Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to the Cosmic Cafe, the companion podcast to thecosmicscircus.com I'm Uday. Kataria and I had the thrilling opportunity to interview Janisha Adams Ginyard at this year's Los Angeles Comic Con. You'll recognize her as Dora Melaje warrior? Nomble. From various MCU productions. And she's also an accomplished stunt double and voiceover actress on South Park. Enjoy.
[00:00:30] Speaker B: My name is Uday. I'm here with the Cosmic Circus, and today I'm interviewing Janisha Adams Ginyer. So you've worked on some of the most impactful Marvel Studios productions from Black Panther and Avengers, Infinity War and Endgame to WandaVision. Which one was your favorite to work on?
[00:00:46] Speaker C: Wow. So my favorite one to work on, which you did not mention, was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I had an amazing time. Whooping. Anthony Mackie's ass jumping on Zemo's couch. No, but seriously, no, it was absolutely amazing to work with. Anthony Mackie is awesome. His energy on set is great. I love that intimate fight scene that we had in the space of an apartment. I just thought the whole entire Falcon and Winter Soldier series was awesome.
It was the second Disney Plus series that got released.
[00:01:24] Speaker B: Yes, but it was supposed to be the first.
[00:01:26] Speaker C: It was supposed to be the first one. Yeah. I worked on WandaVision, which was the first one, but I really had a blast working on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Just I mean, that whole duo of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. And when the cameras aren't rolling, the fun and the laugh that's the laughter that's going on. It's just out of this world. No, seriously.
[00:01:46] Speaker B: Oh, I bet it seemed like it was a fun sentiment.
[00:01:48] Speaker C: Yeah, it was absolutely fun. Anthony mackey is great. He is absolutely great. And it was nice to see him in action because he was on what?
Infinity War, which I worked on, but I didn't get a chance to know Falcon the way that I did on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Yeah.
[00:02:13] Speaker B: So on WandaVision, you were a stunt double for Tiana Paris.
[00:02:16] Speaker C: Correct.
[00:02:17] Speaker B: So does that mean that you had to get smashed through a wall when Wanda kicks her out of Westview?
[00:02:21] Speaker C: So I did several different stunts over there. What did I do? I don't think I got on the wall. I remember being when she went into the kitchen of Wanda, when there was in that cave or cavern with the jesus Christ. What was that thing that we had to do? I'm trying to remember.
I remember having to do some stunts and dive rolling in some cave. Was it a cave or kat Jennings, remember, she's on there. There was something that we're running through this remember? I actually don't remember all of the things that I did over there. I don't remember being kicked through that force field, but I remember doing stuff in the house.
[00:03:12] Speaker B: Okay, that makes sense. That's really and so so you do play nomble. A member of the Dora mila in a few MCU projects, including Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I didn't forget it. I just didn't mention it.
[00:03:26] Speaker C: No. Yeah, totally.
[00:03:27] Speaker B: And you've also done stunts on I'm not sure if it's the same movies, but on some MCU movies. So were you originally hired for both positions or did stunt work kind of turn into acting work?
[00:03:39] Speaker C: So I was originally hired as a door Milaje under acting and on the first Black Panther. And then while I was there hey, back tomorrow. Yes. Have a good night. All right. And then while I was there, they said, hey, we're going to have you be the Akoye double. And so I was actually flipping back and forth because my character Nomle, which is one of five doras that actually have a name, I have a facial tattoo over the right side of my face. So when I was playing myself, I had the facial tattoo and the silver garments for the doras. And then when I would flip over and be a koi, I would have to get the head tattoo and the different costume with the whole gold. So yeah, it was two different things. Yeah.
[00:04:31] Speaker B: So Black Panther Wakanda Forever is my favorite Marvel movie.
[00:04:35] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:04:35] Speaker B: But the one thing that I don't love about it is that the Dora Milaje's role in the story wasn't quite what I expected. And we know that there are scenes with Akoye and Ayo and ANECA that were cut out of the movie. Can you tell us anything else about how the dora's role in the movie changed?
[00:04:53] Speaker C: You know what?
I necessarily don't know if the role changed.
I feel like we did more. Right? I feel like we had more fighting. I feel like there was more.
It was expanded for the most part. Right. We actually ended up teaming up with the Jabari. They helped hold us down as we fly off the side of the ship. I feel like it was like more fighting, more protection, more unison, more of a tribe. Like you see myself and IO a lot. We're in the Talon fighter together.
I feel like we kind of really were like an army, right? I don't know. Like Battalion One? Battalion Two? Battalion you break down things. So I don't necessarily know if it changed or if it was stronger. Does that make sense?
[00:05:52] Speaker B: Yeah, that does.
[00:05:52] Speaker C: Yeah. Because we started really teaming up with our Wakanda. I mean, we were there to really, like, the king is gone, right. So we have only really left our elders and our Queen Mother, so we were strong at the moment, I feel making sure Queen Mother was good as far as making sure Wakanda is safe and whatever we need to do to make sure it's safe. Right. We have this threat coming from the underwater surface with, you know, atuma all those people. I just feel like our role was super strong.
We were coordinating moves on the side of the ship as we swung holding.
Yeah, I think we worked more as a team.
[00:06:43] Speaker B: Yeah, I like that outlook on it.
[00:06:45] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:06:46] Speaker B: Do you know what MCU project you're going to be working on next? Either as a stunt double or as an envelope?
[00:06:51] Speaker C: I have no idea. I have no idea. I don't know anything until they contact me. Yeah, facts.
[00:07:00] Speaker B: I figured. But I was hoping we'd get a little tease. I need Black Panther three.
[00:07:04] Speaker C: Oh, my God.
[00:07:05] Speaker B: That's what I'm waiting for.
[00:07:06] Speaker C: I was so excited at the end when they said, yes, Black Panther will return. Or did it say will return? They said, yeah. I thought it was so cool. I've noticed other movies doing that, too.
[00:07:17] Speaker B: Marvel movies have always done that.
[00:07:20] Speaker C: Not written out like that, actually. Yeah.
[00:07:23] Speaker B: At the end of credits, it's usually written out, and then sometimes they like to make jokes on it. So for Infinity War, it said, like, Thanos will return.
[00:07:30] Speaker C: Oh, okay.
[00:07:31] Speaker B: Well, yeah, but it's a nice reassurance for fans. So we are going to see Black Panther.
[00:07:36] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure.
[00:07:38] Speaker B: Maybe one day we're going to see nonblade will return. Yo, if the MCU keeps going on.
[00:07:42] Speaker C: I'm sure we love it. Well, it's to say a return means that someone's dead or something. I don't want that.
Just know she coming back.
[00:07:51] Speaker B: And then my last question is, you've dabbled in many areas of the film industry.
[00:07:55] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:07:55] Speaker B: So do you prefer stunt work, acting, or voice work?
[00:07:59] Speaker C: So I am a multi hyphenate to the core. To the hardcore core. And so I prefer being a multi hyphenate and doing my own stunts while voicing.
[00:08:23] Speaker B: That's a perfect answer.
[00:08:24] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:08:25] Speaker B: I think it's really clear from your booth that you love doing all sorts of different everything.
[00:08:31] Speaker C: I'm a playwright, too. I wrote three plays during the pandemic that went on tour.
[00:08:34] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
[00:08:34] Speaker C: And then after COVID I haven't done it since. But, yeah, I am a multi husband. I do speaking, engagement, all that.
[00:08:41] Speaker B: You wrote a book?
[00:08:42] Speaker C: I wrote a book. That is an Amazon bestseller.
[00:08:45] Speaker B: That's amazing. Congratulations.
[00:08:47] Speaker C: Thank you. Yeah.
[00:08:49] Speaker B: All right. Thank you so much for sitting down with me. I really appreciate it.
[00:08:52] Speaker C: Thank you for having me. Look. Well, Connor. Forever. Remember, right over left.
[00:08:56] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:08:56] Speaker C: And go check out South Park. Joining the pandaverse. I am the female cartman. The pandaverse cartman. And you're going to laugh your ass off. Okay.
[00:09:07] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:09:08] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:09:10] Speaker A: Thank you for listening. You can find the companion article for this podcast along with the rest of my convention coverage on thecosmicscircus.com have a great day.
