Uzo Aduba Hosts Netflix Book Club Series, Broadway Show ‘Clydes’ – The Hollywood Reporter

When Uzo Aduba was approached to host a Netflix book club show, it was immediately taken care of – and it was the bookworm inside her that was most appealing.

“I love reading; I like the concept, not just because I want to organize [but] I want to read all these books. I want to dig deeper into all this material. And I was fascinated by that concept of how things take on different shapes outside of the page,” says Aduba. The Hollywood Reporter.

With the newly launched Netflix Book Club, which streamers announced last month, readers can hear about the new books that inspired movie and TV adaptations, and get access to Exclusive access to each book’s adaptation process. And now, with the companion social network But have you read the book?, Aduba will host conversations about those books and their adaptations. After a cup of Starbucks (thanks to Netflix’s partnership with the coffee company), Aduba and the cast and crew attached to the projects will explore the process of bringing pages to the screen.

The series suits Aduba since her TV career started with the movie adaptation of Orange is the new black, based on Piper Kerman’s 2010 memoir, Orange is the new black: My year in a women’s prison in which she played the Emmy Award-winning Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren. The first monthly selection in the Netflix Book Club was the 1929 novel by Nella Larsen Pass, which coincides with the movie’s November 10 release on streamer. The film, directed by Rebecca Hall, stars Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga as two childhood friends reunited after losing contact. With a “crossover” to the whites, their reunion soon threatens their carefully constructed reality.

But have you read the book? comes amid Netflix’s announcement that its recent literary adaptations have enjoyed a boost in print sales, with half of the top 10 titles featured on the internet. New York Times The bestseller lists for print and fiction books are tied to a series of movies released on the streaming player. The social series begins November 16 on the Netflix YouTube channel still watching and the Facebook Netflix US channel.

Before debut, Aduba talked to CHEAP about her upcoming series and favorite adaptations, and feature her Broadway play Clydes.

Can you take me back to how this show came into being and how did you get on board to host it?

I was approached by Netflix and had this concept that has really resonated with them, where they have a lot of shows and movies converted from books. So many people in the company and the team said they were fascinated by the way the book appeared from page to page. I think it started with an effort of “Do you want to organize an event?” Interesting, the idea of ​​starting my own TV career on a show adapted from a book [Orange is the New Black], see a character on a page and have that level of information, and then try to explore more through the script you have. I say that in relation to my character, Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren. I read that character in the book and take that information and actually watch it come to life on screen is [a really exciting process] Let me explore other stories that Netflix has adapted.

A new book will be discussed every month. Will the show only focus on upcoming adaptations or will you revisit past Netflix literary adaptations?

Some will be revisited!

The first book you discuss is Pass written by Nella Larsen, recently released as a film adaptation. Is there anything in particular that you really want to find out?

I was really surprised how personal this particular story was to some of the people we spoke to. I think that’s incredibly powerful and an amazing way to really emphasize how storytelling can affect lives and people in their personal stories and journeys, and why sometimes when art is created again. The conversation is really beautiful because we have multiple perspectives, both from behind the camera and from the front, regarding the characters and their journey. After reading the book, it’s really enjoyable to listen to the stories being told, especially when you have your own version in your own imagination of what those characters might go through. . It was a great, wonderful conversation.

I know this can vary from book to book, but are you hoping to clear something up for the audience about the adaptation process?

I think something that is a common question a lot of viewers or readers will have is why certain stories are featured. What about a certain character or a certain moment in the book that inspired the writer to tell that story on screen? Or, what I’m really curious about: development. A character might not be so strong in a book, why would that character be expanded in a series or a movie? I was intrigued when I found out.

This show debuted at a time of rising popularity with book lovers. It’s hard to find a movie or a project movie that wasn’t adapted from a book. There are also Hollywood book clubs and influencers, all of which highlight different stories and authors. How do you hope this series adds to the conversation and encourages people to read?

I find conversations very interesting [I hope] Those who haven’t read the book but have seen the on-screen version will be so excited by the discussions that some of them want to read the book. They will learn a lot of different complex content about the characters, the atmosphere [and] scenes. I think people are really attached to stories. We’ve seen stories expand a lot from the way they were traditionally told, like it was 10 years ago. I think that’s part of the reason why we’re seeing this resurgence, not just in adaptations, but hopefully in people who want to read it.

It is often said that the book will always be better than the adaptation. Have there been any adaptations, new or old, where you disagree?

For whatever reason, I don’t know why this is coming to me right now, but both adaptations of The great Gatsby – both Robert Redford and Leonardo DiCaprio versions – are coming to me right now. Malcolm X coming to me right now. OH! The sisterhood of travel pants! (Laugh.)

If you could choose one book that hasn’t been adapted, which book would it be and why?

It’s a difficult one! I don’t know if it’s adjusted or not, to be honest, Catcher and the Rye. I don’t know if this has been adjusted or not but, She’s Come Undone [by Wally Lamb.]

What do you hope the audience loses in the end? But have you read the book yet??

I hope that people remove all the different layers that go into what we see on screen and how stories come to life. [and] all the different parts and experiences from different fields play an important role in the way the story is told. I really hope more than anything that people assume that the stories we have come to know and love on this screen are preschool, which started it, again with a book and I hope Hopefully they will absorb it and be encouraged to read it.

You are also rehearsing for a Broadway production Clydes. Can you tease what the audience can expect?

It’s a show about second chances. It’s a show that will make you laugh and think this, I think it’s pretty hard to do, but in the hands of a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner [playwright] Lynn Nottage, that could happen. It’s a play that takes place at a sandwich and stopover restaurant called Clyde’s and I play Clyde, a no-nonsense woman trying to survive.

It’s worth noting the return of Broadway shows after going through a shutdown amid the pandemic. How does it feel to have the Broadway experience back?

It’s amazing and something that I never imagined would disappear, disappear [or be] unavailable. It’s great to know it’s back. A lot of my friends are still part of the Broadway theater community [and] I’ve had many, many, many conversations about what it’s like to really look like before with no place to express it. So I’m really glad the shows are back. People were able to go back to not only work and work, but something they loved. And we audiences who get to join and experience a Broadway show also have somewhere to fantasize and escape. We have a great team on our program. I’m truly proud to work with these incredible actors and storytellers, all of whom bring such unique superpowers to their story. Clydes.

But have you read the book? Now available for live streaming.

The edited interview is long and clear.