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Deborah Ayorinde Dives Into 'Them' Season 2, Nigerian Heritage & Hollywood Expectations
Apr 22, 2024
Join Deborah Ayorinde on SWAY'S UNIVERSE as she delves into her powerful role in 'Them' Season 2, now streaming on Prime Video. In this exclusive sit-down, Deborah shares her journey of power and healing through her character, revealing the intense emotional depths and the real-life inspirations behind her performance. From discussing her impactful scenes to her personal growth on and off screen, this interview unpacks the layers of storytelling and representation in the critically acclaimed series.
Discover how Deborah's experiences and her strong roots have shaped her portrayal of complex characters that resonate with audiences around the globe. Whether you're a fan of 'Them' or a follower of groundbreaking performances, this video is a must-watch!
🌟 Don't forget to subscribe for more captivating interviews and insights here at SWAY'S UNIVERSE. Dive deeper into our content and be sure to follow us on our social platforms for exclusive updates and more engaging discussions with your favorite artists and creators. 🌟
#ArtVsTruth #Atlanta #NewJersey #Ancestrycom #LiviaLuckyEmery
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
2:29 - Deborah Ayorinde Early Life & Career
6:24 - "Them" Slap Scene Analysis
11:28 - Artist vs Actor Debate
14:08 - Hollywood Expectations Reality
19:50 - Character Development Insights
22:05 - Career Trajectory
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0:00
wow man that's the trailer for season 2
0:03
for them the scare season Heather I saw
0:07
season
0:08
one I wasn't sure what to expect I
0:12
promise you I didn't think it was going
0:13
to be what it's about right you know
0:15
Season 1 was about a a black family that
0:17
moved to um the South during the time of
0:21
red lining in the 1950s when white folks
0:24
didn't want black folks a lot of f but I
0:25
won't say all that's a blanket statement
0:27
but a lot of people in the white
0:29
Community didn't want integrate with
0:31
folks from the black community this
0:33
amazing family moves in uh with a a very
0:37
U you know sturdy husband and and a very
0:40
powerful wife and kids and they learned
0:43
that they got to F face a lot of
0:44
adversities of people who don't want
0:46
them in their neighborhood and then it's
0:48
the supernatural element that's a a part
0:51
of this series that had me mesmerized
0:54
and not only because of that but because
0:57
the person who stars as Livia lucky
0:59
Emery is someone that we have a lot of
1:01
similarities Heather be how so let's
1:04
hear it let's hear this new thing now
1:07
citizens let's go Deborah just just
1:10
buckle up buckle up Deborah you know I'm
1:12
nervous well you know she was in girls
1:15
trip we as a community galvanized and we
1:18
all decided that that was amazing
1:19
wonderful movie
1:21
right without a doubt she was in Harriet
1:23
we love Harriet right ciao and we had
1:27
her on the show and we love The Story of
1:29
Harriet tu so were you in these miss you
1:32
in you know it's just you know Harriet
1:34
Tubman I was a big fan of Harriet Tubman
1:36
oh you was there I forgot I was there
1:39
and and she co-starred with you and I
1:43
and Luke
1:45
Cage okay that that's one thing he got
1:47
right though all right all right that's
1:49
one we coar in luk cage and where she
1:53
got her sauce no matter where it was she
1:56
was born it's where she landed m M that
2:00
gave her the sauce okay keep flowing
2:03
that has fueled her career and gave her
2:06
the wherewithal to play Rose from them
2:09
to riches and show you a full dichotomy
2:12
of her skill set okay because she was
2:14
born reared well she wasn't born but she
2:16
was groomed and raised in the Bay Area
2:20
she's a bay Aran give her a big round of
2:23
applause I want to welcome Deborah iron
2:27
to the show Deborah
2:30
[Applause]
2:33
can I get a ye there you go tell me that
2:37
ain't F said with
2:41
EAS an organic ye oh my tell me that
2:44
ain't f m an huh Antioch that's your
2:49
that's your place right that's your yeah
2:50
yeah literally graduated from Dear
2:52
Valley High School Dear Valley High
2:54
School I know I know I know I know so
2:57
what mall did you work at wow
3:00
I worked at the conquer Mall there you
3:01
go I worked at um BB One Summer
3:05
actually B you know down with the uh
3:08
what is it rhinestones on the B yeah
3:11
literally um so after my freshman year
3:14
at Howard um I was like I need a job and
3:16
I went and I was like I want to work
3:18
kind of in fashion and stuff like that M
3:20
but there's not much fashion in
3:22
conquered so or that you know so I was
3:24
like literally work to BB you work to B
3:27
there too you did that was spot man
3:30
teach you a lot about sales too you have
3:32
to communicate over there does you
3:34
really really do at that time shout out
3:37
to S Pablo d by the way um that's in
3:41
your area thr do that out there at that
3:43
time working at BB was the dream was it
3:46
the dream to were you acting at that
3:47
point yeah yeah yeah no so that was just
3:49
a side a side um job you know a summer
3:52
job for me I always um knew I would be a
3:56
performer always there's nothing I
3:58
considered seriously
4:00
um I've always been an artist even when
4:03
I worked at BB was because I wanted to
4:05
kind of stay around like fashion you
4:07
know um and so yeah for me it wasn't
4:10
necessarily the dream I felt like I
4:11
could learn something while I'm while
4:13
I'm you know um not in school but yeah
4:16
it was it was very very interesting yeah
4:19
you got to understand like conquered
4:21
mall is yeah that that's that M yeah
4:24
I'll say it it's uh n it's just very
4:27
mainstream like like Britney Spears
4:30
might have opened up there in the
4:32
beginning of her career you know Debbie
4:34
Gibson to you know like you know back
4:36
it's it's from that that mall era now
4:38
your parents are you Nigerian yeah I'm
4:40
Nigerian eura eura okay we got that in
4:43
common yeah yeah he come on listen I
4:47
didn't know that he we didn't know that
4:49
either we just fighting all of this out
4:52
too Deborah just ride along man you here
4:54
for it we didn't have my cousin who
4:56
works for Ancestry.com up here okay I
4:59
remember na shout out to na Smith who
5:02
came up here and broke down some of
5:04
sway's ancestry but I kind of don't
5:06
remember your percentage it was 80%
5:08
Nigerian 80
5:11
today
5:13
I changes Deborah like now tomorrow
5:16
somebody else he he's that too you have
5:19
we let's just go along with it okay yes
5:21
sway I remember you remember that right
5:23
so we got that we got that in coming
5:26
tell your parents I said what up I will
5:29
what was the experience at Howard like
5:30
you could have went a few places but you
5:32
chose Howard oh so many reasons I mean
5:35
the alumni it's like the alumni like
5:37
they're literally like from A to Z just
5:40
people that do that have done and are
5:42
doing great things I know I wanted to
5:44
live on the east coast um but going to
5:47
high I felt like it was just black
5:49
people from everywhere so I felt very
5:52
much so at home you know um yeah it was
5:56
just such a beautiful experience it felt
5:57
to me it felt very much so like a
5:59
different world World mhm you know so
6:01
when I watched that show I felt like I
6:02
wanted to have that
6:04
experience literally it was my Helman
6:07
you know so yeah and people that it's
6:10
it's almost like a fraternity in itself
6:12
cuz anyone that I meet that's going to
6:14
Howard it's like an instant like
6:16
Brotherhood Sisterhood you know so yeah
6:18
that's a total dichotomy of black
6:21
experien the black yeah right black
6:23
experiences and then even when we go
6:25
back to the plot or the story line with
6:28
them you you're moving your character is
6:31
moving into a u area that has no black
6:35
people right so you get to play this
6:37
person lucky yeah who slaps the hell out
6:42
of that and the funny thing about that
6:45
see so the way they wrote it it was you
6:47
got to set up the scene people may not
6:48
have seen this scene this is a colossal
6:51
scene so basically um oh my gosh what
6:54
happens in that scene so I'm walking uh
6:57
my daughter home from school after
7:00
essentially rescuing her from school and
7:03
then um the neighbor um Betty played by
7:05
Alison she's amazing um she comes over
7:08
because she's just been on their
7:10
family's case like this whole time so
7:13
then like you know I pay it I'm like
7:15
girl you know whatever and then she says
7:17
the n word you know it's not only me but
7:21
to you know my child and so just when I
7:24
read that I could feel the the that's
7:28
what I want to hear the energy
7:30
yeah and so they originally wrote it
7:32
just simply like oh yeah she you know
7:34
slaps the kind I don't know she slapped
7:37
the out of okay she slap how they
7:39
wrote that in the script I think she
7:41
said she slaps the taste out of her
7:43
mouth or something like that and I was
7:45
like LM who's the creat of the show I
7:47
was like I feel like it needs to be a
7:48
backand like I don't think it needs to
7:50
be like a regular slap what what made
7:53
you think that cuz that's just more like
7:55
disrespect it's just more like I can't
7:58
explain it that just the of that and
8:00
then I might get my ring in just things
8:03
like that I just was like I felt like
8:05
that the the regular slap wouldn't
8:07
capture you know so he just took it okay
8:12
next minute it's like she back back
8:14
hands like literally so oh yeah that day
8:17
I chose to play it very like to where
8:19
you don't know what I'm going to do and
8:21
then right when I get in front of her
8:22
it's just like you smacked the you
8:25
know that that smack in that scene
8:28
though it was fiction
8:30
it echoed for hundreds of years of
8:33
Oppression and frustration and anger of
8:36
people who would have loved to have done
8:39
that it wasn't able at one point it was
8:42
against the law yeah and I wanted it to
8:44
feel that way I wanted to feel like a
8:46
moment cuz I wanted I wanted lucky and
8:49
the emories to feel empowered you know
8:51
what I mean and I think that you know
8:53
anyone who's watched the show and is
8:54
able to enjoy it understands that yes
8:56
we're talking about some heavy things
8:58
but somewhere in that that family finds
9:01
their power they find themselves and
9:03
those moments where she's like no I'm
9:05
going to take my power back whatever it
9:06
means like that was a moment yeah you
9:09
know that's why I was like no no no no
9:10
no she needs to backhand her you know
9:12
she needs to just really level her you
9:14
know I like that Deborah got hey man I
9:17
like that right there that energy cuz
9:19
you when you slap that and it was
9:21
character when you slap that I felt
9:24
relief I don't know why I felt relief
9:27
you put a lot of weight on on these
9:29
characters though yeah I do you put a
9:31
lot of weight on it you could just go
9:33
act it out and sing cut no never I don't
9:36
know if that's like the Nigerian me in
9:38
me Nigerian in US never car last you he
9:41
but I don't I don't know if it's the
9:43
Howard in me I don't know what it is or
9:45
just like the way I was raised but I
9:48
just don't do anything small you know
9:51
what I mean or the god of me just being
9:53
like I just want to do
9:55
everything great you know and that can
9:58
be a lot of pressure sometimes but I
10:00
just don't do anything
10:02
halfway wow ever ever wow so even in
10:06
like for example even in girls trip for
10:08
me it was like you know that character I
10:11
put a lot of thought into that character
10:13
I wanted that character to be played
10:14
with dignity to where you understood her
10:17
she's not just a character or something
10:19
she you know there's a reason why she's
10:21
ended up in the situation she was in you
10:23
know what I mean because I wanted people
10:24
to see which I feel people still come up
10:26
to me and like oh you was that heing
10:28
girls trip but I loved you girl you know
10:30
what I mean because they felt like they
10:32
could see themselves you know at that
10:35
time and even kind of now it's not often
10:37
that you get to see like a dark skinned
10:40
black woman you know be beautiful and
10:42
hold her own on screen you know and so I
10:44
didn't take that moment lightly you know
10:47
so for me I put thought into everything
10:50
I do you know so yeah I just became a
10:54
bigger fan of my of my cousin over here
10:56
Deborah I'm telling you cousin
11:01
my cousin the I like that cu cu cuz
11:05
cuz listen I fully respect this because
11:09
you don't leave a drop wasted of a
11:12
opportunity from what you're saying and
11:14
I even caught on to that when you were
11:15
talking about being at BB and you knew
11:19
that you still always wanted to be a
11:20
performer an artist and you didn't even
11:22
say like an actor it was just something
11:25
that had even more passion to it is
11:28
there from what you experienced and from
11:30
what you see is there a difference in
11:33
your approach to acting when you view
11:36
yourself as a performer and artist
11:39
versus just viewing yourself as a movie
11:42
star and actor yeah absolutely because
11:45
for me well one I I merge all the things
11:48
I love music I love fashion I love all
11:51
the things like the way I even approach
11:53
my characters is from a place of like I
11:56
I even learn lines very like musically
11:59
that makes sense like I think about a
12:01
lot of different things when I'm
12:02
thinking about a scene I think about
12:04
what music will play behind it I got my
12:06
degree in Film Production so I'm
12:07
thinking about the lighting I'm thinking
12:08
about all these things when I'm like
12:10
playing a character so it's not just
12:12
about me so I feel like a lot of times
12:14
when um I find that multi henit or like
12:18
artists who are actors or who happen to
12:20
be actors I feel like they're much more
12:23
skilled because they're not just
12:25
thinking about themselves and their part
12:26
in this thing because there's so much
12:29
that goes into this thing and it's very
12:31
different than music where it's like I
12:33
can come on and just sing a song and
12:34
I've just sung a song when it comes to
12:36
acting it's definitely a group effort
12:38
yep so you can't actually think when
12:39
people win Awards it's not just them
12:41
that have won that award it's all the
12:43
people that were attached it's the
12:44
people that were doing your touchups
12:47
doing that thing and encouraging you to
12:49
you know what I mean like even with with
12:51
this installment of of them like there's
12:54
a a guy Ry who worked in costumes and
12:57
literally on that set he would take
12:59
walks with me and the on the on the on
13:01
the on the stages and just talk with me
13:03
about what was really going on in my
13:05
life you know and that helped me through
13:07
that process so it's not just me so I
13:10
feel like being an artist you think that
13:12
there's so many elements to this and
13:14
really at the end of the day like acting
13:16
is really just a case study on Humanity
13:18
that's all it is that part you know and
13:20
that's why people who have studied it
13:22
and people who haven't can still arrive
13:24
at the same place if they're arriving
13:26
from a place of Truth so I think that
13:28
you know know all art is about truth do
13:31
I believe you or do I not period you
13:33
don't have to be the best singer you
13:35
don't have to be the best technical
13:37
actor but if I believe you then you've
13:40
done the job period you know so for me
13:42
that's how I approach things is what can
13:45
I do to make people believe what I'm
13:49
doing and if I do an audition and I
13:51
don't believe myself I'm not doing it
13:54
period period period damn who did we
13:56
just meet this my God was your
14:00
cousin now you I thought you knew me
14:04
Deborah I warned you I warned you
14:06
Deborah I warn
14:08
you cuz cuz cuz man have you want to
14:11
talk to my cousin y'all co-star L
14:13
together well I do because um I grew up
14:17
in New Jersey right where is a place
14:19
where ironically a lot of jails and a
14:21
lot of malls and it's funny because I
14:24
worked in retail I did I did the things
14:27
um and always truly as artist but I I
14:30
knew I'm like I'm headed to Hollywood
14:31
I'm going to be famous I'm going to do
14:33
all the things when I finally arrived
14:36
whatever that means um a part of me was
14:39
overwhelmed and Overjoyed but a part of
14:41
me was also very disappointed like all
14:44
of the things that I wrote down in my
14:46
diary and I practiced My Autograph for
14:49
years all of the things um it wasn't
14:52
quite what I imagined um in a lot of
14:55
spaces um did you have any of those
14:58
experiences is um it's cuz it seems like
15:00
you knew from the very beginning like me
15:02
you wanted to be an artist or you were
15:04
an artist I should say but when you got
15:06
there whether it was your first job or
15:08
your biggest job did it live up to those
15:10
expectations oh my god I've had so many
15:14
of those
15:15
experiences and I feel like my tribe and
15:18
my faith is what got me out of those
15:20
moments and having that Clear Vision of
15:22
like what um I'm going to do in the
15:26
world has kind of got me out of those
15:28
moments so many moments where I was like
15:30
I don't even know if I can do this
15:32
anymore like if I want to do this
15:34
anymore like go literally you know but
15:37
then you like God always sends those
15:39
people to like remind you of the impact
15:42
that you have that just like it just
15:44
remind you it's bigger than you yeah
15:46
what you're doing um and that's what
15:49
gets me like reenters me and keeps me on
15:54
my journey is realizing that it's bigger
15:56
than me yeah you know um people need
15:59
what I'm doing like I need what I'm
16:02
doing for goodness sake like I see
16:04
myself sometimes I'm like I am seeing
16:06
what I needed to see you know um and so
16:11
yeah so many of those moments and I
16:13
don't I I I anyone who says they haven't
16:17
had those moments is lying MH straight
16:20
up L straight up ly lying you lying you
16:23
know what I mean because we've all had
16:25
those moments where we've wanted to give
16:26
if you really care mhm you have to have
16:29
those moments because those are the
16:31
moments that really just prepare you and
16:34
really just like I'll even give you a
16:36
Luke Cage story okay so I lived in
16:39
Atlanta and you know in the midst of me
16:42
like you know grinding as an actress I
16:44
was like I need a side job I need to you
16:46
know make more money so I did bottle
16:48
service right okay what club what club
16:51
oh my God I did a few okay so I did um
16:55
crave Orum and something else they
16:57
probably not open Maybe I don't know but
17:00
I did them and so um I hated every
17:02
single day of it and that's on record I
17:05
hated every single day of it because I
17:07
just felt like just the way that you
17:09
know we were treated I just feel like
17:11
the way we were talk to and I'm just
17:13
like it just wasn't my environment I'm
17:15
not really a club person like that I so
17:17
I to be there every day you know but I
17:19
was like making the money I needed to
17:20
make but I hated every day I would
17:22
literally drive to work every day and
17:24
cry and pray like God please right so
17:28
literally
17:29
um there was one night I didn't cry and
17:32
I just was like you know
17:34
what this is it I'm going to go um I
17:37
pray I know that you'll you'll you'll
17:40
lead me to the next stage of my career
17:42
when it's time um just let me find favor
17:45
protect me all that stuff and when I
17:47
went to work that day it was just a
17:49
weird day everything was going wrong but
17:51
I had a piece and then towards the end
17:54
of the night I just looked at the crowd
17:57
and it was just like a voice that came
17:58
was like this is going to be your last
17:59
night doing this wow and so I literally
18:02
like before the club ended people were
18:04
still like you know what I mean I closed
18:06
out my tips I went to my car and I was
18:09
like bet Deuces so a few months later I
18:11
moved to New York and I get an audition
18:14
and it's under a code name and it's for
18:17
a bottle service girl who hates her job
18:20
and I was like no freaking way and I
18:23
literally looked at my friend and I was
18:25
like girl I'll do this and I didn't know
18:28
what it was for I just knew btter
18:30
service to I know exactly with like the
18:33
back of my hand so I do the audition it
18:35
was and I had to go in again the most e
18:37
the easiest audition I've ever had to do
18:40
and that was Luke Cage and literally it
18:42
was one episode I did it one episode
18:45
turned into two turned into six and like
18:49
that's just like so it's like those
18:51
moments where like you think like oh my
18:53
God it's awful and I hate this and what
18:54
am I doing here but it's like wow you
18:58
know what I mean Divine like was
19:00
literally Divine hey why am I here then
19:03
you found out literally was my l k story
19:07
Wow Come on that was wow that's amazing
19:11
God had you auditioning ready yeah they
19:13
got you ready you didn't I knew what to
19:15
wear I knew the makeup I knew the lingo
19:18
I knew how to hold the little you didn't
19:20
SP nothing you didn't SP no liid wow
19:23
that's a testimony yes it is to the full
19:26
that's amazing it is it was that
19:29
she spoke about having that peace it was
19:31
that that peace um Mike I'm going to let
19:33
you wrap this up Mike m with the last
19:36
question go ahead yeah hi Hi how are you
19:39
that was a beautiful story it really
19:41
goes to like using grounding something
19:44
to be your North Star I think that was
19:46
very powerful well I I think it goes
19:48
into something that I was curious about
19:50
in your previous line of thought about
19:53
the way you study your characters right
19:55
I think about now the batttle sil girl
19:57
character yeah
19:59
do I never heard an actor break down the
20:02
way that you did your character and your
20:04
approach so it makes me think that
20:06
you're really truly a thespian and so
20:08
I'm wondering now with that being said
20:10
do your previous characters ever inform
20:14
your current characters that's a really
20:16
good question it is I know with this
20:19
installment of them and the last one I
20:21
actually had to separate them because
20:23
they're totally different and it's very
20:25
easy to come into the same universe and
20:27
like want to bring lucky to Dawn but you
20:29
can't do that if you want to honor the
20:31
new character has another character ever
20:34
informed I don't think
20:37
no no I think I kind of treat them like
20:40
different people now have I pulled from
20:43
similar experiences of my own for
20:45
different characters yes I feel like a
20:47
lot of my characters have a bit of like
20:50
a longing for
20:51
belonging thing that thing of figuring
20:54
out where they belong and who they are
20:56
in riches and this and I don't I don't
20:58
know what I don't know why that comes my
21:01
way but it's it's all good but like that
21:03
I I I obviously pull from my experiences
21:06
of of kind of trying to figure out where
21:09
I fit in the world and then realizing
21:11
like I fit with a lot of different
21:13
places and that's okay um so that kind
21:16
of informs me taking this character on
21:18
that same Journey but if I could say
21:22
that one characters kind of informed the
21:24
other no no no and then maybe that's to
21:28
maybe that's because of the fact that
21:30
they're so my characters are so
21:32
different from each other you know what
21:33
I mean um that I haven't really had to I
21:37
will say actually you know what you know
21:40
what one my character in Harriet MH and
21:44
my character in um the first installment
21:46
of them I think those if there's any two
21:49
characters that I think informed each
21:50
other it would be those two that's
21:52
actually I was thinking yeah okay I saw
21:54
your face I wait a minute there's one
21:57
those two those debah keep thinking I
22:00
know what I those two those two those
22:03
two hands down hands down I think your
22:05
trajectory has been interesting how the
22:07
road map of your characters informs that
22:09
right yeah I just honestly I really I
22:13
just I just love us and I really just
22:15
want to like continue to just show our
22:18
story from different angles you know
22:19
I've been blessed to be able to
22:21
experience the black experience from
22:23
different angles not many people can say
22:26
that they they've been able to do that
22:28
and from that I know that we're similar
22:31
in a lot of ways we're also different
22:34
different in a lot of ways um and so I
22:36
kind of wanted to like celebrate those
22:39
differences and those similarities with
22:40
my career with my work and so yeah so
22:44
it's it's a blessing to be able to like
22:46
you know go from A to Z in my characters
22:48
you know so yeah yeah it's great it's a
22:51
blessing to have you on this show wow
22:54
tremendous blessing to have you on this
22:55
show my cousin cousin cousin cousin
23:00
Debra olinka yes
23:02
olinka like a Nigerian Yesa
23:06
yes I yes
23:10
I no are are day
23:15
yes told I told you I got
23:19
you that's it that's it that's it that's
23:22
it that's it that's it say my name and
23:24
and and um and with the ACT you know
23:27
with the ACC s how say sway sway with
23:29
the accent well yeah with Nigerian way
23:31
of saying sway sway D you naed it all
23:35
right
23:37
wow we want to thank Luke James for it's
23:40
been a long day je imagine this is only
23:42
a half
23:44
hour this is what we deal with for 4
23:46
hours Deborah every knows me man she
23:48
know we ba this is ba we we get
23:52
highy he stupid know what Bay Area yo
23:56
the bay is going to love knowing you're
23:58
from the B I'm going tell everybody
24:02
okay tell everybody we got to get you
24:06
yeah yeah yeah we get uh get on and
24:11
me that's his other cousin that's
24:14
yo listen listen that's what you grew up
24:17
on listen what listen tell them where to
24:20
go listen no no before practice looking
24:22
hard
24:23
help sprinkle
24:26
me sugar tea eat 40 sprinkle me man
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