Exclusive Interview: Brittany Adebumola and Dylan T. Jackson Discuss M.I.A., Representation, and Found Family

Against the sun-soaked beauty of South Florida and the uncertainty simmering beneath its surface, M.I.A. tells a story about people searching for where they fit. The series is anchored by a talented ensemble, with Brittany Adebumola and Dylan T. Jackson delivering two of its most affecting performances. As Lovely and Stanley, they bring extraordinary tenderness, vulnerability, and authenticity to characters whose struggles and triumphs become central to the show’s emotional core.

When her family’s drug-running operation is shattered by tragedy, Etta Tiger Jonze (Shannon Gisela) is pulled into Miami’s dangerous underworld, setting her on a path that will ultimately define who she is and what she’s capable of. Blending crime, drama, and coming-of-age storytelling, M.I.A. explores the choices that shape us and the communities we build in the aftermath of loss.

Pop Culturalist recently caught up with Brittany Adebumola and Dylan T. Jackson to discuss bringing Lovely and Stanley to life, building the relationships that shape their journeys, collaborating with Shannon Gisela, and the themes of trust, community, and chosen family woven throughout the series.

PC: Brittany, you light up every scene you’re in, and there’s something so inspiring about the way Lovely moves through the world despite everything she’s been through. She leads with her heart and approaches life with such openness and empathy. You’ve shared that your instincts are often very different from Lovely’s. So much of what’s asked of you as an artist is finding that intersection between yourself and where a character sits within you. When those things differ, how does that challenge you creatively, and is there anything you’ve carried with you from Lovely since filming?
Brittany: Oh my goodness. Thank you for that question. It’s a great question.

It was a huge challenge for me. Our job as actors is not to judge the character, and this was a character that I initially struggled not to judge. [laughs] I really had to get over that hurdle. The other part of my job is finding that connective tissue. Yes, I feel very different from her, but now I have to explore where our similarities lie so that I’m able to attach myself to this woman and justify the decisions that she makes.

In doing that digging, I realized I actually see my mom and a lot of the women in my life in Lovely. While I don’t know if I would be as trusting as Lovely is, I’ve seen my mom and how spirit-led she is when she’s interacting with people. I’ve seen my mom and other people in my life be guided by generosity, by wanting to connect with people, and by wanting to give, while also knowing that’s something they want in return.

To build a family, I have to be willing to do the work and understand the trust and generosity that requires, in hopes that I receive it back. That’s where Lovely lives.

So while it was challenging, I was eventually able to see the people in my own life in her. This is one of the first characters that really made me do some soul-searching and confront my own walls around trusting and letting people in, especially as a Black woman and in the way I move through the world. Allowing myself to be whimsical, free, and as open as Lovely is really forced me to dig some things up.

PC: There’s such a lived-in quality to your performance and so much honesty. Dylan, there’s so much vulnerability in your performance, particularly when it comes to Stanley’s past and his experience of being misunderstood. His journey becomes a celebration of the idea that the very things that make us different can also be our greatest strengths. How did you create that emotional space for yourself throughout the process, and what did you take away from portraying him?
Dylan: His theme song, “Sailing.” It’s funny. The first time I heard it was a couple of years ago. My friend sang it at karaoke, and I was like, “What is this song?” It has such a mythic quality, where it takes you somewhere that feels familiar but also distant.

I remember listening to it when I first started working on the role, and it made me very emotional, almost against my will. That’s something, as an actor, I’ve been working toward for years. Something about that song cracked me open.

What I admire most about Stanley—and that was a wonderful word, “misunderstood”—is that we live in a society where we’re so gung-ho about cutting people off. It’s, “I don’t want to. They don’t understand me. They don’t get me. I’m going to cut them off.”

Stanley doesn’t take it personally. He is far more understanding and far more comfortable with being misunderstood. He’s not trying to fight anyone who doesn’t understand him.

That touches me deeply because I think that’s some of our best humanity. There’s much more value in being interested in others than demanding that they understand the fullness of who I am, because who truly understands the fullness of themselves?

That’s the thing that moved me most about him.

PC: I feel like there are so many different things that audiences can take away from each of these characters that will impact their lives beyond this simply being entertainment. Brittany, one of the relationships that resonated with me most is Lovely’s connection with her mother. Even when she’s not on screen, her presence is felt in so many of Lovely’s choices, values, and the way she carries herself. How did you build that unseen relationship into your performance, and how much did it inform your understanding of who Lovely is?
Brittany: Yeah, it goes back to the connective tissue. Lovely is Haitian. While I’m not Haitian, I am half Caribbean—Jamaican—and Nigerian, and within all of those cultures, Caribbean and African alike, I feel like the women run the households. The women are the matriarchs.

While the men are present and are the providers, the women hold that spiritual connectivity. They’re the spiritual heads and hearts of the family.

I could connect to that very easily with Lovely, and I was able to draw from my own life in that regard.

PC: Dylan, chosen family is such a powerful theme throughout the series, and Stanley’s relationships with Etta and Lovely become such an important part of his journey. What does each of those relationships represent for him, and how did you approach building those dynamics with Shannon and Brittany?
Dylan: Etta is the first person who has truly understood him. That makes him curious because he’s used to people telling him who he is and what he needs: “You need to be quiet. You need this. You need to move to a different country. You can’t stay in Haiti.” It’s been like that his whole life.

This is the first person who understands him.

With Lovely, there’s this familial connection that supersedes anything they’re consciously aware of in that moment because they grew up together. They both lost their mothers and aunts, respectively. They’re living with an aunt they don’t know particularly well in a new country. There’s an understanding of what it means to exist within a community that doesn’t quite embrace you as closely as you’d like, or in the way you’re familiar with.

In terms of building those relationships, it was quite natural. We didn’t really do anything. From the first chemistry read and the first pass of the scene, there was an electricity in the room.

Then we got to Miami, sat around the pool, shared a butter cake, and realized we had a lot in common personality-wise. Once we started working, we realized we worked well together. We have a similar approach to the craft.

When you’re naturally aligned in so many ways, it just happens. There are so many beautiful moments that you don’t even see in the show because they came from spontaneous takes that were full of heart.

It was a natural kinship.

PC: This is such an ensemble-driven crime thriller, and there are incredible performances across the board. Was there a particular scene from one of your co-stars that you were especially excited for audiences to see, and what made it stand out to you?
Dylan: For me, it was the car scene with Brittany. Even in the moment, it was operating at that octave every single time. I can say the same for Shannon. All of Shannon’s scenes hit those same emotional octaves consistently. It was a masterclass.

Brittany: Thank you.

There were so many. I respect and admire Dylan as an actor as well, so I have to return the love. Very early on, I was like, “This kid has a sauce and a juice that’s different.” [laughs]

I was really excited for audiences to see the scene where he reacts to someone being killed. Of course, it turned out phenomenally.

As for Shannon, throughout the entire pilot she’s operating in her own world. Lovely and Stanley aren’t introduced until the end, so she was out there on her own for much of the shoot. She was literally in the ocean, hanging onto this little jug. I don’t think that scene made it into the show, but it was such an incredible feat.

To carry all of that emotional intensity while also having to do it largely by yourself, without acting opposite anyone else, was remarkable. I was amazed by the final result.

Make sure to follow Brittany (Instagram) and Dylan (Instagram). Stream Season 1 of M.I.A. on Peacock today.

Photo Credit: Jeff Daly/Peacock