During her engaging Screen Talk at the BFI London Film Festival this week, Tessa Thompson reflected on her diverse career while bringing warmth, humour, and insightful commentary to a packed audience.
From blockbuster Marvel films to bold indie dramas, Thompson has carved a unique path in the industry — one that she continues to expand with her latest project, Hedda, which had its premiere at the festival.
Sharing stories from her time playing Valkyrie in the Thor franchise, Thompson lit up the room with her affectionate impressions of director Taika Waititi.
“He’s a huge infant, just, he’s like an infant with a bank account,” she said, laughing. “It’s terrifying… he should be stopped,” she added, clearly full of admiration for his wildly imaginative approach.
Her praise extended to co-star Chris Hemsworth, whom she described as “a baby with muscles, a very big infant,” adding, “he has no inhibition… he will just do anything, you know, to get the laugh and to discover, so it’s a pleasure to work with him.”
Though Marvel was a big leap from her earlier work, Thompson said the challenge was part of the draw. “I really wanted to make a movie like that, because I’m not sure I can do that, and I really want to figure out if I can. And it was just so fun. It really, really freed me up.”
The conversation shifted to Hedda, a contemporary retelling of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Thompson’s own company, Viva Maude. Taking on the iconic role was both a creative risk and a deeply personal experience.
“I really like to do things that terrify me, I really like that,” she admitted. Thompson also reflected on the rarity of women of colour in roles like Hedda, adding, “I became conscious that I’m not sure I would have got the opportunity, were it not for a filmmaker that was interested in putting people like me in the centre of a frame.”
She praised DaCosta’s vision for breathing new life into the material. “The idea of getting to present something that might not be for everybody, but there might be a whole new generation or group of people that suddenly are like, Ibsen, who’s this? Ibsen felt really sexy and fun to me.”
Looking back on her breakthrough role in Creed, Thompson recalled how she and director Ryan Coogler kept things grounded, even on a big studio film. She and Michael B. Jordan improvised much of their dialogue, guided by Coogler’s voice notes — a process that made the story feel authentic and alive.
Thompson also opened up about her relationship with watching herself on screen. “It’s not my favourite thing, but I am improving,” she said, smiling. Producing, she added, has helped her step back and see the work more objectively.
A student of the Meisner technique, she emphasised how important listening is to her craft. “Words are overrated… so much is communicated in silence and so much that you don’t say.”
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