The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Thuso Mbedu - “The Woman King” & Social Impact with Paramount+

Episode Date: November 26, 2022

Thuso Mbedu opens up about what it was like to work with Viola Davis in “The Woman King,” why she decided to pursue acting from a social impact standpoint, and what she hopes to achieve with her new production deal with Paramount+.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. To Sombe, welcome to the Daily Show. I'm excited to be here. I'm excited to have you here. This is so amazing. South African, South African, huh? Look at this. Look at this.

Look at this. And not just the South African, who is absolutely crushing it in everything that you do. Thank you. Congratulations on the woman critics, 90% to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th. to to to to tooom, tooom, thi, tooom. tooom. tooome. to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. the. the. the. thea. thea. thea. thea.a. thea.a.a.a.a.a.a.a. to. th. th. the the the th. Congratulations. Thank you. Congratulations on the Woman King. I mean, everyone critics, 90-something, 93% on rotten tomatoes. Everybody talks about it, raves about it. It's not an easy film to watch again. And it feels like you have the snack for not just acting,

but not just acting, but portraying a person, a moment and a feeling, that makes people feel. Like, do you do that on purpose, not the acting part, but do you choose a role because you go like, I'm gonna make people cry with this one? Not cry. It's funny because I'm always, like back home in South Africa, that's what I was known for. And so I am actively resisting roles

that I, as a character, as a character, I would have to cry. And in this one, I loved the fact that Viola's character tells my character that you do not cry in this space. Absolutely loved it because then it means I don't have to cry. But then, you know, the movie then tells us that what Voda was telling my character is not necessarily true. Because taking away her tears means stripping her of how humanity ultimately. So, but yeah, I choose projects that I feel will have

some sort of impact. You know, we're not following the money, we're following purpose. We're following changing people's lives. I did drama in high school and in university, because I wanted to use acting as a tool for social change. I love that. I love it. Because people take for granted how much it shapes culture, how it influences how you see the world, what we do in it.

This was also a great opportunity for me, for you and you seized it because, you know, you kick ass in this movie. It's a really shame. Like, too so like you, you fight. Yes. And you, I want, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, like, like, I, I, I, I, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, I, like, I to, I to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, th. Yes. And you, I don't know how many martial arts did you study for that? Like, you had to go and, what was it, like, what was it? Brah, it was a lot. There was a range of different things. I got costs, I think, like, Aprilish.

Pre-production training was starting in July. So I put myself through Moitai between. Yeah. I saw you doing Moitai, I saw you hitting yourself with weapons. Like, there's a video which you check it out, if it's still on your social media. It's amazing because you show us the progression. Yeah. So obviously in the movie, it's just you like kick ass, whap, pop, pop, pop, and then you play the video.

the video. Why would you put yourself through it? You know you can use a stunt double, right? Oh, okay, wait. Gina, our director, does not believe in stunt doubles. Wow. Yes, number one. And so part of my audition for the movie was going through a physical and fitness test to determine whether I'd be able to do my own stunts or not.

Yes. So that means you know, like, like, like, like, like, like, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that,. I like to believe so. I don't like to believe so you can fight. I don't know. I don't know. We have action and cut in the movie in real life. I think you can fight. I also learned from the, you know, from talking to some of the people who were involved in the movie that you, thisining. Yes. Two hours of training. You then said, no,

I would like to do three hours. An extra hour, yeah. Okay. Hmm. Naturally. But then because of that, the director was like, that's actually a great idea. Everyone should do three hours. It was not bad. Really, really, really, really. No, man, guys. No, understand. You know, we're all new to stunts and action and you know I have great confidence in the amount of time that I put into my acting into the research and the conversations and the rehearse and the rehearsals and so let's say my acting out there I needed my stunts to be at least you know in the vicinity yeah but then you became that kid in class I remember I'm in school and you know the kids I'm talking about you you you the the the the the the the the the the the the the th I the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. I'm thi. the. the. th. th. th. I th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm the the the the th. the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm thi. I'm thin. thin. thin. the. the. the. the. te. te. te. teeeeeee. te. te. te. they. talking about, you became that kid in class where sometimes a lesson would end and then the teacher would be like, okay everybody goes, and then they're, that kid who goes like, sir,

that kid who goes like, sir, sir, sir, you're like, sir, they're not an extra hour. I mean, it came out great in the movie, but there. But, but there, but there, but there, th. th. th. th. th. th. to be, th. th. th th th th th. th thi. their, thin, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thin, their, their, their, their, their, they, and th, and th, and th, and th. And, they, and th, and th, they, and th. And, they, and, they, and, and, and, the, and, and, and, and, the, and, the, and, and, the, and, the, the, the, the, the, they. And, they. And, they. And, they. And, they. And, they. they. they. the, they. they. the, the, they. the, the, they. the, the, the, they. And, the, the, the, the much too, so come on. Before I let you go, I want to talk about the projects that you're embarking on now, because it's one thing to perform in front of the camera, you know, it's another to cement yourself in an industry, but you've really jumped, you know, from strength to strength. You've got an entire production deal with Paramount Plus now, where you're going to working on your own productions, which I know you're really passionate about. I'd love to know what you would dream of creating. You could, you know, not the specific stories, but what are you trying to create in the world where you are the teler of the story versus just the person who's in it? I think more than anything, you know, I want to create the stories that are innately in us, because growing up and being in this industry, one, one, one, one, one, one, the industry, the industry, the industry, th..... I, the industry, the industry, th. You, th. You, th. I, their, th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the story, thi, thi, the story, the story, the story, thi, the story, the story, thi, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, where you are the story, where you are the story, where you is is is is is is is is is is in a is in a is in a story, where you is in a story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, thr-a. thr-a. thr-a. throooooooooo. thr-a. thr-a. thr-a. thr-a, where you get to the industry and that's how you know you can't. And so what are those stories?

Like with the Paramount Plus deal, we're specifically focusing on health, climate and equity as part of their social impact initiative and taking that to South Africa and Africa. And so those are stories that will transform people's thinking because from my understanding and from what I've experienced back home is they're very very th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th the the the the the the the the the the tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho-a tho-a tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho th. th. th. th. th. th. th. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their tho. tho. to to be toe. toe. toe. toean. toean. toean. thean. thoooooooooooooooooooooes. the. the. thform people's thinking because from my understanding and from what I've experienced back home is They're very keen on commissioning projects that will Encourage destructive behavior, but on necessarily teaching people how to transform and empower their lives Wow, and so if we can come with those stories that are both entertaining and teaching people to do better and be better then I'm all the happier for it. Because then otherwise why are we doing this? I like that a lot. I that. I like that. I like that a that. I like that. I like that. I like that. that. that. that. that. that. I like that. that. I like that. I like that. that. I like that. I like that. I like that. I like that. I that. I that. th. that. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm thi thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I, then I'm all the happier for it. Because otherwise, why are we doing this? I like that a lot.

Yeah. I really like the congratulations. Thank you. It's been beautiful to watch your journey. I've seen you act and do the best and just kick ass and just kick ass in all martial arts including yourself and the other people. I truly believe you you you you you you you the you th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thi thi that you're thate thate thate thoes thoes thoes that is thate thate thate. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm tho. I'm th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I'm that. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to toeea. I'm really really really thi. I'm really really thate. I that. I th people. I truly believe, and I don't think I'll be wrong in this. You're going to kick ass in everything. Your production company, the work you're doing in South Africa,

everything you do going forward. Thank you so much for joining me on the show. Wonderful for seeing you again. Absolutely pleasant. Just something better everybody. Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.