Letitia Wright on Overcoming Impostor Syndrome for Directorial Debut, Ryan Coogler Prophecy

Actress and producer Letitia Wright (Black Panther, Death on the Nile, Black Mirror, Small Axe) recently premiered her directorial debut, the short Highway to the Moon, which she also wrote, during the South London Film Festival.

On Wednesday, she shared that she had to overcome “impostor syndrome” and “humble myself” to be ready for the directing reins. And she had to “team up with people with the experience willing to teach me,” from the directing lingo to technical aspects, she told the inaugural SXSW London on Wednesday.

In front of an excited crowd, Wright recalled that Black Panther director Ryan Coogler told her one day: “You will be directing soon.” She said her reaction was: “You are mad!” But his “prophecy” was repeated by a famous actor, whom she didn’t name, within days, and it ended up coming true.

In her SXSW London appearance and a wide-ranging discussion, Wright recalled how she discovered cinema and a shy teenager. “I became a cinephile at age 13,” she shared. I watched all these films from Limewire. … I was kind of a loner.”

What are her career ambitions? “It’s about legacy and purpose,” the star shared about how she approaches “quote, unquote fame.” And she added: “I want to leave an impact, and I want you to have a great time.”

Speaking of fame, Wright highlighted that “it takes a very strong person” to handle the tougher parts of fame, given that not all people are always respectful. “They don’t give us the grace to be human,” she said.

Does Wright have any favorite movies in her career so far? “I am grateful for the catalogue I have been able” to create in film, she said. But she mentioned her role in Danai Gurira’s stage play The Convert at the Young Vic Theatre in London, where she played the character of Jekesai/Ester, as one of her favorite work experiences so far.

Nigerian singer-songwriter Tiwa Savage also spoke on the panel, entitled “Women in the Room,” at the Truman Brewery in the Shoreditch neighborhood of the British capital that was part of the festival’s first-ever European edition.

SXSW London runs through June 7. Penske Media, the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter, is the majority stakeholder of SXSW.