The Deliverance Conversation with Lee Daniels, Audra Day and Glenn Close Moderated by Colman Domingo

[Applause] [Music] hi my name is Coleman Domingo and I am extremely honored to be here uh for this really groundbreaking wild haunting film it's directed by a dear friend of mine who I worked with on the butler many years ago and I'd like to bring this Vin to the stage please Le [Applause] Daniels and I'd like to also bring the leading ladies to the stage as well Andre day [Music] and it's not often that we have a legend in the room but we do please stand up for Miss Glen [Applause] CL are you shook are you suth well I am and I wanted to ask my friends here especially I wanted to start with you Lee Lee Daniels your mind is so brilliant and endless and filled with inspiration what inspired you to tell this story in particular this is a genre that's new for you as well right what Drew you to all of it all of it I uh was going to do it after Precious but I felt that it was too similar to the the abuse story and also I felt that it was at that time because I'd seen the documentary and I'd seen the uh I'd seen the documentary and I'd read the court docks and and seen interviews with LaToya that I didn't it was a horror movie so I was like I don't I don't my mom told me you know you are an open portal you demand honesty and if you if you do this negative stuff is going to come on you negative spirits will come I didn't I I pumped out I didn't do it after Precious I did the but I Butler no paper boy but um and so uh but then up recent you know it's all what's in the air Coleman like I feel that we're in the dark times and for me it was about finding my higher power it's we're in dark dark times and I and I felt like I wanted to it's not really about uh horror it's it's more about finding your light finding your higher for me it's Jesus Christ for others it could be Allah or Buddha or whatever that is but it's about finding your high and you better find it because it's we're who knows tomorrow we can be out of here that and Andre we were talking backstage about how you know you did such beautiful work and um with billly holiday thank you [Applause] yes directed by this as well and you you go to some very deep traumatic places and then here's another role that really challenges you to go to some really unusual horrific places as well what what Drew you to this role um I think I just really like torturing myself most um I mean the first thing that Drew me to this role obviously was lead dness you know this is this is home for me so you know whatever he's doing that he wants me to be a part of I will always be a part of um because I think God has blessed me with more than one of the greatest directors that we've ever had but he's blessed me with a family member and um so working with him on Billy we just gained I mean it was like a marriage you know we just um trusted each other and I trusted him completely his work and his vision so for me you know once he asked me I think you asked me about a on the set of Billy it was like toward the end of filming and I wasn't exactly in like clear state of mind so I was like yeah let's do everything wait he asked you to do this movie after Billy yeah the first mention of it was at the very end so he was like let's just keep going with this moment yeah yeah you know I was a horror oh my God but um no so I think that was the first thing that Drew me to it but because as he said I'm also a person of Faith um I it was really about prayer was about going into everything I do with intention you know and so um I wanted to do it because of him but I also needed to pray about it and see that this was something I had peace about because because of the subject matter you know as a Believer I think if you grew up in any type of church situation it's always like don't touch any demonic things to stay away from anything demonic and otherworldly and spiritual which as I've grown up in my faith I realized it's crazy because one of the things I heard when I was praying about it was that you have authority over these things they are under your feet if you want to be light you need to shine in Dark Places and so um so that was really what gave me a piece about doing the movie and just Latoya's character you know it's just she's doing the best she can with what she has she's fighting not just an entire system but a nation that as a black woman feels often like it's against you so she's not just trying to be believed she's just trying to be heard and take up space and be the best mother she can be and so there's a lot of aspects that Drew me to this movie but the number one was right here number two was right [Music] here well that leads me to miss Glen close this role is something we have never seen you do I don't think we have and it's it's funny because I know that there is years old this is a character that I think people who know know that she exists in our communities you know what I mean okay did I [Music] hear right exact right and it's funny because I think a lot of people don't know that I mean when Lee approached you with this role what was your initial thoughts and feelings about it and and then how did you find your way into her cuz there's there's a lot of beautiful elements too that are going into it the hair the makeup the costumes you need how did you build this character just one yes um well first I was kind of overwhelmed that Lee called me and wanted me in his movie and [Music] um and I hate to repeat myself and this was such a huge challenge into an area that for me was totally unknown and um I trusted Lee and I I remember saying to you you got to leave lead me into this because I don't know who this person is I mean I'm a I'm a Yankee from connectic you know I mean so uh it was a great great experience um and uh we found her um the the kind of the the the opening of the door for me was when they threw those costumes on me and I said to Lee I look like a hooker and he said uh-huh but then the thing that was so exciting was that I realized um it didn't matter what my body shape was because in inside I was the sexiest woman that was so free to not feel that I had to be self-conscious about the shape of my body um it was um and to be with this group of actors um it just was one of the great experiences of of my career and the great a great Growing Experience a great Human Experience and um it was it it yeah so I'm going to start you were building out such a I think a terrific ensemble cast could you talk about the way you built out you know you found the the kids as well I got to go back I got to go back it was she really did look at me because it's taking me back to what she looked like when she came out of her trailer and she was like walking in her little Daisy duk's and she just walks up to me like this she says what is this what is this keep in mind it's blend close okay you know what I mean I got to do a soft dance here and I go Just Go With It Drop into it and I think Mo'Nique and and a I think all of the girls sort of like talk to you about that and that was when you and when you dropped into it it was over stay with that because I think this is good so when you when you when you're going you're having your conversations with your costume designers your makeup and and everything what were these Inspirations in these conversations these women exist the thing is that everybody black knows this woman I think a lot of white people don't know who she is but she's a fabric of our community that's never been seen before on screen yeah which is was really exciting and and she just did her so much Justice I think that uh you know it it was just about her and then the voice was the thing the voice where because I couldn't figure it out and we she couldn't figure it out and I was getting frustrated and she was getting frustrated and then finally Glen had the brilliant idea of just listening to Andra and then sort of you know because we were trying to we started we started in the way we were start [Music] my it was scary [Music] but I wasn't going to get up listen guys I was not we were not rolling until we had her and and uh it was brilliant you know to be all of the cast embraced her in a way that uh you know she was she was out of it she was this was not her party and we you know she became the bell of the party you did because also I love the scenes with you and Mo'Nique as well the way you guys the way you all go toe-to-toe with each other how did you build that did you was it immediate trust and how did you guys talk about the characters talk about the relationships take us into your process a little bit me yeah you were both of you me this with a baseball bat yes I you know I she was like a mothered lion uh you know where she was like a tigress of defending her family that's the way I looked at it and she was there and I just felt she was trying to take these these kids way and they're my life and what I love most is that white women normally like run from that girl you know what I mean not her she's coming down with the bat and that's why Monique says a bat but that's what I loved about it because I think that that's what it was so what I was we were talking about it backstage how like how she's so ingrained culturally yeah it's like right she understands like no that's what she would do you knew that this woman had been with these folks years so she's like very culturally she's black right so she doesn't have her wig on you know I me because that she wasn't going to go and put her wig on and then come downstairs that woman was sitting down there and I think for me I think with that scene is that a we did trust each other right away you know what I mean like we she's definitely playing a character that is new and different for her but it's not new for us on set every actor on set for me in particular like when I see Clint close I know oh my God that's Clint close when I see Mo'Nique I go oh my God that's Mo'Nique oh my God that's onu and the kids same you know what I mean same that I feel about him so so there was I think that there was an immediate sort of respect that um we all actually gave to each other and and just you know willingly but I think also for that scene in particular all of us all of us were completely Justified does that make sense like you you know like she said she was this woman's coming to take away her grandbabies to disrupt her daughter's life as far as I'm concerned she's coming to take these kids and as far as Cynthia is concerned you know this woman is beating these kids and she needs to get them out of here so I think the interesting Dynamic that you see is that all of us are trying to protect the kids while inflicting damage at the same time so it's in trying to figure things out they're all damaged FL characters trying to be good for these kids and so I think that's the dynamic that we brilliantly sort of put into play in these scenes that I love so much I think so too and I want to go back to the Ensemble that you built out because we here with a lot of sag folks as well I want to know how you built out this Ensemble with because I saw some surprise members as well first of all you have like Andre no Ellison [Applause] here how was it building up and what did you need for this Ensemble because every single time someone else is in the scene it does change the energy in tambar of the scene extraordinary way I think with Monique it was important just it's kmic because we hadn't spoken in forever and it was important it was like riding a bite when we finally started working together again uh and I wanted to do the complete opposite that I did with her precious where that she wasn't uh you know she didn't look like Mary but she looked like Cynthia in these glamorous sort of outfits and these diamonds and she was beautiful and uh and she was she was full she was the opposite so it was important that I stuff her in that outfit with all them Spanx and them pumps polka and yeah and she felt so pretty and I felt so I was just really and I love the energy between she and Glenn the what wasn't said everything that wasn't said it was just like the looks that they gave each other just you know uh and they all trusted me you know so I think that you can I think that with Glenn in particular you know you can't get it if they are completely jumping off the cliff with you you know what she's willing to do she's willing to do anything be share she's willing to do anything you know and I think that even at the end you know when she says those uh you know the nappy line that's the devil talking and and I and devil talking in here but I think that you know that's the artist that Glenn is and that's the believer that's that's that's called trust and you get that when you have artists actors you know group people that trust you but he Le this is what was so much fun is that we do a scene I think in the house and we're on a we were on in a studio and we do a scene and we would say okay everybody come on come on and we and we go around to where the monitor was say okay let's look at this and we'd all look at it together and and we yeah yeah that's good that's good go somebody might say can I try I'd like to kind of try this say yeah yeah okay you can try and it's like it is like the probably the closest to theater in a way because we were all working on something together and we go back in with the with intent you know to try something different and I felt that your your spirit of inclusion that you were not um intimidated by actors looking at their work you know which is um sometimes can happen um it it just it just meant that everybody was there to try to get it right you know to try to get that feeling that okay we hit it because I don't have the answers I Y all have the we all have the anwers but I don't have the answer you have the answer after you see the imperfection yeah you know you go oh yeah I I agree with her from both experiences and I think that is why you're when you go oh they trusted me it's not that's not for no reason you know what I mean it's because we know that when you say cut or you got it you you didn't just get like oh I can live with that you got the most authentic performance the most amazing version of whatever it is you're looking for and so I think you know as she said you don't have an ego when you're on set you're just you're priority is always the performance in the story and that it does feel it's much more collaborative in that way and it does make us trust you for sure I think that's the thing that I do know about you Lee work together yes is the thing I do know about you and I and maybe that's what I maybe my question is as well is that you you're always searching for the truth and for an honest performance and you honestly just say strip it down strip it down less less less cut it in half cut it in half nothing do not breathe just breathe but but but and and I tell you I think that years later I think I told you before I said that it really affected my work I start to understand and I think what what you're asking from your performances which is to just just be to be which is why I think also people like your sister shows up in your films as well right I saw one of your sisters in film it didn't I girly yeah yes so girly exactly and did you have some other castmates that I think they all you have this beautiful blend of artists with you that people who also give something that you just can't put your finger on that feels extremely authentic is that something you're always drawn to I do with the with the with the professional actors and the sort of the you know that's that's you're absolutely right I'm really attracted to cassetti's you know his work his broadness his you know his authenticity and I think that a lot of I a lot of just I don't like the acting and my wife I love actors I acting you know don't do anything people are be performing performing perform performance right so so it for me being in a movie is one long rehearsal I mean is a rehearsal every scene because we don't in theater you have four weeks to perfect your performance or at least get a shape of it and then you keep refining and refining and refining every night on stage movies you have one day two days uh to do a scene and you can't repeat it and and so I that's why I've learned uh you know you you we were kind of of a mind of who this woman was but then um I'm there I'm your instrument you know it's your vision and I I it excites me to try to figure out your vision um as much as you know that because it's all in your head oh you might not feel it in your head all the time but it is it is in your head so when you I agree with with Andre when when you say you got it great you know it's it's um then you can get it's like therapy up here what is what am I doing oh yeah okay Glenn what about um Alberta surprised you uh what did you not know about like as you were going embarking on this character what what surprised you was there any surprises that you you know about my character yeah everything's surprising everything is there anything any about ber that you take with you though cuz I think you know we we learn from our characters right we take a little bit with us was there anything you wanted to take with you what you know one of my favorite scenes is when we're all doing hair yes I love that s I love that scene and I learned how to sew [Music] those leing that got and I had a head and I had a head with you know the rose and I was like you know yeah I was doing it you know where to go business it was important that I do it I know and then I knew what I was doing she learned she has a little curved needle and everything I tell you it wasn't easy with those nails that part the nails and the weed the but what I learned what I was trying to get at was what defines a family you know here what I have so many biracial friends and what is it like to be a black girl that has a white mother who who and this white woman has black a black daughter and black her grandkids and the generational of of it all and and what what is that we don't see it we don't know it I'm black people know it but it's important that El the world to see it right that make any sense I think no makes a lot of sense thank you um Andre want you you play a fictionalized version of a real person in this film what was it about ebony that my notes are all over the place what is it about Ebon that stuck out to you when you read the script and why did you want to play because because it's such a character who really is when we're playing someone I believe that is um who believes that demons are there that believes that the devil was there and you have to did you I mean do you believe that as well do you believe the story did you as Andra and did you make yourself believe of course because you have to live in it yeah so what does it like for you um I mean for well I do believe right I actually believe in the spirit world and I do believe those things exist um so I do believe Latoya you know who um the original story it is um uh but I had to do both you know what I mean so that that is a huge part of me so uh you know she does not believe and she really doesn't believe and a lot of her I don't know if her you know her unbelief is her unbelief but it's also based in resentment toward her mother right anything that her mother is going toward she wants to shy away from because you know because I think that she is what what I love about this what I love about Ebony's character is with all of the trauma and was all of the pain there was a huge well of Love She as as much as she is struggling with alcoholism as much as she is struggling with even realizing that there was so much unhealed and undal with trauma underneath you know she's still having gone through everything she went through because we're looking at a cycle of abuse in this movie right Alberta was abused Alberta became an abuser those memories if if you know and you've experienced any of them they're visceral they do not leave you you know what I mean and so I think she's trying to raise her kids and she's trying to love her mother through her cancer and supporting her while having these memories sort of Replay in her head so I think maybe every time she sort of encounters bera's Newfound Faith or her righteousness you know she just looks at it as fony you know what I mean it's really hard for her to overcome that but in spite of all of that she still pays for her cancer bills in spite of all that she's still and I think it's more than just you know um um more than just um socially appropriate or the proper thing to do I think she really does love her mother and I think she still yearns for that love for her mother and she wants to create a better life for her kids than than than she had so I think that her you know she H she even though she does not believe in God in the beginning she has an unwavering faith in something that she's maybe not aware of so there were just a lot of layers to that I was excited to unpack but I had had to um deal with some own personal trauma in order to play her so she ended up she was actually more challenging we talked about this L said she's more challenging for me even than Billy because there was just some things that I realize I had to deal with in myself otherwise I would not be able to play her so she really grew me in a lot of ways and you had to be a believer the main reason why hired her Andrew was because she was a Believer and uh in this in the basement scene when she is um when she's speaking in tongue there was script there but she spoke in tongue and the ad is like well should we cut I'm like noes let it happen and so that was real that was that was uh that wasn't my direction that was her sort of doing her thing wow [Applause] I've always felt that the burden of forgiveness is on the child because the parent will always make mistakes and you can and I think part of um Alberta's Agony is she's trying to clean up her own life she has cleaned up her own life and she's dying for her child to forgive her and um I think it makes for a very uh moving Dynamic you know but between the two of us um because you don't have a right if you've if I've abused her even if I'd been abused um it it has to come from her and you feel at the end I I feel that she she will forgive her mother you know um there were there were scenes that and wanted to touch you she wanted to kiss you and all that she wanted to touch you and I just didn't want it I felt that you know you could see the love that was there and so we we I pulled away from anything any any niceness you had towards her I just felt like I could see the love I I think it's it's really interesting too because I was thinking about this I don't remember where we were we were talking about this some some somewhere along this press one but I think you see the love and I think there is this these are two very very strong women you know what I mean so there's like being a 100% vulnerable and transparent is the scariest thing I think for us as people to do right like I probably most of us will probably jump out a plane and Skydive before we will actually really really make ourselves 100% vulnerable and so they've both of them have grown up and lived their lives learning to protect themselves so there's layers layers of walls you know so though they're both yearning she definitely wants ebony to forgive her and Ebony definitely wants her mother to to love her um I find it very interesting I was thinking about this the other day I don't think you ever hear Alberta's character ever truly say I'm sorry to ebony for all of the abuse and everything you never do but it's all of the unspoken stuff in there they desire it but there's walls I think there was a scene again I took it out because I felt that she was apologizing in her own Alberta way I think she said it but I I felt it was like I I didn't want it and same with ebony I think she forgave her as she said I think she did forgive her ultimately in their own way I think the hardest thing for human being is to forgive yeah for sure um because it means it's going to stop now and that the Cycle's going to stop I give you and I'm not going to do this anymore and it's so hard thank you you guys have one more question and uh this for you Le um I'm just curious about this uh the playwright Tom stord has said you know when you look at an artist's work they usually have the same questions over and over again there something that they're they wake up and they thinking about it shows up in that work what is what is this question for you that links your yeah that LS your work why I just want to be loved I just want to be loved thank you [Applause] W please [Applause]