• Celebrity
    • Cardi B and Offset Cover
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
  • Fashion
    • Digital Cover – Method Man
    • Digital Cover – Zazie Beetz
    • Fashion News
    • Fashion House 2021
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO® Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • MAYBELLINE: FIT ME MATTE + PORELESS
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weaves
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Build Your Legacy
    • Prudential – Dream & Plan with Confidence
    • Black History Month
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Holiday Gift Guide
    • Lifestyle News
    • Coronavirus: Everything You Need to Know
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
    • Currency Conversations
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Videos
  • Festival
  • Events
    • Road to Festival
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • Entrepreneur Summit 2021
    • Wellness House
    • VAX & VIBES Louisiana
    • Girls United Summit 2021
    • She Got Now
    • Fashion House 2021
    • GU Back To School
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • WELLNESS HOUSE: YEAR OF RENEWAL
    • Power Tools
    • Making Moves Now: Virtual Bootcamp
    • #EF SESSIONS
    • Cares Act
    • News & Announcements
  • Essence Studios
  • Girls United
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters

WHERE BLACK WOMEN COME FIRST

Every day we're serving Black women deeply. Come get a plate of goodness! Sign up for daily content and exclusive offers you'll love!

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and that you have read our Privacy Policy
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Cardi B and Offset Cover
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
  • Fashion
    • Digital Cover – Method Man
    • Digital Cover – Zazie Beetz
    • Fashion News
    • Fashion House 2021
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO® Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • MAYBELLINE: FIT ME MATTE + PORELESS
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weaves
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Build Your Legacy
    • Prudential – Dream & Plan with Confidence
    • Black History Month
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Holiday Gift Guide
    • Lifestyle News
    • Coronavirus: Everything You Need to Know
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
    • Currency Conversations
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Videos
  • Festival
  • Events
    • Road to Festival
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • Entrepreneur Summit 2021
    • Wellness House
    • VAX & VIBES Louisiana
    • Girls United Summit 2021
    • She Got Now
    • Fashion House 2021
    • GU Back To School
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • WELLNESS HOUSE: YEAR OF RENEWAL
    • Power Tools
    • Making Moves Now: Virtual Bootcamp
    • #EF SESSIONS
    • Cares Act
    • News & Announcements
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Home · Only at ESSENCE

'Tall Girl' Director Nzingha Stewart Is Working On Your Next Favorite Series

By Sydney Scott · Updated December 6, 2020
Stewart's 'Tall Girl' has just arrived on Netflix but she's already moved on to the next project, Kerry Washington's 'Little Fires Everywhere.'

Nzingha Stewart’s Tall Girl has arrived on Netflix.

Filmed in New Orleans, the film follows Jodi Kreyma (Ava Michelle) as a 16-year-old high school student self-conscious about her 6′ 1” height.

You can see parts of the city throughout the movie and Stewart says filming in The Big Easy was quite the experience.

“[Tall Girl] wasn’t supposed to look like New Orleans. It was supposed to be a random place. I was like ‘That’s so boring, you’re in the greatest city. It’s such a wonderful set. Why are we trying to hide this? Let’s play that up, let’s put in those markers and let’s make this movie special because it’s now more specific.'”

Loading the player...

Shooting the film in New Orleans was made all the more special because Stewart also got to experience the city through someone else’s eyes.

“It’s funny. I’m a 90-day fiancé, now I’m a wife. It wasn’t as horrible as that show. We have been together for five years, but we did get the visa and my husband came over from Morocco. Right then is when we got the visa when I started this movie and it’s like I bring this man from the devout Muslim country-and he’s like super devout- to New Orleans, where it’s like “Would you like some bacon on your pork? Show us your tits” and this poor guy is having to digest so much that it was an interesting cultural shock. Even for me to see it though his eyes. Like, what is America about?”

20190130008322.arw

Tall Girl is Stewart’s first feature film. She’s spent much of her career in television, directing episodes of favorites like Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, and The Game. Prior to working in television, she directed music videos for stars like Common and Bilal.

“Going into pretty much all of the things I have done in my career, once you get into features you realize how they all feed each other. I think, starting in music videos, you get very precious about creating a really cool cinematic image. It’s not enough to just get coverage, it has to look a certain way or feel a certain way. Then when you come from television you are on a schedule. So, the biggest thing you have got to figure out is how to shape your day. In features, the stakes get higher because the budgets get higher and the show is yours top to bottom.”

20190219003242.arw

Nzingha has already moved on to the next project.

According to her IMDB page, the director is set to direct Gabrielle Union in The Perfect Find. And she’s wrapping up an episode of upcoming miniseries Little Fires Everywhere, starring and executive produced by Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon. The series is adapted from Celeste Ng’s novel of the same name.

“Right now, as we speak, I’m on set doing Little Fires Everywhere. After this, I do an episode of Black Monday, specifically so I can work with Don Cheadle and reunite with my spirit animal, Regina Hall.”

TallGirl_D10_0409.RAF

Hall and Nzingha worked on the 2015 TV movie With This Ring.

Next, she’ll helm the upcoming Misy Copeland biopic from New Line Cinema.

“I’m very excited. It’s been a good year and I feel like Tall Girl just sort of opened the gate for a million wonderful things to happen.”

Share :

TOPICS:  Entertainment Only at ESSENCE mycityfourways

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2022 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now