Dominique Fishback (‘Swarm’) on convincing Donald Glover to cast her as Dre instead of Marissa: ‘I was too excited by Dre’s journey’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
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“When they told me about the role [of Dre] they initially wanted me to play Marissa, who is the role that Chloe Bailey plays,” admits “Swarm” actress Dominique Fishback. “I was too excited by Dre’s journey. I felt that there were some ‘Monster’ opportunities, like Charlize Theron, and some ‘Boys Don’t Cry,’ Hilary Swank, and even some ‘Joker.’ I’ve always admired those performances. They told me about it and in my mind I was like, ‘Man, I can’t play Marissa, I gotta play Dre.'” Watch our video interview above.
“Swarm” tells the story of Dre (Fishback), a young woman obsessed with a pop star named Ni’Jah (Nirine S. Brown). Her fandom takes a dark turn as Dre’s traumas from her past come to the surface. The seven-part Amazon Prime Video limited series was created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers and began streaming March 17, 2023.
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Although Dre acts out in horrific ways, Fishback’s performance draws the audience in and allows viewers to relate to her. She explains, “I just approach every character from a place that I can understand, which is love. She loves Ni’Jah and she loves Marissa. Now, the way that she loves is completely different from how I love and how most of us love, but she does love them. That’s what’s relatable.”
She continues, “I read this book when I got out of school. It’s called ‘Auditioning On Camera’ by Joseph Hacker. He talked about, ‘We don’t have to riddle our characters with shortcomings. If he’s a thief, he’s gonna steal regardless of how loyal you play him. If he’s a cheater he’s gonna cheat. I did the same thing with Darlene in ‘The Deuce.’ She’s going to be a sex worker no matter how she’s played. I don’t have to riddle her with things like [how she walks or talks]. She is that. That’s the given circumstance. I didn’t have to play Dre as a ruthless serial killer or come from that direction. She is that no matter what. So why don’t I do the thing that is my job as an actor, which is to bring out the humanity and bring out the truth to this character.”
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