Tiffany Boone | Unfiltered

And I know people are like, woke culture, cancel culture.

We can't say anything anymore.

No, there's some spaces you're not allowed to say things.

There's some spaces where you're not allowed

to do certain things, and that actually creates

a safer environment.

Hi, I am Tiffany Boone and this is my Glamour Unfiltered.

I grew up watching The Lion King over and over again,

I would sit on the edge of my mother's bed

and watch it on her little box TV on top of her dresser.

I was obsessed with the story and the songs

and it was my favorite Disney movie growing up.

I didn't realize I was actually auditioning

for the role of Sarabi when I auditioned for the film.

I just saw The Lion King and I was like,

I'll audition for any character, I don't care,

I just wanna be a part of it.

That's what it was, and then hearing that Barry Jenkins

was directing it.

And then I read the sides, I just was like,

I don't know what character this is,

but she seems like a really cool chick.

All those pieces together made me wanna be a part of it.

For Sarabi, you know, she's coming into herself at a time

where she's lost her pride, lost her community.

In that, she's having to like find a lot of independence

and confidence while holding in probably a lot of pain,

and I can definitely relate to that being a young woman

and growing up and trying to be tough when,

you know, you're dealing with such big emotions.

And even now at my big age, I'm like trying to be strong

and trying to be tough and inside,

I'm like, what am I doing?

And I think that's kinda what Sarabi is up to,

so I definitely relate to that,

and I also relate to her sassiness for sure.

I sadly did not get to work with Beyonce or Blue Ivy.

I didn't even know Blue Ivy was a part of the film

until everyone else in the world found out.

I found out like reading something and went [gasps],

that makes so much sense.

I didn't get to work with either of them,

but just from watching Blue Ivy's performance in the film,

as a person who is such a big fan of Beyonce

and you get kind of watch her life or all of these years

that she's been famous, to watch her have children

and then to watch Blue Ivy grow up is like,

I think we all kind of feel like

she's like our niece or something.

And so I feel pride seeing her beautiful performance

in this film, she is magnificent as Kiara.

Yeah, it does, I mean, the first thing that comes

to mind actually is, I think my friends

and family would say I'm a fiercely loyal person.

If someone hurts someone that I love,

I'm going to jump up before they do, you understand?

Like I'm that person who's like, who are we fighting?

What we gotta do? What are, you know what I mean?

And I feel like that's who I am in general,

I'm just always trying to look out for other people,

especially the people that I love.

If you're close to me, I'm gonna have your back.

But in general, I think the world would be a better place

if we watched out for each other, you know what I mean?

If we looked after each other,

we're in such a like individualistic society right now.

And I think what the movie is about, a lot of what the movie

is about is community and sticking together.

I hope people will see the movie and find a little bit

of a reason to like be a better

and bigger part of their own community.

I totally think there's strength and vulnerability.

I was watching something the other day and this woman,

it was a Black woman doing a podcast,

and she was saying, Oh, crying is weakness,

crying is showing weakness.

And I was like, oh, that's so sad for her.

I felt really sad for her to think that.

I think it actually takes a lot of strength

and bravery to show your softer side.

I think it takes a lot of strength

and bravery to open yourself up to people

and show your sadness and your vulnerability.

And as a Black woman, you know, like the older I get,

the more I am like, I don't have

to take on the weight of the world.

I don't have to fix anybody else's problems.

I just have to be present for myself

and my family and do the best that I can.

I know what the world thinks I'm supposed to do,

but that's not my business, and I try to remind myself

of that every day.

I'll be honest, it's a journey for me

in feeling powerful, in feeling confident.

I don't want people to think that like, oh, I just wake up,

I'm so confident and everything's perfect.

That's not, it is work.

I will say, if I'm honest, therapy.

Therapy is what really sends me back to center

and gives me confidence and reminds me of who I am,

the techniques that my amazing therapist gives me.

I think it's important that we talk about

and normalize going to therapy, especially as Black women.

It is integral to my life at this point,

it's something that I have to do.

Getting to play Gwen Fontaine was amazing for me.

Even I, a person who has always been interested

in the Black Power movement,

I still didn't know who Gwen Fontaine is.

And I think that's indicative of something

that happens a lot, especially around

the civil rights movement, is that the women

of the movement don't get the shine.

But the women were so important to the movement.

The women, as we always are,

are the ones holding up everything,

even if there's a man in front,

you better believe there's 10 women behind him

that are really making things happen.

I love being able to tell complex female stories.

I do feel like there has been a change.

You know, I think back to some things that happened,

things that we would say, like all of us, things,

little flippant comments would be made on set,

things that would happen, just the energies on set.

Everyone is more careful, and I know people are like,

woke culture, cancel culture,

and like we can't say anything anymore.

No, there's some spaces you're not allowed to say things.

There's some spaces where you're not allowed

to do certain things, and that actually creates

a safer environment to make our art.

And I appreciate that.

You know, we have intimacy coordinators now.

We have people that are watching out

and making sure that it is a safe space.

And I don't think it makes set more stifled,

I actually feel freer to go to work

and know that somebody is gonna be watching out for me

and that, if they're not, I can speak up

for myself and know I'll be listened to.

So we can always improve on what is happening,

there's always room to grow,

but I think we've made some great strides so far.