because it really will suck up all your time.

[Toure]

Yeah. Wait, so tell me about some of the directors that you. Who you look up to.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I mean, there's so many. I Watched a lot of Wong Kar Wai.

[Toure]

Mm. Yes.

[Sanaa Lathan]

His coloring. His. His is just stunning, visually. We used references from that. I mean, obviously the. The greats like Scorsese, Gina Prince. Bythewood.

[Toure]

Yes.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I'm a fan of hers, of course. Stan Lathan. I wouldn't necessarily say I don't have my. You know, people always ask me that about actors, but I don't have, like, a list. I should probably come up with a list now that I'm doing press and people are asking me that question. But there's just so many amazing filmmakers out there, and I don't have any particular person that I study.

[Toure]

We've talked about your. Your dad a few times, but your mom is also an actor, and I'm curious if there's any advice or feedback that she's given you that was meaningful.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah, my mom is. You know, she was in the original Alvin Ailey Company. She was on Broadway as a dancer in the original Wiz. The original Timbuktu. She was in the. She was. If you turn the movie the Wiz on, she is in the court. She's like, all throughout that as one of the dancers, you know, and then she kind of transitioned to acting for a while and really studied. And she is just one of my biggest supporters still to this day, every job I have, no matter what city I am, we zoom. And she helps me with my lines.

[Toure]

Oh.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And she's just a real, like, just the best support system. And I feel really lucky because she does understand. A lot of my peers, you know, they have parents that are not. They don't really understand what we. What we go through and what we. What the process of acting is. And she's. She's always there for me, which is priceless. And I'm so appreciative of that.

[Toure]

See, like, learning the lines would be a big challenge for me. Right?

[Sanaa Lathan]

Like d. And it's interesting because some people are really like, for me, I have to drill and drill and drill and drill. Like, it's just never comes fast for me. And then I have friends who. They can look at something twice and know it. So it's like a muscle, but it is a muscle. So if you're on, like, a TV show where every week you're having to learn lines, your brain will actually get faster and it'll become easier over time because it's like a muscle memory. If you practice the memory, if you.

[Toure]

Could just imprint the lines into my mind, then I could be great at improv and I could live in the improv moment, but learning the lines and making them sound original and real. And the first time I'm saying it, when we're doing the fifth take, you know, you do. When you have to do, you know, one of those Shonda Rhimes speeches. And, like, I'm like, wow, this is. This is a lot. I forgot. I forgot where I was going. I remembered half the speech, but I forgot that that's always been. I just saw a strange loop. And he has these very long speeches, and I'm like, how did he. But of course, that's his job.

[Sanaa Lathan]

It's his job, and he has rehearsal time. And, you know, it's interesting because people always think that learning the lines is the hardest part of acting. They always say, no, that's so hard. How do you do that? That's actually the easiest.

[Toure]

To me, the hardest part is there's no hard part.

[Sanaa Lathan]

It's just. There's no hardest part. But I would just say, you know, it's being in the moment and really trying to get outside of yourself and really just being in the moment and talking and listening as the character. That whole thing is. That's what takes work.

[Toure]

You know, that's a leisure. Can we. Can. Can I. Can we go back, way back for a second? Because love and basketball was so meaningful to me and to so many other people. Um, and just. I wonder, just as you're. As you're making something like that, that really spoke to a lot of us about what a relationship could and perhaps should look like and feel like. I mean, like, you taught a lot of us about, like, this is a good relationship. What did. Making that. What does it feel like? And do you have any idea as you're going through it? Like, this could be something that is really meaningful?

[Sanaa Lathan]

What do you mean in terms of the relationship?

[Toure]

Yeah, like the. The. The love. Her love of basketball, but then her. Also her. Her romantic relationship is so powerful. And it. You know, I think a lot of us saw that as young adults, we're about the same age, and it was like, oh, like, that is what a relationship could and perhaps be. You know, maybe should.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah. And that's a testament to Gina. I mean, she's been with her husband, Reggie Bythewood, who's also a filmmaker. He's been on this show since they were, like, 20. And so, you know, there's a lot that's taken from her life. And I look at them, and they're so strong, and they're such supporters, and they both kind of do the same thing, and they they're hard on each other and they, like, you know, keep themselves to a standard. And they're. They're very. They're just strong together and have been for many years. And so I think she put a lot of that relationship into those characters.

[Toure]

You know, a thing about that film and Brown Sugar and the Best Man. And so much of the work you've done has been really critical to what modern black cinema is to a lot of us of your generation, of our generation. You know, I wonder, and your dad's work as well. I wonder what being black means to you. There's such a rich legacy of black people in film who lead into you having this epic career. And you have defined what it is to be black on screen in this epic way over and over. And, you know, I mean, almost everybody who comes on the show, I ask them, like, what being black means to them and how it shows up in the work. And, you know, you're such a thoughtful person and you have been that, you know, that, that, that. That black woman who's like, you know, we are like, loving and aspiring to so many times. So let's talk about that for a minute.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I don't know. I don't think of that. I mean, I am a black woman. I have so much pride. Pride in that. And I have so. And I love black people. I love our culture. I don't know anything else. I grew up in it. And for me, what is important is. And this is why I really take pride in the fact that I am also behind the camera as well, is just like I said earlier, like, you know, until somebody did the Four Minute Mile, nobody did it, right? And then after somebody ran it, then like six people that next week did it. And so just even in terms of seeing yourself reflected on a screen, seeing a story from a person who may look like you or look like your aunt or, you know, that creates worth, it creates esteem, self esteem. And if you don't, the opposite. If you're only seeing something that doesn't look like you, that you don't recognize that you're not seeing yourself, what does that do to you later in life? You know? And so I think of representation for, you know, all people, women, black women, black men, young, all the stories of us as actual, real important work that affects human beings and how they move forward in the world. Like, if I'm so interested to see what this generation of young people now, where they can see themselves reflected all the time, like, who. Who are they going to be when they are adults as opposed to us where you saw somebody once in a blue moon, you know.

[Toure]

No, that's right.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I feel like the privilege and an honor to be part of that kind of storytelling about representation.

[Toure]

We have seen our generation, we have seen this bridge from being rarely on television. I remember my mom talking about Julia, Diane Carroll. Right. And it's like, oh, my God, there's a black person on television, you know, talking about Sidney Poitier, like, oh, my God, like, you know, he's so, you know, he's so regal. And there's a black person on television who we can or in the movies who we can like, look up to and admire. And then you get somebody like Max Robinson who's doing the news and like, we're slowly creeping in. And then as time goes on, it becomes much more common. Not too common. Right. We sort of kept growing up seeing like a little bit more, a little bit more. And you're one of those people who spread this vision of representation of how we can be on screen. It's just, it's a really amazing space that you've held for our generation that we've seen.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And you've been doing it too.

[Toure]

Yes. And you know what? I see it for some reason. I see it especially in the airport for some reason. I think you encounter more people you don't know in the airport. And I think of them as aunties and uncles, people who are a little bit like 10, 20 years older than us. And they're like, you know, I see you and they say stuff like, you made us look good. And they're like, I remember when there wasn't that many of us and you made us proud. Right. And I know how meaningful that could be to people. Black people who are our parents age, who saw when it was like 0 and then 1 and then 10 and then, you know, it was not uncommon to see black people on MSNBC or on the big screen. And it makes me extremely proud when the older black folks give compliments like that, because I know how much it relates to. Yeah.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yes.

[Toure]

And you're a big part of that.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Well, thank you.

[Toure]

And now you're creating imagery for the next generation.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yes, I am.

[Toure]

You're making me work for it. Do you see yourself becoming a full time director or will you always act and do both?

[Sanaa Lathan]

I think I'll always act. I think I'm, I see myself as a storyteller, whether that's writing a story, a poem, acting or directing. Now I've added directing into that folder. You know, I, I Directing is A way longer commitment for me. I cannot do anything without putting just 100 of myself in there. So I definitely think that I will take my time before I. I'm not jumping to. I mean, who knows? Maybe next week I'll be attached to something. But right now I just want to take a beat and you know, kind of center myself, get back to Sanaa and just, you know, see what's next.

[Toure]

So you. So you want that pause?

[Sanaa Lathan]

Oh, God, yeah. You gotta have a life. I mean, don't you. Do you feel. I just feel like life in a weird way has sped up. And for me, I did on the come. I started on the come up almost two years ago. So it's two years, and then I shot best man, and I shot a couple of other things and about to go shoot something else. And so when that's over, I think I'm going to just take a breath, very grateful.

[Toure]

Somebody tweeted, adulthood is saying, next week, everything's gonna calm down for the entirety of your life. She almost spat that out. I wasn't trying to make you laugh, but it's right. You're like, it's gonna calm down any minute now, and then the phone will ring and it's like, wow, that is an amazing opportunity. I can't turn that down. And like, I know.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Well, you know, you got. I mean, you still have to have a life, right? I feel like I haven't had quite a life. I've had an amazing experience, but I've just been working back to back, and I think it's because I do both now, because I'm doing both, so I have the luxury of. Of that. So we. We shall see.

[Toure]

I mean, this thing you talk about, like, having a life, I think that's what a lot of people are talking. I'm like, I don't even know what that means. And I feel like our parents talk. I mean, like. I mean, I've met your father several times. I saw his name on my TV screen all the time. So I know he worked his butt off for years and years and years. And, you know, I know these are so interesting.

[Sanaa Lathan]

He was one of the first. But imagine a black man in Hollywood back then. Like, that's a strong man. It wasn't all the beautiful journey that we think.

[Toure]

No, I'm just saying, you and I were taught by our parents, boomer parents. You work all the time. Especially you're black. You gotta work twice as hard. You work all the time. Nobody talked about work, life, balance. We made movies about the ridiculousness of wanting to have a work life balance. Right? We talked about how do you have it all? And then the millennials come along and they're like, you say, no, you set up boundaries. You stop answering the phone at 5:00.

[Sanaa Lathan]

I didn't know what boundaries were until a couple years ago. And I learned it in therapy.

[Toure]

Right.

[Sanaa Lathan]

You know, I didn't know. I was like, what is that? What, what does that mean for real?

[Toure]

What does it mean to say no to your boss? It's Saturday. I'm not doing that. I'm like, what? You know, I'm, I'm. I was up last night at 11pm doing something for work and had been working straight through from like 10am and that's normal. And I'm not going, what is wrong with me? I'm like, this is life. And I'm like, I'm overwhelmed, but this is life. And like, the millennials are like, 6:00pm, the phone shuts off, I will not be answering your slack. I'm like, somebody said to me, I.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Don'T even know what slack is.

[Toure]

Oh, you're fortunate that you don't know what slack is. Don't worry, you don't wanna know. But no, I've had people say, don't ask me a question, single question on a Saturday. You are disturbing my peace. And I'm like, oh, okay, with me, nobody works for me, but like, with me. And I'm like, I did not know you could say that to your co workers. Because, you know, people will be texting me at 9, 10pm and I'm responding.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Like, let's not disturb.

[Toure]

How do you do that? I don't even know how. You have to ask my kids, how do you do that? I don't even know what that means. I mean, I remember. You probably remember something similar. My dad was an accountant, right? He ran his own firm from about January, February till about May. We barely saw him. He was in the office till 10, 11pm every day. And we were taught through my mom that his absence was because he loved us. And he worked so hard because he loved us.

[Sanaa Lathan]

And I'm sure that's true. That was true.

[Toure]

It was absolutely true. But now the message is like, well, if you love your kids, you'll be there with them rather than be absent and working your butt off.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Yeah.

[Toure]

My son came to me the other day. He's 14, and he said he believes in quiet quitting. He's never had a job. And he's like, quiet quitting. Quiet quitting is this notion that you see Bandied about Google it. It's everywhere where folks are saying, I am only going to do what is specifically required of me in my job. I'm not gonna stay a minute late. I'm not gonna take on something, some extra project. I'm not gonna help you out. I'm not gonna pick up an extra shift. I'm doing, like, just the bare minimum to keep the job. And I always thought, like, well, aren't you supposed to take on extra stuff so that they decide to keep hiring you rather than let. But this is the thing for zoomers and younger millennials. And I'm like, wow. Like, you're not even in the workforce and you already have a vision of, I'm going to have boundaries when I get there.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Well, good for them.

[Toure]

I don't know, but aren't you supposed to work your butt off? Isn't that how you got to be where you are?

[Sanaa Lathan]

Well, let's see how it works out for them. Quiet. Quitting. I got to look that up.

[Toure]

Look it up. It's a. It's a big deal. I want to ask you about one more thing. I wanted to take you back one more time because you did out of Time with one of the greatest actors of all time, Denzel Washington. And I'm just curious what you learned about acting and perhaps about life working with him.

[Sanaa Lathan]

You know, it was so long ago, I barely remember. I know that that shoot was. We were shot in Miami in the middle of the summer, and it was like working in a steam room, you know, and it was amazing working with Carl Franklin and him. And I was excited because it was the first time that I was working with a black director like that and with such an accomplished actor. Eva Mendez was in it. So we had a. We had a. It was intense because of the. Of being in Miami, that heat. But it was great. And it turned out pretty great, too.

[Toure]

It sure did.

[Sanaa Lathan]

Another one that people always come up to me and they like that. That kind of noir type thriller.

[Toure]

Thank you so much to Sanaa for a great interview and thanks to you for listening. Torre's show gives you fuel to power your dreams, because you can use your dreams like a rocket ship to blast you into a life you never imagined. You can make your dreams a reality, and maybe this show can help. You can find me on Twitter or on Instagram orayshow. Torre show is written by me, Torre and produced by Jennifer Brown. Our editor is Ryan Woodhull. Our photographers are Chuck Marcus and Shanta Covington and Nick Karp. Our Booker is Claudia Jean, and we're distributed by DCP Entertainment. And we will be back on Wednesday with more amazing guests because the man can't shut us down. Sa.