Time’s most influential teen leads The Darkest Minds
One of Hollywood’s most exciting and talented young actors, Amandla Stenberg, stars in The Darkest Minds, a thrilling adventure and road trip about a group of children and teenagers who are forced to go on the run in order to survive in a dystopian America. Engrossing, scary and uplifting, The Darkest Minds is a highly original story with an emotional core and relatable characters. Set in a post-apocalyptic society, where nearly all the country’s children have perished, life is bleak for the two percent of the children who have survived. They are viewed as dangers to society because they’ve developed special powers they can’t control. Locked up in socalled rehabilitation camps, they are treated brutally. The children are segregated by color, according to how dangerous they are deemed in the eyes of the government. Ruby poses a strong threat because of her psycho- logical powers: she has the ability to read minds and manipulate memory.
Directed by Jennifer Yuh-Nelson, Amandla takes the lead as Ruby, who joins a group of other young fugitives, including Liam, played by rising British actor Harris Dickinson. Infused with action, romance and a good dose of humor, the film’s impressive cast includes Mandy Moore and Gwendoline Christie with Miya Cech and Skylan Brooks.
Gaining global recognition as Rue in the blockbuster The Hunger Games (2012), Amandla earned, together with Jennifer Lawrence, a Teen Choice Award. Among other accolades and honors, Amandla was named one of Time
Magazine’s 2015 + 2016 Most Influential Teens.
Can you say a little more about Ruby and how you portray her?
“Ruby is dealing with a lot of issues. She has insecurity and doubt and self-hatred due to things that have happened in the past. She has powers that she doesn’t understand — the ability to manipulate people’s memories, to see inside their heads and manipulate their thoughts and feelings. Then she has a great, expansive journey and, along the way, together with her new friends, she starts to understand her power. By the end of the film, she wields it well.”
What were some of the big challenges?
“It was challenging trying to conceive of what it would be like to be in Ruby’s position and experience what she is going through. The challenge was also making everything feel accessible and real and striking a balance with the drama.”
What did you learn from your talented costars, Mandy Moore and Gwendoline Christie?
“They are so cool. I learned so much just by being around them. Mandy is sweet to everyone she’s around and that is really impressive because I can be a little reclusive when I’ve been working for hours and hours, but Mandy is always lovely and kind. She is so good at being able to work hard, while still being social and friendly towards everyone on set. She makes everyone feel comfortable and accepted and that was something I learned from her. Gwendoline is a powerhouse! I love how commanding she is on set, just knowing what she wants to do and how she wants to do it.”
It is a very diverse cast, isn’t it?
“It’s definitely refreshingly diverse, especially for one of these big franchises. Obviously, I wouldn’t have been a part of this film had they not wanted to cast it in a diverse way. Chubs (who is black) and Zu (who is Asian) are already written the way they are in the book, but we can make the assumption that Ruby was written white. So I was really surprised and amazed that I was cast in the film. It felt like a great opportunity. It’s great to have a black girl in the lead in this kind of film.”
What do you think are the themes that will resonate with audiences and young people in particular?
“It’s about becoming comfortable with your power and your strength, and then feeling comfortable using your voice. And it’s also about friendship — the power of coming together with others to fight against something that you don’t believe in. It is about accepting yourself, too. Ruby is a little bit of an awkward character until she starts to find her strength.”
What advice do you have for teenagers and young kids?
“Just put your phone down sometimes and get off social media. Kiss and hug your friends and your family. I think it’s so easy to rely upon social media and see it as being synonymous with real life and it’s easy to value those online relationships as much, if not more than, your real ones. It’s so important to cultivate a genuine community and friendships.”
Overall, what do people have to look forward to with The Darkest Minds?
“A fun time! An adventure! I think people can look forward to being entertained. That’s very important right now, during this particular time in the world — that we just have fun watching movies.”
The Darkest Minds opens Aug. 1 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox.