INTRODUCING... Kirby Howell-Baptiste

Graduating from roles in beloved US sitcoms, the actor steps into the limelight in blockbuster Cruella

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Over the past 10 years, she’s quietly made a name for herself across the Atlantic in shows including The Good Place, Barry and Judd Apatow’s Love, but it’s her latest film role that is set to propel her to international stardom. Howell-Baptiste stars in the hugely anticipated Cruella, Disney’s punk-themed 101 Dalmatians prequel, in which she stars alongside Emma Stone, and the 34-year-old is as excited about it as everyone else. ‘It’s the escape we need,’ she smiles. The film is one of the most hyped of the last 12 months, with the trailer racking up 71 million views in 24 hours. Directed by I, Tonya’s Craig Gillespie, Cruella is a reboot with an important twist. ‘It’s more representative than the original cartoon,’ says Howell-Baptiste, who plays young, ambitious photojournalist Anita – the future 101 Dalmatians’ owner. ‘In 1970s Britain, there had just been a huge influx of Indian and Caribbean people – including my nan – and the casting reflects that.’ The film takes us through Cruella’s transformation from aspiring fashion designer Estella

to the devilish hound-stealer we know and love to hate. ‘Cruella isn’t a straight-up villain in this, she’s more of an antihero,’ says Howell-Baptiste. ‘You see her humanity.’ The film also stars Emma Thompson as Cruella’s terrifying boss, Baroness von Hellman. ‘Seeing someone who’s that big have such a lack of ego was inspiring,’ says Howell-Baptiste. ‘She spoke to every crew member in the same way that she spoke to the director. That’s a pro.’ Raised by her mum and grandmother, Howell-Baptiste grew up in London’s Angel, watching films such as Spike Lee’s Crooklyn and female-led sketch shows The Real McCoy and Goodness Gracious Me. From the moment she started at the local Anna Scher Theatre, aged nine, Howell-Baptiste knew she wanted to act. ‘We’d learn poems about civil rights activists like Gandhi,’ she says. ‘Not only did I fall in love with acting, it provided my social backbone.’ After an extended gap year, Howell-Baptiste did two terms at drama school, then quit. ‘The structure was making me miserable,’ she says. ‘Leaving was a huge scandal, everyone assumed I didn’t want to be an actor.’ She did, but on her own terms. She moved to LA (for love and a fresh start – not, she insists, because she was ‘chasing the Hollywood dream’). While waiting tables in a cafe, Howell-Baptiste took drama classes and auditioned endlessly. She joined improv group Upright Citizens Brigade, which ignited her love of comedy: ‘Improv was utterly liberating. At drama school, comedy was seen as lowbrow, but it often resonates with people the most. Your defences are down when you laugh, so you absorb messages better.’ One of her improv shows led to her first proper role in House of Lies. She instantly hit it off with costar Kristen Bell, who went on to champion Howell-Baptiste for regular parts in The Good Place and Veronica Mars.

Killing Eve brought Howell-Baptiste back onto home turf, playing Eve’s assistant in season one. ‘When I heard Sandra Oh’s name, I knew it’d be good. She’s one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever worked with and was an absolute script detective, editing lines overnight,’ she says. Writing her own roles is high on Howell-Baptiste’s hit list. ‘It’s kept me sane this past year,’ she says of the ‘top secret’ dark comedy she’s finalising. ‘We’re seeing so many discussions about diversity now, but it needs to go beyond who we see on screen. Real change happens behind the scenes.’

Next up, she takes the lead opposite Kristen Bell in Queenpins, a film about the largest coupon scam in US history. But splashy blockbusters are not the end goal. She wants to play gloriously imperfect – even horrible – women. ‘There’s an obsession for women to be likeable, particularly in the US,’ says Howell-Baptiste, noting that the UK has always been better at creating more fleshed-out roles for women. ‘You can relate to these characters because they’re human. You might think, Wow, she’s a real dick. But then, aren’t we all?’ Cruella is in cinemas from 28 May

“Diversity needs to go BEYOND who we see on screen. REAL change happens behind the scenes”