In her new HBO series,In Treatment, Uzo Adubas nonverbal choices astherapistDr.
Brooke Taylor loom large.
This isnt new for Aduba, a master of facial expressions.
Getty Images/Lisa Moses
For someone who’s known for being so expressive,In Treatmentoffers Aduba a new vehicle.
Its no surprise thatBlack folks are experiencing increased mental health issuesthese days.
But its also far too difficult for many of us to get the care we need.
In 2018, only 4% of U.S. psychologists were Black, according to theAmerican Psychological Associationsmost recent data.
Black mental health professionals themselves are experiencing untold levels ofburnout.
WatchingIn Treatmentis like peering through your therapists window during a session.
If you catch suppressed emotions like frustration on Adubas face, you might wonder about your own therapists well-being.
Channeling this persona helped the Emmy Awardwinning actor flex new muscles.
To prepare, Aduba discussed the therapeutic process with actual therapists.
(This is a super hard job, she laughs.
No wonder you take a whole month off.)
Im not method, she says.
She then frowns as if searching for the right words.
Normally, I do turn off.
But thats not the case when it came to portraying Dr. Taylor.
The role hit too close to home.
If you follow Aduba closely, youve heard about her mother.
We are chatting the day afterAduba tweeted for the first timeabout losing her mother to cancer last November.
I could talk to her about anything, quite frankly.
Absolutely anything, Aduba says.
I ask Aduba what vulnerability looked like between the pair, and she gestures to her appearance.
It looked like this, she says.
Today, onwash day, the best I can give you is this hat.
And I’m fine with it.
Grief, it seems, has been a defining feature of the last year and a half for Aduba.
It was just like, Oh, there isn’t a lot of need for invention, she says.
Her response is swift: Very uncomfortable.
You’re reaching into your own well, aren’t you?
And that’s uncomfortable.
But this was the first time I’d worked on something that I felt likeIgot something.
When I ask what, precisely, she got, her answer is unwavering: Healing.
These days, Aduba is seeking comfort and joy in the small things.
It sounds so cliche, honestly.
But [Im] trying my best not to sweat the small stuff, she says.
Now, she continues the thread with Dr. Taylor.
So, whats next for Aduba?
Big enough that those who came before me look back with pride.
Her turn as Dr. Brooke Taylor is a clear and precise attempt to carve out that space.
That I dont know, she says.
That makes me nauseous to think about.
