Andra Day had a warm mother-daughter bond with co-star Glenn Close.
The Deliverance, an upcoming horror-drama on Netflix, stars Day as Ebony Jackson, a single mother of three whose connection with her ailing mother, Alberta, is problematic (Close).
During the film, directed by Lee Daniels and starring Mo’Nique and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, the couple encounters demons in a haunted mansion while living together.
“I was in love with her and she loved me,” Day, 39, says of her on-set relationship with Close, 77, between takes, even though their roles were sometimes adversarial.
“We built a greater connection and mother-daughter bond. On camera, it felt as if we could gather up all of the anger we needed for this sequence. But below there needs to be a never-ending,” she says.
“It was more important that the love between us was there,” says the 2021 Best Actress Oscar candidate for The United States vs. Billie Holiday. “Then we could do what we needed to do for the sequences when we’re simply fighting and there’s a lot of fury and grief. But we needed that affection, and we definitely have it.”
Day says, “I freaking love Close,” and adds, “I still call her Mom Glenn!”
“I admired her. It was simply fantastic to be her daughter and to see her work,” she says, saying, “The way she embraced this role and the way — watching her, she’s so legendary and she’s been doing this at the top level for so long.”
Close had a “youthful hunger to her,” according to Day. “But there was also the absolute veteran that just goes in, embodies the scene, and will not stop until she gets it.”
“It was incredible being on a set of women who are at the top of their game and at the top of their craft and are still hungry, are still wanting to do their best, still have that fire and will not stop until they get it,” says the actress-singer. “It was amazing.”
On Instagram, Close said, “Being in this movie and learning in this movie will remain one of the best experiences of my career.” Furthermore, the eight-time Oscar nominee praised The Deliverance as “one of the best, most joyous, challenging, and humbling experiences of my career.”
“What a thrill to be in a movie with these sublime actresses,” he said.
The Deliverance will be released in select cinemas on August 16, followed by a Netflix streaming debut on August 30.