But for the 30-year-old, the highlight of the project was returning to the place her ambitions were born.
I did a lot of dreaming in Baltimore.
I dont know if Ive dreamed as hard since I left, she says.
Moses Ingram in ‘Lady in the Lake’Apple TV+
I always thought if I was going to do anything with my life, Id have to leave.
Did you audition for it?
Watch on Deadline
MOSES INGRAM:I did.
Moses Ingram as Cleo in ‘Lady in the Lake’
Literally stop whatever youre doing, read this right now.
And I read that first episode and thought, Oh my God, this is amazing.
I was like, It is 12 pages.
What do you mean they need this end of the day?
Hes like, I know you’re able to do it.
Thats the kind of person that my agent is.
So, I spent that whole day trying to lock in the lines and do it.
The next morning I met Alma, and that was it.
That was my process.
Singing, dancing, fantasy segments, grounded dramathis show has everything.
DEADLINE: Did you read Laura Lippmans book that the series is based on?
INGRAM:No, I hadnt read her book at the time.
DEADLINE: How did you get a sense of the tone of the project?
I think its easy… Actually, it is not easy.
You take it in, in pieces and chunks.
DEADLINE: How did you ground Cleo as a character?
Who was she to you?
INGRAM:To me, shes my mother.
Thats the city that Im from.
Its a lifeblood inside myself.
So, grounding her in truth was really easy, but also super important to me.
To be very honest, I havent been the same since, and I honor that feeling.
Thats the only way a lot of stuff is able to happen, I believe.
So yeah, I go to work, but I dont go to work alone.
Its really beautiful what the project was able to do for the city.
DEADLINE:What was it like working with Alma?
I feel like with this project, in particular, is so dependent on the directors vision.
I think it wouldve been super easy for her to be like, We dont have time.
We dont have time for this many takes.
We dont have time for this.
How do you feel about this?
Does this feel natural to you?
How would you say it going in?
DEADLINE: It must be a little bit like theater school, with no time to feel self-conscious.
The bus is moving and theres a goat in front of it.
Whereas if you get on the bus, you just go with it and take it in.
What would be happening to me if this was a situation that I was in?
and really leaning in.
Sometimes it can be one of those things where you get self-conscious or unsure about what you look like.
And that experience makes way for me where I feel free enough to look weird, stupid, whatever.
I worked with Kim Gilligan, who was really amazing who I also worked with onThe End, actually.
And Cleos like, Girl, no.
Im in this situation because you just couldnt mind your business.
You know what I mean?
Shes really professional, really about her business.
Being in the scene and then having to jump out and handle whatever and coming right back to it.
I feel so grateful to have had an opportunity to show people the potential of the artist.
And thats just my beginning.
I shocked myself a lot on this, but its work that Im the most proud of.
One, because I was exhausted.
I had already come from a year of being at work and not really having had any downtime.
That is a thing that you dream of, so you cannot complain about going to work.
Its just not a thing.
And I think I was just ready to go home at a certain point.
It was work that also required a lot.
Like, You think youre done?
But I cant imagine doing anything else.
And Ive seen people do hard work.
I was raised with people who do hard work.
I dont do hard work.
I did a lot of dreaming in Baltimore.
All my dreams, really.
I dont know if Ive dreamed as hard since I left.
I always thought if I was going to do anything with my life, Id have to leave.
Its just really, really beautiful.
I read that script three times before it vanished.
And then I went to film it and all I had were sides.
We finished it in September, October, something like that.
Its very, very top secret.
Im glad I got to read it.
I had some days where people were like, Do you know whats happening in this scene?
and I knew what was happening.
I think shes absolutely fantastic.
And I think the same thing about Nicole Beharie.
If I could get in something with the two of them, I would just be beside myself.
But honestly, any work that is worthy, Im happy to do.
Like a kid in a candy store, Id be so happy if I got to do that.
But I just want to work.
