'37' Star Samira Wiley on the New Kitty Genovese Movie and Her Exit From 'Orange Is the New Black'
Samira Wiley’s unexpected exit from Orange Is the New Black this season left viewers gasping. But the actress, who played fan favorite Poussey Washington, has been through the mourning period for her character, and is moving on to new challenges like the new indie drama 37. Opening in theaters and VOD on Friday, the film is based on the famous story of Kitty Genovese, the Queens woman murdered outside her apartment building in 1964, while a reported 37 witnesses watched and did nothing. Directed by Danish actress and filmmaker, Puk Gratsen, 37 offers fictionalized glimpses into the lives of the people inside that building — people like Joyce and Archibald Smith (Wiley and Michael Potts), a married couple who have just moved to Queens with their young son in search of a better life. Yahoo Movies spoke with Wiley about the reality of the Kitty Genovese case, leaving Orange Is the New Black, and the upcoming project she’s most excited about: Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
How much did you know about the Kitty Genovese case before making 37?
I didn’t know anything about the story before I was approached with the film. I had to read up on it, and talk to people who lived in New York at the time. Learning about it was fascinating, and I knew I wanted to be involved. It felt like a story that needed to be told. Because even though it’s amazing what technology has allowed us to be able to do these days in terms of [recording crimes], at that time, saying something wasn’t necessarily the smart thing to do, especially for an African-American family that had just moved into the neighborhood. That’s one of the reasons our characters are portrayed as holding back; they didn’t want to have anything pointed at them. If there was a cellphone involved, there’d be proof. But back then, it was your word about what you saw.
In recent years, there’s been some debate about the actual number of witnesses who saw the crime. The recent documentary, The Witness, for example, questions the “37” figure.
I heard about The Witness after we filmed this movie, but I haven’t seen it yet. I do remember reading a lot about what the actual number was; there’s a lot of stories about that. Even with all of that, this is based on a real story; we’re not trying to re-create exactly how it was, but trying to tell it as best we can.
Are the Smiths based on a real family who lived in the neighborhood at the time?
There is a family that they seem to be based on, but with a really high-profile crime like this, a lot of people want to live in obscurity about their connection with it. So I wasn’t able to find out too much about them. We created the characters in the best way we could. We see that they’re moving on up, but there’s a lot of fear associated with that as well. Because they’re now living in a neighborhood where no one looks like them. So even though it’s a wonderful thing to be able to live in better conditions, there’s also this fear of the unknown that can really get to people.
Besides the racial and class differences in her new neighborhood, Joyce is also dealing with her husband Archibald’s attempts to force a certain kind of masculinity on their son.
Yes, Archibald’s ideas of what being a man is differs from what Joyce wants for her son. She wants him to get an education, and sees that as his way through the world. And because he’s five, she wants him to be a boy and not worry about being a man. There’s a point where she says, “He’s my baby,” in a motherly way, and you want to hold on to that feeling as long as you can — to protect your child from the horrors of the world. Which is ironic, because what happens that night is almost the opposite in terms of Joyce and Archibald fighting all night, and not taking care of their son in that moment when [the murder happens].
I’m sure that at some point in the process, you had to put yourself in Joyce’s place and ask, “What would I do?” How did you answer that question for yourself?
I did ask myself that, but it’s hard to come up with an answer, because you really had to live during that time, and I don’t. So many of my answers involve calling 911, but this crime was one of the things that made 911 come into being. So it’s hard to imagine what I would do in that situation. I know there’s an instinct to close the window and say, “Let’s not watch.” Then you can correctly say that you don’t know what happened, because you weren’t watching! And that was a survival technique for these characters. If I had lived at that time, I might be in the same mindset in terms of being afraid for my own life and the lives of my family.
For fans of Orange Is the New Black, it was very difficult to watch what happened to Poussey this season. Some have even said that they’ll never watch the show again. Do you hope they change their minds?
Absolutely! Despite the heartbreak about not being on the show anymore, one of the things I’m looking forward to is being able to watch it like everyone else. People get really attached to the characters, and it’s unfortunate if they’re saying they won’t watch the show anymore. But I’ll definitely watch it! To be able to watch a season and have no idea what’s going to happen would be an amazing thing. Even if my former cast mates tried to tell me what was going to happen, I’d stop them.
Some of the negative reaction may be due to the fact that Poussey’s death came in the wake of several high-profile deaths of lesbian characters on shows like The 100 and The Walking Dead.
I absolutely do think it’s unfortunate that it got caught up in that. I knew it was going to happen over a year before it was released, and it was a decision that was made before any press came out about that. I also feel that it’s missing the point of the story we’re trying to tell, which is more of a Black Lives Matter story than a “Bury Your Gays” story. And I want people to know that the story we’re trying to tell is echoing the deaths of Michael Brown, and a lot of other young men who have experienced the tragic thing that happened to Poussey. I want them to be able to understand that, and why it’s different.
Is there a chance that Poussey could return in flashbacks in future seasons?
No one’s called me or anything, but if they wanted me back, there’s no way I could say no. The chance to put on those clothes again sounds completely appealing. But I trust the direction and leaders of the show; I know whatever story they tell will have some integrity, and I hope they don’t do things just for the fans. The reason the show succeeded in the first place is that we wanted to tell true stories and not cater to what people outside of the show want. That’s something we still want to do. Or what they want to do! I’m not there anymore. [Laughs]
On a lighter note, it’s been great to see you on You’re the Worst this season. Will you be back for Season 4?
Like with Orange, if they want me back, I’m so there! Sometimes you do things that don’t feel like work, and You’re the Worst is one of those things. Stephen Falk is a former writer on Orange, so I had a relationship with him before being asked to be on the show, and working with him is a blast. I felt like the new kid in school at the beginning, but everyone made me feel so comfortable. Most of my scenes have been with Aya Cash, and she’s such an amazing actress. She and Chris [Geere] have amazing chemistry; they made me a little starstruck!
Next up for you is Hulu’s adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale. Have you started filming already?
We’ve started shooting, and I haven’t been as excited about a project as I am about this in a very long time. Elisabeth Moss is the main character, and she’s an amazing scene partner. I’m also having the best time working with Reed Morano as a director; I feel so lucky that my first ventures in this industry have so many women of power. We had dinner with Margaret Atwood recently; having her so closely involved with our production has been such a gift. I talk to people how relevant this story is, especially in this time. For me, it’s even a little scary! But I do think it’s about time that there’s a new adaptation of this particular Atwood book. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.
