Kimber Elayne Sprawl On Redefining Emilia In ‘Othello’—And Living Her Dream Opposite Denzel Washington [Exclusive]

Kimber Elayne Sprawl may be breaking barriers on Broadway as Emilia in the beloved Shakespeare classic, Othello, but she’s also a girl living out her wildest dreams.

Beyond her work in Othello, Sprawl has built quite a name for herself in theater. She has previously starred in critically acclaimed productions like Wicked, in which she became the first Black actor to play Nessarose full-time on Broadway, as well as her roles in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Girl From the North Country. 

As one of the most integral and dynamic characters in Othello, her portrayal of Emilia is a dream come true, especially since Sprawl can work alongside veterans Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal.

“It’s a dream to work opposite Denzel Washington,” she told MadameNoire. “Like most Black families, he grew up in our home, you know, we were not going to see John Q, we were going to see the new Denzel movie. Before I even wanted to be an actor, he inspired me in many ways, just like being the GOAT and one of the first to do it. The fact that he’s my scene partner is still unreal in many ways. Oftentimes, I’ll look at him and like, ‘Wow, that is Denzel over there. Then other times, it’s like I’m talking to an uncle or colleague. He’s so generous with all of his stories.”

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Sprawl added, “It’s like talking to your cool uncle who’s done and been everywhere, he’s always ready to share his experiences. I’ve just learned so much from him, and Jake is also a fascinating actor. He’s so curious. He always just wants to talk about the work and dig deeper. Even at this level, he is working so hard, just as hard as anyone else, and that’s inspiring to see that the work, in a good way, never stops.”

Adding a new dimension to an iconic character like Emilia would seem to involve a lot of pressure, but Sprawl says that director Kenny Leon encouraged her to bring her authentic self forward.

“He said specifically, ‘I wanted the role of Emilia to be played by a Black woman because I feel like there’s so much untapped strength in the character that we don’t often see,’” Sprawl explained.

“There’s a scene where I have to be really angry. I was afraid, almost, to sort of like go there, because I didn’t want to be the angry Black woman,” she continued. “I’m the only Black woman lead in the cast, and so I remember being like, I don’t want to be that person, because I’m the only one up there representing all of us. Kenny encouraged me. He said, ‘The truth is undeniable. Nobody’s going to see you as that if you just tap in deeper to what your character knows, and what is true for her.’”

With Othello being around for nearly 400 years, Sprawl admits that it is refreshing to know that it can be applied to what’s going on today, primarily through the lens of the storytelling that they’re doing with the current production of the play on Broadway that she’s a part of.

“When we’re getting into just the language and the poetry and how specific Shakespeare was, even back then, it just sort of lends to how universal all of our human experiences are,” said Sprawl.

Off-stage, Sprawl is known for her killer eye for fashion, which shows up each time she slays the red carpet. The actress gives all the credit to her mother for her keen sense of style and says it’s also an extension of the storytelling she does through her work as a thespian.

“I get that from my mom. She was always very expressive when it came to the clothes she’d like to wear,” Sprawl recalled. “It was very much an extension of her personality. She was a single mother. She worked really hard, so I also feel like that was just a way for her to have fun with herself and life and the things she was doing. I think that’s how I look at it. I love to have fun with what I wear. It makes me feel good, even if you know there are external and internal things that are happening around me that are, you know, not so great. Also, living in New York, you’re just inspired by so much. I like that it’s a part of my experience here as an actor and as an artist in New York City.”

The limited Broadway run of Othello, which stars Kimber Elayne Sprawl as Emilia, Jake Gyllenhaal as Iago, Molly Osborne as Desdemona, and Denzel Washington as Othello, concludes on June 8.

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