Last night’s Lovecraft Country left us all with chills that we can’t shake.
The 1950s-set horror drama about a young Black man named Atticus “Tic” Freeman traveling throughout segregated America and his sidekick, Leti Lewis (played by Jurnee Smollett) takes us on a history lesson we never knew we needed.
This week, Smollett has shared behind-the-scenes photos from the powerful episode showcasing the horrific pain of the Tulsa Massacre, including one featuring burns and bruises. Because yes, this Black woman even does her own stunts.
“Leti may be invulnerable but Jurnee is not…the fire got a little too close in the Leti / Hattie scene…started burning my arm… Finished the take first and ran off the set screaming. @MishaGreen made me go to the hospital to have it looked at, she said via Twitter.
Recently, the Lovecraft Country leading lady revealed what it’s like to bring Leti’s many facets to life.
“While she is definitely a bit of a tornado and a bit of a disruptor, we didn’t want to portray her as just a strong Black woman because that also does a disservice to us as Black women,” explains Smollett. “Then you don’t hold space for our pain, you don’t hold space for our weaknesses, you don’t hold space for our fragility. It increases this notion that we don’t need comfort, that we don’t need to be cared for, and that we can just shoulder everything on our backs.”
Lovecraft Country airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max.