Rewrite
From her emotionally charged turn in Shifters to her forthcoming Netflix project Joy, British- Ghanaian actor Heather Agyepong is cementing her place as a vital force in contemporary storytelling, using her craft to inspire, challenge, and represent. Featuring in Wonderland’s Winter 24 issue, Actor Letitia Wright talks to the star about the importance of visibility.
Every once in a while, an actor breaks through in such a culturally impactful role, you can’t help but ogle their every next move. Well, that’s what Wonderland, and one of the greatest actors of her generation, Letitia Wright, have been doing since Heather Agyepong had the whole of London clapping until their hands were damn near blistered and they’d run fresh out of tears. It was an instinctive response to the British-Ghanaian star on-the-rise’s electrifying performance as Des in Benedict Lombe’s indelible play, Shifters, alongside Supacell stand-out Tosin Cole, where she embodies the sharp-witted female lead in a will-they-won’t-they, heart-wrenching Black romance. No spoilers here.
“Do you know how many people you’ve impacted? You took pretty much every form of UK Black love and represented so many people in the space of 12 weeks or however long the run was,” Letitia tells Heather. “[…] You’ve left a mark on so many people, and that’s the joy of what we do—that’s the gift of it.”
Speaking of Joy, that’s the title of Heather’s next project soon out on Netflix, which sees her thrust into the intoxicating world of science. Directed by Ben Taylor, Joy tells the remarkable true story of how the world’s first in vitro fertilisation baby—Louise Brown—came to be, and the innovative surgeons, scientists, and embryologists who made it possible. On Zoom, Letitia Wright and Heather Agyepong drank in the moment and talked about choosing roles with meaning, creating visibility, and how much they respect each other’s work.
Letitia Wright: Heather, the world is on their journey to discover who you are as an artist and what you have to offer to the world. How did this all begin? What was the starting point of your journey to be an actress?
Heather Agyepong: I knew I wanted to act when I was about 10 or 11. I got a paper round to pay for stage classes. So, I went to part-time drama school for years. Then my family said, ‘You need a backup,’ so I did a psychology degree. I kept acting part-time and got into photography, which went well, but my heart kept saying, ‘You still want to act, don’t you?’ I tried other things, but I always came back to acting. Eventually, I went to Talawa [the UK’s outstanding Black British Theatre Company], where they took me under their wing, I got an agent, and I was finally on my path. I tried to run away, but acting just kept calling me back!
LW: What were those moments when you convinced yourself it was worth pursuing? Was there a film or actors you saw that made you think, ‘I really want to do this. I’m going to try?’
HA: It felt like—this sounds profound—but like a calling. I can’t fully explain it; there was this pressure on my heart saying, ‘You’re supposed to be doing this.’ I tried to run from it because it’s intimidating, and seeing British actresses struggle or go to America made it seem almost impossible. But inside, it was like, ‘Heather, you’re meant to do this.’ Every time I performed, it felt right. So, it was that inner voice more than anything.
Left: Heather wears top PHILOSOPHY DI LORENZO SERAFINI; jewellery PILGRIM. Right: Heather wears dress NANUSHKA; jewellery PILGRIM.
To read the full interview, pre-order the issue now.
Photography by Ejatu Shaw
Styling by Abigail Hazard
Words by Ella Bardsley
Interview by Letita Wright
Hair by Molecia Seasay
Make-up by Michelle Leandra at A-Frame Agency
Fashion Assistants Olivia Caldwell, Lily Bell
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From her emotionally charged turn in Shifters to her forthcoming Netflix project Joy, British- Ghanaian actor Heather Agyepong is cementing her place as a vital force in contemporary storytelling, using her craft to inspire, challenge, and represent. Featuring in Wonderland’s Winter 24 issue, Actor Letitia Wright talks to the star about the importance of visibility.
Every once in a while, an actor breaks through in such a culturally impactful role, you can’t help but ogle their every next move. Well, that’s what Wonderland, and one of the greatest actors of her generation, Letitia Wright, have been doing since Heather Agyepong had the whole of London clapping until their hands were damn near blistered and they’d run fresh out of tears. It was an instinctive response to the British-Ghanaian star on-the-rise’s electrifying performance as Des in Benedict Lombe’s indelible play, Shifters, alongside Supacell stand-out Tosin Cole, where she embodies the sharp-witted female lead in a will-they-won’t-they, heart-wrenching Black romance. No spoilers here.
“Do you know how many people you’ve impacted? You took pretty much every form of UK Black love and represented so many people in the space of 12 weeks or however long the run was,” Letitia tells Heather. “[…] You’ve left a mark on so many people, and that’s the joy of what we do—that’s the gift of it.”
Speaking of Joy, that’s the title of Heather’s next project soon out on Netflix, which sees her thrust into the intoxicating world of science. Directed by Ben Taylor, Joy tells the remarkable true story of how the world’s first in vitro fertilisation baby—Louise Brown—came to be, and the innovative surgeons, scientists, and embryologists who made it possible. On Zoom, Letitia Wright and Heather Agyepong drank in the moment and talked about choosing roles with meaning, creating visibility, and how much they respect each other’s work.
Letitia Wright: Heather, the world is on their journey to discover who you are as an artist and what you have to offer to the world. How did this all begin? What was the starting point of your journey to be an actress?
Heather Agyepong: I knew I wanted to act when I was about 10 or 11. I got a paper round to pay for stage classes. So, I went to part-time drama school for years. Then my family said, ‘You need a backup,’ so I did a psychology degree. I kept acting part-time and got into photography, which went well, but my heart kept saying, ‘You still want to act, don’t you?’ I tried other things, but I always came back to acting. Eventually, I went to Talawa [the UK’s outstanding Black British Theatre Company], where they took me under their wing, I got an agent, and I was finally on my path. I tried to run away, but acting just kept calling me back!
LW: What were those moments when you convinced yourself it was worth pursuing? Was there a film or actors you saw that made you think, ‘I really want to do this. I’m going to try?’
HA: It felt like—this sounds profound—but like a calling. I can’t fully explain it; there was this pressure on my heart saying, ‘You’re supposed to be doing this.’ I tried to run from it because it’s intimidating, and seeing British actresses struggle or go to America made it seem almost impossible. But inside, it was like, ‘Heather, you’re meant to do this.’ Every time I performed, it felt right. So, it was that inner voice more than anything.
Left: Heather wears top PHILOSOPHY DI LORENZO SERAFINI; jewellery PILGRIM. Right: Heather wears dress NANUSHKA; jewellery PILGRIM.
To read the full interview, pre-order the issue now.
Photography by Ejatu Shaw
Styling by Abigail Hazard
Words by Ella Bardsley
Interview by Letita Wright
Hair by Molecia Seasay
Make-up by Michelle Leandra at A-Frame Agency
Fashion Assistants Olivia Caldwell, Lily Bell
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