Lashana Lynch isn’t budging

In an industry plagued by narrow representations of Black women, the actor Lashana Lynch has emerged as a trailblazer, shattering stereotypes and paving the way for more nuanced portrayals of multidimensional characters. From her stellar role as 007’s right-hand woman in No Time to Die to her powerful performance as Izogie in The Woman King alongside Viola Davis, Lynch has consistently chosen projects that challenge the status quo and amplify the voices of marginalised communities — and she’s been in the game a long while.

Now, as the co-executive producer of the highly anticipated Sky/Peacock series The Day of the Jackal, Lynch is once again poised to make her mark, this time both in front of and behind the camera. “It’s been a real revelation for me,” Lynch shares over Zoom, fresh-faced, with the autumn sun lighting her cheekbones. “The skills I’ve accrued over the years from brilliant directors and producers have led me to a point where I want to create in ways that I knew I wanted to before, but I’m allowing myself the time to do now.” With this recent series, she has taken an active role in shaping the narrative and ensuring that her character Bianca’s story is told with the care and authenticity it deserves. “My personal quest was to ensure that anything that I attach myself to is going to propel me creatively into another place, but also give whatever I’ve done before more life,” she says.

For Lynch, this newfound creative freedom isn’t just about personal growth — it’s about leaving a lasting legacy on the industry and the communities she represents. “There’s almost like a continued trail of the work that’s been done before us, which is highly important, and you don’t always get positioned to do that,” she continues. I remember the gasp my mum let out when we saw the actor appear on our screens in the recent Bond film. It wasn’t just because it was Lynch (though that helped) but because we were both able to look at each other and understand the gravitas of her role in such a renowned film franchise.

This level of nuance and depth is precisely what Lynch has been seeking in her roles, driven by a desire to redefine the narrative for Black women. “We just don’t get the time to do it,” she says. “Seeing Black women have the opportunity to fail on screen but not be the one that’s completely downtrodden in the end — it’s something I’ve never seen before.” Lynch is acutely aware of what this kind of representation would mean for a generation of young Black women: “I’m really glad that they saw this was needed, and even essential, in British TV… And it’s not just actors or directors or producers that are watching. It’s young girls who are seeing that Miss Honey is Black.” The actor is, of course, referring to her turn in Matilda the Musical, but when you peel back the surface, it speaks to her unwavering commitment to authenticity. It’s why we won’t catch Lynch doing a load of the same roles either. “I made the decision very early on in my career that I would not be typecast,” she tells me. “I would not repeat myself twice unless it made sense to me creatively, and that the roles I’m playing genuinely are parts of my legacy — for both my future bloodline and the people that came before me.”

As with many renowned actors, Lynch approaches her work differently every time. “My process changes for every single project and character,” she reveals. “Sometimes it is as easy as taking off my wig. I just say goodbye.” Other times, that detachment can take a while longer — “Things can stay with you. There’s a residue to a character like Rita Marley [Bob Marley’s widow, whom Lynch portrayed in Bob Marley: One Love]. She had ideals and characteristics and a flow of energy that I genuinely wouldn’t mind sticking with me. She’s so incredible.” Hear, hear.

A trait uncommonly associated with Black women is their natural ability to nurture, which is certainly something Lynch possesses in the roles we’ve seen from her so far. In The Woman King, we see how nurturing a woman can be when defending themselves in combat. In Matilda the Musical, it shines through Lynch’s take on a teacher to a generation of cheeky young children. It even exists when she’s the accomplice to a world-class secret agent. And what these roles have in common is they’re ones that Lynch has fought for to ensure that the negative connotations attached to Black women are vanquished. “I can’t just say one thing and create a ripple effect that is going to change the entire landscape of the industry,” she says. “However, I can gift the industry — and the world — roles that help to shape and redefine how we view Black women in the media.”