Interview with Weruche Opia

Can you tell me about your role on I May Destroy You?
I play Terry, who is best friends with Arabella, played by Michaela Coel.

Can you tell us what the series is about?
I May Destroy You explores sexual consent and evolving relationships in modern-day London

You play Terry. Please could you introduce her to us and set up her relationship with Arabella?
Terry and Arabella have known each other for a very long time. They’ve grown up together, were in secondary school together, and now they are trying to navigate adult life together. They’ve always been there for each other, best friends, and are like soul sisters. They have a lot of history and constantly depend on each other. Their births are each other’s births and their deaths are each other’s deaths.

What is her role and how does the narrative follow her story?
As Arabella’s best friend, Terry is her main confidante and she takes on the role of being a sort of fixer. When the series starts off, Terry is a struggling actor trying to get her life together. She finds purpose in being there for Arabella and supporting her. She’s always trying to do her best at all times in order to help Arabella.

Without giving too much away can you give me an insight into how the narrative evolves over the 12 episodes?
In episode one, we jump straight into their lives and then follow their ups and downs. We watch them go through different situations, all three of them - Arabella, Terry and their other best friend Kwame. We see how they handle life decisions, and sometimes they don’t make the best choices, but as with life they are doing what they think is right. Whether they actually make the right decisions or not, is what we find out as things unfold.

Where do we find Terry at the beginning of the series?
We see Terry as a struggling actor who’s looking after her friend whilst pretending to be in charge of her career and her own life. She’s trying her best at ‘adulting’.

How does Terry react when they discover that Arabella’s visions happened in reality?
Terry’s terrified. She always thinks that she’s making the right decisions as she has a moral compass and a sort of self-righteousness about her, all of which comes from a good place. But when she discovers that her advice may be partly responsible for Arabella having a traumatic experience she doesn’t know what to do. Terry is dealing with issues of enormous guilt while simultaneously trying to be there for her friend, so it’s quite conflicting for her, but again she’s just trying to do the best she can.

What was the most challenging aspect of this job?
The most challenging part was the gravity of some of the subject matters. Visiting serious issues and having in mind that these are real life experiences that affect people’s lives, sometimes forever, was sometimes challenging. As I felt a responsibility to be as authentic and relatable as I possibly could, and that would sometimes entail taking on the weight of some of these issues.

Had you worked with any of the cast before?
I had worked with both Noah Maxwell Clarke and Michaela on Top Boy. But Michaela and I literally only had one scene together so met very briefly. Apart from that everyone is a new friend who I’ve come to love!

What was it like working alongside Michaela?
It was hilarious every single day! Michaela is unlike anyone I’ve ever met in my life. Completely unique and an incredible character. A genius intelligent writer. Even when it was serious stuff on camera, we could still enjoy ourselves, do the work but also know how to check in and out. We were laughing every single day, we’d make up songs and dances, it was great! I had an absolute blast!

What have you enjoyed most about working on this project?
I really enjoyed the fact that it was a respectful and safe space. Everyone got on, it was a very diverse crew and cast. They were able to get some incredible people and everyone worked well together.

What makes this story compelling to a 2020 audience?
It’s on the nose in terms of timing. A lot of the themes and experiences that happen in the show are happening right now. Things that haven’t been seen on TV yet, or haven’t been discussed as openly, are being brought to the forefront - I think it’s incredibly honest and open and I believe it will have an effect on people. It’s wonderfully written and hopefully will help people be brave and address things that they may relate to on screen, in their own lives. I hope people learn something from it.

What do you want audiences to take away from your interpretation of this story?
I want them to know that they are not alone. That life is constantly changing and all you can do is your best, for yourself and the people around you. Life may not work out how you intend it to, but you have to do your best and know you’re not alone. Those are the two main takeaways for me.

What type of journey are you sending audiences on when they watch I May Destroy You?
It depends on what people will relate to in the show, as there are many storylines dealing with different issues. They could be reminded of similar experiences they’ve had before, or it could provide wisdom for the future.

What does the series say about contemporary life?
Life is evolving and people and things are changing. Things aren’t like they were before and we’re learning how to adapt to new realities that are coming out of modern-day life.