‘Lessons In Chemistry’ Star Aja Naomi King On Bringing The Reality Of The Civil Rights Movement To A Fictional Story & Her Feelings On Season 2
deadline.comIn Lessons in Chemistry, Aja Naomi King is Harriet Sloane, a 1950s lawyer and mother who lives across the street from the protagonist Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson).
In Bonnie Garmus’ original novel of the same name, Harriet was an older white woman who helped Elizabeth to raise her baby. But for the Apple TV+ series, creator Lee Eisenberg gave King a more powerful role, one that sees Harriet organizing a protest against a freeway that would force Black residents from their homes.
Here, King describes how she connected to Harriet and a storyline that could be ripped from today’s headlines. DEADLINE: Didn’t you initially audition for a different role in Lessons in Chemistry? AJA NAOMI KING: Yes, I was going to play this other part.
I can’t even remember the character’s name now. It was a totally invented part, not in the book at all. And I remember having a conversation with Lee after the fact and him just being like, “There’s something missing in this story.
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