It’s a sticky summer evening and Kyanna Simone is reliving her time on the set of The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat. “We called it summer camp,” she says, beaming as she recalls the camaraderie between her and co-stars Abigail Achiri and Tati Gabrielle. For Simone, the warmth and chemistry seen on screen didn’t need to be fabricated. It was real, organic, and palpable, and it shows in every frame of the film.
Adapted from the book by Edward Kelsey Moore, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat is a multigenerational story about three women navigating life’s ups and downs. Simone plays the young Odette, a character whose spirit and fire grabbed her attention from the moment she read the script. “I auditioned for the role of young Clarice first,” she recalls. “But I couldn’t get Odette out of my head. So, I read the lines as Odette.” Her instincts were spot on—Tina Mabry called her back for the role she truly felt connected to.
“She’s tough as nails on the outside, but it’s really just a defense mechanism,” Simone says of Odette. “There’s a warmth and a vulnerability to her that I think a lot of Black women can relate to.” The complexity of her character—a woman who boxes to defend herself but wants nothing more than love and gentleness—was a challenge Simone embraced. “The heart of Odette is that softness. When you get the chance to see her let down her guard, that’s her real self.”
Simone has made a name for herself playing women of fierce determination, from the short film Rebel Girls to her roles in period pieces like The Supremes. It’s a niche she’s not tired of. “I love period pieces, especially when we can show different angles of what life was like for young Black women during that time—whether it’s the strength of survival or just being in love with life,” she explains. Whether she’s portraying a young woman fighting against societal confines in the ’60s or showing what true friendship looks like on screen, Simone says it all comes back to authenticity.
Her bond with co-stars Tati and Abigail transcended the movie. “We went out for karaoke, got ice cream, laughed until the director had to tell us to calm down on set,” Simone recounts. “We were supposed to be playing these lifelong friends, and it felt like we really were.” It’s rare, Simone notes, to find such connections off-screen that also enrich on-screen storytelling. “Even over a year later, we’re still in touch. These friendships are the real deal.”
Simone has also had the experience of playing the younger versions of iconic characters. Most notably, she portrayed the young version of Oprah’s character in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It’s a responsibility she doesn’t take lightly. “I do my homework,” she says. “When I knew I’d be playing young Odette, I watched Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor's work, dissected her process, and then we prepared together.” This collaborative approach ensured that Odette felt like a single character, no matter who was playing her. “Thirty years apart means there are differences, but we made sure the core—her heart—was intact.”
Off-screen, Simone is boxing—literally. “I started going to boxing classes five years ago, and I love it,” she shares. “I even spar sometimes. There’s something about feeling physically strong that I just love.” It’s clear that Simone is as much about physical empowerment as she is emotional empowerment, both on and off the screen.
For her, the heart of The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat lies in its ability to showcase love beyond romance. “There’s a strength in platonic friendships, in Sisterhood,” she says, a nod to her own mother, who would always encourage her with the words to Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance": “When you get the choice to sit out or dance, I hope you dance.” That mantra has stayed with her through every step of her career, and she’s definitely dancing now.
Simone’s Odette is, at her core, a testament to the resilience and tenderness of Black womanhood. In The Supremes, she finds herself at the center of a story that celebrates that spirit, surrounded by friends who help uplift and shape her. “I think this movie shows that sometimes, the people you choose can be more of a family than the one you’re born into. And that’s okay,” she smiles. “That’s beautiful.”
Watch the interview above and then check out the trailer below.
