Deborah Ayorinde is a British-American actress. Her most recent credits are “Girls Trip,” “Harriet,” “True Detective” and “Luke Cage.” Deborah began doing television in 2010 making guest appearances on shows including Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns and later Elizabeth Kruger’s Necessary Roughness. In 2014 she expanded her repertoire to include film, first starring in Herman 'Caheei McGloun’s short film She Believes before making her feature film debut in 2015 with Bad Asses on the Bayou. Since then, Deborah has continued to grow as an actress, taking on bigger, more challenging roles, and collaborating with talented actors including Janelle Monáe, Mahershala Ali and Kevin Hart, to name a few. Most recently, Deborah came back for a starring role for the second installment THEM: The Scare on Amazon Prime, a historically inspired horror series created by Little Marvin.

Black Organza Neck Tie Blouse by Falguni Shane Peacock
Skirt by Vinca Schiffmann at The Confessional Showroom
Shoes by Steve Madden
Armour by Stylist Own
Powerkiss Drop Earrings Silver by Nicole Amato

Deborah Ayorinde could be doing any number of things with her time, but she's chosen to spend her afternoon with me. She sweeps into the studio, fresh off a morning show appearance, ready to work.

Today, instead of doing a standard portrait session, we're exploring the concept of female tropes in cinema. These one-sided stereotypes of women are damaging, she explains, "life imitates art, not the other way around." Deborah believes in artists taking responsibility for the work they put into the world, which I agree with and admire her for.

“The Career Woman”

She’s worked hard to earn career success and enjoys power, respect, and wealth. Unfortunately this comes at the expense of personal happiness, sacrificing any relationships leaving her sad and alone.

Shirt by Kazoku Lunettes at The Confessional Showroom
Bibhu Mohapatra Resort 24 - Double Breasted Barathea Coat by Bibhu @bibhumohapatra
Tights by Stylist Own
RING ASSOLUTO by Pianegonda https://www.pianegonda.com/
Waves Earrings Silver by Nicole Amato

Women have long been subjected to a hollow perception of character in cinema. Some all too familiar tropes include the outwardly beautiful woman whose self-expression is highly feminine but who clearly cannot think for herself nor pursue anything intellectually challenging (thank you, Elle Woods, for being our first example of dismantling this particular stereotype in broader pop culture), or the career woman who's success and power comes at the cost of her personal happiness, leaving her angry, bitter, and mean (Miranda Priestly, anyone?). Many more tropes exist that serve only to put women in restrictive boxes. These boxes become a battleground for choking out the complexities of being a human.

“The Beauty Queen”

This woman embraces her physical beauty and femininity. Sadly, she’s unable to also be intelligent, rendering her character shallow and her worth dependent on her good looks.

Belted Tie-neck Pleated Midi Dress Made of Silk Chiffon, Charmeuse and Velvet
by Sergio Hudson @sergiohudson or @sergiohudsoncollection
Shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti
Fortitude Hoops Gold by Nicole Amato
Ring by Alexis Bittar

"How do these tropes affect society and people?" Deborah wonders aloud. Although still early in her career, she carefully considers the roles she chooses to play (or not play) based in part on what type of impact they might have on viewers. Deborah won't take a role where she considers the character shallow or one-dimensional. After all, humans are not shallow, so written characters must also contain depth. She couldn't recall where she heard this great piece of advice, but it stuck with her: People often focus on what's right versus what's true. Art is (or should be) "not about telling cookie-cutter stories. It's about truth," she says.

“The Mother”

In her world, she lives solely in service of her children and possibly also her husband. Her only identity is Mother, she ceased to exist before this reality.

Strapless Jersey Gown with Floor Length Taffeta Sleeves by Chiara Boni La Petite Robe

This is clearly reflected in her roles as Lucky in THEM (2021) and Dawn in THEM: The Scare, which premiered on Amazon Prime on April 25th, 2024. Playing the lead character in both seasons, Deborah tackles the uncomfortable and confronting subject matter of the Black experience in a racist White America, specifically in southern California.

In Season 1 of THEM, which takes place in the 1950s, she plays Lucky, a headstrong wife, and mother who is struggling with the decision to either stand up to racism or surrender to her circumstances, grappling with the urge to take her family's safety into her own hands. In the current season, THEM: The Scare, she plays detective Dawn Reed, a cop in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, shortly after the tragic and widely publicized beating of Black man Rodney King. Being Black, female, and a member of the police, Dawn contends with complex feelings about her identity and whether she can make a difference in law enforcement rather than perpetuate a growing mistrust between cops and Black civilians.

“The Strong Black Female”

She moves through life with unmatched bravery and emotional strength, never needing the support of community nor showing her vulnerability.

Both seasons of THEM are difficult to watch, both physically and emotionally, as the viewer bears witness to distressing stories about racism and acts of violence. These stories may be uncomfortable for people, but it's the truth, Deborah tells me when I ask her what she hopes people will take away from the current season of THEM. "People have horrific experiences with being other, with being 'them'... Sometimes the truth is hard." Deborah emphasizes the importance of telling stories about individuals who have experienced racial abuse, sexual assault, sexism, bullying, and more. Their stories need to be told and not erased from history because they are real; they happened. To clarify, THEM (both seasons) is not a true story per se, but a symbolic expression of very real periods in time where racism in America has merely changed shape but not gone away.

“The Ass-Kicker”

Possessing an impressive level of physical strength, she trades her femininity for a more traditionally masculine look. It’s impossible to be both tough and feminine.

Black Sleeveless Jacket by Falguni Shane Peacock
Denim by AG Jeans
Necklace and Belt by INNERRAUM

Deborah's ability to empathize with her characters and perform challenging and sometimes distressing roles sets her apart from other actors. She takes herself seriously as both an artist and contributor to the cultural zeitgeist of our time, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next. Deborah's body of work includes roles in films such as Girl's Trip (2017) and Harriet (2019), TV series such as True Detective (2019) and Riches (2022), her lead role in both seasons of THEM (2021) and now THEM: The Scare (2024), and an upcoming stage debut in London for Wedding Band, which runs between May 31st and June 29th at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

CREW CREDITS:
Talent: Deborah Ayorinde
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director: Mike Ruiz
Concept, Creative Director + Photographer: Julia Comita
Fashion Stylist: Alison Hernon at Exclusive Artists
Hair: Cheryl Bergamy for Exclusive Artists using Contents Haircare
Makeup: Brenna Drury
Set Design: Tim Ferro
Photography Assistant: Brandon Abreu
Photography Intern: Angélina Da Silva
Fashion Stylist Interns: Hanna Flores, Yisha Li , Ana Mergil
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Julia Comita

Tropes, Triumphs, and Tough Conversation with Deborah Ayorinde

“The Career Woman”

“The Beauty Queen”

“The Mother”

“The Strong Black Female”

“The Ass-Kicker”