The Handmaid’s Tale star O-T Fagbenle on using an English accent in Black Widow
The Handmaid’s Tale star O-T Fagbenle has spoken of the relief he felt being able to use his natural English accent in the Marvel film Black Widow.
The actor, who plays June’s husband Luke Bankole in the dystopian US drama, stars opposite Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff’s fixer Mason in the blockbuster, and will soon be seen playing Barack Obama in a new TV series about the First Ladies.
He told the PA news agency: “There is (a sense of relief) to be honest.
“I’ve been doing Luke and so an American accent for so long that I do have a sense of confidence about it, but it’s also like, you have to stay in it.
“I’ve been doing Barack Obama and it’s really specific and heavy wears that crown, it’s really challenging, because you have to continue working on it, otherwise you get lazy and you miss little things, little idiosyncrasies.
“So when I can just basically be me, it’s much easier.”
Fagbenle said he was taken aback by the level of secrecy that surrounded the film and his role, adding: “It kind of unfolded as the deal was done and by the time I stepped on set, I knew the whole deal.
“They take security very seriously. I like it, I respect it, I do it and I know it’s for the best for the fans, but I do find it slightly amusing, because the level of it is like someone may die if this actually comes out, that’s the level of security.
“I’ve seen people do home inspections where they are checking gas and fire alarms with less enthusiasm for safety than the Marvel people do. So I respect it, but I find it a bit amusing as well.”
Black Widow is out now in UK cinemas and will be available on Disney+ with Premier Access on July 9.
