Letitia Wright stars in I Am Danielle, the second powerful standalone story from Channel 4’s female-led anthology series I Am..., which this time focuses on love, betrayal and trust in the age of social media.
Unlike her roles in Black Panther and Small Axe, however, the 27-year-old British/Guyanese actor was heavily involved in the collaborative process and even the story itself, while much of the drama’s dialogue was improvised.
"It’s really different because you’re not given a script to learn lines. You’re completely involved in the creative process and then all of that was incorporated into the script,’ says Wright. ‘It meant I was able, God willing, to do my best work. It was also the best set experience I’ve ever had."
Letitia Wright on what happens in I Am Danielle
In this emotionally raw one-off film, Letitia Wright plays 20-something Danielle, a successful fashion photographer with high romantic ideals of the perfect relationship, who wants to find someone ‘to do life with.’ Against her better judgment, she finds herself falling in love with Michael (Victoria star CJ Beckford) a charming if mysterious model she meets on a shoot, who’s full of flattery and promises her the earth. But when Danielle tags Michael in an online post, it prompts an old college friend to get in touch with a disturbing revelation about Michael’s secret sexual past. Although it’s a painful story of love and loss, Wright says it’s one that’s rooted in her own experiences.
"As with all filmmaking, ultimately we’re seeking truth. No matter what the genre, your job is to make sure the audience believes it," says Letitia. "I think the difference with this is that the process of creating the story itself came from real places. The skeleton is from real places – you start talking about experiences of love, you have that as the basis and then you build.
"It was really challenging, but also liberating. It’s given me new love for what I do in terms of creating stories. It’s taken me to a deeper place within myself, to ask questions that I may have buried before. It’s also enhanced my whole way of thinking about acting and enhanced the way I think about myself, too"
Letitia Wright's I Am Danielle — air date
You can see Letitia Wright in I Am Danielle on Channel 4 on Thursday August 12 at 9pm. I Am Danielle is also currently available on the streaming service All4 along with the other two I Am... standalone dramas I Am Victoria with Suranne Jones and I Am Maria with Lesley Manville.
