Since the '90s, Jada Pinkett Smith has built a strong movie career from The Nutty Professor to the Matrix and Madagascar franchises.
In her spare time she created a production company, sang in a rock band named Wicked Wisdom and authored a book. She also grew a megastar family after marrying Will Smith with two now famous children.
She has returned to television after guesting on shows like A Different World and 21 Jump Street with Fox's Gotham, a Batman prequel, she portrays the gangster Fish Mooney. The series revolves around the origin of Batman's enemies centering in the world of Gotham City.
Windy City Times talked to the multitalented wonder woman about the series with a group of reporters recently.
Windy City Times: Hi, Jada. First off, talk about the strong character of Fish Mooney.
Jada Pinkett Smith: I love playing Fish Mooney. I think you're going to see a lot more color from Fish in the next episodes to come. I think you're going to see a lot more vulnerability and the human side of her.
I see Fish Mooney as kind of an extreme version of a woman. A woman who wears many faces. A woman who is strong, but yet afraid. I would say that the Fish Mooney character has been really fun and I love how smart and perceptive that she is. She decided to be a criminal instead of a doctor.
I think in the next few episodes, and definitely towards the end, you're going to see a whole different Fish, and a woman that definitely has some heart. You've seen the ruthless, now you're going to see some heart.
WCT: Since I write for a LGBT publication. How has the reaction to the sexuality of Fish Mooney been for you? I know you had a girl-on-girl kiss.
Jada Pinkett Smith: It's been great. I think the Fish Mooney character anything pretty much goes as far as she's concerned by any means necessary. It's kind of her motto, but I definitely think that Fish doesn't discriminate when it comes to her sexuality.
WCT: I read you auditioned for a the role with a man on a leash and "liar" written across his forehead.
Jada Pinkett Smith: I know that's a better story, but it wasn't for an audition. We were actually doing a work session about Fish Mooney and trying to find the character, and that was one of the reasons why I decided to do something as extreme as that because I felt like instead of talking about it, just show it.
I just felt like, from the psychology that I had put together in regard to who I thought Fish was, that's something better to show than to explain verbally. I decided to come in with the guy on the leash to just show this is who this woman is.
WCT: Do you have input over the incredible wardrobe on the show?
Jada Pinkett Smith: I actually do. Our fantastic costume designer usually just comes to me and says, "What do you think about these fabrics? What do you think about this idea?" I pretty much told Lisa to just do whatever, whatever she feels because she's such a fantastic artist, and so we usually just talk about shape and color.
WCT: The costuming must have helped with the role when you step on set.
Jada Pinkett Smith: I put on that wig and her gear, because it's so specifically her. It is an immediate transformation. The first day, as soon as I put on that wig and that dress, I just felt like, "Oh, there she is," and every time I do it she just arrives. It's a really beautiful thing to have as an actress. Yes, you just don't have to work hard for it and that I'm grateful for. That wig, and those heels, and the nails really conjure her.
WCT: Favorite scene you have done so far?
Jada Pinkett Smith: I think one of my favorite scenes would have to be that Maroni scene when I go to Maroni and I hear that Penguin's alive, but I have yet to see him and then he comes from the back, in the kitchen, and I see him for the first time. I think that's probably one of my favorite scenes that I've done so far.
WCT: Many of the characters are from comics but your role isn't. How did you prepare for a role without a reference?
Jada Pinkett Smith: I think that was one of the reasons why the role was so interesting to me was because it was something that Bruno really wanted a partner in creating this Fish Mooney character, and I love female gangsters. I just love them. I think that they're really interesting characters and interesting people, and there's one, Griselda Blanco, who I had studied, and I also love the character from Sunset Boulevard. I did kind of a mish-mosh of those two because Bruno had some suggestions, and it's coming together, and I was like wow, I would really love to do a mixture of these two women, because the one thing I love about the super villains, and Gotham, is that they're always so colorful. I really wanted her to be grounded, but also have quite a flair.
WCT: What have you added to the character of Fish that was not originally scripted?
Jada Pinkett Smith: I would say just a lot of her mannerisms, and some of those little added attitude phrases that Fish has. Thank goodness I have a lot of room on set just because Bruno and the writers know that we're still trying to find the voice of this character, so I have a lot of room to improv at times when it comes to Fish. That's been fun as well. Just adding those little flavors that I think make Fish Mooney Fish.
WCT: People love to hate her so is it challenging to keep her likable?
Jada Pinkett Smith: I think that this world of Gotham sometimes in finding where you need to be emotionally, or how grounded you need to be in a scene or how far you can actually go with the color of the Fish Mooney sometimes tend to be a bit challenging. That's always a see-saw. It's always trying to find that balance. I would say that aspect is the most challenging of just keeping that flair, but at the same time, trying to keep her grounded and real. That can be really challenging.
WCT: Describe Fish's relationship with Penguin.
Jada Pinkett Smith: I would say that I think she saw Penguin as one of her adopted orphans. Somebody that she kind of took off the street and helped them become something. I think that she felt deeply betrayed by Penguin. It will be interesting to see where their relationship goes from here. Right now, they're not getting along too well. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here with the two of them.
WCT: Is there a character you want to play in the future?
Jada Pinkett Smith: I think there's a character coming up in Magic Mike that I'm really happy about, that is totally different from anything that I've done thus far. Once again, this woman is strong in a much different way also, and I think that from the response that we've been getting in regards to the character that I play in Magic Mike, I'm really happy in how that turned out and she'll probably end up being one of my favorites as well.
WCT: Come visit us in Chicago. You could make a guest appearance on Empire, which films here.
Jada Pinkett Smith: [Laughs] Well, thank you.
Fight crime with Gotham Mondays nights on Fox.
