*Issa 2020 psychological thriller.
“Fatal Affair” brings Nia Long and Omar Epps back to the screen after 16 years. The Netflix original feature about a married woman and an old friend drops today. EUR correspondent Fahnia Thomas talked to the leading actors about old baes, pushup bras and Black artistry.
Q: What advice would you give quarantined singles about texting college bae?
NL: Do what you feel! If you’re thinking about someone and they’re on your heart and your intentions are good and healthy and clean…why not?! At a certain point, you just have to embrace what you feel. I’ve reached out to an ex recently and we had a lovely conversation…and you keep it moving.
Now if you’re comparing it to “Fatal Affair” I wouldn’t do what David did with Ellie or what Ellie did with David! That’s not going to go so well!
OE: Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t have done outside of quarantine in quarantine! A lot of people are sending out text messages and it’s only because we’re in quarantine. We won’t be in quarantine forever.
Q: Love scenes are already awkward to shoot, what’s it like filming them when your friend is your co-star?
OE: One I wanted to create a space where Nia felt safe. Then a space for us to be able to be vulnerable enough to create this moment because it’s kind of a linchpin of the whole film. You need to feel that crescendo of a moment. I think we pulled it off.
NL: Yeah! And thank God for pushup bras!
The fact that we’re friends made it awkward. Usually, if I have to do a love scene it’s so mechanical. You don’t really know the other person that well or have the history Omar and I have. I remember at that point Omar said, ‘ok I’m going to put my hand here is that okay?’ It becomes a grocery list – like first I’m going to get the bread, then I’m going to get the eggs and then I’m going to go down this aisle. We both really just wanted to know how quickly we could shoot the scene and get it over with!
Q: Nia this was your first time producing a film, what did you learn while working on “Fatal Affair” that you’ll take to your next production?
NL: To trust myself and push for the things I really believe in. And if something doesn’t feel right to not make excuses for it but to question it and share it with my teammates. Also, knowing that certain battles aren’t worth fighting and to pick the ones that are actually going to help the cause. When I say the cause, I mean the journey of Black people in the arts.
For more details follow @netflixfilm
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