Melonie Diaz stars in the upcoming 'Fruitvale Station', which has been getting tremendous Oscar buzz after getting picked up by the Weinstein company after debuting at the Sundance Film festival.
Melonie Diaz and Michael B. Jordan in 'Fruitvale Station'
In a new interview, Melonie opens up about how she landed the role, explaining, "It was pretty normal protocol. Ryan’s agent [Ryan Coogler, writer and director of the film], who I had worked with before, sent me the script, and I read it right away. I was completely blown away, one because it was such a well written piece of art, but also because it was based on a true story, and I didn’t know that. I was kind of appalled that I had no idea that I was unaware of Oscar Grant’s death. I Skyped with Ryan, and we spoke about it. We have similar ideas about what happened, similar ideas about the character and the movie, and we were both equally as passionate. So, I kind of wanted to join his team in making this movie."
She also discusses her preparation for the role, especially considering that she was playing an actual person. She adds, "Yeah, Mike and I, we went to the Bay to hang out and do research and stuff. A part of playing Sophina was definitely getting familiar with the Bay Area because I’m from New York and it’s very very different from where I’m from, the lingo is different, the attitudes, the different kind of cadences."
Fruitvale Station is picking up a lot of Oscar buzz
In addition to starring Melonie Diaz, 'Fruitvale Station' also stars Michael B. Jordan in the starring role and Octavia Spencer in brief supporting role. Because of the massive awards buzz surrounding the film, the Weinstein company has planned a careful roll-out strategy for the film, which begins with the limited release this weekend. It will expand slowly over the next few months, and it will likely gain a big boost once it starts getting nominated for multiple awards in the fall.
Melonie Diaz discusses the Oscar Grant case
