Iyana Halley is starring in the thriller movie of the summer alongside her Golden Globe Award-winning costar, Idris Elba, 49. The 29-year-old actress, who portrays “Meredith Samuels,” one of Idris’s daughters in the movie, spoke EXCLUSIVELY with HollywoodLife as she raved over her experience after working with the A-list actor.
“It was everything and more! I think we all know how talented Idris is, but even aside from that, he is an amazing person to be around,” the Abbott Elementary star said. “He’s extremely funny too! I remember one of the days we were filming we were all playing soccer together. It was me, him, my sister Leah Jeffries, and Sharlto Copley (who plays my uncle) along with some of the crew and it was so much fun. Everyone was making jokes since I wasn’t good at all! But little things like that bonded all of us together even more!”
The Brooklyn native also revealed the one piece of advice Idris shared with her which was to “not be nervous.” She explained, “One day when we were filming a big scene, I expressed how nervous I was. He told me I didn’t need to be, and that I was doing amazing. Little things like that really help me. Most of what I learned was through watching him. He takes his craft so seriously and I love that. Even when the cameras aren’t on him and they are working on someone else’s coverage, he still makes sure to give us what we need in terms of energy. Not everyone does that. Idris is truly a team player.”
In the film, Idris’s character is a widowed dad of two teenage girls, and he takes his daughters on a sightseeing trip to the South African game reserve. However, their journey quickly becomes bloody as the family and their wildlife biologist friend (played by Sharlto) come face-to-face with the massive apex predator which is hellbent on killing every human it encounters.
Beast hits theaters on August 19th, 2022.