Regina King Talks Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Roseberry – WWD

Regina King has nerves of steel. When just 24 hours before the Oscars, director Steven Soderbergh told her she would not only open the show, but do so by letting the cameras follow her from the entrance to the auditorium with a ride. walk “as long as a country road,” she took in long strides. And in a pair of Stuart Weitzmans.

“I was like, wow, that’s a lot of pressure,” she said while speaking at the Kering Women in Motion series of events in Cannes. “Then when I got there, he sent me an email with the note, ‘I hope you have a good pair of shoes.’

During her speech on stage, King addressed the sentencing of Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty of killing George Floyd just days before the ceremony. “If things had turned out differently in Minneapolis last week, I could have traded my heels for parade shoes,” she said, adding that audiences want to be entertained and often don’t want to hear. what the actor has to say.

In an age where celebrities are so active, can they – and should – do both? “As humans, we are capable of many different things. I think it’s unfortunate that celebrities are put in positions where they feel like they’re being forced to become activists, and I feel it’s a shame that celebrities are put in positions where they don’t. they are judged when they want to be activated. or to do something about a particular cause or use their foundation,” she said, speaking to WWD in an apartment overlooking the ocean.

Questions are one of the central themes of “One Night in Miami,” her Oscar-nominated debut. “I think it’s a battle we’ve always found ourselves in, especially as Black artists.”

The closing ceremony of the Oscars ceremony, widely tipped for best supporting actor to go to the late Chadwick Boseman instead of Sir Anthony Hopkins, was a disappointment for many. But King put the so-called “rejection” in perspective. “I think we all get frustrated at times when we don’t get named. Some would argue, I’m sure Chadwick could only be nominated because it’s a leave nomination. You will have people who say all of that. It’s just one of those things where no one wins. And at the end of the day we’re not going to miss Chadwick more or less, you know, there’s going to be a big hole without him here. “

With a career spanning more than 30 years, King has walked the red carpet many times. She reluctantly admits that there was a time when she had a hard time finding a designer to make her clothes, when even just a few years back, manufacturers would only provide sample sizes and find ways to eat. wear according to specific demographics. But her collaboration with styling duo Wayman + Micah opened up new options and allowed her to take more risks.

“I have never been so passionate about fashion with other stylists. Wayman and Micah also made it really interesting, so then I became more interested just because of their approach. It’s nice to get the feeling of not making it a chore,” she said.

The duo also helped build a relationship with Daniel Roseberry, the Texan who took over the house of Schiaparelli in 2019. She went to Cannes for the first time visiting a sewing factory in Paris. She sat in a colorful shirt dress and a chunky goat head bracelet, a subtle nod to her star sign Capricorn.

“I was really excited when Daniel, the young man from America, from Texas, really seemed to be conveying all the things that Elsa [Schiaparelli] felt it was important to express individualism, and he accepted that. I feel like Daniel is doing her [Schiaparelli] proud,” she said of the 33-year-old from Dallas.

King stunned the Emmys on October’s fantasy red carpet in a cobalt blue cloud bursting from a dress from the house, and teamed up once again to create her. amfAR gowns in Cannes.

Regina King in Schiaparelli at amfAR.
Stephane Feugere / WWD

While this year’s Emmy nominations are a bit disappointing given the drop in female directors, she says change is happening. “We have many ways to go. But part of it will be that even though the audience doesn’t want to hear it, the conversations have to go on. We have to continue to shine a light on the fact that things don’t reflect what the rest of the world looks like.” Young girls have a natural “moxie,” she added. “I feel so proud to be part of a generation that I think has changed everything.”

Her next project is to direct the comic book adaptation “Bitter Root,” in which a family of monster hunters must save humanity during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. Ryan Coogler is producing and bringing her. he boarded the ship. “You want to go where you are supported, you want to be where you are honored, not tolerated,” she said while working with the “Black Panther” director.

On starting her directorial career late in life in an industry known to be ageist, racist and sexist – the triple threat of bias – she said that she don’t approach it as breaking down barriers. “I’m sure a lot of people hear that and, of course, everything is a fight. Obviously, there are things that are important to me and things that I will not tolerate,” she said of working in Hollywood. “But I don’t wake up every morning and fight. I can say that I wake up every morning with a purpose. Every day brings a new discovery or a new way to approach old discoveries or a way to create a space to do things differently. “