IN CONVERSATION WITH JOY SUNDAY

interview JANA LETONJA

Joy Sunday is a multi-hyphenate actress whose rise has been as intentional as it is electric. She discovered her love for performance at an early age, studying drama at the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School before earning an honors degree in Critical Studies from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. After early roles in projects like ‘MacGyver’, ‘Bad Hair’ and ‘The Beta Test’, Joy broke out globally as Bianca Barclay in Tim Burton’s ‘Wednesday’, one of Netflix’s most-watched series of all time. With HBO’s ‘DTF: St. Louis’ premiering this March and a growing presence in fashion as a Lancôme ambassador, she is proving herself to be a force across screen, style, and storytelling.

suit set CHRISTIAN SIRANO
shoes SHUTZ

‘DTF: St. Louis’ explores desire and disillusionment in a very raw way. What initially drew you to the project?

Steve’s rhythm. It was unlike anything I’d encountered before, but felt completely lived in to me once I started reading and reciting it. After I met Steve in real life, it instantly made sense how he could approach these characters’ Pursuit of happiness with such touching compassion. It’s just part of who he is. 

Working with Steve Conrad often means living in emotional gray areas. How did his vision shape your performance?

Getting to set and finding out that Steve intended for this “porn-positive” detective to be quite literally buttoned up clued me into his humorous yet heartfelt subversion of expectations. So despite her being stoic in visage and demure in dress, I worked to demonstrate how deeply Jodie cares for everyone she’s encountering in this investigation. Her everlasting pocketbook, handy with exactly what she needs and nothing more, just ties it all together. 

dress SERGIO HUDSON
shoes RETRO FETE

dress CHRISTIAN SIRANO
shoes SHUTUZ

The series centers on a love triangle that spirals into something dark. How would you describe your character’s role within that dynamic?

Jodie’s open mind brings light into the shrouded private lives that make up this mystery. Her presence is an opportunity to consider that more is possible if we just ask it of ourselves, which is why she complements Homer so well. While he represents a lot of the same social structures that bind our trio in tragedy, Jodie’s openness is what helps to ultimately find answers. However, Homer’s capacity for change keeps Jodie humble. When she makes mistakes, she’s not too proud to fix it. 

What was it like stepping into a story about middle-age malaise while bringing a younger perspective to the ensemble?

It was a welcome challenge. It’s easy to expect a whippersnapper to act as if they know better than what came before them. But I really took care to come from a perspective of curiosity and openness as opposed to self-righteousness. Ultimately Jodie is helpful because it’s easy for her to pivot when her convictions reach a dead end. It’s that willingness to consider something else she can’t yet see that draws a bridge between the generational divide. 

dress TEMILY
top KATE HUNDLEY
shoes VANS

After the global success of ‘Wednesday’, was it important for you to choose something that felt tonally opposite?

Not necessarily. It was important to choose something I was passionate about, for sure. But I don’t feel limited by the worlds I’ve been a part of. There’s always an opportunity to surprise yourself and others. Presuming I can’t stretch in whatever environment I’m in, whether it’s the same or completely different, would be a self-induced dead end. 

Bianca Barclay has become a fan-favorite character. How has that level of visibility changed your career?

I’m really grateful for it. To come from a family of immigrants born out of a small Nigerian village, to being catapulted into millions of people's lives with the click of a button, it’s magical, and there’s not a day I don’t reflect on that miracle. It’s a privilege, but it’s also absolutely a responsibility, not only to pay it forward but to use my platform to amplify what’s important to me. 

full look VALENTINO

How do you emotionally separate yourself from intense material once filming wraps?

Watch ‘Drag Race’. I don’t know, perhaps it’s naïveté because I’ve yet to have to handle something really tough for an extended period of time. But my love for acting is rooted in my overly active imagination, so it’s fairly uncomplicated to step back from it. So, I don’t know, go home and read a book or do a puzzle?  

You often portray strong, self-possessed women. What qualities do you look for when choosing roles?

Whether they’ll hire me for it. All jokes aside, I could do anything, and I want to do everything. I’m waiting patiently for my theatre era. I’m ready to play a creature. I want to jump off some buildings. I want it all. Bonus points for projects that are culturally impactful and inspire the human spirit. 

Does stepping into fashion and beauty spaces inform your confidence on screen?

I think it’s the other way around. I love stepping into a character when I put on a garment. It becomes easier to wear something unconventional when you treat it like a second skin. 

dress CHRISTIAN SIRANO
accessories RETRO FETE EARRINGS
shoes PHILLLIP LIM

What keeps you grounded as your profile continues to rise?

Firstly, my family. I’ll always have to wash dishes. But more than ever these days, the way of the world. At the end of the day, my responsibility as an artist is to reflect the times, and while it's my passion, I don’t take it for granted that my artistry holds meaning for more people than just myself. 

TEAM CREDITS:

talent JOY SUNDAY
photographer RUBEN CHAMORRO
stylist DARRYL GLOVER
makeup BREANNA HARMON
hair KENSHY
styling assistants MIA JACKSON & CHINELO OKIGBO
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director & interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN