The Color Purple Actress Phylicia Pearl Mpasi on the Shocking Text — Then Call — She Received from Oprah (Exclusive)

Phylicia Pearl Mpasi remains grateful to have the support of Oprah Winfrey.

In the upcoming movie Purple — which is an adaptation of Purple stage musical – Mpasi takes on the role of young Celia in her big screen debut.

Landing the job was a pivotal moment in Mpasa’s career, and she tells PEOPLE exclusively that she wouldn’t want to work with any other cast and crew.

“There was a bit of intimidation and a bit of impostor syndrome that came with going on set with people who are legends and masters of their craft and whose work I’ve admired for so long,” admits Mpasi. “But I think one of the better parts, and the best part of filming, was the real sisterhood and community and family that we built off screen.”

Halle Bailey stars as Nettie in ‘The Color Purple’ as producer Oprah Winfrey praises her ‘strength’

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Produced by Winfrey, 69, and Steven Spielberg — who also worked on the original film — Purple follows a black woman named Celie through her struggles in the South in the 1900s. In addition to Mpasi, the star-studded cast includes Fantasia Barrino as Celie in her feature film debut, Danielle Brooks as Sofia, along with Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Louis Gossett Jr., Corey Hawkins, David Alan Grier, Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor , HER, Ciara, Jon Batiste and Deon Cole.

While movie remakes can potentially be difficult, Mpasi says having Winfrey and Spielberg at the helm helped the film stay true to its original story.

The musical twist, she says, also “enhances” the film and adds a spark of fun to a deeply meaningful story.

“It’s joyful, it’s fun, it’s sad, it’s traumatic, it’s dramatic, but at the end of the day, it’s a story about a black woman who is the hero and the center of the story,” she says. “And I think people will walk away feeling victorious and that they can take on any problem the world throws at them because Celie can.”

Taraji P. Henson calls filming the musical ‘The Color Purple’ ‘Empowering’

Mpasi started the acting world in the theater, performing in Disney’s Lion King on Broadway a few years before the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. That’s when she decided she wanted to devote herself to new passions.

After she found a career as a writer, where did she work Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies and a scripted podcast for HBO called We keep searching, Mpasi says she decided to look for auditions for Purple on a whim.

“I happened to see that they were interested in her and that they were willing to pitch through open applications online,” she explains, adding that she hoped to get the role of Celia. “So I sent the tape and asked my agent, ‘Hey, can you just follow them?’ I got good feedback but was told no at first.”

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A few months later, the casting director contacted Mpasi again, asking if she would like to play young Celie in her place. The process was a whirlwind, she says, likening it to “firing from a cannon.”

“I thought I had more time,” she says. “I thought, ‘I’m going to get an acting coach, I’m going to get a vocal coach, I’m just going to prepare, I’m going to know all my lines before I even get there.’ Uh-uh, they said, ‘We need her to come to Atlanta to start rehearsals — right now.'”

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

One of her most memorable moments on set was right after filming her first solo scene. She remembers feeling so deeply engrossed in her character that she had to ground herself – so she ventured off the set.

“Filming these scenes in the rain was very isolating because the crew was so far away from getting the equipment wet,” she tells PEOPLE. “There is a part where I am alone. And it was the first time I wasn’t with Halle on set, so I felt very abandoned and very lonely.”

She says she was going to a yoga class, and as she was leaving, she got a text from Winfrey asking if Mpasi could call her. At first, she says, she thought it was a prank by one of her friends, but when she answered the phone, Winfrey was on the line.

Oprah Winfrey says it was a ‘miracle’ that she got the part in 1985. Color Purple: ‘I’ve never been on a film set’ (Exclusive)

“She just called to say, ‘You were never alone. I was there the whole time watching over you, protecting you, supporting you. You just had so much, I had to let you be in that character and I had to let you be in that moment, and the work you were doing was absolutely beautiful,'” Mpasi recalls of the conversation. “And she thanked me. ”

“I think that’s just an indication of what this movie was — it’s supportive, it’s empowering, it’s people we look up to and people who have walked this walk are already pouring into a new generation.”

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Since filming began, Mpasi says she has formed a close bond with co-star Bailey, who plays Nettie. As she became more comfortable in her new life in the movie realm, Mpasi says she started getting to know the rest of the cast. And in the end they felt like family.

“I felt like I was with old friends at a certain point,” she says, adding, “Working with like-minded artists was so special and so informative and a great learning experience.”

As awards season approaches, Mpasi says she can’t wait to hear people’s reactions over the next few months.

“We’re going in other ways and other themes in the story that haven’t been fully explored yet, and I think it’s so nice that this story has stood the test of time to give us space to do that,” she says. “We’re not changing anything, we’re just adding a little icing on top. And I think people will be really surprised to experience every spectrum of human emotion while watching our film.”

Purple it’s in theaters on December 25.

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Source: HIS Education