As our latest op-ed points out, black romance films are having a moment, and The Lovebirds is adding a comedic twist to the matter. Ahead of the MRC/Paramount Pictures’ premiere on streaming platform Netflix, VIBE correspondent Jazzie Belle sat down with the film’s lead actors Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani to discuss the refreshing black and brown dynamic between their characters.
“I think it was just more exciting to me [to take part in a different romantic dynamic]. It was just that, and I didn’t realize until later,” said Rae. “Obviously with working with Kumail, it just like ‘Oh, I haven’t seen an on-screen pairing like this’ and [I] was excited to play with him cosmetically. But yes, it’s exciting to see a new and fresh dynamic in movies like this.”
“When you see a portrayal of Pakistanis in American pop culture, generally, you’re seeing certain lanes. You don’t see us being light or funny or fun that often,” said Nanjiani. “My family is very, very funny. My friends are very funny, so it wasn’t even an attempt to try and show that [brown characters can be portrayed differently]. I just wanted to show how the people I know are. My mom and my dad are some of the funniest people I’ve ever met.”
Watch the full interview above. The Lovebirds is streaming on Netflix now.
Interview’s music bed provided by Gus.