Interview by Roman Portnoy
Photography by Monsée Wood
As a talented actor on the rise, Y’lan Noel continuously builds his body of work by bringing dynamic characters to life in an array of film and television roles. He can be seen in the upcoming Apple TV+ limited series LADY IN THE LAKE, opposite Natalie Portman, as well as a voice in the upcoming video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6”.
Previously, Noel was seen in Stella Meghie’s romantic drama THE PHOTOGRAPH, and Stella Meghie’s independent comedy film THE WEEKEND. Additionally, Noel starred as the lead in THE FIRST PURGE, and on television, Noel portrayed “Daniel” in Issa Rae’s Peabody Award-Winning comedy series for HBO, INSECURE. Noel graduated top of his class from NYU’s renowned Tisch School of the Arts’ drama department and currently resides in Los Angeles.
Welcome Y’lan, and congratulations on starring in the new limited series “Lady in the Lake” on Apple TV+. The show is based on a novel set in the 1960s. What drew you to this project and your character (Ferdie Platt) specifically?
What drew me to the project was being able to work with our director Alma Ha’rel because I’ve been a big fan of her work since almost getting a chance to work with her prior. As far as Ferdie it was his sense of not belonging that a younger version of me could really relate to and drew a compassion from me that wanted to bring him to life.
What was the most challenging aspect of preparing for your role in “Lady in the Lake,” and how did you approach it?
The most challenging aspect was playing a cop. Even in this fictional setting there was a level of caution from the people I came into contact with on set; in particular a lot of our background actors who met me for the first time in the uniform. People treat you a lot differently and I completely understood why and allowed it to fuel Ferdie’s sense of not fitting in. Because he’s a cop he doesn’t fit in amongst the civilians in his community and furthermore because he’s a good cop that is not on “the take” turning a blind eye to some of the crime happening he doesn’t fit in amongst a lot of the cops in his division that are.
Working alongside talented actors like Natalie Portman, Moses Ingram and the ensemble cast, what did you learn from the experience? Any memorable moments from filming you can share?
I wish I’d gotten a chance to work more with Moses because she’s amazing to watch as well but I worked mostly with Natalie between the two of them. With Natalie it’s like being selected to the all pro team with Tom Brady at quarterback and you just want to show up and do your best work to bring it home. Outside of just how talented she is on camera one of the coolest things was just talking to her on set and seeing how relatable and funny and chill she is as a person. It was inspirational to meet someone who you revere and have them turn out to be as genuine and collaborative as she is.
What initially inspired you to pursue a career in acting, and how did you get your start in the industry?
I took drama class senior year because I needed a throwaway elective course in order to graduate and I knew there would be mostly girls enrolled to be honest. I ended up liking it more than expected and revisited the idea of doing it as a hobby when I was in college and then started taking it seriously from there transferring to Tisch School of the Arts in NYC and doing theatre upon graduating.
You’ve played a variety of roles across different genres. Is there a particular type of character or storyline that you find most compelling to portray?
The biggest draw to being an actor for me is I get to be anyone and everyone so my goal has always been to be able to have the capacity to do that. I’m most satifisfied by being able to do a period piece like Lady In The Lake and then jump to doing an acton film or even a romantic comedy. That being said having done ‘The First Purge’ I got to perform stunts and be physical in a way I hadn’t gotten to explore yet so that type of physicality is something I’m looking to dive into again soon.
Are there any actors, directors, or filmmakers who have had a significant influence on your career?
Freddie Hendricks was the creator and director of the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta when I was younger and he was the first person who called me an “artist”. I remember the great sense of pride hearing that for the first time at a rehearsal we were having and it gave me a bar to always be reaching for ever since.
You played Daniel King on HBO’s “Insecure” a character that under goes significant development throughout the series. How did you approach portraying his journey over the seasons?
It was something that evolved as the fans wanted to see more of him as Issa figured her life out so I was just grateful being in service to that and to be part of a show that was so impactful.
How did playing Daniel on “Insecure” impact your career and the types of roles you’ve pursued since then?
It gave me a sense of pride to be apart of projects that made significant contributions to the time we are in and it set a standard for me to uphold for myself. If anything I stayed away from playing roles too close to that one for a while because as I’d mentioned I’m most satisfied by having range as an actor.
If you were to write and direct your own film, what genre would it be and what kind of character would you play?
If I were to write my own film a character I’d currently like to play would be in a mythological African Folklore genre and I’d play a fearless warrior with a wounded heart whose fallen in love with the opposing army’s princess.
How do you like to unwind after a long day of filming?
Kicking it on the couch and watching movies, maybe not so good ones. I do a lot of hard work preparing for filming so it’s really nice to relax and give my brain a break once we’ve left it all on the field.
What’s the most unusual or interesting skill you’ve learned for a role, and did you find yourself using it in everyday life afterward?
I once took a month of guitar lessons to play one beat of a song I though they were going to be using my hands for and it turned out that they ended up using a stand in. I didn’t continue playing but I would’ve been been pretty decent by now if I had.
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be and what would your costume look like?
If I was a superhero I’d be able to bring people to the 5th dimension where they could sit down with their higher selves and chop it up for a few hours at a time. I’m not sure what the costume would look like but I have a feeling it would have wings.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
