They say never meet your favorite celebrities for fear of ruining the image you may have of them. Anyone who meets Misty Green, the titular character in Chris Rock’s new movie of the same name, will be disappointed. The former child star has fallen on hard times and exudes an “I’m totally above this” attitude that makes her less than likable.
For Rosalind Eleazar, who plays the role, that’s entirely the point.
“I don’t have much of a concern about making a character likable or not,” Eleazar, who is lovely to meet in person, told EBONY during a sit-down interview in a New York City office library. “I, as Rosalind, just got behind her every decision.”
Whether it’s spending a night doing coke before a big audition that could reinvigorate her career or—spoiler alert—making life-changing decisions, “I didn’t want to sanitize Misty,” Eleazar continued.
“I had to champion her, even if they were the wrong decisions. I think there’s more of a journey when you start the movie, and you’re like, ‘Why am I here for her? She’s so self-destructive.’ But at some point, you’re fighting to not turn your back on her. I think, at least for me, what works is not judging any character I’m playing. Hopefully, it will unravel itself.”
For some, seeing Green in the indie film will be their first introduction to the actor, delivered through a thought-provoking lens that epitomizes an A24 film. But this British actress has worked steadily since 2015. She began on stage in her native London, making her professional stage debut in Plaques and Tangles at the Royal Court Theatre in 2015, shortly after graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
Television followed, with parts in FX’s Class of ’09 alongside Kate Mara and Brian Tyree Henry. But it’s her role as MI5 agent Louisa Guy in Apple TV’s Emmy-winning spy drama Slow Horses that established her as a standout for global audiences. The series airs its sixth-season finale on Apple TV on October 21.
“It’s weird how sometimes these things sort of feel like they’re an overnight revelation, but my head’s been down and working and trying to do good work,” Eleazar shared.
Misty Green shows us the underside of being a working actress, like the grueling process of auditioning for a role, even when you have an impressive résumé.
“It’s a study of humanity. There have been times when you get a succession of auditions, and you’re asking, ‘What are we doing?’ I get deflated when I see that. And when you have to self-tape… I do relate to a lot of what we see in the film.”
Being in an audition line has also left Eleazar with some thoughts. “That bit when Misty walks into the audition, and it’s seven versions of herself… I’ve come into an audition, and the person in front of me is the same skin color as me, as is the person behind me when I’m leaving, and I think, why is this character being reserved for us rather than people that have a similar acting quality? That would make more sense to me.”
Her audition-room experience also connects to the wider debate about Black American and other Black actors in Hollywood, and the roles they’re offered. “I’ve spoken to Black American actors, and I’ve never actually heard them having any sort of issue,” Eleazar said. “I think a lot of the time, there was one person that said it, and it sort of suddenly feels like good clickbait.”
But there is something to be said about the amount of opportunity for Black actors in general. “What that points to me is there is a lack of parts for Black leads. That’s the issue more than anything. I think Black American actors should absolutely play British characters. That’s sort of the definition of being an actor: you step into someone else’s lived experience. If you only played your own exact lived experience, then it’s a documentary.”
Misty Green has a star-studded cast, including Rock, Anna Kendrick, Adam Driver, Anthony Anderson and Daniel Kaluuya, who’s returning to the screen after an extended absence. In the film, he plays Misty’s brother, Jay, who is suffering from schizophrenia.
“He’s just the most amazing raw talent that we have. I’ve literally told him, I was like, ‘We’re really lucky to be on Earth while you’re here and acting.’ He’s such a gift,” Eleazar gushed.
“We spent loads of time with each other at the end of a shooting day and just took walks around L.A., fleshing out our backstory and our joint story together, what our relationship was, filling in our story together, and also just getting comfortable with each other because if you’re playing siblings, it’s a very particular relationship. So, it was really special working together. He’s been on my list. I’ve got a list of people that I want to work with, and he was high up there, and the fact that I got to do this with him—dream come true.”
Returning to Misty, Eleazar shared why she was drawn to the character. “She’s so contradictory and flawed and deeply human, and it’s hard to get on side with her. She has so many layers of protection and armor that she goes out into the world, and I understood that. But inside she’s just a kid that hasn’t had any support and in many ways hasn’t grown up,” she shared.
Rock explained that Misty leads with her looks, which took Eleazar a moment to wrap her head around. “There was a part of me that was pushing that away because it was something that I wasn’t getting. Then, as time went on, I realized there was so much to her need for external validation: to be noticed and desired, and it really opened up the character,” she shared. “Chris is like that. He’ll give you these little nuggets; he answers it in an anecdote.”
That gem dropped by Rock helped Eleazar flesh out Misty Green’s journey. “I’ve always said that I think that when we think of vulnerability, we think of someone that’s small and meek, but someone that’s screaming and punching, both metaphorically and physically, is someone that’s incredibly vulnerable. I had a lot of compassion for her. And I’m still unpacking her. I’m still unraveling. I still think about her.”
Now playing in select theaters, Misty Green opens wide on October 16.