Naomie Harris made her director cry on set.
The 40-year-old actress, who is best known as Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond movies, reduced Barry Jenkins to tears during the making of their independent film ‘Moonlight’.
The director recalled: "Naomie doesn’t drink smoke; and doesn’t drink – and so she couldn’t light the cigarette.
"She genuinely had trouble with the damn cigarette, so I quietly told [co-star] Trevante to reach over and take the cigarette, light it, and give it back to her."
The moment prompted an apologetic reaction from Naomie.
Barry told the Daily Mail newspaper: "She said: ‘I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.’
"On set, that moment made everyone weep. I was probably crying the most."
Naomie plays an emotionally abusive mother in the critically-acclaimed drama movie, but previously admitted to having reservations about playing a crack addict in ‘Moonlight’.
Naomie explained: "I had real reservations about playing a crack addict because I’ve always fought against playing any kind of stereotypical roles.
"I’m very careful about the reputation of women, and as a black woman in particular I want to represent progressive roles for women and black people in general.
"Then I spoke to Barry and he said, ‘I don’t want you to play a stereotype. What I’m asking you to play is basically my mum.’ Because this is his story and the story of the writer Tarell [McCraney], and what happened to their mothers – it’s a very similar journey – deeply connected with me."
She said, too, that she adopted an unusual approach to playing the role of Paula.
Naomie: "I would sit in the hotel room imagining I was being interviewed by someone. So I imagined the person was asking me, ‘What was your dad like? What was your mum like? Where did you grow up?’ and all these questions.
"Then I created a whole narrative around that and that helped me define the character’s voice."
Naomie Harris reduced her director to tears
