British actor Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù will have hearts a flutter in the funny and charming Mr. Malcolm’s List. The English period romance has a spurned aristocrat, Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton), conspiring to humiliate and embarrass society’s hottest bachelor, Jeremiah Malcolm (Dìrísù). She learns after their failed date that Malcolm has a secret list of attributes needed in a wife. Julia concocts a scheme using her poor best friend, Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto), as bait to snare him. Julia becomes jealous when the smart and beautiful Selina actually connects with the dashing Mr. Malcolm.
Mr. Malcolm’s List has had an interesting journey to the big screen. The book by Suzanne Allain was first adapted as a YouTube short by director/writer Emma Holly Jones in 2019. It became an online hit wracking up seven million views. Frieda Pinto and Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù reprised their starring roles for the feature. We started the interview with Ṣọpẹ discussing how they built on the momentum of the short film’s success.
Adapting Mr. Malcolm’s List from a Short to Feature Film
The 2019 YouTube short has seven million views. Talk about seeing that blossom to a feature film.
Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù: When Emma Holly Jones, the director and writer, and Tamara-Lee Notcutt, the casting director, came to me with this project, they always knew they wanted to make the feature. It was about proving to the world and industry there’s an appetite for this kind of work. I don’t know if any us, in our wildest dreams, could imagine that short has been seen seven million times. I just hope that seven million people come to see the feature as well. That would be great. It’s such excellent proof and encouragement. The metrics are there on Refinery 29 and YouTube. People want to see this story. They want to see stories like it. I’m grateful for this momentum and change of perspective from the industry.
Was there a full script in place for a feature adaptation?
Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù: I believe the screenplay did exist beforehand, but not in the form it is now. It was a really early draft that was a carbon copy of the book itself. It wasn’t necessarily the best version for a screen adaptation. It was available, but we didn’t need to adhere to it. I think over the course of making the short to the feature, that’s when Emma came in, tore the script apart, and put it back together. She wrote more jokes and fleshed out the characters.
Mr. Malcolm is a complex character with a structured view of love. Do you understand his need for the list?
Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù: Every character you play, you have empathy for them. You have to understand why they think and behave the way they do. Otherwise, you can’t perform it. You can’t share their story accurately or correctly. I understand his motivations. I also understand that they come from fear. In my experience of love, I have had similar fears. It’s not like he sees women for anything other than they are…beautiful, complicated, and independent beings. It’s how he sees himself. That’s what he’s wrestling with. The list is a reflection of himself. That’s something I’ve realized in my past. So yes, I connect with him. I understand his reservations and anxieties.
Building Chemistry with Freida Pinto During the Pandemic
The film stages an endearing romance between Selina Dalton and Mr. Malcolm. The characters are swept off their feet despite their barriers to finding love. It was fascinating to learn that Freida Pinto and Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù spent little time together on both the short and feature versions.
You have tremendous chemistry with Freida Pinto. What was the process to capture that romantic spark?
Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù: You never know (laughs). You can do chemistry tests and reads, but everyone is putting their best foot forward to get the job. The day of it can be a completely different experience. We never had a lot of pre-production time. We got a couple of rehearsals in, but we never got to sit down with each other. We did script reads. We didn’t see much of each other doing the short film. We were in isolation in Ireland, so we didn’t spend too much time with each other. We did go for one walk (laughs). Normally, you have a lot more intense time together.
Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù: Without that, it just speaks to the quality of Frieda as an actress and human being. She was willing to be open and vulnerable with me, Emma, and this process. She allowed me to do the same. She’s an excellent actress. I didn’t want to let her down. I had to bring my A-game as well. She made it easy for me. I hope we both made it easy for the production.
Continuing on this subject. What was it like filming with strict COVID protocols?
Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù: I managed to shoot a film beforehand, Mothering Sunday. We shot between August to October in 2020. We didn’t have a shut-down. The Batman was shut-down like thirteen times. That’s a big studio movie. We knew that we couldn’t really afford that. We were a small, independent feature film. We didn’t have an endless stream of money to pay for COVID stops. We had to be very careful. That meant the environment you’d normally create on set, we didn’t have that, or the recreational time together after shooting. It was stunted. Thankfully we overcame those issues and created a film that people enjoy.
Trying Not to Hear Noise from the Haters
Mr. Malcolm’s List has a diverse ensemble cast playing the English period characters. Ṣọpẹ had a great response for the small-minded and ignorant few who take umbrage at seeing non-white actors excel in a costume romance.
What do you say to the haters who criticize diversity and having a black leading actor in an English period film? Has there been any negative feedback?
Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù: First sentiment that came to my head when you asked if I’d experienced blow back…I ain’t trying to hear that noise (laughs). Honestly, I haven’t experienced it yet. But I’m sure there will be lonely people who might feel that way. I’m not their savior, as Kendrick [Lamar] would say. I’m here to tell stories for the global majority, to represent people who haven’t been represented before, and to display the fullness of our experience. If I’m doing it in a period drama, so? If I’m doing it in Gangs of London, so? I ain’t trying to hear that noise.
You’ve done well in period romances. Do you prefer that category to harsher material like Gangs of London?
Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù: I don’t want to have to choose. Like when people say would you prefer to do theater, film, or television. I think every story has its medium. I want to work in that medium if it’s the right story. But also there’s a time for romance, comedy, and action. I just hope to cover the whole spectrum over the course of my career.
I was intrigued to learn that you played American football in college. How did you become a fan?
Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù: Yes, I played receiver first, and then they moved me to quarterback because I had a good arm. The second time I came to the states was 2004. My cousin was living in Augusta, Georgia. I saw the Falcons play the Jets. I saw Mike Vick light up that field. From that moment on, the marriage between the chess game of offense versus defense, and the brutal physicality of the sport, I was in love. I bought Madden. I bought an American football. I took it back to England and found a little community of friends at my school. Every recess and play time we’d be chucking the pigskin. When it came time to pick a college in the UK. I wanted to be on the best team in the country. At the time it was the University of Birmingham Lions. So I went there, studied economics, did acting every semester, but I also played football for the whole year. I love the sport (laughs).
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