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Nia Long says she joined ‘Fatal Affair’ to help make a thriller about Black actors in the Black experience

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Courtesy of NetflixNia Long is stepping into uncharted territory with her latest full-length feature Fatal Affair.

In the new project, Long plays Ellie Warren, a wife and mother who finds herself the target of an ex-lover’s dangerous desires after a brief encounter. Long tells ABC Audio that working on the psychological thriller was a new and welcoming experience.

“I’ve never done a thriller. I’ve always wanted to do one,” Long reveals. “And so when I received the script, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s something here. And I said that I would come on if they would consider bringing me on as a producer to make some changes to the script and to create a story that felt more real for us.”

Those changes, says Long, consisted of making the script reflective of the predominately Black cast. 

“The script was originally written for white actors,” Long explains. “It didn’t say in the description for white actors, but as an actor, you can read a script and you know because the only time something is ever specific is when they say she’s Black.”

“They don’t ever say she’s white with blue eyes,” she continues. “That doesn’t happen. So I said, ‘Well, can we consider making this a story about Black actors in the Black experience in the thriller space?'”

Thankfully for Long, “Netflix was very open to” making the those important changes.

Fatal Affair, also starring Omar Epps, is now available on Netflix.

By Candice Williams
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

 


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