How Letitia Wright Finally Took Control of Her Career By Saying “No”
Wright Featured on Cover of W Magazine, Vol. IV 2018
By Jenny Comita | W Magazine
On a rainy morning in May, Letitia Wright is sitting at the Odeon restaurant in downtown New York sipping whipped cream–topped hot chocolate and talking about Jesus. Narrow and wiry in sneakers and denim, her longer-in-the-front coif reminiscent of a ’90s skater dude (and, yes, she does actually skate), the 24-year-old actress could easily pass for 18. Wright — who is best known for her star-making turn as Princess Shuri in the Marvel movie cum cultural phenomenon Black Panther — radiates an almost preternatural serenity.
“Worrying will kill you, man,” she says, with a slow shake of her head. “It will…Eat. You. Up. But in the Bible, Jesus is basically like, ‘Chill out, guys.’ If you gracefully trust that everything is going to be okay, you start to feel lighter. You’ve just got to let go and let God.”
Wright started going to church only three years ago. “I’m still considered a baby Christian,” she says. “I have to learn my Word.” But she’s always been a seeker, with a strong inner voice that commands attention. “For as long as I can remember, I knew something about my life was meant to be meaningful, that I’ve got something to do here,” she says. “I don’t know how I knew, but I was sure I’d make an impact.”
In Guyana, where she was born and spent her early childhood surrounded by cousins, aunts, grannies, and a great granny, Hollywood wasn’t even on her radar. Wright’s mother was an accountant and teacher. Her father worked in agriculture and security. “Art, music, acting, there is not an industry there,” Wright says. It was a cozy life, but she wanted more, so when her family decided to move to the U.K., she was thrilled. “I was only 8 years old, but I felt like, This is my chance!”
