‘Classified’ Star Imani Pullum on Shifting Western Views of South Africa via Prime Video

Imani Pullum had her heart set on playing Ella, the main character in Prime Video’s new coming-of-age drama, Classified.

“When I got the breakdown of the show and the description of the character, I really liked Ella because she’s just so strong and so powerful and so outspoken, and that really drew me to her,” she told Blavity’s Shadow and Act. “And I just knew I wanted to play her. I was like, ‘I have to do this.’ I love the character. I love how descriptive they were about her. I felt like I knew her before I even read the script, just from the breakdown. So yeah, I was like, ‘I have to do this.’”

Set in South Africa, Classified follows Ella, a socially-conscious teen from California, who has to move in with her estranged father after getting into legal trouble during a protest. Adjusting to her new life includes navigating an international, upper-class school and adapting to her stepmother’s (Christine Horn) secretive role in the CIA.

According to Pullum, Ella evolves throughout the series as she learns more about her environment and her stepmother’s risky job.

“I think in the beginning, she’s very against being there. She doesn’t want to be there at all. She wants to be home,” Pullum explained. “But I think there are multiple points where she realizes this is going to be her new normal for now. So she has to open herself up and has to create connections and form connections with people. So she’s able to dig in and just accept that this is what’s happening and she’s able to make great connections from it because she’s accepting the fact that this is her life.”

The series blends elements of teen drama with important social issues like racial discrimination and violence in America. Pullum expressed her gratitude for being part of a show that addresses these significant topics thoughtfully.

“Just to be in something where we’re having discussions about so many topics that are important to me, I was really happy to do that,” she said.

One aspect of the show also aims to change the portrayal of Africa, specifically South Africa, in Western media. Pullum praised the show’s authentic representation of Johannesburg.

“I think it’s great,” she said regarding the show’s portrayal of South Africa. “I think [South Africa is] shown in such a positive light, in such a way that’s true to what it is because there are so many South African people who worked on creating the project. They were able to highlight Johannesburg and its culture in a way that I don’t think many people could because they know it so well. It was great to be able to be a part of that.”

She also recalled a conversation with a director of photography who shared his excitement about the show’s positive portrayal of Africa.

“It’s always like we’re poking fun at Africa and we’re laughing and making jokes, but in this way [on the show] it’s not like that. We see the beauty in South Africa and in Johannesburg,” Pullum said. “I thought it was really beautiful. It’s a gorgeous place. And I met a lot of great people in Johannesburg who are from Johannesburg. They were able to show me around and make sure I felt comfortable there, and I really felt at home. Everyone I met, even people who weren’t a part of the project, were so welcoming and really wanted me to have a full experience and enjoy my time in Johannesburg. That kind of hospitality was incredible.”

“I felt very welcome and very at home there, and I mean, there weren’t many things that were too different in my eyes,” she continued. “I think mostly the biggest difference that I noticed was that just there were different words for things that are words that I don’t use, but they use. Like, they call traffic lights ‘robots’ in South Africa, and that’s a point in the show too. So it’s just things like that, but I felt very at home and very comfortable there.”

Pellum’s performance in Classified has already made waves in South Africa, where the show has been well-received.

“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback about it, and there are a lot of people who love it and are really happy to see their country portrayed so beautifully,” she said. “With American fans, I hope they like it too. And I hope that they’re able to relate to Ella or any of the other characters in the cast as well. I hope that fans enjoy watching it and that they can just relax and just unwind and binge it and just have a good time watching it. But I also hope people are able to see the beauty that Johannesburg has to offer.”

For Pullum, part of the enjoyment of having Classified premiere in the United States is seeing how American audiences perceive South Africa through her portrayal.

“It was my first time in Africa period, but [also] my first time in South Africa. So, to be able to experience my first time there and Ella’s first time there, it was nice to be able to play off of that.”

Additionally, she’s excited for fans to see the rest of the talented cast, including Horn, Sule Rimi, Victor Makgati, Nicola Nothnagel, Paballo Koza, Shuwa, Mila Rayne, Omhle Tshabalala, and Matt Blerk. The actors who play Ella’s family, including Rimi, Horn, and Tshabalala, quickly became like family to her. The other cast members, playing her high school friends and other significant characters, also became part of the family Pullum formed on set.

“That was like one of the highlights of working on the project because I never expect to come into a work environment and have all these super close friendships because it’s not a requirement, but it is really nice when it happens,” she said. “It was nice. It felt really natural as well. And a lot of us were coming in from different places and we all stayed in the same hotel. We had cast dinners together, and we would go do things together,” she continued. “Yeah, it’s really nice, and I still talk to them all to this day. I haven’t stopped talking to them, which is awesome. I’m really grateful that I was able to create life-long connections while working on the show.”

Classified is now streaming on Prime Video.

Source: Shadow and Act, Prime Video