Naomie Harris had just three days to pull off an Oscar-worthy Moonlight role

PLAYING a crack-addled mother was a baptism of fire for ‘good girl’ Naomi Harris, who had just three days to pull off her new film, Moonlight.

MOONLIGHT may be bringing Naomie Harris the most plaudits of her career to date, but making the film was an experience in which the English actor initially felt completely out of her depth.

This good girl from London suddenly found herself on the streets of Liberty City, a neighbourhood known as one of the most dangerous and crime-plagued in Florida, requiring a police escort to get to set and playing a character so far away from her own life experience that she may as well be an alien.

“I definitely went through a stage of I’d bitten off way more than I could chew,” says Harris, 40. “I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t smoke and I haven’t ever done drugs, so to find this crack addicted woman within me was definitely a real stretch.”

Harris is a drug-addicted mother who neglects her son in Moonlight. Picture: Roadshow Films

There was another complicating factor in Harris’s transformation into Paula, the single mother whose drug habit leaves her son, who is just starting to realise he’s gay, vulnerable to bullying and sheltering under the wing of the friendly neighbourhood drug dealer (played by Mahershala Ali).

With promotional duties on the Bond film Spectre demanding her time and visa issues hampering her entry into the US, Harris would end up cramming what was supposed to be several weeks’ work on Moonlight into three days.

But that, she reckons, is “one of the best possible things” that could have happened.

“There’s something about working under very intense conditions that forces you out of your head, you have to be much more in your body and in the present moment and it’s a much more visceral experience,” she says. “The best performances and the best journeys happen when you’re out of your head.”

Golden Globe, BAFTA, AACTA, SAG and dozens of critics awards nominations later, she wonders with a laugh if she should shoot all her movies in three days from now on.

The Moonight team at the Golden Globes: Trevante Rhodes, Harris, director Barry Jenkins, Ashton Sanders, Janelle Monae and Mahershala Ali. Picture: AFP

“I loved the fact with Moonlight I was working non-stop, I was always in front of the camera. There was no time to wait in the trailer — there was no trailer to wait around in, anyway — you just got to do what you love morning, noon and night.”

Moonlight was crowned Best Motion Picture — Drama at last week’s Golden Globes and pundits have it as a lock for nominations in Best Picture, Director for Barry Jenkins and Supporting Actor and Actress for Ali and Harris at next month’s Academy Awards.

Harris is grateful for such awards drawing attention to the low-budget drama she describes as “important” and “transformative”.

“People are coming out of this movie saying, ‘I see my fellow human beings in a completely different light’,” she says.

“It’s really timely because there is so much emphasis at the moment on our differences — sections of our community being ‘other’. And I don’t think those conversations are helpful. Inclusive conversations are what we should be having more of. And more awareness and exploration of the ways we are more similar than we are dissimilar, because that is healing.”

Moonlight required Harris to age from a young mother to a weathered, grey-haired recovering addict. Picture: Roadshow Films

Harris had her own ‘different light’ moment when her fears about working in Liberty City proved to be largely unfounded. Though filming a confrontation scene with Ali in the neighbourhood late at night didn’t feel “particularly safe”, the community overall was supportive of the production.

“I think that’s because they knew that Barry was from that neighbourhood and he was coming back to tell their story,” she says. “It’s almost like the community gave us their blessing.”

On top of all the Hollywood fuss, Harris was surprised to find herself recognised with an OBE for services to drama in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.

“I’ve always wanted to produce work that’s edifying, I’ve always taken the notion I’m a role model very seriously, so I do put a lot of care into what roles I choose to take on. So in that sense I wanted to be representative of my community ... but I never thought I would get an OBE for it, that’s for sure!” she says with a laugh.

Director Barry Jenkins, with Harris at the Golden Globes, had to convince the Brit she wouldn’t be playing a cliche in Moonlight. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images/AFP

The care Harris takes in weighing each role almost saw her knock back Moonlight — she didn’t want to reinforce the black crack-addict stereotype. She also felt a responsibility to her mother, Liselle, “a very strong, capable, independent, powerful woman” who had raised her amid a community of many such women.

“I want to reflect the kind of women that I grew up with and see on a daily basis — but there is a disconnect between the reality I’m experiencing and what is reflected on screen,” she says.

Ultimately, she was convinced that Jenkins’ connection to the character — Paula was a reflection of the director’s own mother — would steer it clear of cliche.

Liselle definitely approves. Harris is happy to report that her mum reckons Moonlight is “incredibly beautiful” and that Liselle was last seen chasing Goldie Hawn around the room at the Golden Globes.

When the Oscars are finally handed out, Harris will stop to think about what’s next. Everyone’s hoping it’ll be another Bond film, but she’s still in the dark on that front.

“I’ve no idea when it’s gonna happen, but I’m definitely on board to come back.”

Harris, seen here as Moneypenny with Daniel Craig in a scene from Skyfall, wants her co-star to come back for more 007. Picture: Sony Pictures

Having played James Bond’s colleague Moneypenny in Skyfall and Spectre, Harris is adamant Daniel Craig is the only one who fits 007’s tux.

Even as a mere punter watching Casino Royale she was hooked.

“I’ve watched Bond movies and been enthralled by them and found them incredibly witty and humorous, but I’d never cried at a Bond movie before and I cried at Casino Royale. That’s all because of Daniel and the heart and soul that he brought to it.”

MOONLIGHT SCREENS IN ADVANCE PREVIEWS TOMORROW-SUNDAY, THEN OPENS ON AUSTRALIA DAY

Originally published as Naomie Harris had just three days to pull off an Oscar-worthy Moonlight role