PHOTO CAPTION TEX T ABOUT THE PICTURE IT’S ON PHOTO CAPTION TEX T ABOUT THE PICTURE IT’S BOLDER WEIGHT 65 MEDIUMTEX T ABOUT THE PICTURE IT’S ON PHOTO CAPTION TEX T ABOUT THE PICTURE IT’S46 glamour.comBluetooth
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The first African American woman
d i r e c t o r t o h a v e a f i l m n o m i n a t e d f o r
a Best Picture Oscar (2014’s Selma).
The first woman of color to direct a
$100 million film (Disney’s A Wrin-
kle in Time, out next summer). Ava
Duvernay, right, is smashing glass
ceilings—and helping other women
do the same. Here’s how.
Glamour: Every episode of your
new OWN series, Queen Sugar, is
directed by a woman. Why?
Ava D uver nay: So many shows
[don’t] realize they are subtract-
ing from their own greatness by not
inviting women and people of color
into the space—that seasoning thatmakes the recipe even more great. It
was absolutely imperative for me. It’s
how I run all my crews.
Glamour: Why aren’t more women
given a chance in Hollywood?
AD: It’s a patriarchy, headed by men
and built for men. To pretend Holly-
wood is anything other than that is
disingenuous. #OscarsSoWhite is
trendy, but for women filmmakers
and filmmakers of color, it’s not a
trend. It’s our realit y, and it’s impor-
t a nt w e do s ome t h i ng t o c h a ng e it.
Glamour: W hat a dv ic e do you g ive
other women?
AD: To focus on your work. Because
good work starts to rise to the top.Glamour: How is TV different
from film?
AD: My goodness, it is a lot of work.
I was talking to Shonda Rhimes the
other day, and I said, “I. Do. Not.
Know. How. You. Do. This.”
Glamour: W h a t ’s y o u r r i t u a l b e f o r e
starting a big directing project?
AD: I’m not the most athletic gal,
but making a movie is very physical,
so I slow down on the Krispy Kreme
and Ice Blendeds, and I get leaner and
more focused—like I’m going into a
boxing match.
Glamour: Favorite thing to do
when you’re not working?
AD: When’s that?! —Jessica KantorInterview
The 3 -Minute
BOOK : CO U RTESY OF TH E PU B LISH ER. D U VER NAY: DAN IELLE LE VIT T/AU G U ST. R IDLE Y, K ALING , M ICH ELE: CO U RTESY OF S U B J ECTS. KIT TEN: G ET T YIMAGESRaw, Real
November’s
Must-Read
The title of Zadie Smith’s new
book, Swing Time, is a tip-off:
What lies beneath the sunny
cover is a rhythmic, musical
tale of two girls who meet in a
West London dance class and
fall into an elegant pas de deux
that falters over a shocking
betrayal in their twenties.
There’s nothing gauzy or senti-
mental about our narrator’s
viewpoint, no Hallmark
moment or healing walk on the
beach, and this is such a relief!
The dismantling of a friend-
ship is something we’ve all
b e e n t h r oug h; w e k now t he
long s h a dow it c a s t s. S m it h
(White Teeth,On Beauty)
delivers a page-turner that’s
also beautifully written (a rare
c omb o), but b e s t of a l l , s he
doesn’t sidestep the painful
stuff. —Elisabeth EganThank you, Daisy Ridley, Mindy
Kaling, and Lea Michele (from left) for
s how i ng u s w h a t it r e a l l y t a k e s t o lo ok
perfect every day. I’ve been a huge fan of
the no-makeup selfie, but seeing you
wax your mustache and apply zit cream
is so much better. We’re not so different,
you and me. If I’d seen your real-life
routine when I was 13, life would’ve
been a whole lot easier. —Erin Reimel,
beauty assistantCelebs