Michaela Coel "wasn’t ready" for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The 38-year-old actress played Aneka, a member of the Dora Milaje, in the hit Marvel movie, but Michaela has now admitted to feeling out of her comfort zone.
The actress - who starred alongside Lupita Nyong'o, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Angela Bassett in the Ryan Coogler-directed movie - told The Hollywood Reporter: "I really don’t think I was ready for that world of greenscreen acting. I literally don’t know how to do that. I don’t know how to act when something isn’t there.
"It’s a skill that I had not quite possessed. I feel like a different version of me would serve that well, but when one is not quite prepared for a job, it’s also quite hard to feel like I’m serving it — and then I’m not serving the story. And then what am I doing here then? I love Ryan Coogler so much. But I feel like I was a little astray."
Michaela also recalled being in awe of some of her co-stars.
She said: "I wasn’t ready for Wakanda. I’m watching Angela Bassett kill her scenes. It is a different world, and I think it’s different muscles. The muscle easier to use for me is in that intimate, small room — two people, heavy, thick dialogue, psychological. This is what I really enjoy."
Michaela enjoyed huge success with I May Destroy You, her 2020 comedy-drama TV series. but she subsequently felt under pressure to keep the momentum going, even though she wasn't always enthused by some of the opportunities that came her way.
Michaela told Vogue: "I couldn’t figure out what my motivations were; money and creating jobs are fine, but that’s not it for me.
"There was the assumption that, okay, so now I May Destroy You has happened, you’ve got this window and you have to capitalise on it. And when I hear that, it sounds like the root is fear, because the assumption is the window is going to close. And I don’t feel comfortable making decisions based on fear."
Meanwhile, Michaela has been friends with actor Paapa Essiedu since their time together at drama school, and he confessed to feeling inspired by his showbiz pal.
He explained: "Everyone talks about her genius talent, which is true and can’t be underestimated, but from the first moment I met her, the thing that impresses, inspires, and moves me most about Michaela is the size of her heart.
"I think it knows no limits, and she’s incredibly courageous in the way she chooses to share it."
