People

Girl from the South

Revenge and star Ashley Madekwe talks swapping London for LA and the challenges still faced by women of colour in her industry

Words Mary-Jane Wiltsher Photographer Elias Tahan

The palm-fringed streets of Los Angeles are a balmy 28 Madekwe. “I don’t think any of the actors on that show could degrees, but 32-year-old actress and south London girl Ashley have prepared themselves for that.” Madekwe is – in part, at least – pining for the diminishing temperatures of a British autumn. With her caramel complexion, slender frame and mane of chestnut waves, Madekwe looks every inch the Hollywoodite, The British-Nigerian-Swiss bombshell, who broke America but it was her south London roots that proved handy in in Mike Kelley’s ABC drama and is currently informing her portrayal of Davenport. “The part was written starring in witchcraft series Salem, is also the author of with me in mind, that’s why she’s called Ashley. I know the successful fashion blog Ring My Bell, and she’s jokily writer and producer [Mike Kelley] and we’re great friends. He mourning her now-redundant collection of outerwear. loves that bitchy female English archetype, he finds it funny. “I always get really excited about the idea of winter and then I guess people think it was written for me because I’m like remember that I live in LA,” she laughs. “I miss buying coats!” Ashley Davenport, but I’m not at all. People thought I didn’t know how you’re supposed to sound if you’re from Croydon,” It was in 2009 that Madekwe, having made inroads in British she pauses, breaking into faux-indignation. “But I went to television with a two season stint as Bambi in Diary Of A school in Croydon and have a south London accent naturally! Call Girl, made a beeline for the Hollywood Hills against the The reason Ashley Davenport didn’t was because the network advice of her UK representation, who felt she should bide her were like, ‘I don’t know what the hell you’re saying?!’” time before crossing the pond. Following her instincts paid off, and in 2010 she landed the role of Revenge’s fresh-outta- Madekwe was raised on a council estate by her mother, a stay- Black velvet dress, MARA HOFFMAN Croydon social climber Ashley Davenport. “It made me more at-home housewife who now works as a carer, and father, a Diamond hoops, well known on a global scale than I ever was before,” says plumber. She has fond memories of the cul-de-sac she grew SHYLEE ROSE

88 FEATURES 89 “It’s fun to be frivolous. But it’s a shame if you have such a huge outreach not to shine a light”

up on. “I think a lot of people assume what it is to be black and British I don’t A quick browse of Madekwe’s Insta and each other. ‘Too fat’ or ‘too thin’ are is very much doing her own thing,” says in 2005, while doing a play for the that council estates are quite grim, but necessarily know what it is to be black Twitter feeds shows that these aren’t seemingly the only camps for women Madekwe. “The writers always tell me, Edinburgh Fringe. The pair married that wasn’t my experience. I felt part of a and American. It’s not my safe place.” the only issues she’s willing to open up in showbiz, and Madekwe has found ‘well, she’s mysterious’ and it’s very in London in 2012, and getting hitched community and really safe.” for debate with her 850,000 collective herself accused of being the latter. “I hard as an actress to portray that. When to a fellow actor has had its benefits. “I As a mixed race actress who has worked following. She’s addressed gun control think that when women body shame each I go into the season I don’t always know love being able to talk to someone who In primary school, aged nine, the acting on both sides of the Atlantic, Madekwe and abortion, definitions of feminism, other it’s really damaging. Nobody’s what the end game is, or my objectives understands exactly what it is that I’m bug took hold, when she signed up to a has often spoken out about the lack of and championed the #BlackLivesMatter perfect. I’m like any other woman, I as Tituba. We can ask questions and going through,” says Madekwe. “And free drama group with a friend. “I really opportunities for women of colour in her movement. “It’s fun to be frivolous and I have those things about my body that I writers will always try to give answers, having him at my disposal to put me on responded to it. I’d learned to read early industry. Despite leading performances like posting a great selfie as much as the don’t like and the things that I do. I’m a but the nature of television is that it can tape for the auditions that I can’t make!” and was reading ahead of my year, so from the likes of Viola Davis and Kerry next person,” admits Madekwe. “But it’s naturally thin girl, I always have been. change.” when we were given scripts to read I Washington, the acting world hasn’t a shame if you have such a huge outreach It’s not that I’m not eating, I love food. It was Goldberg’s camerawork that was good at it. A drama teacher there shaken off its deep-rooted tendency to not to shine a light. Some things light a My aunt is anorexic and has been most Otherwise, for the moment at least, helped kick-start Ring My Bell back complimented me on it and it stuck with relegate black women to ‘best friend’ fire under me and I want to speak about of my life, so I’m very aware of what an Madekwe is head down in a pile of in 2009, too. “I was travelling a lot at me.” Brit School and RADA followed, or ‘sidekick’ roles, and Madekwe them. For every nutcase who sends me eating disorder is, what it looks like, scripts. “I’m in complete audition mode the time for work and ended up in New and after graduating Madekwe honed consistently highlights the distance we death threats because I’ve said that black and the impact it has on a family. When right now, doing them almost every day – York shooting. My husband’s great with her craft on those series synonymous still have to go. lives matter, there are ten people who can people make an assumption and throw the depressing reality of being a jobbing a camera, so [the blog] kind of started with so many fledgling British actors’ have an interesting, adult conversation around a word like anorexia, that hurts actor,” she says. “Sometimes you might as an online diary.” Today, Ring My CVs: , Teachers, Casualty. “There’s no way to sugarcoat it, there’s about it. Those are the people that I care my feelings.” only be sent a theme or a small part of Bell celebrates Madekwe’s hero pieces a lack of opportunities for women of about.” the script, so I like to create a back story, with monthly mini shoots, though What have been the difficulties, I ask, colour, and I mean all women of colour,” Meanwhile, a third season of Salem just for myself. I know it probably won’t she confesses to being “terrible at in making the transition from London she states. “Not just in acting, but in Madekwe is also unafraid to call out has just kicked off for Madekwe. Set be correct, but I find that helps.” updating regularly – I don’t deserve the to LA? Aside from missing “the wealth all areas. I think it’s definitely getting body shaming on Twitter, even recently in brutal 17th century Massachusetts, following!” Denim dresses and fluffy of Caribbean takeaways” in Brixton, better, there’s never been a better time eliciting an apology from a woman who the series delves into the dark, twisted Madekwe shares her home in the sliders have her attention right now, getting to grips with black American to be a woman of colour in Hollywood had targeted her. At surface level, body history of the town’s infamous witch Hollywood Hills with husband Iddo but her rule of thumb is to integrate roles has proved the biggest challenge. than there is today. Being a mixed race shaming appears to be just another form trials. Madekwe plays Tituba, the Goldberg, who also starred in Diary her favourite designers with the best of “I feel like being black British and actress, I don’t always fall into the of trolling, but it’s also a depressing accomplice of Mary Sibley (Janet Of A Call Girl, and ginger cat Oscar, the high street. “I’ve always loved Miu black American are two very culturally traditional idea of what a black woman symptom of how the media’s relentless Montgomery), the most powerful witch owner of a cat passport, who travels Miu, it’s fun and irreverent, and I love different things,” says Madekwe. is, but I strongly identify with being obsession with weight, entrenched by in Salem. “This season is an odd one everywhere with her. Madekwe everything that Gucci does. But I’m “Sometimes I struggle with that in the black. Growing up mixed race in London circles of red ink mocking cellulite or for Tituba ‘cause she spends a lot of her and Goldberg originally met after always looking at what I can ship over acting space, because although I know I never felt anything other than black.” visible ribs, has pitted women against time removed from the main action and Madekwe’s graduation from RADA from ASOS, I like a high-low mix.”

90 FEATURES 91 Assistance with blog posts and audition mean, who wouldn’t want to work with tapes aside, what does she think is the him?”) and Daniel Day-Lewis. But what secret to keeping a marriage fresh? hits home the most when chatting to “Oh, I don’t know! Different things her is that this is a woman with a total work for different people. My parents appreciation of the here and now. “Any have been together 30 years and they’re acting job is a highlight for me,” she not even married. They argue like says, earnestly. “It always feels like an there’s no tomorrow but they’re still amazing miracle and gift to get paid to really happy. Me and my husband have do what I love.” From others in LA’s tribe a lot of the same interests, and I think of hot young actresses, such a sentence having friends that you both like is key. might have a whiff of sap about it, but When you have separate lives, separate from the mouth of this sharp, savvy, interests, separate friends, that’s when articulate south London talent, it feels you’re in danger. We have a lot of friends nothing but authentic. Hollywood, this in common that we enjoy spending time one’s a keeper. Lace dress, ALESSANDRA RICH Black patent pointed toe stilettos, JIMMY CHOO with, which is a really good thing for us.” Eye earring and ring, DELFINA DELETTREZ Salem Series 3 is out now on WGN Quizzed on which actors and directors America and comes to Netflix in March Photographer Elias Tahan Stylist she’d like to work with in the future, 2017 Joey Tierney Hair John Ruggiero Madekwe cites Martin Scorsese (“I Make-Up Jenna Anton

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