Dominique Thorne is living proof that rejection can sometimes be a blessing.
The 25-year-old actor, who begins her Marvel career this week in Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever, previously auditioned for the role of Shuri (now played by Letitia Wright), years ago. She made it to the final four, but she remembers hearing the voice of God tell her that she would not be getting the role. When she didn’t, she refocused on school and graduated from Cornell with a degree in human development and inequality. Instead of a big budget film like Black Panther, she cut her teeth on smaller, critically-acclaimed projects, working with Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins on If Beale Street Could Talk and eventually, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler in Judas and the Black Messiah.
Finally, the doors of Wakanda were opened to her six years after that fateful audition, leaving room for personal and career growth that made the timing just right to take on the role of RiRi Williams, otherwise known as Ironheart. (After Wakanda Forever, she’ll star in her own Disney+ miniseries about Ironheart in 2023.)
This trajectory has been a long time in the making. Born and raised in New York, the daughter of Trinidadian immigrants began to understand how acting could leave a lasting impression as far back as the sixth grade, when she started watching teen drama Degrassi. “I would lock myself in this room, turn off the lights and just be totally zoned into the show,” Dominique tells Teen Vogue. “I remember that being one of the first times, mid tears, catching myself being like, whoa, I'm really crying in front of the TV. How is this even possible? I know this isn't real, yet here I am snorting and all? I think that was definitely a moment when I was like, ‘Okay there's something powerful here.’”
In an interview with Teen Vogue, Dominique reflected on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, honoring the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, and protecting her peace.
Teen Vogue: You first auditioned for Black Panther when you were a sophomore in college. What was that experience like?
Dominique Thorne: I had just signed with [the agency] Paradigm, maybe a year or two years prior, and they were just sending me all of these auditions to put myself on tape for. I remember at the time looking up where exactly Wakanda was. What is it based on? Where is it supposed to be, ven though it's obviously fictional? And I had heard that it was based on Southern African countries, based on East African countries. I had a few friends who were African international students from Rwanda and from Kenya in particular, and so I had asked [one friend], “Do you mind if I just sort of listen to you talk?” and just started to study her dialect. That opened up my ears in that way. Utimately, she helped me make the tape she was reading with me. I just tried my very best to make those tapes as grounded as I possibly could in whatever information I had. Because of course, there was no Black Panther 1 to base it off of. Then there was a request for an in-person callback, which was in L.A., and then there was a final callback in Atlanta. I think at that point, it was down to three or four of us, of course, of which Letitia Wright was one. And here we are.
TV: Wow. So you actually got really close.
DT: Yeah. I remember sitting down with [casting director] Sarah Finn at the time, having a conversation just about college and my decision to go to Cornell, about life and acting in general at the time. This was probably the first time where I felt like I heard the voice of God, and I knew that I wasn't going to get the role at the time that I had left. I had met [producer] Nate Moore during this audition, Ryan [Coogler], Chadwick [Boseman], and Sarah Finn. I remember the Marvel team, when I didn't get the role, said that they would love to work with me in the future. They thought that I was great, but that I just didn't have the experience that they knew the person playing this role would need. Of course, at the time, I was like, "Yeah, whatever. Sure. That's what you're telling me, that's fine." But I guess that they must have meant it because, sure enough, what, five, six years later, I get a phone call after I've gotten the experience that they were talking about two film credits later, [and they were] following through on the statement that they've made about them wanting to work with me and offering me the role of Iron Heart.
TV: I know that Marvel keeps everything under lock and key, but what can you tell us about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?
DT: I suppose I can say that Wakanda Forever is definitely going to be a story that taps into the adventure and also the pride that I think a lot of folks experienced when they stepped into Wakanda for the first time. I think that Wakanda Forever is definitely a story that looks to honor and center, not only Chadwick but also T'challa's legacy. I know a lot of folks were worried before the film was actually in process, around the time when we heard about Chadwick's passing. I hope and believe that a lot of what this film could be is an opportunity for us to mourn and grieve, but also honor and uplift his legacy.
TV: What was it like going onto set and working with the casting crew who were grieving Chadwick in real-time?
DT: I had suspected and learned to be true that a lot of what my role would be — not only as Dominique playing Riri Williams, but really just Dominique showing up as Dominique — was to support outside of being a supporting actor, but really to support my fellow cast mates. Michaela [Coel] and I were talking about this too, when we first started filming, that us being a part of this story is really just to be in service of the story. We both kind of understood that that looked like supporting the folks who know what Wakanda is, because they created it, and who know what Wakanda would have been because they knew their king, they knew their brother, they knew their friend.
TV: Do you have a favorite memory from set?
DT: It's so funny because at the time, this was definitely not a happy memory or a happy experience. But towards the end of my time filming, it was freezing. It felt like winter weather in Atlanta, Georgia. We're doing this outdoor scene. It's actually a moment that's in the trailer, kind of. But we're outdoors and almost everybody is there, like the folks from Talocan Wakanda, myself, we're all there. It's freezing cold and some folks are shirtless. I'm there, short sleeves with this metal suit on top of me on the ground, and it's wet and cold. I think I was called into work at 4 p.m. that day, and I didn't start working until like 2:15/2:30 in the morning. I worked for a total of like 15 minutes. And that was it, wet and cold and icy. But backstage waiting in the wings to go on, you know, deciding whether or not this is a good time to build a suit, just sort of riding the waves of the twists and turns that come with being on a film set and an outdoor day. That was some of the best laughs, and strongest and most joyful memories that I had with the folks that were my team, and my makeup artist in particular, who sadly passed shortly after we finished. That is one of the days that I remember us having the biggest laughs.
TV: My condolences. I had heard actor Lashana Lynch say when she was talking about The Woman King, that she felt that her Blackness had been protected because of Viola Davis and their director Gina Prince-Bythewood. She felt like there were certain conversations she didn't need to have as a Black actor because they had already done that for her. You have worked with Barry Jenkins, Ryan Coogler twice, and Nate Moore. I was wondering if you feel something similar.
DT: Absolutely. I'm very grateful for the fact that it feels like that protection has grown each film and progressed as the films do. But especially thinking about [this film] in particular, I mean, so much of what Wakanda is is about Black brilliance and Black excellence and Black people protecting themselves and protecting their legacy and protecting their history and just making sure that they are never losing sight of how critical it is to protect your own. I think that that is very much in line with the practical experience of working with someone like Ryan Coogler, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Leticia Wright, Michaela Coel, and Angela Bassett.
TV: Black excellence all in one room.
DT: Absolutely, and it's wonderful to think about the sort of stepping stones that set the tone for this. To know that this is what that looks like. Because I think the first time I really experienced that was obviously with Barry Jenkins on If Beale Street Could Talk and I don't think that I necessarily had the awareness to know that that is what that was at the time. Then the first time that I actually remember feeling that for the first time was on Judas and the Black Messiah under the direction of the incredible, formidable Shaka King who really, really did so much to show me about what it looks to tell a poignant and necessary story through love and joy and fun. But then also being at the right side of Daniel Kaluuya and him telling me things at the time that I could not imagine or could not envision for myself that he saw. He definitely did a great job of making sure that I was a little bit more present and a little bit more aware of just how beautiful the opportunity is to sit in that space and to recognize your power and to recognize your potential, all in the midst of uplifting Black voices.
TV: Rihanna is on the official soundtrack of Black Panther 2. What three songs do you think would make RiRi’s playlists this year?
DT: That is a phenomenal question. I kind of feel like RiRi is definitely tapped into the Chicago swag. I almost want to say she has at least one song like Pooh Shiesty's “Back At It Again.” But that's probably not the most appropriate. I feel like a song from Queen RiRi will be on there. So I'm just going to say whatever this song is that's about to be on the soundtrack from Queen RiRi. The third one, “2 Million Up” by Peezy because RiRi is a natural born hustler.
TV: How should Black people turn up to the cinema? This is very important. Last time, we were all there in our African attire. Are we turning up in the funeral colors of white? Help us set the standard.
DT: Honestly, you know, I think it's more of the same. I think it's that times 10. I think that obviously is what folks gathered from the trailer; white definitely has a spiritual significance. But also I think, at the core and the heart of it is to show up in whatever it is that looks like and feels like excellence and joy to you.
TV: How are you protecting and guiding your peace for the upcoming spotlight that is undoubtedly coming your way?
DT: [Laughing] I think continuing to mind my business, that's the plan. I'm gonna be honest with you, my focus, my goal is to continue to mind the business that minds me. Focus on what I think is most central. That really hasn't changed, which is to follow the truth. I think I followed that truth to the front doors of Wakanda. I've been able to follow that truth to RiRi's home in the Southside of Chicago, and I will be very much interested to see where that truth leads me next.