00:01The other day, my son, who's 13, I was telling him about a film I'm about to do.
00:06And I explained the plot to him, and he turned to me and said,
00:11Oh, so Daddy, are you going to play the best friend?
00:15I said, I've just played Dr. King, the best friend!
00:24The point is, like Iman said earlier, images matter.
00:28That cover of Essence spoke to her.
00:32The images my 13-year-old son has been seeing are speaking to him.
00:37And so, you know, I just really want to thank you, Gugu, because I have a 3-year-old daughter.
00:44And images are going to affect her.
00:47And you are presenting her with images that I love.
00:51Three-dimensional, layered, what it is to be both black and white at the same time.
01:04Now, I may not show her beyond the lights quite yet.
01:08Because I don't really like the idea of her rubbing up against anyone like Nate Parker.
01:16Until she's about 45 years old.
01:20But Corvengine Wallace and Annie will have to do for now.
01:22Okay, Dr. Maya Angelou once said,
01:27Pursue the things you love doing and people won't be able to take their eyes off you.
01:36All other tangible rewards will come as a result.
01:39In less than a year, this Oxford-born phenomenon.
01:43And I have to just speak to that.
01:46Oxford-born phenomenon.
01:48We speak the same.
01:49We do the same thing for a living.
01:51We were born in the same hospital.
01:54John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
01:56Did you know that?
01:58You're my sister in more ways than you know.
02:02Oxford-born phenomenon has done exactly that.
02:05Garnering industry attention for her incredible range and chameleon-like ability
02:10to lose herself in every character she brings to life.
02:14In Belle, director Ama Asante's accomplished period piece
02:18of a spirited young woman whose life defied convention,
02:21she pushed the limits of our imagination
02:23and galvanized film critics for brilliantly capturing the contradictions
02:28of being both white and black, aristocratic and scorned,
02:33and deftly handling the nuances of racism in high society in every scene.
02:39In Beyond the Lights, Gina Prince-Blythewood's unapologetic love story
02:43of a pop singer on the threshold of stardom,
02:50she seared the screen, making a 180-degree turn
02:55in what legendary film critic Roger Ebert said
02:57was a star-making performance.
03:01Indeed, it was one that saw the actress undergo a metamorphosis
03:05of intense physical and musical training to own her role.
03:10And she's moving full throttle onto her next film,
03:13Concussion, starring Will Smith.
03:17Early on in her career, the now award-winning actress declared,
03:21I'm going to do something I love.
03:26And I have to thank you for that.
03:28And I have someone here who also wants to thank you for that.
03:32A little surprise.
03:33Can we bring her out?
03:39This is my daughter, Zoe.
03:40So what did you want to say to Gugu?
03:51Thanks, Gugu.
03:52Thanks, Gugu.
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