'This Is The Role As An Actor You Dream About': Sanaa Lathan On 'The Twilight Zone' And 'Love & Basketball'
(CBS Local)-- Sanaa Lathan has been apart of many great movies and TV shows, but few have challenged her like "The Twilight Zone."
The star of "Love & Basketball" spent three weeks playing Nina Harrison in Jordan Peele's new version of the iconic show on CBS All Access.
"You go on this emotional journey of a woman who loves her son," said Lathan in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "For me coming from the theater, I just eat this stuff up. It was great and it was challenging because it was quick. I was surrounded by really top notch artists."
Like the original series, this iteration of "The Twilight Zone" holds a mirror up to society and reveals several things about today's world. Lathan wants viewers to think about a few important issues when they watch her episode "Rewind" on CBS All Access.
"It basically deals with the themes of a mother's love, police brutality, racial profiling," said Lathan. "And yet, it's all kind of in this package of this thrilling adventure. It has it all... I was really impressed by the way it came out."
While Lathan is a household name today, that wasn't the case before her breakout role in "Love & Basketball." Although the role was a game changer in her career and life, the experience on set was one of the most difficult she's ever encountered.
"It was so amazing to be starring in this film and I was so blown away by the reception," said Lathan. "Love & Basketball has become more popular with time and its become this classic now. So many generations come up to me and say they connected with the film. I was miserable, I can laugh about it now. This is where those 30 plays I did at Yale come into play. If I had been an actress who hadn't done a lot and had done a couple of acting classes, I would've been terrified. I knew I could do the role. It was the basketball. I had to go through so much to get the part. In all the basketball scenes, I was surrounded by real ball players. There was a lot of crying behind the scenes for me."
"The Twilight Zone" is streaming now on CBS All Access.
