Uzo Aduba Unveils the Most Powerful Lesson in Her Latest Film (Exclusive)

Uzo Aduba wants to do more than just entertain you when she signs on for a new role, so when she sat down with Parade to gush over her love for the city of Boston and tease a bit about her new memoir out Sept. 24, 2024, The Road Is Good: How a Mother's Strength Became a Daughter's Purpose, we had to discuss what she felt was the most important takeaway from Hulu's The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat, too.

While you may know Aduba as Orange Is the New Black's "Crazy Eyes," a role she was once excited to move on from but has since reshaped her reverence for, you'll recognize her most recently as Clarice in Hulu's new original flick The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat, a dramedy following three best friends through the ups and downs of life from high school to marriage, kids, and death.

There were a lot of lessons to be learned woven throughout the touching script, much like the stories Aduba loved to tell through her Netflix series, but the most prominent one for the actress is to "fall in love with your friends," and, certainly, the power of the "bonds of female friendships" is on full display throughout the film.

She calls it the "best, greatest community" to be a part of. "I have two sisters and two incredible girlfriends, in particular, who feel sisterly to me, and they are the most incredible friendships, the most honest friendships, the most fulfilling friendships that I have ever had in my life," she tells Parade. "And I feel stronger because of them, I feel better because of them, and I hope the same is true for them, as well. You can do anything with a sister or sister friend in your life."

It makes sense, then, that her biggest sources of fulfillment come in the form of her personal relationships and in the "areas of [her] life that aren't viewed publicly" rather than directly from the success of her career. It's a separation of parallels she explores in The Road Is Good, while discussing the explosive success of Orange Is the New Black that left her feeling "conflicted" about the way that success aligned with the "bigger picture" of her personal life.

"I find fulfillment in the morning, waking up, and my daughter and that smile that she sends my way," she shares. "I find fulfillment in family time together at the beach. I find fulfillment with my siblings and things like relationships and friends."

And, of course, she also finds it in her "creativity," and will certainly be seen again soon "creating new stories [that] push the boundaries that we're used to living with."