Danny Jarabek
Isabel Wilkerson published Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents in August 2020. The nonfiction work spent 58 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and received numerous other best nonfiction work of the year honors including a selection for Oprah’s Book Club. An enduring and essential book that investigates the interconnectedness of caste systems that provide rigid hierarchies to global human behavior, the next step for Wilkerson’s text was a translation to the screen in 2023.
Origin (reviewed here by Joey), written and directed by Ava DuVernay, chronicles the personal and professional life of Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) through her time developing the thesis for Caste. At the intersection of historical narratives and personal drama, one of the most consistent support systems for Wilkerson is her cousin, Marion (Niecy Nash-Betts). In conversation with Nash-Betts, she discusses what it meant to contribute to the monumental ambition and importance of Duvernay’s script. She details the strength of her relationships with Ellis-Taylor and Duvernay on set that, in conjunction with her background in comedy, reinforced her ability to bring levity to the tragedy portrayed in the film.
The way I saw myself fitting in was to be Isabel’s support system in the film every step of the way, whether we’re on the phone while she’s running around the world, or I’m sitting at the table with her going through old family photographs. I just wanted to make sure that she felt covered and that she knew that she had a partner, especially after the other losses in her life.
Nash-Betts hopes that the timeliness of Origin will serve as an invitation for audiences to unlearn what they thought they knew about their perception of the world and its hierarchical structures.
Origin is playing in theaters nationwide from NEON. Watch our full conversation with Origin’s star Niecy Nash-Betts below:
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