The iconic actress sat down with ESSENCE to discuss the new film, the level of excitement that audiences can expect, and more.
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00:00Two nights ago, a list containing the identities of every U.S. spy was stolen.
00:05And to get it back, we need someone who is not on that list.
00:08We need a nobody.
00:09A nobody I can trust.
00:11So what are you guys, like the FBI or something?
00:13We work for the union.
00:16So for my first question, you've had so many iconic roles in so many iconic films.
00:21Now in your career, what is your vetting process like when you're choosing roles?
00:26And what about this role intrigued you specifically?
00:28Ah, vetting.
00:32Well, sometimes you have to work because now you're raising your family.
00:37But usually I'm just looking to do something different, something that
00:40challenges me in a new way, whether it be with a new character that I've never
00:44played, whether it be with a new kind of action that I've never done, or a
00:48director or a co-star.
00:50Like there's usually something that makes me go, hmm, never done that before.
00:54Let me give that a try, right?
00:56And with this one, I just love the idea of like a Jersey James Bond having been
01:02in a real James Bond movie.
01:03I liked the play on.
01:05This is a, you know, a working man's, a blue-collar version of a James Bond
01:09movie.
01:10I love those great movies of the past like Lethal Weapon and you know, where
01:15you have these buddies getting together and there's comedy, but there's also
01:19a caper and there's espionage, you know what I mean?
01:22So I loved that aspect of it.
01:23Like I was a big fan of Moonlighting growing up.
01:26And so I love to see couples, men and women going at it, you know, there's
01:29history there and you're fighting it.
01:31And because I knew Mark since over 30 years, like I've known Mark, so it was
01:37nice to be working with someone, you know, someone you call a friend and to
01:42explore a life on camera together with someone, you know, so well, I thought
01:46would be something I'd never done before.
01:49Now, The Union is a fast-paced action comedy.
01:52Do you find the preparation for action films more challenging than let's say
01:56a drama or psychological thriller due to the physical aspect?
02:00No, not more challenging, just more time-consuming usually because when you
02:03do a physical movie, you have to put in the time in the gym with the, you know,
02:07the stunt team, learning the choreo, learning certain moves, learning how to
02:10handle a gun or a knife or nunchucks, whatever it is you're working with,
02:15right?
02:15And so that just takes time, like that's just sheer time.
02:18But the challenge is the same.
02:20Anytime you try to bring a character to life, you know, I always put in the
02:23work and I study, work it out with people so that I'm not doing it when the
02:28camera's rolling for the first time, you know.
02:31So I wanted to ask, this is, and I may be incorrect, like your second or third
02:35film with Netflix.
02:37How did you initially connect with Netflix and why did you feel as though
02:40that was the right platform for this film?
02:43Well, Netflix gave me the great honor of buying my directorial debut out of
02:49Toronto Film Festival.
02:51They saw the value in that and so they will forever be, you know, close to me
02:56because that was, that was my baby and my baby found a home and I made it
03:01independently and I didn't know if it would get picked up.
03:03I didn't know if it would find a distributor and they picked it up right
03:05away and actually gave me the money to help me finish it.
03:08So, Netflix is all right by me.
03:12And this movie was already set up at Netflix when Mark came to me and asked
03:16me to be a part of it and I couldn't have been happier.
03:19Well, thank you so much, Hattie.
03:21That's all I have for you today.
03:22I'm really excited about the film and thank you so much for your time.
03:26Nice to see you.