Tessa Thompson on Hedda: "Embodying My Character Made Me Interrogate Myself" Actress Tessa Thompson takes the lead within the movie Hedda, a reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 basic Hedda Gabler, and in addition serves as a

Tessa Thompson on Hedda: “Embodying My Character Made Me Interrogate Myself”

Last Updated: November 18, 2025By FilmfareTags: character, Embodying, Hedda, Interrogate, Tessa, Thompson

Actress Tessa Thompson takes the lead within the movie Hedda, a reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 basic Hedda Gabler, and in addition serves as a producer on the movie. Directed by Nia DaCosta, the variation brings a recent lens to the unique play and introduces a distinctly queer interpretation. Throughout a worldwide press convention, Thompson mirrored on her decade-long artistic partnership with DaCosta and spoke about revisiting Hedda Gabler for at the moment’s viewers.

About her Relationship with Nia DaCosta

Director Nia and Tessa’s working dynamic advanced over time. Tessa defined, “I first met her on the Sundance Movie Labs. She needed to make her first characteristic referred to as Little Woods and I used to be there simply donating my time. I did not suppose that we might go on to make a movie collectively. And that started our collaboration, 10 years in the past. When she first instructed me that she needed to work on an adaptation of Hedda Gabler, I did not think about that she meant she needed me to play Hedda. It is a character that is captivated me. However I did not perceive what the type of cinematic crucial was to retell it on this time. And it was solely after I learn her first draft, I actually understood what she needed to do with it, which is to take it aside and put it again collectively.”

In regards to the Challenges She Confronted as an Actor and Producer

Making the Hedda Gabler adaptation wasn’t straightforward. The Hollywood writers’ strike made issues additional troublesome. Tessa stated, “Two days earlier than we started taking pictures, the strike occurred (Hollywood strike). And we thought it could simply be a few weeks, and it ended up being a double strike, which lasted for a while. One of many challenges was to maintain it afloat. We had already moved into this unimaginable property, and we had wallpapered the place, and introduced in quite a lot of lacquer. One other problem was to persuade our collaborators and the owners to maintain the home dressed, as a result of in any other case we in all probability would not have been capable of make the film. These have been the productional challenges.”

Not simply this, however Thompson confronted sure challenges as an actor as effectively, together with entering into the gown for her character, which she feels was not variety to her physique. She continued, “It was difficult to realize an understanding of the piece. I did that by watching each adaptation I might get my hand on, studying the entire completely different translations of the work, and attempting to grasp architecturally why this a chunk that has captivated us for thus lengthy. Carrying that gown – the boning and building of Fifties silhouettes, which aren’t the kindest to a physique, was additionally difficult. However what’s inherent within the design is the concept Hedda Gabler is confined and constricted, not simply by her time however by her decisions.”

Taking part in Hedda Modified Tessa’s Personal Persona

Hedda is wise and calculative, a bit completely different from Thompson, who calls herself naive. However enjoying this character did have an effect on her. She defined, “I’m a bit naive. Although we work in an business the place you possibly can generally really feel these dynamics within the rooms we occupy, I attempt to ignore that and simply relate to folks as folks, not for what they do or what they’ll do for me. I’ve all the time been a bit allergic to that manner of transferring by means of the world. However I believe embodying a lady who is not afraid of that type of manipulation made me interrogate myself.”

Tessa’s Preliminary Response To Nia DaCosta’s Adaptation of 130-12 months-Outdated Materials

Adapting a 130-year-old materials additionally meant that they needed to be cautious about putting it within the trendy context in order that it finds relatability. Thompson elaborated, “One thing that basically struck me was clearly this enormous elementary change that Nia’s made by making a personality who’s usually a person, Eilert Lovborg, into Eileen Lovborg It makes the piece queer in a manner that the unique piece is not. It additionally provides Hedda an actual foil. One other lady who’s on the planet and making very completely different decisions. Our piece needs to discover pathways to personhood and gaining company over one’s life. Within the unique piece, you might have Hedda saying, “For as soon as, I wish to be in command of a person’s future.” And I believe in our piece, you see a lady fighting attempting to be in command of her personal. These struggles, even those that Eileen are going through of attempting to be taken severely in areas which are male dominated, is one thing that I perceive.”

Tessa Thompson on Hedda: “Embodying My Character Made Me Interrogate Myself”

Placing Hedda Into A Trendy Context

The Thor: Ragnarok actress added, “We exist now in a time the place there’s a lot positivity round sisterhood or ladies in relation to one another and I’m grateful for that. And this can be a lady [Hedda] is not essentially concerned with that. She acts out of jealousy and envy. The thought of a lady being fairly jealous of one other lady and performing out on doesn’t have quite a lot of grace on the planet that we stay in now, which I respect. But when these emotions are left unchecked, and we do not enable ourselves to sit down with these emotions, we really lower off elements of ourselves which are essential. That was one thing fascinating to unpack by means of enjoying her. And one thing that I am actually concerned with trendy audiences to have interaction with.”

Hedda is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Additionally Learn: Nia DaCosta Explains The Bold Queer Reimagining of Hedda, Talks About Her Bond With Tessa Thompson

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