If you caught Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained over the holiday break, you may have noticed CalArts alumna Dana Gourrier (Theater MFA 10) acting alongside seasoned Hollywood veterans Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson and Kerry Washington.
Set in the South two years before the Civil War, Django Unchained stars Foxx in the titular role as a former slave forced to help a bounty hunter (Waltz) in exchange for freedom and the chance to rescue his beloved wife Broomhilda (Washington) from ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie (DiCaprio).
New Orleans native Gourrier plays Cora, an enslaved plantation servant, and can be seen in the WDSU-TV news clip, above, talking about her experiences working on the Tarantino film.
After its release on Christmas Day, Django Unchained is poised to be director Quentin Tarantino’s highest grossing film in his 20-year career.
In the video below, Gourrier performs in a scene with Jackson and Washington:
Next up for Gourrier are other small roles on the big screen, including Broken City with Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe, and The Butler, starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Lenny Kravitz and Cuba Gooding Jr, both scheduled for release later this year.