Interview: Dominique Fishback’s emotional journey through ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ [VIDEO]
Graduating from Pace University with a degree in theater, Dominique Fishback officially entered the acting game in 2013 in a small role in Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick. The poet and native Brooklynite has amassed a variety of roles in her career, but it’s in Shaka King’s newest film Judas and the Black Messiah where she feels most aligned with her character, Deborah Johnson.
Interview: Shaka King on creating ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
In the film, Johnson is the wife of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. She witnessed his rise and subsequent fall at the hands of J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. She is still an activist who keeps the Black Panther Party ideals alive with her son Fred Hampton Jr. It’s no wonder why Fishback was nervous about her performance–she had big shoes to fill. However, watching her work alongside Daniel Kaluuya, you would never assume there is any hesitation with how effortless she makes it all look.
We sit down with Fishback to discuss her role in the film, reciting her own poetry, her emotional journey.
Judas and the Black Messiah is now in select theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
Image courtesy of Warner Bros
- Interview: Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris on bringing ‘Zola’ to the big screen and its ‘Wizard of Oz’ influence - July 7, 2021
- ‘Zola’ review: Taylour Paige gives a star-making performance in Janicza Bravo’s cinematic treatment of the viral Twitter thread - June 29, 2021
- ‘Bloodthirsty’ review: The vegetarian lesbian werewolf movie you’ve been waiting for - April 27, 2021
2024 North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Nominations 
2024 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) Winners: ‘Anora’ Named Best Film Among its Six Awards 
2024 Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) Nominations 
2024 Black Reel Awards Nominations: ‘Nickel Boys,’ ‘The Piano Lesson’ Lead