The crime comedy “Suburbicon” from director George Clooney is set in a small suburban community in 1959. One of the storylines follows an African-American family that is the first to integrate the neighborhood.
The mother is played by Karimah Westbrook, a native of Chicago’s western suburbs who has been based in Los Angeles for the past 17 years. Pursuing a career in acting is not without an awkward moment or two, she said.
“I like to give either thank you cards or gifts after I work on a project, especially to the director. And every day on set George would show up to work wearing a Casamigos tequila hat or shirt. Like, everyday. So I thought, ‘I’m going to find that tequila because he seems to really like it!’ I go buy a bottle, and I’m so happy about this gift! I got on set and I see George and I give it to him and he smiles and then I walk over to the makeup artist and she’s like, ‘That’s his company!’
“A few minutes later George came back over and he had signed the bottle and he said, ‘I think you should keep this!’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t know it was your company! I just thought you loved that brand of tequila!’ ” (Clooney and his partners have since sold the company.)
Karimah Westbrook is one of those faces you know, with a name you’ll soon see everywhere. The Chicago actress has been making the rounds on television for decades. She’s had guest roles on Girlfriends, ER, Moesha, and Aquarius. Lately, she’s had a powerful run in cinema. She starred in the 2003 film Baadasssss!. She gave a memorable performance as Papa Nebo in The Rum Diaries opposite Johnny Depp.
Now, Westbrook has taken on the interesting role of Mrs. Meyers, one-third of the first Black family to integrate the idyllic community of Suburbicon. If you’re Black, or have in any way paid attention to the news, the town’s reaction won’t surprise you. Westbrook spoke with West Coast Correspondent Joelle Monique about the true story that inspired the creation of her character, what it was like to be directed by George Clooney, and more.
It is no easy feat to to be a standout in a cast that includes Matt Damon and Julianne Moore, but Karimah Westbrook does just that in “Suburbicon,” the latest film to be directed by George Clooney. In the small town thriller based on a true story, the Chicago native plays Daisy Myers, who along with her husband William (Leith M. Burke), discover that the idyllic American Dream of settling into a peaceful suburban existence is not all that it is cracked up to me.
We recently sat down with Westbrook to discuss the secrets of the suburbs, why the film’s message is so timely, and how Daisy Myers never let hatred harden her heart.
TrunkSpace: The cast is amazing. The creative team is the best in the business. The story is compelling and timely. With so many great factors involved in your new film “Suburbicon,” what do you think the biggest draw is?
Westbrook: I think the biggest draw for the film “Suburbicon” is that it’s an interesting play in regards to what the suburbs is supposed to be, in the sense that, everyone thinks that the suburbs is the safest place to live, right? This movie turns that on its head in the sense that you find that there is murder, deceit, betrayal, and racism all happening in this one town. It’s just the unique play on the world, the suburbs, and how people look at the suburbs and what actually happens there.
Actress Karimah Westbrook owns the screen in the George Clooney-directed Suburbicon, a thriller set in Levittown, Pennsylvania in 1957. The dark comedy is inspired by the true story of the first Black family moving into the all-white planned community of Suburbicon. Westbrook plays Mrs. Meyers, completely unbothered by her racist neighbors in the town, who relentlessly targets her family.
by Yvette Caslin for Rolling Out Photo by Alex J. Berliner
As an actress, sometimes it takes more than developing a character from scratch. In those rare moments, an actress must portray a real-life person. For actress Karimah Westbrook that day came when she accepted the role of Daisy Meyers in the George Clooney directed movie Suburbicon.
by Dana Abercrombie for The Koalition Photo by Nate Taylor
Opening this Friday, Daisy Myers and her husband William (played by Leith M. Burke) were moved to 43 Deepgreen Lane in Levittown, Pennsylvania, in August 1957 which set off a violent racial conflict that lasted months.
Taking place almost sixty years ago, this African-American couple and their actions draw a strong parallel to the protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In Suburbicon, the Myers move into a picture perfect community, setting off racial violence the town has never seen before. As Daisy faces racism from the entire town, she remains unwavering in the basic human right to live wherever she wants.
The Koalition had an opportunity to speak to Westbrook about her role, her acting process and the unknown story of the Myers.
We all need role models, inspiration, mentors. If you are blessed enough to find that spark out there, you will certainly light it in your own heart. Once your mind is mastered and your soul is pure, you can achieve anything. I can say this with certainty as I have experienced it in my own personal life. My mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, inspires me every day to look for those lights out there that can awaken the world. Those ordinary humans who bless us through their victories, the examples of how earthly desires can become enlightenment if wished for with a wise mind. Sharing stories of victory can motivate us to be better people and to never settle in life.
“If someone like her can make it, I can make it too”. “I want to be just like him or her, and maybe better”. We need thoughts like these; we need the great leaders of the future. We need women to arise without jealousy or animosity. Your victory is my victory as I can be inspired to strive for more. Your successes are also mine, as we should know in our hearts how good it is to feel joy for the accomplishments of others.
I want to see success stories and to be motivated as I feel when I read the story of actress Karimah Westbrook.
As Chicago native Karimah Westbrook prepared for her role as the wife and mother of the first black family to move into the fictional Suburbicon — in director and co-writer George Clooney’s new film of the same title (opening Friday) — the actress looked to history for inspiration.
The project was sparked by the true story of Daisy Meyers and her family moving into the all-white planned community of Levittown, Pennsylvania, in 1957, so Westbrook first turned to Meyers’ memoir of that period, “Sticks and Stones.”
“I learned so much from reading her book,” said the actress, seen earlier in “Badasssss” and “The Rum Diary.” “You can understand how Daisy came to be known as the ‘Rosa Parks of the North,’ ” for sticking it out in Levittown for five years, despite constant harassment, intimidation, hostility and all kinds of racial bias.
In a lovely OTT Dubai dress, Karimah in Los Angeles for ‘Suburbicon’ premiere, a George Clooney film starring Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, and Oscar Isaac.
Karimah attended the fundraiser for Upward African Woman at the Beverly Hills Womens Club. UAW is a non-profit organization committed to establishing and supporting sustainable programs to tackle poverty, illiteracy, disease and hopelessness in order to improve the general well-being of the African woman and child. She can been seen with actors Tammie Townsend, Kelsey Scott and Beth Payne.
Actress Karimah Westbrook, co-star of the highly anticipated, and rather controversial, upcoming Coen Brothers/George Clooney drama “Suburbicon“, talks about her career, whom she most admires in Hollywood, how she prepared to portray civil rights icon Daisy Myers, and whether or not racism can be eradicated in the United States.
SPLASH STAFF – Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What’s your background?
KARIMAH WESTBROOK – My name is Karimah Westbrook, I’m originally from Chicago but I currently reside in Los Angeles, California. I’m the youngest of two, being myself and my sister, and I have always been extremely driven. I’m an actress, who also writes and produces, and I got my first big industry break by crashing an audition for “Save the Last Dance”, starring Julia Stiles and Kerry Washington. Since then I have proceeded to appear in a number of feature films, working with the likes of Johnny Depp, Alfre Woodard, Giovanni Ribisi and Mario Van Peebles, and I’ve also worked on 25 plus TV shows including “Shameless”, “Girlfriends”, “The Fosters”, “Mad Men”, “Masters of Sex”, etc.
SS – When did you decide that you wanted to peruse acting as a career?
KW – I participated in all of my school plays as a kid, but I didn’t consider pursuing a career in acting until I was seventeen years old, post military school.
SS – As an actress, with the incredible amount of competition for great rolls, do you deem it important to create your own projects and opportunities in Hollywood?
KW – There is an incredible amount of competition as an actor but I live by the motto “What’s meant for me will be”. Creating your own opportunities is absolutely necessary if you want to facilitate your own path and work more frequently in this industry. It’s also the biggest marketing tool, a calling card if you will, that an actor can create for themselves and their careers. Don’t wait, create. The doors will open.
Karimah appeared at the fashion week opening in Los Angeles for the Noe Bernacelli show. She was featured in the LA weekly as one the beautiful people that attended this event.
Karimah Westbrook is a name that you might not readily recognize but a face you may definitely recognize from several co-starring and bit parts in major projects over the years like Moesha starring Brandy and Baadasssss starring Mario Van Pebbles to name a few.
Karimah is a Chicago born actress who was drawn to the arts very early. I found out just like myself as early as a young child first demonstrated her prowess for the arts by putting on little performances for family members as a kid. She later attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts-Westin Chicago to study and hone many of the tools that would help shape her acting process and lay the groundwork to developing her dynamically captivating style as a teenager. However her burning desire to get her feet wet and immerse herself in the actual industry as a working actress compelled her to leave her seemingly restrictive conservatory early to pursue her acting career.
ALL AMERICAN (2018 – ) Filming
When a star high school football player from South Central is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High School, two separate worlds collide.
The crime comedy “Suburbicon” from director George Clooney is set in a small suburban community in 1959. One of the storylines follows an African-American family that is the first to integrate the neighborhood.
