‘Matilda The Musical’ Star Lashana Lynch Credits a Real-Life Miss Honey With Her Success
Musicals are one of the most enjoyable forms of entertainment. Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and 1776 are some of the most talked about and anticipated productions audiences have been able to look forward to and enjoy. However, these beloved pieces aren’t just on stage.
Amongst the list of musicals of the times is Netflix‘s Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. Lashana Lynch, the star of it all, credited a real-life Miss Honey for her success. Talk about a full-circle moment.
A look back at Lashana Lynch’s career
A UK native, Lynch has warranted worldwide fame through her impressive and remarkable acting career. Her acting debut took place back in 2007 on The Bill, a well-known British procedural drama.
The 35-year-old-celebrity has most certainly come a long way since then. In 2012, Lynch made her debut on the big screen in Powder Room, a comedy film about old college friends reuniting.
While guest-starring in many television series like Atlantis and Crims, Lynch continued to get cast in movies such as 2016’s Brotherhood. Lynch’s fame reached new levels when she penetrated the infamous Marvel Cinematic Universe playing Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel.
On the rise and gaining momentum, Lynch received even more praise and acknowledgment for her 2021 role in No Time to Die. More recently, the star’s fans and followers enjoyed watching her play the part of Izogie in The Woman King.
However, it is the Hollywood actor’s newest role that has so many people talking, including Lynch herself.
‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical’ star Lashana Lynch credits a real-life Miss Honey with her success
In the summer of 1996, Matilda debuted and became an instant, sensational hit. Becoming a staple of pop culture, Mara Wilson was the young actor who played Matilda, a little girl with seemingly magical mind powers.
The popular plot written by Roald Dahl centered around the brilliant and supernatural child and the unfortunate circumstances of her home life. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical tells that same beloved story but with a fresh and harmonious twist.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical launched on Netflix on December 25th, and the film has already garnered a lot of attention and views. Taking on the part of the one-and-only Matilda was Alisha Weir, and playing the role of her esteemed and adored counterpart, Miss Honey, was no other than Lynch.
Emma Thompson, Carl Spencer, and Stephen Graham are a few of the other talented actors cast in the successful Netflix adaptation. In light of the movie’s debut, Lynch has opened up about her experience on set and the significance behind it all, especially when it came to Miss Honey.
When speaking about her character and role, it is obvious how meaningful and important the opportunity is to Lynch. In the original Matilda film, Miss Honey was portrayed by Embeth Davidtz, a white woman. During a time when representation matters more than ever, Lynch was excited to take on the role.
The star explained that as a child, she too, had a teacher like Miss Honey, who was known for bestowing wisdom. Lynch explained, “For a long time, I read scripts where Black women didn’t just get to be on the page … so I’m grateful that we actually had a shift in the film with a Black woman playing Miss Honey.”
Lynch expanded on her profound feelings surrounding the project:
“As while it doesn’t matter – it’s just a person playing her – it is a clear message for me and my childhood self that the Black woman that bestowed a lot of wisdom at school did the right thing, as I was able to take that through my career and teach young people how incredible you can be even if you come from trauma, and everyone comes from trauma … And Miss Honey just does it. She’s able to find the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Metro
Feeling the full circle moment, Lynch claims everything she has done led her to this exact moment and role.
Lashana Lynch’s next upcoming project will be a biopic
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical just debuted on Netflix, and already, Lynch has her next project lined up and in the works. Though an official title has yet to be released, many of the details have been.
The Paramount + project is a Bob Marley biopic, and Lynch will be playing the part of Rita Marley. Even though she is often best remembered as Marley’s wife, “Empress Rita Marley” is a celebrated musician as well.
The reggae singer fans’ are looking forward to finding out who else will be cast and, of course, eventually seeing the finished project. Nevertheless, they can look forward to seeing Lynch.
