Sanaa Lathan has been successful in Hollywood for over 20 years now and she’s not slowing down—or letting any negativity get to her.
In this week’s issue, the actress, 47, explained to PEOPLE what she has learned from being in the business that has enabled her thick skin—and how the rise of African American directors plays a role in her two upcoming projects, Native Son and The Twilight Zone.
“One of the best things I’ve learned years ago is that what people think about me is none of my business,” she said. “In the age of social media, whatever somebody says can be believed or not believed, and you have no control over that.”
Some of the public opinion pointed towards Lathan comes from “Bitegate”- an alleged incident in 2018 where Tiffany Haddish claimed an actress—whom she later stated was Lathan—bit Beyonce, which kicked off a social media uproar
Lathan, who recently posed for a picture alongside Beyoncé’s mom Tina Knowles at the 2019 Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards Luncheon, feels that ignoring outside opinions is the best route to take.
“In order to be healthy in this world, you need to [brush it off]. So it’s really about focusing on what matters, focusing on the work and just keep it moving.”
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The actress is laser-focused on her upcoming projects, one being her role in new HBO film Native Son, which is directed by Rashid Johnson, an African-American conceptual artist. (Watch an exclusive clip above.)
“One of the things I am happy about is that there is a real value to entertainment that has consciousness and art that raises consciousness,” she explained about Native Son, in which she will portray Trudy Thomas.
Furthermore, Lathan expressed her excitement about the increase of African-Americans directing films, saying, “I think it is an exciting time for us especially with black film makers like Us director Jordan Peele and Rashid, that we can have these beautiful pieces of art to enjoy and go on this journey with, but it is also dealing with real issues we can raise consciousness and awareness and make change.”
Native Son, which debuts on HBO on Saturday, April 6, is based on the novel from 1939, written by Richard Wright. The film stars Moonlight‘s Ashton Sanders, If Beale Street Could Talk‘s KiKi Layne and Nick Robinson from Love, Simon.
Along with her HBO role, Lathan is gearing up to enter The Twilight Zone. The actress will appear in the new CBS All Access remake, starring in the April 11 episode “Replay.”
“I used to watch The Twilight Zone, too, and there are a couple of episodes that just stay with you forever, she explained. “I play a woman who is taking her son to college, and I have an old cam recorder and I discover that on the trip when I press rewind, it rewinds time, for me.”
As busy as she is, Lathan does not always say yes to initial offers for an acting gig.
“It’s really always a gut thing. There’s different aspects. There’s no one specific thing, but generally, if I can read a script and get an emotional reaction,” she says, “You’d be surprised how many scripts don’t do that.”
“Often it’s really about stepping into the shoes of another perspective,” she added. “I feel really lucky and blessed that I got both of these roles, because I’m excited about those stories.”
