Letitia Wright is set to take Hollywood by storm!
The actress is the breakout star of Black Panther as T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) phenomenal younger sister, tech genius Princess Shuri. And, fans may also recognize her from Black Mirror’s “Black Museum,” the final episode from the show’s latest season.
But, Wright’s journey wasn’t easy. The actress opens up to ESSENCE’s Yes, Girl! about how her faith and God’s guidance helped her battle depression and return to acting.
“I didn’t want to do acting again. I was in a very, very bad place,” Wright told podcast hosts entertainment director Cori Murray, senior love and relationships editor Charli Penn, and site director Yolanda Sangweni. “I was willing to just wrap it up. I put so much pressure on myself.”
She continued, “I would watch these women that I’m on the {ESSENCE} cover with and compare myself to them or anybody—Michael B. Jordan, John Boyega—comparing myself to these people. It was so hard for me to just accept that my path is different, not only with acting but other things too.”
Wright found faith during this dark time, building a relationship with God and finding ways to center herself. “I said I wanted to give it up, then went into becoming a Christian. My friends told me about it and I thought it was nonsense and I realized that it wasn’t, that the spirit of God, the holy spirit is very real. And, I realized that and I felt centered.”
The actress added that soon God revealed that she needed to continue her work and find ways to inspire others, which is one of the reasons she’s so open about her faith and her mental health.
“The reason why I share this story is because I know there are people out there who are silently going through what I went through,” Wright told ESSENCE. “It’s a thing that goes on, especially creatives, putting so much pressure on ourselves and it leads to depression.”
On her relationship with God, Wright adds, “The light that’s in me now and the joy and the happiness that I feel, I didn’t get it on my own. It’s God working through me.”
Listen above to hear Wright’s full interview. Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t seen Black Panther yet, listen at your own risk.