NEXT BIG THING

FANTASIA BARRINO

IS IN HER PURPLE PATCH

Best known as an award-winning musical artist, Fantasia Barrino hits all the right notes as Celie in director Blitz Bazawule’s musical reimagining of The Color Purple – a role she was previously celebrated for on stage. On the day she speaks to Teasers, her nomination for Best Performance at the Golden Globes has just been announced. ‘Excuse my voice, but I’ve been screaming on the phone with my mom!’

What was your relationship to The Color Purple?

I’ve always been a fan of the original movie. I could relate to Celie and Miss Whoopi Goldberg, who laid the foundation where no one can even try to do what she did. But I had a connection. It meant a lot to me because I had been through some things at a young age.

What convinced you to return to Celie after playing her on stage?

Blitz [Bazawule], our amazing director, he’s a visionary. He showed me that he was giving Celie an imagination. And I thought: ‘That’s the piece that we’ve been missing.’ Because nobody that goes through trauma just sits and wallows in that. They do envision themselves someplace else. I know because I did it. I got to see Celie in a totally different light.

What would award recognition mean? I don’t want to cry because I’ve been crying all morning! But it would be amazing. I’m representing my daughter, every Black woman, every woman. The Color Purple is not just a Black thing; it’s a world thing. Every nationality will sit in that theatre and they will relate in some way.

What would you like to do next? This is my first big movie, and I didn’t think that I could do this! So now that I know I can, I want to continue to challenge myself. I want to work with some of the greats – Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Loretta Devine, Taraji P. Henson... the list goes on. I would love to work alongside these women, and continue to grow as an actress.