

Tessa Thompson co-stars in the new Netflix movie Passing alongside actress Ruth Negga. According to the synopsis, Passing is set in 1920s New York City where a Black woman finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend who's passing as white.
Filmed in black and white, Tessa plays Irene, a wife, and mother who lives with her family in Harlem and while she acknowledges her Blackness, her light complexion allows her to fit in white areas. Ruth Negga plays Clare who is married to a white man and is passing as a white woman.
On the surface, the film is about two Black women dealing with the effects of passing for white, however, there's a more underlining story. Tessa spoke with Newsweek about the significant film and how it's about more than just race.
Tessa's character seemed to have a perfect life---married to a doctor with two kids and living in a beautiful brownstone, however, she's not happy. Then she runs into Ruth's character and Ruth's character quickly fits into her life with her family and friends making Tessa's character feel obsolete. Tessa touched on her character not being satisfied with her life.
"I think two things are happening: Brian, her husband, is lying in bed with her and implies that he's not entirely satisfied, which is something that she knows is true but doesn't want to be honest about," she said.
"I think she herself is deeply unsatisfied. That territory felt like something I understood. I think we exist, no matter the time to a certain extent, inside of systems that leave us dissatisfied, that don't allow us to be the full, most authentic versions of ourselves. We're told lies about how we should feel being a woman and what we should be. So I think dissatisfaction is something actually that we can understand and something that doesn't get lensed an awful lot."
Despite being unsatisfied, Tessa's character tries to hold everything together, but Ruth's character's abrupt arrival exposes the pitfalls in her marriage and it seems that she can no longer "pass" like everything is OK.
Neither can Ruth's character as she continues to intrude on Tessa's character's life and realizes she misses her Blackness. But their character's internal conflicts aren't just unique to that time period. Tessa believes many people are still "passing" in today's society.
"I think it's so deeply relevant. There's such modernity to it," said Tessa. "In terms of code-switching or passing, one of the things Irene says both in the book and in our adaptation is that we're all passing for one thing or another.
She says that to her friend, who is passing himself because he's a queer man who is married and puts on the artifice of being straight, although not very convincingly to his social community.
So I think that is saying all of us sometimes find ourselves passing. There were women who were suffocated by domesticity that have to pass, queer folks that pass, all those things were happening then in the 1920s, and I think that still happens now."
Passing was written and directed by Rebecca Hall who came up with the idea after reading the 1929 novel Nella Larsen while also coming to grips with her own family in which her grandfather, who was Black, passed for white for most of his life.
Featured image by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Devale Ellis On Being A Provider, Marriage Growth & Redefining Fatherhood
In this candid episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Devale Ellis, actor, social media personality, and star of Zatima, about modern masculinity, learning to be a better husband, emotional presence in marriage, fatherhood for Black men, and leading by example.
“I Wasn’t Present Emotionally”: Devale Ellis on Marriage Growth
Devale Ellis On Learning He Was a ‘Bad Husband’
Ellis grew up believing that a man should prioritize providing for his family. “I know this may come off as misogynistic, but I feel like it’s my responsibility as a man to pay for everything,” he said, emphasizing the wise guidance passed down by his father. However, five years into his marriage to long-time partner Khadeen Ellis, he realized provision wasn’t just financial.
“I was a bad husband because I wasn’t present emotionally… I wasn’t concerned about what she needed outside of the resources.”
Once he shifted his mindset, his marriage improved. “In me trying to be of service to her, I learned that me being of service created a woman who is now willing to be of service to me.”
On Redefining Masculinity and Fatherhood
For Ellis, “being a man is about being consistent.” As a father of four, he sees parenthood as a chance to reshape the future.
“Children give you another chance at life. I have four different opportunities right now to do my life all over again.”
He also works to uplift young Black men, reinforcing their worth in a world that often undermines them. His values extend to his career—Ellis refuses to play roles that involve domestic violence or sexual assault.
On Marriage, Family Planning, and Writing His Story
After his wife’s postpartum preeclampsia, Ellis chose a vasectomy over her taking hormonal birth control, further proving his commitment to their partnership. He and Khadeen share their journey in We Over Me, and his next book, Raising Kings: How Fatherhood Saved Me From Myself, is on the way.
Through honesty and growth, Devale Ellis challenges traditional ideas of masculinity, making his story one that resonates deeply with millennial women.
For the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker peels back the layers of masculinity with candid conversations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate vulnerability. Real men. Real stories. Real talk.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by YouTube/xoNecole
Devale Ellis On Being A Provider, Marriage Growth & Redefining Fatherhood
In this candid episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Devale Ellis, actor, social media personality, and star of Zatima, about modern masculinity, learning to be a better husband, emotional presence in marriage, fatherhood for Black men, and leading by example.
“I Wasn’t Present Emotionally”: Devale Ellis on Marriage Growth
Devale Ellis On Learning He Was a ‘Bad Husband’
Ellis grew up believing that a man should prioritize providing for his family. “I know this may come off as misogynistic, but I feel like it’s my responsibility as a man to pay for everything,” he said, emphasizing the wise guidance passed down by his father. However, five years into his marriage to long-time partner Khadeen Ellis, he realized provision wasn’t just financial.
“I was a bad husband because I wasn’t present emotionally… I wasn’t concerned about what she needed outside of the resources.”
Once he shifted his mindset, his marriage improved. “In me trying to be of service to her, I learned that me being of service created a woman who is now willing to be of service to me.”
On Redefining Masculinity and Fatherhood
For Ellis, “being a man is about being consistent.” As a father of four, he sees parenthood as a chance to reshape the future.
“Children give you another chance at life. I have four different opportunities right now to do my life all over again.”
He also works to uplift young Black men, reinforcing their worth in a world that often undermines them. His values extend to his career—Ellis refuses to play roles that involve domestic violence or sexual assault.
On Marriage, Family Planning, and Writing His Story
After his wife’s postpartum preeclampsia, Ellis chose a vasectomy over her taking hormonal birth control, further proving his commitment to their partnership. He and Khadeen share their journey in We Over Me, and his next book, Raising Kings: How Fatherhood Saved Me From Myself, is on the way.
Through honesty and growth, Devale Ellis challenges traditional ideas of masculinity, making his story one that resonates deeply with millennial women.
For the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker peels back the layers of masculinity with candid conversations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate vulnerability. Real men. Real stories. Real talk.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by YouTube/xoNecole