Channelling her villainous era with aplomb, Laverne Cox looked regal in her all-black outfit at a recent media junket for Netflix’s futuristic sci-fi, “Uglies”.
After introducing myself before our five-minute interview, we dived right into her landing the role of Dr Cable in the movie, which is based on Scott Westerfeld’s popular book series.
On being approached, she admitted: “I was like, manifestation does work. I’ve been manifesting this kind of sci-fi futuristic project. I have been wanting to do something in this genre for a very long time
“So it was like the power of manifestation does work. I was completely excited by the script, the world, the story – all of it.”
Cox added: “I read all three books for sure. There’s a fourth that I haven’t read but I’ve read all three books and Dr Cable is very different in the books. You get a different sense of her in the second and third books.
“Scott writes her as pure evil in the book. With the script, she has more dimension and more humanity.”
In terms of slipping into the character with ease, the 52-year-old actress said she was guided by the books, the director McG and her usual prep work.
The movie is helmed by Joey King as Tally Youngblood, who also serves as an executive producer; Brianne Tju as Shay; Keith Powers as David; Chase Stokes as Peris; Jay DeVon Johnson as Az; Charmin Lee as Maddy; Jan Luis Castellanos as Croy’ Zamani Wilder as Astrix and Joseph Echvarria as Ryde.
The story is set 300 years in the future when the government transforms society with a mandatory rule of everyone going under the knife at 16 to match up to the elitist standard of beauty.
AI is the holy grail in this regulated world, where you can take a pill to brush your teeth.
Post-surgery, the Pretties lead a life that is laden with high-society shindigs in New Pretty Town. Snobbery is the norm.
In the opening frames of the movie, Tally and her childhood best friend, Peri, who is about to undergo the operation, make a pact to reunite in a few months when she has her transformation.
They also promise to keep a childhood scar on their hands.
Tally fantasises about the new her, playing around with different looks to see which one suits her best.
However, her plans are upended by a few changes. Peri is no longer the same after the surgery. Her new friend, Shay, isn’t keen on changing and has been in contact with David, who is referred to as The Smoke.
In his world, everyone is allowed to be themselves and are treated equally. They are a close-knit community protective of their freedom.
However, David is a threat to Dr Cable’s world and when Shay goes missing before her operation, which is on the same day as Tally’s, a plan is set in motion to eliminate the threat.
Tally, who has been brainwashed into thinking this is the only way of life, agrees to help Dr Cable “rescue” Shay. Despite having a change of heart when she gets to know The Smoke and what the outcast group stands for, she unwittingly brings trouble to their secret hideout and is forced to take drastic measures to make up for it.
On playing a villain, Cox admitted: “I had an absolute blast. It was a dream come true. The tricky thing is that I can’t judge Dr Cable.
“Ultimately, Dr Cable believes that everything she is doing is for the greater good. She wants a society where there is no war, where everyone is equal, where there is no discrimination, and so that guiding principle is her sort of North Star.
“Her methods are ethically questionable, for sure, but that is her goal.”
She added: “Scott, in the books, says she has eyes like a wolf, so, using the wolf as the animal was very instructive to creating Dr Cable because wolves are very predatory but they are also very protective when it comes to their cubs.
“It becomes that kind of dualism of the wolf, which was very informative for me to, hopefully, not have Dr Cable as an idea but fully embodied as a human being.”
King, who was recently in “A Family Affair”, has made a fan out of Cox.
The seasoned actress, who is also an influential LGBTQ advocate, cooed: “ I’m so impressed by her as an actress. She was 22 when we shot this. I was just blown away by how professional she was with executive producing this and starring in it. How down to earth and calm she is. How prepared she is.
“What incredible raw talent and professionalism. Just blown away.”
Cox was equally praiseworthy of the director, too.
“I’m obsessed with McG. He was so generous and collaborative that I got to really be active in creating Dr Cable in this way, which felt so respectful. He’s like a big warm hug of enthusiasm, energy and love. I’m so glad I got to do this with him.”
If the cliffhanger ending is anything to go by, an “Uglies” sequel is on the cards.
∎ “Uglies” will be streaming on Netflix from Friday, September 13.