Pop-Culturalist.com

A true star in every sense, Lexi Underwood is blazing a trail for the next generation of up-and-coming storytellers. At just seventeen, she’s accomplished more than many will in a lifetime. She made her Broadway debut as Nala in The Lion King, founded her own production company, and shared the screen with Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington in Hulu’s award-winning limited series, Little Fires Everywhere.

This January, she’s starring opposite Meagan Good, Meagan Holder, Mekia Cox, and Tamara Bass in the must-see new drama, If Not Now, When?—a film that celebrates the unbreakable bond between four high school friends.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Lexi about her involvement in If Not Now, When?, making bold choices and being her character’s keeper, and the importance of showing representation on the screen.

PC: Tell us about If Not Now, When?, your character, and what attracted you to this film.
Lexi: If Not Now, When? is a story about love, friendship, forgiveness, and resilience.

I play Jillian, a fifteen-year-old girl who’s a little shy and unsure of herself. She loves football. She’s a guru when it comes to football, and she can talk about those stats with ease. She’s also dealing with her mother’s overdose and actions. We get to see Jillian process her experience, her relationship with her mother, her connections with her aunts (her mother’s friends), her stepfather, and also her special friend, Michael (played by Niles Fitch).

What really drew me to this project was the fact that we get to see a range of Black women. There are no stereotypes and each has a beautiful story arc. I believe that women everywhere will be able to see themselves and relate to it.

Same with Jillian: she’s a young girl who’s unsure of herself. She’s trying to figure out where she fits in. A lot of kids, especially nowadays, can relate to that.

PC: How did you prepare to tackle everything Jillian is going through?
Lexi: I did a lot of research on what kids who have parents dealing with addiction have to go through. I watched documentaries and read tons of articles on their experiences.

I was fifteen when we filmed this, so I knew what it was like growing up with all the trends, everything happening in the world, and constantly trying to figure out where I fit in. Like I was saying earlier, Jillian loves football, but there are moments when she gets bullied for that. She’s trying to figure out how to authentically be herself and where she fits in.

PC: 2020 was a breakout year for you with this film and Little Fires Everywhere. Were you able to draw any parallels between Pearl’s and Jillian’s journeys?
Lexi: Absolutely. They’re both trying to find their place in the world. Pearl has to deal with microaggressions, and she goes through some things when it comes to not knowing where she fits in, and that’s the same with Jillian. Jillian is bullied and she’s trying to figure out if she should change who she is or if she should stay the way that she is. Unfortunately, Pearl takes it upon herself to start changing herself and tries to fit in. At the end of the day, you have two wonderful girls who are trying to find their place in the world without the influence of their mothers.

PC: There are a lot of fantastic relationships and dynamics within the film. Which was your favorite to explore and why?
Lexi: I love the sisterhood. I love the dynamic between these Black women who are supporting each other. Tyra [Meagan Good], Jillian’s mother, is going through a lot, and she doesn’t always get everything right. We see that with the relationship between Jillian and Tyra. At the end of the day, though, you also see these three phenomenal friends. They’re all going through different things in their own lives, but they rally together and help Jillian through this. They make sure that Jillian doesn’t feel alone while her mom is getting better. The relationship Jillian has with her other aunts is so special and beautiful.

PC: You’ve done a lot of television in your career. What has it been like going from that medium to film?
Lexi: It’s been great. I love both equally. What I love about TV is that you get to live with the character. You learn more about the character as you go because they’re human. Every day they’re going through something different. That’s really fun to explore. You sit with that character for however long. If you’re lucky, you have fourteen or fifteen seasons like Modern Family or Grey’s Anatomy. I really love TV in that aspect, but also doing film is equally incredible. Ever since I can remember, I was always in love and infatuated with movies. To now be filming movies is really wonderful. I’m very grateful to be in a position to be able to do both.

PC: This is Meagan Good’s full-length directorial debut and you’re a filmmaker yourself. What did you learn from watching her?
Lexi: The biggest thing that I learned from watching her was how to be a leader. Not only was she number one on the call sheet, but she was also the director. She always came to work with a positive attitude and smile. She made sure that the work environment was a fun, loving place. She was the perfect example of what a true leader should be, whether as number one on the call sheet or director. She did both very beautifully. That’s the biggest thing I took away from her.

PC: You’ve also shared on social media how impactful this experience has been for you. What will you remember the most? How has this experience helped you grow as an artist?
Lexi: I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned is how to unapologetically take up space within this industry and to not be timid or shy. It’s very easy to feel like you don’t necessarily belong in this industry or to feel unseen or unheard when you’re constantly being told no, but I think that shouldn’t make you want to dim your light or make you feel timid every time you step on set.

Now when I step on set, I’m very bold with my choices. I’m very big on speaking up about things if something doesn’t feel right when it comes to my character as well as understanding the fact that at the end of the day, I’m my character’s keeper. I’m the one who knows my character like the back of my hand because I’m the one that’s living with her. I really think that’s the biggest thing—not to feel shy, scared, or timid when it comes to the choices that I make on set.

PC: Great Answer. In addition to If Not Now, When?, you also have another film coming out. Is there anything you can tell us about Sneakerella?
Lexi: Sneakerella is a new movie for Disney+. What I absolutely love about Sneakerella is that we’re reimagining the way that we see Disney princesses and princes. Ever since I was younger, there have been so many wonderful princesses, but the only one that I could really look to was Tiana. While she was phenomenal and beautiful, she was also a frog for half the movie. It’s beautiful that we’re seeing young Black girls step into these roles that are traditionally played by White women.

We see Yara Shahidi step into the role of Tinkerbell, Halle Bailey stepping into the role of Ariel, and I’m not playing Cinderella—I’m playing Princess Charming. It’s also teaching young girls that you don’t have to wait for a man to validate you or to make you feel seen or heard for you to feel like a princess. I love that. That’s what we’re teaching young girls. Representation truly matters, and the industry is getting a hang of it now. I’m very excited for people to see the movie.

To keep up with Lexi, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. If Not Now, When? is out on Demand and Digital.

Photo Credit: Christian Hogstedt