Playing the role of rookie cop Alicia West in Sonys upcoming action thrillerBlack and Bluewas a no-brainer forNaomie Harris.
Alicia is pretty badass!
Shes fierce and capable, strong, and independent.
Credit: Alan Markfield/Screen Gems
Shes the kind of woman that I love portraying, Harris tells EW.
Ultimately, he is of use to her during the escape scene when theyre being chased.
But she definitely has the upper hand, shes more skilled in what shes doing.
Alan Markfield/Screen Gems
That he can handle being protected by a strong woman.
I think it speaks volumes about the kind of man that he is.
Im a black woman, and I want to represent black women in a positive light, she explains.
I was brought up by a single parent.
She was and still is a strong, powerful, and capable woman.
I grew up in a community of women who were like that.
What I felt growing up is that I didnt see that strength represented in the media.
So Ive made it my mission to play women who were like the women I knew growing up.
TheBond 25star also says she learned a lot from playing Alicia.
I start each new role thinking, Okay, I got this.
I know what the challenge with this particular character is going to be, Harris says.
And it always surprises me because it never is the thing that you think its going to be.
It was her vulnerability.
Black and Bluehits theaters Oct. 25.
