HOLLYWOOD Q&A

Nonso Anozie is an Emmy award-winning and Bafta nominated actor. He is known for his roles in the HBO series Game of Thrones (2012), the Sky series Dracula(2013), the CBS series Zoo (2015–2017), and the Netflix series Sweet Tooth (2021–). For the latter, he won a Children’s and Family Emmy Award and was nominated for a BAFTA. He led the film Cass (2008). His films since include RocknRolla (2008), The Grey (2011), Ender’s Game(2013), Cinderella (2015),
and Guava Island (2019).

Shayla Cowan is an award-winning, boundary-pushing producer and President of Collective Edge, a boutique management firm based in LA. Cowan founded Collective Edge in 2023 with a mission to unite an exclusive group of exceptionally talented individuals at the forefront of their artistry.  Collective Edge is dedicated to creating a community of innovators who continuously push boundaries, inspire one another, and redefine what is possible. 

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Most recently, Cowan was chief-of-staff for Will Packer Productions and Will Packer Media, managing and overseeing all operational activities for both companies, while advising Mr. Packer on the company’s marketing, communications, and business strategies which she will do in her role as President and Talent Manager. She was an integral part in the development and production of the company’s films, television shows, digital programming and other projects.  

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In 2022, Ms. Cowan and Mr. Packer were selected as Producers for the 2022 Academy Awards 94th Oscars Ceremony. They were the first African American producing team in Oscar history and received an Emmy Award nomination for Producers, Outstanding Variety Special Live. 

Eddie Marsan  is an English actor. He won the London Film Critics Circle Award and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Happy-Go-Lucky (2008).

He has featured in films such as Gangster No. 1 (2000), Ultimate Force (2002), V for Vendetta (2006), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Sixty Six (2006), Hancock (2008), Sherlock Holmes (2009), War Horse (2011), Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011), The Best of Men (2012), The World’s End (2013), Still Life(2013), and The Exception (2016). His major TV credits include his role as Terry in Showtime’s Ray Donovan(2013–2020) and as Mr Norrell in the BBC drama Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015).

Ryan Coogler is an American filmmaker. He is a recipient of four NAACP Image Awards, four Black Reel Awards, a Golden Globe Award nomination, and two Academy Award nominations.

He made his feature-length debut with the independent film Fruitvale Station (2013), which won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. It also won at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, for Best First Film.

He has since co-written and directed films such as the Rocky series spinoff, Creed (2015), and the Marvelfilm Black Panther (2018), the latter of which broke numerous box office records and became the highest-grossing film of all time by an African American director. Coogler also co-wrote and directed its sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).

John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega (born 17 March 1992), known professionally as John Boyega, is an English actor and producer. He first rose to prominence in his native Britain for his role as Moses in the sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block (2011), and his international breakthrough came with his role as Finnin the Star Wars sequel trilogy films The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

His other credits include the drama film Imperial Dreams (2014), the historical epic The Woman King (2022), and thriller film Breaking (2022). He received the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016, and the Trophée Chopard at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. He was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2020.

Boyega portrayed Leroy Logan in the 3rd episode of Steve McQueen’s anthology series Small Axe (2020). For his performance he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries.

Jimmy Akingbola’s recent credits range from EMMY nominated MOST DANGEROUS GAME for Quibi, EMMY winning TED LASSO for Apple TV+ and for his role as arch-villain ‘Baron Reiter’ in ARROW (CW). He was singled out by The Hollywood Reporter as an ‘iconic character’ and “in their top ten major villain’s list”.

His next role will see him take on the coveted role of ‘Geoffrey’, trusted advisor to Phil and the Banks family and the link back to his humble roots in the UK in BEL-AIR, the new, serialized one-hour dramatic analogue of the ’90s sitcom THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR. Leaning into the original premise and following Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air, the reimagined vision will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases that were impossible to fully explore in a 30-minute sitcom format while still delivering swagger and nods to the original show.

Jimmy’s further credits include KATE AND KOJI with Golden Globe winner Brenda Blethyn for Britbox, IN THE LONG RUN, created by and starring Idris Elba and BAFTA Award-Winning Comedy REV. (BBC2) which also starred Olivia Colman and Tom Hollander.

Dawn has been Executive Vice President since 2008, working closely with casting directors, writers, and producers, overseeing casting for all current SPT series, movies, limited series, as well as SPT’s projects in development for network, cable and streaming. She also works with Sony’s International Division and the production companies it owns such as Blueprint, Eleven, Fable, and Left Bank to name a few. She has been instrumental in the casting of Bryan Cranston in “Breaking Bad,” Rose Byrne in “Damages, and Freddie Highmore in “The Good Doctor”.  She currently oversees casting on shows such as, “Outlander,” “Cobra Kai”, “The Boys”, “SWAT”
and “Better Call Saul.”

Emily Love is the Manager of International Casting for Sony Pictures Television Studios, working with Sony productions companies all over the world including UK, Australia, Russia and LatAm. She began her casting career in Chicago working for casting director Marisa Ross and helping run the Scout Chicago Comedy Festival. In 2015 Emily made the move to Los Angeles and joined GO Casting, working on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

Stuart Besser (Producer)
Marc Platt (Producer)
Alan Baumgarten (Editor)
Susan Lyall (Costume Designer)
Phedon Papamichael (Cinematographer)
Shane Valentino (Film Production Designer)

Lena Waithe is an American award-winning screenwriter, producer and actress known for Queen & Slim, Chi and Ready Player One. She has been recognised for her work across TV and film by winning 6 awards and receiving 19 nominations. These include the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, a BFCC Award for Queen of Slim for Best Original Screenplay and the MTV Trailblazer Award.

Oprah Winfrey is a talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ran in national syndication for 25 years from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the “Queen of All Media”, she was the richest African American of the 20th century.

Viola Davis is an award-winning actress and producer. Having won an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the first African-American to achieve the “Triple Crown of Acting”. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2017.

Credits include Malcolm X, Jungle Fever, Do the Right Thing, She’s Got to Have It, BlacKkKlansman, Bamboozled and 25th Hour.

Credits include Da 5 Blood, Malcolm X, Get Shorty, This is Us, The Good Fight, Blood & Oil, Malicious, Marvels’ Most Wanted and Anarchy: Ride or Die.

Credits include Love, Death and Robots, House of Cards, Mindhunter, Seven, Gone Girl and The Social Network.

Credits include The Dark Knight, Darkest Hour, Mank, The Harry Potter films and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Credits include Belle, Mrs America, Where Hands Touch and A United Kingdom.