Q&A with Tamara Lawrance

Were you familiar with Marlon James’ work before and how did you feel when you first read the script?

Funnily enough I was gifted a copy of ‘Black Leopard, Red Wolf’ by a friend in the summer of 2021. He not only thought I’d enjoy the book but also joked that if they ever made it into a TV series, I could maybe get a role in it. When I got Millie Black, I told him he’d manifested a Marlon James project for me!

How did you hear about Get Millie Black and how did you land the role?

I first came across Get Mille Black via a great friend of mine, Cobbie Yates, who was meeting for the position of costume designer. He loved the scripts and told me to reach out to my agent about this project, so I did, and fortunately managed to get on tape for it. Over the following couple of months, I did a second-round audition over video call and a third round in person in LA with our first block director, Tanya Hamilton, where she really tested my mettle. Shortly after that I was offered the role.

In your own words, what’s Millie Black like? Who is she?

Millie Black is irreverent, belligerent, hawk-eyed and driven by her heart for

justice. She doesn’t mince words and is not remotely interested in being palatable. She tows the line between loneliness and independence. She’s a detective, a sister, a friend – but in that order. Work comes first, a choice she convinces herself is in everyone’s best interest, even when she’s actually using work to avoid the things she doesn’t want to face. She can be stubborn and impulsive but that is what makes her great at her job. A deeper desire she has is to cultivate home with her sister, but after all their time estranged from one another, she doesn’t quite know how to build this bond.

Tonally how would you describe Get Millie Black?

Tense and surprising – so many unexpected twists of fate and of character. It

has this propulsive pace with an unsettling undertone; you suspect something is up, but you don’t see it coming.

How was it working with the other cast members?

Meeting and working with this cast were the highlights of the job for me. Every day there was so much joy and community; especially working with a primarily Jamaican cast for the first time, I felt very at home and affirmed in my identity and was constantly wowed by the local talent. Get Millie Black has an awesome spread of cast that includes the Jamaican queer and trans community, recent drama school graduates and some household Jamaican names from national TV; witnessing their artistry on an international platform is very powerful!

What was it like filming in Jamaica?

Amazing! The landscape of Kingston was integral to the authenticity of this piece and platformed aspects of Jamaica we’ve not seen before. The Jamaican crew were fantastic and so kind and being around Jamaicans every day brought me a lot of joy. It was an opportunity I will always cherish; working in the land of my heritage surrounded by people who look like me, telling a story that addresses so many things I care deeply about.

Can you summarise the show in three words?

Gripping, Seminal, Provocative