Video interview with Lena B. Jackson coming quickly. Examine again shortly to observe this unique dialog.
Lena B. Jackson’s journey from a single web page in a script to turning into one of many anchoring forces in “Jonesing: When Love Is a Behavior” exemplifies the magic that occurs when expertise meets alternative. The Jamaican-American actress, who started acting at age 5 in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, brings a decade of dance coaching and formal training from the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts to her breakout position as Mina Moore. In Sixx King’s emotionally charged drama about love, therapeutic, and identification, Jackson’s character serves as each protector and confidant to the movie’s ensemble of ladies, embodying the sort of platonic love that she believes transcends all different relationships. Her grounded presence and skill to convey knowledge by means of quiet energy has already begun resonating with early audiences, who keep in mind her distinctive actions and the genuine vulnerability she brings to the display screen.
How did you first join with Mina Moore, and what drew you into this movie?
Mina was solely on one web page of the script beginning off. Sixx and I, we related a lot as folks, and he liked my expertise that he expanded on extra pages, and she or he grew to become the most effective mates for Simone, and she or he ended up being the protector and the bodyguard for Simone and the group. There’s nonetheless a softness to her, and she or he’s nonetheless very clever, and she or he has her comedic moments. I used to be simply capable of convey a bit little bit of myself into this position and all of the issues that I consider doing however I don’t do, I used to be capable of put that into the position. I fell in love along with her as we saved collaborating and creating her, and including her to extra scenes and she or he grew to become a full power.
How did the significance of supporting girls in “Jonesing” affect your method to Mina?
There’s all the time gonna be romantic love on this life, however the platonic love, it’s perpetually. You may by no means, and I imply by no means, lose your mates. You may all the time have your mates. You undergo so many heartbreaks inside this life, after which you possibly can all the time name your ladies, and so they’re all the time there. Whereas I took on this position, I remembered that. I assumed platonic love is all the time there, it by no means leaves, and so I acknowledged how vital that was, and I simply drew from that as I saved going, as we saved creating, as we saved collaborating. It turned out so stunning, and folks get to see that inside this movie, how stunning friendship is, and the way robust friendship is. All of us related to one another exterior of those roles, so it confirmed up on display screen as properly.
What was the vitality on set among the many feminine solid, and what was it wish to collaborate with Aaria, Layla and the opposite girls?
It was so particular! As a result of generally you meet folks on totally different units and it takes some time for you guys to click on, however I really feel like all three of us clicked instantly. We talked about our personal love lives, and it was so fast. We felt snug with one another instantly. We began speaking about our personal love lives, household, how we obtained into performing. So all of this was simply so real, and we obtained to switch it over into the display screen. It occurred so shortly, and I don’t assume I’ve ever had that earlier than. I can name them up proper now and I’m like, “Hello, how are you doing? Are you nice?” It’s so particular. It feels so particular to me, and I maintain it particular to my coronary heart.
Which features of the movie’s themes about emotional habits, self-worth, and therapeutic resonated most with you?
I’d say the one which resonated with me most was undoubtedly being the consolation and protector of my mates. My mates name me for something, I’m taking the primary flight out to go see them, to assist them with one thing. In the event that they ever want a bit of knowledge or to be reminded of who they’re, how highly effective they’re, they know to name me. Any sense of pessimism or simply skepticism about life and in regards to the great issues of this life, they’ll name me, and so they know I’m going to show it round. I’m the good friend that’s a heavy believer in transmutation. Like no matter unhealthy is occurring, go forward and transmute that into one thing nice. Should you can’t transmute it into one thing nice, go forward and discover a punching bag. Life is simply so great and so stunning, and I associated to that almost all. Mina’s very quiet, however when she does converse, it’s simply full knowledge popping out of her mouth, and I relate to that. I don’t discuss a lot, however once I do, it often is one thing that stays with you.
Did you and Sixx have any particular conversations about how Mina would influence viewers? What steerage did he offer you?
It really was a collaboration, he would offer you sure steerage like, “Consider her once more as that protector, however after all, add your softness into it. Don’t make her so nobody can get to her, so powerful that there isn’t a second of softness or a second the place we see her coronary heart and her vulnerability and her love for her mates.” And that was the steerage. Like, “Sure, that is who she is, however let’s add in your softness to this character.” And it’s going to be increasing upon these pages, so we’re going to have these moments the place Mina may be very weak, and never perhaps along with her personal coronary heart, however weak within the sense of how she listens to her mates and the way she provides recommendation to her mates. That was the collaboration and the rules, and it turned out wonderful.
How does your artistic background in dance and storytelling provide help to construct your character?
Outdoors of performing, I did ten years of dance, and I’ll say motion performs a giant half in performing. How does this character stroll? How would you like this character to stroll? As a result of the way in which somebody walks says a complete lot about them. How does this character elevate their palms? How they shake folks’s palms, how they have a look at folks, how they flip their head, transfer their head. All of it will get the viewers considering like, “Oh, she’s transferring her head this manner. I ponder what she’s considering?” So my years of dancing, and there’s performing inside dancing as properly since you’re taking part in, generally you get the lecturers that say, “That is the story we’re creating, and we’re going to create it by means of dance.” So that you convey performing to bounce as properly, and all of it collides collectively. I introduced plenty of my dancing expertise into each position that I’ve had. With this position, once more, a job that’s extra protector-like but additionally has vulnerability. There are moments the place my palms are very stern, however there’s moments the place my palms are like, “Oh love, are you okay?” And I obtained to make use of that, I obtained to make use of my physique, all the way in which, and it was very releasing.
Is there any scene that you’re significantly happy with or that you simply discovered difficult?
While you cry on digital camera, it may be very troublesome since you don’t wish to go too far together with your ideas you could’t convey your self again. And with this scene particularly, I resonated with it lots as a result of I, myself, had simply went by means of one thing comparable earlier inside the 12 months. I thought of that, after which I made a decision to placed on Michael Jackson’s “Gone Too Quickly.” So I’m bawling, I’m in tears bawling earlier than the scene. I’m like, “Lord Jesus, Lena, what have been you considering?” So I had moments the place I’m various things simply to maintain me a bit grounded. So I don’t lose my head, and I’m similar to, “Oh, this was unhealthy. It is a nice thought, however this was additionally a foul thought.” I simply go into the scene, we get it accomplished, however that one was, I’ll say, difficult. It was simply very emotional, and I used to be like, these tales of people who lose themselves as a result of they go too far. I see how that may occur, however I additionally see how one can convey your self again. So I obtained to expertise that and take care of that. I received’t say by no means once more, however perhaps I’ll go about it in a different way. Use the method that I used to be taught at school, I’ll simply go that route.
For viewers discovering you thru this movie, what do you hope for them to recollect about Mina and about you as an artist?
Thus far, the folks have been remembering, once more, my actions. They’ve been remembering that, which I really like, however on high of that, I additionally need them to do not forget that friendship is love. It’s loyalty, and it’s additionally about being there and defending your family members. I need them to do not forget that essentially the most, as a result of that’s what I took away from it, simply that love, that loyalty, that care, the kindness, but additionally really being there in your mates and defending them when you possibly can, in any method you could.
How can folks watch “Jonesing: When Love Is a Behavior” and join with you?
“Jonesing: When Love Is a Behavior” is in theaters June thirteenth, 2025. So go to your native AMC theater, honey. That’s the way you’re gonna watch it, we’re not going to be on streaming companies anytime quickly, so get into that theater. And to attach with me, to start with, observe @JonesingMovie on Instagram, after which you’ll find all of our stunning Instagrams by means of that, and you’ll watch our private journeys in addition to the film’s journey.