Fort Greene Resident Hits Big Screen As Coretta Scott King

At the New York premiere of “Selma,” the new film chronicling the 1965 voting-rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, actress Carmen Ejogo wore two outfits: one a stunning red couture gown by designer Vivienne Westwood and one a simple T-shirt emblazoned with the words “I Can’t Breathe.”

The London-born, Fort Greene-based actress’ fashion choices came at a perfect time, as the premiere coincided with the Millions March NYC protests held throughout the city — and which local residents participated in — on Saturday, December 13.

Explaining the timeliness of the film premiere in relation to current events, Ejogo, 40, told Refinery 29 that, “when you watch Selma, you can’t help but be struck by the fact that what’s playing on the screen is very much a mirror of what’s been happening on the streets of cities across the country in recent months.”

She went on, stating:

“After seeing what was achieved through civil disobedience in 1965, I think audiences will leave feeling excited by what is clearly possible in this moment in time. To bring Coretta Scott King to life, and to be a part of a movie that’s making history, reminds me why I got into acting in the first place: [to seize] the opportunity to explore human nature at its most revealing…and to make films that are powerful enough to effect positive change in the viewer.”

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ejogo added that she jumped at the opportunity to play Coretta Scott King — for a second time, as she walked in her shoes back in 2001 in now-husband Jeffrey Wright’s film, “Boycott,” — because she saw her as more than just a mother and wife.

“Coretta had come into her self-image,” said Ejogo. “There was more of a fear of what was to come, but less of a hopelessness.”

“Selma” also stars Tom Wilkinson, Oprah Winfrey, and Cuba Gooding Jr. It is out in theaters now.