How Luke Cage’s Alfre Woodard and Gabrielle Dennis lift up female directors, crew members
Alfre Woodard and Gabrielle Dennis spoke about how they actively support female crew members on the set of Marvel’s Luke Cage season 2.
Did you know that after having zero female directors in the first season, in season 2 of Marvel’s Luke Cage, almost half of the episodes (6 out of 13) are directed by women? We had an opportunity to speak with Alfre Woodard and Gabrielle Dennis, who play Mariah Dillard and Tilda on the series, and asked them about their experience with women in the director’s chair and in other roles on set.
“For me, there’s something about looking up and seeing women behind the cameras,” Dennis said. “Not even just with direction; we had women in other areas behind the scenes. There’s just this sense of sisterhood; there’s a sense of excitement. It’s just a different energy.”
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Dennis even revealed that she likes to be vocal on set when she sees female crew members. “As soon as I see a woman behind the camera, I get so excited and it’s like ‘Girl Power!’ I say that a lot. It’s a little corny, but it’s true.” She explained that she hopes to one day get to a place where it’s normal to see women in these roles. “I feel like we’ll get there, but for now, it’s really exciting.”
Alfre Woodard also spoke about being vocal and showing her support for female crew members while filming Luke Cage. “Whenever I’m on a set and I notice a woman in a role that is not a traditional woman’s role, like if they’re a gaffer or if they are pulling cable, I always shout out to them on the set and make a point to the boys here: bottom line, I want the best person always doing whatever the job is,” she said.
Watch the trailer for Marvel’s Luke Cage season 2:
All 13 episodes of Luke Cage season 2 are currently available on Netflix.