Blacklisted Conversations

Madeline Appiah is a British Born Ghanaian actress who has has an extensive career on stage and screen.

Her most recent stage role saw her playing mother of iconic super-rock star Tina Turner in the West End show 'Tina: The Musical'.

Yet even more monumental is Madeline's reoccurring role in Idris Elba's series In The Long Run, which has returned to our screens for a 3rd season. Loosely based on Elba’s childhood, Madeline plays wife 'Agnes' to Elba's 'Walter'. Set in the 80s the series explores what London was like for a West African family.

We spoke to Madeline about the series returning for a 3rd season, the importance of representation on and behind the screen and her short film 'Elephant'.

In the Long Run season 3 is available to watch on SKY and NOW TV - https://www.sky.com/watch/in-the-long-run

Follow Madeline via Twitter: @Madeline_Appiah

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Delroy Lindo, infamously born in the UK, but emigrated to the US when a young child is one of those actors who leaves a great impression whenever he's on screen.

Having built up a working friendship with Spike Lee after being cast in Lee's stellar Spike Lee Joints 'Malcolm X', 'Crooklyn' and 'Clockers' they've reunited for Lee's latest Netflix Joint 'Da 5 Bloods' in which Lindo stays true to form, maybe even more so as 'Paul' a Vietnam/American, African-American war Veteran with PTSD.

Da 5 Bloods is an epic feature which follows four African American vets as they battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide.

TBB Talks caught up with Lindo to discuss his role and his thoughts on the importance of Black creatives being ready to claim their piece of the creative pie ...

Da 5 Bloods is available to watch on Netflix now.

Lindo will soon be seen in new series 'Harlem's Kitchen'

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Wendell Pierce is known for his roles in HBO dramas such as Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire and trombonist Antoine Batiste in Treme, as well as portraying James Greer in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, as high-powered attorney Robert Zane in Suits, and as Michael Davenport in Waiting to Exhale. 

Pierce also had roles in the films Malcolm X, Ray, and Selma. Pierce performed the lead role of Willy Loman in the 2019 production of Death of a Salesman on the West End in London at the Piccadilly Theatre.

His latest project Clemency is about Prison warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard) life starts to unravel after the burden of carrying out death row executions takes it toll. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.

Pierce plays Bernadine's husband a man desperate to save his marriage and his wife. We Are Parable's Anthony Andrews spoke to Pierce about his role in Clemency on behalf of TBB Talks ... 

Clemency will be available to watch Friday 17th July 2020

Follow this link to watch: http://bohemiamedia.co.uk/clemency/ click on Clemency at S.O.U.L. FEST

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TBB Talks spoke to former BBC and Apple Music executive producer Dellessa James, about her new Music position at Amazon.

Having previously worked at BBC Radio 1Xtra as exec-producer of The Rap Show and Fire in the Booth, and producing for Trevor Nelson, DJ Target and MistaJam , Dellessa moved to Apple Music in 2018.

In September she'll join Amazon Music to oversee their Black music strategy which involve the playlists, creative direction and executing large scale campaigns for artists and labels.

 TBB's Sarah Ebockayuk finds out more about Dellessa's journey in the industry, her thoughts on how Black women artists are regaining their visibility, her expectations of her new role and how she handled lockdown ...

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Renay Richardson is an award-winning audio producer and founder of Broccoli Content. Richardson made her mark on the UK podcasting industry with her highly-acclaimed series About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge.

Originally from Dagenham, Essex, as a young black woman living in Britain, she grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of diverse stories and characters featured on screen.

Determined to make a difference and carve out a place for stories like hers, Richardson spent a decade in the entertainment industry, learning the business and climbing her way up.

Richardson fell in love with podcasts and the way they engaged with an audience to speak directly to their passions and interests while working for Acast and a number of other leading podcast platforms. She founded Broccoli Content in 2018 after the runaway success of About Race.

TBB Talks spoke to this phenomenal powerhouse about how she got into the business of podcasting, what it was like working with Reni Eddo-Lodge and what it takes to produce your own podcast.

Check out Broccoli Content: https://www.broccolicontent.com/

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He is probably most famous for being the first black actor ever to play the part of 'Iago' in Iqbal Khan’s 2015 production of Othello for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

He has also repeatedly performed at the National Theatre, most recently starring as 'Sam' in Master Harold and the Boys (2019) and 'Antonio Salieri' in Amadeus (2019). Iconic television roles also include playing 'Tobi Akindele' in Channel Four’s Kiri (2018), and currently starring as 'Ed Dumani' in Sky Atlantic’s Gangs of London.

Talking Heads is available to watch via BBC iPlayer now.

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Steady building her career relatively quietly, Weruche Opia is about to blow us away in Michaela Coel's new drama series 'I May Destroy You'.

Opia has worked in the UK & Nigeria across screen and stage. Her work includes The Inheritors at The National, Nigeria and Diana Nneka Atuona's Liberian Girl at The Royal Court. Along with roles in TV series' Top Boy, Bad Education, Sliced (alongside lead Samson Kayo, and in Sebastian Thiel's web series turned TV series Just A Couple.

Playing the role of 'Terry' best friend to Michaela Coel's 'Arabella', Opia is part of a groundbreaking production created by, written, starring and co-directed by Michaela Coel.

Lead by Arabella, I May Destroy You is 'a fearless, frank and provocative new drama about sexual consent and modern relationships' - BBC.

With challenging themes which will evoke provocative discussion TBB Talks spoke to Opia about her character, how she prepared for the role and what it was like working with a predominantly Black cast and diverse crew on a British production.

I May Destroy You is an 8-part series co-production between HBO and the BBC.

The series airs Monday 8th June on BBC One at 10:45pm. Episode 2 will air on BBC One, Tuesday 9th June at 10.45pm. Episodes will then air on Mondays and Tuesdays for the remainder of the series, and will be available on BBC iPlayer.

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Pippa Bennett-Warner has been steady working in stage and screen for a while now. A quiet talented force, Bennett-Warner has a number of new projects under her belt which are fast cementing her as one of the UK's acting secret weapons.

She can currently be seen as 'Shannon' in Sky's new gangster series Gangs of London. Set in the heart of one of the world's most dynamic and multicultural cities, Gangs of London tells the story of the city being torn apart by the turbulent power struggles of the international gangs that control it and the sudden power vacuum that's created when the head of London's most powerful crime family is...

We spoke to Bennett-Warner about her character, why this particular story was one she couldn't say no to, and how she's coping under quarantine.

All episodes of Gangs of London are available to watch now on Sky (UK) and Cinemax (US).

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TBB Talks to ... Executive Producer and original Lead Director of the new BBC One series Noughts + Crosses, Kibwe Tavares.

In an up close and personal conversation with Cyndi Anafo, Tavares shares his unconventional entrance into filmmaking and his journey this far with his company Factory Fifteen.

He also touches on a life changing moment during filming Noughts + Crosses in South Africa, and he has managed to turn adversity into success.

Noughts + Crosses follows two young people Sephy and Callum who are divided by their colour but united by love. Sephy is a 'Cross', a member of the black ruling class and daughter of a prominent politician. Callum is a 'Nought', a white member of the underclass. The two have been friends since early childhood but their relationship grows ever more complicated as they come of age. It's the story of two families separated by power and prejudice but forever entwined by fate.

Along with a brilliant cast, people behind the scenes include director Koby Adom, executive producer Kibwe Tavares and on the writing team Lydia Adetunji, Nathaniel Price and Rachel De-Lahay.

Noughts + Crosses airs 9pm Thursday 5th March 2020 on BBC One then all episodes will available to stream on BBC iPlayer straight after.

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TBB Talks featuring TBB's literature writer Priscilla Owusu, caught up with the Dapo Adeola & Nathan Bryon to find out how they joined forces to create the groundbreaking kids' book 'Look Up'

Illustrator Dapo Adeola and actor/filmmaker Nathan Bryon have teamed up to bring us kids' book 'Look Up'.

Look Up is about Rocket, a science-mad chatterbox who is going to be the greatest astronaut, star- catcher, space-traveller that has ever lived! As a young black girl rocking her afro puffs with pride Rocket is a significant character in the less diverse world of children's literature.

The author Nathan Bryon is an award-winning writer and actor in his own right who has written for BAFTA award-winning children's TV shows, such as Swashbuckle and Apple Tree House and critically-acclaimed Rastamouse. A rising star in the world of screenwriting, his animated series, Afro Kid, is currently under option. Look Up! is his debut picture book for children.

Bryon teamed up with Dapo Adeola, an illustrator and character designer who creates characters and images that challenge gender norms in a fun and upbeat way. Adeola runs illustration and character design workshops in and out of schools, to help highlight the possibilities of a career in illustration to inner-city children.

Look Up is available in all book retailers NOW.

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