Hailey Kilgore Says She “Never Felt Worthy Enough” to Lead a Movie Before “Cinnamon”

Hailey Kilgore is lastly prepared for her top-woman second. Soon after scoring breakthrough roles in the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect” and Starz’s “Electricity Guide III: Elevating Kanan,” the 24-12 months-aged actor and singer is commanding awareness on the major display screen as the star of “Cinnamon.” The Tubi Blaxploitation-inspired thriller, prepared and directed by Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr., options Kilgore as Jodi, whose aspirations resemble the actor’s personal as a singer who dreams of chart-topping success. The film — which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Pageant — marks Kilgore’s 1st time anchoring a film task, which she admittedly tells POPSUGAR is a little something she’s yearned to do for a although but “in no way definitely had the whole self esteem” to pursue.

“I under no circumstances felt worthy more than enough to do it,” she shares, including that her perception was predominantly fueled by staying a “youthful Black female in an market where by [I’m overlooked] if I never in good shape a pretty unique issue.” “It just helps make things a very little little bit far more tough,” she points out. “I’m not depressed about that. It’s just the truth of the marketplace. But it does creep into your head like, ‘Am I worthy of getting capable to do one thing like that?’ But I did it, so I guess I have the reply now.”

Kilgore stars in “Cinnamon” with “The Summer months I Turned Quite”‘s David Iacono, who plays her like curiosity, Eddie. Alongside one another, the two scheme to make Jodi’s audio goals a truth by staging a heist at her location of function, a gas station wherever her shady boss (played by Damon Wayans) has a stash of funds concealed absent. But when their theft strategy goes horribly erroneous, the Bonnie and Clyde pair finds by themselves remaining hunted by a ruthless relatives identified to make them spend for the criminal offense — which turns Jodi’s goal of a audio job into a literal combat for her existence.

As with the rest of her breakout roles so considerably, Kilgore states she was “so thrilled” to, after yet again, merge her passions for each singing and performing in “Cinnamon.” “Whenever there is an option for me to sing, I am extremely delighted,” she says sweetly. “I love singing. I do have targets of undertaking straight plays or assignments that will not incorporate singing as considerably, as perfectly. But surely, when I study the script and it claimed that [Jodi] needed to be a singer, I was so fired up.”

Even with the actuality that Kilgore’s character practically will get her arms soiled in the film, the actor suggests she was continue to ecstatic about going through the “glamorous” star therapy. “In ‘Power [Book III],’ I are unable to even have my eyebrows done. It’s tough out here,” Kilgore shares. “So it was like I get to dwell this pop star desire with my Ariana Grande pony and my brilliant crimson nails.”

The hardest portion about “Cinnamon,” even though, was Kilgore taking pictures the movie in 18 times — and new off of filming the preceding time of “Boosting Kanan.” “I had no prep time,” she describes. “I practically experienced to movie my very last scene on a Friday, and my initial working day of filming [‘Cinnamon’] was the pursuing Monday.” Which was “definitely overwhelming” for Kilgore, mainly because she had much extra time to get ready for assignments like “Regard.” “For this, that was not the scenario.”

Luckily, Kilgore experienced the aid of Montgomery Jr., whom she calls an “wonderful” director. She also leaned on “legendary” castmates Wayans and Pam Grier, a Blaxploitation icon. When Grier says pretty minimal in “Cinnamon” as a deaf character, she remained “an encyclopedia of know-how” on established, according to Kilgore.

“I enjoy her. All that she is, all of her tales,” the young star suggests of Grier. “She is an encyclopedia of toughness and light-weight and daily life. She is larger than existence.”

Kilgore reveals that the two deeply relevant as Black feminine actors in Hollywood, and Grier even offered her some encouraging text as she stepped into her foremost position. “She was like, ‘You ended up chosen. Embrace that and really don’t be worried of it. Operate in direction of it. Never run absent from it,'” Kilgore recollects. “She was like a mom. Even if she could feeling that I was a little little bit not sure, she would seize my hand and just search at me. . . . She really gave me the confidence to guide, and I am really grateful for that.”

Kilgore isn’t going to have also a lot of expectations for audiences when they see “Cinnamon.” She just hopes viewers “locate the heart in it” and “like my performance.” She does, on the other hand, consider the movie “really does have some thing for every person.” “If you really like audio, there is certainly that. If you really like comedy, you can find that. If you like romance, we bought that,” she claims. “And heist, the thrill of the heist.” So buckle up, simply because “Cinnamon” is guaranteed to choose you on a wild trip.

“Cinnamon” starts streaming on Tubi on June 23.