MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA – JUNE 14: John Boyega attends as They Cloned Tyrone opens The American Black Film Festival at New World Center on June 14, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images for Netflix)
John Boyega has an update on his They Cloned Tyrone co-star Jamie Foxx.
Extra’s Melvin Robert sat down Boyega and actress Teyonah Parris to talk about their new movie and get an update on Foxx as he recovers from a medical emergency.
John shared, “We actually spoke yesterday. He cool.”
Melvin asked how he is doing, and Boyega replied, “He all good, it’s all good.”
Teyonah shared what it was like to work with him, saying, “He was just so much fun to work with and just so generous as an artist… And someone like Jamie who is a GOAT in this business… The tone Jamie set was we are family, we are going to have fun, we have a story to tell, so much liveliness and just chill and fun and just openness.”
John added, “When you see someone enjoy themselves and still enjoy the process, especially for me looking at someone who has achieved everything it is still about the art, still about the basics, collaborating with your co-stars, keeping a good energy on set, being respectful.”
They Cloned Tyrone is a conspiracy thriller set in the Nixon era. John stars as drug dealer Fontaine, who is caught up in a fatal battle. Jamie is a pimp named Slick Charles, and Teyonah plays hooker Yo-Yo. They become an unlikely team to stumble upon an undercover cloning operation.
Teyonah described the characters’ dynamic, saying, “They are literally three unlikely heroes that get thrust together. Yo-Yo and Slick have history, we know him from the block… Once they come together I think what’s fun is that they are so different… That’s where the fun is, just how different they all are but they have to be together.”
John said there was “a vibe” on set.
As for what they love about their characters, Parris said, “How ambitious she is… like Black women do she is like, ‘We are going to get this done, we are going to save those that need to be saved’… She is ride or ride.”
John smiled, “His grills… The grills for me, I feel is when I found Fontaine, when I put the grills on.”
Teyonah talked about what she hopes people take away, saying, “I hope they are entertained, there is a lot to unpack in this film and it can be very dark and very deep and complex, but it is done with the overlayer of laughter and lightness… I hope that it raises questions and things for us to talk about there is a lot happening in the world right now… It is very timely.”
Extra’s Freddy Lomeliì was in Miami earlier this month for the opening night of the American Black Film Festival where “They Cloned Tyrone” premiered.
He also spoke with John and Teyonah about Jamie, the film, and more. Watch!
They Cloned Tyrone debuts on Netflix on July 21.